Raat Youn Teri (Faiz)-Translation

Your forgotten memory, last night, came by,
As spring steals upon a garden deserted,
Amidst still sands, gently, as the morning breeze blows,
As an ailing man is simply comforted.

Original by Faiz:

Raat youn teri khoyi hui yaad aayi,
Jaise veeraane mein chupke se bahaar aa jaaye,
Jaise sehraon main haule se chale baad-e-naseem,
Jaise beemaar ko bevajah qaraar aa jaaye.

Ek Arsey Se

This is the poem "Ek aur Ufuq" written earlier, that Nitin Sinha has composed beautifully and sung.thanks Nitin :)

For J

Here's an attempted translation...

Aate hai.n ghai'b se ye mazaamee.n khayaal mein,
Ghalib sareer-e-khwama, nava-e-sarosh hai

They occur from the obscure
These conceptions in the mind
The scraping of Ghalib’s pen
Is expression of the divine

Josh in Translation

O flower, at your life, my heart shudders,
A smile is all for which you bloom...
Said the flower "even a smile my friend,
who receives in this garden of gloom"

Original by 'Josh':


Gunche teri zindagi pe dil hilta hai,
Bas ek tabassum ke liye khilta hai...
gunche ne kaha ki "Is chaman mei.n baba,
Ye ek tabassum bhi kise milta hai"

TUM

Chhoo loon tumhe, sirf tumhaare haathon ko hi,
Tab bhi
Ye raftaar o jumbish jo tumhaare lahu main hai
Meri thehri nabz mein shayad kahin se aa jaaye

Ha.ns loo.n tumhaari tarah khilkhila kar to,
Ye gulabi sharm jo tumhaare rukhsaar pe damakti hai
Mere chehre ki kagazi safedi par
Apna halka sa rang phaila jaaye

Ye zindagi jo tumhaari abru ke beech, lakeeron par
Naaz o aaraam se baithi dikhti hai
Ji bhar ke dekhoon tumhe to
Aankhon ko na sahi
Mere ashko.n ko to ghar bana jaaye

Kyon itni khoobsoorat ho tum
Kyo.n tum se nigaah nahi hat-ti meri
Chalo theek bhi hai
Tumhaara husn, kuch nahi to,
Mere dil ki thandi raakh mein
Koi rashk ka shola hi jaga jaaye

(An ode to the beautiful women of Rajasthan...)

Pliant
Through destined turns
Succumbing, flowing along
These shallow brooks
Perhaps
Sing of life, a deeper song...

NUMB

Amidst a flurry of thoughts
Sometimes
Numbness feels so close

In windy deserts
Some days
Only stillness blows

Through gushing rivers
Somewhere
A transparent silence flows

LAL DEEWAREI.N

(A poem inspired by Mughal Architecture in Delhi & Agra.
Some pictures of the same here)

Maazi ka madham taraana koi
Bhoola bisra zamaana koi
Kaheen parchhaiyee, kahee.n sargoshi
Kuch izhaar, kuch khamoshi
Dard, khalish, bam, dhamaake
Raqs, teohar, khushi, patakhe
Buland Minaro.n ki zubaani
Khule darwaazo.n ki band kahaani

Dil soz daastaa.n apni sunayei.n
Ye thandi deewarein, ye thehre saaye

Sone si subho.n ka bayaa.n hai
Zikr-e-naseem-e-seher yahaa.n hai
Shaahi gusal, sekdo.n phawware
Aab-e-gulaab mein bheege nazaare
Saaye sametne ki tayyaari bhi
Halke nishaa.n hai, bhaari bhi

Dil soz daastaa.n apni sunayei.n
Ye thandi deewarein, ye thehre saaye

Garm dopeher mein tapte fasaane
Pedo.n ki chhaao.n mein soye zamaane
Thami hawa mein koi raaz si sar sar
Thandi aaho.n sa sang-e-mar mar
Thak ke dhoop ka shaakho.n par tikna
Kirno.n se aayatei.n likhna

Dil soz daastaa.n apni sunayei.n
Ye thandi deewarein, ye thehre saaye

Rangeen aanchalo.n mein shaam ka aana
Doobte suraj se shamme jalaana
Aazaan par nehro.n ka raqs
Wuzoo karta shammo.n ka aqs
Meena baazaar roshan roshan
Jhumka, paazeb, itr, kangan

Dil soz daastaa.n apni sunayei.n
Ye thandi deewarein, ye thehre saaye

In lal deewaro.n ke zakhm hare hain
Khamosh daamano.n mei.n raaz dhare hai.n
Gard mein lipte jahaa.n yahaa.n par
Bujhte kadmon ke nishaa.n yahaa.n par
Saalo.n saal, hazaaro.n kisse
Itihaas ke nazuk, toote hisse
Kitni gutthiyaa.n kholti hai.n
Tum suno, to ye bhi bolti hai.n

