Renowned poet Bashir Badr has passed away at the age of 91. He is regarded as a master of the modern 'ghazal'. (Image X @indscribe)
New Delhi: The world of Urdu poetry and ghazals received a major shock on Thursday. Renowned poet Bashir Badr has passed away at the age of 91. News of his demise has sent a wave of grief through his millions of admirers. He is regarded as a master of the modern 'ghazal'. He was honoured with the Padma Shri for his contributions to the field of literature.
Bashir Badr was born on February 15, 1935, in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. He completed his higher education and PhD at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), where he also served as a Professor of Urdu. Badr Sahib is celebrated for composing 'ghazals' in a simple, romantic, and deeply evocative language that mirrors everyday conversation. He introduced numerous novel and colloquial terms into the 'ghazal' genre.
The defining characteristic of Bashir Badr's poetry is its simplicity and natural flow. He masterfully incorporated everyday vocabulary—words that traditionally found no place in conventional Urdu poetry—into his 'ghazals'. He authored several acclaimed books, including 'Imkaan', 'Aahatein', 'Kulliyat-e-Bashir Badr', and 'Ujale Apni Yaadon Ke'.
Bashir Badr - who used the medium of Urdu poetry to speak of love - was confronted with the harsh reality of hatred during the communal riots in Meerut in 1987. His home was set ablaze during these riots. In this tragic incident, many of his historically significant and unpublished works and poems were lost forever. It was in the aftermath of this event that he permanently relocated to Bhopal.
Bashir Badr penned numerous verses during the time of India's Partition - poetry that remains etched in people's memories to this day. During the Shimla Agreement, the then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi recited a couplet (Sher) written by Bashir Badr during the Partition era to Pakistan's Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
The couplet went thus:
"Engage in enmity with full vigor, yet let this room remain:
That should we ever become friends again, we need not feel ashamed."
Javed Akhtar has tweeted following the passing of Bashir Badr. In his post, he wrote: "Today, our language - Urdu - has become a little poorer. Bashir Badr, an incredibly melodious poet, has departed from our gathering forever. This poet and his poetry will live on eternally in our memories."
I am a traveler, and you are a traveler too;
We shall meet again at some turn in the road.
Life, you have granted me even less space than a grave;
If I stretch out my legs, my head strikes the wall.
Let the light of your memories remain with me;
Who knows in which alley the evening of life might fall?
Bow your head, and a mere stone becomes a deity;
Do not love him so intensely, lest he turn unfaithful.
No one will even offer a handshake if you rush to embrace them warmly;
This city has a new temperament—maintain a little distance when you meet.
I maintain good relations even with my enemies;
There is simply no room for hatred in my nature.
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