Ghamay pinhaan ayaan karnay laga houn Hadeesay dil bayaan karnay laga houn A good deal of Rasheed Saqi’s poetry is nothing more than his own private reverie. His style is not only elaborate but too concerned with the ordinary, familiar emotions. He understands them so well and finds so much in them that he feels no need to explore unusual regions of the poetry. In his ‘ghazal’ collections i.e. ‘Souzay Daroon’, ‘Zoukay Safar’, ‘Haaslay Umray Rawaan’ and ‘Chashmay Nazzaara Talab’, candour and passion fall naturally into a formal pattern and give life to it. That is the secret of the perennial appeal of the classical style: Aanghain purnum, dil afsurda, lub mehvay faryad rahay Gardashay douran tairay haathoun hum kitnay nashad rahay Saqi’s poetry is not like an overdressed lady. The language of his poetry has a broad import. His poetry flows straight from the heart. His verses are neither crowded nor heavy. We pass quietly from one verse to the next and see exactly what he wishes to convey. This is the secret of his art: Ujri hui basti mein guzar kon karay ga Meray dile sud chaak mein ghar kon karay ga Yeh mojza shaed teray hathoun se ho mumkin Warna kisi pathr ko gohar kon karay ga His words are fresh, simple, and the result never looks laborious. Although thoughts are never very far from his verses, but personal gloom inspires much of his poetry. His is a mild submissive melancholy which releases his creative muscle in a unique way. There is a note of complaint in his poetry but less self-pity: Aap kay hotay huyay kutch fikray tanhaee na tha Aap kay janay se main dunya mein tanha reh gaya Main ne dekha tha kabhi Saqi jahane rango boo Dekhnay ko ab tu apna he tamasha reh gaya Saqi writes so well that he does not need to raise his voice for emphasis or effect. While poets shout slogans or rumble with visionary noise, he speaks to us calmly: Go bayanay talkhiyay shamo sahar kartay rahay Zikr tera he bunwane digar kartay rahay Booyay gul ka tha ya saba ka tha Tazkra aap ki ada ka tha Much of Saqi's poetry is about the intricate and incompatible impulses that make us what we are -- both at our greatly humdrum and inspirational moments: Ek talawan sa sada apni tabeeat mein raha Kabhi eman pe maael kabhi ilhaad kay saath Jis ki nafrat bhi ghazabnaak mohabbat bhi azzem Hum hain Saqi usi mujmooayay azdaad kay saath What animates Saqi's poetry is the profound genuineness of a poet who knows precisely what he is and never tries to look otherwise. His work is not ostentatious or puffed-up: Wajhay taskeen teri awaz bhi ho sakti thi Zindagi aik haseen saaz bhi ho sakti thi Lub pe musnooi tabbusam ko chupanay walay Aankh ehsas ki ghammaz bhi ho sakti thi One reason that Saqi's work feels so real is that most of it grew directly out of his life, His ‘ghazal’ volumes have been culled from his life experience. They are all spun from the same autobiographical cloth: Dekhnay waloun ne dekhay unchay ewanoun kay khawb Meri aankhoun ko mera chota sa ghar acha laga Zindghi mein bas yahi tha apna meyaare nazar Aik baar acha laga jo umr bhar acha laga Tuj mein Saqi aur kuch khoobi nazar aati naheen Ek hajoome gham mein jeenay ka hunar acha laga.