Mohabbat Ho Bhi Sakti Thi

Jo kuch din saath reh letay

Jo kuch din baat ho jaati

Manaanay, rooth jaanay ka agar yeh silsila rehta

To phir jaanaa.n

Mohabbat ho bhi sakti thee

~ Faakhra Batool

Tajaahil-e-Aarifaana

Johri ko kiya maaloom kis tarah ki mitti mein kesay phool hotay hain

Kis tarah ke phoolon mein

Kesi baas hoti hai

Johri ko kiya maaloom

Johri to saari umr pattharon mein rehta hai

Zar-garon mein rehta hai

Johri ko kiya maaloom

Yeh to bus vohi jaanay

Jis ne apni mitti se

Apna aik ik paimaa.n

Istevaar rakkha ho

Jis ne harf-e-paimaa.n ka etebaar rakkha ho

Johri ko kiya maaloom kis tarah ki mitti mein kesay phool hotay hain

Kis tarah ke phoolon mein

Kesi baas hoti hai

~ Iftikhar Arif

johri = one who deals with precious stones; jeweller

baas = smell

zar-gar = someone who deals with wealth and financial matters/money related issues

paimaa.n = promise; word

istevaar = continued; kept; maintained

etebaar = trust (but in this poem, it's taken to mean "honour" [verb])

Vohi Iztiraab-e-Firaaq

Vohi iztiraab-e-firaaq hai, vohi ishtiyaaq-e-visaal hai

Teri justuju mein jo haal tha, tujhay paa ke bhi vohi haal hai

iztiraab = extreme restlessness

firaaq = separation

ishtiyaaq = eagerness

visaal = union

justuju = desire

Na maal-e-zeest ki fikr hai, na tabaahiyon ka kheyaal hai

Mujhay sirf is ka malaal hai, keh tumhain bhi mera malaal hai

maal = money (or anything that has value)

zeest = life

tabaahiyon = disasters

malaal = sorrow

Teri aarzu ka he faiz hai, teri yaad he ka kamaal hai

Kabhi mujh ko tera kheyaal tha, magar aaj apna kheyaal hai

faiz = benefit

kamaal = miracle

Nahin koi rahnuma to kiya, hai khilaaf saari fiza to kiya

Mujhay fikr-e-sood-o-ziyaa.n ho kiyoon, teri yaad shaamil-e-haal hai

rahnuma = leader

sood = interest; benefit

ziyaa.n = loss

Mera haal aaj zuboo.n hai kiyoon, mera dard aaj fuzoo.n hai kiyoon

Mere meherbaa.n mere chaaragar, teri aabru ka savaal hai

zuboo.n = bad condition; lowest of lows

fuzoo.n = visible, bright

chaaragar = friend; he who listens

aabru = respect; reputation

~ Qabil Ajmeeri

Dropping By

Hey guys,

I was just gonna post the entry for today, but I felt I owed you guys an explanation for the long leave. I'm perfectly fine, and thankfully so is my laptop. I was just not into the groove of things lately.

Fall is usually hard on me, and so is early winter...I think this is a very depressing time of the year. And then since my mom's death anniversary is coming up too, I'm just not my usual self. From the 16th of Ramadan (since that's the lunar date of her death) till the 11th of November (the Gregorian date), I relive her death and the days leading up to it again and again, whether I want to or not.

Anyway, I'll try my best to get back to being regular here. I hope you continue to give my collection a read.

Take care,

A

Hum Keh Thehre Ajnabi

Twistedness of Life

Ab us ko kho raha hoon baray ishtiyaaq se
Vo jis ko dhoondnay mein zamaana laga mujhay

Is Se Pehlay Keh

Eid Mubarak

Dearest friends,

I wish you and your loved ones an amazing Eid.

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