muskuraa aie zameen-e-teerah-o-taar
sar uThaa aie dabii hui maKhlooq
dekh vo maGhrabii ufaq ke qareeb
aaNdhiyaaN pech-o-taab khaane lagiiN
aur pooraane qamaar Khaane meiN
kuhnah shaatir baham ulajhane lage
koii terii taraf nahiiN nigraaN
ye giraaN-baar sard zanjeereiN
zang-Khurdaa haiN, aahanii hi sahii
aaj mauqaa’ hai TooT saktii haiN
fursat-e-yak nafas Ghaneemat hai
sar uThaa aie dabii hui maKhlooq

Glossary:

teerah-o-tark = dark
makhlooq = creation (people)
maGhribi = western
ufaq = horizon
pech-o-taab = restlessness, anxiety, agitation
qamaar-Khaana = gambling houses
kuhna = old, ancient
shaatir = clever, cunning, chess players
baham = one against another, together, one with another
nigraaN = looking
giraaN-baar = heavy
zang-Khurdaa = rusted
aahani = made of iron
fursat-e-yak-nafas = a free moment
Ghaneemat = blessing

subah-e-nau-roz (The morning of a new day)

phooT paReeN mashriq se kirneiN

haal banaa maazii ka fasaanaa
gooNjaa mustaqbil ka taraanaa
bheje haiN ahbaab ne tuhfe
aTe paRe haiN mez ke kone
dulhan banii hui haiN raaheiN
jashn manaao saal-e-nau ke

nikli hai bangle ke dar se
ik muflis dahqaan ki beTi
afsurdah murjhaaii hui hai
jism ke dukhte joR dabaati
aaNchal se seene ko chhupaatii
muTThii meiN ik noT dabaaye
jashn manaao saal-e-nau ke

bhooke zard gadaagar bachche
kaar ke peechhe bhaag rahe haiN
waqt se pahle jaag uThe haiN
peep bharii aaNkheiN sahlaate
sar ke phoRoN ko khujlaate
vo dekho kuchh aur bhi nikle
jashn manaao saal-e-nau ke

Glossary:

mashriq = east
haal = present
maazii = past
mustaqbil = tomorrow
ahbaab = friends
tuhfe = presents
aTe =
saal-e-nau = new year
muflis = poor
dahqaan = villager
afsurdah = sad
noT = english word, “Note” indicating “bill” (currency wise)
zard = yellow
gadaagar = beggars
peep = pus

A sarcastic poem about the new year celebrations, Sahir, in his masterful ways, shows how things just don’t change and we celebrate every New-Year.  

merii naakaam muhabbat kii kahaani mat chheR
apnii mayoos umaNgoN ka fasaanaa na sunaa
zindagii talKh sahii, zahar sahii, sitam* hi sahii
dard-o-aazaar sahii, jabr sahii, Gham hi sahii
lekin is dard-o-Gham-o-jabr kii vus’at ko to dekh
zulm kii chhaaNv meiN dam toRtii Khalqat ko to dekh
apnii mayoos umaNgoN ka fasaanaa na sunaa
merii naakaam muhabbat ki kahaanii mat chheR

jalsa-gaahoN meiN ye vahshat-zadah sahme aNboh
rahguzaaroN pe falaakat zadah logoN ke giroh
bhook aur pyaas se paz-murdah siyaah-faam zamiiN
teerah-o-taar makaaN, muflis-o-beemaar makeeN
nau’e-insaaN meiN ye sarmaayaa-o-mehnat ka tazaadd
aman-o-tahzeeb ke parcham tale qaumoN ka fasaad
har taraf aatish-o-aahan ka ye sailaab-e-azeem
nit naye tarz pe hoti huii duniyaa taqseem

lahlahaate hue khetoN pe javaani ka samaaN
aur dahqaan ke chhappaR meiN na battii na dhuaaN
ye falak-bos mileiN, dilkash-o-seemeeN baazaar
ye Ghalaazat ye jhapaT_te hue bhooke baazaar
door saahil pe vo shaffaaf makaanoN ki qataar
sarsaraate hue pardoN meiN simaT_te gulzaar
dar-o-deevaar pe anvaar ka sailaab ravaaN
jaise ik shaayar-e-madhosh ke KhwaaboN ka jahaaN

ye sabhii kyoN hai ye kyaa hai, mujhe kuchh sochne de
kaun insaaN ka Khudaa hai, mujhe kuchh sochne de
apni maayuus umangoN ka fasaanaa na sunaa
merii naakaam muhabbat ki kahaanii mat chheR

*not sure if the line is correct metrically, but my copy of ‘talKhiyaaN’ says “sitam”

