Best Famous Urdu Poets of All-time

Dr. Daud Kamal was a professor of English literature at the National University of Pakistan, Peshawar. Kamal was educated at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom. Kamal began writing poetry when he was in his twenties. He went on to become one of the leading English language poets in Pakistan. He won three gold medals from Triton college for his poetry. His poems were also recorded for the library of congress, Washington DC USA. His anthologies are 'Remote Beginnings' and 'A Selection Of Verse’. He also translated Ghalib's classic Urdu poem into English.

Dr. Cingireddy Narayana Reddy is a famed Indian poet and writer. He goes by the name Cinare in his literature. Reddy was born on July 23, 1933 in Hanumajipet, Karimnagar, Telangana State, India. He is known as Cinare .

Allama Muhammad Iqbal is one of the greatest Urdu poets in the contemporary world. Iqbal is famous for his poetry in Urdu and Persian. He is also given much credit for his works on political and religious philosophy in Islam. The life history of Allama Muhammad Iqbal is very interesting and this section titled as Allama Muhammad Iqbal biography shall give you further information about his life.

Sachal Sarmast (1739–1829) (Sindhi : , Urdu) was a Sufi poet from Sindh, of what is today Pakistan, during the Talpur era. He was born in Daraza near Ranipur, Sindh. His real name was Abdul Wahab Farouqi and "Sachal" or "Sachoo" were his nicknames. He also used it in his own poetry. Sachu means truthful in Sindhi while Sarmast means mystic in Sindhi and Urdu. Sachal Sarmast literally means 'truthful mystic' or can be translated as Ecstatic Saint of Truth. His father died when he was a young child, and Abdul Wahab was raised by his uncle, who also became his spiritual master. He married, but the young woman died two years later. He never remarried. Sarmast lived a humble, ascetic life, preferring solitude, simple meals of daal and yogurt. It is said that he never left Daraza, the village of his birth.

Alamgir Hashmi (Urdu: ) (also known as Aurangzeb Alamgir Hashmi) (born November 15, 1951) is a major English poet of Pakistani origin in the latter half of the 20th century. Considered avant-garde, both his early and later works were published to universal critical acclaim and widespread influence. His was a remarkable new voice since the 1970s; each of his successive books attested to an expanding world of cultural discernment and harmony, which he created in poems of peerless beauty.. English poet of Pakistani origin

Majeed Amjad (1914 – 1974) (Urdu: ) was one of the greatest of modern Urdu poets of the Indian subcontinent. In the popular culture he is not as well known or widely read as Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Noon Meem Rashid, Nasir Kazmi or Meeraji but amongst the cognoscenti and many critics he is widely regarded as a philosophical poet of great depth and sensitivity. His refined poetic mind was not widely recognized in his lifetime as he lived a life of bureaucratic obscurity in a small West Punjabi town. Also, he was not in the forefront of any political literary movements (such as the leftist "Progressive Writers Movement") that actively promoted even mediocre poets from within their own ranks.. Punjabi Urdu poet

Tanwir Phool, or Tanwiruddin Ahmad Phool (born 1948 in Muzaffarpur, India) is the pen name of Tanwiruddin Ahmad Siddiqui, a Pakistani author and poet, writing in Urdu and English.. English & Urdu Pakistani poet

Nazeer Akbarabadi (Urdu : — Nair Akbar Abadi ) (real name "Wali Muhammad") (1735–1830) was an 18th-century Indian poet known as "Father of Nazm", who wrote Urdu ghazals and nazms under nom de plume (takhallus ) "Nazeer", most remembered for his poems like Banjaranama (Chronicle of the Nomad), a satire. His father was Muhammad Farooq and his mother was the daughter of Nawab Sultan Khan who was the governor of Agra Fort. Agra, the Indian city, was known as Akbarabad after Mughal emperor Akbar at that time. He used simple, everyday language in his poems, which made them popular in the masses.

Ram Prasad Bismil   pronunciation   (help · info ) (11 June 1897 – 19 December 1927) was an Indian revolutionary who participated in Mainpuri Conspiracy of 1918, and the Kakori conspiracy of 1925, both against British Empire. As well as being a freedom fighter, he was also a patriotic poet and wrote in Hindi and Urdu using the pen names Ram, Agyat and Bismil. But, he became popular with the last name "Bismil" only. He was associated with Arya Samaj where he got inspiration from Satyarth Prakash, a book written by Swami Dayanand Saraswati. He also had a confidential connection with Lala Har Dayal through his guru Swami Somdev, a preacher of Arya Samaj.

Pritish Nandy (born 15 January 1951) is an Indian poet, painter, journalist, politician, media and television personality, animal activist and film producer. He was member of Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian parliament representing Maharashtra based party Shiv Sena. He has published a number of poetry books in English and translated poems by other writers from Bengali and Urdu into English.

One of the best-known Urdu poets of all times, Mirza Ghalib is a name that is synonymous with Urdu poetry. Born Mirza Asadullah Baig Khan, Ghalib was a pen name he adopted. It is like a pseudonym that most poets and writers adopt in the literary world. The life history of Ghalib is truly interesting and Ghalib biography indeed makes a good read. Ghalib was born in Agra, India in Turkish aristocratic ancestry on 27th December 1796.

