Nasir Kazmi was a poet, staff editor, and journalist.

His poetry, known as Mir Jadeed, is the best

expression of subtle human emotions. The poet spent most of his 47-year life wandering the deserted
streets telling tales and night stories. His best poems and lyrics are the essence of these nights. This
article has all the information about him, including Nasir Kazmi Biography.

Nasir Kazmi Biography

Nasir kept the scale of his words and emotions romantic in his poetry, yet his words remained
connected to contemporary issues. His ghazals and unique metaphors distinguish his poetry
from that of other contemporary poets. Among the classical poets, he was most influenced by
Mir Taqi Mir.

He also benefited from the words of Faraq, Ghalib, and other teachers. However, due to his
respect for traditional ghazals, he incorporated modern colors and beauty in his poetry. He
became a famous poet because of this common sense of thought and style. Nasir was a true
creator; he wrote what went through his heart.

NASIR DATE OF BIRTH

He was born on December 8, 1925, in Ambala.

EDUCATION OF NASIR

He completed his primary education in Ambala and Shimla, then continued his education at
Islamia College, Lahore. In 1945 he returned to Ambala, but after some time, he moved back
to Pakistan.

NASIR KAZMI FAMILY

His father’s name was Muhammad Sultan Kazmi, and he was a Subedar Major in the Royal
Indian Force. His son Basir Sultan Kazmi is a dramatist and poet. At present, he is an RLF
( Royal Literary Fund) fellow at the University of Chester.

EARLY CAREER
He joined Lahore Radio in 1939 at the age of just 16 as a scriptwriter and then remained
associated with Radio Pakistan in one form or another till the last moment. He started reciting
poetry in 1940. Initially, he was influenced by Akhtar Sherani and started writing romantic
poems in his style.

Then he came to ghazal, which later became his main field. He was a big fan of Mir Taqi
Mir, and Hafiz Hoshyarpuri and his ghazals reflect these two poets. His poetic journey began
with a Civilization turmoil and ends with another cultural tragedy.

Just as there was bloodshed in independence morning, so there was bloodshed in the evening
of the fall of East Pakistan, he has also highlighted the sadness of this great tragedy in
excellent illustrations. He was a member of the well-known literary magazines ‘Oraq-e-No,’
‘Humayun,’ and ‘Khayal.’
He later joined Radio Pakistan Lahore as a staff editor and remained associated with it until
his death.

POETIC CAREER

His first collection, ‘Berg E Ne,’ was published in 1954 and gained popularity as soon as it
came on the scene. His other poetry collections include ‘Pehli Barsh,’ ‘Nishat-e-Khawab,’
‘Diwan,’ and ‘Sur Ki Chhaya.’ Also, a collection of his essays, ‘Khushk Chashmay Key
Kinaray,’ has received acclaim from Urdu prose fans.

He witnessed the liberation of the subcontinent, and the sorrows and grieves that came with it
shook his soul. He also saw the formation of Pakistan in 1947 and scenes of the fall of Dhaka
in 1971. His poetry is also a sequence of Pakistan’s history during these two periods.

Education and career

Kazmi was educated at Ambala, Simla and afterwards at Islamia College, Lahore 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. Normally thought of
as a sad poet, most of his poetry is in fact based on romantic happiness and the aspect of
hope. His last four books were published after his death of stomach cancer in Lahore on 2 March
1972. A few days before his death, Kazmi said in a television interview with Intezaar Hussain, “…
horse riding, hunting, wandering in a village, walk 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!”  

POETRY COLLECTIONS

The two collections ‘Dewan’ and ‘Pehli Barish’ consist only of ghazals based on which his
status is determined. In this regard, he has painted the landscapes of East Pakistan with all its
cultural references, rivers, beaches, boats, fields, fishermen’s songs, and illustrations of cold
nights where the images of the land of East Pakistan come to the fore.
They are also mirrors of the deep feeling of turmoil that gave birth to the permanent anguish
of half-existence. In this regard, he has used it in some complete ghazals. Another important
experiment of style his ghazal is personification.

