Sunday evening. Usually it is time for Sharmila and myself to make a beeline to our usual watering hole. Today, we decided to stay in and listen to songs by Sharmila’s all time favorite singer – Bhupinder Singh. Great evening.

One of the songs perhaps captured our feelings from tomorrow morning…The words are by the immortal Gulzaar…

“Waqt ki sitam, kam haseen nahin
Aaj hai yahaan, kal kahin nahin
Waqt se phare agar mil gaye kahin
…
Jo guzar gayee kal ki baat thi
Umr to nahin ek raat thi
Raat ka silaa agar phir miley kahin”

There is always a danger of translating from a language that is not my mother tongue… But here is my shot…

“The vagaries caused by time, in some ways can be also very beautiful
For today we are here and then nowhere to be found tomorrow
If only we could meet on the other side of time….
…
Whatever has happened, is a story of the past
It was just a night, not our whole life
If only last night could repeat itself, some other time, somewhere else”

This one is by the Pakistani poet Qateel Shifai from the previous century who started his career, of all things, as an unsuccessful businessperson in sporting goods 🙂

This poem (actually I have quoted only part of the poem) can be interpreted as complaining about the then puritan society or the lady herself. I came across this poem because of the adoption of the same as a qawwali by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

“Likh Diya Apne Dwar Pe Kisi Ne
Is Jagah Pyaar Karna Manaa Hai
Pyaar Agar Ho Bhi Jaaye Kisi Ko
Iska Izhaar Karna Manaa Hai

… … …

Hum Ne Ki Arz Ay Banda Parwar
Kyun Sitam Dhaa Rahay Ho Yeh Hum Par
Baat Sun Kar Hamari Woh Boley
Humse Taqraar Karna Mana Hai”

I have tried the translation here assuming the complaint is about the lady herself.

It is as if somebody has inscribed on my door that,
Falling in love here is strictly prohibited
And, should one fall in love in spite of that
Expression of that is surely completely forbidden

… … …

When I question for the sake of humanity
Why inflict so much torture on me?
After listening to me patiently, she replies
“Protesting against me is also forbidden”

Not sure of the original poet. There are many renditions of this but my favorite is the one by the Sabri Brothers.

“Yay mai ishq hai, pila-ey jah
Do piyale bhar ke de
Saqi mein gulfaam ke, ek apni naam ke
Aur ek Allah ke naam ke
Mita de poori tamanna is dil-e-nakaam ke

Dey dey dey dey dard do mein soorat koi araam ke
Ek ghoont hi pilwaa, magar, josh-e-tamanna daal kar
Ek katra dey, magar katray mein daryia daal kar
Ey saqi tere kher, tere maikade ke kher
Aisi pila ke jish ka nashaa, umr bhar rahey”

My transliterations are not as good as my translations. Urdu, is certainly not my forte. But here is a shot… First, let me explain a few words –
“Saqi” is the lady who serves the “mai” (wine) and often accompanies the customer for a drink in the “maikade” (wine bar)
……..

“This drink is that of love, keep on serving
Fill me up two glasses, if you please
One in your name, O rose-cheeked “Saqi”
And one in the Almighty’s name
(And in that way) Wipe out all the desires of this unfulfilled heart.

Give me some more pain in the guise of comfort
Give me even one sip to drink – but put in it some strong desire
Give me just one drop, but pour a river in that drop
O “Saqi” you be blessed, your “maikade” be blessed
Get me drunk tonight in a way that the intoxication will last me a lifetime”

If I am not very mistaken Jagjit Singh sang this as a ghazal. Not sure who gave the tune. Anyways, the poem is memorable..

“Shaam se aankh mein nami si hai
Aaj phir aap ki kami si hai
Dafan kar do hamein ke saans miley
Nabz kuch der se thami si hai
Waqt rehta nahin kahi tik kar
Iski aadat bhi aadmi si hai
Koi rishta nahin raha phir bhi
Ek tasleem, laazmi si hai”

Somebody better than me has to do the proper translation but here is my attempt

“Ever since evening, there is a slight glisten in my eyes
(Since) today I again felt the absence of you
Please bury me now so I can breathe again
My pulse has slowed down for some time anyways
Time cannot seem to sit peacefully for some time
Even it has started to behave like (fickle minded) human beings
There is no more relationship left anymore
Still, I feel the strong need for just one single greeting (from her)”

Errata:
Apr 15, 2023
Note that in the original version, I had written “Ek Tasveer, laazmi si hai”. You will notice in the Comments section that Anu pointed out the right word to be tasleem and not tasveer. I have corrected it. Thank, Anu.

