Dard - Tuhmaten chand apne zimme dhar chale

One of the founding fathers of the Urdu Ghazal, and a towering figure in the Delhi poetic circles of his time, was Khvaja Mir Dard. He was a contemporary of Mir Taqi Mir, and was actually a respected 'mystic' as opposed to a court poet. He was also as much a writer of prose - with an influential body of theological work - as a poet. However, not all his poetry necessarily shows a 'mystical' bent, and most of it fits well within the generally accepted milieu of the romanticised ghazal world. Frankly, I have yet to read anything particularly striking by Dard, but for sake of completeness, thought we could look at the following ghazal, which is among his more famous ones.



Tuhmate.n chand apne zimme dhar chale
jis liye aaye the so ham kar chale


तोहमतें चन्द अपने ज़िम्मे धर चले
जिस लिए आये थे सो हम कर चले

تہمتیں چند اپنے ذمّے دھر چلے
جس لئے آئے تھے سو ہم کر چلے

having taken a few accusations on to myself, I leave
what I had come (to do), I have accomplished


The farsi word 'tohmat' signifies a suspicion of guilt, a false allegation, an aspersion or calumny. The sher wears a grimly celebratory mood, at the poet having managed to attract all the undeserved indignities that had been destined for him...




zindagii hai yaa koii tuufaan hai
ham to is jiine ke haantho.n mar chale

ज़िन्दगी है या कोई तूफ़ान है
हम तो इस जीने के हांथों मर चले

زندگی ہے یا کوئی طوفان ہے
  ہم تو اس جینے کے ہاتھوں مر چلے


is (this) life, or some (sort of) storm
As for me, I have been slaughtered by this life




kyaa hamei.n kaam in gulo.n se ai sabaa
ek dam aaye idhar udhar chale

क्या हमें काम इन गुलों से ऐ सबा
एक दम आये इधर उधर चले

کیا ہمیں کام ان گلوں سے اے صبا
   ایک دم آئے ادھر اودھر چلے


what interest do I have in these flowers, O zephyr?
(they) suddenly appear here, (and immediately) leave for there


The idea being, of course, that despite their appeal, the sheer evanescence of the blooms makes them unworthy of attention. There's some nice philosophising behind that disdain...



dosto.n dekhaa tamaashaa yaa.n kaa bas
tum raho ab ham to apne ghar chale

दोस्तों देखा तमाशा याँ का बस
तुम रहो अब हम तो अपने घर चले

دوستو دیکھا تماشا یاں کا بس
   تم رہو اب ہم تو اپنے گھر چلے

friends, (I've) seen enough of the spectacle here
you stay on; (as for) me, I'm now going home!

Rather nicer, na?



aah bas jii mat jalaa tab jaaniye
jab koii afsuun teraa us par chale

आह बस जी मत जला तब जानिये
जब कोई अफ्सून तेरा उस पर चले

آہ بس جی مت جلا تب جانئے
    جب کوئی افسوں ترا اس پر چلے

oh, that the heart isn't burn, one can (only) know
when some sorcery of yours works on it!

Some subtle word-play here, which comes from the two ways 'afsuun chalnaa' can be interpreted. afsuun is farsi for a charm, a spell, sorcery or witchcraft. jii par afsuun chalnaa could signify a spell being merely cast on the heart, but, in a slightly different sense, could also specifically refer to such a spell working after being cast. Hence, the sher is playing teasingly with two meanings. In one it is saying merely that the state of the heart will be tested when the Beloved casts her next spell on it. In another, it is a little more playful, throwing at her something like, "we will know that my heart isn't burnt only if one of your spells manages to affect it!"




ek mai.n dil-resh huu.n vaisaa hii dost
zakhm kitno.n ke sunaa hai bhar chale

एक मैं दिल-रेश हूँ वैसा ही दोस्त
ज़ख्म कितनों के सुना है भर चले

ایک میں دل ‌ریش ہوں ویسا ہی دوست
    زخم کتنوں کے سنا ہے بھر چلے


It is just I who is so (specially) heart-wounded, o friend
or else, I hear, so many have had their wounds healed!