Dil soz daastaa.n apni sunayei.n
Ye thandi deewarein, ye thehre saaye

Oft in distant cries, I hear,
Whispers of a closer pain
As in the scream of thunder, echo
Soft, beating drops of rain

The Child By The Window

A dusty sun settles on leaves
Weighs them down
They droop
Gold droplets of melting light
Fall into her waiting hands
Warm soft light floats in her palms
She washes her eyes with them
Her eyes glisten
In the fading twilight

These lamps will ease the way
Through the tunnels of my night

Ek Aur Ufuq (Another Horizon)

Ek arsey se in aankhon ko
Yahaan kinaare par
Ghoomte dekha hai
Kabhi patthar ki seedhiyo.n par baithee.n
Anginat aasmaano.n ki dhundh mein gum
To kabhi bench ke tale
Bikhre kachre mein
Kisi rang pe tiki
Kabhi shaffaaf, chamakti hui
Jin ki nami, lehron ka aks ho
Lekin aksar maine dekha hai
Wo thehri hui sooni aankhein
Door kaheen aasmaan o samndar ke aage
Kisi andekhe nuqte par theher jaati hain
Kya jaane ye kya dhoondhti hain?
Kaheen meri tarah
Ek aur ufuq to nahi


Another Horizon

It’s been a while
I’ve watched,
These eyes around the shore
Seated sometimes
On cold damp steps
Lost in the mist of countless skies
Sometimes fixed,
On some colourful bit of dirt
Under the stone bench
At times, moist
Perhaps reflecting the sea
But often I see them
Vacant yet searching
Somewhere beyond the waters and skies
Like settled on a point unseen
And then I wonder
If they too seek
Another Horizon

The Last Shadow

I stand rooted
The grey gust of your despair
Blows through my hair
I watch your footprints
As your receding form scatters them
Like forsaken memories

For so long now
Every step of yours
Tugged at my anklets
Of hope
That bound me to you
Enchained with you
But free to roam
I have walked behind you
I have embraced your shadow with every rising sun
And comforted you with mine at every sunset

When the wind carried your laughter
I have breathed it deep
And held it long
Till I could breathe no more
And when you cried
I picked the grains of sand
That your falling tears had hardened
Till my hands overflowed
And I could pick no more

Now the anklets are worn
And my feet are bruised
My shadow stretches to you this last sunset
Till you walk away
Beyond it
My feet don’t move any more
They are heavy now
With exhaustion
Bandaged
With helplessness

Hum Ke Thehre Ajnabi

Whew! the reign of guilt comes to an end. This is how I would describe the process of this translation. I have only short of had nightmares about Faiz questioning me as to what I think I was doing with his poem.
More than ever I now believe in what A.K. Ramanujan said: A translation is like a wife, it can either be beautiful or faithful. (I'm not quoting because I could have jumbled some words but the effect is right. My knowledge of the same=courtesy Bali-a good friend).
Now as most men, I have succumbed to greed and I want both at the risk of getting neither. In any case here is the outcome.
The original followed by the translation:

Hum ke Thehre ajanabii itane madaaraato.n ke baad
Phir bane.nge aashnaa kitanii mulaaqaato.n ke baad

Kab nazar me.n aayegii bedaaG sabze kii bahaar
Khuun ke dhabbe dhule.nge kitanii barasaato.n ke baad

Dil to chaahaa par shikast-e-dil ne mohalat hii na dii
Kuchh gile-shikave bhii kar lete munaajaato.n ke baad

The bahut bedard lamhe.n Khatm-e-dard-e-ishq ke
Thii.n bahut bemahar subahe.n meharabaa.N raato.n ke baad

Un se jo kahane gaye the "Faiz" jaa.N sadaqaa kiye
Anakahii hii rah ga_ii vo bat sab baato.n ke baad



Hospitalities exchanged, yet we who strangers stay
With how many encounters, shall amiability display?

After how many rains, shall the blood stains fade,
And when, in our sight, shall unspotted fields sway?

All that the heart desired, its breaking permitted not,
No grievance did those contained praises betray.

Merciless were moments, that witnessed the end of pain,
Benevolent nights brought in a cruel break of day.

That which, on your life, you determined to convey
Unspoken on your lips, Faiz, the decided words lay

BALOGHAT (Adolescence)

For the past two weeks Nyela (my sister) and I have been creatively busy. This was on account of some work that we are almost glad we did: translating the poems of contemporary urdu poet Abdul Ahad Saaz to be presented in an international poetry conference to be held recently. We translated three of them. I shall however post the translation that I am happiest with.
While I was at it I have been playing around with translating a ghazal of Faiz too. Hopefully that would comprise the next post.
For the time, here is the original and the translation of the poem “Baloghat” by Abdul Ahad Saaz:

Baloghat

Meri nazm mujh se bahot chhoti thi

Khelti rehti thi pehr o aagosh mein meri
Aadhe adhoore misre, mere gale mein bahein dale
Jhoolte rehte the

Zehen ke gehvaar mein humakte
Dil ki farsh pe rote machalte
Nok-e-kalam par shor machate, zid karte
Mani ki titliyon ke peechhe daudte phirte the alfaaz

