Syed Nasir Raza Kazmi, (1925-1972): was a renowned Urdu poet of Pakistan. He was one of the greatest poets of this era, especially in the use of ista'aaray and chhotee beher.


Kazmi was born on December 8, 1925 at AmbalainBritish India. He was educated at Ambala,Simlaand La . He returned to Ambala in 1945 and started looking after his ancestral land. After the creation of Pakistan in 1947, he came toLa . He did some journalistic work withAuraq-e-Nauas an editor and became editor-in-chief of the magazineHumayunin 1952. Later he was associated withRadio Pakistan, La and other literary publications and organizations.


Nasir Kazmi started his poetic life in 1940 by following the style of Akhtar Sherani and wrote romantic poems and sonnets. Laterhe began writing ghazals under the guidance of Hafeez Hoshyarpuri. He was a great admirer of Mir Taqi Mir and probably the melancholy and Ehsaas-e-Mehroomi in his poetry was a direct result of that. His tutor in poetry was Hafeez Hoshyarpuri, who himself used a lot of symbols from nature in his poems.

'Yaad ke benishan jazerun se
Teri awaz arahi hai abhi...'


Nasir, few days before his death, said in a TV interview by Intezaar Hussain, that 'horse riding, hunting, wandering in a village, walk along the river side, visiting mountains etc were my favourite pastimes and probably this was the time when my mind got nourishment for loving nature and getting close to the expression of poetry. All my hobbies are related with fine arts, like singing, poetry, hunting, chess, love of birds, love of trees etc... i started poetry because I used to reflect that all the beautiful things those I see, and those in nature are not in my hands, and they go away from me. Few moments, that time which dies, cannot be made alive. I think can be alive in poetry, that is why I (Nasir) started poetry!'

Nowadays, very few people may remember that Nasir used to hum his poetic verses and that humming had much attraction in it.


'Phir kaga bola ghar ka suna angan mei
Rut ayi peeley phulun ki, Tum Yad Aye...'



He migrated from Ambala, India to La Pakistan in August 1947. He also worked as a Staff Editor in Radio Pakistan. He used tosit at Tea House and wander at Mall Rd, La with his friends. He was fond of eating, wandering and enjoying life. Normally people take him as a sad poet but most of his poetry is based on romantic happiness and the aspect of hope.


'Yaas mei jab kabhi aansu nikla
Ik nayi aas ka pehlu nikla'



His last four books tragically were published after his death. He died in La on March 2, 1972 due to stomach cancer. Few people know that he did some great translations of English poets, especially his translation of Walt Whitman's Crossing Brooklyn Ferry by the title of Brooklyn Ghaat Ke Paar is a real masterpiece and worth reading.