shahr ke shahr kā afsānah, vuh ḳhvush-fahm, magar sādah musāfir
kih jiñheñ ʿishq kī lalkār ke rah-zan ne kahā: "āʾo!
dikhlāʾeñ tumheñ ek dar-e bastah ke asrār kā ḳhvāb—"
shahr ke shahr kā afsānah, vuh dil jin ke bayābāñ meñ
kisī qat̤rah-e gum-gashtah ke nā-gāh larazne kī ṣadā ne yih kahā:
"āʾo dikhlāʾeñ tumheñ ṣubḥ ke honṭoñ pah tabassum kā sarāb!"
shahr ke shahr kā afsānah, vuhī ārzū-e ḳhastah ke lañgṛāte huʾe pair
kih haiñ āj bhī afsāne kī duzdīdah-o-zhūlīdah lakīroñ pah ravāñ
un asīroñ kī t̤araḥ jin ke rag-o-reshah kī zanjīr kī jhankār
bhī tham jāʾe to kah uṭṭheñ: "kahāñ?
ab kahāñ jāʾeñge ham?
jāʾeñ ab tāzah-o-nā-dīdah nigāhoñ ke zimistāñ meñ kahāñ?"
un asīroñ kī t̤araḥ jin ke liye vaqt kī be-ṣarfah salāḳheñ
nah kabhī sard nah garm, aur nah kabhī saḳht nah narm
nah rihāʾī kī pażīrā, nah asīrī hī kī sharm!
shahr ke shahr kā afsānah, vuh rūḥeñ jo sar-e pul ke sivā
aur kahīñ vaṣl kī joyā hī nahīñ
pul se jiñheñ pār utarne kī tamannā hī nahīñ
is kā yārā hī nahīñ!
§21. Zamānah ḳhudā hai
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.
