Poetry I Love

Ahmed Faraz

woh tafawutein hain mere khuda k yeh tu nahi koi aur hai
k tu aasman pe, ho to ho, pai sar-e-zameen koi aur hai
(tafawutein - doori,distance)

woh jo raaste the wafa ke the,yeh jo manzalein hain, saza ki hain
mera hamsafar koi aur tha, tera hamnashin koi aur hai
(hamnashin - associate)

mere jism-o-jaan mein tere siwa, nahi koi bhi doosra
mujhe fir b lagta hai is tarah k kahin kahin koi aur hai

main aseer apne gizaal ka, main fakir dashat-e-visaal ka
jo hiran ko baandh ke le gaya woh Subuktageen koi aur hai
(aseer - prisoner, gizaal - a beautiful deer, Subuktageen - Sultan Mahmood’s father)

main ajab musafir-e-beamaan k jahan jahan b gaya wahan
mujhe laga mera khaakdan yeh zamin nahi koi aur hai
(musafir-e-beamaan - traveler without a shelter, khaakdan - world, sansaar)

rahe bekhabar mere yaar tak, kabhi is pe shak kabi us pe shak
mere ji ko jiski rahi lalk, woh kamar-jabin koi aur hai
(kamar-jabin - mehboob, lover)

yeh jo chaar din ke nadeem hain, unhe kya ‘Faraz’ koi kahe
woh mohabattein, woh shikayatein, hame jis se thi koi aur hai
(nadeem - friends)

By Sayed Ahmed Akhtar

kuch haqeeqat to hua karti thi afsaano mein
woh bhi baki nahi is daur ke insaano mein

waqt ka sell baha le gaya sab kuch warna
pyar ke dher lage the mere khilyaano mein
(sell - flood, khilyaano - ?)

shaakh se katne ka gam unko bahut tha lekin
phool majboor the, haste rahe guldaano mein

unki pehchaan ki keemat to ada karni thi
jaanta hai koi apno mein na begano mein

sar hi ham forne jayein to kahan jeyenge
khokhle kaanch ke butt hai tere butt-khano mein
(butt-khana - temple)

Another beauty by Faraz Sahab…it looks like a continuation of suna hai log use aankh bhar ke dekhte hain.

abhi kuch aur karishme ghazal ke dekhte hain
Faraz ab zara lehza badal ke dekhte hain

judaiyan to mukaddar hai fir b jaan-e-safar
kuch aur door zara saath chal ke dekhte hain

rah-e-wafa mein hareef-e-khiraam koi to ho
so apne aap se aage nikal ke dekhte hain
(hareef-e-khiraam - leading)

tu sahmne hai to fir kyon yakeen nai aata
yeh baar baar jo aankhon ko mal ke dekhte hain

yeh kaun log hain mauzood teri mehfil mein
jo laalchon se tujhe aur mujhko jal ke dekhte hain

yeh kubar kya hai k yakza hue na door rahe
hazaar ek hi kaalib mein dhal ke dekhte hain
(yakza - together, kubar - ?)

na tujhko maat hui hai na mujhko maat hui
so ab ke dono hi chaalein badal ke dekhte hain

yeh kaun hai sar-e-sahal k doobne wale
samundaron ki tahon se uchal ke dekhte hain
(sar-e-sahal - bank,kinara)

abhi talak to na kundan hue na raakh hue
hum apni aag mein har roz jal k dekhte hain
(kundan - bright)

bahut dino se nahi hai kuch uski khair khabar
chalo Faraz ku-e-yaar chalke dekhte hain…
(ku-e-yaar - street of the beloved)

A beautiful poem by Faiz Ahmed Faiz:

woh log bahut khushkismat the
jo ishq ko kaam samjhte the
ya kaam se aashiqi karte the
hum jeete ji mashroof rahe
kuch ishq kiya, kuch kaam kiya
kaam ishq ke aade aata raha
aur ishq se kaam uljhata raha
phir aakhir mein tang akar humne
dono ko adhoora chod diya…

One of my all time favourite songs. Beautifully sung by Musarrat Nazir. Awesome lyrics:

chale to kat hi jeyga safar
ahista ahista

hum uske paas jate the
magar ahista ahista

abi taaron se khelo
chand ki kirno se ithlao
milegi uske chehre ki sahar
ahista ahista

(ithlao - play with)

dareecho ko to dekho
chilmanon ke raaz to samjho
uthayenge parda haye baam-o-dar
ahista ahista

(dareecho - ?,chilmanon - ?, baam - housetop or roof, dar - door)

yun hi ik roz apne dil ka qissa b suna dena
khita ahista ahista
nazar ahista ahista

(khita - to address)

chale to kat hi jeyga safar
ahista ahista

A gem by Ahmed Faraz, in his own voice…

Another gem of Ghulam Ali and my favourite. Its written by Aaga Bismil. The audio you can listen here and I am embedding the video also. The ones in blue are there in live version only.