Kishwar Naheed (Urdu) (born 1940) is a feminist Urdu poet from Pakistan. She has written several poetry books. She has also received awards including Sitara-e-Imtiaz for her literary contribution towards Urdu literature.

Ehsan Sehgal (Urdu : , Hindi), born Khawaja Ehsan Elahi Sehgal (Urdu : ) on 15 November 1951, is a Pakistani Urdu poet and writer who moved to The Netherlands in 1978 to escape the political strife in Pakistan, and has lived in the Netherlands since 1978. He is also a journalist and activist for democracy and the freedom of the press and of speech.

Zamir Jafri (Urdu) (January 1, 1916 – May 12, 1999) was a Pakistani poet born in Dina Jhelum. He became famous for his Urdu humorous poetry and also wrote humorous columns in the newspapers and periodicals. After graduating from Punjab University, he joined the army’s public relation department during World War II and retired as a major. One of his sons is a three-star general, Gen Syed Ehtasham Zamir and serving in Pakistan army while another lives in the U.S. He published more than 50 books in Urdu. His actions showed his simplicity and honesty which he carried forth throughout his life. He gradually embarked on a mission to work for the people of Pakistan, and began reaching out to these people from all spheres of life - devoting his time to carry on social work so as to create harmony and well-being in the society. Now his son Gen Syed Ehtasham Zamir and his grandson Syed Ali Ehtasham(Journalist/Entrepreneur)are determined to continue and carry out the legacy he left behind.They are Operating a Non Profit foundation(Syed Zamir Jafri Foundation)which provides: health services, educational means and awareness, legal aid, development of the literary institution and other miscellaneous structures to strengthen the underprivileged communities of Pakistan and also Mata-e-Zamir an archive of his books and contributions. He graduated from Islamia College, Lahore.

Siraj Aurangabadi (Urdu /: ) was a famous mystic poet. He was born at Aurangabad Maharashtra. His full name was Siraj-ud-Din Aurangabadi .

Altaf Hussain Hali (1837–1914) (Urdu : — Alaf usain ali ), known with his honorifics as Maulana Khawaja Hali, was an Urdu poet and   writer. Hali occupies a special position in the history of Urdu literature. He was a poet, prose-writer, critic, teacher and reformer. He was a close  friend  of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan. [ citation needed ]

Nawabzada Mirza Jamiluddin Ahmed Khan (Urdu : ) better known as Jamiluddin Aali (Urdu : ), PP, HI, (born 20 January 1926 in Delhi ) is a noted Urdu poet, critic, playwright, essayist, columnist, and scholar of Pakistan .

Wasif Ali Wasif (15 January 1929 – 18 January 1993) was a teacher, writer, poet and sufi intellectual from Pakistan. He is famous for his unique literary style. Many of his APHORISMS have become proverbs in recent years. His first book "Kiran Kiran Suraj" containing these Aphorisms was published in year 1985 and remained best seller for many many years. He used to write short essays on topics like love, life, fortune, fear, hope, expectation, promise, prayer, happiness, sorrow and so on with clear objective of highlighting the true spirit of Islam. He was regular columnist of Pakistani Urdu daily newspaper Nawa-i-Waqt. His column was named "GUFTAGOO" and it started publishing in newspaper in 1984. His first column was on "Muhabbat". In his life, most of his columns were combined to form two books (Dil Darya Samandar, Qatra Qatra Qulzam" with his own selected title. Later on a third book "Harf Harf Haqeeqat" containing these essays was published after he died in 1993. He did poetry in Urdu and Punjabi languages. Probably no contemporary Urdu writer is more cited in quotations than he is. Later years he used to answer questions in regular gatherings arranged every Thursday at his residence and every Friday at someone else's place in Lahore attended by the notable community. Many of these Q & A sessions were recorded in audio and were later transcribed and published as Guftgoo (talk) series. His mehfils never had a set subject nor did he delivered lecture on chosen topics. His way was to ask people if they had questions and then he used to respond to those questions in his highly original style. His thought was more on mysticism, spirituality and humanity. There are about 40 books to his credit including “Shab Chiragh”, “Kiran Kiran Sooraj”, and “Dil Darya Samundar”.

Faqir Qadir Bux Bedil (1815–1873)(Sindhi : ) better known by his nom de plume Bedil (one bereft of heart), was a Sufi Poet and scholar of great stature.After Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai and Sachal Sarmast other two stars that shone on the firmament of Sindhi poetry and who could measure up to them in excellence, were the father and son – Bedil and Bekas. They wrote poetry both in Sindhi and Persian. Bedil was well versed in a number of languages, Sindhi, Saraiki, Persian, Urdu, Arabic and Hindi. He has written poetry in Sindhi, Saraiki, Urdu, Persian and even in Hindi.

Khwaja Haider Ali Aatish (1778–1848) (Urdu: ) of Lucknow was an Urdu poet.

Gunturu Seshendra Sarma B.A. BL (October 20, 1927 – May 30, 2007), also known as Yuga Kavi, was a Telugu poet, critic and litterateur. He is well known for his works Naa Desam, Naa Prajalu (Telugu : , ) and Kaala Rekha (Telugu). He authored over fifty works which have been translated into English, Kannada, Urdu, Bengali, Hindi, Nepali and Greek.