BOOK PEHLI BARISH

His book ‘Pehle Barish’ has 24 ghazals. Whatever the ghazals’ incidental background, the
metaphors in this series of ghazals depict creative evolution images on earth. Pictures of the
local landscape are also carved so that they have a sense of elevation and grandeur.

The metaphors of the forest, water, and cities have an element of wonder in them. The most
striking illustrations in the ‘Pehli Barish’ lyrics are about water and the forest. In whose
scenes, there is not only beauty and charm but also imagination and wonder.

NASIR DIARY

His diary was published under the name of ‘Nasir Kazmi’s Diary.’ They contain entries from
1948 to 1972. The last entry is one day before his death (March 1, 1972). He used to write
diaries from the age of 19 or 20. Each year he recorded his routine in a new diary.

Not all of these diaries were safe, and his son Sultan Kazmi has published the surviving ones.
He did not write a diary every day, he wrote on the day when something was worth writing.
Since the diary was not written with the idea of publishing in mind, many things are usually
concealed.

Because of these things, this diary is significant for his biographer. He was a beauty lover.
Wherever he saw beauty, he mentioned it in his diary. This beauty is sometimes seen in the
clouds and sometimes in the rains. Sometimes he referred to colorful flowers, and sometimes
he referred beautiful birds.

In the first few years of the diary, the entries repeatedly mentioned a man whose real name he
wanted to hide from himself. He remembered it by the pseudonym ‘Ankh Ka Tara.’  He
wrote at the beginning of his diary about his early life, which shows that he belonged to a
prosperous family of Ambala.

But after Pakistan’s establishment, this prosperity turned into misery, and he had to go
through very challenging circumstances

NASIR KAZMI DEATH

He passed away on March 2, 1972. His unique and touching expression style made his speech
more famous and beloved among the people today than ever before. On his tombstone, his
common poetry is written ‘Daim Abad Rahe Ge Dunya, Ham Na Hun Ge Koi Ham Sa Hoga.’

COMMEMORATIVE STAMP

Pakistan Post issued an Rs.15 stamp in 2013 to commemorate his death.

NASIR KAZMI BOOKS

  Pehli Barish
 Barg E Nai
 Hijar Ke Raat Ka Sitara
 Deewan
 Nishat E Khawab

Famous Ghazals and Nazms

Kazmi’s ghazals and nazams include:

 “kaun is raah se guzartaa hai”

 “terii zulfon ke bikharne kaa sabab hai ko’ii”
 “dukh kii lehr ne chheraa hogaa”
 “dil men ek lehar sii uthii hai abhii”
 “naaz-e-be-gaangii meN kyaa kuch thaa”
 “O ! mere masruuf KHUDAA”
 “yaas men jab kabhii aansuu niklaa”
 “ko’ii jiye yaa ko’ii mare”
 “be minnat-e-Khizr-e-raah rahnaa”
 “dil dharaknay ka sabab yaad aya”
 “jurm-e-inkaar kii sazaa hii de”
 “jab raat gaye tiri yaad aayii, sau tarhe se jii ko behlaaya”
 “tere aane kaa dhokaa saa rahaa hai”
 “tanhaa aish ke khwaab na bun”
 “fikr-e-taameer-e-aashian bhi hai”
 “rang barsaat ne bhare kuch to”
 “kise dekhein kahaaN dekha na jaye”
 “karta usay beqarar kuch der”
 “wo dil nawaz hai lekin nazar shanaas nahin”
 “Neeyat e shauq bhar na jaye kahiin”
 “Bannay Banaaye hue Raaston pe jaa nekly”
 “So gai shahr ki har aik galli”
 “Aai arz-e-watan”
 “Apni Dhun Main Rehta hon”
 “Kal Jinhen Zindgi thi Raas Buhat”
 “Aur tau Dil main kya rakha hai”
 “Kya Zamana tha keh hum RoOz mila karty thay”