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Jaun Elia

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Jaun Elia

PP
Native name
جون ایلیا
Born
Syed Hussain Sibt-e-Asghar Naqvi

(1931-12-14)14 December 1931
Amroha, United Provinces, British India
Died8 November 2002(2002-11-08) (aged 70)
Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
Pen nameJaun Elia
OccupationPoet
NationalityPakistani
GenreGhazal
Literary movementProgressive Writers Movement
Notable worksShayad, Yani, Lekin, Gumman, Goya, Farnood
Notable awardsPride of Performance award by the President of Pakistan in 2000
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1970; div. 1984)​
RelativesKamal Amrohi (cousin)
Rais Amrohvi (older brother)

Syed Hussain Sibt-e-Asghar Naqvi[a] (14 December 1931 – 8 November 2002), commonly known by his pen name Jaun Elia,[b] was a Pakistani poet.[1][2]

One of the most prominent modern Urdu poets of ghazals (amatory poems), popular for his unconventional ways, he "acquired knowledge of philosophy, logic, Islamic history, the Muslim Sufi tradition, Muslim religious sciences, Western literature, and Karbala".[3]

He was fluent in Urdu, Arabic, Sindhi, English, Persian, Sanskrit and Hebrew.[1][3] Elia was also the younger brother of poet Rais Amrohvi.

Early life and family

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Jaun Elia was born on 14 December 1931 in Amroha, UP, British India into an educated Shia family. He was the youngest child of Allama Shafiq Hassan Elia.[1][4][5] His father was a scholar of literature and astronomy well-versed in the Arabic, English, Persian, Hebrew and Sanskrit languages, and who corresponded with leading intellectuals like Bertrand Russell.[6] Jaun Elia was the youngest of his siblings: his brother Rais Amrohvi was a poet and psychoanalyst while another brother, Syed Mohammed Taqi, was a philosopher and a translator who had translated Karl Marx's Das Kapital.[7] Indian film director Kamal Amrohi was his first cousin.[8] Another relative in Pakistan is actor Munawar Saeed, famous for his roles as a villain.[9]

Described as a child prodigy, Jaun was initially educated at the Syed-ul-Madaris in Amroha, a madrasa affiliated with the Darul Uloom Deoband.[10]

Marriage

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He married writer Zahida Hina in the year 1970. He met her during the publication of an urdu language magazine Insha and ended up falling in love with her.[1][11] They divorced in the year 1984 due to differences in their temperament.[1]

Writing career

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He began writing poetry when he was 8 but published his first collection, Shayad, when he was 60.[12]

Political views

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Partition and migration to Pakistan

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Being a communist, Elia opposed the partition of India.[13][14][15] However, he eventually migrated to Pakistan in 1956, and decided to live in Karachi.[1]

Communism

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In his poems, he supported communism in Pakistan.[16] References to class consciousness are also seen in his poems. He also was described as "An anarchist, a nihilist, and a poet".[17]

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Jaun Elia died on 8 November 2002 at age 70 in Karachi, Pakistan.[18] Some people that knew him called him a difficult, temperamental and complicated person. He also drank alcohol excessively which then contributed to his health problems.[1][19]

Poet Pirzada Qasim said:

Jaun was very particular about language. While his diction is rooted in the classical tradition, he touches on new subjects. He remained in quest of an ideal all his life. Unable to find the ideal eventually, he became angry and frustrated. He felt, perhaps with reason, that he had squandered his talent.[20]

According to BBC News website:

Jaun Elia's friend Qamar Razi once said of him, "He was quick to criticize, but he was a true friend, a lost traveler in his thoughts".[1]

Noted Indian poet Majrooh Sultanpuri called him "the poet of poets"...[1]

In 2020, Punjabi rapper Kay Kap's album Rough Rhymes for Tough Times featured a song entitled Bulaava which had couplets from the poem Pehnaayi Ka Makaan written and recited by Jaun Elia.[21]

In 2020, Pakistani rock-fusion band Nishtar Park released a single Purane Aur Naye Sawal which was based on Elia's ghazal Umr Guzaregi Imtihan Mein Kya.

In 2023, Urdu rapper Talha Anjum’s album Open Letter featured a song entitled Secrets which was strongly influenced by Jaun Elia’s poem Be-dilli Kya Yuhin Din Guzar Jaenge. Talha Anjum’s other works are also heavily influenced by Jaun Elia’s poetry.

