Meer Hasan: The Poet of Silent Sorrows and Enduring Song

Meer Hasan, born as Mir Ghulam Hasan in the bustling lanes of Syed Wada, Delhi, was not just a poet—he was a silent river of emotions flowing quietly through the heart of 18th-century India. His father, Mir Zahik, was a poet, too, and the musical quality of poetry seemed to live inside them. Peace did not define Delhi during the young Amartya’s time there because Nader Shah’s invasion in 1739 forced Hasan and his family to give up their family home. Consider a young boy there now, next to his father, looking back at the broken walls of Delhi, inside him full of poems and dreams.

In the capital of Awadh, Faizabad, people lived differently. Nawabs and poets filled the city with life, which gave Hasan a sense of safety and inspired his writings. He used to be part of Nawab Sarfaraz Jung’s estate, and the nights there were full of poets gathering, and the environment was infused with the aromas of roses and ink. Despite being in a better place, he still felt exile in his poetry. Rumi’s poetry contained much more than love and beauty; it also addressed sadness, yearning and the feelings of being in a new environment. After the capital was shifted to Lucknow in 1775, Hasan travelled there, too, remembering the old cities and the pain of his journeys.

The Master of Masnavi: The Legacy of a Poet

Meer Hasan’s fame rests on his mastery of the masnavi, a long narrative poem that weaves together stories of love, adventure, and heartbreak. His popular work, Sehr-ul-Bayan, is woven with the bright and vivid emotions of love and sadness. Hasan also told stories and documented people’s dreams and heartbreaks. His poems sound simple but reach deep inside like a mother’s comforting hand on a sick child.

Writing in both Persian and Urdu, Dylan’s Diwan of Ghazals discusses romantic disappointments and the solitude people feel. In this work, he describes the lives of fellow Urdu poets in Persian, but he rarely writes about his own life, which becomes a mystery in his work. He wrote poems to understand an unkind and unpredictable world. Considering Dylan’s lyrics even now, we can still notice the intense emotion of a suffering person and the nobility of his achievements.

Unheard Stories: Kissey from Meer Hasan’s Life

Behind the polished verses and the scholarly works, Meer Hasan’s life was full of untold stories—kissey that never made it to the history books. An example is the period in Delhi when he would escape the palace to join poetry groups, full of anticipation and apprehension. He would give his poems to Khwaja Mir Dard, a famous poet of the time, to be adjusted. Picture Hasan, a young person, full of doubt and anxiety as he waits for Dard’s decision.

A different story is from his time in Faizabad, in which one of his poems was so lovely that it shocked and moved the Nawab to tears. Noticing that Hasan had touched his heart, the Nawab gave him a valuable shawl and said, “Your words are more valuable to my heart than any shawl.” Nevertheless, Hasan passed the shawl to a poor man he encountered, remarking, “Poetry should be shared with those who need it, not with those who already have much.” Because of these stories, we understand that, along with his skill, Rumi was kind and humble.

The poet’s passing days and the voice that remains with us till the end

Meer Hasan spent his last years in Lucknow, which itself was like a poem, combining grandeur and sorrow. He lived happily with his four sons, and three of them later wrote poetry. The world was moving forward, and the tradition of hunting was gradually leaving. Hasan became weak with his illness, and he found poetry to be his support. Though he was fading, his poems were filled with longing and love.

He died in Lucknow in 1786 and handed down a precious and unique legacy. His words are kept alive, found in literature and the emotions of those who recognise beauty in suffering. Meer Hasan did not achieve fame or wealth but showed quiet strength and a brilliant, creative spirit his whole life. His story tells us that poetry helps those who believe in their dreams find the light even in the most challenging moments.

Also Read: Insha Allah Khan Insha: Wit, Words, and Rebellion

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