Wali Mohammed Wali (1667 - 1707)

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Also called Wali Aurangabadi or Wali Daccani, is the first established poet to have composed Ghazals in Urdu language and compiled a divan(a collection of ghazals where the entire alphabet is used at least once as the last letter to define the rhyme pattern). Before Vali, Indian Ghazal was being composed in Persian - almost being replicated in thought and style from the original Persian masters like Sa'di, Jami and Khaqani. Wali began using not only an Indian language , but Indian themes, idioms and imagery in his ghazals. It is said that his visit to Delhi along with his divan of Urdu ghazals created a ripple in the literary circles of the north, inspiring them to produce stalwarts like Zauq, Sauda and Mir.

Wali Daccani was born in 1667 in Aurangabad, Maharashtra. He loved travelling, which he regarded as a means of education. His visit to Delhi in 1700 is considered to be of great significance for Urdu Gazals. His simple, sensuous and melodious poems in Urdu, awakened the Persian loving poets of Delhi to the beauty and capability of "Rekhta" (the old name for Urdu) as a medium of poetic expression. His visit thus stimulated the growth and development of Urdu Gazal in Delhi. However, Wali was not immune or ignorant of the vigour and verve of Persian diction and imagery, and combined both into the body of his verse. He thus became the architect of the modern poetic language, which is a skilful blend of Persian and Urdu vocabulary.

Though Wali wrote in different types of verse forms - masnavi, qasida, etc - it was Gazals that he specialized in. He wrote a total of 473 Gazals, comprising of 3225 couplets (ashaar). He was also the first poet to start expressing love from a man's point of view as against the prevailing convention of impersonating as a woman.

Wali died in Ahmedabad in 1707, and is buried there.

Ghazals

List of some of his popular ghazals

• dil ko lagatii hai dilarubaa kii adaa
• jise ishq kaa tiir kaarii lage
• kiyaa mujh ishq ne zaalim ko.n aab aahistaa aahistaa
• ruuh baKhshii hai kaam tujh lab kaa
• uskon haasil kyo.n ke hoe jag me.n faraaG-e-zi.ndagii
• yaad karanaa har gha.Dii us yaar kaa

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