Sunday, July 25, 2010

News Update

Hello good people with impeccable taste in Urdu poetry!

Hope you're all doing great. I just wanted to inform you that I'm leaving for London today. So I won't be able to post new stuff until I come back, which will be the 12th of August. 

Ab aap sab se vaapsi per mulaqaat ho gee. Tab tak aap Rida Sahiba aur Raheem Shahzad Sahab ki collections se lutf andoz hon.

Since I won't be here to wish you at the appropriate time, I'll wish you early for a blessed Ramadan. I hope we can gain maximum benefits from this holy month. Kahin parha tha keh jab insaan se namaaz qaza ho jaati hai to vo sochta hai keh mujhay vaqt nahin mil saka, is liye qaza ho gayee. Per agar ghaur karain, aisi kaunsi khata ho gayee keh us parvardigaar ne us insaan ko apnay aagay khara karna pasand nahin farmaaya? 

Ab hamain mauqa mila hai keh ziyada se ziyada ibaadat kar ke apnay liye kuch bhalayee kar lain. Khuda hum sab ko naik taufeeq aur hidayat ata farmaaye, Ameen.

So take care and keep me in your prayers. 

~ A

Hamain Tum Se

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Hamain Justuju-e-Khaab

Hamain justuju-e-khaab ne sonay nahin diya
Ik najf-e-aarzu ko bhi khonay nahin diya
jusutju = search
najaf = (I don't have a clue!)


This poem is full of oxymoron-ish sentiments; a real contradiction between desires felt and steps taken in response to those desires. The desires represent a very average human predisposition (i.e no human is above certain wishes), whereas the actions show a solid command on the feelings. The poet is trying to show that sometimes we might now have any control on our thoughts, but we can definitely dictate our responses to these thoughts, portraying a very powerful aspect of human control.

(In this sher, the poet starts with dream. She says: my desire to dream was so overwhelming that it prevented me from falling asleep. I had a very negligible grip on a desire, but even with that I managed to hold on to my desire, my dream)

Ik aah-o-fughaa.n dil mein ajab shor kiye thee
Per chashm-e-tamanna ko bhigonay nahin diya
aah-o-fughaa.n = wail
chashm = sight
tamanna = khaahish


(My heart was in pain, whining and wailing, but I didn't let that pain turn into tears)

Taskheer-e-kaainaat ki koshish mein thay magan
Dil ko aseer-e-aashiyaa.n honay nahin diya
taskheer = conquer; to overcome
kaainaat = universe
magan = deeply involved [in doing something]
aseer = one who desires something which impressed him/her
aashiyaa.n = home


(I was deeply involved in trying to conquer the world, but I didn't let my heart desire a home of its own (i.e something minute compared to the entire world))

Itna he main ne naaz-e-rafaaqat diya usay
Vaaqif usay mizaaj se honay nahin diya
rafaaqat = companionship
vaaqif = to know something
mizaaj = temperament


(The only pride my partner can have in the partnership between us, is that he's not aware of my actual personality)

Kitnay sitaaray aankh se honay ko thay ravaan
Us ajnabi nigaah ne ronay nahin diya
ravaan = to set out (as in a journey)

(My eyes were full of tears, about to flow out, but the way he was looking at me, like a stranger, stopped me from crying out in front of him)

~ Faiza Javed

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Us Ke Nazdeek

Us ke nazdeek gham-e-tark-e-vafa kuch bhi nahin
Mutmain aisa hai vo jesay hua kuch bhi nahin

Ab to haathon se lakeerain bhi miti jaati hain
Us ko kho ker to meray paas raha kuch bhi nahin

Kal bicharrna hai to phir ehd-e-vafa soch ke baandh
Abhi aaghaaz-e-muhabbat hai gaya kuch bhi nahin

Main to is vaastay chup hoon keh tamaasha na banay
Tu samajhta hai mujhay tujh se gila kuch bhi nahin

Chaar din reh gaye mailay mein magar ab ke bhi
Us nay aanay ke liye khat mein likha kuch bhi nahin

Aye Shumaar aankhain isi tarha bichaaye rakhna
Jaanay kis vaqt vo aa jaaye, pata kuch bhi nahin

~Akhtar Shumaar