Legendary Urdu poet Nasikh's ghazal: Raat bhar mujhko dil-e-zaar ne sone na diya...

Imambakhsh Nasikh (1787-1838), one of the greatest Urdu poets from Lucknow, had a significant role in bringing sophistication and purity to the language.

Nasikh's rivalry with another great poet of Lucknow, Khwaja Haider Ali Aatash, is legendary. Aatish and Nasikh, both classical masters, are often accused of 'ibtizaal' [obscenity] in poetry but their contribution in terms of literary output and purity of lanaguage is par excellence.* Read the ghazal:

साथ अपने जो मुझे यार ने सोने न दिया
रात भर मुझको दिल-ए-ज़ार ने सोने न दिया

ख्वाब ही में नज़र आता वोह शब-ए-हिज्र कहीं
सो मुझे हसरत-ए-दीदार ने सोने न दिया

खुफ्तगी बख्त की क्या कहिये की जुज़ ख्वाब-ए-अदम
उम्र भर दीदा-ए-बेदार ने सोने न दिया

यही सय्यद गिला करता है मेरा, हर सुबह
नाला-ए-मुर्ग-ए-गिरफतार ने सोने न दिया

समझे थे बाद फना पायेंगे राहत 'नासिख'
हश्र तक वादा-ए-दीदार ने सोने न दिया

इमामबख्श नासिख

Now read the ghazal in Roman script:

saath apne jo mujhe yaar ne sone na diyaa
raat bhar mujhko dil-e-zaar ne sone na diyaa

Khwaab hii meN nazar aataa voh shab-e-hijr kahiiN
so mujhe hasrat-e-diidaar ne sone na diyaa

Khuftagii baKht kii kyaa khaiye ki juz Khwaab-e-adam
umar bhar diida-e-bedaar ne sone na diyaa

yahii sayyad gilaa kartaa hai meraa, har subaH
naala-e-murG-e-girfataar ne sone na diyaa

samjhe the baad fanaa paayenge raahat Naasikh
hashr tak vaada-e-diidaar ne sone na diyaa

Imambaksh Nasikh

*Urdu poetry achieved its golden age during this era in Lucknow. Ghulam Hamdani Mushafi (1725-1824), Inshallah Khan Insha (1757-1817), Atish (1778-1846), Naasikh, Mir Babar Ali Anees (1802-1874) and Mirza Salamat Ali Dabeer (1803-1875), the last two being master poets of marsia (elegy), took Urdu poetry to dizzy heights. Another golden age was about to begin in Delhi, where Ghalib and his contemporaries were about to herald a new age of poetry.