Syed Mustafa Hussain Zaidi (Urdu: سید مصطفی حسین زیدی) was a renowned Urdu poet of Pakistan. He has the honor of having first published collection of ghazals and nazms at age 19.Mustafa was born on October 10, 1930 in Allahabad, India. His father, Syed Lakhte Hussain Zaidi, was a senior officer in Indian C.I.D. Mustafa was a brilliant student of his time. He graduated from Allahabad University with distinction. His family migrated to Pakistan in 1951, where he came to be known as "Mustafa Zaidi" instead of "Tegh Allahabadi". In 1954, he appeared in CSS exams and employed with the Pakistan Civil Services. He was dismissed in 1970 from government services. He had a German wife.
In October 12, 1970, he was found dead in Karachi along with an unconscious woman named "Shehnaz Gul", with whom he was believed to have an affair. It is widely believed that both may have attempted suicide by ingesting poison. His death and the reasons thereof have remained a mystery. (In the name of truth, it might have been a case of "sweet death" without much mysteri in it). The details of this trial were frequently published with photos of Shahnaz Gul (a real beauty)in the Pakistani press without leaving much to fantacy.
Zaidi's famous contemporary was Nasir Kazmi, also a poet who was born in India but spent his poetic life in Lahore, Pakistan.
One of his popular couplets (below in Urdu,followed by translation) is:
Inhi paththaron pe chal kar agar aa sako tou aao
Mere ghar ke raaste meiN kaheeN kehkashaan nahiN hai
Mere ghar ke raaste meiN kaheeN kehkashaan nahiN hai
Come, if you can walk on the stones-ridden path to my house
For there is no galaxy on the way which leads to my house
For there is no galaxy on the way which leads to my house
Here's the important collection of Mustafa's poetry.
• Mauj meri sadaf sadaf
• Shehr-e-Aarzu
• Zanjeerain
• Koh-e-Nida
• Quba-e-Saaz