Quite a nice one, this! The sher wears a sweetly self-mocking note, wryly observing the bloody-mindedness of the wounds in the poet's heart, which refuse to heal, even though others (who had been similarly afflicted by the Beloved?) seem to have recuperated quite comfortably! There's almost an admission of self-inflicted (not to mention self-indulgent!) hypochondria in the poet's persistently painful pangs...



shamaa ke maanind ham us bazm mei.n
chashm-tar aaye the daaman-tar chale


शमा के मानिंद हम उस बज़्म में
चश्म-तर आये थे दामन-तर चले

شمع کے مانند ہم اس بزم میں
   چشم‌تر آئے تھے دامن‌تر چلے

like a lamp, in that gathering
I had came damp-eyed, and leave with (my) daaman stained


While I don't much like this kind of overt simile-making, one must admit there's some clever imagery at work here. Being daaman-tar, which literally means 'having a wet daaman' commonly signifies having been dishonoured, tainted. The simile is to a lamp, a sham'a, which, at the beginning of the bazm, has its wick steeped in oil, and hence is 'moist-eyed' in a manner of speaking; and at the end of the bazm is extinguished, often by having a damp cloth thrown over the outer casing of the lamp (to block off the oxygen supply and thus make the flame die out, while not allowing the resultant smoke to escape). This allows Dard to play rather smartly with the chashm-tar and daaman-tar stylisations here.



DhoonDte hai.n aap se us ko pare
Sheikh saahib chhoR ghar baahar chale

ढूँढ़ते हैं आप से उस को परे
शेख़ साहिब छोड़ घर बाहर चले
ڈھونڈھتے ہیں آپ سے اس کو پرے
   شیخ صاحب چھوڑ گھر باہر چلے


(he) searches for Him (somewhere) apart from himself
the wise one leaves his house and goes outside!

This one is quite purely sufistic, of course, and does reveal Dard's theological bent somewhat. A religious worthy is gently derided for searching for the almighty in the outer world, when he only needs to look within...



ham na jaane paaye baahar aap se
vo hii aaRe aa gayaa jidhar chale

हम न जाने पाए बाहर आप से
वो ही आड़े आ गया जिधर चले


ہم نہ جانے پائے باہر آپ سے
وہ ہی آڑے آ گیا جیدھر چلے

I wasn't able to able to get away from myself
he verily came in the way, whichever way I went


Somewhat similar in tone to the last sher, this one aims deep too. Dard rues the inability of man to get away from his 'self', which inevitably blocks his progress on the path of mystical knowledge.  AaRe aanaa is a colloquial expression for 'getting in the way' of someone or some action.



ham jahaa.n mei.n aaye the tanhaa vale
saath apne ab use le kar chale

हम जहां में आये थे तनहा वले
साथ अपने अब उसे ले कर चले

ہم جہاں میں آئے تھے تنہا ولے
ساتھ اپنے اب اسے لے‌کر چلے  

even though we had come alone to this world
we now take it along with us, as we leave/move

Once again, some nice word play. Dard uses the expression 'take the world along with us' to denote man's susceptibility to burden himself with worldly worries and possessions. The le kar chale could denote two ideas - in one, it is stressing that we unnecessarily trudge through life 'burdened with the world', while we could travel so much lighter if we could only renounce these attachments. In the other, the 'chale' could signify the act of leaving from the world (to contrast with the act of entering the world, talked about in the first misraa), in which case the sher is mocking man's disinclination to let go of his worldly possessions even as he is on the verge of death, almost wishing to 'take it all with him'...

wale is a contraction of the persian wa-lekin, which has a sense of 'but', 'yet', or 'albeit'.


juu.n-sharar ai hastii-e-bebuud yaa.n
baare ham bhii apnii baarii bhar chale

जूं-शरर ऐ हस्ती-ए-बेबूद याँ
बारे हम भी अपनी बारी भर चले

جوں شرر اے ہستیِ بے‌بود یاں
بارے ہم بھی اپنی باری بھر چلے

O spark-like non-existent existence,
at last I too have finished my turn here


juu.n or jyuu.n is a colloquial word meaning 'like' or 'as'. be-buud is the negated form of buud, which is the root of the persian verb buudan, meaning 'to exist'. baare is the indefinite form of the farsi baar, and denotes a sense of 'at length', 'at last' or 'at some time'. Baarii bhar chalnaa signifies something like 'completing one's turn' in a game...



saaqiyaa yaa.n lag rahaa hai chal-chalao
jab talak bas chal sake saagar chale


साक़िया याँ लग रहा है चल-चलाओ
जब तलक बस चल सके साग़र चले


ساقیا یاں لگ رہا ہے چل چلائو
جب تلک بس چل سکے ساغر چلے

O Saqi, there is (such) a bustle here!
until it can be helped, (let) the (wine) pitcher last!

bas chalnaa indicates being able to control or influence things.





dard kuchh maaluum hai ye log sab
kis taraf se aaye the kidhar chale

दर्द कुछ मालूम है ये लोग सब
किस तरफ से आये थे किधर चले

درد کچھ معلوم ہے یہ لوگ سب
کس طرف سے آئے تھے کیدھر چلے

'Dard', (do you) know that all these people
had come from which direction, (and) where they went?


