dekhaa to thaa yuuN hi kisii ghaflat-shi’aar ne
deevanaa kar diyaa dil-e-be-iKhtiyaar ne

aie aarzoo ke dhuNdle kh(w)aaboN! javaab do
phir kis kii yaad aayii thii mujhko pukaarne?

tumko Khabar nahiiN, magar ik saadah-lauH ko
barbaad kar diyaa tire do din ke pyaar ne

maiN aur tum se tark-e-muhabbat kii aarzoo
deevaanaa kar diyaa hai gham-e-rozgaar ne

ab aie dil-e-tabaah tiraa kyaa Khayaal hai
ham to chale the kaakul-e-getii saNvaarne!

Glossary:

ghaflat-shi’aar = careless by nature
be-ikhtiyaar = unwilling
saada-lauH = simple natured
tark-e-muhabbat = to give up loving
gham-e-rozgaar = the calamities of the world
kaakul-e-getii = World’s hair (litteral meaning)

Ludhiyaana government college – 1943

aie sarzameen-e-paak ke yaaraan-e-nek naam
baa-sad-khaloos shaayar-e-aavaara ka salaam
aie vaadi-e-jameel mire dil kii dhaRkaneiN
aadaab kah rahii haiN tirii baargaah meiN

tu aaj bhii hai mere liye jannat-e-Khayaal
haiN tujh meiN dafn meri javaanii ke chaar saal
kumhlaaye haiN yahaaN pe miri ???(aashiqi?)* ke phool
in raastoN meiN dafn haiN merii Khushi ke phool
teri navaazishoN ko bhulaayaa na jaayegaa
maazii ka naqsh dil se miTaayaa na jaayegaa

terii nashaat Khaiz fazaa-e-javaaN ki Khair
gul haaye rang-o-boo ke haseeN kaarvaaN ki Khair
daur-e-KhizaaN meiN bhi teri kaliyaaN khilii raheiN
taa-hashr ye haseen fazaayeiN basii raheiN
ham ek Khaar the jo chaman se nikal gaye
nang-e-vatan the Khud hi vatan se nikal gaye

gaaye haiN fazaa meiN vafaaoN ke raag bhii
naghmaat aatisheiN bhii bikherii hai aag bhii
sarkash bane haiN geet baghaawat ke gaaye haiN
barsoN naye nizaam ke naqshe banaaye haiN
naghmaa nashaat-rooH kaa gaayaa hai baarahaa
geetoN meiN aaNsuuoN ko chhupaayaa hai baarahaa
ma’asoomiyoN ke jurm meiN badnaam bhii hue
tere tufail morid-e-ilzaam bhii hue

is sarzameeN pe aaj ham ik baar hi sahii
duniyaa hamaare naam se bezaar hii sahii
lekin ham in fazaaoN ke paale hue to haiN
gar yaaN nahiiN to yaaN se nikaale hue to haiN!

* My copy of ‘talkhiyaaN’ is definitely missing a word where I have put the question marks. Must have been an error made by the ‘kaatib’. If anyone knows the correct word that goes there, please let me know. As the word ‘aashiqi’ was fitting the meter there, I put it there temporarily.

Glossary:

khaloos = affection, sincerity
baa-sad-Khaloos = with a lot of affection
baargaah = court, palace
maazi = past
nashaat = happy (nashaat-Khaiz fazaa-e-javaaN = the youthful full of happniess environment)
rang-o-boo = colours and smells
taa-hashr = for eternity
Khaar = thorn
nang-e-vatan = a disgrace to the country
sarkash = revolutionary, revolting
nizaam = government, system, order
nashaat-rooH = happy soul
baarahaa = again and again
tufail = by means of

By- Mir Ali Raza
Outlookindia.com
July 29, 2004
(The original Article can be accessed by clicking here)

_______________________________________
Mujh ko is ka ranj nahin hai, log mujhe fankaar na manein
Fikr o sukhan ke taajir mere sheron ko ash-aar na manein

[I do not regret that people do not consider me an artist
That the traders of thought and words do not consider my poems poems]

