§16. Vuh ḥarf-e tanhā (jise tamannā-e vaṣl-e maʿnā)

hamāre aʿẓā jo āsmāñ kī t̤araf duʿā ke liye uṭhe haiñ,
(tum āsmāñ kī t̤araf nah dekho!)
maqām-e nāzuk pah ẓarb-e kārī se jāñ bachāne kā hai vasīlah
kih apnī maḥrūmiyoñ se chhupne kā ek ḥīlah?
buzurg-o-bar-tar ḳhudā kabhī to (bihisht bar-ḥaq,)
hameñ ḳhudā se najāt degā
kih ham haiñ is sar-zamīñ pah jaise vuh ḥarf-e tanhā,
(magar vuh aisā jahāñ nah hogā) ḳhamosh-o-goyā,
jo ārzū-e viṣāl-e maʿnī meñ jī rahā ho
jo ḥarf-o-maʿnī kī yak-dilī ko taras gayā ho!

hameñ maʿarrī ke ḳhvāb de do
(kih sab ko baḳhsheñ ba-qadr-e żauq-e nigah tabassum)
hameñ maʿarrī kī rūḥ kā iẓt̤irāb de do
(jahāñ gunāhoñ ke ḥauṣle se mile taqaddus ke dukh kā mar'ham)
kih us kī be-nūr-o-tār āñkheñ
dirūn-e ādam kī tīrah rātoñ
ko chhedtī thīñ
usī jahāñ meñ firāq-e jāñ-kāh-e ḥarf-o-maʿnī
ko dekhtī thīñ
bihisht us ke liye vuh maʿṣūm sādah lauḥoñ kī ʿāfiyat thā
jahāñ vuh nange badan pah jābir ke tāziyānoñ se bach-ke
rāh-e farār pāʾeñ
vuh kafsh-e pā thā, kih jis se ġhurbat kī reg-e hazyāñ
se roz-e furṣat qarār pāʾeñ
kih ṣulb-e ādam kī, rěḥm-e ḥavvā kī ʿuzlatoñ meñ
nihāyat-e intiz̤ār pāʾeñ!

(bihisht ṣifr-e ʿaz̤īm, lekin hameñ vuh gum-gashtah handase haiñ
baġhair jin ke koʾī masāvāt kyā banegī
viṣāl-e maʿnī se ḥarf kī bāt kyā banegī?)
ham is zamīñ par azal se pīrānah sar haiñ, mānā
magar abhī tak haiñ dil tavānā
aur apnī zhūlīdah kāriyoñ ke t̤ufail dānā
hameñ maʿarrī ke ḳhvāb de do
(bihisht meñ bhī nashāt̤, yak-rang ho to, ġham hai
ho ek sā jām-e shahd sab ke liye to sam hai)
kih ham abhī tak haiñ is jahāñ meñ vuh ḥarf-e tanhā
(bihisht rakh lo, hameñ ḳhvud apnā javāb de do!)
jise tamannā-e vaṣl-e maʿnā...

arrow_left §15. Namrūd kī ḳhudāʾī

§17. Zindagī se ḍarte ho? 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.