Nothing too special, but a nice note to sign off on, nonetheless!

Faiz - Do Ishq

An ever-vigilant reader has shaken me awake to the shameful realisation that I missed the centenary of Faiz' birth, on 13 February, with nary a comment!  

Inexcusable in itself, the crime is compounded by the fact that I had been quite conscious of the momentous occasion ever since a kind soul directed me, a few weeks back, to a special commemorative edition of the Himal magazine, which celebrates the cementing of Faiz's status, in the century since his birth, as the 'poet of the sub-continent' (http://himalmag.com/component/magazine/tblcontent/2011/1.html. Scroll down to the section titled 'cover'). 

In belated tribute, therefore, the following nazm, which appeared in Faiz's 1952 work dast-e-sabaa, is offered as a salute to the man and his memory.  While it is a tough ask to choose just one of his poems as a symbol of his genius, I settled on this one because it presents, in an exceptionally 'de-constructed' manner, the characteristic feature that defines, for a lot of people, Faiz's oeuvre  - namely his transposition of the classical ghazal's worship of the Beloved (whether earthly or astral) to a deification of a social/political motherland.  As we have seen in the past, this is a recurrent theme in Faiz's poetry, but is usually couched in allusions and hints.  This particular poem, however, makes explicit this equation, right from the title.

Do Ishq

taazaa hai.n abhi yaad mei.n, ai saaqi-e-gulfaam
vo aks-e-rukh-e-yaar se lahke hue aiyaam
vo phuul si khiltii huii diidaar kii saa'at
vo dil saa dhaRaktaa huaa ummiid kaa ha.ngaam

ummiid ki lo jaagaa gham-e-dil kaa nasiibaa
lo shauq kii tarsii huii shab ho gayii aakhir
lo duub gaye dard ke be-khwaab sitaare
ab chamkegaa be-sabr nigaaho.n kaa muqaddar
is baam se niklegaa tere husn kaa khurshiid
us kunj se phutegii kiran rang-e-hinaa kii
is dar se bahegaa teri raftaar kaa siimaab
us raah pe phuulegii shafaq terii qabaa kii


phir dekhe.n hai.n vo hijr ke tapte hue din bhii
jab fikr-e-dil-o-jaa.n mei.n fughaa.n bhuul gayii hai
har shab vo siyaa bojh ki dil baith gayaa hai
har subh kii lau tiir sii siine mei.n lagii hai
tanhaii mei.n kyaa kyaa na tujhe yaad kiyaa hai
kyaa kyaa na dil-e-zaar ne DhunDii hai.n panaahe.n
aankho.n se lagaayaa hai kabhii dast-e-sabaa ko
Dalii hai.n kabhii gardan-e-mehtaab mei.n baahe.n

