Jaun Elia

Jaun Elia

Greatest urdu poet Jaun Elia (جون ایلیا) was born on December 14, 1931 in an illustrious family of Amroha, Uttar Pradesh. He was the youngest of his siblings. His father, Allama Shafiq Hasan Elia, was deeply involved in art and literature and also an astrologer and a poet. This literary environment modeled him along the same lines, and he wrote his first Urdu couplet when he was just 8. He got his master's degree in Urdu, Persian and Arabic. He has, to his credit, a large number of translated works.

Jaun migrated to Pakistan in 1957 and settled in Karachi.
He was a prolific writer, but could not be convinced to publish his work. His first poetry collection Shayad (an Urdu word which means "Maybe") was published when he was 60. The poetry presented in this collection added Jaun Elia's name in the Urdu literary canon forever. Jaun Elia's preface in this collection provided deep insights into his works and the culture within which he was expressing his ideas. The preface can also be considered as one of the finest examples of modern Urdu prose. It covered his intellectual evolution in different periods of time, and his philosophy of poetry, science, religion, etc. His other books were published after his death (second collection of his poetry Ya'ani was published posthumously in 2003 and the third titled Gumaan (an Urdu word which means "Illusion") in 2004, Lekin 2006 and Goya 2008).
Jaun was also involved in translation, editing and other activities. Apart from Arabic and Persian that he had learnt at the Madressah, he acquired great proficiency in English and a smattering of Hebrew.
He briefly worked as an editor with Ismaili Tariqah and Religious Education Board (ITREB), in Karachi Pakistan. His translation of various Mautazalite treatises, a book on 12th century Fatimid revolutionary Hasan Bin Sabah, and also various texts about the Ismaili sect in Islam are a major contribution to the Urdu language and literature. His prose and other translation of major Ismaili philosophical works are not easily available, yet some of these can be found at Ismaili Tariqah Board libraries in Karachi and elsewhere.
Jaun also edited Urdu magazine "Insha" where he met Zahida Hina (urdu writer and columnist) and they finally got married. Jaun had two daughters and a son (Zariyon Elia, for whom he wrote a master piece "Darakht-e-Zard"). Jaun and Zahida finally separated in  mid 1980s which left Jaun devastated and he got alcoholic.

meri sharaab ka shuhraa hai ab zamaane mein

so ye karam hai to kis ka hai, ab bhi aa jao

ye theek hay ke gardish-e-halat ke sabab
dil bhi mera tabah hay, himmat bhi past hay
tum sochti bauhat ho to phir ye bhi sochna
meri shikast asal main kis ki shikast hay

wohi hisaab-e-tamanna hai, ab bhi aa jao

wohi hai sar wohi sauda hai, ab bhi aa jao

mujh ko aap apna aap dee jiye ga

aur kuch bhi na mujh se lee jiye ga

mein jo hun' Jaun Elia hun janab

is ka bayhad lihaaz kijye ga

ghar se hum ghar talak gaye honge 
apne he aap tak gaye honge
hum jo ab aadmi hain pehle kabhi
jaam honge, chalak gaye honge

theek hai khud ko hum badalte hain
shukria mashwarat ka chalte hain
main usee tarah to bahalta hoon

aur sab jis tarah bahalte hain

In can be my personal opinion but if ever a list of top five urdu poets will be made, Jaun Elia will definitely be there!


میں بھی بہت عجیب ہوں،اتنا عجیب ہوں کہ بس
خود کو تباہ کر لیا،اورملال بھی نہیں

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Ye hai ek jabr, ittefaaq nahin
Jaun hona koi mazaaq nahin
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Mein bhi bauhat ajeeb hun' itna ajeeb hun keh bass...
Khud ko tabah kar liya aur malaal bhi nahin...

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hasil-e-kun hai ye jahan-e-kharab
yahi mumkin tha itni ujlat main

Please leave your comments and share your favorite couplet by Jaun Elia.

Source: Wikipedia and personal research.

Tags: Syed Jaun Eliah, Jon Elia