Safi Lakhnavi

Safi Lakhnavi (1862–1950) was a Lucknow Urdu poet of the people, honoured as Lassan-ul-Qaum, the spokesman of the people. Born Syed Ali Naqi Zaidi in Lucknow, he received his early education from his father, learnt Persian from Najmuddin Kakorvi and Arabic from Maulvi Ahmad Ali, took his Entrance degree from Canning College, and taught English in the school attached to that college. In 1883 he joined government service in the revenue department. He began writing verse at the age of thirteen without an ustad, when having a teacher was the norm, and his poetry broke from traditional Urdu verse in its plain, sweet language of the common folk. He preferred the nazm to the traditional ghazal, wrote patriotic poems on the social, political and cultural condition of his times, and also practised qasida, mathnawi and rubai. His works are gathered in Aagosh-e-Maadar, Tanzeem-ul-Hayaat and Deewan-i-Safi.