----

chaahaa hai isii rang mei.n lailaa-e-watan ko

taRpaa hai isii taur se dil uskii lagan mei.n

DhunDii hai yuu.n hii shauq ne aasaa'ish-e-manzil

rukhsaar ke kham mei.n, kabhii kaakul kii shikan mei.n

us jaan-e-jahaa.n ko bhii yuu.n hii qalb-o-nazar ne

ha.ns-ha.ns  ke sadaa dii, kabhii ro ro ke pukaaraa

pure kiye sab harf-e-tamannaa ke taqaaze

har dard ko ujyaalaa, har ek gham ko sa.nwaaraa

wapas nahi.n pheraa koii farmaan junuu.n kaa

tanhaa nahi.n lauTii kabhii aawaaz jaras kii

khairiyat-e-jaa.n, raahat-e-tan, sehhat-e-daaman

sab bhuul gayii.n maslahate.n ahl-e-hawas kii

is raah mei.n jo sab pe guzartii hai vo guzrii

tanhaa pas-e-zindaa.n, kabhii ruswaa sar-e-baazaar

garze hai.n bahut sheikh sar-e-goshaa-e-minbar

kaRke hai.n bahut ahl-e-hukm bar sar-e-darbaar

chhoRaa nahi.n ghairo.n ne koii naavak-e-dushnaam

chhuTii nahi.n apno.n se koii tarz-e-malaamat

is ishq na us ishq se naadim hai magar dil

har daagh hai is dil mei.n ba-juz daagh-e-nadaamat

दो इश्क़

ताज़ा हैं अभी याद में, ऐ साकी-ए-गुलफाम
वो अक्स-ए-रुख-ए-यार से लहके हुए अय्याम
वो फूल सी खिलती हुई दीदार की सा'अत
वो दिल सा धड़कता हुआ उम्मीद का हंगाम
उम्मीद कि लो जागा ग़म-ए-दिल का नसीबा
लो शौक़ की तरसी हुई शब् हो गई आखिर
लो डूब गए दर्द के बे-ख्वाब सितारे
अब चमकेगा बे-सब्र निगाहों का मुक़द्दर
इस बाम से निकलेगा तेरे हुस्न का खुर्शीद
उस कुंज से फूटेगी किरन रंग-ए-हिना की
इस दर से बहेगा तेरी रफ़्तार का सीमाब
उस राह पे फूलेगी शफ़क़ तेरी क़बा की

फिर देखें हैं वो हिज्र के तपते हुए दिन भी
जब फ़िक्र-ए-दिल-ओ-जान में फुगाँ भूल गई है
हर शब् वो सिया बोझ कि दिल बैठ गया है
हर सुब्ह की लौ तीर सी सीने में लगी है
तन्हाई में क्या क्या न तुझे याद किया है
क्या क्या न दिल-ए-ज़ार ने ढूंडी हैं पनाहें
आँखों से लगाया है कभी दस्त-ए-सबा को
डाली हैं कभी गरदन-ए-महताब में बाहें 

----

चाहा हैं इसी रंग में लैला-ए-वतन को
तड़पा है इसी तौर से दिल उसकी लगन में
ढूंडी है यूं ही शौक़ ने आसा'इश-ए-मंज़िल
रुखसार के ख़म में, कभी काकुल की शिकन में
उस जान-ए-जहां को भी यूंही क़ल्ब-ओ-नज़र ने
हंस हंस के सदा दी, कभी रो रो के पुकारा
पूरे किये सब हर्फ़-ए-तमन्ना के तकाज़े
हर दर्द को उज्याला, हर एक ग़म को संवारा
वापस नहीं फेरा कोई फरमान जुनूं का
तनहा नहीं लौटी कभी आवाज़ जरस की
खैरियत-ए-जान, राहत-ए-तन, सेहत-ए-दामन
सब भूल गयीं मसलहतें अहल-ए-हवस की 

इस राह में जो सब पे गुज़रती है वो गुज़री
तनहा पस-ए-ज़िन्दां, कभी रुसवा सर-ए-बाज़ार
गरजे हैं बहुत शेख सर-ए-गोशा-ए-मिन्बर
कड़के हैं बहुत अहल-ए-हुक्म बर सर-ए-दरबार  
 
छोड़ा नहीं ग़ैरों ने कोई नावक-ए-दुशनाम
छूटी नहीं अपनों से कोई तर्ज़-ए-मलामत
इस इश्क़ न उस इश्क़ पे नादिम है मगर दिल
हर दाग़ है इस दिल में ब-जुज़ दाग़-ए-नदामत

دو عشق

تازہ ہےں ابہی یاد میں اے ساقی گلفام
وہ عکس رخ یار سے لحکے ہوے ایام
وہ پہول سی کہلتی ہوی دیدار کی ساعت
وہ دل سا دہڑکتا ہوا امید کا ہنگام
امید کہ لو جاگا غم دل کا نصیبہ
لو شوق کی ترسی ہوی شب ہو گی آخر
لو ڈوب گے درد کے بےخواب ستارے
اب چمکےگا بے صبر نگاہوں کا مقددر
اس بام سے نکلےگا ترے حسن کا خورشید
اس کنج سے پہوٹےگی کرن رنگ حنا کی
اس در سے بحےگا تری رفتار کا سیماب
اس راہ پہ پہولےگی شفق تری قبا کی 

پہر دیکہے ہیں وہ ہجر کے تپتے ہوے دن بہی
جب فکر دل و جاں میں فغاں بہول گی ہے
ہر شب وہ سیہ بوجہ کہ دل بیٹہ گیا ہے
ہر صبح کی لو تیر سی سینے میں لگی ہے
تنہای میں کیا کیا نہ تجہے یاد کیا ہے
کیا کیا نہ دل زار  نے ڈہونڑی ہیں پناہیں
 آنکہوں سے لگایا ہے کبہی دست صبا کو
 ڈالی ہیں کبہی گردن مہتاب میں باہیں
 

