The Organic brew; pakistan, photography, qawwali, poetry & a general acerbic sentiment.

tum aaye ho na shab-e-intazaar guzarii hai
talaash me.n hai sahar baar baar guzarii hai

junuu.N me.n jitanii bhii guzarii bakaar guzarii hai
agarche dil pe Kharaabii hazaar guzarii hai

huii hai hazarat-e-naaseh se guftaguu jis shab
wo shab zaruur sar-e-kuu-e-yaar guzarii hai

wo baat saare fasaane me.n jisakaa zikr na thaa
wo baat unako bahot naa-gavaar guzarii hai

na gul khile hai.n, na unase mile, na mai pii hai
ajiib rang me.n ab ke bahaar guzarii hai

chaman me.n Gaarat-e-gulachii.N se jaane kyaa guzarii
qafas se aaj sabaa beqaraar guzarii hai

[Gaarat=pillage, plunder; gulachii.N=flower-plucker; qafas=cage]

I am always surprised by the diversity of emotions that Faiz sahib’s poetry can evoke, from the socialistic to the (purely) romantic; but always, i feel through a way that paints pictures in your head, that evokes not just your interpretations of the words he chooses, but brings to life atmospheric imagery that lends itself so well to ghazal gaaiki.

na gul khile hai.n, na unase mile, na mai pii hai
ajiib rang me.n ab ke bahaar guzarii hai

Wah.

Enjoy.

tarq e raah e rasm o junoon kar hi chuka tha
kyun aagai aiisay mein teri larzish e pah yaad

Lift not the painted veil which those who live
Call Life: though unreal shapes be pictured there,
And it but mimic all we would believe
With colours idly spread,–behind, lurk Fear
And Hope, twin Destinies; who ever weave
Their shadows, o’er the chasm, sightless and drear.
I knew one who had lifted it–he sought,
For his lost heart was tender, things to love,
But found them not, alas! nor was there aught
The world contains, the which he could approve.
Through the unheeding many he did move,
A splendour among shadows, a bright blot
Upon this gloomy scene, a Spirit that strove
For truth, and like the Preacher found it not.
Shelley

An interesting poem by Sahir with an meter that is reminiscent of Ghalib’s very lyrical style, but somehow also reminds me for some reason of Momin Khan Momin’s, kabhi hum bhi tum bhi..

Sung by Mohd. Rafi for Guru Dutt’s pyaasa - Indian cinema at its very acme, as it straddled the best of its own past and present..

ta.ng aa chuke hai.n kash-ma-kash-e-zindagii se ham
Thukaraa naa de.n jahaa.N ko kahii.n bedilii se ham

maayuusii-e-ma’al-e-mohabbat naa puuchhiye
apano.n se pesh aaye hai.n begaanagii se ham

[ma’al=consequence]

lo aaj hamane to.D diyaa rishtaa-e-ummiid
lo ab kabhii gilaa naa kare.nge kisii se ham

ubhare.nge ek baar abhii dil ke val-vale
go dab gaye hai.n baar-e-Gam-e-zindagii se ham

gar zindagii me.n mil gaye phir ittafaaq se
puuchhe.nge apanaa haal terii bebasii se ham

allaah re fareb-e-masahiiyat ke aaj tak
duniyaa ke zulm sahate rahe Khaamoshii se ham

[masahiiyat=God’s will]

ham Gam-zadaa hai.n laaye kahaa.N se Khushii ke giit
de.nge wahii jo paaye.nge is zindagii se ham

kis se poocheiN humm ne kahaaN wo chehra-e-raushan deikha hai
mahfil mahfil DhooNdh chuk’e haiiN gulshan gulshan deikha hai

kisko deikheiN kisko na deikheiN phool bhi haiN kaliyaaN bhi magar
jis se lagaai aaNkh usi ko dil ka dushman deikha hai

rang-e-bahaar-e-subh-e-gulistaaN kya deikh’e wo deewaana
jis ki nazar ne eik hi gul meiN saara gulshan deikha hai

ahl-e-wafa ke Khoon ki chheeNTeiN dooR tak uRhkar jaati haiN
meira taRhapna deikhnewaal’e apna bhi daaman deikha hai

aaj unheiN jo chaah’e samajh lo warna yahi Taskeen* haiN jinheiN
kal tak humm ne koo’e butaaN meiN Khaak ba daaman deikha hai

I love how Akhtari Begum was able to infuse this this pondering, unhurried pace to ghazals, so it never seems like its rushing past you. Wonderful stuff.

