Shakeb Jalali

Quick Facts

• Born: October 1, 1934; Jalal, Aligarh District, British India
• Died: November 12, 1966; Sargodha, Pakistan
• Full Name: Syed Hasan Rizvi
• Pen Name: Shakeb Jalali
• Profession: Urdu Poet
• Known For: Modern, poignant ghazals and nazms, themes of melancholy and intensity

Biography

Shakeb Jalali was one of the most promising modern poets of Urdu whose brief but powerful career left a deep mark on twentieth-century poetry. Born Syed Hasan Rizvi in 1934 in a village near Aligarh, he migrated to Pakistan with his family after Partition. The migration, dislocation, and the struggles of rebuilding life in a new country were experiences that shaped both his personality and his verse.

Jalali’s poetry was marked by an intensity of feeling and an honesty of expression that set him apart from many of his contemporaries. His ghazals often spoke of unfulfilled love, loneliness, despair, and the fragility of life, yet they were written with such musicality that they became unforgettable. His language was polished but never artificial, and his imagery combined beauty with pain.

His most famous collection, Roshni Aye Roshni, revealed a poet of great originality and depth. In his poems, Shakeb Jalali created a space where classical tradition met modern sensitivity, producing verses that were fresh, deeply personal, and emotionally powerful. His couplets are still quoted for their directness and haunting effect.

Tragically, Shakeb Jalali’s life was short. In 1966, at the age of only 32, he took his own life in Sargodha by throwing himself in front of a moving train. His early death shocked the literary world, as many believed he had the potential to become one of the leading voices of modern Urdu poetry.

Despite his short life, his impact has been lasting. Critics often mention him alongside other modernists like Nasir Kazmi and Majeed Amjad, noting how his work captured the existential anxieties of a generation. Today, his verses are still read and remembered for their poignant simplicity and emotional resonance.

Shakeb Jalali remains a symbol of poetic brilliance cut short by tragedy, but his legacy continues in the unforgettable lines he left behind. His poetry reminds readers of the delicate balance between beauty and pain that defines the human condition.