Safi Lakhnavi
Encyclopedia
Safi Lakhnavi born Syed Ali Naqi Zaidi (January 2, 1862–1950), was a prominent Urdu
poet. He was born in the city of Lucknow
, India
in a family of Zaidi Syeds who claimed direct descent from Hazrat Imam Husain.
His father Syed Fazal Husain was appointed an Ataliq (tutor) to Prince Suleiman Qader Bahadur, son of Nawab Amjad Ali of Awadh
.
He was educated at the Canning Collegiate at Lucknow and served in the Revenue Department of the Government. He began writing verse at the young age of 13 under the pseudonym of Safi without any guidance from an Ustad
(teacher), when having an Ustad was the norm.
The poetry of Safi is characterised by the use of simple and sweet language of the people, making him very popular among the common folk. Some of his immortal couplets are :
" Ghazal usne chheri, mujhe saaz dena , Zara umre rafta ko Awaz dena "
" Too bhi mayuse tamana mire andaz mein hai, jab hi to yeh dard papihay teri awaz mein hai "
" Janaza rok kar mera voh is andaaz mein bole ; gali ham ne kahi thi , tum to duniya chhore jaate ho'
Safi Laknavi was a poet of the people and his poetry was innovative and reformist in tone. He was honoured by being called Lassan-ul-Qaum (outstanding spokesman of the people.)
His considerable literary works include Aghosh-i-Madar, Tanzim-ul-Hayat, and Diwan-i-Safi. His poetry craft is taught in graduate and post-graduate Urdu programmes.
Amarnath Jha, the great educationist and the former Vice Chancellor of Allahabad University
, was among his many admirers.
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
poet. He was born in the city of Lucknow
Lucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in a family of Zaidi Syeds who claimed direct descent from Hazrat Imam Husain.
His father Syed Fazal Husain was appointed an Ataliq (tutor) to Prince Suleiman Qader Bahadur, son of Nawab Amjad Ali of Awadh
Awadh
Awadh , also known in various British historical texts as Oudh or Oude derived from Ayodhya, is a region in the centre of the modern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which was before independence known as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh...
.
He was educated at the Canning Collegiate at Lucknow and served in the Revenue Department of the Government. He began writing verse at the young age of 13 under the pseudonym of Safi without any guidance from an Ustad
Ustad
Ustad is an Arabized Persian word is a honorific title for a Muslim man in South Asia. The title precedes the name and is usually used for well regarded teachers and artists, most often musicians. It is applied and used via informal social agreement. It is abbreviated as ut. or ud.-References:*...
(teacher), when having an Ustad was the norm.
The poetry of Safi is characterised by the use of simple and sweet language of the people, making him very popular among the common folk. Some of his immortal couplets are :
" Ghazal usne chheri, mujhe saaz dena , Zara umre rafta ko Awaz dena "
" Too bhi mayuse tamana mire andaz mein hai, jab hi to yeh dard papihay teri awaz mein hai "
" Janaza rok kar mera voh is andaaz mein bole ; gali ham ne kahi thi , tum to duniya chhore jaate ho'
Safi Laknavi was a poet of the people and his poetry was innovative and reformist in tone. He was honoured by being called Lassan-ul-Qaum (outstanding spokesman of the people.)
His considerable literary works include Aghosh-i-Madar, Tanzim-ul-Hayat, and Diwan-i-Safi. His poetry craft is taught in graduate and post-graduate Urdu programmes.
Amarnath Jha, the great educationist and the former Vice Chancellor of Allahabad University
Allahabad University
Allahabad University , is a premier Central University located in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India. Its origins lie in the Muir Central College, named after Lt...
, was among his many admirers.