Mirza Rafi Sauda

Mirza Muhammad Rafi 'Sauda' (1713–1781) (Urdu: مرزا محمد رفیع سودا ) was one of the best known poets of Urdu language in Delhi, India. He is known for his Ghazals and Urdu Qasidas.^[1]

Early life

His birth year has not been confirmed and in some publications, it is listed as A.H. 1125 [1713-14].^[2] He was born and bought up in Delhi.^[3] Sauda, was a shia in personal life.^[4]

He inhabited Shahjahanabad (i.e. Old Delhi), during the reign of Muhammad Shah, 1150 A.H. i.e. 1739 A.D.^[5]

Ustads and shagirds

Sulaimān Qulī Ḳhān 'Vidād'^[6] was his first Ustad (teacher of Urdu poetry) and Shāh Ḥātim too, in the introduction to his volume in which he provides a list of his pupils has recorded Mirzā's name.^[7][2] King Shah Alam was Shagird (student of Urdu poetry) of 'Sauda' and gave him his poetry for correction.^[2]

He was a contemporary of Dard and Mir.^[5]

Movement from Delhi

At the age of sixty or sixty six, he left Delhi and came to Farrukhabad(with Nawab Bangash),^[2] and lived there from 1757 to about 1770^[3][8] In A.H. 1185 [1771-72] he moved to court of Nawab of Awadh (then in Faizabad) and remained ther till his death.^[3] When Lucknow became state capital, he came there with Nawab Shujauddaula.^[5] He was also Ustad of Shujauddaulla. Nawab Āṣif ud-Daulah gave him tiltle of Malkushshu'ara and annual pension of Rupees Six Thounsand.^[2]

He died in at the age of almost 70 years,^[9] in A.H. 1195 [1780-81],^[3] in Lucknow.^[2]

Works

He is recognized as a great qasidah poet, perhaps the greatest in Urdu. He was a major ghazal poet too. The soundest rock on which Sauda’s reputation rests today are his satires.^[4]

At first he always used to compose verses in Persian then on his ustad Ḳhān-e Ārzū's advice he started composing in Urdu.^[2] Kulliyat of Sauda was compiled by Ḥakīm Sayyid Aṣlaḥ ud-Dīn Ḳhān he wrote an introduction for it.^[2] Later in 1872 it was literally translated by Major Henry Court, Captain, Bengal Cavalry ^[10] List of Sauda's work from his Kulliyat are:^[11]

1. Masnavi dar hajv-e hakim ghaus,
2. Masnavi dar hajv-e amir-a daulatmand bakhil,
3. Masnavi dar ta'rif-e shikar,
4. Masnavi dar hajv-e pil rajah nripat singh,
5. Masnavi dar hajv-e sidi faulad khan kotval-e shahjahanabad,
6. Masnavi dar hajv-e fidvi mutavatan-e panjab kih darasal baqal bachchah bud,
7. Masnavi dar hajv-e chipak mirza faizu,
8. Qissah-e darvesh kih iradah-e ziyarat-e ka'bah kardah bud,
9. Mukhammas-e shahr ashob,
10. Qasidah dar madh-e navab vazir imad ul-mulk

Some famous ashaar (more than one sher) of 'Sauda'

1.

“	kisii ka dard-e-dil pyaare tumhaara naaz kya samjhe jo guzre said ke dil par use shahbaaz kya samajhe	”
—Sauda

2.

“	badla tere sitam ka koii tujhse kya kare apana hii tu farefta howe, kh.uda kare	”
—Sauda

3.

“	shama-roo kahna use Sauda hai taareeki-e-aql shama ka aks uske aariz par kalaf hai maah kaa	”
—Sauda

4.

“	ishq zarra bhii agar ho to use kam mat jaan hoke shola hii bujhe hai ye sharaar aakh.irkaar	”
—Sauda

5.