Meri nazm mujh se bahot chhoti thi


Jaane samay kab beet gaya
Gudyo.n ke par nikle aur who pariyo.n si aazaad hui
Lafz javaan hokar izhaar ki raah chal nikle


Aur main tanha,
Apni parayi aankhon se ye dekh raha hoo.n
Meri ungli thaam ke chalne waali nazm
Ab apne pairo.n pe khadi hai

Meri nazm- mujh se badi hai




ADOLESCENCE

My poem, just an infant

In my embrace for hours played
Fingers of verses half-composed
Playfully around my neck laid

Words and phrases-
Restless, in the cradle of my mind,
On the floor of my heart, weeping,
Stubborn, on the tip of my pen,
Chasing butterflies of meaning

My poem was younger to me,

And how now the time has passed,
Wingless dolls like fairies have flown
Adolescent words tread paths of expression
And I here, detached, alone

Watch with my distant gaze,
The poem, that once needed my hand,
Now strong upon its feet stays

My poem is now, bigger than me.

BIRTH

He is born now

As the still night gives way

To the soft twilight

Small hands

Reach out to grab wisps of air

And render time breathless

Vibrant eyes,

Reflect the light

Of stars undiscovered

Unstable feet,

Hold the promise

Of playing in virgin soils

Of paths untrodden

His face, the destination

Of a pilgrimage of expression

His cry

The sound of inviting brooks

Whose ripples skip along the pebbles of time

As they travel to meet the rivers of tomorrow

Fragile, feeble, beautiful and whole

My ‘dream’ is born now

Ghazal

This is my first ever attempt at the ghazal form of urdu poetry. I have played around with the triveni and nazm (here and here) forms earlier and even had the audacity to add a couplet or two to some poor souls already established meters (including Ghalib’s which I am too ashamed to show anyone). However whenever I contemplated deciding on my own meter, I felt I was biting off more than I would have been able to chew. I have bitten off anyways now and the crumbs that fell off are here:

Thaki dopehar ko behlaati hui shaam nahi

Meri sulagti bechainiyo.n ko aaraam nahi

Kahi.n to dil ki siyaahi mei.n kuch kami hogi

Ke khat mein khushboo hai meri, mera naam nahi

Dil pe dard ki likhai thi, so mita di humne

Bas bujh bujh se gaye lafz, hue tamaam nahi

Kya ke phir is tarah ek aur mulaqaat gayi

Nahi ishaara nazar ka, koi salaam nahi

Maut aayi to mitti aur jism ek khaak hue

Chalo is rooh pe ab pairahan ka ilzam nahi

Is manzil pe le aaye.n hain aql-o-ishq, ke jahaa.n

Hosh ka kuch kaam nahi, bekhudi ka ehteraam nahi

Sachhe sher ‘Sadia’, ek umr laga dete hain

Kore kaagazo.n pe waqt ka koi muqaam nahi

Tags: urdu poetry urdu ghazal

Another Life

We the weary travelers of the dark
Like the shadowed peaks of snow
In anticipation stood,
Humbled, tired, cold and drained
Waiting for another morning
To restore that which the night had sapped
Waiting for the benevolent sun
Armed with candles of rays
To light the altar of our hearts
As it lit the lamps of snow
To make us alive, to make us glow
Once again…….

CHAND

Ye chand kabhi,
Ek angrez ‘tea planter’ lagta hai.
Roz raat ke siyaah ‘suit’ mein,
Apna gora chamakta chehra liye,
Bagaan ke beech guzarti hui,
Wahi raah chalta hai.
Kabhi pedo.n mein chhipta,
Kabhi apne ‘pipe’ ke dhue.ndaar baadalo.n mein gum.

Mai.n aksar usey dekhti hoon,
Apni yaado.n ke patte chunte.
Kabhi to uski nazar, mujh par bhi pade.


More pictures on moon here

Previous related write-ups:
A previous attempt at urdu
The Night
Images

Tags:
poetry moon urdu imagery

The Raindrop

Glistening upon my window pane
The drop of rain
Beckons
To a refracted reality…

To a realm of humbled buildings,
Their erect forms, bent.
People, crooked and broken,
Hiding behind the fluorescence of twisted synthetic umbrellas.
Trees, melting and liquid
Streets, indefinitely turning, confused,
Misdirecting lost travelers

How potent is this drop of rain
That washes away the facades?
Facades that have survived storms
Of winds and tears…

More pictures on rain here

Technocrati Tags: rain, raindrop, poem,

Another Independence Day

Trudging among the corpses of lifeless emotions
Carrying in his bosom the grief of thousand deaths
His feet decayed and infected with pseudo secularism
His crown studded with gems reddened in the blood of martyrs
His head held high in leftover pride
Sadly humming songs of past splendor
Holding his crutches with weak hands
A tired and old Freedom limped past today…..

Independence,Freedom,Independence Day,India