For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
شبنم ہو گہر آخرِ شب ۔ مرزا محمد رفیع سوداؔ
۱
نالہ سینے سے کرے عزمِ سفر آخرِ شب
راہرو باندھے ہے چلنے پہ کمر آخرِ شب
۲
گر نہ تزئیں کرے مقبولِ نظر آخرِ شب
گوش میں گل کے نہ شبنم ہو گہر آخرِ شب
۳
سانس ٹھنڈی کسی مایوس کی ہیں ورنہ نسیم
کر سکے ہے ترے کوچے سے گزر آخرِ شب
۴
مژدۂ وصل ترا یار مجھے یوں پہنچا
جوں مہِ عید کی صائم کو خبر آخرِ شب
۵
دوست ہر چند ہمارا ہے موذن لیکن
دشمنِ خواب ہے جوں مرغِ سحر آخرِ شب
۶
اِس قدر شیفتہ ہے شکل کا اپنی کہ سدا
آئینہ ہاتھ میں مشرق کو نظر آخرِ شب
۷
روکوں نالے کو نہ لب پر تو کروں کیا اے دل
شام تاثیر نہ اِس میں نہ اثر آخرِ شب
۸
انتہا عیشِ جہاں کی جو تو دیکھا چاہے
بزمِ مستاں پہ نگہ غور سے کر آخرِ شب
۹
صورتِ ماہِ شب بستِ و چہارم سوداؔ
کچھ ڈھلا جلوے سے آیا وہ نظر آخرِ شب
शबनम हो गोहर आख़िर-ए शब – मिर्ज़ा मोहम्मद रफ़ी सौदा
१
नाला सीने से करे अज़्म-ए सफ़र आख़िर-ए शब
राहरौ बांधे है चलने पे कमर आख़िर-ए शब
२
गर ना तज़’ईन करे मक़्बूल-ए नज़र आख़िर-ए शब
गोश में गुल के ना शबमन हो गोहर आख़िर-ए शब
३
सांस ठंडी किसी मायूस की हैं वरना नसीम
कर सके है तेरे कूचे से गुज़र आख़िर-ए शब
४
मुज़्शदा-ए वस्ल तेरा यार मुझे यूं पहुंचा
जूं मह-ए ईद की सा’एम को ख़बर आख़िर-ए शब
५
दोस्त हर चंद हमारा है मुअज़्ज़िन लेकिन
दुश्मन-ए ख़्वाब है जूं मुर्ग़–ए सहर आख़िर-ए शब
६
इस क़दर शेफ़्ता है शक्ल का अपनी के सदा
आईना हाथ में, मश्रिक़ को नज़र आख़िर-ए शब
७
रोकूं नाले को न लब पर तो करूं क्या अए दिल
शाम तासीर न इस में न असर आख़िर-ए शब
८
इन्तेहा ऐश-ए जहां की जो तू देखा चाहे
बज़्म-ए मस्तां पे निगह ग़ौर से कर आख़िर-ए शब
९
सूरत-ए माह-ए शब-ए बिस्त ओ चहारुम सौदा
कुछ ढला जल्वे से आया वो नज़र आख़िर-ए शब
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mirza mohammed rafi sauda (1713-1781) wrote faarsi and urdu, romantic and sufiyaana Ghazal in classical style. Contemporary (somewhat senior) of mir taqi mir. sauda, along with mir taqi mir was a strong proponent of communal harmony. They made much fun of orthodoxy. This the earliest Ghazal that I found in the radeef ‘aaKhir-e shab’, which are all linked to the appropriate icon on the ‘radeef-refrain’ page.
1
naalah1 siine se kare a’zm2-e safar3 aaKhir-e shab
raahrau4 baandhe hai chalne pe kamar5 aaKhir-e shab 1.wail, lament 2.determination 3.journey 4.traveller 5.kamar baandhna – gird up the loin, getting ready
The poet/lover suffers all night long, waiting in anticipation of the arrival of the beloved. Finally, late at night, he lets out a wail. Thus, lament finally determined to go on its journey from the chest/heart late at night. It is normal for the travel to get ready for its journey in the small hours before dawn. This idea found a slightly different expression with momin …
soz-e dil se gayi jaaN, baKht chamakne ke qariib
karte haiN mausam-e-garma meN safar aaKhir-e shab
2
gar na taz’iiN1 kare maqbuul2-e nazar3 aaKhir-e shab
gosh4 meN gul5 ke na shabnam6 ho gohar7 aaKhir-e shab 1.decoration, embellishment 2.accept, appreciate 3.eyes 4.ears 5.rose 6.dew 7.pearl
Unless the eyes accept/appreciate the embellishment, the dew drops on the ear/petal of the rose, will not become a pearl. The beloved will be recognized as beautiful only if the poet/lover declares his appreciation of her beauty.
3
saaNs ThanDi1 kisii maayuus2 ki haiN varna3 nasiim4
kar sake hai tere kuuche5 se guzar6 aaKhir-e shab 1.saaNs ThanDi hona – to die 2.disappointed 3.otherwise 4.morning breeze 5.lane 6.pass through
The poet/lover is disappointed at the lack of reciprocity of love from the beloved. He is dead, otherwise, he would surely have passed through the beloved’s lane along with the fragrant morning breeze.