“	mulaayam ho gayiin birah kii saa'itein karDiyaan pahar kaTne lage unbin jinhon bin kaaTtii gharDiyaan	”
—Sauda

6.

“	ye rutbaa jaah-e-duniya ka nahiin kam kisii maalzaadii se ki is par roz-o-shab mein saikarDo charDhte-utarate hain	”
—Sauda

7.

“	nai bulbul-e-chaman na gul-e-naudmeeda hoon main mausam-e-bahaar mein shaakh.-e-bareeda hoon giriyaan na shakl-e-sheesha wa kh.anda na tarz-e-jaam is maikade ke beech abas aafreeda hoon	”
—Sauda

8.

“	cheez kya hoon jo karein qatl wo aMkhiyaan mujhko phir gaye dekh ke muMh kh.anzar-e-mizgaan mujhko	”
—Sauda

9.

“	gada dast-e-ahl-e-karam dekhte hain ham apna hii dam aur qadam dekhte hain	”
—Sauda

10.

“	shaikh. ne us but ko jis kooche mein dekha shaam ko le charag ab DhooMrDhe hai waan ta-sehar islaam ko	”
—Sauda

11.

“	tabee'at se faromaya kee sher-e-tar nahiin hota jo aab-e-chaah ka qatra hai wo gauhar nahiin hota talaash-e-khijr bahr-e-manzil-e-maqsad na kar Sauda koii khudraftagii se raahbar behtar nahiin hota	”
—Sauda

12.

“	saawan ke baadalon kii tarah se bhare hu'e ye wo nayan hain jinse ki jangal hare hu'e	”
—Sauda

References

1. ^ A Shahr-ashob of Sauda, translated by Mark Pegors
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h} Aab-e hayaat (1880) on Sauda
3. ^ ^{a b c d} Chapter 2 of Three Mughal Poets: Mir Sauda, Mir Hasan*, by Ralph Russell and Khurshidul Islam (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1968)
4. ^ ^{a b} The Satires of Sauda (1706-1781) (Sept. 2010), by Shamsur Rahman Faruqi
5. ^ ^{a b c} Introduction of Selections from the Kulliyat of Sauda, by Major Henry Court, 1872
6. ^ Mirzā Muḥammad Zamān was known as Sulaimān Qulī Ḳhān; his grandfather came of Isfahani stock. He himself was born in Delhi. He led an honored life in the employ of Navab Mūsavī Ḳhān; he received three hundred rupees a month and pleased himself by reciting verses. See Muṣḥafī's anthology of Persian poets.
7. ^ Azad, Muhammad Husain Ab-i hayat: yani mashahir shura-yi Urdu ke savanih umri aur zaban-i mazkur ki ahd ba ahd ki taraqqiyon aur islahon ka bayan. Lahor: Naval Kishor 1907
8. ^ To be more precise, some time between A.H. 1183 (A.D. 1769-1770) and A.H. 1185 (A.D. 1771-1772). Cf. Shaikh Cand, pp. 55-56
9. ^ An Urdu chronogram by Faḳhr ud-Dīn; Persian chronograms by Muṣḥafī and Mīr Qamar ud-Dīn 'Minnat'.
10. ^ Selections from the Kulliyat of Sauda, by Major Henry Court, 1872
11. ^ Introduction by FWP, Selections from the Kulliyat of Sauda, by Major Henry Court, 1872

External links

1.Professor Nasim Ahmad's Books (a). Diwane-e-Ghazaliyat-e-Sauda and (b).Mutallaqate Sauda www.bhu.ac.in/urdu/NaseemAhmad.html 2. Vinay Prajapati 'Nazar' Wordpress Blog तख़लीक़-ए-नज़र - Expanding day by day.

Coordinates: 59°41′15″N 6°26′14″E / 59.6875°N 6.43722°E / 59.6875; 6.43722

Persondata
Name	Sauda
Alternative names
Short description	Urdu poet
Date of birth	1713
Place of birth	Delhi
Date of death	1781
Place of death	Lucknow