baḌe dilchasp vaade the baḌe rañgīn dhoke the
guloñ kī aarzū meñ zindagī shole uThā laa.ī
baDe dilchasp wade the baDe rangin dhoke the
gulon ki aarzu mein zindagi shole uTha lai
Khursheed Ahmad Jami is one of the prominent poets of modern Urdu ghazal. He was born on May 15, 1911, in Hyderabad in the state of Andhra Pradesh. His family hailed from Maharashtra but his maternal grandfather Qazi Ahmad Faheem Haider had migrated to Hyderabad where he finally settled and practiced law. Jami’s father passed away even while he was too young to share the responsibilities of life which he had to bear without a choice. He acquired the degree of Fazil from Panjab University and started looking for a regular job. He worked in the Irrigation Department for a while but had to leave it as it did not suit his temperament.
Jami’s poetry is remarkable for the choice of his subjects and diction. His poetry played a significant role in strengthening the tradition of modern Urdu ghazal. His collections Rukhsaar-e-Sehar and Yaad ki Khooshboo bear out his basic concerns with regard to contemporary realities.
Jami also wrote poetry and prose for children. His poems for children were collected in Taaron ki Duniya. He passed away in 1970.