----

چاہا ہے اسی رنگ میں لیلا ے وطن کو
تڑپا ہے اسی طور سے دل اس کی لگن میں
ڈہونڈی ہے یوں ہی شوق نے آسائش منزل
رخسار کے خم میں کبہی کاکل کی شکن میں
اس جان جہاں کو بہی یوں ہی قلب و نظر نے
ہنس ہنس کے صدا دی کبہی رو رو کے پکارا
پورے کیے سب حرف تمننا کے تقاضے
ہر درد کو اجیالا ہر اک غم کو سنوارا
واپس نہیں پہیرا کوی فرمان جنوں کا
 تنہا نہیں لوٹی کبہی آواز جرس کی
خیریت جاں راحت تن صحت داماں
سب بہول گییں مصلہتیں اہل ہوس کی
اس راہ میں جو سب پہ گزرتی ہے وہ گزری
تنہا پس زنداں کبہی رسوا سر بازار
گرجے ہےں بہت شیخ سر گوشہ منبر
کڑکے ہیں بہت اہل حکم بر سر دربار
چہوڑا نہیں غیروں نےکوی ناوک دشنام
چہوٹی نہیں اپنوں سے کوی طرز ملامت
اس عشق نہ اس عشق پہ نادم ہے مگر دل
ہر داغ ہے اس دل میں بہجز داغ ندامت

Two loves

(they) are still fresh in (my) memory, o rose-like saaqii
those days (that) glowed with the reflection of the Beloved's face
that hour of meeting, that (would) bloom like a flower
that moment of hope, that throbbed like a heart

a hope, which (said), 'behold! the destiny of heart's pain has awakened'
(which said), 'behold! love's parched night is finally done'
(which said), 'there, pain's sleep-less stars have (finally) dimmed'
'(and) now the destiny of impatient eyes will take shine'

(that promised that) from this roof would rise the sun of your beauty
from that corner would break forth a ray of henna's colour
through this door would flow your quicksilver gait
(and) on that path would bloom the sunset-glow of your robe

then again, (i have) seen also those scorching days of separation
when (even) cries were forgotten in worries of heart and life
(when) every night was so dark-laden that the heart would sink (under them)
(and) the flame of every morn would pierce the breast like an arrow


In how many ways did (I) remember you, in solitude
How many refuges did the weakened heart seek
at times, i touched the zephyr's hand to (my) eyes
at times, clasped my arms around the moon's neck

----

(and) in the same way have (I also) loved the Beloved (that is my) country
in the same fashion has (my) heart yearned in her ardour (also)
in like manner has (my) passion searched for the peace of a journey's end
(sometime) in the curve of (her) cheek, sometime in the bend of (her) curl

To that sweetheart also, (my) heart and eye have
at times laughingly called out, at times weepingly summoned

(I) fulfilled the demand of every word of desire (of hers)
(I) lightened every pain, embellished every sorrow

never (did i) turn away any dictat of passion
no toll of the bell ever returned unaccompanied
the well-being of life, the comfort of flesh, the soundness of dress
all (these) counsels of sensible people were forgotten


(and) what befalls everyone on this path, also befell (me)
(at times) lonely behind a prison (wall), at times dishonoured in public.
The holies thundered a lot from the corners of (their) pulpits
men of power boomed often in (their) courtrooms
no arrow of blame was spared by strangers
(nor did) intimates let any manner of rebuke pass

but (my) heart is shamed neither by this love, nor by that (one)
there is every stain on this heart, save the stain of regret

Since this nazm is so 'explicit' in what it says, it doesn't need much by way of additional explication.  Faiz airs out the 'love of his life' openly - personifying his love for an idealised motherland in a heart-achingly haunting fashion.  The first part of the poem, which sublimely chronicles the elation that is felt in the possibility of a Beloved's coming, or the despair that accompanies the certainty of separation from  her, forms, in the latter half, the context for the 'personification' of the country Faiz yearns for.  

I absolutely adore the bit that goes, "kyaa kyaa na dil-e-zaar ne DhuunDii hai.n panaahe.n; aankho.n se lagaayaa hai kabhii dast-e-sabaa ko; Daalii hai.n kabhii gardan-e-mehtaab mei.n baahe.n".  It conjures up such an endearing picture of a desperately lonely lover, seeking messianic comfort or friendly companionship from just about anything or anybody he encounters.   Another totally haunting line is "DhuunDii hai yuu.n hii shauq ne aasaa'ish-e-manzil; rukhsaar ke kham mei.n, kabhii kaakul kii shikan mei.n".  Such a typically Faiz 'sound' to it, isn't it?

