ISLAMABAD: Renowned poet, biographer and scholar Jaun Elia was remembered on his 16th death anniversary on Thursday.
Jaun was born on December 14, 1931, in Amroha, Uttar Pradesh. He was the youngest of his siblings.
His father, Shafiq Hasan Elia, besides being an astrologist and a poet was also a renowned artist and literary personality of his time.
Jaun Elia wrote his first Urdu couplet when he was just eight years old. He could speak Arabic, English, Persian, Sanskrit and Hebrew.
Pakistan was declared an independent state during Juan’s youth. He migrated to Pakistan in 1957 and lived in Karachi afterwards.
His first collection of poetry, Shayad, was published at the age of 60. His second poetic collection, Ya’ani, was published in 2003. His three consecutive collections, Gumaan in 2004, Lekin in 2006 and Goya in 2008 were published by his companion Khalid Ansari after Joan’s demise in 2002.
Jaun was an acclaimed poet in the local literary circle. His contribution to the Urdu language and literature include translation of various Mautazalite treatises, a book on 12th century Fatimid Revolutionary, Hassan Bin Sabbah and various texts about the Ismaili sect in Islam. His prose and translations of major Ismaili philosophical works can be found at Ismaili Tariqah Board libraries in Karachi.
The poet studied philosophy, logic, Islamic history, Muslim Sufi tradition, Muslim religious sciences, Western literature, and Kabbala.
He died after a protracted illness on Nov 8, 2002, in Karachi.
