{{Short description|Pakistani poet (1910–1975)}} {{distinguish|Noon Meem Danish}} {{more citations needed|date=July 2018}} {{EngvarB|date=August 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}} {{Infobox writer | name = Noon Meem Rashid | image = | imagesize = | caption = | pseudonym = | birth_name = Nazar Muhammad | birth_date = {{Birth date|1910|8|1}}<ref name=PakistanToday>[https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2017/08/01/renowned-urdu-poet-noon-meem-rashid-remembered/ Renowned Urdu poet Noon Meem Rashid remembered] Pakistan Today (newspaper), Published 1 August 2017, Retrieved 1 June 2018</ref> | birth_place = Alipur Chatha, Punjab, British India | death_date = {{Death date and age|1975|10|9|1910|8|1}}<ref name=Rekhta/> | death_place = London, England | occupation = Urdu poet | nationality = Pakistani | ethnicity = | citizenship = | education = | alma_mater = Government College Lahore | movement = Progressive Writers' Movement<ref name=PakistanToday/> | notableworks = ''Mavra<br />La Musawi Insaan<br />Iran Mian Ajnabi<br />Gumaan Ka Mumkin'' | spouse = | children = | relatives = | awards = | signature = | native_name = نذر محمد راشد | native_name_lang = ur }}

'''Nazar Muhammad Rashid''' ({{langx|ur|{{Nastaliq|نذر محمد راشد}}}}), (1 August 1910 – 9 October 1975) commonly known as '''Noon Meem Rashed''' ({{langx|ur|{{Nastaliq|ن ۔ م ۔ راشد}}}}) or '''N.M. Rashed''', was a Pakistani poet of modern Urdu poetry.<ref name=Rekhta>[https://rekhta.org/poets/noon-meem-rashid/profile Profile of Noon Meem Rashid on rekhta.org website] Retrieved 1 June 2018</ref>

==Early life and education== Rashid was born Nazar Muhammad into a Punjabi family of the Rajput in the village of Kot Bhaaga, Alipur Chatha,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wikimapia.org/#lat=32.265632&lon=73.8185361&z=14&l=0&m=b|title=Map of Alipur Chatha, Noon Meem Rashed's birthplace|publisher=Wikimapia|access-date=1 June 2018}}</ref> Wazirabad, Gujranwala District, Punjab. His father Fazal Ilahi Chishti was an Islamic scholar fond of Urdu poetry, especially Ghalib.<ref name=":0">Raza Mir. ''[https://thepunchmagazine.com/the-byword/non-fiction/i-come-bearing-dreams-nm-rashid-and-modernist-urdu-poetry. I Come Bearing Dreams: N.M. Rashed and Modernist Urdu Poetry]''. ''The Punch Magazine''. Accessed May 7, 2025.</ref>

He earned a Master's degree in Economics from the Government College Lahore.<ref name="Poets122006">{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.opf.org.pk/almanac/P/poets.htm|title=Poets|date=December 2006|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Pakistan|publisher=Overseas Pakistanis Foundation|access-date=1 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080922165044/http://www.opf.org.pk/almanac/P/poets.htm|archive-date=22 September 2008}}</ref> He also studied English literature.<ref name=":0" />

== Writing career == Rashed his first poem ''Jurrat-e-Parwaz'' (''The Courage to Fly'') in 1932 as a college student while he published his first collection of poetry in a book-form, ''Maavra (''Beyond), in 1940.<ref name=":0" />

He is considered to be the 'father of Modernism' in Urdu Literature. Along with Faiz Ahmed Faiz, he is one of the great progressive poets in Pakistani literature.<ref name="Poets122006" />

His readership is limited and recent social changes have further hurt his stature and there seems to be a concerted effort not to promote his poetry. His first book of free verse, ''Mavra'', was published in 1940 and established him as a pioneering figure in 'free form' Urdu poetry.<ref name="Poets122006" />

==Other work==

=== Military service === He served for a short time in the Royal Indian Army during the Second World War, attaining the rank of captain.<ref name=":0" />

=== Politics === For some time he was associated with Inayatullah Khan Mashriqi.<ref name=":0" />

=== Radio work === Before independence of Pakistan in 1947, he worked with All India Radio in New Delhi and Lucknow starting in 1942. He was transferred to Peshawar in 1947 where he worked until 1953. Later he was hired by Voice of America and had to move to New York City for this job. Then, for a short while, he lived in Iran.

