In his short life of 44 years Majaz (1911-1955) produced poetry of the highest calibre and is today counted amongst the stalwarts of Urdu shayari in the Indian subcontinent. Most of his poetry was romantic – revolutionary in nature. His poetry not only enamoured the young women of his times, but continues to enthral readers even today.

Majaz Lakhnawi as he was known was born Asrar-ul-Haq into a highly educated family that boasted of a poetic lineage. Majaz studied in Agra and Aligarh Muslim University. It was in Agra and Aligarh that Majaz was exposed to the poetry of the likes of Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Jazbi, Sardar Ali Jafri and Sahir Ludhianvi. He spent most of his time, not in the classes but in attending mushairas. As a result he was unable to complete his studies and obtain a formal degree, but what it led to was the sprouting of the poetic genius of Majaz. However, Majaz’s personal life was very unhappy as he suffered repeated rejections in love, as a result of which the flow of poetry was often interrupted by bouts of depression and despondency leading him to indulge in heavy drinking.

This book offers a selection of the best ghazals and nazms of Majaz, translated into English by Kuldip Salil. To help the reader enjoy the richness and beauty of the Urdu language, the original Urdu ghazals and nazms are transliterated and presented both in the Roman and Devnagri scripts.