And what a totally haunting line the poem signs off with, too...!

Some interesting words:  gulfaam uses the common persian suffix 'faam', which denotes resemblance or verisimilitude, most often used to denote similarity in colour. Ayyaam is arabic for 'days', 'times' or 'season'.  Aasaa'ish is from the same word root at aasaan and means 'repose' 'comfort' or 'tranquillity'.  Ahl-e-hawas is actually ahl-e-hawaas, here shortened for metrical reasons.  hawaas, which we are used to seeing in compound expressions like bad-hawaas or hosh-o-hawaas, means 'sense', (literally, as in 'the five senses').  Tarz is arabic for 'form' or 'style of conduct'.  Malaamat is farsi for reproach, accusation or opprobrium.  Naadim and nadaamat are both from a common farsi root signifying repentance or shame.

Daagh - Shokhi ne teri kaam kiya

Nawab Mirza Khan (1831-1905), who wrote under the pen name of 'Daagh Dehlvi' enjoys a prominent place in the "Delhi school" of shayarii, of which Ghalib and Zauq were the leading luminaries. Related by descent to Bahadur Shah Zafar, Daagh enjoyed the tutelage of Zafar's court poet, Zauq, in his formative years. Following the 1857 Revolt, he shifted base to the kingdom of Rampur (where he composed much of his best work), and spent the final years of his poetic career in Hyderabad, under the generous patronage of the Nizam.

In keeping with his poetical origins, in much of his poetry Daagh seems to aim, at least in ambition, towards the ironical and 'witty' treatment characteristic of Zauq and Ghalib. In particular, many of his maqtas use his takhallus to good effect (which is hardly surprising, given the potential of a moniker like daagh!). Most people are, for instance, familiar with his very famous "koi naam-o-nishaan puuchhe to ai qaasid bataa dena, takhallus daagh hai aur aashiqon ke dil mein rahte hain"! I personally find the takhallus usage in the present ghazal even more enjoyable...

The ghazal I have chosen today is fairly well known, since corrupted versions of it have been sung by a number of modern singers. [In general, Daagh has been much favoured by singers - Farida Khanum, in particular, having sung a remarkable number of his ghazals.]



Shokhii ne terii kaam kiyaa ik nigaah mei.n
suufii hai butkade mei.n sanam khaanaqaah mei.n

शोखी ने तेरी काम किया इक निगाह में
सूफी है बुतकदे में सनम खानकाह में
شوخی نے تیری کام کیا اک نگاہ میں
صوفی ہے بتکدے میں صنم خانقاہ میں

Your mischievous ways did (their) work in a single glance

the sufi (finds himself) in an idol-temple, (while) the idol is (itself) in an abbey!


A fairly standard reproach against the coquetries of the Beloved, which make things go 'topsy turvy', and cause rules of 'propriety' to be violated. The fact that the words could be directed against the Celestial Beloved add an additionally piquant element to the 'mischief' that this but has wrought - tempting sufi saints to seek the comfort of idols in their temples, while the idols themselves are busy inveigling their way into the abodes of the sufis (a khaanaqaah is a a convent, a monastery, typically meant for sufi recluses)!



aankhe.n bichhaye.n to ham a'du kii bhii raah mei.n
par kyaa kare.n ke tuu hai hamaarii nigaah mei.n

आँखें बिछाएं तो हम अदू की भी राह में
पर क्या करें कि तू है हमारी निगाह में

آنکهین بچهاین تو حم عدو کی بهی راه میں
پر کیا کرین که تو ہے حماری نگاہ میں

I would await even the Rival with ardent eyes
but what can I do - for I have you in my gaze!


