Parveen Shakir

Parveen Shakir was born on 24th November, 1952 in Karachi, Pakistan. She was highly educated with two masters degrees, one in English literature and one in linguistics. She also held a Ph.D and another masters degree in Bank Administration.
She was a teacher for nine years before she joined the Civil Service and worked in the Customs department. In 1986 she was appointed the second secretary, CBR in Islamabad.
A number of books of her poetry have been published. In chronological order, they are Khushboo (1976), Sad-barg (1980), Khud-kalaami (1990), Inkaar (1990) and Maah-e-Tamaam (1994). Her first book, Khushboo, won the Adamjee award. Later she was awarded the Pride of Performance award, which is the highest award given by the Pakistan government.
On 26th December, 1994, on her way to work, her car collided with a truck and the world of modern Urdu poetry lost one of its brightest stars.
Parveen Shakir initially wrote under the pen-name of 'Beena'. She considered Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi her 'ustad' and used to called him 'Ammujaan'. She was married to Dr. Nasir Ahmed but got divorced from him sometime before her untimely demise in 1994. They had one son - Murad Ali.

mushkil hai ab shahar me.n nikale ko_ii ghar se


mushkil hai ab shahar me.n nikale ko_ii ghar se

dastaar pe baat aa ga_ii hai hotii hu_ii sar se

barasaa bhii to kis dasht ke be-faiz badan par

ik umr mere khet the jis abr ko tarase

is baar jo indhan ke liye kaT ke giraa hai

chi.Diyo.n ko ba.Daa pyaar thaa us buu.Dhe shajar se

mehanat merii aa.Ndhii se to manasuub nahii.n thii

rahanaa thaa ko_ii rabt shajar kaa bhii samar se

Khud apane se milane kaa to yaaraa na thaa mujh me.n

mai.n bhii.D me.n gum ho ga_ii tanhaa_ii ke Dar se

benaam musaafat hii muqaddar hai to kyaa Gam

manzil kaa ta'yyun kabhii hotaa hai safar se

pattharaayaa hai dil yuu.N ki ko_ii ism pa.Dhaa jaaye

ye shahar nikalataa nahii.n jaaduu ke asar se

nikale hai.n to raste me.n kahii.n shaam bhii hogii

suuraj bhii magar aayegaa is raah-guzar se



terii Khushbuu kaa pataa karatii hai


terii Khushbuu kaa pataa karatii hai

mujh pe ehasaan havaa karatii hai

shab kii tanhaa_ii me.n ab to aksar

guftaguu tujh se rahaa karatii hai

dil ko us raah pe chalanaa hii nahii.n

jo mujhe tujh se judaa karatii hai

zindagii merii thii lekin ab to

tere kahane me.n rahaa karatii hai

us ne dekhaa hii nahii.n varnaa ye aa.Nkh

dil kaa ehavaal kahaa karatii hai

beniyaaz-e-kaaf-e-dariyaa angusht

ret par naam likhaa karatii hai

shaam pa.Date hii kisii shaKhs kii yaad

kuuchaa-e-jaa.N me.n sadaa karatii hai

mujh se bhii us kaa hai vaisaa hii suluuk

haal jo teraa ana??? karatii hai

dukh huaa karataa hai kuchh aur bayaa.N

baat kuchh aur huaa karatii hai

abr barase to inaayat us kii

shaaKh to sirf duaa karatii hai

masalaa jab bhii uThaa chiraaGo.n kaa

faisalaa sirf havaa karatii hai




Translated by Asad Khan

1.Woh jaa chukaa hai

Magar judaai se qabl kaa

Ek narm lamhaThehar gayaa hai

Miri hatheli ki pusht per

Zindagi meinPehli kaa chand bun ker


He is gone.

But a tender moment,

from when he was hereis stuck;

On the back of my hand(and)

in my lifelike a crescent.

2.Raks karte hue

Jis ke shaano.n pe

tu ne abhi sir rakha hai

Kabhi me bhee is ki panaaho.n me thee

Faraq yeh hai ke me

Raat se qabl tanha hui

Aur tu subha tak

Is fareb-e-tahaffuz me khoyee rahe gee


while dancing,

the one upon whose shoulders

you rest your head

i too was once in his safeguard.

the difference is that

iwas abandoned before dark,

and you shall remain

consumed in this false sense of security till dawn.
Parveen Shakir