4 verses · ~1 min
इंशाजी उठो अब कूच करो, इस शहर में जी का लगाना क्या वहशी को सुकूं से क्या मतलब, जोगी का नगर में ठिकाना क्या
इस दिल के दरीदा दामन में देखो तो सही, सोचो तो सही जिस झोली में सौ छेद हुए उस झोली को फैलाना क्या
शब बीती चाँद भी डूब चला ज़ंजीर पड़ी दरवाज़े पे क्यों देर गये घर आये हो सजनी से करोगे बहाना क्या
जब शहर के लोग न रस्ता दें क्यों बन में न जा बिसराम करें दीवानों की सी न बात करे तो और करे दीवाना क्या
इति
The Poet
इब्ने इंशा
Ibn-e-Insha
1927 · 1978
Sher Muhammad Khan, immortalized under the pen name Ibn-e-Insha, was a literary wanderer who observed the world with a brilliant mix of deep melancholy and razor sharp wit. Born in 1927 in the Jalandhar district of Punjab, he migrated to Pakistan and became one of the most beloved Urdu poets and travelogue writers of his generation. His most famous ghazal Insha Ji Utho Ab Kooch Karo carries an overwhelming sense of world weariness and final departure, sung beautifully by generations of classical vocalists. Yet, alongside this intense sorrow, he authored travelogues filled with hilarious, biting satire that dissected human follies across the globe. He served in the United Nations, traveling extensively before his premature death in London in 1978. He remains the poet of the restless soul, wrapping profound existential grief inside breathtaking lyrical beauty.
Paired Painting
View of the Ganges from the Phatuk or Gate at the Top of Punchgunga Ghat
In the early nineteenth century, James Prinsep served as the assay master at the Benares Mint, yet his true devotion lay in documenting the ancient soul of the holy city. Enchanted by the steep stone steps, sacred bathing ghats, and majestic riverside temples, Prinsep drew Varanasi with exceptional precision and deep affection. This remarkable view presents an intimate perspective from inside a heavy wooden gateway at the top of Panchganga Ghat. The dark, beautifully carved doors open outward to create a dramatic architectural frame, guiding the eye from shadow into the brilliant air of the riverfront below, where stone platforms, moored boats, and the tranquil flow of the sacred Ganges stretch out toward the far shore.
Open the viewer →