Aik Aarzu

Duniya ki mehfilon se ukta gaya hoon ya Rabb
Kiya lutf anjuman ka jab dil he bujh gaya ho
ukta = tired, worn out, sick of
lutf = pleasure
anjuman = gathering

(O Lord, I'm tired of this worldly life, these routines, these daily chores. What is the point of having people around when the heart is worn out?)

Shorish se bhaagta hoon dil dhoondta hai mera
Aisa sakoot jis per taqdeer bhi fida ho
shorish = noise
sakoot = calm, peace

(I run away from noise, in search of peace and quiet. Since fate has destined this nuisance , this chaos for me, if I found the calm that my heart needs, even fate wouldn't be able to, be cruel enough, to take such marvelous peace away from me)

Marta hoon khaamshi per yeh aarzu hai meri
Daaman mein koh ke ik chota sa jhompra ho
koh = hill, mountain
jhompra = hut

(I'm a die hard fan of silence. I wish to have a hut at the bottom of a hill)

Aazaad fikr se hoon uzlat mein din guzaaroon
Duniya ke gham ka dil se kaanta nikal gaya ho
uzlat = poverty (but the word isn't taken in its literal form here. It's simply employed to borrow the idea of freedom from worries that accompany riches, wealth, fame, and so on)

(I want to be free from the responsibilities that inevitably come with a worldly life. I don't want to have these concerns pinching me anymore)

Lazzat sarod ki ho chiriyon ki chehchahon mein
Chashmay ki shorishon mein baaja sa baj raha ho
sarod = a musical instrument, kind of like 'sitaar'
chehchahon = chirping or birds

(A place where when the birds chirp, it gives the illusion of sarod playing in the background; a place where even the stream's running water would sound like a musical instrument. [Since music brings peace and calm to the soul])

Ho haath ka sarhaana sabzay ka ho bichona
Sharmaaye jis se jalvat khilvat mein vo ada ho
bichona = spread (noun)
jalvat = present, seeable
khilvat = absent, unseeable

(Nothing too fancy. A place where I'd use my arm as a pillow, the earth's green as my bed spread... a place which is so private that exposing it out in the open would embarass the world [because the world is deprived of such beauty])

Maanoos is qadar ho soorat se meri bulbul
Nannhay se dil mein us ke khatka na kuch mera ho
maanoos = familiar
khatka = fear

(I want the surroundings to be familiar of me. I want the birds to be so used to my presence that if I were to approach them, they won't fly away)

Ho dil-fareb aisa kohsaar ka nazaara
Paani bhi mauj ban kar uth uth ke dekhta ho
dil-fareb = exquisite
mauj = leher, waves, tide

(I want the view of the hiltop to be so breathtakingly beautiful that the lake's water would want to jump up and see it)

Aaghosh mein zamee.n ki soya hua ho sabza
Phir phir ke jhaariyon mein paani chamak raha ho
aaghosh = lap

(I want greenery and dew everywhere)

Mehndi lagaaye sooraj jab shaam ki dulhan ko
Surkhi liye sunehri her phool ki qaba ho
qaba = outfit

(When the sun would set, I'd want its departing rays to make all the flowers appear golden)

Pichlay peher ki koel vo subha ki muazzin
Main us ka hamnava hoon vo meri hamnava ho
muazzin = he who calls to prayers
hamnava = sing-along partner

(At dawn, when the birds wake up to pray, I want to be accompanying them in their praise and admiration of God and nature)

Phoolon ko aaye shabnam jis dam wuzu karaanay
Rona mera wuzu ho naala meri dua ho
naala = malady, fariyaad

(When dew would fall to ablute flowers, I want my tears to be my cleansing agents. Since tears come when the heart is in pain or it realizes its fault and is guilty, the poet is expressing the wish to be remorseful at that hour, at dawn, so he can start his day fresh - a new beginning. He also wants his malady to be his prayer, so he can convey it to God and let God put him at ease)

Is khaamshi mein jaayen itnay buland naalay
Taaron ke qaaflay ko meri sada dara ho
dara = audible

(I want my inner maladies to be so loud, to be so strongly audible that even stars, which are so far away, be able to hear it. [Making sure it gets out of the system])

Her dardmand *dil ko rona mera rula de
Behosh jo paray hain shayed unhain jaga de

(I want my tragedies to touch every heart and I want my cries to wake up those who are oblivious to my pain. [Asking for the ear of those who hold solutions to people's problems, but chose to remain ignorant about the issues]).

~Allama Mohammad Iqbal

*Correction: In the first misra of the last sher in the Urdu version, it should read: 'Her dardmand dil ko rona mera rula de'