ab bhalaa chhoR ke ghar kyaa karte
shaam ke vaqt safar kyaa karte

terii masruufiyateN jaante the
apne aane kii Khabar kyaa karte

(masruufiyateN : engagements)

jab sitaare hii nahiiN mil paaye
le ke ham shams-o-qamar kyaa karte

(shams-o-qamar : Sun and the Moon)

vo musaafir hii khulii dhuup kaa thaa
saaye phailaa ke shajar kyaa karte

(shajar : tree)

Khaak hii avval-o-aaKhir thahrii
kar (?) ke zarre ko gauhar kyaa karte

(Khaak : dust; avval-o-aaKhir : in the beginning and the end; zarre : particles; gauhar : jewels)

raaye pehle se hii banaa lii tuune
dil meN ab ham tere ghar kyaa karte

ishq ne saare saliiqe bakhshe
husn se kasb-e-hunar kyaa karte

(saliiqe : etiquettes; kasb-e-hunar : ?)

Parveen Shakir

Listen to an amazing rendition by Tina Sani below:

maskan-e-maah-o-saal chhoR gayaa
dil ko us kaa Khayaal chhoR gayaa

(maskan : abode; maah-o-saal : months and years)

taazah-dam jism-o-jaaN the furqat meN
vasl us kaa nidhaal chhoR gayaa

(taazah-dam : fresh; jism-o-jaaN : body and soul; furqat : separation; vasl : meeting; nidhaal : exhausted)

ahd-e-maazii jo thaa ajab purhaal
aik viiraan haal chhoR gayaa

(ahd-e-maazii : time of past; purhaal : eventful)

zaala-baarii ke marhaloN kaa safar
qaafile, paayemaal chhoR gayaa

(zaala-baarii : hailstorm; marhale : stages;  paayemaal : devastated)

dil ko ab ye bhii yaad ho ke na ho
kaun thaa , kyaa malaal chhoR gayaa

maiN bhii ab Khud se huuN  javaab-talab
vo mujhe be-savaal chhoR gayaa

Jaun Elia

ek hunar hai jo kar gayaa huuN maiN
sab ke dil se utar gayaa huuN maiN

(hunar : skill)

kaise apnii haNsii ko zabt karuuN
sun rahaa huuN ke ghar gayaa huuN maiN

(zabt : control)

kyaa bataauuN ke mar nahiiN paataa
jiite ji jab se mar gayaa huuN maiN

ab hai bus apna saamnaa darpesh
har kisii se guzar gayaa huuN maiN

(darpesh : to confront)

voh hii naaz-o-adaa, voh hii Ghamze
sar-ba-sar aap par gayaa huuN maiN

(naaz-o-adaa : playfulness; Ghamze : amorous glances; sar-ba-sar : from top to bottom)

ajab ilzaam huuN zamaane kaa
ke yahaaN sab ke sar gayaa huuN maiN

kabhii Khud tak pahunch nahiiN paayaa
jab keh vaaN umr bhar gayaa huuN maiN

tum se jaanaaN milaa huuN jis din se
be-tarah, Khud se dar gayaa huuN maiN

kuu–e–jaanaaN meN sog barpaa hai
ke achaanak, sudhar gayaa huuN maiN

(kuu–e–jaanaaN : house of the beloved)

Ghazal by Jaun Elia

kab uskaa visaal chaahiye thaa
bas aik Khayaal chaahiye thaa

(visaal : meeting)

kab dil ko javaab se Gharz thii
hoNToN ko savaal chaahiye thaa

shauq ek nafas thaa aur vafaa ko
paas-e-maah-o-saal chaahiye thaa

(nafas : moment; maah-o-saal : months and years)

ek chehraa-e-saadaa thaa jo hamko
be-misl-o-misaal chaahiye thaa

(be-misl-o-misaal : incomparable)

ek qarb meN zaat-o-zindagii haiN
mumkin ko muhaal chaahiye thaa

Jaun Elia

badan ke donoN kinaaroN se jal rahaa huuN maiN
ke chhuu rahaa huuN tujhe, aur pighal rahaa huuN maiN

tujhii pe Khatm hai jaanaaN mire zavaal kii raat
tuu ab tulu bhii ho jaa, ke Dhal rahaa huuN maiN

(zavaal : nadir; tulu :  appearing)

bulaa rahaa hai miraa jaamaa-zeb milne ko
to aaj pairahan-e-jaaN badal rahaa huuN maiN

(jaamaa-zeb : ?;  pairahan-e-jaaN : clothes of the soul)

Ghubaar-e-rahguzar kaa ye hauslaa bhii to dekh
havaa-e-taazaa! tire saath chal rahaa huuN maiN

(Ghubaar-e-rahguzar : dust of the path;  havaa-e-taazaa : fresh breeze)

maiN Khvaab dekh rahaa huuN ke vo pukaartaa hai,
aur apne jism se baahar nikal rahaa huuN maiN

Irfan Siddiqui

Courtesy: Zoya

sochtaa huuN ke mahfuuz kar luuN ise apne siine meN lafz-o-bayaaN kii tarah
thoRii hii der meN yeh mulaaqaat bhii Khatm ho jaayegi daastaaN kii tarah

