baidullah Aleem, one of the finest Urdu poets of the 20th Century, died 27 years ago. Leafing through his final poetry collection, published recently as Ik Zamana Khvab Ka (A Season of Dreams), one is struck by the contrast. During his lifetime, he was a darling of the mushairas. His verses were sung by some of our finest singers. Yet, he has left behind only three collections of poetry to reflect his prodigious talent.

As Aleem proclaims boldly in the very first ghazal of this collection:

Do zamanon mein musalsal hai hamari zindagi

Ik zamana khvab ka hai, doosra taa’beer ka

[Our life goes on in two parallel times, one for dreams and the other for their interpretation.]

Does this suggest that the poet has left behind a body of dreamlike poetry awaiting its full and proper interpretation?

The collection includes 35 ghazals and short poems, including one-liners and songs. The poetry is preceded by a brief personal note from Aleem, inserted by the compilers of the volume, though not written as a formal introduction by the poet himself. In it, he tells us: “In this manner, my battle on one the one hand is with the ‘so-called’ figures of literature, and on the other, with the half-sensible and superficial sloganeers of faith and politics.”

Aleem’s devoted wife, Syeda Tehseen Fatima – to whom much of the volume’s content has been lovingly addressed – explains in her preface why it took nearly three decades for the collection by the celebrated poet to see the light of day. Reading her account, one cannot help but be sorry that a comprehensive kulliyat of the exceptional poet, who died suddenly in the prime of health, still eludes readers and critics. This is particularly striking as collected works of many of his contemporaries, such as Mustafa Zaidi, Saghar Siddiqui, Sara Shagufta, Qabil Ajmeri, Jamal Ehsani, Sarwat Hussain and Shakeb Jalali, are readily available.

This collection carries some of the familiar themes from Aleem’s earlier work: dreams, loneliness, alienation, urban anomie, social concerns and the silence of the self. In at least one verse, he also expresses a longing for genuine recognition from his literary peers.

Aisay logon say kya sukhan ki daad

Harf hi jin ka mas’la na hua

[What good is the appreciation coming from the kind of people who were never really bothered about literature?]

The subject of dreams recurs frequently throughout this volume. By this reader’s count, dreams are referenced in at least 26 ghazals, poems songs and one-liners featured in the collection.

Aleem built his reputation on the strength of intensely lyrical and emotionally resonant romantic ghazals, many of which, as previously noted, were sung by some of Pakistan’s finest singers. One khaas she’r reproduced in this volume comes with a fascinating piece of trivia, detailed in an accompanying note.

This particular couplet is an unpublished verse from one of Aleem’s most popular ghazals, Tairay pyar mein rusva ho kar jaayen kahaan deewaanay log. The original ghazal was included in Aleem’s bestselling debut collection Chaand Chehra Sitara Aankhen. According to the note, no fewer than thirteen singers have performed this ghazal. The legendary Noor Jahan also expressed a desire to sing it. However, she requested that Aleem compose a new couplet for her rendition, one that had not been sung by anyone else.

Aleem composed this verse at her request:

Jaantay hain yeh ishq musalsal rog hai aah-o-zaari hai

Phir bhi us kay koochay mein jaatay hain umr ganvaanay log

It was only after Aleem composed the special couplet that Noor Jahan lent her voice to this popular ghazal.

In several ghazals, the tone shifts from deeply romantic to sharply critical, as the poet takes aim at the dark forces that sow division and enforce conformity in Pakistan.

Although Aleem publicly distanced himself from formal ideology, at least two poems in this collection recall his youthful days as a progressive activist. For this reader, the standout piece in the volume is the poem Shaayir Dost Kay Naam, the longest poem in the collection, written during the heady days of 1969. In it, Aleem addresses a fellow poet who initially appears to be a like-minded comrade, but is gradually revealed as an opportunist – a sell-out lacking integrity or genuine concern for the poor. The kind of person, Aleem implies, might have belonged to the Pakistan Writers’ Guild, an organisation established in the 1960s allegedly to support the political ambitions of Pakistan’s first military dictator, General Ayub Khan.

Throughout the poem, Aleem employs a devastating refrain, alternating between Mainay samjha tha keh tu meri tarah ka shaayir hai and Aye meray dost, magar mujhko yeh maloom na tha, bringing the two refrains together in the closing lines for great emotional impact.

Another notable piece is an incomplete poem on Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah, written in 1965, a relic of the presidential elections in which she ran against Gen Ayub. According to an accompanying note, the poem was recited at political rallies through loudspeakers, though it remains unclear why it was never completed.

Also worth mentioning is a ghazal from 1997, written just a year before Aleem’s fatal heart attack, in which he delivers an acerbic commentary on the state of the country, in a manner reminiscent of:

Is ehd mein karay na koi baat Mir ki

Kam ho gayi hai lafz mein taaqat zameer ki

[People should no longer bring up Mir’s work for poetic expression nowadays is not backed by one’s conscience.]

The publisher, Maktaba-e-Danyal, led for many decades by Hoori Noorani, deserves commendation for persisting with its faith in Aleem’s final testament. They have earlier brought out the unpublished work of poet Josh Malihabadi.

A particularly compelling feature of this volume is its inclusion of several ghazals, poems and songs in Aleem’s own handwriting. Several entries are accompanied by personal notes in which the poet reflects on his emotional state while composing a particular piece. This not only adds to the aesthetic richness of the collection but also increases its value for researchers and critics.

It is hoped that the appearance of this volume and its reception among readers and critics will encourage the publishers to bring out a high-quality kulliyat.

After all, it was Aleem who reminded us:

Aankh say door sahi dil say kahan jayay ga

Jaanay valay tu hamen yaad bbohat aaega

[You may disappear from view but how can you ever be forgotten; even as you leave us, we will remember you frequently and intensely.]

Ik Zamana Khvab Ka

Poet: Obaidullah Aleem

Publisher: Maktaba-e-Danyal, Karachi, 2025

Pages: 148

The reviewer is a Lahore-based critic, translator and researcher. He is currently translating Mumtaz Shireen’s short stories and unfinished autobiography. He may be reached at razanaeem@hotmail.com. He tweets @raza_naeem1979