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Picture1Sudarshan Faakir (1934–2008) was an Indian poet and lyricist whose ghazals and some nazms were sung by Begum Akhtar and Jagjit Singh. He was also the co-traveller of Jagjit Singh, an association that began with the very popular ghazal ‘Woh kagaz ki kishti, woh barish ka pani’ in 1982.

Faakir belonged to the small and diminishing tribe of non-Muslim Urdu poets from East Punjab. A perfectionist to the core, he labored hard over his poetry. Faakir is perhaps one of the last of the tribe of vanishing poets who lived for poetry and it is noteworthy that he put together his poetry in an anthology and published his first ‘diwan’ only after he became a much-celebrated poet.

Here is a beautiful ghazal penned by him and brought alive in Jagjit Singh’s melodious voice (in the link below)

Charaag-o-aaftaab gum, badii hasiin raat thii
shabaab kii naqaab gum, badii hasiin raat thii
चराग-ओ-आफताब ग़ुम बड़ी हसीन रात थी
शबाब की नकाब ग़ुम बड़ी हसीन रात थी
The brightness of the lamps and of the sun are lost, it was beautiful night
The veil that covers youth is lost, it was a beautiful night

Mujhe pilaa rahe the vo ki Khud hii shammaa bujh gayii
gilaas Gum sharaab Gum, badii hasiin raat thii
मुझे पिला रहे थे वो, के खुद ही शम्मा बुझ जय
गिलास ग़ुम, शराब ग़ुम बड़ी हसीन रात थी
She was giving me the wine, and her lamp itself was getting extinguished (thirst was getting quenched, metaphorically speaking)
The cup was lost, the wine was lost, it was a beautiful night

likhaa huaa thaa jis kitaab mein, ki ishq to haraam hai
huii vahii kitaab gum, badii hasiin raat thii

लिखा था जिस किताब में के इश्क तो हराम है
हुई वोही किता ग़ुम, बड़ी हसीन रात थी

The book in which it was written that love and romance is wrong and forbidden
That very book is lost, it was a beautiful night

labon se lab jo mil gaye, labon se lab jo sil gaye
savaal Gum javaab Gum, badii hasiin raat thii

लबों से लब जो मिल गए लबों से लब ही सिल गए
सवाल ग़ुम जवाब ग़ुम बड़ी हसीन रात थी

When the lips met, when the lips were sewn together
Questions were lost, answers were lost, it was a beautiful night

Link to Jagjit Singh singing this ghazal:

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