Pandit Harichand Akhtar (1901-1958), (urdu)(hindi) was a well-known journalist who was also a renowned Urdu Ghazal poet. He was born in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, on 15 April 1901. He was fluent in the use of Urdu, Persian and English languages. Having passed the Munshi Fazil Examination soon after Matriculation, he obtained M.A. (English) degree from the Punjab University, Lahore. He spent a greater part of his life in Lahore writing for Paras, Lahore, the Newspaper that was then owned and edited by Lala Karam Chand; he was also employed in the office of the Punjab Legislative Assembly. After the formation of Pakistan he shifted to Delhi where he died on 1 January 1958.

Akbar Hussain Rizvi, popularly known as Akbar Allahabadi (Urdu: ) (October, 1846 ; 15 February 1921), was an Indian Urdu poet.

Allamah Shibli Nomani (Urdu : — Allamah Šibli Nomani ) (June 3, 1857 - November 18, 1914, Azamgarh ) was a respected scholar of Islam from Indian subcontinent during British Raj. He was born at Bindwal in Azamgarh district of present-day Uttar Pradesh. He is known for the founding the Shibli National College in 1883 and the Darul Mussanifin in Azamgarh. Shibli was a versatile scholar in Arabic, Persian, Hindi, Turkish and Urdu. He was also a poet. He collected much material on the life of Prophet of Islam, Muhammad but could write only first two volumes of the planned work the Sirat-un-Nabi. His disciple, Syed Sulaiman Nadvi, made use of this material and added his own and wrote remaining five volumes of the work, the Sirat-un-Nabi after the death of his mentor.

Gulzar was born Sampooran Singh at Deena in Pakistan in the year 1934. After partition in 1947, he came to Delhi. Gulzar started his career as an assistant to celebrated director Bimal Roy and Hrishikesh Mukherjee. He started his career as a lyricist with Bimal Roy's 'Bandini'. Urdu

Born as Akhtar Hussain Rizvi in a family of landlords of a small town of Uttar Pradesh, Kaifi Azmi was a very renowned Urdu poet of India. Though his father, Syed Fateh Hussain Rizvi was a landlord, he also worked as a Tehsildar in a small state in Uttar Pradesh. Urdu

Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai (also referred to by the honorifics: Lakhino Latif, Latif Ghot, Bhittai, and Bhitt Jo Shah ) (1689 – 1752) (Sindhi : , Urdu :, ) is famous Sindhi Sufi scholar, mystic, saint, poet, and musician. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest poets of the Sindhi language. His collected poems were assembled in the compilation Shah Jo Risalo, which exists in numerous versions and has been translated to English, Urdu, and other languages. His work has been compared frequently to great Persian poet Rumi. Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Professor of Islamic studies at George Washington University, described Shah Latif as a "direct emanation of Rumi's spirituality in South Asia."

Anwar Masood (Urdu : ), (born November 8, 1935) is a Pakistani poet known for his comic poetry, however, his works include other genres as well. He writes in Punjabi, Urdu and Persian language.

Jaun Elia (Urdu : , December 14, 1931 – November 8, 2002) was a notable Pakistani Urdu -language poet, philosopher, biographer, and scholar. He was the brother of journalist and psychoanalyst Rais Amrohvi and journalist and philosopher Syed Muhammad Taqi, and husband of columnist Zahida Hina. He was fluent in Arabic, English, Persian, Sanskrit and Hebrew .

Ibn-e-Insha (Punjabi, Urdu : born Sher Muhammad Khan ) on 15 June 1927 died 11 January 1978, was a Pakistani Leftist Urdu poet, humorist, travelogue writer and columnist. Along with his poetry, he was regarded one of the best humorists of Urdu. His poetry has a distinctive diction laced with language reminiscent of Amir Khusro in its use of words and construction that is usually heard in the more earthy dialects of the Hindi-Urdu complex of languages, and his forms and poetic style is an influence on generations of young poets.

Faiz Ahmad Faiz (Urdu : , born 13 February 1911 – 20 November 1984) MBE, NI, was an influential left-wing intellectual, revolutionary poet, and one of the most famous poets of the Urdu and Punjabi language from Pakistan. A notable member of the Progressive Writers' Movement (PWM), Faiz was an avowed Marxist. Listed four times for the Nobel Prize in poetry, he received the Lenin Peace Prize by the Soviet Union in 1962. Despite being repeatedly accused of atheism by the political and military establishment, Faiz's poetry suggested a more nuanced relationship with religion in general and with Islam in particular. He was, in fact, greatly inspired by both secular poetry and South Asia's Sufi traditions. His popular ghazal Hum Dekhenge  is an example of how he fused these interests.

