Shan-ul-Haq Haqqee
Shan-ul-Haq Haqqee, Sitara-e-Imtiaz, Tamgha-e-Quaid-i-Azam, was an Urdu poet, writer, journalist, broadcaster, translator, critic, researcher, linguist and lexicographer of Pakistan.
Early life
Born in Delhi, Haqqee acquired his BA degree from Aligarh Muslim University. He obtained a Master's degree in English literature from St. Stephen's College, Delhi.His father, Ehtashamuddin Haqqee, wrote short stories, a study of Persian poet Hafez Shirazi, Tarjuman-ul-Ghaib, a translation of Diwan-i-Hafez in verse and assisted Baba-e-Urdu Maulvi Abdul Haq in compiling his Lughat-i-Kabeer.
Contribution to Urdu
Haqqee published two collections of his poems, Taar-i-Pairahan and Harf-i-Dilras. He also published ghazals under the title, Dil ki Zuban.His other publications include:Naqd-o-Nigarish Maqalaat-e-MumtazShaakhsaanay Maqam-e-Ghazal Nashid-i-Hurriyat Nukta-e-Raz Bhagvad Gita Darpan Darpan Intikhab-e-Kalam-e-Zafar Qitaat-e-Tareekh-e-Wafat-e-Ahle-Qalam-wa-Mutaliqeen-e-Ahle-Qalam Lisani Masail-o-Lataif Nazr-e-Khusro Pahelian Keh MukarniyanAaeena-e-Afkar-e-GhalibNok Jhonk Suhaanay TaraanayPhool Khilay Hain Rung Birnagay Anjaan Rahi Teesri Duniya Soor-i-Israfeel Khayabaan-e-Pak
His autobiography was serialized in the Urdu journal Afkaar. He also translated Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra and Chanakya Kautilya's Arthashastra.
He also wrote other genres of poetry, such as Peheylian, Kehmukarnian, and Qitat-i-Tareekhi.
As a lexicographer
In addition to his regular professional duties, he remained associated with the Urdu Dictionary Board for 17 years from 1958 to 1975, compiling a 22-volume dictionary. He compiled two other dictionaries. Farhang-e-Talaffuz is a pronouncing dictionary of Urdu published by the National Language Authority. The Oxford English-Urdu Dictionary is a translation of the eighth and ninth editions of the Concise Oxford [English Dictionary].One of his personal friends was the former Chairman of Pakistan Academy of Letters and National Language Authority, Iftikhar Arif, who remembers him fondly. After his death in 2005, he said that Haqqee had worked diligently and hard most of his life and had a strong belief in the proper use of talaffuz with special emphasis on diction and pronunciation.