Ambri (Mother) by Anwar Masood

"7 saal ho gaye? Dekho pata bhi nahin chala"
Of course aap ko pata nahin chala. Mujhay to pata chala. Her us vaqt jab koi chot lagi, pata chala. Jab jab koi takleef hui, pata chala. Jab jab dil dukha, pata chala. Her us mor per jab logon ne saath chora, pata chala. Aap ko bhala kesay pata chalta, zindagi to meri thee. Mujhay pata chala. Her pal pata chala.

Ab Jo Bikhray

Ab jo bikhray to bikharnay ki shikayat kesi
Khushk patton ki havaaon se rafaaqat kesi

Main ne her daur mein insaa.n se mohabbat ki hai
Jurm sangeen hai phir is mein riayat kesi

Aik patta bhi juda jab shaakh se hota hai
Kiya kahoon dil pe guzarti hai qayamat kesi

Zindagi tujh ko to lamhon ka safar jaana tha
Raah mein aa gayee saddiyon ki musaafat kesi

~Unknown

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

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

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

Woh Humsafar Tha

Suno Logo

Suno logo
Meri aankhain khareedo ge
Bohot majboor haalat mein mujhe neelaam karni hain
Koi mujh se naqd le le
Main thoray daam kar doon ga
Jo pehli boli de de ga
Usi ke naam kar doon ga
Mujhay bazaar vaalay keh rahay hain kam aql taajir
Aray sunsaan logo nahin hoon main hirs ka khwahaan
Nafa nuqsaan ki shatranj nahin main khelnay aaya
Koi mujh ko kahay na manchala sa behunar taajir
Bata paaoon tumhain kesay kis tashveesh mein rakkhoon
Suno logo
Bari mehboob tar hain mujh ko meri neem tar aankhain
Magar ab bechta hoon keh
Mujhay ik khaab ka taavaan bharna hai
Suno logo
Meri aankhain khareedo ge
Bohot majboor haalat mein mujhay neelaam karni hain

~ Unknown

neelaam = to auction
naqd = [on] cash
daam = price
taajir = sauda garr; he who does import/export (the proper noun is escaping me at the moment)
sunsaan = eerie; empty
hirs = greed
khwahaan = to be willing of
nafa = benefit; profit
shatranj = chess
manchala = crazy; demented
tashveesh = suspence
neem = almost
tar = wet
taavaan = ransom

I can write pages and pages in explaining this poem and still won't be able to do justice. It hits something very close to home, so I'll just stick to writing it in prose. It's up to you to give it your own meaning. Here goes:
[Do you want to buy my eyes? I'm auctioning them out of desperation (to meet a dire need), so I'll take whatever I get (compensation; money), from whoever makes the first bid. People are calling me names and think I'm an unskilled auctioneer, for selling my merchandise so haphazardly. Now how do I explain to them that I love my eyes very much, but I have to sell them because I need to pay ransom for a dream].

"3:30 AM" Blues

Yaad-e-maazi azaab hai ya Rabb
Cheen le mujh se haafza mera
----------------------------------------

Sher

Jahaan batt rahi thee khushi Zafar, vahaan jangalon ka rivaaj tha
Main qabeelay bhar mein naheef tha, meray haath kuch bhi laga nahin

Sher

Faseelain raasta rokay khari theen
Hamain tootay huay parr yaad aaye

~ Farigh Bukhari

Qarz

Her Zeenay Per

Her zeenay per her manzil per
Her pair talay her shaakh talay
Her parday her deevaar talay
Her khirki mein darvaazay mein
Her aatay jaatay rastay per
Her toli mein her dastay mein
Aye dost jahaan tak jaao ge
Tum mera chehra paao ge
Aye saathi dekho aik dafa
Tum apnay mann ka raaz to do
Main dil se tumhaari mukhlis hoon
Tum aik dafa aavaaz to do

~ Unknown

zeena = staircase
manzil = destination
pair = tree
talay = under
shaakh = branch
toli = group (informal - usually refers to a group of close friends)
dasta = group of people (usually used in reference to army)
mann = self
mukhlis = sincere

Jo Tu Ne

Jo tu ne banaayee hai khwabeedah bahisht
Jo tu ne jalaaye hain mohabbat ke chiraagh
Khaab shehzaada jisay tum dekhti ho
Naadeeda saahir jisay tum poojti ho
Roz chala aata hai saahir sa yahaan
Gar yeh he banay teray naseebon ka suhaag
Phir jo past kheyalaat ka maara niklay 
Tum he kaho ishq mein paagal larki
Kaun tiray khaabon ki gavaahi de ga

~ Muhammad Sabir

khwabeedah = dreamy
bahisht = heaven
naadeeda = invisible
saahir = magician
suhaag = husband
past = indecent
gavahi = testimony; witness

(This imaginary heaven that you have created in which you have lit the light of love; in which you dream of your prince charming, this magician who has enticed you with his many charms, who comes here everyday; if he ends up being your life partner, but turns out to be a bad person, who then will testify for the beauty of your dreams?)

(Explanation [One of my personal greatest concerns as well]: Every girl conjures up an image of an ideal life partner. When deciding to get married, every girl chooses what she thinks is the guy who best fits her fantasies. But then, what if, this guy that you placed on a pedestal, after getting married to you, turns out to be this giant ass. [E.g. says something like, "well, you went out with me and stuff, I don't know how many other guys you went out with, let come close to you, how can I trust your loyalty?] And then what choice would you have? What option? This is the guy you chose, he is the one you wanted to spend the rest of your life with, it was your decision... Who will ever understand the legitimacy of your aforementioned dreams? Who will ever be able to testify to the discrepancy between those dreams and how they panned out?!) 

Sher and Info

Since I've graduated, and a little before that too, I've been having computer issues. So I sincerely apologize for not having been so punctual in adding poems and such.

Here's a sher I read a while ago, and it has been stuck with me since then. Reminds me of ammi's death actually; rather the fragility of human life. Here goes:

Khaali haathon ko kabhi ghaur se dekha hai Faraz
Kis tarah log lakeeron se nikal jaatay hain