Ali Arman is an Urdu poet hailing from Rawalpindi, Pakistan. He started poetry at the age of 14, and joined major literary forums of Rawalpindi and Islamabad in 1990, where he attracted the attention of prominent poets, writers and critics with his unique style. He writes in Urdu, Punjabi and his mother language Pothohari. Arman has created poetry in the forms of ghazal (lyric), nazm (poem), nasri nazm (prose poetry) and taweel nazm (long poem). His first book of poetry was published in March, 1998. Currently residing in the UK, he is an editor of “The Mosaic Journal”, a bilingual magazine containing both Urdu and English literature. Arman’s poetry has been translated into English, French, Spanish and German. He is regarded as an emerging poet by many renowned critics of Urdu poetry. Arman strongly believes in freedom, democracy and human rights and regularly advocated against the military regimes in Pakistan through his poems and articles. Arman's new book of Punjabi/Pothohari poetry titled "Mitti Di Bukkal" have been published recently. This book has been hailed as a major book of Punjabi/Pothohari poetry by readers and critics alike. The book is published in Lahore by "Sanjh Publications".

Syed Waheed Ashraf is an Indian Sufi, scholar and poet of Persian and Urdu languages. He obtained his B.A., M.A. and PhD (1965) from Aligarh Muslim University. The topic of his PhD dissertation was 'A critical edition of Lataife Ashrafi'. After serving in many universities (Punjabi University at Patiala, M.S. University of Baroda, University of Madras) in India, he retired as Head, Department of Arabic, Persian and Urdu, University of Madras, India, in 1993. Conversant with over half a dozen languages (Pahlavi, Persian, Arabic, Urdu, English, Hindi, Gujarati), he writes in Urdu, Persian and English [ citation needed ] and has authored/edited/compiled over 35 books and numerous research articles. He is a recipient of several awards and honours from within India and abroad. [ 20 ] [ 21 ] [ 22 ] He has focused on upholding and propagating the principles and practices of Sufism.

Iftikhar Hussain Arif (Urdu : ) commonly known as Iftikhar Arif ( ) (b. March 21, 1943 Lucknow ) is an Urdu poet, scholar and littérateur from Pakistan. His style is romantic Urdu poetry. He has headed Academy Adbiyat (the Pakistan Academy of Letters ) and Muqtadra Quami Zaban (the National Language Authority ). He has been decorated with Hilal-e-Imtiaz, Sitara-e-Imtiaz and Presidential Pride of Performance, which are the highest literary awards given by the Government of Pakistan.

Ab'ul Hasan Yamin ud-Din Khusrow (1253–1325 CE) Hindi , (Urdu : ;, better known as Amir Khusrow (also Khusrau, Khusro) Dehlawi (meaning Amir Khusrow of Delhi) ( ) was a Sufi musician, great poet and scholar. A polymath an iconic figure in the cultural history of the Indian subcontinent. A mystic and a spiritual disciple of Nizamuddin Auliya of Delhi. Amir Khusrow was not only a notable poet but also a prolific and seminal musician in the time of the Delhi Sultanate, being reputed to have invented both the Sitar and the Tabla. He wrote poetry primarily in Persian, but also in Hindavi. A vocabulary in verse, the haliq Bari, containing Arabic, Persian, and Hindavi terms is often attributed to him.

Hindi, Punjabi, English and Urdu poet and writer

Satyapal Anand (Hindi : , Urdu : ) born April 24, 1931, is a poet, critic and writer from India. He has written several fictional and poetry books in four languages: English, Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi. He has also received awards for his literary work.

Khwaja Haider Ali Aatish (1778–1848) (Urdu: ) of Lucknow was an Urdu poet.

Kunwar Mohinder Singh Bedi (Urdu : ) pen name Sahar was an Indian Urdu poet. The Times of India called him a "noted Urdu poet".

Zafar Iqbal (Urdu : — afar Iqbal ), an Urdu poet, based in Okara, Pakistan, is known for his innovative style of poetry, in the genre of ghazal. The diction of his ghazal is entirely different from traditional Urdu poetry, making him popular and unpopular at the same time. He is a lawyer by profession, and regularly contributes articles to an Urdu newspaper, Daily Jinnah.

Kabir (also Kabira ) (Hindi : , Punjabi : , Urdu : ) (1440-1518) was a mystic poet and saint of India, whose writings have greatly influenced the Bhakti movement. The name Kabir comes from Arabic al-Kabir which means 'The Great' – the 37th name of God in Islam .

Ab'ul Hasan Yamīn ud-Dīn Khusrow (1253–1325 CE) (Urdu: ابوالحسن یمین‌الدین خسرو‎; Hindi: अबुल हसन यमीनुद्दीन ख़ुसरौ), better known as Amīr Khusrow (also Khusrau, Khusro) Dehlawī (meaning Amir Khusrow of Delhi) (امیر خسرو دہلوی; अमीर ख़ुसरौ दहलवी), was an Indian musician, scholar and poet. He was an iconic figure in the cultural history of the Indian subcontinent. A Sufi mystic and a spiritual disciple of Nizamuddin Auliya of Delhi, Amīr Khusrow was not only a notable poet but also a prolific and seminal musician. He wrote poetry primarily in Persian, but also in Hindavi. He compiled the oldest known printed dictionary (Khaliq-e-bari) in 1320 which mainly dealt with Hindvi (Hindi) and Persian words.

The last Mughal emperor of India, Bahadur Shah Zafar II (1775-1862) was born Abu Zafar Sirajuddin Muhammad Bahadur Shah Zafar and was a very famous Urdu poet in his times. His poems are still read with much enthusiasm and admiration among the numerous Urdu poetry fans.

