Eminent Urdu poet Ibn-e-Insha's Nazm: A boy in a fair

Sher Mohammad Khan Ibn-e-Insha alias 'Insha Ji' [1927-1978] was a poet from Pakistan. An excellent poet, his ghazals and nazms are distinct because of his unique style.

Ibn-e-Insha should not be confused with Inshallah Khan Insha [1757-1817], the great Urdu poet of Lucknow, who is also credited with writing the first Hindi story 'Rani Ketki ki Kahani'. Many poetry sites do this mistake.

Read the verse:

एक छोटा सा लड़का था मैं जिन दिनों
एक मेले में पहुंचा हुमकता हुआ
जी मचलता था एक एक शै पर मगर
जेब खाली थी कुछ मोल ले न सका
लौट आया लिए हसरतें सैकड़ों
एक छोटा सा लड़का था मैं जिन दिनों

खैर महरूमियों के वोह दिन तो गए
आज मेला लगा है उसी शान से
आज चाहूँ तो एक एक दुकान मोल लूँ
आज चाहूँ तो सारा जहाँ मोल लूँ
नारसाई का अब जी में धड़का कहाँ?
पर वोह छोटा सा, अल्हड़ सा लड़का कहाँ?


Now read the same poem in Roman script:


Ek Ladka

ek chhoTaa sa laDkaa thaa maiN jin dinoN
ek mele meN pohNchaa humaktaa huaa
jii machaltaa thaa ek ek shae par magar
jeb Khaalii thii kuchh mol le na sakaa
lauT aayaa liye hasrateN saikDoN
ek chhoTaa sa laDkaa thaa maiN jin dinoN

Khair mahruumiyoN ke voh din to gaye
aaj melaa lagaa hai usii shaan se
aaj chaahuuN to ek ek dukaan mol luuN
aaj chaahuuN to saaraa jahaaN mol luuN
narsaaii ka ab jii meN dhaDkaa kahaaN?
par voh chhoTaa saa, alhaD saa laDkaa kahaaN?

[Note: This is Ibn-e-Insha's Nazm 'Ek Ladka'. Don't get confused with Akhtarul Iman's legendary Nazm Ek Larka, which is an entire different and much long verse.]