Aligarh, Aug 20 : ‘Dil cheez kya hai aap meri jaan lijiye'- the writer of this immortal couplet from Umrao Jaan, A M K Shahryar was today bestowed with the Sir Syed Lifetime Achievement Award by the Aligarh Muslim University Alumni Association.
At a ceremony held at the poet's residence today, a citation and a cheque of Rs One lakh was handed over to him by the AMU Vice Chancellor, Prof P K Abdul Azis and former AMU Honorary Treasurer, Nawab Ibne Saeed Khan of Chhatari. The ceremony was held at the poet's residence as he has been ailing for quite sometime now.
Shahryar, 75, is a distinguished alumnus of the AMU and started his career as a lecturer at the Department of Urdu in 1966.
The award was given away by the AMU Alumni Association, New York, USA.
In the year 1996, he retired as Chairman, Department of Urdu. He has penned the lyrics of several Bollywood films, including the iconic Umrao Jaan in the mid 1980s. In 2008, Shahryar was bestowed the prestigious Jnanpeeth Award for his outstanding contribution to Urdu language.
A few of Shahryar's couplets (ghazals):
“ummiid se kam chashm-i-khariidaar meN aaye
ham log zaraa der se baazaar meN aaye
sabhii ko gham hai samandar ke khushk hone kaa
ki khel khatm huaa kashtiyaaN Dubone kaa
na jiskii shakl hai koii na jiskaa naam hai koii
ek aisii shakl kaa kyuuN hameN azl se intezaar hai
phir kahiiN Khwaab-o-haqiiqat kaa tasaadum hogaa
phir koii manzil-e-benaam bulaati hai hameN
zindagii jaisii tavaqqo thii, nahiiN, kuchh kam hai
har ghaRii hotaa hai ehsaas kahiiN kuchh kam hai
log sar phoR kar bhii dekh chuke
gham kii diivaar TuuTtii hii nahiiN
is natiije pe pohaNchte haiN sabhii aaKhir meN
haasil-e-sair-e-jahaaN kuchh nahiiN hairaani hai
markaz-e-diida-o-dil teraa tasavvur thaa kabhii
aaj is baat pe kitni haNsii aati hai hameN
voh dekh lo, voh samandar khushk hone lagaa
jise thaa daava merii pyaas bujhaane kaa
zamiiN terii kashish khiiNchti rahii hamko gaye zaruur the kuchh duur mahtaab ke saath.”