teri baat hi sunaane aaye
dost bhi dil hi dukhaane aaye
phool khilte hain
to hum sochte hain
tere aane k zamane aaye

chand kaliyan nishaat ki chun kar
muddaton mein rihas rehta hoon
tera milna khushi ki baat sahi
tujse mil kar udas rehta hon

(nishaat - joy, rihaas - ?)

nazar nazar se milao
bahar ke din hain
gamon bhai bhool jao
bahar ke din hain

shayad mujhe nikaal ke pachta rahe ho aap
mehfil mein is khiyal se fir a gaya hoon main

mehfil mein baar baar kisi par nazar gai
humne bachai laakh
magar phir udhar gai
mehfil mein baar baar kisi par nazar gai…

unki nazar to koi to jaadu jaroor hai
jis par padi
usi ke jigar tak utar gai…

us bewafa ki aankh se aansu jhalak pade
hasrat bhari nigah
bada kaam kar gai…

(hasrat - desire)

unke jamaal-e-rukh pe unhi ka jamaal tha
woh chal diye
to raunak-e-shaamo sahar gai…

(jamaal-e-rukh - glowing face, roshan chehra)

unko khabar karo ke hai “Bismil” kareeb-e-marg
woh aayange jaroor
jo un tak khabar gai…

(kareeb-e-marg - near death)

This one is sung by Munni Begum. I couldn’t find the name of the writer. You can listen to it here on pz10.

lazzat-e-gam bada deejiye
aap yun muskara deejiye…

keemat-e-dil bata deejiye
khaaq le kar uda deejiye…

aap andhere mein kab tak rahein
fer koi ghar jala deejiye…

chand kab tak gehan mein rahe
aap zulfein hata deejiye…

mera daaman bahut saaf hai
koi tohmat laga deejiye…

ik samundar ne avaaz di
mujhko paani pila deejiye

One of my favourite ghazals of Ghulam Ali. The sweetness of love translated into beauty of lyrics. Its written by Hasrat Mohni then sung by Ghulam Ali. Asha Bhosle also sung it in one of her albums [That album was probably a tribute to popular ghazals of the old time] The live version by Ghulam Ali can be listened to, here.

chupke chupke raat din aansu bahana yaad hai
humko ab tak aashiqi ka woh zamana yaad hai

khench lena woh mera parde ka kona daffatan
aur dupatte se tera moonh chupana yaad hai
humko ab tak aashiqi ka woh zamana yaad hai

(daffatan-suddenly)

berukhi ke saath sun-na dard-e-dil ki dastaan
woh kalai mein tera kangan ghumana yaad hai
humko ab tak aashiqi ka woh zamana yaad hai

waqt-e-rukhsat alwida ka lavz kehne ke liye
woh tere sookhe labon ka thar-tharana yaad hai
humko ab tak aashiqi ka woh zamana yaad hai

a gaya gar vasl ki shab bhi kahin zikar-e-firaaq
woh tera ro ro ke bhi mujh ko rulana yaad hai
humko ab tak aashiqi ka woh zamana yaad hai

dopeher ki dhoop mein mere bulaane ke liye
woh tera kothe pe nange paaon aana yaad hai
humko ab tak aashiqi ka woh zamana yaad hai

tujhse milte hi woh kuch bebaak ho jana mera
aur tera daaton mein woh ungali dabana yaad hai
humko ab tak aashiqi ka woh zamana yaad hai

chori chori hum se tum aakar mile the jis jagah
muddatein guzri par ab tak woh thikana yaad hai
humko ab tak aashiqi ka woh zamana yaad hai

tujhko jab tanha kabhi pana to az raah-e-lihaaz
haal-e-dil baaton hi baaton mein batana yaad hai
humko ab tak aashiqi ka woh zamana yaad hai

ba-hazaaran iztiraabo sad-hazaaran ishitiaaq
tujhe woh pehle pehal dil ka lagana yaad hai
humko ab tak aashiqi ka woh zamana yaad hai

(iztiraab - restlessness,perturbation, ishitiaaq - craving, ba - ? , sad - hundered)

This one is by Ghulam Ali. It was in the album Tere Shahar Mein. It was one of the first albums of Ghulam Ali to be released in India. Its available online on musicindiaonline and can be listened to, here

hamein to ab bhi woh guzra zamana yaad aata hai
tumhe bhi kya kabi koi dewana yaad aata hai…

hawaein tej thi, baarish bhi thi, tufan bhi tha lekin
tera aise main bhi waada nibhana yaad aata hai

guzar chuki thi bahut raat baaton-baaton main
fir uth k woh tera shama bujhana yaad aata hai

ghatayein kitni hi dekhi hain par mujhe ‘israr’
kisi ka rukh pe woh zulfein girana yaad ata hai

Sidhu