Commemorative postage stamp

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On his death anniversary of 8 November 2013, Pakistan Post Office issued a commemorative postage stamp to honor him for his literary services in its 'Men of Letters' series.[22]

Awards and recognition

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Works

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Poetry collections

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  • Sukhan Meri Udasee Hai
  • Zakham-e-Umeed
  • Mubada
  • Tumharey Aur Mere Darmiyan
  • Daricha Haye Kheyal
  • Qitaat
  • Jaun Elia Ki Tamam Ghazlain (parts I-III)
  • Inshaye aur Mazaameen
  • Farnood[17]
  • Shayad[17][18]
  • Firaaq
  • Lekin[17][18]
  • Goya[18]
  • Gumaan[18]
  • Ramooz[18]
  • Ya'ni[18]

Prose work (mainly translations)

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Elia was not just a poet but was also an editor and a translator, especially of old Sufi, Mutazili and Ismaili treatises.

Above are some of his translations from Arabic and Persian. Not only did he translate these books but also introduced several new words in the Urdu language.[17]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Urdu: سید حسین سبطِ اصغر نقوی
  2. ^ Urdu: جون ایلیا

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Reyhan Fazal (14 December 2024). "جون ایلیا: اپنے خیالوں میں گم مسافر جسے شاعروں کا شاعر کہا گیا (Jaun Elia, who has been called a poet of poets) (in Urdu language)". BBC News اردو. Archived from the original on 24 January 2025. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
  2. ^ "Jaun Eliya - Profile & Biography". Rekhta. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Urdu poet Jaun Elia remembered on 10th death anniversary". The Express Tribune. 8 November 2012. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
  4. ^ "In search of Jaun Elia". The Tribune. 26 August 2018. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  5. ^ Alam, Iftikhar (9 November 2016). "Jani! kya aaj meri barsi hai–Yani kya aaj mar gya tha main?". The Nation newspaper. Archived from the original on 26 October 2019. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  6. ^ Altaf, Salman (5 November 2017). "Essay: The Elia Paradox". Dawn. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  7. ^ "KARACHI: Jon Elia's death condoled". Dawn News. 11 November 2002.
  8. ^ Kureshi, Manzoor (4 April 2014). "In the name of father". Dawn. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
  9. ^ Suhayb, Muhammad (22 June 2021). "Good to be Bad: The Villains of Pakistani Cinema". Youlin Magazine. Retrieved 25 March 2023. Related to famous poets like Raees Amrohvi and Jaun Elia, Munawwar Saeed often had trouble with the Punjabi language, and often reverted back to Urdu in his dialogue.
  10. ^ "KARACHI: Jon knew how to enthral audience". Dawn News. 10 November 2002.
  11. ^ "Zahida Hina - Profile & Biography". Rekhta. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  12. ^ "Jaun Elia remembered". The Nation. 15 December 2018. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  13. ^ "Master of loneliness and frenzy | Pakistan Today". Pakistan Today. 5 November 2011. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  14. ^ "Life and politics in South Asia (Part 1)". Jamhoor. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  15. ^ "All writings of Jaun Eliya". Rekhta. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  16. ^ Salim, Saquib (29 June 2018). "Jaun Elia: A Communist Poet Who Found Religion and Marxism Compatible". The Wire. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  17. ^ a b c d e "Jaun Elia - An anarchist, annihilist, and a poet - Pakistan". Dunya News website. 7 November 2016. Archived from the original on 20 May 2017. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  18. ^ a b c d e f g h "Death anniversary of Jaun Elia observed". Radio Pakistan website. 8 November 2024. Archived from the original on 8 November 2024. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
  19. ^ Chakraborty, Debdutta (8 November 2024). "Pakistan's Jaun Elia was more than a tragic poet. He was an atheist, Marxist & philosopher". The Print website. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
  20. ^ Samiuddin, Abida (2007). Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Urdu Literature (2 Vols. Set). Global Vision Publishing. p. 201. ISBN 9788182201910.
  21. ^ Kay Kap (Ft. Jaun Elia) – Bulaava, retrieved 23 August 2022
  22. ^ "Men of Letters - Jaun Elia". Tareekh-e-Pakistan website. 8 November 2013. Archived from the original on 7 November 2025. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  23. ^ "Renowned poet Jaun Elia remembered". The Nation newspaper. 9 November 2022. Archived from the original on 6 December 2022. Retrieved 7 November 2025.

Bibliography

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