Ehsan Danish (Urdu : — Esan Daniš, 1914—1982), born Ehsan-ul-Haq (Urdu : — Esanu l-aq ), was a prominent Urdu poet from the Indian subcontinent. At the beginning of his career his poetry was very romantic but later he wrote his poems more for the labourers and came to be called "Šair-e Mazdur" (Poet of the workmen) by his audience. His poetry inspired the common people’s feelings and he has been compared with Josh Malihabadi. He holds the unique position as one of the best poets of all times, with fine, romantic and revolutionary, but simple style of poetry.

Mir Baber Ali Anees (Urdu: ) was a renowned Urdu poet. He was born in 1803 in Faizabad, Oudh now in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and died in 1874 in Lucknow, North-Western Provinces .

Syed Abid Ali Abid (Urdu : ) was an Urdu and Persian poet and educator who was born on 17 September 1906 in Dera Ismail Khan, British India and died in Lahore, Pakistan on 20 January 1971.

Vijay Kumar Abrol, (born on 20 December 1950), better known by his pen name Zahid Abrol, is a well-versed Indian Urdu poet. He has done ' the first-ever Urdu translation' of the 12th century Sufi-poet Baba Farid ’s shlokas and shabads and that too in verse.

Khumar Barabankvi (1919 - 1999) (Urdu: ) was an Urdu poet and lyricist from Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, India. His real name was Mohammed Haidar Khan, but he wrote under the takhallus (pen name/ nom de plume) of Khumar, which means intoxication. The word comes from the Arabic root 'Khmr' which means alcoholic wine. Khumar has written some famous songs for Hindi films like Shahjahan, Baradari, 'Saaz aur Awaaz', Love And God (1986) directed by K. Asif etc. He was indeed closely associated with famed composers like Naushad, a fact not as well-known to many. He wrote all the songs for the film 'Saaz aur Awaaz' produced by Naushad in 1966 and wrote the songs again for the film 'Love and God' in 1986 for which Naushad again composed music.

Ghulam Mustafa Tabassum (4 August 1899 – 1978) was a noted 20th-century poet in three languages: Urdu, Punjabi, and Persian. Tabassum (or Tabussum) was the pen name by which he was universally known.

Ahmed Ali (1910 in New Delhi – 14 January 1994 in Karachi ) (Urdu) was an Indian (later Pakistani ) novelist, poet, critic, translator, diplomat and scholar, who was responsible for writing Twilight in Delhi. Born in Delhi, India, Ahmed Ali was educated at Aligarh and Lucknow universities, graduating with first-class and first in the order of merit in both B.A. (Honours), 1930 and M.A. English, 1931. [ citation needed ] He taught at leading Indian universities including Lucknow and Allahabad from 1932–46 and joined the Bengal Senior Educational Service as professor and head of the English Department at Presidency College, Calcutta (1944–47). Ali was the BBC's Representative and Director in India during 1942–44. During the Partition of India, he was the British Council Visiting Professor to the University of China in Nanking as appointed by the British government of India. When he tried to return to India in 1948, K.P.S. Menon (then India's Ambassador to China ) did not let him and he was forced to move to Pakistan.

Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi (Urdu : ) born Ahmad Shah Awan (Urdu : ) on 20 November 1916 – died 10 July 2006, was an Urdu and English language Pakistani poet, journalist, literary critic, dramatist and short story author. He wrote 50 books on topics such as poetry, fiction, criticism, journalism and art, and was a major figure in contemporary Urdu literature. His poetry was distinguished by its humanism, and his Urdu afsana (novel) work is considered by some second only to Prem Chand in its depiction of rural culture. He was also editor and publisher of the literary magazine Funoon for almost half a century. He received awards such as the Pride of Performance in 1968 and Sitara-e-Imtiaz in 1980 for his literary work.

Jaun Elia (Urdu : , December 14, 1931 – November 8, 2002) was a notable Pakistani Urdu -language poet, philosopher, biographer, and scholar. He was the brother of journalist and psychoanalyst Rais Amrohvi and journalist and philosopher Syed Muhammad Taqi, and husband of columnist Zahida Hina. He was fluent in Arabic, English, Persian, Sanskrit and Hebrew .

Noor Mohammed Danish (Urdu : ; born 1958) is a Pakistani poet of African and Baloch descent. He is more commonly known as Noon Meem Danish or N. M. Danish .

Khaqan Haider Ghazi (Urdu : ) (born December 28, 1965) is a Punjabi poet and working in FM95 [ clarification needed ] Pakistan, Punjab Rung program Nena De Akhay Lagay .

Professor Sahar Ansari, TI (Urdu) is an Urdu poet, critic, and scholar of Urdu literature and linguistics from Pakistan. [ citation needed ] He remained associated with the University of Karachi as Professor and Chairman of Urdu department.

Syed Al-e-Ahmad (Urdu : ) was a well known Pakistani urdu poet, primarily of the Ghazal form, but also of Nazm. He used unique diction for his remarkable expressions regarding life and society.

