The Poet's Voice: Hafeez Jalandhari - dil abhi tak javaan hae pyaare

Hafeez Jalandhari (Real Name: Mohammad Abdul Hafeez) (1900 - 1982) was a major Urdu poet of the 20th century, and the author of Pakistan's national anthem. Beside being a very distinguished writer of ghazal and nazm, Hafeez was the first major Urdu poet to systematically write in the geet (song) genre, making them part of Urdu's poetic tradition.

Hafeez was born in Jalandhar (Indian Punjab) in a religious family. Though his formal education was limited, he achieved mastery of Urdu and Persian poetry through his own efforts and the guidance of his mentor, Maulana Ghulam Qadir Girami - the most prominent Persian poet in India at the time. He edited several literary magazines early in his career. After Partition, he served as an advisor to the Government of Pakistan. His poetry - and especially his songs - remain popular to this day. The work that is considered his poetic masterpiece, however, is "Shahnama-e Islam" - a book-length ode in praise of the Prophet Muhammad, styled on Ferdowsi's "Shahnameh".

This recording is from an Indo-Pak Mushaira held in Delhi c. 1962. The ghazal he recites here is one of his best and is a masterpiece of linguistic dexterity.

Audio Credit: Moin Siddiqui