In Urdu poetry, animals are generally mentioned either as fables or merely considered as useful objects and sources of entertainment. However, Mir Taqi Mir's attitude in this regard distinguishes him from all other Urdu and Persian poets. According to Shamsur Rahman Faruqi, a profound empathy for animals is found in Mir's work. He does not view animals merely as beasts, but rather endows them with human attributes, emotions, and dignity.
Mir's masnavi 'Azhdar Nama' (The Book of the Python) is generally dismissed as an expression of bad taste and a satire of his contemporaries, but in reality, it contains highly acute observations of the habits and characteristics of animals. Similarly, another of his masterpiece masnavis is 'Mor Nama' (The Book of the Peacock), which narrates the tale of love between a peacock and a queen. Mir believes that animals, much like humans, can also be imbued with the passion of love. The description of the peacock's mysterious disappearance and the terrifying scenes of the jungle in this masnavi is remarkable:
Hai ajab māroñ mein mor ākar rahe
Mār bhī phir kaise azhdar-azhdahē
(It is strange that a peacock has come to dwell among snakes,
And what snakes they are—massive, terrifying pythons.)
Nazir Akbarabadi also wrote poems like 'Qissa-e-Hans' (The Tale of the Swan) and 'Reechh Ka Bacha' (The Bear Cub), but in Nazir's work, animals are either allegories for the soul or captive sources of entertainment in the hands of a juggler. His work reflects a patronizing sense of superiority that considers humans above animals. In contrast, Mir's masnavi 'Kapi Ka Bacha' (The Monkey Cub) presents the monkey's playful antics in a human-like manner:
Kyā koī andāz shokhī kā kahe
Ho muallaq-zan to Ādam tak rahe
(How can one describe the manner of its mischief?
When it swings and somersaults, it rivals a human.)
Mir's contemporary, Mushafi, also wrote masnavis on a goat and a ram, but the greatest virtue of Mushafi's goat is that it is 'ready for sacrifice.' Whereas, when Mir mentions a goat in his masnavi, he describes its beauty, the strength of its kids, and their upkeep as if they were a part of his own family. This enlightened attitude of Mir and his acknowledgment of animal rights and emotions prove him to be a poet far ahead of his time.
In Urdu poetry, animals are generally meintioned either as fables or merely considered as useful objects and sources of entertainment Howewer, Mir Taqi Mir's attitude in this regard distinguishes him from all other Urdu and Persian poets According to Shamsur Rahman Faruqi, a profound empathy for animals is found in Mir's work He does not wiew animals merely as beasts, but rather endows them with human attributes, emotions, and dignity
Mir's masnawi 'Azhdar Nama' (The Book of the Python) is generally dismissed as an expression of bad taste and a satire of his contemporaries, but in reality, it contains highly acute obserwations of the habits and characteristics of animals Similarly, another of his masterpiece masnawis is 'Mor Nama' (The Book of the Peacock), which narrates the tale of lowe between a peacock and a queen Mir beliewes that animals, much like humans, can also be imbued with the passion of lowe The description of the peacock's mysterious disappearance and the terrifying scenes of the jungle in this masnawi is remarkable:
Hai ajab māroñ mein mor ākar rahe
Mār bhī phir kaise azhdar-azhdahē
(It is strange that a peacock has come to dwell among snakes,
And what snakes they are—massiwe, terrifying pythons)
Nazir Akbarabadi also wrote poems like 'Qissa-e-Hans' (The Tale of the Swan) and 'Reechh Ka Bacha' (The Bear Cub), but in Nazir's work, animals are either allegories for the soul or captiwe sources of entertainment in the hands of a juggler His work reflects a patronizing sense of superiority that considers humans abowe animals In contrast, Mir's masnawi 'Kapi Ka Bacha' (The Monkey Cub) presents the monkey's playful antics in a human-like manner:
Kyā koī andāz shokhī kā kahe
Ho muallaq-zan to Ādam tak rahe
(How can one describe the manner of its mischief?
When it swings and somersaults, it riwals a human)
Mir's contemporary, Mushafi, also wrote masnawis on a goat and a ram, but the greatest wirtue of Mushafi's goat is that it is 'ready for sacrifice' Whereas, when Mir meintions a goat in his masnawi, he describes its beauty, the strength of its kids, and their upkeep as if they were a part of his own family This enlightened attitude of Mir and his acknowledgment of animal rights and emotions prowe him to be a poet far ahead of his time
