Some Shers of Shaharyaar

When you don’t have any good ideas about a post, fall back to Shayari. Nothing beats it; if you understand it, that is! So I’m translating a bunch of Shers from different Ghazals by the poet simply named शहरयार (Shaharyaar). After skimming through the page titled ‘Shayari’ above, do dive in:

ऐसे हिज्र के मौसम अब कब आते हैं
तेरे अलावा याद हमें सब आते हैं

Aise hizr ke mausam ab kab aate hain
Tere alaawa yaad hamein sab aate hain

Such seasons of separation are now few
I tend to remember everyone except you

जागती आँखों से भी देखो दुनिया को
ख्वाबों का क्या है वो हर शब आते हैं

Jaagti aankhon se bhi dekho duniya ko
Khwaabon ka kya hai wo har shab aate hain

Watch this world with wakeful eyes’ sight
Ignore dreams for they appear every night

सीने में जलन आँखों में तूफान सा क्यूँ है
इस शहर में हर शख्स परेशान सा क्यूँ है

Seene mein jalan aankhon mein toofaan sa kyon hai
Is shahar mein har shakhs pareshaan sa kyon hai

Why is inferno in the heart, typhoon in the eyes
Why is every single person in this city troubled

क्या कोई नई बात नज़र आती है हम में
आईना हमें देख के हैरान सा क्यूँ है

Kya koi nai baat nazar aati hai ham mein
Aaeena hamein dekh ke hairaan sa kyon hai

Is there something visibly new about me
Why does the mirror look surprised to me

हमराह कोई और न आया तो क्या गिला
परछाई भी जब मेरी मेरे साथ न आई

Hamraah koi aur na aaya to kya gila
Parchhaai bhi jab meri mere saath na aai

No regrets that no other companion came along
Given that my own shadow did not tag along

बिछड़े लोगों से मुलाक़ात कभी फिर होगी
दिल में उम्मीद तो काफी है, यकीन कुछ कम है

Bichhde logon se mulaakaat kabhi phir hogi
Dil mein ummeed to kaafi hai, yakeen kuch kam hai

Will meet those again, who have parted ways
Enough hopes in the heart, the belief sways

अब जिधर देखिए लगता है कि इस दुनिया में
कहीं कुछ ज़्यादा है, कहीं कुछ कम है

Ab jidhar dekhiye lagta hai ki is duniya mein
Kahin kuch jyaada hai, kahin kuch kam hai

Wherever you look in this world, it feels
Somewhere it’s more, somewhere it’s less

आज भी है तेरी दूरी ही उदासी का सबब
यह अलग बात कि पहली सी नहीं कुछ कम है

Aaj bhi hai teri doori hi udaasi ka sabab
Yah alag baat ki pehli si nahin kuch kam hai

Even today, being far from you makes me sad
Though, compared to the past it’s not that bad

-शहरयार (Shaharyaar)

I felt weird that day in Feb when I, after reading his Ghazals, searched for him and found the above article containing his obituary, which was barely a week old! Such ‘fragile’ coincidences…

I have presented here 8 Shers spanning 4 of his beautiful Ghazals (break-up: 2+2+1+3) and I will leave you with yet another beautiful Ghazal of his:

ये काफिले यादों के