one of my favourite nazms from his book ‘talkhiyaaN’, I mainly fell in love with his poetry after reading this and ‘mataa-e-Ghair’ which I will post soon as well.

tumheiN udaas sa paataa houN maiN kaii din se
na jaane kaun se sadme uThaa rahii ho tum
voh shoKhiyaaN, vo tabassum, vo qahqahe na rahe
har ek cheez ko Hasrat se dekhtii ho tum
chhupaa chhupaa ke Khamoshi meiN apnii bechaini
Khud apne raaz kii tash_heer ban gayii ho tum

mirii umeed agar miT gayii to miTne do
ummeed kyaa hai bas ik pesh-o-pas hai kuchh bhii nahiiN
mirii Hayaat kii GhamgeeniyoN ka Gham na karo
Gham-e-Hayaat, Gham-e-yak-nafas hai kuchh bhii nahiiN
tum apne Husn kii raa’naayioN pe raHam karo
wafaa fareb hai tuul-e-hawas hai kuchh bhii nahiiN

(more…)

‘ParchhaiyaaN’ is one of Sahir’s best work. His anti-war thoughts, his broken-hearted laments, all packaged in one long poem. He wrote this poem in 1956 and here it is for you guys to enjoy and as usual, a glossary of difficult Urdu words is present below:

javaan raat ke seene pe dudhiyaa aaNchal
machal rahaa hai kisii Kh(w)aab-e-marmariiN kii tarah
haseen phool, hasiiN pattiyaaN, hasiiN shaaKheiN
lachak rahii haiN kisii jism-e-naazniiN kii tarah
fazaa meiN ghul se gaye haiN ufaq ke narm Khatuut
zameeN haseen hai, Kh(w)aaboN ki sarzameeN kii tarah

tasavvuraat kii parchhaiyaaN ubhartii haiN
kabhii gumaan kii suurat, kabhii yaqeeN kii tarah
vo peR jinke tale ham panaah lete the
khaRe haiN aaj bhii saakit kisii ameeN kii tarah

(more…)

Another gem from talKhiyaaN

apne siine se lagaaye hue ummiid kii laash
muddatoN ziist ko naashaad kiyaa hai maiN ne
tu ne to ek hi sadme se kiyaa tha do-chaar
dil ko har taraH se barbaad kiyaa hai maiN ne
jab bhii raahoN meiN nazar aaye Hariirii malboos
sard aahoN meiN tujhe yaad kiyaa hai maiN ne
aur ab jab ke miri rooH kii pahnaaii meiN
ek sunsaan sii maGhmoom ghaTaa chhaaii hai
tu damakte hue ‘aariz kii sh’uaa’eiN le kar
gulshudah shamaa’eiN jalaane ko chalii aaii hai
meri mehboob, ye haNgaama-e-tajdiid-e-vafaa
meri afsurdah javaanii ke liye raas nahiiN
maiN ne jo phool chune the tire qadmoN ke liye
un ka dhuNdhlaa saa tasavvur bhii mire paas nahiiN
ek yaKhbastaa udaasii hai dil-o-jaaN pe muHiit
ab miri rooH meiN baaqii hai na ummiid na josh
rah gayaa dab ke giraaNbaar salaasil ke tale
merii darmaandaa javaanii kii umangoN ka Kharosh
regzaaroN meiN baguuloN ke sivaa kuchh bhi nahiiN
saaya-e-abr-e-gurezaaN se mujhe kyaa lenaa
bujh chuke haiN mire siine meiN muhabbat ke kaNval
ab tire husn-e-pashemaaN se mujhe kyaa lenaa
tire ‘aariz pe ye Dhalke hue siimiiN aaNsoo
merii afsurdagii-e-gham ka mudaavaa to nahiiN
terii mahjuub nigaahoN ka payaam-e-tajdiid
ik talaafii hii sahii —- meri tamannaa to nahiiN!

Glossary:

muddatoN = for ages
ziist = life
naashaad = sad, unhappy
Hariirii malboos = silky dress
rooH ki pahnaaii = inside my soul
maGhmoom = sad
‘aariz = cheeks
shu’aa’eiN = rays
gulshudaa = extinguished
haNgaama-e-tajdiid-e-vafaa = this uproar about the renewal of love
afsurda = sad
tasavvur = imagination
yaKhbastaa = frozen
muhiit = encircling, surrounding
giraaNbaar = heavily laden
salaasil = chains
darmaaNdaa = helpless
Kharosh = loud noise, tumult
regzaaroN = desert
saaya-e-abr-e-gurezaaN = the shadow of the leaving cloud
husn-e-pashemaaN = embarrased beauty
siimii = silvery (of silver)
mudaavaa = cure
mahjuub = ashamed
payaam-e-tajdiid = notice of renewal
talaafii = compensation, recompense… making amends

KhuddariyoN ke Khuun ko arzaaN na kar sake
ham apne jauharoN ko numaayaaN na kar sake

hokar Kharaab-e-mai tire gham to bhulaa diye
lekin gham-e-hayaat ka darmaaN na kar sake

TuuTaa talism-e-ahd-e-muhabbat kuchh is taraH
phir aarzoo ki shamaa’ farozaaN na kar sake

har shai qareeb aa ke kashish apnii kho gayii
vo bhii ‘ilaaj-e-shauq-e-gurezaaN na kar sake

kis darjah dil shikan the muhabbat ke haadse
ham zindagii meiN phir koii armaaN na kar sake

maayuusiyoN ne chhiin liye dil ke valvale
vo bhii nashaat-rooH kaa saamaaN na kar sake

Glossary:

arzaaN = lowpriced, cheap
jauharoN = abilities
numaayaaN = showing, uncovering
Kharaab-e-mai = destroyed by alcohol
gham-e-hayaat = sadness of life
darmaaN = cure
talism-e-ahd-e-muhabbat = loves’ enchanting promise
farozaaN = luminous, shining
ilaaj-e-shauq-e-gurezaaN = curing a leaving love
dilshikan = heartbreaking
nashaat-rooH = happiness of the soul

ek dost kii shaadii par

taraane guuNj uThThe haiN fazaa meiN shaadiyaanoN ke
havaa hai itr-aagii, zarra zarra muskuraataa hai

magar duur ek afsurdaa makaaN meiN sard bistar par
koii dil hai k har aahaT pe yuuN hii chauNk jaataa hai
meri aaNkhoN meiN aaNsoo aa gaye, naadiidah aaNkhoN ke
mere dil meiN koii ghamgiin naGhmaa sarsaraataa hai

ye rasm-e-inqataa’e-ahd-e-ulfat, ye hayaat-e-nau
muhabbat ro rahii hai, aur tamaddun muskuraataa hai
ye shaadi Khaanaa-aabaadi ho, mere mohtarim bhaii
“mubaarak” kah nahiiN saktaa, miraa dil kaaNp jaataa hai

Glossary:

itr-aagii = perfumed
afsurdaa = sad
naadiidah = unseen
rasm-e-inqitaa’e-ahd-e-ulfat = the ending of an era of love
hayaat-e-nau = new life
tamaddun = culture, society
mohtarim = respected