Celebrating the Best of Urdu Poetry
Page 8
To masjid hila key dikha
Gar naheen to do ghoont pee
Aur masjid ko hilta dekh
Desire
We mortals will make our world the envy of paradise, come what may
Let those who have no faith in us go to their heaven, they don't have to stay.
Faith
In the new world, our ancient past too will have a place
In our museums, our faiths and creeds will be given some space.
Drunkard
O holy man, if there is power in your prayer
Let me see you make the mosque’s walls shake,
It not, come, take a swig or two of wine
And watch how the mosque quakes.
रात का फ़साना
ये उड़ी उड़ी सी रंगत ये खुले खुले से गेसू
तेरी सुबह कह रही है तेरी रात का फ़साना
Raat ka fasaana
Ye uree uree see rangat ye khuley khuley sey gesoo
Teree subah keh rahee hai teree raat ka fasaana
मोहब्बत
मुद्दतें गुज़रीं तेरी याद भी आई न हमें
और हम भूल गये हों तुझे ऐसा भी नहीं
सर में सौदा भी नहीं दिल में तमन्ना भी नहीं
लेकिन इस तर्के-मोहब्बत का भरोसा भी नहीं
Mohabbat
Muddatein guzreen teree yaad bhee aaee na humein
Aur hum bhool gaye hon tujhey aisa bhee naheen
Sar mein sauda bhee naheen dil mein tamanna bhee naheen
Lekin is tark-e-mohabbat ka bharosa bhee naheen
The Morning After
The pallor of your face, your ruffled unruly hair are a sight
Your morning tells the story of how you passed the night.
Love
Ages passed and I did not even think of you
That I have forgotten you is also not true.
No bargain in my head, nor in my heart desire,
But of this logic of love, too, who can be sure?
BALMUKAND ARSH MALSIYANI
(1908–1979)
Balmukand began writing poetry at an early age. Despite his father’s opinion—that he did not have it in him to become a great poet— he persisted in his efforts and won a place for himself among the poets of his time, using the pseudonym ‘Arsh’. He had modest formal education. After passing the college intermediate examination, he tried his hand at a variety of jobs in different government departments till he succeeded Josh Malihabadi as editor of Aaj Kal in the publication division of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Malsiyani’s anthologies of verse, Haft Rang, Chango- Ahang, Aahang-e-hazaaz and a satirical work Post Mortem, are popular even today. He died in 1979 in Delhi.
हक़ीक़त
फ़िरदौस के चश्मों की रवानी पे न जा
ऐ शैख़ तू जन्नत की कहानी पे न जा
इस वहम को छोड़ अपने बुढ़ापे ही को देख
हूरन-ए-बहिशती की जवानी पे न जा
Haqeeqat
Firdaus key chashmon kee ravaanee pey na ja
Ai shaikh too jannat kee kahaanee pey na ja
Is vahm ko chhor apney burhapey hee ko dekh
Hooraan-e-bahishtee kee javaanee pey na ja
Reality
Do not get taken in by tales of streams that flow in paradise
Old sheikh, do not be fooled by stories of heavenly delights;
Forget this make-believe, be your age, see your gray hair forsooth
Don’t dream of houris in the bloom of their youth.
ABDUL HAMEED ADAM
(1909––)
Adam’s poetry is conventional, following the traditional rules of metre and rhyme. Bold and provocative, Adam has several collections of poetry to his credit.
Here, again, we will quote just a single, brilliant couplet.
अमीर-ग़रीब
अमीरों को एज़ाज़-ओ-इक़बाल दो
ग़रीबों को फ़िरदौस पर टाल दो
Ameer–ghareeb
Ameeron ko aizaaz-o-iqbaal do
Ghareebon ko firdaus par taal do
The Rich and the Poor
Give the rich respect and glory as their prize
Fob off the poor with promises of paradise.
FAIZ AHMAD FAIZ
(1911–1984)
Faiz Ahmed Faiz was born in Sialkot (now in Pakistan). He attended the Scottish Mission High School and went on to Government College, Lahore, to take a master’s degree in English and Arabic. He taught English literature in Amritsar and Lahore before joining the Indian army in 1941. He rose to the rank of Lt Colonel and was awarded an MBE in 1944. He was the first editor of Pakistan Times and held the position till the paper was taken over by the Government and he was put behind bars.
Faiz began composing poetry when he was in his teens. His first public appearance was at a mushaira held in Murray College, Sialkot. Faiz was awarded several honorary doctorates of literature and received the Lenin International Peace Prize in 1962. Kala Qadir, the village Faiz’s family came from, was renamed Faiz Nagar after the poet’s death.
