Faiz Ahmed Faiz

Faiz Ahmed Faiz (1911-1984) was one of the leading, if not the foremost, poet of the Indian subcontinent during the greater part of the last century. Listed four times for the Nobel Prize of Poetry, he was often compared to his friend Pablo Neruda, revolutionary poet and Nobel prize winner, of Chile. Of Faiz's multifaceted personality, which led him to become, amongst other things, an activist for human rights and liberties, a famous journalist and editor of literary magazines (Urdu & others), trade unionist, and film songwriter, it is his poetry which will, no doubt, best survive the test of time. His very firit volume of poetry, published in 1941 from Lucknogw, brought him instant celebrity. "Naqsh- e-Faryadi" or "Imprints" has since haunted more than one generation of Urdu lovers. Its combi- nation of classical and elegant Indo-Persian dic- tion with modern sentiment and sensibility still touches the heart of the reader. Apart from inventing the modern Urdu love poem, Faiz revolutionised the classical form of Urdu poetry, the Ghazal, giving it a powerful socio-political resonance. He used ancient forms of poetry, such as the Qawwali and the Geet, to convey his message of humanism without reference to caste, colour or creed. He suffered prison and exile for this in his homeland of Pakistan, where he was, for long years, denied access to the media. The musicality of his verse has continued to haunt many a younger poet, even though it is difficult to attain his unforgettable summits.

About the Author:-

After school days in Dehra Dun and Mussoorie at the foot of the Himalayas followed by medical studies in New Delhi and some years of medical work, the translator of these poems received a French Government scholarship for further medical studies in France. This led to a career in medical research in immunobiology with the INSERM, the French Medical Research Organization.

Since her retirement she has returned to literary preoccupations. Her translation into English of 100 Poems of Faiz Ahmed Faiz (1911-1984) which appeared in 2002 was well received at a special evening  of the India International Centre, New Delhi. Her complete translation of the Diwan-e-Ghalib (1797-1869) was published by the Ghalib Institute, New Delhi in 2003 and is the first of its kind. Its is still very much in demand. By her translation, Sarvat Rahman wishes to make known the humanistic and liberal ideas inspired by Sufism, in particular, which were and are the heritage which we have received from the great poets of the Urdu language. India has a very large public who appreciates the Urdu ghazal even without knowing the language properly. The English translation was meant for this immense public. Having lived for so long in France, the author of the French translation wished to make available this poetry to the French public also.