Shan-ul-Haq Haqqee: The Notable Poet and Writer of Sindh

Shan-ul-Haq Haqqee, Sitara-e-Imtiaz, Tamgha-e-Quaid-i-Azam, was an eminent Urdu poet, writer, journalist, broadcaster, translator, critic, researcher, linguist and lexicographer of Pakistan.

Born in the city of Delhi, Haqqee (Karachi city) gained his BA degree from the institute of Aligarh Muslim University. He obtained a Master’s in English literature from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi. His father, Ehtashamuddin Haqqee, wrote short stories, a study of Hafez, Tarjuman-ul-Ghaib, a translation of Diwan-i-Hafiz in verse and compiled a dictionary.

Haqqee recited his first ghazal at an annual poetic gathering of St. Stephen’s College.

Contribution to Urdu of Shan-ul-Haq Haqqee

Haqqee issued two anthologies of poems, Tar-i-Pairahan (1957) and Harf-i-Dilras (1979). He also published ghazals under the title, Dil ki Zaban.

His other publications include:

• Naqd-o-Nigarish (a work of literary criticism)
• Maqalaat-e-Mumtaz
• Shaakhsaanay (Short Stories)
• Maqam-e-Ghazal (edited work of Hafiz Hoshiarpuri)
• Nashid-i-Hurriyat
• Nukta-e-Raz
• Bhagvad Gita (Urdu translation)
• Darpan Darpan (translated poetry from various languages)
• Intikhab-e-Kalam-e-Zafar
• Qitaat-e-Tareekh-e-Wafat-e-Ahle-Qalam-wa-Mutaliqeen-e-Ahle-Qalam
• Lisani Masail-o-Lataif
• Nazr-e-Khusro Pahelian Keh Mukarniyan
• Aaeena-e-Afkar-e-Ghalib
• Nok Jhonk
• Suhaanay Taraanay
• Phool Khilay Hain Rung Birnagay
• Anjaan Rahi (translation of Jack Shaffer’s novel Shane)
• Teesri Duniya (translation of essays on politics and economy)
• Soor-i-Israfeel (translation of Bengali poet Qazi Nazrul Islam)
• Khayabaan-e-Pak (anthology of Pakistan’s folk poetry of about 40 poets)

His autobiography was serialized in the Urdu journal Afkaar. He also translated Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra and Chanakya Kautilya’s Arthashastra.

He also wrote other genres of poetry, such as Peheylian, Kehmukarnian, and Qitat-i-Tareekhi.

As a lexicographer

In addition to his regular professional duties, he remained associated with the Urdu Dictionary Board for 17 years from the time period of 1958 to 1975, compiling a 22-volume dictionary. He compiled two other dictionaries. Farhang-e-Talaffuz is a pronouncing dictionary of Urdu published by the National Language Authority. The Oxford English-Urdu Dictionary is a translation of the eighth and ninth editions of the Concise Oxford English Dictionary.

In addition to libraries in South Asia, some of Haqqee’s books are found in the Library of Congress and the University of Toronto Library.

Death

He passed away from complications of lung cancer in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada while under his daughter’s care on 11 October 2005. He was 87. Haqqee left five sons and one daughter. Like his wife, teacher Salma Haqqee, who died exactly 2 years earlier, he was buried in Mississauga, Canada.