Three Tragic Voices of Urdu Poetry: Shakeb Jalali, Mustafa Zaidi, and Sara Shagufta Introduction Urdu literature has produced some of the most sensitive and powerful poetic voices in South Asia. Among these, three poets stand out not only for their remarkable work but also for the tragic way their lives ended. Shakeb Jalali, Mustafa Zaidi, and Sara Shagufta each brought a unique style and perspective to Urdu poetry, but all three died by suicide, leaving behind a legacy of unfulfilled potential and haunting verse. Shakeb Jalali (1934–1966) Shakeb Jalali, born Syed Hassan Rizvi, was a deeply introspective poet whose work explored themes of alienation, pain, and the search for identity. Despite his limited output, his ghazals and nazms resonated with an intensity rarely seen in Urdu poetry. On 12 November 1966, at the age of 32, Jalali committed suicide by throwing himself in front of a train near Sargodha. His poetry, full of raw emotion, has since become symbolic of the stru...
Anjana sa khof غزل انجانا سا خوف ذہن میں ابھرتا ہے ghazal, Shakeel’s Call for Honesty in a Corrupt World
Ghazal Anjana sa khof zehn mn ubhrta hey soch samjh kr jab insan bhtkta hey ghup andherey hr su rang jamaye hue kahin kahin ulfat ka deep chamkta hey be insaf mueshat agey brhti hey ghurbat ka zehreela naag machlta hey aik raat duniya mn basr na ki hogi suraj b insan k shr se drta hey sach sazaye mot hey aaj tamadan mn sacha hi kaanton se damn bhrta hey apna aap na bechoon dolat k aagey merey pas shakeel ye sacha rasta hey English Translation An unknown kind of fear rises in the mind, When man, even after much thought, goes astray. Pitch-dark shadows spread their hues all around, Yet somewhere, the lamp of love still glows. Unjust economies keep moving forward, While poverty writhes like a poisonous serpent. There will come a night when the world won’t survive, Even the sun fears the evil of man. Truth is punished with death in today’s civilization, Only the truthful walk on paths filled with thorns. I will never sell myself for wealth’s sake, For me, Shakeel, this ...