Noon Meem Rashid

Rashed was born Raja Nazar Muhammad Janjua into a Punjabi family of the Rajput-Janjua clan in the village of Kot Bhaaga, Akaal Garh (now Alipur Chatha),{{cite web|url=http://wikimapia.org/#lat=32.265632&lon=73.8185361&z=14&l=0&m=b|title=Map of Alipur Chatha, Noon Meem Rashed's birthplace|publisher=Wikimapia|access-date=1 June 2018}} Wazirabad, Gujranwala District, Punjab. His father Raja Fazal Ilahi Chishti was an Islamic scholar fond of Urdu poetry, especially Ghalib.Raza Mir. "[https://thepunchmagazine.com/the-byword/non-fiction/i-come-bearing-dreams-nm-rashid-and-modernist-urdu-poetry. I Come Bearing Dreams: N.M. Rashed and Modernist Urdu Poetry]". The Punch Magazine. Accessed May 7, 2025.

He earned a Master's degree in Economics from the Government College Lahore.{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.opf.org.pk/almanac/P/poets.htm|title=Poets|date=December 2006|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Pakistan|publisher=Overseas Pakistanis Foundation|access-date=1 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080922165044/http://www.opf.org.pk/almanac/P/poets.htm|archive-date=22 September 2008}} He also studied English literature.

Rashed his first poem Jurrat-e-Parwaz (The Courage to Fly) in 1932 as a college student while he published his first collection of poetry in a book-form, Maavra (Beyond), in 1940.

He is considered to be the 'father of Modernism' in Urdu Literature. Along with Faiz Ahmed Faiz, he is one of the great progressive poets in Pakistani literature.

His readership is limited and recent social changes have further hurt his stature and there seems to be a concerted effort not to promote his poetry. His first book of free verse, Mavra, was published in 1940 and established him as a pioneering figure in 'free form' Urdu poetry.

He served for a short time in the Royal Indian Army during the Second World War, attaining the rank of captain.

For some time he was associated with Inayatullah Khan Mashriqi.

Before independence of Pakistan in 1947, he worked with All India Radio in New Delhi and Lucknow starting in 1942. He was transferred to Peshawar in 1947 where he worked until 1953. Later he was hired by Voice of America and had to move to New York City for this job. Then, for a short while, he lived in Iran.

Later on, he worked for the United Nations in New York.

Rashed served the UN and worked in many countries.

He retired to England in 1973 and died in a London hospital in 1975.

Faiz Ahmad Faiz called him Malik-us-Shoara (the king of poets).

His poem "Zindagi sey dartey ho" was set to music in the 2010 Bollywood movie, Peepli Live. It was performed by the Indian music band, Indian Ocean, and received critical appreciation as "hard-hitting" and "a gem of a track" that "everyone is meant to sing, and mean, at some point in life".{{Citation | title=Peepli Live: Music Review | date=18 July 2010 | author=Ruchika Kher | newspaper=Indiatimes | url=http://movies.indiatimes.com/Reviews/Music-Reviews/Peepli-Live-Music-Review/articleshow/6183088.cms | quote=... Then comes the dark and edgy "Zindagi se darte ho", which makes you sit up and take notice. The hard-hitting song has Indian Ocean behind the mike. The song is basically a poem by Noon Meem Rashed. The seven-minute-long song is soaked in a rock flavour that makes it even more interesting ... | access-date=23 August 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100909002941/http://movies.indiatimes.com/Reviews/Music-Reviews/Peepli-Live-Music-Review/articleshow/6183088.cms | archive-date=9 September 2010 | url-status=dead }}{{Citation | title=Peepli Live: Music Review | date=3 August 2010 | author=Rachna N. | newspaper=Bollycurry | url=http://www.bollycurry.com/news/yo-mr-dj/15504-peeplilive-music-review.htm | quote=... Zindagi Se Darte Ho is another track of candid facts ... A gem of a track, and a song everyone is meant to sing, and mean, at some point in life ... | access-date=23 August 2010 | archive-date=20 September 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160920052031/http://www.bollycurry.com/news/yo-mr-dj/15504-peeplilive-music-review.htm | url-status=dead }}

At Government College Lahore a hall is named after him as "Noon Meem Rashid Hall" at Postgraduate Block Basement.

• Mavraa (Beyond) 1940
• Iran Main Ajnabi (A stranger in Iran)
• La = Insaan (Nothingness = Man) 1969
• Gumaan ka Mumkin (Speculations) published posthumously in 1976 [http://www.the-south-asian.com/Jan2002/Pakistani-Literature2-Poetry.htm Profile of Noon Meem Rashid on the-south-asian.com website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303232515/http://www.the-south-asian.com/Jan2002/Pakistani-Literature2-Poetry.htm |date=3 March 2016 }} Published January 2002, Retrieved 1 June 2018
• Maqalat (Essays)- Ed. Shima Majeed, 2002.

{{Reflist}}

{{Wikiquote}}

• [http://www.inspirational-poems.net/non-english-poems/128-noon-meem-rashid-poetry Selected Poetry of N.M. Rashid Translated in English]
• [https://www.punjnud.com/PageList.aspx?BookID=11914&BookTitle=Kuliyat-e-Noon-Meem-Rashid Kuliyat e Noon Meem Rashid]

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Category:1910 births

Category:1975 deaths

Category:People from Wazirabad

Category:Urdu-language poets from Pakistan

Category:Government College University, Lahore alumni

Category:People from British India

Category:20th-century Pakistani poets

Category:Sonneteers