Glossary:

talKh = bitter
dard-o-aazaar = pain and troubles
jabr = opression
dard-o-Gham-o-jabr = pain, sorrows and opression
vus’at = open space, big open space
Khalqat = the world
jalsa-gaahoN = the places of celebrations
vahshat-zadah = inflicted with fear
aNboh (or amboh) = crowd, mob
rahguzaaroN = roads
falaakat-zadah = mistry struck, evil struck
giroh = crowd, mob
paz-murdah = withered, decayed
siyaah-faam = blackened
teerah-o-taar = dark
makaaN = houses
muflis-o-beemaar = poor and sick
makiiN = residents
nau’e-insaaN = mankind
sarmaayaah = reward
mehnat = work
tazaadd = contradiction, inconsistency
aman-o-tehzeeb = peace and civilization
parcham = flag? (and from the dictionary: the fringed bunch or tassel of a spear or lance, or of a pair of colours)
qaumoN = sects
fasaad = fights, arguments
aatish-o-aahan = fire and iron
sailaab-e-azeem = great flood
tarz = fashion, style of conduct, manner of way
taqseem = division
dahqaan = villager
falak-bos = kissing the skies
mileiN = mills
dilkash-o-seemeeN = beautiful and delicate (seemeeN means made of silver)
Ghalaazat = roughness, rudeness
shaffaaf = clear… (white / clean?)
qataar = line
anvaar = light

another masterpiece from Sahir’s ‘talKhiyaaN’

maiN ne jo geet tire pyaar ki Khaatir likkhe
aaj un geetoN ko baazaar meiN le aayaa houN

aaj duukaan pe neelaam uThegaa un kaa
tu ne jin geetoN pe rakhii thii muhabbat kii asaas
aaj chaandi ke taraazoo  meiN tulegii har cheez
mere afkaar, miri shaayari mera ahsaas

jo tirii zaat se mansoob the un geetoN Ko
muflisii jins banaa ne pe utar aayii hai
bhook tere ruKh-e-raNgeeN ke fasaanoN ke ‘evaz
chaNd ash’yaay-e-zaroorat ki tamannaaii hai

dekh is ‘arsaagah-e-mahnat-o-sarmaayaa meiN
mere naGhme bhi mire paas nahiiN rah sakte
tere jalve kisii zardaar kii meeraas sahii
tere Khaake bhi mire paas nahiiN rah sakte

aaj un geetoN ko baazaar meiN le aayaa houN
maiN ne jo geet tire pyaar kii Khaatir likkhe

Glossary:

asaas = foundation
afkaar = thoughts, creations
zaat = personality
mansoob = related
muflisii = poverty
jins = things
‘evaz = in exchange
arsaagah-e-mahnat-o-sarmaayaa = this battlefield of labour and wealth
zardaar = rich man
meeraas = property - estate
Khaake = sketches

Popularized by the movie “kabhi kabhi”, the nazm featured in Sahir’s “talKhiyaaN” and was later simplified for the movie version.  The movie contained two different versions of the nazm, the one that was sung by Mukesh and then Mukesh and Lata and the other version was from ‘talKhiyaaN’, recited by Amitabh Bachchan.  The one I’m posting right now is straight from his book ‘talKhiyaaN’ and was recited by Amitabh Bachchan in the movie “Kabhi Kabhi”

kabhii kabhii mere dil meiN Khayaal aataa hai

k zindagii tirii zulfoN ke narm chaaoN meiN
guzarne paati to shaadaab ho bhi saktii thii
ye teeragi jo miri zeest ka muqaddar hai
tirii nazar ki shu’aaoN meiN kho bhi sakti thii

ajab na thaa k maiN begaana-e-alam ho kar
tirii jamaal ki ra’anaaiyoN meiN kho rahtaa
tiraa gudaaz badan terii neembaaz aaNkheiN
inheeN haseen fasaanoN meiN mahv ho rahtaa

pukaarti mujhe jab talKhiyaaN zamaane ki
tire laboN se halaavat ke ghooNT pee letaa
hayaat cheekhti phirti barhanaa sar aur maiN
ghaneri zulfoN ke saaye meiN chhup ke jee letaa

magar ye ho na sakaa aur ab ye ‘aalam hai
k tuu nahiiN tira Gham , teri justajoo bhi nahiiN
guzar rahii hai kuchh is tarah zindagii jaise
ise kisii ke sahaare ki aarzoo bhi nahiiN

zamaane bhar ke dukhoN ko lagaa chukaa houN gale
guzar rahaa houN kuchh anjaani rah-guzaaroN se
muheeb saaye mirii samt baRhte aate haiN
hayaat-o-maut ke purhaul KhaarzaaroN se

na koii jaadaa, na manzil, na roshnii ka suraag
bhaTak rahii hai KhalaaoN meiN zindagii meri
inhii KhalaaoN meiN rah jaaouNgaa kabhii kho kar
maiN jaantaa houN mirii ham nafas magar yuuN hi

kabhi kabhi mere dil meiN Khayaal aataa hai

Glossary:

shaadaab = pleasant, agreeable
teeragi = darkness
zeest = life
shu’aaoN = light, rays, brightness
begaana-e-alam = stranger to the world
jamaal = beauty
ra’anaayioN = elegance
gudaaz = gentle, tender
neembaaz = half open
mahv = drowned
talKhiyaaN = bitterness
halaavat = sweetness
hayaat = life
barhanaa = naked
muheeb = dreadful
samt = towards
hayaat-o-maut = life and death
purhaul = full of deceit, might
KhaarzaaroN = a place full of thorns
jaada = road
KhalaaoN = darkness
hamnafas = companion