Raqeeb Se

Faiz Ahmad Faiz

This is a monologue as a man addresses another who, long ago, was vying for the attentions of the same woman.

Aa keh waabasta hain us husn ki yaaden tujh se

Come, for memories of that beauty are attached to you

Jis ne is dil ko paree khaana banaa rakkhaa thaa

She who had made this heart a fantasy land

Jis kee ulfat men bhula rakkhee thi dunya hum ne

In whose love I had forgotten the rest of the world

Dehar ko dehar ka afsaana banaa rakkhaa thaa

Had made a story of the world and time

Aashnaa hain tire qadmon se who raahen jin par

Those pathways are familiar with your feet, upon which

Us kee madhosh jawanee ne inaayat kee hai

She had bestowed with her intoxicated youth

Karwaan guzre hain jin se usee ra'naaee ke

From where caravans of that same beauty have passed

Jis kee in aankhon ne be sood ibaadat kee hai

That these eyes worshipped without heed to all else

Tujh se khelee hain who mehboob hawaaen jin men

Those loving breezes have played with you, where

Us ke malboos kee afsurdah mehak baaqee hai

The gentle and sad perfume of her attire lingers

Tujh pe bhi barsaa hai us baam se mehtaab kaa noor

The light from her has also rained upon you from that terrace

Jis men beetee huee raaton kee kasak baaqee hai

In which lingers the sweet ache of nights past

Tu ne dekhee hai woh peshaanee, woh rukhsaar, woh hont

You have witnessed that forehead, that aspect, those lips

Zindagee jin ke tasawwur men lutaa dee hum ne

In whose imagination I wasted away my life

Tujh pe utthee hain woh khoee huee saahir aankhen

Those lost magical eyes have been raised to meet yours

Tujh ko ma'loom hai kyoon umr ganwaa dee hum ne

You know why I wasted my youth pining

Hum pe mushtarikah hain ehsaan gham-e-ulfat ke

The gifts of the agony of love have been given to us equally

Itne ehsaan keh ginwaaoon to ginwaa na sakoon

So many gifts that I couldn't count them if I tried

Hum ne is ishq men kyaa khoyaa ai kyaa paayaa hai

What we have lost and gained through this love

Juz tere aur ko sumjhaaoon to sumjhaa naa sakoon

I couldn't explain to any other even if I tried

Hamari Saanson Men Aaj Tak

Performed separately by both Noor Jehan and Mehdi Hassan (to the same tune)

This is a beautiful piece. I will attempt to provide an English translation as well.

Hamari saanson men aaj tak woh hina ki khushbhoo mehak rahi hai

That sweet smell of henna lingers in my breaths even now

Labon pe naghme machal rahe hain, nazar se masti chhalak rahi hai

Songs are undulating on my lips, ardour is spilling over in my gaze

Woh mere nazdeek aate aate hayaa se ek din simat gaye the

She shyly withdrew that day while slowly coming closer and closer

Mere khayalon mein aaj tak woh badan ki daali lachak rahi hai

Her supple frame plays in my mind to this day

Sadaa jo dil se nikal rahi hai woh sher o naghmon mein dhal rahi hai

This cry coming from my heart finds its way in verses and songs

Keh dil ke aangan mein jaise koi ghazal ki jhaanjhar chhanak rahi hai

As if in the garden of my heart, the beat of a poem still rings

Tadap mere bekharar dil ki kabhi to un pay asar kare gi

The pining of my heart will surely have an affect on her some day

Kabhi to woh bhi jalen gay is men jo aag dil main dehak rahi hai

Some day, she too will burn in the flame that yet smoulders in my heart

Ibn-e-Insha

Ibn-e-Insha is known for simple language in much of his poetry; this poem evokes images of a simpler time -- there is almost an innocence in the easy nature of the writing:

Hum ghoom chuke bastee ban men
Ik aas kee phaans liye man men
Koi saajan ho koi pyaaraa ho
Koi deepak ho koi taaraa ho
Jab jeevan raat andhereee ho
        Ik baar kaho tum meri ho

Jab saawan baadal chaae hon
Jab phaagan phool khilaae hon
Jab chandaa roop lutaataa ho
Jab sooraj dhoop nahaataa ho
Yaa shaam ne bastee gheree ho
        Ik baar kaho tum meri ho

Haan dil kaa daaman phaelaa hai
Kyoon goree kaa dil maelaa hai
Hum kab tak peet ke dhoke men
Tum kab tak door jharoke men
Kab deed se dil ko seree ho
        Ik baar kaho tum meri ho

Kyaa jhagraa sood khasaare kaa
Yeh kaaj nahin banjaare kaa
Sab sonaa roopa le jaae
Sab duniya duniya le jaae
Tum ek mujhe bahteree ho
        Ik baar kaho tum meri ho

Akhtar Azad

Clearly, the verses are super-long here. Formatting took quite a while!


Koi chaudveen raat kaa chaand ban kar tumhaare tasavvur men
                                                                                                    aaya to ho gaa
        Kisee se to kee ho gee tum ne muhabbat, kisee ko gale se lagayaa
                                                                                                    to ho gaa

Tumhaare khayaalon kee angnaaiyon men meree yaad ke phool
                                                                                                    mehakte to hon ge
        Kabhi apnee aankhon ke kaajal se tum ne meraa naam likh kar
                                                                                                    mitaayaa to ho gaa

Labon se muhabbat kaa jaadoo lagaa kar, bharee bazm men sab se
                                                                                                    nazren churaa kar
        Nigaahon kee rahon se dil men samaa kar kisee ne tumhen bhi
                                                                                                    churaayaa to ho gaa

Kabhi aaine se nigaahen milaa kar jo lee ho gee bharpoor angraaee
                                                                                                    tu ne
        To ghabraa ke khud teree angraaeeon ne tere husn ko gudgudayaa
                                                                                                    to ho gaa

Nigaahon men shama-e-tamanna jalaa kar takee hon gee tum ne bhee
                                                                                                    raahen kisee kee
        Kisee ne to wa'dah kiyaa ho gaa tum se, kisee ne tumhen bhee
                                                                                                    rulaayaa to ho gaa

Charaagh Hasan Hasrat

Yaa rab, gham-e-hijraan men, itnaa to kiyaa hotaa
        Jo haath jigar par hai, woh dast-e-du'aa hotaa

Ik ishq kaa gham aafat, aur us peh yeh dil aafat
        Yaa gham na diyaa hotaa, yaa dil na diyaa hotaa

Naakaam-e-tamanna dil, is soch men rehtaa hai
        Yoon hotaa to kyaa hotaa, yoon hotaa to kyaa hotaa

Umeed to bandh jaatee, taskeen to ho jaatee
        Wa'dah naa wafaa karte, wa'dah to kiyaa hotaa

Ghairon se kahaa tum ne, ghairon se sunaa tum ne
        Kuch hum se kahaa hotaa, kuch hum se sunaa hotaa