=== Diplomacy === Later on, he worked for the United Nations in New York.<ref name="Poets122006" />

Rashed served the UN and worked in many countries.

== Last years and death == He retired to England in 1973 and died in a London hospital in 1975.<ref name=Rekhta/>

== Reception and legacy == Faiz Ahmad Faiz called him ''Malik-ush-Shoara'' (the king of poets).<ref name=":0" />

=== Bollywood === His poem "''Zindagi sey dartey ho''" was set to music in the 2010 Bollywood movie, Peepli Live. It was performed by the Indian music band, Indian Ocean, and received critical appreciation as "''hard-hitting''" and "''a gem of a track''" that "''everyone is meant to sing, and mean, at some point in life''".<ref name="indiatimes2010grx">{{Citation | title=Peepli Live: Music Review | date=18 July 2010 | author=Ruchika Kher | newspaper=Indiatimes | url=http://movies.indiatimes.com/Reviews/Music-Reviews/Peepli-Live-Music-Review/articleshow/6183088.cms | quote=''... Then comes the dark and edgy "Zindagi se darte ho", which makes you sit up and take notice. The hard-hitting song has Indian Ocean behind the mike. The song is basically a poem by Noon Meem Rashed. The seven-minute-long song is soaked in a rock flavour that makes it even more interesting ...'' | access-date=23 August 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100909002941/http://movies.indiatimes.com/Reviews/Music-Reviews/Peepli-Live-Music-Review/articleshow/6183088.cms | archive-date=9 September 2010 | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="bollycurry2010ubl">{{Citation | title=Peepli Live: Music Review | date=3 August 2010 | author=Rachna N. | newspaper=Bollycurry | url=http://www.bollycurry.com/news/yo-mr-dj/15504-peeplilive-music-review.htm | quote=''... Zindagi Se Darte Ho is another track of candid facts ... A gem of a track, and a song everyone is meant to sing, and mean, at some point in life ...'' | access-date=23 August 2010 | archive-date=20 September 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160920052031/http://www.bollycurry.com/news/yo-mr-dj/15504-peeplilive-music-review.htm | url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== College hall === At Government College Lahore a hall is named after him as "Noon Meem Rashid Hall" at Postgraduate Block Basement.<ref name="Poets122006" />

==Books== * ''Mavraa'' (Beyond) 1940<ref name=southasian/> * ''Iran Main Ajnabi'' (A stranger in Iran) * ''La Musawi Insaan'' (Nothingness = Man) 1969 * ''Gumaan ka Mumkin'' (Speculations) published posthumously in 1976 <ref name=southasian>[http://www.the-south-asian.com/Jan2002/Pakistani-Literature2-Poetry.htm Profile of Noon Meem Rashid on the-south-asian.com website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303232515/http://www.the-south-asian.com/Jan2002/Pakistani-Literature2-Poetry.htm |date=3 March 2016 }} Published January 2002, Retrieved 1 June 2018</ref> * ''Maqalat'' (Essays)- Ed. Shima Majeed, 2002.

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Wikiquote}} * [http://www.inspirational-poems.net/non-english-poems/128-noon-meem-rashid-poetry Selected Poetry of N.M. Rashid Translated in English] * [https://www.punjnud.com/PageList.aspx?BookID=11914&BookTitle=Kuliyat-e-Noon-Meem-Rashid Kuliyat e Noon Meem Rashid] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210804020458/https://www.punjnud.com/PageList.aspx?BookID=11914&BookTitle=Kuliyat-e-Noon-Meem-Rashid |date=4 August 2021 }} {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rashed, Noon Meem}} Category:1910 births Category:1975 deaths Category:20th-century Pakistani poets Category:Government College University, Lahore alumni Category:People from Punjab Province (British India) Category:People from Wazirabad Category:Punjabi Muslims Category:Sonneteers Category:Urdu-language Pakistani poets