Talib Jauhari (Urdu) (born August 27, 1939) is a Pakistani Islamic scholar, religious leader, public speaker, Qur'anic interpreter, Urdu poet, historian and philosopher of the Shi'ite Sect of Islam .

Abu Al-Asar Hafeez Jullundhri (Urdu : ) (born 14 January 1900 - died 21 December 1982) was a Pakistani Urdu -language poet who famously wrote the lyrics for the National Anthem of Pakistan.

Mir Gul Khan Nasir (Urdu : ), also widely regarded as Malek o-Sho'ara Balochistan (Urdu : ; May 14, 1914 – 6 December 1983) was a prominent politician, poet, historian, and journalist from Balochistan, Pakistan. Born on 14 May 1914 in Noshki, Gul Khan Nasir was at the forefront of the Baloch Nationalist Movement and was most active between 1935 to 1980. His father’s name was Mir Habib Khan and he belonged to the Paindzai family of the Zagar Mengal sub branch of the Mengal tribe. Mir Gul Khan’s mother “Bibi Hooran” belonged to the Rakhshani branch of the Bolazai Badini. Mir Habib Khan had five sons and three daughters. Mir Gul Khan Nasir was number seven among his eight siblings and he was the fourth amongst his brothers (i.e.) Mir Samand Khan, Mir Lawang Khan, Mir Lal Bux, Mir Gul Khan and Col. Sultan Mohammad Khan.

Ahmad Faraz (Urdu : , born Syed Ahmad Shah (Urdu : ) on 14 January 1931 in Kohat, died 25 August 2008) was a Pakistani Urdu poet. He was acclaimed one of the modern Urdu poets of the last century. 'Faraz' is his pen name, (in Urdu takhalus ). He died in Islamabad on 25 August 2008. He was awarded Hilal-e-Imtiaz, Sitara-i-Imtiaz and after his death Hilal-e-Pakistan by the government.

Mustafa Zaidi (1930-1970) was a progressive Urdu poet whose work and literary accomplishments remain popular and relevant today. [ citation needed ] He was born on 16 October 1930 in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh (UP), India to Lakhte Hasnain and Binte Haider. His father was a senior official in the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the UP Province, with roots in Meman Saadat, a village in district Bijnor. Mustafa Zaidi grew up in a household with five elder half brothers and was the second of three full brothers. [ citation needed ]

Ghalib (Urdu : ; Hindi : ) born Mirza Asadullah Baig Khan (Urdu / Persian : ), on 27 December 1797 – died 15 February 1869),   was a classical Urdu and Persian poet from the Mughal Empire during British colonial rule. He used his pen-names of Ghalib (Urdu / Persian : , ghalib means "dominant") and Asad (Urdu / Persian : , Asad means "lion"). His honorific was Dabir-ul-Mulk, Najm-ud-Daula. During his lifetime the Mughals were eclipsed and displaced by the British and finally deposed following the defeat of the Indian rebellion of 1857, events that he wrote of. Most notably, he wrote several ghazals during his life, which have since been interpreted and sung in many different ways by different people. Ghalib, the last great poet of the Mughal Era, is considered to be one of the most popular and influential poets of the Urdu language. Today Ghalib remains popular not only in India and Pakistan but also amongst diaspora communities around the world.

Mir Taqi Mir (sometimes also spelled as Meer Taqi Meer) was the leading Urdu poet of the 18th century, and one of the pioneers who gave shape to the Urdu language itself. Syed Amanullah Meer Taqi was the only son of a Sufi saint, Meer Muttaqi. When Meer was a little child, his father looking at his face used to say which is this fire burning within your heart that is reflecting on your face. Living in an atmosphere of Sufism at a very young age had profound effect on Meer.

Syed Muhammad Mehdi, known as Rais Amrohvi (or Raees Amrohvi ) () (1988-1914) was a noted scholar, Urdu poet and psychoanalyst from Pakistan .

Daya Shankar Kaul Nasim (Kashmiri : , Urdu : ) was a Urdu poet of the 19th century who is best known for his epic Gul Bakawali. He was defended by Brij Narayan Chakbast when it was suggested that he was not the author of this book. The poet lived from 1811–1845.

Munawwar Rana (Urdu : , Hi : ) (born 1952) is an Urdu poet. He is known [ by whom ] to be a sensitive poet who uses Hindi and Awadhi words in the couplets. He is known for his Urdu couplets praising mother. He is considered [ by whom ] to be one of the most successful poets at Mushairas and is popular outside India also.

Jan Nisar Akhtar (Urdu : ; February 14, 1914 – August 19, 1976) was an important 20th century Indian poet of Urdu ghazals and nazms, and a part of the Progressive Writers' Movement, who was also a lyricist for Bollywood.

Maulana Hasrat Mohani (b. 1875 Unnao, d. 1951 Lucknow ) (Urdu : — M¯lána asrat Mohani ) was a Romantic Poet of Urdu language, journalist, politician, parliamentarian of British India, besides a being a part of the Indian Independence Movement .

Nasim Amrohvi or Naseem Amrohvi (1908–1987) Urdu :, was an Urdu poet, philosopher, and lexicographer who was born as Syed Qaim Raza Taqvi on 24 August 1908 in Amroha, India .

