Wali Dakkni (The Father of Urdu Poetry)

August 18, 2022

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1019_90335354 — Image Source: Roznama Dunya

Knowing the Urdu language and poetry today is a source of tremendous pride and great fortune. The joy, tranquilly, and composure received from reading Urdu poetry are comparable to those derived from drinking an expensive glass of wine. Very old is the history of Urdu poetry. This blog will discuss an Urdu poet who is claimed to have sown his own blood into the garden of Urdu. This poet’s name is Wali Dakkani.

Biographical Sketch

Wali Muhammad Wali (1667-1707), also known as Wali Dakkani, Wali Gujarati, and Wali Aurangabadi, was born in Aurangabad, Deccan. Wali was his pen name he used. In order to further his education, he went to Delhi and Gujarat. In Ahmedabad, he studied under the direction of Khwaja Wajiullah in the Khanaqah that was built expressly for the assemblies of a Sufi brotherhood or tariqa. He had a natural inclination and attraction toward Sufis (Muslims who seek annihilation of the ego in God). After that, he began his excursion into the world of ghazals, which is a form of poetry (an amatory poem). During the rule of Emperor Aurangzeb, who was the son of the famous Emperor Akbar, he relocated to the capital city of Delhi. His influence on the poets of Delhi has garnered recognition from a wide variety of sources.

Father of Urdu Poetry

Poetry in Urdu,though had started long before the reign of Amir Khusro. But among the poets, Hindi, Hindvi or Rekhta, (Old names of Urdu Language) did not get the respect and status that Persian got. The poetry was written in Persian mostly and the poets used to write poetry in urdu sometimes.

That is, if the poets lived in India but they imitated Iranian poets. This situation had created a gap between the feeling and its statement which must have been felt to be filled. In such a case, in 1720, when Wali’s Diwan (Compilation of his poems) reached Delhi, the people there experienced a surprising joy and his poetry became popular. The copies of his Diwan were prepared, ghazals were written like his ghazals and the crown of the kingdom of Rekhta was placed on his head.

Wali Dakkani Technique of Poetry

He believed that the most important aspects of his poetry were the Saadgi (simplicity) and the tasawwuff. His poetry had a strong tendency toward a romantic tone. In his poetry, he also wrote about complimenting the lover’s features and paying homage to many gods and deities. Because tasawwuff had such a significant effect on him, one may get a sense of what it’s like to be in agony, pain, and longing via him.

Before Wali, Urdu poetry was known for being colorness and uninteresting to readers. Wali changed all of that. He arrived and sprinkled sugar over the letters, turning this place into a rainbow of sweet-looking words. Every one of his poems was replete with adoration of the beautiful. The act of romanticising things was of the utmost importance to him. Wali’s ghazal were often comprised of a few short poems, but his way of delivering his ideas was above and above praise, and no one could possibly disagree to them. After reading about the lover, the reader would have an impression of her being there in the room with them.

Significance of Wali on Indian culture

During his lifetime, Wali had a significant impact on the manner of Indian poetry that was popular. His combination of Urdu and Persian writings was so lovely that even now, readers are not bothered by the archaic style. Wali can be thought of as the tree’s roots if we imagine Urdu poetry to be a tree. If Urdu poetry is the Tajmahal, then Wali is, without a shadow of a doubt, the Shahjahan of Urdu poetry.

Death

The beacon light of Urdu Poetry stopped illuminated on 20 Oct 1707 in Gujarat’s city of Ahmedabad .

Poetry

Some famous couplets of Wali’s poetry are:

“Jise Ishq ka teer kaari lage,

Use zindgi kyu na bhaari lage”.

“Yaad karna har ghadi tujh yaar ka,

Hai wazeefa mujh dil-e-beemaar ka”.

“Har zarra us ki chashm me labrez-e-noor hai,

Dekha hai jis ne husn-e-tajalli bahaar ka”.

“Mere dil ku’n kiya be-khud teri ankhiya’n ne aakhir ku’n,

Ki jyo’n behosh karti hai sharaab aahista-aahista”.

“Husn tha parda-e-tajreed me sab su’n aazaad,

Taalib-e-ishq hua parda-e-insaan me aa”.

“Sharaab-e-shauq se sarshaar hain ham,

Kabhu be-khud kabhu hushyaar hain ham”.