§23. Yih ḳhalā pur nah huʾā

żěhn ḳhālī hai
ḳhalā nūr se, yā naġhme se
yā nak'hat-e gum-rāh se bhī
pur nah huʾā
żěhn ḳhālī hī rahā
yih ḳhalā ḥarf-e tasallī se,
tabassum se,
kisī āh se bhī pur nah huʾā
ik nafī larzish-e paiham meñ sahī
jahd-e be-kār ke mātam meñ sahī
ham jo nā-ras bhī haiñ, ġham dīdah bhī haiñ
is ḳhalā ko
(isī děhlīz pah soʾe huʾe
sar-mast gadā ke mānind)
kisī mīnār kī taṣvīr se,
yā rang kī jhankār se
yā ḳhvāboñ kī ḳhvush-būʾoñ se
pur kyoñ nah kareñ?
kih ajal ham se bahut dūr
bahut dūr rahe?
nahīñ, ham jānte haiñ
ham jo nā-ras bhī haiñ, ġham-dīdah bhī haiñ
jānte haiñ kih ḳhalā hai vuh jise maut nahīñ
kis liye nūr se, yā naġhme se
yā ḥarf-e tasallī se ise "jism" banāʾeñ
aur phir maut kī vā-raftah pażīrāʾī kareñ?
naʾe hañgāmoñ kī tajlīl kā dar bāz kareñ
ṣubḥ-e takmīl kā āġhāz kareñ?

arrow_left §22. Afsānah-e shahr

§24. T̤alab ke tale arrow_right

I Too Have Some Dreams: N. M. Rashed and Modernism in Urdu Poetry

A translation of this Urdu poem by N. M. Rashed as well as this transliteration appears in the appendix of I Too Have Some Dreams. The transliteration is intended for people who can understand Urdu/Hindi or related languages. I hope to soon add performances of these poems as well.