Nasir Kazmi

Nasir Kazmi
Born	Syed Nasir Raza Kazmi (1925-12-08)8 December 1925 Ambala, Punjab, British India
Died	2 March 1972(1972-03-02) (aged 46) Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Pen name	Nasir
Occupation	Urdu poet, journalist, staff editor at Radio Pakistan, writer
Nationality	Pakistani
Ethnicity	Urdu speaking
Alma mater	Islamia College, Lahore
Genre	Ghazal

Syed Nasir Raza Kazmi (Urdu: سید ناصر رضا كاظمی‎, born 8 December 1925 - died 2 March 1972) was an Urdu poet from Pakistan and one of the renowned poets of this era, especially in the use of "ista'aaray" and "chhotee beher." Kazmi was born on 8 December 1925 at Ambala, Punjab, (British India).^[1] Nasir Kazmi used the simple words in his poetry like "Chand", "Raat", "Baarish", "Mosam", "Yaad", "Tanhai", "Darya" and gave them life by his style of poetry.^[2]

Education and career

Kazmi was educated at Ambala, Simla and afterwards at Islamia College, Lahore. He returned to Ambala in 1945 and started looking after his ancestral land. After the creation of Pakistan in 1947, he came to Lahore. He did some journalistic work with Auraq-e-Nau as an editor and became editor-in-chief of the magazine Humayun in 1952. Later he was associated with Radio Pakistan, Lahore and other literary publications and organisations.

Kazmi started his poetic life in 1940 by following the style of Akhtar Sherani and wrote romantic poems and sonnets. Later he began writing ghazals under the guidance of Hafeez Hoshyarpuri. He was a great admirer of Mir Taqi Mir, and probably the melancholy and "Ehsaas-e-Mehroomi" in his poetry was a direct result of that admiration. His tutor in poetry was Hafeez Hoshyarpuri, who also used symbols from nature in his poems. Nasir used to hum his poetic verses, and it was appealing to many of his readers and listeners.

He emigrated from Ambala, India to Lahore, Pakistan in August 1947. He also worked as a staff editor for Radio Pakistan. He used to sit at Tea House and Wander at Mall Road, Lahore with his friends. He was fond of eating, wandering, and enjoying life. He was frequently thought of as a melancholic poet, though most of his poetry is based on romantic happiness and hope.

His last four books were published after his death as a result of stomach cancer in Lahore on 2 March 1972. A few days before his death, Kazmi said in a television interview;

"Horse riding, hunting, wandering in a village, walking along the river side, visiting mountains etc. were my favourite pastimes and probably this was the time when my mind got nourishment for loving nature and getting close to the expression of poetry. All my hobbies are related with fine arts, like singing, poetry, hunting, chess, love of birds, love of trees... I started poetry because I used to reflect that all the beautiful things, those I see and those in nature, are not in my hands, and they go away from me. Few moments, that time which dies, cannot be made alive. I think can be alive in poetry, that is why I (Nasir) started poetry!".^[3]

Poetry

kazmi had a unique style of poetry, used simple word to cast spell by his verses. Pain, sadness, desperation, love departure as well as happiness, passionate love and optimism depicts from his poetry. A sorrow and grief present in his poems is due to the trauma he suffered in the troubled, terrible time of 1947's partition. Here are some verses from his poetry.^[4]

Stamp release

Post Stamp on Death Anniversary of Nasir Kazmi

Pakistan Post has released a commemorative postage stamp of Rs 15 denomination on the death anniversary (2 March) of Nasir Kazmi, the renowned Urdu poet.^[5]

Death

Nasir Kazmi's grave at Mominpura graveyard.

Nasir kazmi died on 2 March 1972 in Lahore due to stomach cancer. He is resting at Mominpura Graveyard.

References

External links

• An article on Nasir Kazmi
• LITERARY NOTES: Remembering Nasir Kazmi