Today’s Nazm — kal aur aaj

(1)

kal bhi booNdeiN barsii thiiN
kal bhi baadal chhaye the

aur kavi ne sochaa thaa!

baadal ye aakaash ke sapne, in zulfoN ke saaye haiN
dosh-e-havaa par maiKhaane hi maiKhaane ghir aaye haiN
rut badlegi, phool khileiNge, jhoNke madhu barsaayeiNge
ujle ujle khetoN meiN rangeeN aaNchal lahraayeiNge
charvaahe bansii kii dhun se geet fazaa meiN boyeiNge
aamoN ke jhunDoN ke neeche pardesi dil kholeiNge
peNg baRhaati gori ke maathe se kauNde lapkeiNge
johaR ke Thahre paani meiN taare aaNkheiN jhapkeiNge
uljhi uljhi raahoN meiN vo aaNchal thaame aayeiNge
dharti, phool, aakaash sitaare sapna sa ban jaayeiNge

kal bhi booNdeiN barsii thiiN
kal bhi baadal chhaye the

aur kavi ne socha!

(2)

aaj bhi booNdeiN barseiNgi
aaj bhi baadal chhaye haiN

aur kavi is soch meiN hai

basti pe baadal chhaaye haiN, par ye bastii kiski hai
dharti par amrit barsegaa, lekin dharti kiski hai
hal jotegi khetoN meiN alhaR Tolii dahqaanoN kii
dharti se phooTegii mehnat faaqaakash insaanoN kii
fasleiN kaaT ke mehnatkash, galle ke Dher lagaayeiNge
jaageeroN ke maalik aakar sab pooNjii le jaayeiNge
booRhe dahqaanoN ke ghar baniye kii qurqii aayegii
aur qarze ke sood meiN koi gori bechi jaayegii
aaj bhi jantaa bhooki hai aur kal bhi jantaa tarsii thii
aaj bhi rimjhim barkhaa hogi, kal bhi baarish barsii thii

aaj bhi baadal chaaye haiN
aaj bhi booNdeiN barseiNgii

aur kavii is soch meiN hai!

Glossary

dosh-e-havaa = Wind’s shoulder (havaa ka kandha)
madhu = honey
charvaahe = shepherds
peNg = swing (peeng)
kauNde = lightening
johaR = a pond
dahqaanoN = farmers
faaqaakash = poor
mehnatkash = hardworkers
galle = money box
pooNjii = money
qurqii = embargo, act of seizing, seizure, confiscation
qarze = debt
sood = interest

Today’s nazm:

apne maazi ke tasavvur se hiraasaaN houN maiN
apne guzre hue ayyaam se nafrat hai mujhe
apni bekar tamannaaoN pe sharminda houN
apni besood umeedoN pe nadaamat hai mujhe

mere maazi ko andhere meiN dabaa rahne do
mera maazi merii zillat ke sivaa kuchh bhi nahiiN
merii umeedoN kaa haasil, meri kaavish ka silaa
ek benaam azeeyat ke sivaa kuchh bhi nahiiN

kitni bekaar umeedoN ka sahaaraa lekar
maine aivaan sajaaye the kisii kii Khaatir
kitni berabt tamannaaoN ke mubham Khaake
apne KhwaaboN meiN basaaye the kisi kii Khaatir

mujhse ab meri muhabbat ke fasaane na kaho
mujhko kahne do k maiN ne unheiN chaahaa hi nahiiN
aur vo mast nigaaheiN jo mujhe bhool gayiiN
maiN ne un mast nigaahoN ko saraahaa hi nahiiN

mujhko kahne do k maiN aaj bhi jee saktaa houN
ishaq nakaam sahii, zindagii nakaam nahiiN
unheiN apnaane kii khwaaish, unheiN paane ki talab
shauq-e-bekaar sahii, sa’i-e-Gham-anjaam nahiiN

vahii gesoo, vahi nazreiN, vahii aariz, vahii jism
maiN jo chaahouN to mujhe aur bhi mil sakte haiN
vo kaNval jinko kabhi unke liye khilna thaa
unki nazroN se bahut door bhi khil sakte haiN