Firaq Gorakhpuri was born Raghupati Sahay in the year 1896 at Gorakhpur District of Eastern Uttar Pradesh. Born to a family of aristocrats, Firaq had a taste of Urdu poetry at very tender age. He started writing poetry in Urdu in teens and developed his own niche in an era that was marked by the likes of Sahir, Iqbal, Faiz and Kaifi.

Khwaja Ghulam Farid (Urdu : ) or Khwaja Farid (1845–1901) – the most famous 19th-century sufi poet of the Indian subcontinent, polyglot, scholar and writer. He belonged to Chishti–Nizami Sufi order. He was born and died at Chachran and was buried at Mithankot .

Meher Baba (25 February 1894 – 31 January 1969), born Merwan Sheriar Irani, was an Indian mystic and spiritual master who declared publicly in 1954 that he was the Avatar of the age. He led a normal life and grew up like any other boy, going to school and college and finishing education. The life history of Meher Baba is a very interesting and an extraordinary event. Indian Urdu.

Syed Waheed Akhtar (Urdu : ) (12 August 1934, Aurangabad (Deccan ) — 13 December 1996) was an Urdu poet, writer, critic, orator, and one of the leading Muslim scholars and philosophers of the 20th century.

Imdad Hasnain (Sindhi : , Urdu) (born March 10, 1940) is a prolific Sindhi poet and writer of Pakistan.

Sudarshan Faakir ('') (1934–2008) was an Indian poet and lyricist. His ghazals and nazms were sung by Begum Akhtar and Jagjit Singh .

Zaheen Shah Taji (Urdu : ) born Muhammad Tuaseen (Urdu) on 1902 and died July 23, 1978, was a great sufi of sub-continent as well as an Urdu poet, philosopher and scholar of high repute.

Raees Warsi (Urdu) is an Urdu poet, writer, lyricist and TV Anchor from Pakistan. He has blended contemporary issues into classic rhyme. Where Urdu poetry was confined to the issues of love, romance and its tragedies till the early 20th century, Warsi and some other notable contemporary poetry have expanded Urdu poetry to the demands of modern realism while still maintaining the classic rhyme. He currently resides in the United States.

Ghalib (Urdu : ; Hindi : ) born Mirza Asadullah Baig Khan (Urdu / Persian : ), on 27 December 1797 – died 15 February 1869),   was a classical Urdu and Persian poet from the Mughal Empire during British colonial rule. He used his pen-names of Ghalib (Urdu / Persian : , ghalib means "dominant") and Asad (Urdu / Persian : , Asad means "lion"). His honorific was Dabir-ul-Mulk, Najm-ud-Daula. During his lifetime the Mughals were eclipsed and displaced by the British and finally deposed following the defeat of the Indian rebellion of 1857, events that he wrote of. Most notably, he wrote several ghazals during his life, which have since been interpreted and sung in many different ways by different people. Ghalib, the last great poet of the Mughal Era, is considered to be one of the most popular and influential poets of the Urdu language. Today Ghalib remains popular not only in India and Pakistan but also amongst diaspora communities around the world.

Mirza Salaamat Ali Dabeer (1803–1875) (Urdu: ) was a leading Urdu poet who excelled and perfected the art of Marsiya writing. He is considered the leading exponent of Marsiya Nigari or marsiya writing along with Mir Anis .

Sahir Ludhianvi (8 March 1921 – 25 October 1980) was a popular Urdu poet and Hindi lyricist, who worked extensively in Hindi films. Sahir Ludhianvi is his pseudonym. He won the Filmfare Award twice, in 1964 and 1977, and in 1971 was awarded the Padma Shri. The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee released a Commemorative Postage Stamp on his birth anniversary on 8 March 2013 at Rashtrapati Bhavan. His biography, Sahir Ludhianvi: The People's Poet, is being published by HarperCollins.

Syed Amin Ashraf was a preeminent Urdu Ghazal poet and critic. He earned his Ph.D. in English Literature from Aligarh Muslim University and later served the same Department. He produced three poetic collections and a critical compendium of essays in the form of a book. Several academic awards have been conferred on his poetic anthologies and numerous critical articles/books have come up extolling his poetic artistry. He died on 7 February 2013 (25th Rabiul Awwal 1434H) in Aligarh immediately following a cardiac arrest, and was laid to rest besides his father's grave near the shrine of Hazrat Ashraf Jahangir Semnani at Kichaucha Sharif. [ 20 ] [ 21 ]

Muqtida Hasan Nida Fazli, born in 1938 in Delhi, is an eminent Urdu poet and lyricist. His poetry is often described as lacking in any singular identity thereby defying neat categorizations. His poetry reflects the checkered trajectories of a poet who "traveled in many directions".

Bushra Farrukh (born 16 February 1957), is a Pakistani poet. She was born in Peshawar. She is one of the female Urdu poets of Pakistan. She has also served Pakistan Television and Radio Pakistan as an announcer.She is the artist of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa who has performed in four different languages Urdu, Pashto, Hindko and English at television and radio. Bushra Farrukh has performed many radio and television programs. All her programs have been enjoyed especially among the youth.