Ibn-e-Insha’s poem, insha jee aab uttho, which saw the three men most closely associated with it (the poet and both Amanat Ali Khan and his son, Asad Amanat Ali Khan, who rendered it widely) die untimely deaths has been placed in a somewhat macabre context and its hard to shake of tang of irony as you read it..

Insha jee utho ab kooch karo, iss shehar maiN jee koe lagaana kya
Vehshee koe sakooN say kya matlab, jogee ka nagar maiN thekaana kya

Pher hijar kee lumbee raat yahaN, sanjoog key toe bus aik ghaRhee
Joe dil maiN hay, lub par Aanay doe, sharmana kya, ghabrana kya

Iss dil kay dareeda daaman maiN, dekho toe sahee, socho toe sahee
Jiss jholee maiN saw chaid hou’ay uss jholee ka phelaana kya

Shub guzree, chaand bhee doob gaya, zanjeer paRee darvaazay par
KyuN dair ga’ay ghar Aa’ay hoe, sajnee say karo gay bahaana kya

Rehtay hoe joe hum say door bohat, majboor hoe tum, majboor bohat
Hum samjhoN ka samjhaana kya, hum behloN ka behlaana kya

Jub shehar kay loag na rasta daiN, kyuN bun maiN na jaa bus raam karaiN
DeevanoN key see na baath karay toe aur karay deevaana kya

Source: http://www.paklinks.com/gs/archive/index.php/t-156651.html

In Urdu: http://www.personal.kent.edu/~rmuhamma/Personal/Urdu-Ghazal/Insha/cooch.gif

The last couplet is particularly good, DeevanoN key see na baath karay toe aur karay deevaana kya…

More on Asad Amanat Ali Khan (including videos) here: pakistaniat.com

Khushk taar o khushk chob o khushk post
Az koja mi ayad in awaaz e dost
Nai ze taar o nai ze chob o nai ze post
Khud bakhud mi ayad in awaaz e dost

Singing strings, vibrant wood, throbbing drums
Whence comes the voice of the Beloved?
Not from strings, not from wood, nor from drum
Of Himself comes the voice of the Beloved

Thanks to Mufti for finally tracking this down and contributing.

Hairat Se Tak Raha Hai Jahan-e-Wafa Mujhe
Tum Ne Bana Diya Hai Mohabbat Mein Kya Mujhe

Har Manzil-e-Hayaat Se Gum Kar Gaya Mujhe
Mud Mud Ke Raah Mein Woh Tera Dekhna Mujhe

Kaif-e-Khudi Ne Mauj Ko Kashti Bana Diya
Hosh-e-Khuda Hai Ab Na Gham-e-Nakhuda Mujhe

Saqi Bane Huye Hain Woh “Sagar” Shab-e-Visaal
Is Waqt Koi Meri Kasam Dekhta Mujhe

Poet - Sagar Nizami

Composer - Master Madan

Singer - Master Madan

The Fulfilled World Is Staring At Me In Wonder
In Love What Have You Reduced / Transformed Me Into

From Each Destination of Life I Was Rendered Distracted
Your Oft Turning And Your Glancing At Me On The Road

The Charm Of Ego Has Turned The Wave Into A Boat
I Am No Longer A Boatman, Now I Sense The Almighty God

Sagar, On The Night Of Union, He Has Adorned The Role Of Bartender
At This Moment I Swear on Myself That Someone Would Have Looked At Me

Phenomenal rendition by Master Madan, the child virtuoso who was poisoned (allegedly by a jealous fellow singer at All India Radio, who added aresenic to his daily glass of milk) when he was only 14, leaving behind a handful (7, I think) of recordings. But they proved to be more than enough to immortalise his talent.

Hazaaron saal nargis apni be noori pe roti hai
Badi mushkil se hota hai chaman mein deedawar paida

-Iqbal

Come, come, whoever you are.

Wonderer, worshipper, lover of leaving.

It doesn’t matter.

Ours is not a caravan of despair.

Come, even if you have broken your vow a thousand times

Come, yet again, come, come.

If you do find it in the orginial Farsi, do post it here.

» Blog Archive » naqsh fary?d?

naqsh fary?d? hai kis k? shok?h?-e tah?r?r k?
k??ha?? hai pairahan har paikar-e tas?v?r k?about

whose mischievousness of writing is the image/painting a plaintiff?
of paper is the robe of every figure of the picture

The nightly ghalib read, and another gem- which, I must admit, didnt quite hit me the first time I read it..

nazar lage na kahii.n uske dast-o-baazuu ko
ye log kiouN mere zaKhm-e-jigar ko dekhte hai.n

hum kahan ke daana the, kis hunar me yakta thai
besabab hua ghalib dushman aasman apna