बेक़रारी में क़रार
रात यूं दिल में तेरी खोयी हुई याद आई
जैसे वीराने में चुपके से बहार आ जाये
जैसे सहराओं में हौले से चले बाद-ए-नसीम
जैसे बीमार को बेवजह क़रार आ जाये
Beqarari mein qarar
Raat yoon dil mein teree khoyee huee yaad aaee
Jaisey veeraney mein chupkey sey bahaar aa jaaye
Jaisey sahraaon mein hauley sey chaley baad-e-naseem
Jaisey beemaar ko bevajah qaraar aa jaaye
Hope in Despair
Last night the lost memory of you stole into my mind
Stealthily as spring steals into a wilderness;
As on desert wastes a gentle breeze begins to blow
As in one sick beyond hope, hope begins to grow.
पहली सी मोहब्बत
मुझसे पहली सी मोहब्बत मेरी महबूब न मांग
मैंने समझा था कि तू है तो दरख्शां है हयात
तेरा ग़म है तो ग़म-ए-दहर का झगड़ा क्या है
तेरी सूरत से है आलम में रक्खा क्या है
तेरी आंखों के सिवा दुनिया में रक्खा क्या है
तू जो मिल जाये तो तक़दीर नगूं हो जाये
यूं न था मैंने फ़क़त चाहा था यूं हो जाये
और भी दुख हैं ज़माने में मोहब्बत के सिवा
राहतें और भी हैं वस्ल की राहत के सिवा
अनगिनत सदियों के तारीक बहीमाना तिलिस्म
रेशम-ओ-अतलस-ओ-कमख़्वाब के बुनवाये हुए
जा-ब-जा बिकते हुए कूचा-ओ-बाज़ार में जिस्म
Pehlee see mohabbat
Mujh sey pehlee see mohabbat meree mehboob na maang
Main ney samjha thha
ki too hai to darakhshaan hai hayaat
Tera gham hai to gham-e-dehr ka jhagra kya hai
Teree soorat sey hai aalam mein bahaaron ko sabaat
Teree aankhon key sivaa duniya mein rakkha kya hai
Too jo mil jaaye to taqdeer nagoon ho jaaye
Yoon na thha mainey faqat chaahaa thha yoon ho jaaye
Aur bhee dukh hain zamaaney mein muhabbat key siva
Raahatein aur bhee hain wasl kee raahat key sivaa
Anginat sadiyon key taareek baheemaanaa tilism
Resham-o-atlas-o-kamkhwaab key bunvaaye huey
Jaa-ba-jaa biktey huey koocha-o-baazaar mein jism
The Love We Had Before
Beloved, do not ask me for the love I had before
Then I had thought life was worth living because of you!
If I was in pain, I did not care what others went through
Your face gave the world assurance of springs to come;
Besides your eyes, to me the world meant nothing
And I would triumph over everyone if I won you.
It was not meant to be, I only wished it so
There are sorrows other than love’s sorrow;
There are joys other than the joy of union with the beloved.
Countless centuries have witnessed tragedies
Interwoven in fabrics of silk, satin and gold lace:
Human flesh on sale in bazaars and in the market place
Smothered in dust and soaked in blood and gore
ख़ाक में लिथड़े हुए ख़ून में नहलाये हुए
जिस्म निकले हुए अमराज़ के तन्नूरों से
पीप बहती हुई गलते हुए नासूरों से
लौट जाती है उधर को भी नज़र क्या कीजे
अब भी दिलकश है तेरा हुस्न मगर क्या कीजे
और भी दुख हैं वस्ल की राहत के सिवा
राहतें और भी हैं वस्ल की राहत के सिवा
मुझसे पहली सी मोहब्बत मेरी महबूब न मांग
Khaak mein litharey huey khoon mein nehlaaye huey
Jism nikley huey amraaz key tannooron sey
Peep bahtee huee galtey huey nasooron sey
Laut jaatee hai udhar ko bhee nazar kya keejey
Ab bhee dilkash hai tera husn magar kya keejey
Aur bhee dukh hain zamaaney mein mohabbat key sivaa
Raahatein aur bhee hain wasl kee raahat key sivaa
Mujh sey pehlee see mohabbat meree mehboob na maang
Corpses pulled out of ovens of diseases
Puss oozing out of festering sores—
If my gaze turns to these things, what can I do?
Your beauty is still heart-bewitching, but what can I do?
There are other sorrows in the world besides the pangs of love
There are other joys in life besides the fulfilment of love.
Beloved, do not ask me for the Love I had before.
