Babu Firoz Din Sharaf

Feroz Din Sharaf was born around the year 1898 in Lahore, in the house of Khan Veeru Khan. His childhood was spent enjoying the cultural and everyday life of Punjab. However, this joy did not last long, as his father passed away when he was still young. Due to this personal loss, he had to abandon his formal education midway, though he continued his deep interest in reading and composing poetry.

Sharaf began composing baint (a Punjabi poetic form) at the early age of 14 or 15, and soon after, he started participating in poetic gatherings and courts, earning recognition for his talent.

In 1923, Feroz Din Sharaf wrote his first composition titled "Dukhāṁ de Kīrṇe" (“Rays of Sorrows”), which was confiscated by the British government, and he had to serve two years in prison because of it. Over his lifetime, he produced nearly 31 poetry collections, and also authored a play titled "Heer Sial."

Some of his well-known poetry collections include:

• Sharaf Sunehe

• Sharaf De Geet

• Jogan

• Sharaf Hulare

• Sunehri Kaliyaan

• Noori Darshan

Feroz Din Sharaf was a famous stage poet of his time and was affectionately known as “Bulbul-e-Punjab” (The Nightingale of Punjab). In addition to poetry, he also wrote songs for Punjabi films.

He was a disciple of Babu Hamdam and earned fame as a master of baint chhand (a classical poetic metre). His poetry touched upon a range of themes—religious, political, and moral. Notable topics in his work included Hindu-Muslim unity, patriotism, freedom, and opposition to colonial rule.

He experimented with and excelled in multiple poetic forms such as:

• Kabit (quatrain)

• Geet (songs)

• Ghazal

• Rubai (quatrains)

Feroz Din Sharaf devoted his entire life to serving the Punjabi language. He passed away due to illness on March 11, 1955, in Lahore, but his contribution to Punjabi literature remains unforgettable.