Shaikh Ayaz Biography

Shaikh Ayaz was born on 2 March 1923 in the district of Shikarpur, Sindh. Shaikh Ayaz is one of the major voices in the twentieth century poetry. His literary career spanned almost six decades and displayed an amazing variety of poetry and prose. To each genre he brought his unique vision and transforming power of language. Ayaz is to Sindh what Gracia Lora is to Spain, Pablo Neruda to Latin America and Nazim Hikmat to Turkey.
Sheikh Ayaz is a darling poet of Sindh. Common people dance to the tunes of his musical poetry. Intellectuals discuss his poetry in their meetings and wonder at the vast canvas of his poetry encompassing not only Sindh and Hind but the entire world. His poetry is considered an accident, because it is quite different from and far superior not only to composition of his contemporary poets but all other Sindhi poets of the past except the great Shah Abdul Latif who is acknowledged as the greatest ever Sindhi poet.
Ayaz is master of Sindhi language. He revived many old words and interpreted the same with new meaning. Originally, he had written a number of poems in Urdu, but when he realized that one can express oneself best in ones mother tongue, he bade goodbye to Urdu. He has also translated Shah-Jo-Risalo in Urdu. Ayaz infused new life into the old form of poetry and revived the Waaee, which has now become a popular genre of modern Sindhi poetry.
The poetry of Ayaz retains multiple themes. He composed his immortal poems on Sindh, freedom fights the world, poets, poetry, and genius. Women, love, religion, culture, philosophy and death have also been is greatest subjects depicted in the poetry. He talked against the two nation theory. He criticized the dictatorial rule of his time. Totalitarianism has been also the breathtaking theme of Ayazs poetry. Finally, after living a tragic-poetic life, he physically, bade goodbye to Sindh and this mortal world on 28 December,1997.
-Songs of Freedom the compiled version of Sheikh Ayaz's translated poetry