Glossary

maazi = past
tasavvur = imagination, thoughts
hiraasaaN = afraid
ayyaam = days
besood = useless
nadaamat = ashamed, embarrassment
zillat = insult
kaavish = attempts, tries
sila = fruit, (kaavish ka sila = the fruit of my attempts)
azeeyat = pain, problems
aivaan = palaces
berabt = useless, without any connection, any use
mubham Khaake = foggy drawings, outlines
fasaane = stories
talab = will
shauq-e-bekaar = useless hobby, useless wish
sa’i-e-Gham-anjaam = a painful trial
gesu = hair
aariz = cheeks

Today’s Ghazal

ab aayeiN ya na aayeiN idhar puuchhate chalo
kyaa chaahati hai un ki nazar puuchhate chalo

ham se agar hai tark-e-ta’alluq to kyaa huaa
yaaro! koi to un ki Khabar puuchhate chalo

jo Khud ko kah rahe haiN ki manzil shanaas haiN
un ko bhii kyaa Khabar hai magar puuchhate chalo

kis manzil-e-muraad ki jaanib ravaaN haiN ham
ai rah-ravaan-e-Khaak-ba-sar puuchhate chalo

Glossary

tark-e-ta’alluq = breaking of all connections, relations
manzil-shanaas = someone who knows the destination, goal
ravaaN = flowing
rahravaan-e-Khaak-ba-sar = a traveler whose head is full of dust

Today’s nazm entitled “Intezaar”

chaand maddham hai aasmaaN chup hai
neeNd ki god meiN jahaaN chup hai

door vaadi meiN doodhiyaa baadal
jhuk ke parbat ko pyaar karte haiN
dil meiN naakaam hasrateiN lekar
ham tera intezaar karte haiN

in bahaaroN ke saaye meiN aa jaa
phir muhabbat javaaN rahe na rahe
zindagii tere naamuraadoN par
kal talak meharbaaN rahe na rahe

roz ki tarah aaj bhi taare
subah ki gard meiN na kho jaayeiN
aa tire Gham meiN jaagtii aaNkheiN
kam se kam ek raat so jaayeiN

chaand maddham hai aasmaaN chup hai
neend ki god meiN jahaaN chup hai

this nazm was sung beautifully by Lata Mangeshkar in “Railway Platform” 1955.  Music by Madan Mohan, it’s a delight to hear it in Lata’s voice.

It’s time for a nice ghazal by Sahir:

jab kabhi unki tavajjo meiN kami paayii gayii
az-sar-e-nau daastaan-e-shauq dohraayii gayii

bik gaye jab tere lab phir tujh ko kyaa shikvah agar
zindgaani baadah-o-saaGhar se bahlaaii gayii

ai Gham-e-duniyaa tujhe kyaa ‘ilm tere vaaste
kin bahaanoN se tab’eeyat raah par laayii gayii

ham kareiN tark-e-vafaa, acchhaa chalo yuuN hi sahii
aur agar tark-e-vafaa se bhi na rusvaaii gayii?

kaise kaise chashm-o-aariz gard-e-Gham se bujh gaye
kaise kaise paikaroN ki shaan-e-zaibaayii gayii

dil kii dhaRkan meiN tawaazun aa chala hai, Khair ho
merii nazreiN bujhh gayiiN yaa terii raan’aaii gayii

un kaa Gham, un ka tasavvur, un ke shikve ab kahaaN
ab to ye baateiN bhi aie dil ho gayiiN aayii gayii

jurrat-e-insaaN pe go taadiib ke pahre rahe
fitrat-e-insaaN ko kab zanjeer pahnaaii gayii

arsa-e-hastee meiN ab tesha-zanoN kaa daur hai
rasm-e-changezii uThii to qaid-e-durraai gayii

Glossary

tavajjo = attention
az-sar-e-nau = from the beginning
daastaan-e-shauq = love story
baadah-o-saaGhar = alcohol (saaGhar = glass of alcohol)
‘ilm = knowledge
tark-e-vafaa = breaking promises
rusvaaii = disgrace
chashm-o-aariz = eyes and cheeks
gard-e-Gham = the dust of sorrow
paikaroN = bodies
shaan-e-zebaaii =the pride
tawaazun = Balance, rythme
raanaaii = beauty
tasavvur = imagination, thoughts
jurrat-e-insaaN = man’s will to carry out actions
taadeeb = discipline, law
fitrat-e-insaaN = man’s nature, thoughts
arsa-e-hastee = period of existence
tesha-zanoN = axe-wielders
rasm-e-changezii = the way of Changez (probably referring to Gengis Khan)
qaid-e-durraii = the prison of whips (durraa is a scourge made of twisted thongs (with which offenders are punished)