Today marks the 39th anniversary of the passing of the revolutionary poet, Faiz Ahmad Faiz.
Born on February 13, 1911, in Kala Qader, Narowal district of Punjab, Faiz was a prominent figure in the Progressive Writers’ Movement and a devoted Marxist. His commitment to literature and ideology earned him the Lenin Peace Prize from the Soviet Union in 1962.
In 1990, posthumously, the Pakistani Government honored Faiz Ahmad Faiz with the nation’s highest civil award, Nishan-e-Imtiaz.
The enduring impact of Faiz’s poetry, with its profound resonances transcending cultures, continues to inspire. Notably, academic Anjum Altaf paid homage through his 2018 collection, ‘Transgressions: Poems Inspired by Faiz Ahmad Faiz.’
Faiz’s significant literary contributions include ‘Naqsh-e-Faryadi,’ ‘Dast-e-Saba,’ ‘Zindan-Nama,’ ‘Dast-e-Tah-e-Sung,’ ‘Mere Dil Mere Musafir,’ ‘Sar-e-Wadi-e-Sina,’ compiled as ‘Nuskha Haa-e-Wafa.’
He left an indelible mark on literature and passed away in Lahore on November 20, 1984.