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Momin Khan 'Momin' was born in Delhi into a Muslim family of Kashmiri origin.[4][5] His father, Ghulam Nabi Khan, was a Hakeem (physician of traditional/Unani medicine). Momin Khan received training in the family profession from a young age and himself became a hakim, due to which he is often referred to in contemporary accounts as "Hakeem Khan," Hakeem being the Urdu word for physician.[1] However, his bent was for poetry and he soon became known more as an accomplished poet. His interest received a fillip due to the associations he unwittingly gained through marriage.[1] In 1823, Momin married to a girl belonged to the family of zamindar (land owner). The marriage became unsuccessful, and he separated from his wife. He later married Anjuman-un-Nisa Begum, a relative of Urdu poet and Sufi saint Khwaja Mir Dard. They had a son, Ahmad Nasir Khan, and a daughter, Muhammadi Begum.[6] Momin died after accidentally falling from the roof of his house on 24 Rajab 1268 Hijri (14 May 1852) at the age of 52.[7]
Momin is known for his particular Persianized style and the beautiful use of his 'takhallus'. According to legend, Mirza Ghalib (his contemporary and also a rival) offered Momin his entire diwan (collection of poetry) in exchange for a particular verse of Momin. However, most modern poets believe this claim as an 'exaggeration' which poets commonly indulged in at that time. This exaggeration was usually done to emphasise some thing. The couplet in question was:
This couplet's beauty is in its succinctness and multiple layers of meaning. One of the meanings is When you're with me(on my mind), no-one else is and a second meaning/interpretation is You are with me (on my side), when no-one else is. The two meanings emerge by the use of words gōyā and jab (when)."
One of his very famous ghazals starts with the following matla (the first line of the opening couplet of a ghazal).
Woh jō ham mēⁿ tum mēⁿ qarār tḣā; tumhēⁿ yād hō, keh nah yād hō:
^Abida Samiuddin, Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Urdu Literature, Global Vision Publishing House (2007), p. 342
^Kuldip Salill, A Treasury Of Urdu Poetry, Rajpal & Sons (2009), p.72
^Siddiqui, Zaheer Ahmad (1991). Momin Khan Momin (in Hindi). Translated by Sharma, Janaki Prasad. New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi. pp. 19–20. ISBN81-7201-143-1.
