Modern · 1882–1926 · Faizabad – Raebareli
Brij Narayan Chakbast was a Lucknow lawyer and one of the finest Urdu poets of the early twentieth century. A Kashmiri Hindu writing in the Lucknow tradition, he is remembered for nazms of patriotism, nature and reflection — above all his celebrated lines on life and death — and died young in a railway accident near Raebareli.
zindagi kya hai anaasir mein zuhoor-e-tarteeb
maut kya hai inhi ajzaa ka pareshaan hona
khaak-e-watan ka mujh ko har zarra devta hai
ulfat ka jis se mujh ko dam bhar ko vaasta hai
ye samajhte the ki paas-e-vafa karte hain
lo vo bhi keh diya ki ham jafaa karte hain
fitrat ki ek shay hai jise ham kahein hain dil
mauj-e-naseem-e-subah hai ya dard ka asar
umeed-e-sahar le ke chala hoon shab-e-gham mein
manzil to nahin hai magar ek raah to nikli
vatan ki raah mein jo sar kaTaaye jaate hain
unhi ke naam se ye baagh muskuraate hain
raat ka chaand bhi tanha hai mire jaisa hi
aasmaanon mein bhi hoga koi judaai ka asar
gul-e-umeed khila hai dil-e-veeraan mein
koi aaye na aaye magar bahaar to hai