Syed Ali Naqi Zaidi, who chose to be called Safi Lakhnavi, was the son of Syed Fazl Hasan. Born in 1862, he received his early education from his father. Later, he learnt Persian from Najmuddin Kakorvi and Arabic from Maulvi Ahmad Ali. He got his Entrance degree from Canning College and taught English in the school attached with Canning College. In 1883, he joined government service and worked for the revenue department. He died in 1950.

Safi’s poetry is a departure from the traditional poetry of Urdu which also gave him his individual identity. He preferred writing nazm compared with the traditional ghazal and penned a series of patriotic poems. These poems reflect the social, political, and cultural condition of his times. He also practiced other forms of poetry like qasida, mathnawi, and rubai. His works are put together in Aagosh-e-Maadar, Tanzeem-ul-Hayaat, and Deewan-i-Safi. A broader study of Safi’s poetry creates an impression that consciously or unconsciously, he wished to bring about a change in the prevalent literary style that characterised the poetry of Lucknow.