Forum Pakistan

Anis, Mir Babar Ali (1803-74)
Poet. Anis was an *Urdu language poet, representing the Lucknow school of poetry, who worked in the genre of the Shia elegy-the *marsiya. He belonged to a famous dynasty of Urdu poets and was the grand on of Mir Husain, as well as a di ciple of hi father, the poet Khaliq. In Anis's poetry, the marsiya themes of the martyrdom of Imam Husain (626-684) in Karbala were canonized as objects for poetic assimilation. Ani made an important contribution to the art of ritual recital of marsiyas during the remembrance days of Ashura by introducing what is now the accepted method of vocal performance of a marsiya. This tradition, once introduced by Anis, has had many followers, including those in *Urdu literature. His followers include his brother Munis; his son Nafis and great grandson, Arif.

WORKS: 'Anis ke Marsie', Vols. 1, 2, Delhi, 1980; 'Ruh-iAnis', Allahabad, 1951; 'Marasi-i-Anis', ed. Nayab Naqvi, Lahore, 1959.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: A.H. Sharar, 'Lucknow: The Last Phase of an Oriental Culture', London, 1975; Jafar Ali Khan Asar. 'Allis ki Marsianigari' (Anis's Elegiac poems). Lucknow, /95/; Shibli Numani, 'Muazana-i-Anis-o-Dabir' (Comparative Study of Anis and Dabir), Delhi, reprint 1982; Fazal-i-Imam, 'Anis Shahsiyat-o-Fan' (The Life and Work of Anis), Jaipur, 1984. 'Mah-i-Nau' Mir Anis Number (ed.) Fa;l . Qadeer Karachi, 1972; 'Risai Adab', Mir Allis Number ed. Hila I Naqvi, Karachi, April 1997.