Beautifully sung by Salma Agha. See in the end, Ahmed Faraz is in tears :)

zindagi yun thi ke jeene ka bahana tu tha hum faqat zaib-e-hikayat the, fasana tu tha (faqat=alone, zaib=ornament, hikayat=story, zaib-e-hikayat=existing only in story)

hum ne jis jis ko bhi chaha tere hijran mein, woh log aate jaate huye mausam the, zamana tu tha

ab ke kuch dil hi na maana ke palat kar aate warna hum dar-ba-daron ka to thikana tu tha (dar-ba-dar=door to door)

yaar aghayaar ke haathon mein kamanein thi ‘Faraz’ aur sab dekh rahe the ke nishana tu tha (aghayaar=enemy, kamaan=bow)

ज़िन्दगी यूँ थी कि जीने का बहाना तू था हम फ़क़त जेबे-हिकायत थे फ़साना तू था

हमने जिस जिस को भी चाहा तेरे हिज्राँ में वोह लोग आते जाते हुए मौसम थे ज़माना तू था

अबके कुछ दिल ही ना माना क पलट कर आते वरना हम दरबदरों का तो ठिकाना तू था

यार अगियार कि हाथों में कमानें थी फ़राज़ और सब देख रहे थे कि निशाना तू था

Here is the video of Salma Agha singing

Here is one with audio only but with better quality

Ahmed Faraz himself reciting it

Comments

Comment by Aman…. on 2010-06-23 19:56:21 +0530

Too good! Awesome!

Comment by xitija on 2011-02-27 20:51:58 +0530

it was such a pleasure going through this blog … thnks for sharing such wonderful poetry … keep posted … 🙂

Comment by Shubha Baldota on 2012-02-03 01:56:28 +0530

Great work..done quite painsatakingly and with mahabbat…!

Comment by biswajit on 2012-10-05 02:06:42 +0530

Very nice.
Thanks a lot.

Comment by faraz on 2014-12-17 12:20:17 +0530

faraz shahab ka ky andaz h byan krne ka laajawab superb.