वह दौर
कुछ रमज़ान पहले इन आंखों के आगे क्या-क्या न नज़ारे गुज़रे थे
क्या रौशनी हो जाती थी गली जब यार हमारे गुज़रे थे
वह कितने अच्छे लोग थे जिनको अपने ग़म से फ़ु्रसत थी
जो पूछे थे जब कोई दर्द का मारा गुज़रा था
Voh daur
Kuchh Ramzaan pehley in aankhon key aagey kya kya na nazaarey guzrey thhey
Kya roshnee ho jatee thhee galee jab yaar hamaarey guzrey thhee
Voh kitney achhey log thhee jinko apney gham sey fursat thhi
Jo poochhtey thhey jab koee dard ka maara guzra thha
Once upon a Time
There were days when many a spectacle passed before my eyes
Then my street lit up when my beloved happened to pass by;
How good were people who had time to think of others? woes
They had time to ask them how they coped with their sorrows.
हम देखेंगे
हम देखेंगे
लाज़िम है कि हम भी देखेंगे
वो दिन कि जिसका वादा है
जो लौह-ए-अज़ल पे लिखा है
हम देखेंगे
जब ज़ुल्म-ओ-सितम के कोह-ए-गिरां
रूई की तरह उड़ जायेंगे
हम महकूमों के पांव तले
ये धरती धड़-धड़ धड़केगी
और अहल-ए-हुक्म के सर ऊपर
जब बिजली कड़-कड़ कड़केगी
हम देखेंगे
Hum dekhengey
Hum dekhengey
Laazim hai ki hum bhee dekhengey
Vo din kee jiska vaada hai
Jo lauh-e-azal pey likkha hai
Hum dekhengey!
Jab zulm-o-sitam key koh-e-giraan
Ruee kee tarah ur jaayengey
Hum mahkumon key paaon taley
Yeh dhartee dhar-dhar dharkeygee
Aur ahle-e-hukum key sar upar
Jab bijlee kar-kar karkegee
Hum dekhengey
Calls to Arms
We will see!
We are also duty-bound to see!
What happens on the day of promise,
Written on tablets of history
We will see!
When massive mountains of cruelty and tyranny
Will be blown sky-high like fluffs of cotton;
When marching steps of the downtrodden
Will make the earth beneath their feet quake and shudder
When skies above the heads of tyrant rulers
By streaks of lighting are split asunder
We will see!
जब अर्ज़-ए-ख़ुदा के काबे से
सब बुत उठवाये जायेंगे
हम अहल-ए-सफ़ा मरदूद-ए-हरम
मस्नद पे बिठाये जायेंगे
सब ताज उछाले जायेंगे
सब तख़्त गिराये जायेंगे
हम देखेंगे
बस नाम रहेगा अल्लाह का
जो ग़ायब भी है हाजिर भी
जो मंज़र भी है नाज़िर भी
उट्ठेगा अनलहक़ का नारा
जो मैं भी हूं और तुम भी हो
और राज करेगी ख़लक़-ए-खुदा
Jab arz-e-khudaa key kaabey sey
Sab buth utthvaaye jaayengey
Hum ahle-e-safaa mardood-e-haram
Masnad pey bithaaye jaayengey
Sab taaj uchhaaley jaayengey
Sab takht giraaye jaayengey
Hum dekhengey
Bas naam rahega Allah ka
Jo ghaayab bhee hai haazir bhee
Jo manzar bhee hai naazir bhee
Utthega analhaq ka naaraa
Jo main bhee hoon aur tum bhee ho
Aur raaj karegee khalq-e-khuda
When from the sacred square of the Kaaba
Idols of false Gods will be uprooted;
When to us rootless and unwanted
Seats of power will be granted.
All crowns will be tossed into the air
All thrones
ground to dust
We will see!
Only the name of Allah will prevail
Allah who is invisible and yet omnipresent,
Who is the scene and its viewer—
Then ‘I am the truth’ will be the cry
That will rend the sky,
Which includes both you and I!
जो मैं भी हूं और तुम भी हो
हम देखेंगे
लाज़िम है कि हम भी देखेंगे
हम देखेंगे
Jo main bhee hoon aur tum bhee ho
Hum dekhengey
Laazim hai ki hum bhee dekhengey
Hum dekhengey
And the people of God will rule the earth
Which includes both you and I.
We will see!
We are duty-bound to see!
We will see!
निजात पाई
शैख़ साहब से रस्म-ओ-राह न की
शुक्र है ज़िंदगी तबाह न की
Nijat paayi
Sheikh saahab sey rasm-o-raah na kee
Shukr hai zindagee tabaah na kee
फुर्सत-ए-गुनाह
इक फ़ुर्सत-ए-गुनाह मिली वो भी चार दिन