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Urdu Academy’s tribute to Momin Khan Momin - Page II

Meraj Sultana Ghazali       Dr. Tahir Mahmood            Abdul Razzak Adenwala          Arshad Rashid

Nisar Usmani                           Jawed Umerani                  Asim Bajwa                        Waqar Ahmad Khan

Life and work of Momin Khan Momin

Momin Khan Momin was born in a prominent hakeem (physician) family of Delhi in the year 1801. He used his name Momin as Takhallus (nom de plume). Momin Khan Momin was gifted with a multifaceted personality. Apart from being a renowned physician, Momin Khan Momin was also well versed in music, astronomy and astrology. He was also an outstanding chess player.

He was a Ghazal and Masnavi (long poems) writer. Some of his Ghazals and masnavis are frank descriptions of his love affairs and feelings and are some of the best in Urdu language. His Ghazals treat all the traditional themes and show a highly sophisticated technique and a deliberate obscurity of meaning.

A contemporary of Mirza Assadullah Khan Ghalib and Sheikh Ibrahim Zauq, Momin Khan Momin was successful in creating his own niche. His rivalry with Mirza Ghalib is much celebrated and talked about. There is a famous exchange between the two stalwart where Mirza Ghalib supposedly said he would exchange his entire 'Dewan' (collection) for one of Momin's this single verse: Tum Mere Paas Hote Ho Goya Jab Dusra Nahein Hota. It is difficult to translate this simple verse but it may be crudely paraphrased as: You (my well wisher), verily, are with me/when no one else is.

Dr. Tahir Mahmood wondered what would be the reaction if we change the muscular gender in this verse to the feminine one. It will then read: Tum Mere Paas Hotee Ho Goya Jab Dusree Naheen Hotee. Here the change of gender changed the whole meaning and connotation of the verse. It now means: You are with me only when I don’t have another girl friend. 

Some of Momin’s verses are used in day to day life. On such verse is:

Um’r saari to kati ishq-e-butaan mein Momin
Aakhri waqt mein kiya khaak Musalma’n ho’ngey?

All your life you spent in love for idols of Momin [Believer] / In the last moment, how can you become a Muslim?

Momin Khan Momin's poem "Woh jo hum mein tum mein qaraar tha tumhe yaad ho na yaad ho" which is perhaps one of the most famous poems of Urdu literature. It is a very popular ghazal among the ghazal singers of South Asia:
 

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