World Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Faiz Ahmed Faiz

ファイズ・アフマド・ファイズ

Faiz Ahmed Faiz

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1911-02-13 （Kala Qader, Sialkot District, Punjab, British India (now Faiz Nagar, Narowal District, Punjab, Pakistan)）
Died
1984-11-20 （Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan） age 73
Nationality
Pakistan
Languages
Urdu, Punjabi, English, Arabic, Persian, French
Religion
Islam
Residence History
Sialkot (birthplace) → Lahore (education and work) → London (exile / residence) → Moscow (residence) → Beirut (exile period) → Karachi (government service)

Career

Occupations
poet, journalist, military officer, teacher, broadcaster, trade unionist
Active Years
1935-1984
Affiliations
Pakistan Arts Council, Communist Party of Pakistan (associated), Pakistan Trade Union Federation (PTUF, former vice-president)
Memberships
Progressive Writers' Movement, Communist Party of Pakistan
Influenced By
Allama Muhammad Iqbal, Mirza Ghalib, M. N. Roy, Sajjad Zaheer
Influenced
Ahmad Faraz, Habib Jalib, Many modern poets and musicians, including Ali Sethi (singer), Progressive poets across South Asia

Education

Murray College, Sialkot
Intermediate studies (Department of Languages and Fine Arts)
Degree: Intermediate
Period: 1920年代
Year of Graduation: 1926
Country: British India
Completed intermediate studies
Government College, Lahore
Department of Languages and Fine Arts / English literature / Arabic studies
Degree: B.A. (Hons) / M.A.
Period: 1926–1932
Year of Graduation: 1932
Country: British India
B.A. in Arabic (Hons) and M.A. in English literature; master's thesis on Robert Browning.
Oriental College, University of the Punjab
Oriental College
Degree: First-class degree
Period: 1932
Year of Graduation: 1932
Country: British India
Completed first-class degree at Oriental College

Awards

Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
1945
Organization: British government / The Crown
Result: 受章
Nigar Awards
1953
Organization: Nigar
Result: 受賞
Lenin Peace Prize
1962
Organization: Soviet Union
Result: 受賞
Lotus Prize for Literature
1976
Organization: Lotus Prize committee
Result: 受賞
Nishan-e-Imtiaz
1990
Organization: Government of Pakistan
Result: 追贈

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Naqsh-e-Faryadi

1941 Poetry collection

Early collection blending romantic motifs with emergent social concerns.

lovesocietyjustice
Translations
  • Translated into English
  • Translated into Russian

Dast-Tah-e-Sang

1946 Poetry collection

Mid-period collection with stronger political and humanitarian themes.

revolutionoppressionhope
Translations
  • Translated into English

Dast-e-Saba

1953 Poetry collection

Includes prison poems and works with strong political messages.

incarcerationresistancehope
Translations
  • Translated into English

Sar-e-Waadi-e-Seena

1962 Poetry collection

Collection that includes translations of foreign poets and shows international outlook.

internationalismhumanitylove
Translations
  • Translated into English and Russian

Bibliography

  • Aabshar (1944)
  • Daaman-e-Yusuf (1989)
  • Dast-e-Saba (1953)
  • Dast-Tah-e-Sang (1946)
  • Harf Harf (1965)
  • Iqbal (1987)
  • Kalaam-e-Faiz (1979)
  • Kulliyaat-e-Faiz (1955)
  • Naqsh-e-Faryaadi (1941)
  • Sar-e-Waadi-e-Seena (1962)

Adaptations

  • 'Hum Dekhenge' — musical renditions performed by various artists (featured on Coke Studio Pakistan)
  • 'Gulon Mein Rang' — used/adapted in film 'Haider' (Hindi film)

Translations of Works

  • Many works translated into English and Russian

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Lyrical yet politically charged poetic styleFusion of classical Urdu diction and modern formsUses Sufi symbolism at times
Recurring Motifs
love and lossrevolution and justiceexile and belonginglabor and the people

Health

  • lung disease
    晩年
    Deteriorated health in later life and limited activities
  • heart disease
    晩年
    Co‑occurred with lung disease and contributed to death

Legacy

Faiz Ahmed Faiz is one of the foremost 20th‑century Urdu poets of South Asia, celebrated for poetry that combines political and humanitarian themes. He is highly respected domestically and internationally; his works have been widely translated and his legacy is preserved through the Faiz Foundation Trust and international festivals.

Museums

  • Faiz Ghar (House of Faiz) / Faiz Foundation Trust Lahore, Pakistan Opened in 2009

Academic Societies

  • University of Karachi, Department of Urdu (Faiz Chair)
  • Sindh University, Department of Urdu (Faiz Chair)
  • Government College University, Lahore

Archives

  • Faiz Foundation Trust (personal library, manuscripts, photographs)
  • Government College University, Lahore — Urdu Department archives

In Popular Culture

  • Musical adaptations featured on platforms like Coke Studio ('Hum Dekhenge')
  • Use of poems in films and stage works (e.g., songs in 'Haider')
  • International poetry festivals and commemorations (International Faiz Festival)

Quotes

  • Human ingenuity, science and industry have made it possible to provide each one of us everything we need to be comfortable provided these boundless treasures of nature and production are not declared the property of a greedy few but are used for the benefit of all of humanity…
    Source: Acceptance speech at the Lenin Peace Prize ceremony (Moscow, 1962) (1962)

Trivia

  • First Asian poet to be awarded the Lenin Peace Prize (1962).
  • Arrested in the 1951 Rawalpindi Conspiracy case and imprisoned for about four years.
  • Many of his poems have been set to music and continue to be performed.