(mahfuuz : safe; lafz-o-bayaaN : words and description; daastaaN : story)

yeh rafaaqat bahut muKhtasar hai mirii hamsafar laa mire haath meiN haath de
tuu havaa-e-sar-e-rahguzar kii tarah, maiN kisii nakhat-e-raayegaaN kii tarah

(rafaaqat : friendship; muKhtasar : short; havaa-e-sar-e-rahguzar : wind over the pathways; nakhat-e-raayegaaN : smell that is not of any use)

haal zaalim shikaarii kii suurat mujhe, vaqt kii ziin se baandh kar le chalaa
mera maazii mire saath chaltaa rahaa duur tak ek majbuur maaN kii tarah

(ziin : saddle; maazii : past)

sang-e-aazaar kii baarisheN tez thiiN, aur bachne ka koii tariiqaa na thaa
raftaa raftaa sabhii ne saroN par ko’ii be-hisii taan lii saayebaaN kii tarah

(sang : rocks; aazaar : difficulties)

KhvahishoN ke samandar se ek mauj uThhi, aur sail-e-balaa-Khez bantii gayii
jism kashtii kii maanind ulaTne lage, pairahan uR gaye baadbaaN kii tarah

(sail-e-balaa-Khez : ?)

Irfan Siddiqui

Courtesy: Zoya

shola-e-ishq bujhaanaa bhii nahiiN chaahtaa hai
vo magar Khud ko jalaanaa bhii nahiiN chaahtaa hai

(sholaa : fireball)

us ko manzuur nahiiN hai mirii gumraahii bhii,
aur mujhe raah pe laana bhii nahiiN chaahtaa hai

sair bhii jism ke sehraa kii Khush aatii hai magar,
der tak Khaak uRaanaa bhii nahiiN chaahtaa hai

(sair : wander; sehraa : wilderness)

kaise us shaKhs se tabiir pe israar kareN
jo koii Khwaab dikhaana bhii nahiiN chaahtaa hai

(tabiir : realization)

apne kis kaam meN laayega bataata bhii nahiiN
ham ko auroN pe ganvaanaa bhii nahiiN chaahtaa hai

mere lafzoN meN bhii chhuptaa nahiiN paikar us ka,
dil magar naam bataana bhii nahiiN chaahtaa hai

Irfan Siddiqui 

Courtesy: Zoya

Khataa maine ko’ii bhaarii nahiiN kii
amiir-e-shah’r se yaarii nahiiN kii

(amiir-e-shah’r : powerful people of the city)

kisii mansab kisii ohde kii khaatir
ko’ii tadbiir baazaarii nahiiN kii

(mansab : exalted position; ohde : position of influence; tadbiir : efforts)

bas itnii baat per duniyaa Khafaa hai
ke maine tujh se Ghaddaarii nahiiN kii

mirii baatoN meN kyaa taasiir hotii
kabhii maiN ne adaakaarii nahiiN kii

(taasiir : effect)

mire aiboN ko ginvaayaa to sab ne
kisii ne merii Gham-Khwaarii nahiiN kii

Tabish Mehdi

sitam-rasiidaa hai Hindustan meN Urdu
isii zubaan meN Hindustan ziyaadaa hai

(sitam-rasiidaa : persecuted)

———

ucchal paRtaa hai saayaa aur mujhko Dar nahiiN lagtaa
ko’ii aaseb ho insaan se baRh kar nahiiN lagtaa

(aaseb : ghost)

kahiiN kacche phaloN ko sang-baarii toR letii hai
kahiiN phal suukh jaate haiN ko’ii patthar nahiiN lagtaa

(sang-baarii : barrage of stones)

hazaaroN mushkileN haiN dostoN se duur rahne meN
magar ek faaydaa hai piiTh par Khanjar nahiiN lagtaa

———

kahaa phir phone par maaN se ke raavii aish likhtaa hai
samandar paar meraa haal kyaa hai kisne dekhaa hai

(raavii : narrator)

ujaale ke numaainde nayii taariiKh likhte haiN
jalaayii haiN kuch itnii bastiyaaN har suu ujaalaa hai

(numaainde : nominated members)

itnii nokiilii kirnoN se pauDhaa to jal jaayegaa
lekin das-baaraah GhanToN meN suuraj bhii Dhal jaayegaa

Muzaffar Hanfi

Courtesy: Syed Abubaker Maliki

sach baat maan leejiye chehre pe dhuul hai
ilzaam aaiinoN pe lagaanaa fizuul hai

(ilzaam : accusation; fizuul : useless)

terii navaazisheN hoN to kaaNTaa bhii phuul hai
Gham bhii mujhe qubuul, Khushii bhii qubuul hai

(navaazish : generosity; qubuul : acceptable)

us paar ab to ko’ii teraa muntazir nahiiN
kacche GhaRe pe tair kar jaanaa fizuul hai

(muntazir : waiting)

jab bhii milaa hai zaKhm kaa tohfaa diyaa mujhe
dushman zaruur hai vo magar baa-usuul hai

(tohfaa : gift; baa-usuul : principled)

Anjum Rahbar