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Monday, April 8, 2013

Pakistan Post remembers Death Anniversary of Nasir Kazmi (Men of Letters)


 
Pakistan Post issued the first stamp of the year 2013 on the eve of death anniversary of Nasir Kazmi, the famous Urdu language poet.  The Rs. 15 stamp bearing head portrait of Nasir Kazmi on 2nd March 2013.

Kazmi was born on 8 December 1925 at Ambala, Haryana of the undivided British India.

Kazmi, an Urdu poet of Pakistan and one of the greatest poets of this era, especially in the use of "ista'aaray" and "chhotee beher". Nasir Kazmi initially took up journalism as editor of Auraq-e-Nau and then became editor-in-chief of the magazine Humayun in 1952. Later he was associated with Radio Pakistan, Lahore and other literary publications and organisations.

Kazmi started his poetic life in 1940 by following the style of Akhtar Sherani and wrote romantic poems and sonnets. Later he began writing ghazals under the guidance of Hafeez Hoshyarpuri. He was a great admirer of Mir Taqi Mir and probably the melancholy and "Ehsaas-e-Mehroomi" in his poetry was a direct result of that admiration. His tutor in poetry was Hafeez Hoshyarpuri, who himself used a lot of symbols from nature in his poems.

One of Nasir's famous ghazal which was sung by Noor Jehan

Nasir Kazmi was a regular visitor of the famous Pak Tea House at Mall Road, Lahore and would be often found strolling on the footpath around the Pak Tea House with his friends. Few people know that he did some great translations of English poets, especially his translation of Walt Whitman's "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry" by the title of "Brooklyn Ghaat Ke Paar" is a real masterpiece and worth reading.




A few days before his death, Kazmi said in a television interview with Intezaar Hussain:
'Horse riding, hunting, wandering in a village, walk along the river side, visiting mountains etc. were my favourite pastimes and probably this was the time when my mind got nourishment for loving nature and getting close to the expression of poetry.'
'All my hobbies are related with fine arts, like singing, poetry, hunting, chess, love of birds, love of trees etc. ... I started poetry because I used to reflect that all the beautiful things those I see, and those in nature are not in my hands, and they go away from me. Few moments, that time which dies, cannot be made alive. I think can be alive in poetry, that is why I (Nasir) started poetry!'
He got his poetry published in 12 volumes during his lifetime. Nasir breathed his last in Lahore on 2nd March 1972.

References: Wikipedia
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2 comments:

I like his poetry. It is good that government has done so. But it should had done when he was alive.

Many people will get lot of benefits by reading such kind of informational stuff .Thank you so much for this .
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