With these characteristically bold lines, Sahir Ludhianvi announced his aesthetic experiment. He intended his poetry to be a manifesto of the working class rather than a part of the Funoon e Lateefa [The Delicate Arts]. The above lines by Sahir underscore the tension between the literary canon of Urdu poetry and the overt poetic experiment undertaken by many of the writers of the Progressive Writers’ Association [PWA]. The PWA placed the exigencies of a realist narrative in prose and poetry ahead of the dominant tropes, metaphors and styles of what passed as ‘classical’ Urdu poetry. Sahir, a loyal soldier of the PWA cause, was always ready to locate his poetry within the movement. He sought to eliminate any sense of metaphysical mystery from his poetry. Earlier poets had reveled in ascribing mystical origins to their work. For example, Ghalib speaks of his poetry thus:

aate hain ghaib se ye mazaameen khayaal mein
Ghalib, sareer e khaama, nawaa e sarosh hai

[These ideas come to me from the void;
Ghalib, the scratching of pen on paper is the flutter of angels' wings].

Sahir rejected this mysticism, and instead highlighted the material origins of his poetry in the frontspiece of his book Talkhiyaan [Bitter Words]:

Duniya ne tajrubaat o hawaadis ki shakl mein
Jo kuch mujhe diya hai, wo lauta rahaa hoon main

[What the world, in the form of experiences and accidents
Bestowed upon me, I am returning]

(more…)

musavvir maiN tiraa shaahkaar vaapis karne aayaa huuN
ab in rangiin ruKhsaaroN meiN thoRii zardyaaN bhar de
hijaab-aalood nazroN meiN zaraa be-baakiyaaN bhar de
laboN kii bhiigii bhiigii salvatoN ko muzmahil kar de
numaayaaN rang peshaanii pe aks-e-soz-e-dil kar de
tabassum aafriiN chahre meiN kuchh sanjiidah pan bhar de
javaaN siine kii maKhurutii uthaaneiN sar niguuN kar de
ghane baaloN ko kam kar de, magar raKhshaNdagii de de
nazar se tamkanat le kar mazaaq-e-‘aajizii de de
magar haaN bench ke badle ise sofe pe biThlaa de
yahaaN meri bajaaye ik chamaktii kaar dikhlaa de

Glossary:

shaahkaar = Painting, art
musavvir = Painter
ruKhsaar = cheeks
zardiyaaN = yellowness
hijaab-aalood = veiled, covered, shyful
muzmahil = anxious, worried
rang-e-peshaani = color of the forehead
aks-e-soz-e-dil = the reflection of heart’s burning
tabassum-aafariiN = smiling
maKhrooti = conical
sarniguuN = down-cast, ashamed
raKhshaNdagii = brightness
tamkanat = dignity, honour, grandeur
mazaaq-e-aajizii = humility, helplessness

—————-
Here’s the nazm in Urdu: (If anybody plans to use this image on their site or anywhere, please link it back to the site)

(more…)

andhyaarii raat ke aangan meiN ye subah ke qadmoN kii aahaT
ye bhiigii bhiigii sard hawaa, ye halkii halkii dhundlaahaT
gaaRii meiN huuN tanhaa mahv-e-safar aur niind nahiiN hai aankhoN meiN
bhuule bisre armaanoN ke Kh(w)aaboN kii zamiin hai aankhoN meiN
agle din haath hilaate haiN pichhlii piiteiN yaad aatii haiN
gum-gashtah KhushiyaaN aankhoN meiN aansoo ban kar lahraatii haiN
siine ke viiraaN goshoN meiN ik Tiis sii karvaT letii hai
naakaam umangeiN rotii haiN, ummiid sahaare detii hai
woh raaheiN zahan meiN ghuumtii haiN jin raahoN se aaj aayaa huuN
kitnii ummiid se pahunchaa thaa, kitnii maayuusii laayaa huuN

Glossary:
mahv-e-safar = engrossed in journey
piiteiN = plural of piit (love)
goshoN = corners