Actually, that very inadequate translation can do no justice to the sher! The enjoyment in the sher comes from the idiomatic usage of 'kisi ki raah mei.n aankhe.n bichhaanaa', which literally translates to "to lay down one's eyes on someone's path", and has the meaning of "to wait for someone ardently". In this case, the Poet ironically assures the Beloved that he bears no rancour against his Rival, in fact he even looks forward to the his arrival. But if he is constrained from actually 'laying down his eyes' on the Rival's path, it is because the Beloved happens to be in his view, i.e. 'in his eyes', and he can hardly take his eyes off her, let alone place them (hence, by implication, her!) on the road!



baRhtaa huu.n aage puuchh kar us se maqaam-e-i'shq
jo fitna mujh gariib ko miltaa hai raah mei.n

बढता हूँ आगे पूछ कर उस से मक़ाम-ए-इश्क
जो फितना मुझ गरीब को मिलता है राह में

بڑہتا حوں آگے پوچہ کر اس سے مقام عشق
جو فتنہ مجہ غریب کو ملتا ہے راہ میں


I proceed forward, asking for (directions to) the resting place of love
(from) whichever calamity is encountered on the road by poor (old) me!


maqaam or muqaam is Arabic for a halting-spot, a place to stay or camp, used in the general sense of a 'destination'. fitna which comes from the Farsi fatan ('to burn' or 'to try by fire') denotes any kind of mischief, calamity or torment, particularly one engendered by deliberately seditious motives. In this case, the 'bite' in the sher comes from the characterisation of the travel-worn aashiq desperately seeking directions to his goal from the very calamities that thwart his steps!




dil mei.n samaa gayii.n hai.n qayaamat kii shokhiiyaa.n
do chaar din rahaa thaa kisii kii nigaah mei.n

दिल में समा गयीं हैं क़यामत की शोखियाँ
दो चार दिन रहा था किसी कि निगाह में

دل مین سما گئ ہین قیامت کی شوخیاں
دو چار دن رہا تہا کسی کی نگاہ میں


the mischiefs of the day of reckoning have taken abode in (my) heart
(even though) it stayed for a (mere) day or two in someone's gaze!


This one is quite ho-hum, merely noting the potent effects (on the heart) of even a short time spent under the Beloved's bewitching gaze. The juxtaposition of do chaar din with qayaamat serving to highlight the lasting effects of such abbreviated exposure...



raate.n musiibato.n kii jo guzrii.n thii.n aaj tak
maatam ko aayii.n hai.n mere roz-e-siyaah mei.n

रातें मुसीबतों की जो गुजरीं थीं आज तक
मातम को आई हैं मेरे रोज़-ए-सियाह में

راتیں مصیبتوں کی جو گزریں تہیں آج تک
ماتم کو آئ ہےں مرے روز سیاہ مین

the difficult nights that had been passed until today
have (all) come to mourn me on my dark days

This one's much nicer! The idiomatic junction of nights (wearing black in mourning?) visiting the Poet on a 'dark day' is especially delicious...




is tauba par hai naaz tujhe zaahid is qadar
jo TuuT kar shariik ho mere gunaah mei.n

इस तौबा पर है नाज़ तुझे ज़ाहिद इस क़दर
जो टूट कर शरीक हो मेरे गुनाह में

اس توبہ پر ہے ناز تجہے زاہد اس قدر
جو ٹوٹ کر شریک ہو مرے گناہ مین
you have such pride in this (vow of) renunciation, o hermit
that it, in breaking, is complicit in my crime!

A tauba is a vow to 'sin no more', a formal abjuring or renunciation of proscribed indulgences. Pride in one's renunciation is, of course, an indulgence in itself, which negates, in some manner, the very act of renunciation!



aatii hai baat baat mujhe yaad baar baar
kahtaa huu.n dauR dauR ke qaasid se raah mei.n

आती है बात बात मुझे याद बार बार
कहता हूँ दौड़ दौड़ के क़ासिद से राह में

آتی ہے بات بات مجہے یاد بار بار
کحتا ہوں دوڑ دوڑ کے کاصد سے راہ مین


things (to be said) come to my mind again and again
I (go) running to tell the messenger, again and again, on the path!

Clumsy as that translation is, I hope it does manage to capture, at least in part, the impossibly delicious vignette evoked in this very enjoyable sher. The vision of the besotted Lover never quite being able to exhaust all that he wants to convey to the Beloved, desperately running out again and again to catch up with the messenger on the road, just so that he can add another complaint, another plea that he wants to add to his missive, is as endearing as it is amusing...

Moreover, at a purely aural level, the repetition of long vowels in 'baat baat', 'baar baar' and 'dauR dauR' in the sher lend it a very enjoyable ring.


taasiir bach ke sang-e-hawaadis se aaye kyaa
merii du'a bhii Thokre.n khaatii hai raah mei.n

तासीर बच के संग-ए-हवादिस से आये क्या
मेरी दुआ भी ठोकरें खाती है राह में

تاثیر بچ کے سنگ حوادث سے آے کیا
میری دعا بہی ٹہوکرےں خاتی ہے راہ مین
(how) can effectiveness save itself from the stones of calamities, and come?
(why) even my prayer is stumbling around (against the stones) on the path!

