ISLAMABAD, Nov 18 (APP): The 31st death anniversary of revolutionary Urdu poet and one of the few legendary figures of Pakistan, Faiz Ahmad Faiz, will be observed on Nov 20 across the globe including Pakistan.
One of the most prolific poets of the 20th century, Faiz was known to have reached out, through his work, to the wealthy and to those less fortunate alike. Dubbed the `voice of a revolution’, he extended an asylum of sorts to the masses in a period where freedom of speech was crushed to a bare minimum.
Faiz was born in Sialkot on Feb 13th, 1911 to a respectable household,
also well appreciated for their literary work, graduated from Government College University in Lahore, where he obtained a degree in English Literature, and went on to pursue another master’s degree in Arab Literature at the Oriental College, also located in Lahore.
His tenure boasts several accomplishments, including the publication
of two books, Mairay Dil Mairay Musafir and Ghubar-e-Ayyam, which have since been translated to several other languages earning him international recognition for his works.
He wrote several inspirational pieces in both poetry and prose, and
became the first Asian poet to be awarded the Lenin Peace Prize in 1963, and was nominated for the Nobel Prize.
According to an official at Pakistan National Council for Arts (PNCA),
“Faiz’ open expression of revolutionary ideas, however, was not without its share of consequences. Although Faiz was imprisoned several times, he spent his life fighting for the cause of truth”.
Notable, legendary singers such as Mehdi Hasan, Noor Jehan and Nayyara
Noor lent their voices to poems penned by Faiz Ahmed Faiz. His contribution, no doubt
for art in Pakistan, remains unparalleled till this day, the added.
Faiz breathed his last on November 20, 1984 in Lahore. His legacy
today remains alive in each and every corner of Pakistan.
31st death anniversary of Faiz Ahmad Faiz on Nov 20