Poem was originally written by the twentieth century poet Abdul Hameed Adam. Born in undivided India, he moved to Iraq, married an Iraqi girl, moved back to India and was eventually transferred (he had a military job) to Pakistan during the separation of India. Died when I was in my ninth grade.

The poet is urging his unwilling partner to indulge in drinking…. quoting a few lines of the poem only…

fasl-e-gul hai sharaab pii leejiye
zid na keejiye janaab pii leejiye
….
aage chal kar hisaab honaa hai
is liye be-hisaab pii leejiye
….
jo piye chhup ke vo munaafiq hai
be-takalluf sharaab pii leejiye
…
dil kaa shiisha hai aur khuluus ki mai
ab to aalii-janaab pii leejiye

Roughly translated…

’tis the season of blooming flowers, ’tis the season of drinking wine
Do not try to be stubborn, go ahead and have a glass of wine
…
Someday in future, on our day of reckoning, we all have to account for everything
Today, therefore, is the day to drink without keeping any accounts
…
(S)he who drinks on the sly, is a total hypocrite
Therefore, you should drink without giving it a second thought
…
If our heart is of glass, then faith is the wine in that glass
Keeping that faith, now you need to drink with me

Ibn-E-Insha was a twentieth century poet. Born in India and expired in London, he spent most of his time in Pakistan. Stylistically, he is often considered to be closer to Amir Khusrau. The following classic poem of his (I have written just the first stanza though) was converted to ghazals and sung in different tunes by many singers. The more famous ones are by Ghulam Ali (slower version) and Jagjit Singh (faster version). The poem itself is unbelievably beautiful.

“Chaudvin Ka Chaand” literally means the moon on the fourteenth night – referring to the full moon…

As a background, imagine a jilted lover whose love has not been requited by his chosen lady.

“Kal chaudvin ki raat thi, sabh bhar rahaa charchaa tera
Kuch ne kaha yeh chaand hai, kuch ne kaha chehraa tera
Hum bhi wohi maujoot the, humse bhi sab poochha kiye
Hum hans diye, hum chup rahe, manzoor tha pardaa teraa”

Roughly translated, it means

“Last night was the full moon night, and everybody was discussing about you
Some said that it surely looked like the moon; some others said that has to be your face
I was also there among the crowd and many asked me about my opinion too
I just smiled, but I kept quiet. I respected your wish (to be apart from me)”

This time describing how confusing love can be…

“Khusrau, dariya prem ka,
Ulti wa ki dhaar,
Jo utra so doob gaya,
Jo dooba, so paar”

Translated, it means:

Oh Khusrau, the river of love
Flows erratically in opposite directions
(S)he who tries to cross it, inevitably drowns in it.
But (s)he who drowns in it, is the one who gets across!!!

Main to piya se / Naina laga aayi ray,
Ghar naari kanwari / Kahay so kahay,
Main to piya se / Naina laga aayi ray.
Sohni suratiya / Mohni muratiya,
Main to hriday ke peechay / Samaa aayi ray;
Ghar naari kanwari / Kahay so kahay,
Main to piya say / Naina laga aayi ray.

This is a poem by Amir Khusrao – one of the most versatile poets from the Indian subcontinent dating back nearly eight centuries. Credited with bringing Qawwalis to the subcontinent, he is often also credited for creating the Ghazal style. He was certainly responsible for creating the percussion instrument “tabla” – that I have played for thirty five years or so. He is called the “Parrot of India”.

This poem was incorporated in Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s rendition of the very popular Qawwali “Chhap Tilak”.

The true meaning and impact of this poem is perhaps difficult to appreciate in this age and time when you meet your opposite sex on date.com. In those days society frowned heavily on young men and women getting to meet or know each other. All marriages were arranged by parents or social elders. It is in this context, that this girl (the poem is written from the point of view of the girl) who has softness for a neighborhood boy meets him (although it is translated as “had an affair”, the literal meaning is simply “my eyes engaged with his” ) and then writes about her feelings. She realizes that some neighborhood friend of her will tell on her and there will be dire consequences, but she simply does not care.

I am sure many of my friends growing up with me in India a few decades back can relate to that neighborhood girl or boy (as the case might be) and the trysts on the sly and the painful consequences later 🙂 Wonder what was the parallel situation in USA at around that time. I am sure there was that high school girl or boy that parents did not approve of but my guess is that the retribution was not as harsh, if it was there at all. Maybe I need to go back a century in this country to get a parallel.

In any case, here is the translation:

I have just had an affair with my darling,
I don’t care what the neighborhood girls say;
For I just had an affair with my darling.
Oh, his beautiful face, charming like an idol,
I have just earned a place in the very bottom of his heart.
I don’t care what the neighborhood girls say,
For I just had an affair with my darling.