We Are at Crossroads…

…and we look back at old times.

I was recently suggested this video from Rekhta channel by YouTube and it jogged my memory from way past. It led me to one of my Superpartner’s old posts where we had translated single Shers of various poets. One of those poets was Naseer Turabi, whose well-known Ghazal was the subject of that recently suggested video. I also own a rendition of this Ghazal by Abida Parveen. Anyway, today I thought about translating the whole ghazal. Why now? Because now I know the meanings of all the words, thanks to Rekhta. 😊 So here goes the translation (as usual, do read my disclaimer in the “Shayari” tab):

वो हम-सफ़र था मगर उस से हम-नवाई न थी
कि धूप छाँव का आलम रहा जुदाई न थी

Wo ham-safar tha magar us se ham-nawaai na thi
Ki dhoop chaanv ka aalam raha judaai na thi

–E was a companion but compatibility was never claimed
Like a scene with sunlight and shade they never separated

न अपना रंज न औरों का दुख न तेरा मलाल
शब-ए-फ़िराक़ कभी हम ने यूँ गँवाई न थी

Na apna ranj na auron ka dukh na tera malaal
Shab-e-firaaq kabhi ham ne yun ganwaai na thi

Not my grief, not their sorrows, not your regret
Like so the night of separation I had never wasted

मोहब्बतों का सफ़र इस तरह भी गुज़रा था
शिकस्ता-दिल थे मुसाफ़िर शिकस्ता-पाई न थी

Mohabbaton ka safar is tarah bhi guzra tha
Shikasta-dil the musafir shikasta-paai na thi

The journey of love was even traversed like this
The travellers’ hearts ached but feet never ached

अदावतें थीं, तग़ाफ़ुल था, रंजिशें थीं बहुत
बिछड़ने वाले में सब कुछ था, बेवफ़ाई न थी

Adaawatein thin, taghaaful tha, ranjishein thin bahut
Bichhadne waale mein sab kuch tha, bewafaai na thi

There was hatred, there was neglect, and lots of ill-will
The separated one felt them all, but was never corrupted

बिछड़ते वक़्त उन आँखों में थी हमारी ग़ज़ल
ग़ज़ल भी वो जो किसी को अभी सुनाई न थी

Bichhadte waqt un aankhon mein thi hamari ghazal
Ghazal bhi wo jo kisi ko abhi sunaai na thi

While parting those eyes had my Ghazal in them
That too the Ghazal which had been never recited

किसे पुकार रहा था वो डूबता हुआ दिन
सदा तो आई थी लेकिन कोई दुहाई न थी

Kise pukaar raha tha wo doobta hua din
Sada to aai thi lekin koi duhaai na thi

Who was being called by the fleeting dusk
There did come a voice but it never pleaded

कभी ये हाल कि दोनों में यक-दिली थी बहुत
कभी ये मरहला जैसे कि आश्र्नाई न थी

Kabhi ye haal ki donon mein yak-dili thi bahut
Kabhi ye marhala jaise ki aashnaai na thi

Sometimes it was as if both of them were in accord
Sometimes the state of having been never befriended

अजीब होती है राह-ए-सुख़न भी देख ‘नसीर’
वहाँ भी आ गए आख़िर, जहाँ रसाई न थी

Ajeeb hoti hai raah-e-sukhan bhi dekh ‘Naseer’
Wahan bhi aa gaye aakhir, jahaan rasaai na thi

The path-of-poetry is quite weird, notice ‘Naseer’
Even arrived there, where a path was never paved

– नसीर तुराबी (Naseer Turabi)

Listen to this ghazal being recited by the poet himself.