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Ahmad Faraz

One of the best Urdu Poet of Recent Times

Ahmad Faraz, Toronto 2005
Born 	Syed Ahmad Shah Ali
14 January 1931
Kohat, NWFP, British India
Died 	25 August 2008 (aged 77)
Islamabad, Islamabad Capital Territory, Pakistan
Pen name 	Faraz
Occupation 	Urdu poet, Lecturer
Nationality 	Pakistani
Ethnicity 	Sayyid
Citizenship 	Pakistani
Education 	MA Urdu, Persian
Alma mater 	Peshawar Model School
Peshawar University
Period 	1950 to 2008
Genres 	Urdu Ghazal
Subjects 	Romance, resistance
Literary movement 	Progressive Writers Movement/Democratic Movement
Notable award(s) 	Hilal-e-Imtiaz
Sitara-i-Imtiaz
Nigar Awards
Children 	Saadi, Shibli and Sarmad Faraz

Ahmad Faraz (Born on 14 January 1931 in Kohat, died 25 August 2008) was a 
Pakistani Urdu poet. He was acclaimed one of the modern Urdu poets of 
the last century. 'Faraz' is his pen name, (in Urdu takhalus). He died in 
Islamabad on 25 August 2008.

He was awarded Hilal-e-Imtiaz, Sitara-i-Imtiaz and after his death 
Hilal-e-Pakistan by the government.

Early life

Faraz was born in Kohat, then India to Syed Muhammad Shah Barq. His brother 
is Syed Masood Kausar. He moved to Peshawar with his family. He studied in 
famous Edwards College, Peshawar and received Masters in Urdu and Persian 
from Peshawar University.

During in college life, Faiz Ahmad Faiz and Ali Sardar Jafri were his best 
progressive poets, who impressed him and became his role models. Ethnically 
a Sayyid, Ahmed Faraz studied Persian and Urdu at the Peshawar University.
He later became lecturer at the Peshawar University.


Career Literary

Faraz has been compared with Faiz Ahmad Faiz, holds a unique position as 
one of the best poets of current times, with a fine but simple style of writing.
Even common people can easily understand his poetry.

In an interview  he recalls how his father, once bought clothes for him on Eid. 
He didn't like the clothes meant for him, but preferred the ones meant for 
his elder brother. This lead him to write his first couplet

Sab kay waste laye hein kaprye sale se
Laye hein mere liye qaidi ka kambal jail se

    (He brought clothes for everybody from the sale)

    (For me he brought a blanket from jail)

	
	
Political

Faraz was arrested for writing poems that criticised military rulers in Pakistan 
during the Zia-ul-Haq era. Following that arrest he went into a self-imposed exile.
He stayed for 6 years in Britain, Canada and Europe before returning to Pakistan,
where he was initially appointed Chairman Pakistan Academy of Letters and later 
chairperson of the Islamabad-based National Book Foundation for several years. 
He has been awarded with numerous national and international awards. In 2006, he 
returned the Hilal-e-Imtiaz award he was given in 2004.

He claimed his current writings and said: "I now only write when I am forced to 
from the inside. Maintaining a tradition established by his mentor, the revolutionary 
Faiz Ahmad Faiz, he wrote some of his best poetry during those days in exile. 
Famous amongst poetry of resistance has been "Mahasara". Faraz was also mentioned 
by actor Shahzada Ghaffar in the Pothwari/Mirpuri telefilm "Khai Aye O".


Death

Faraz died of kidney failure in a local Islamabad hospital on 25 August 2008. 
His funeral was held on the evening of 26th, by many admirers and government 
officials at H-8 Graveyard, Islamabad, Pakistan.



Samples of poetry

A sample of his poetry is:

    Nazm: Khwaab martay naheen

    Khwaab martay naheen

    Khwaab dil hain, nah aankhen, nah saansen keh jo

    Rezaa, rezaa huwe to bikhar jaayen ge

    Jism kii maut se ye bhii mar jaayen ge

    English translation.

    Dreams do not die

    Dream are not heart, nor eyes nor breath

    Which shattered, will scatter

    Die with the death of the body

Another poetic translation of the above

Dreams do not die

Dreams are not heart, nor eyes nor a breath

Which shatter and then they scatter,

Die they all, with end being nigh


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