Josh Malihabadi (Urdu : ) (born as Shabbir Hasan Khan ; ) (December 5, 1894 – February 22, 1982) was a noted Urdu poet born in British India. He was an Indian citizen until 1958, when he emigrated to Pakistan and became a Pakistani citizen. He wrote ghazals, nazm and Marsias under the takhallus (Urdu for nom de plume ) Josh ( ) (literally, "Passion" or "Intensity").

Seemab Akbarabadi (Urdu) born Aashiq Hussain Siddiqui (Urdu : ) on 5 June 1882 – died 31 January 1951, was an acclaimed Urdu poet from India .

Ali Baba Taj (born 1977) is an Urdu, Persian and Hazaragi poet, based in Quetta, Pakistan. He is known for his use of nazm style in Urdu poetry. He received his Master's Degree in Persian language and literature from the University of Balochistan, Quetta in 2003. He has written several articles in Urdu and Persian regarding poetry and literature.

Idris Azad (Urdu : , born Idrees Ahmad Urdu) on August 7, 1969, is an author, philosopher, novelist, poet, dramatist and columnist. He has written several books on fiction, journalism, critic, poetry, philosophy, mysticism and art.

Wazir Agha (Urdu) was a Pakistani Urdu language writer, poet, critic and essayist. He has written many poetry and prose books. He was also editor and publisher of the literary magazine "Auraq" for many decades. He introduced many theories in Urdu literature. His most famous work is on Urdu humour. His books focus on modern Urdu poets, notably those who have written more poems instead of ghazals. Agha's poems have mostly an element of story.

Pandit ' Zinda Kaul (1884–1965) is a well-known Indian poet, writer & teacher. He composed in Persian, Hindi, Urdu & Kashmiri. Kaul also translated works of Kashmiri into English, Persian and Devnagari.

Qamar Jalavi (born Muhammad Hussain in 1887, died 4 October 1968; also known as Ustad Qamar Jalalvi ) was a renowned Pakistani poet. He was born in Jalali near Aligarh, India in 1887. After the creation of Pakistan in 1947, he moved to Karachi .

Muhammad Bashir Ranjha (Urdu) (born August 15, 1964) is a Pakistani poet, story writer, critic & journalist. His writings are being considered as a reference for researchers and critics.

Faiz Ahmad Faiz (Urdu : , born 13 February 1911 – 20 November 1984) MBE, NI, was an influential left-wing intellectual, revolutionary poet, and one of the most famous poets of the Urdu and Punjabi language from Pakistan. A notable member of the Progressive Writers' Movement (PWM), Faiz was an avowed Marxist. Listed four times for the Nobel Prize in poetry, he received the Lenin Peace Prize by the Soviet Union in 1962. Despite being repeatedly accused of atheism by the political and military establishment, Faiz's poetry suggested a more nuanced relationship with religion in general and with Islam in particular. He was, in fact, greatly inspired by both secular poetry and South Asia's Sufi traditions. His popular ghazal Hum Dekhenge  is an example of how he fused these interests.

Fani Badayuni born Shaukat Ali Khan (1879 - 27 August 1961) (Urdu ) was a noted Urdu poet. He was the second most celebrated son of the sleepy Awadh town.

Amjad Islam Amjad, PP, SI (Urdu : ) (born 4 August 1944) is an Urdu poet, drama writer and lyricist from Pakistan. He has received many awards for his literary work and screenplay for TV, including Pride of Performance and Sitara-e-Imtiaz.

Shakeel Badayuni (Hindi : , Urdu) (August 3, 1916 – April 20, 1970) was an Indian Urdu poet, lyricist and songwriter in Hindi films.

Muzaffar Warsi (Urdu : ) (born 20 December 1933 in Meerath, India died 28 January 2011) was a prominent Urdu poet, critic, essayist, a lyricist par excellence, and scholar of Pakistan. He was one whose work never fails to surprise. A humble man with humble beginnings who is unafraid of experimenting. He began more than five decades ago comprises a rich repertoire of not just Naats, but also authoring several anthologies of Ghazals, Nazms & hycoes including his autobiography Gaye dinon ka suraagh which is considered to be a classic. He was writing quatrains every day for Pakistan's Renowned daily newspaper Nawa-i-Waqt .

Jamal Ehsani (Urdu) (April 21, 1951 – February 10, 1998), was a Pakistani poet noted for his work in the ghazal form. and was a favourite poet in the student's circle of Urdu literature. He has written three poetry books. After his death,his complete poetry work has been published as a Kulliyaat-e-Jamal.

Muhammad Nasir, commonly known as Hakim Nasir (d. 2007, Karachi, Pakistan ), was an Urdu poet from Pakistan.

Syed Nasir Raza Kazmi, (1925–1972) (Urdu : — Sayyid Nair Raza Kami ) was an Urdu poet from Pakistan and one of the greatest poets of this era [ citation needed ], especially in the use of " ista'aaray " and " chhotee beher ." Kazmi was born on 8 December 1925 at Ambala, Haryana .

Majaz was born in Barabanki district of Uttar Pradesh in 1909-10. After completing his initial education from Lucknow and Agra, Majaz moved to Aligarh for his higher studies. He completed his graduation from Aligarh Muslim University in 1936. This was the same era when Aligarh Muslim University was swept by the progressive writers movement. Indian Urdu.