Biography
Shakeeb Jalali (Urdu: ???? ?????) was a Pakistani Urdu poet of a unique diction.
Early Life and Education
Shakeb Jalali's real name was Syed Hassan Rizvi. His ancestors were from a small town, Saddat Jalali, near Aligarh, India. In accordance with the well known Poet, Writer and authentic Critic Mr. Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi, Shakeb was said to be born on October 1, 1934 but his wife Syeda Mohiddisa Khatoon gives his year of birth as 1935 or 1936.
Shakeb was the only son of his parents. When he was ten years old, his mother died in an accident. This unexpected incident and suspension from his job due to Hindu Muslim conflict in India totally disturbed his father and died a little before the death of Shakeb Jalali. He passed his Matriculation Examination from Badayun (Uttar Pradesh) and then moved along with his sisters to Rawalpindi. He passed Intermediate Examination from Rawalpindi and B.A. Examination from Sialkot.
Literary Life
He arranged publication of different Urdu magazines, worked in many literary magazines and later moved to Lahore. Owing to economical crises, Shakeb joined Thal Development Authority and was posted at Joharabad and Bhakkar. During course of transit he stayed at Sargodha where he committed suicide on railway tracks on November 12, 1966, due to some unexplained psychological disorder. He was married in 1956 and left behind a son Syed Hussain Aqdas Rizvi (Aali) and a daughter Hina Batool.
His life as a poet began in 1947 (when he was only 15 years old), he gave an entirely different and unique grace to Urdu Ghazals. His Nazms have a new style; he also tried his hands in Rubai, Qitaat, translation, etc. His poetry work was published after his death: Rooshni Ay Rooshni in 1972 by Maktaba-e-Fanoon and several additions by Mavara Publications and Kuliyat e Shakeb Jalali in 2004 by Sang-e-Meel Publications, Lahore.
Shakeb is perhaps the most underrated poet in the Urdu language. Poets like Irtikhar Arif And Adeem Hashmi are found paying high tributes to Shakeb in their reviews but other than that Shakeb is one of those names which got suppressed more than anything for being too attactive. Adeem Hashmi being a contemporary went two miles extra since Adeem too suffered from similar oppression from the writers' community, to openly acclaim Shakeb's supremacy over the Urdu Ghazal in the '70s and '80s. Adeem's Ghazal's even though catching more lime light and focus, were purely a humble extension to the new meter invented by Shakeb. Adeem even though known to blow every other ghazal from even great names for its flaws, was found on every forum recognizing Shakeb.
in 1979 Adeem was accused of writing only on Shakeb where he held a mushaira in Lahore on Shakeb's poetry and recited ghazal's which people confused as Shakeb's. Since Adeem had not written on Shakeb so openly before. This created a little controversy since Shakeb was not known by many. Adeem's tributes are one of the few very channels of knowing what Shakeb Jalali's poetry actually held within its fresh and new appeal.
Works And Influence
Adeem's Last book was a tribute to all the great names for which he wrote like Iqbal, Meer and Ghalib. He made it a point to start it with NAsir Kazmi and Shakeb Jalali to keep the chain of appreciation alive. in 1992, the book ceremony of Adeem's Tarkah, Adeem narrated the poetry of Shakeb Jalali, and Qatil Shafaie in the same meter which he had written his own ghazals on. Qatil and Adeem observed a moment of Silence during the ceremony in the memory and honor of Shakeb Jalali. So this Maestro's first and Last book was all about Shakeb as well.
Adeem's Ghazal's which paid tribute to Shakeb are so magnificent that only a follower of this clan can tell the difference between the two geniuses.
'dekhte kiyun ho Shakeb itni bulandi ki taraf' 'na uthaya kero sir ko ke ye dastaar giray' Shakeb Jalali
'Aik tum nahin phisle ho yahan aa ke Adeem' 'Barish e zar main kaie saheb e kirdar giray' Adeem Hashmi
'hum jins ager milay na koi aasman per' 'Behter hai Khak daliay aisi uran per' 'Huq baat aa ke ruk si gaye thi kabhi shakeb' 'chalay pare huay hain abhi tak zaban per' Shakeb Jalali
'chota sa ik charagh bujhane ke waastay' 'Thehri rahi hai raat meray saaibaan per' 'ik rog hai ke jaan ko laga hai uran ka 'toota hua para hoon paron ki dukan per' Adeem Hashmi
Other Poets continued the Shakeb influence upon their own work.,
'Khamoshi bol Uthhay her nazar paigham ho jaye' 'ye sannata agar had se barhay kuhraam ho jaye' 'shakeb apne ta'aaruf ke liay ye baat kaafi hai' 'hum uss se hat ke chalte hain jo rasta aam ho haye' Shakeb Jalali
'hamain bhi gur sikha de chaahaton ko bhool jane ka' 'tera peecha bhi chut jaye mera bhi kaam ho jaye' 'kabhi sooraj bhi ye bhoole ke mashriq se nikalna hai' kabhi shab dair se jaye, subeh main shaam ho jaye' 'mujhay xaryab apne shehr ki aaghosh pyari hai' 'jahan se ibtada ki thi, wahin anjaam ho jaye' Xaryab Haschimi
'charaghon ko zra jalne dou phir veerangi dekho' 'sabhi gham jaag jayen ge, zra si shaam ho jaye' 'kahani aik hai sab ki, magar pehlu badalti hai' 'wahan takraar kia kerni jahan anjaam ho jaye' 'bohat xaryab ho tou kuch sukhan baanto bhi logon main' 'zra ik shair hum ko bhi kabhi ilhaam ho jaye' 'Kabhi Sahil teri iss aajizi ki bhi kamar tootay' 'Kahin aisa na ho duniya main tera naam ho jaye' Sahil Adeem. ..