Dareechah-e-Nigaarish

Ahmad Faraz (1931 - 2008) hailed from a Hindko speaking respectable family of Kohat (Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan).  His family were descendants of  ''Haji Bahadar" a famous saint of Kohat.  Early in his life, his family moved to Peshawar. His father, Syed Mohammad Shah Barq, was also a poet. 

Ahmad Faraz studied at Peshawar Model School and later completed his Masters degree in Persian and another M.A. degree in Urdu from Peshawar University and became a lecturer at Peshawar University. 

Ahmed Faraz initially chose to write poetry in the rich classical tradition of Faiz Ahmad Faiz but eventually carved a new mould for himself in the annals of modern Urdu ghazal.

The six block buster, super hit Ahmad Faraz Ghazals which established his reputation among Pakistani audiences as well as the Pakistani diaspora and all Urdu Ghazal lovers throughout the world are listed below. Those top six Ahmad Faraz Ghazals, in my opinion, are :

1. Ranjish Hee Sahee Dil Hee Dukkhaanay Kay Liyay Aa
2. Ab Kay Hum Bichhrray Toe Shaayad
3. Ye Aalam Shauq Kaa Daykhaa Naa Jaa-ay
4. Ab Kay Tajdeed e Wafa Kaa NaheeN ImkaaN JaanaaN !
5. BarsoN Kay Baad Daykkhaa Ik Shakhs Dil Rubaa Saa !
6. Silsilay Torre Gayaa Woh Sabhee Jaatay Jaatay

 The diction Ahmad Faraz employs reinforces his narrative style with a strongly realistic yet empathic tone of voice.

Marhaba Ahmad Faraz !  Ahmad Faraz and his Urdu Ghazals will live long in the hearts of the Pakistani people, the Pakistani diaspora and all Urdu language lovers throughout the world !! 

 An interesting fact about this ghazal is that Faraz probably edited this ghazal for the Pakistan Television broadcast and added two couplets as well as making amendments in two other couplets so that the version that Nighat Akbar sings in the mid-1980's Pakistan Television broadcast is much better than the version Dareechah has found in the Yusuf Publshers edition of "Jaanaan Jaanaan" (a bestselling poetry collection of Faraz that came out in the 1980s) or the Dost Publications edition of "Kulliyaat e Faraz" (Faraz: Collected Works).

The couplets that were added by Faraz for the PTV broadcast version are:

    اب   کیا   کہیں  کہ   ہم   کو  کیوں   بدگمانیاں   ہیں
    و ُہ   بے  وفا    نہیں    پر   لگتا    ہے     بے   وفا    سا

    آنکھوں  میں  خواب  تھے  یا   برسوں  کے  رتجگے   تھے
    باتیں   رُکی    رُکی    سی  ،   لہجہ    تھکا      تھکا     سا
 

and the couplets Faraz modified to make them better are:

     یادوں  میں  یاد  اُس  کی ،  خوابوں  میں  خواب  اُس  کے
    نیندوں   میں  گُھل  گیا    ہو    جیسے   کہ   رتجگا    سا

    الفاظ    تھے   کہ     جُگنو  ُ   آواز   کے    سفر    میں
       جیسے   کہ   جنگلوں   میں    بن   جائے    راستہ    سا