Poetry I Love

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

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

This one is sung by Mehdi Hassan. Simply awesome. Very simple wording and just beautiful. At the moment I don’t know the name of the poet. Will try to find out.

yaaro kisi kaatil se kabi pyar na mango
apne hi gale ke liye talwaar na mango

gir jauge tum apne maseeha ki nazar se
mar kar bhi ilaaz-e-dil-e-bimar na mango

sach baat pe milta hai sada zeher ka pyala
jeena hai to fir jurrat-e-izhaar na mango

khul jayega is tarah nigahon ka bharam bhi
kaanton se kabhi phool ki mehkaar na mango

us cheez ka kya zikar jo mumkin hi nahi hai
sehra mein kabhi saya-e-dewaar na mango

Sidhu

One of my favourite. Its written by Ahmed Faraz. Sung by many singers but the one by Mehdi Hassan is just awesome. Listen it here.

ranjish hi sahi dil hi dukhaane k liye a
a phir se mujhe chod k jaane k liye a

pehle se marasim na sahi phir bhi kabhi to
rasm-o-rahe dunia hi nibhane k liye a
(marasim-relationship)

kis kis ko batayenge judai ka sabab hum
tu mujh se khafa hai to zamane k liye a

kuch to mere pindaar-e-mohabbat ka bharam rakh
tu bhi to kabhi mujh ko manane k liye a
(pindaar-pride,self-esteem)

ek umar se hun lazzat-e-giriya se bhi maharum
ai rahat-e-jaan mujh ko rulane k liye a
(giriya-crying)

ab tak dil-e-khush-faham ko tujh se hai umeedein
yeh aakhri shamein bhi bujhane k liye a

Few more stanazas written by Talib Baghpati on the same rythm. Mehdi Hassan almost always sings along with the original ghazal.

mana k mohabbat ka chipana hai mohabbat
chupke se kisi roz jatane k liye a

jaise tujhe aate hain na aane k bahane
aise hi kisi roz na jaane k liye a…