This one is rather nice, with some enjoyable word-play! Tasiir (which comes from the same root at asar) is Arabic for 'effect' or 'impression' or 'influence', and denotes the 'power' to affect something. The poet rues any prospect of such potency being able to 'come to him', avoiding, on the way, the slings and arrows of fate (sang, or stones, has a similarly stylised connotation. Hawaadis which shares roots with the more common word haadisaa means something like 'misfortune' or 'calamity').

To drive home this improbability, he points out that even his prayer is unable to achieve anything more than wandering about fruitlessly, stubbing its toes on the stones on the path (the path to the Beloved, presumably?). The idiomatic potency of a phrase like 'raah mei.n Thokare.n khaanaa' (and the implied existence of 'stones' on the path) is difficult to capture in any English equivalent, but it beautifully links up the difficulty of taasiir in avoiding the 'flung' stones of misfortune with the inability of the du'a in doing the same with the stones strewn on the path...



kaisaa nazaaraa kis kaa ishaaraa kahaa.n kii baat
sab kuchh hai aur kuchh nahii.n niichii nigaah mei.n

कैसा नज़ारा, किस का इशारा, कहाँ कि बात
सब कुछ है, और कुछ नहीं, नीची निगाह में 

کیسا نظارہ کس کا اشارہ کہاں کی بات
سب کچہ ہے اور کچہ نہیں نیچی نگاہ مین

What spectacle, whose gestures, talk about what?
there is everything, and nothing at all, in a lowered eye

This one is too beautiful to even try and analyse! A true masterpiece, despite the simplicity of its words (or maybe because of it)!



jo kiinaa aaj hai tere dil mei.n sitam sh'aar
jaaye gaa kal yahii to dil-e-daad-khwaah mei.n

जो कीना आज है तेरे दिल में सितम श'आर
जायेगा कल यही तो दिल-ए-दाद-ख्वाह में

جو کینہ آج ہے ترے دل مین ستم شعار
جاے گا کل یہی تو دل داد خواہ مین


the rancour that is in your heart today, you emblem of cruelty
this very (rancour) will, tomorrow, go in the heart of the petitioner

A little abstruse, this. Kiinaa is Farsi for hatred, animosity, malice, or a desire for revenge. A daad-khwaah (a word which combines daad - Farsi for 'justice' - with the root of the Farsi verb khwaastan, meaning the act of 'desiring' or 'wishing') is a petitioner for justice, a plaintiff. It is also used for a suitor. The sher seems to hold an implied threat that the rancour the Beloved holds in her heart may, one day, reflect itself as a desire for revenge in the hearts of her supplicants...


sh'aar is derived from the Arabic verb for 'knowing' and denotes a habit or a custom, as also a mark or sign. It is a word that is commonly used in conjunction with nouns to create adjectival expressions: eg. karam-sh'aar means someone known for habitual generosity.



mushtaaq is sadaa ke bahut dard-mand the
ai daagh tum to baiTh gaye ek aah mei.n

मुश्ताक़ इस सदा के बहुत दर्द-मंद थे
ऐ दाग़ तुम तो बैठ गए एक आह में

مشتاق اس صدا کے بہوت درد مند تہے
اے داغ تم تو بیٹہ گے ایک آہ مین

(those) ardent for this cry possessed a lot of pain
(but) O Daagh, you sat down (subsided) in a single groan!

A truly brilliant maqtaa which milks every bit of potential out of the takhallus! Recall that daagh, one of the most commonly evoked words in the ghazal universe, denotes the wound, the burning scar, or the taint, on the Lover's heart. Hence, for a daagh, 'baiTh jaanaa (or subsiding) in a single groan', would cast doubts on its 'authenticity' as a true lover's wound to begin with. Which is why that second line wears that deliciously sneering tone. But since daagh is also the poet's takhallus, and since the delivery of the maqta indicates that he is going to 'sit down' (physically and metaphorically) after having said his bit, one can well imagine what a tour-de-force mushairaa sher this would have been!

Mushtaaq shares word root with shauq and denotes the act of becoming ardent or eager about something. A sadaa is a sound, a voice, a call or a cry. mand is used in conjunction with nouns to denote possession - eg. aql-mand is someone imbued with intelligence.