4
muzshda1-e vasl2 tera yaar3 mujhe yuuN pahuNcha
juuN mah4-e iid ki saa’em5 ko Khabar6 aaKhir-e shab 1.greetings, good news 2.union, meeting 3.friend, beloved 4.moon 5.observant of fasting 6.news
The good news of your coming arrived for me, O beloved, like news of moon sighting (eid ka chaand) for the one who has been observing fast/roza all month long.
5
dost harchand1 hamaara hai mo’azzin2 lekin
dushman-e Khwaab3 hai juuN murGh-e sahar4 aaKhir-e shab 1.even though 2.one who gives az’aaN – the call to prayer 3.sleep 4.morning
Even though the mo’azzin is my friend, but he is the enemy of my morning sleep just like the rooster of dawn. daaGh dehlavi has a slightly different, perhaps more witty take on this …
dii shab-e vasl mo’azzin ne azaaN pichhlii raat
haa’e kambaKht ko kis vaqt Khuda yaad aaya
6
is qadar1 shefta2 hai shakl3 ka apni keh sada4
aaiina haath meN, mashriq5 ko nazar6 aaKhir-e shab 1.so much 2.enamoured, in love 3.face, beauty 4.always 5.east 6.eyes, sight
The beloved is so enamoured with her beauty that every morning, she holds a mirror and looks east – she is comparing her own brilliance with the brilliance of the rising sun.
7
rokuuN naale1 ko na lab par to karuuN kya aye dil
shaam taaseer2 na is meN na asar3 aaKhir-e shab 1.wail, lament 2.effect, impact 3.effect
What else can I do except stop my lament at the lips, O heart. It (the lament) has no effect either in the evening nor late at night.
8
inteha1 aish2-e jahaaN3 ki jo tuu dekhaa chaahe
bazm4-e mastaaN5 pe nigah6 Ghaur7 se kar aaKhir-e shab 1.extreme 2.pleasure 3.world 4.gathering 5.intoxicated wine drinkers 6.glance, look 7.carefully
If you want to see the height of pleasure in this world, then look carefully at the gathering of wine drinkers late at night.
9
suurat1-e maah2-e shab3-e bist-o-chahaarum4 sauda5
kuch Dhalaa6 jalve7 se aaya vo nazar8 aaKhir-e shab 1.like, similar to 2.moon 3.night 4.twenty fourth 5.pen-name of the poet 6.faded, forlorn 7.brilliance 8.seen
The twenty fourth night of the month, the moon is waning, is less bright and can be seen late at night, sinking to the horizon. The poet appears to be talking about his own aging process. If you look at sauda, he appears like the waning moon of the twenty fourth night, fading and sinking.
mirza mohammed rafi sauda (1713-1781) wrote faarsi and urdu, romantic and sufiyaana Ghazal in classical style. Contemporary (somewhat senior) of mir taqi mir. sauda, along with mir taqi mir was a strong proponent of communal harmony. They made much fun of orthodoxy. This the earliest Ghazal that I found in the radeef ‘aaKhir-e shab’, which are all linked to the appropriate icon on the ‘radeef-refrain’ page.
1
naalah1 siine se kare a’zm2-e safar3 aaKhir-e shab
raahrau4 baandhe hai chalne pe kamar5 aaKhir-e shab
1.wail, lament 2.determination 3.journey 4.traveller 5.kamar baandhna – gird up the loin, getting ready
The poet/lover suffers all night long, waiting in anticipation of the arrival of the beloved. Finally, late at night, he lets out a wail. Thus, lament finally determined to go on its journey from the chest/heart late at night. It is normal for the travel to get ready for its journey in the small hours before dawn. This idea found a slightly different expression with momin …
soz-e dil se gayi jaaN, baKht chamakne ke qariib
karte haiN mausam-e-garma meN safar aaKhir-e shab
2
gar na taz’iiN1 kare maqbuul2-e nazar3 aaKhir-e shab
gosh4 meN gul5 ke na shabnam6 ho gohar7 aaKhir-e shab
1.decoration, embellishment 2.accept, appreciate 3.eyes 4.ears 5.rose 6.dew 7.pearl
Unless the eyes accept/appreciate the embellishment, the dew drops on the ear/petal of the rose, will not become a pearl. The beloved will be recognized as beautiful only if the poet/lover declares his appreciation of her beauty.
3
saaNs ThanDi1 kisii maayuus2 ki haiN varna3 nasiim4
kar sake hai tere kuuche5 se guzar6 aaKhir-e shab
1.saaNs ThanDi hona – to die 2.disappointed 3.otherwise 4.morning breeze 5.lane 6.pass through
The poet/lover is disappointed at the lack of reciprocity of love from the beloved. He is dead, otherwise, he would surely have passed through the beloved’s lane along with the fragrant morning breeze.
4
muzshda1-e vasl2 tera yaar3 mujhe yuuN pahuNcha
juuN mah4-e iid ki saa’em5 ko Khabar6 aaKhir-e shab
1.greetings, good news 2.union, meeting 3.friend, beloved 4.moon 5.observant of fasting 6.news
The good news of your coming arrived for me, O beloved, like news of moon sighting (eid ka chaand) for the one who has been observing fast/roza all month long.
5
dost harchand1 hamaara hai mo’azzin2 lekin
dushman-e Khwaab3 hai juuN murGh-e sahar4 aaKhir-e shab
1.even though 2.one who gives az’aaN – the call to prayer 3.sleep 4.morning
Even though the mo’azzin is my friend, but he is the enemy of my morning sleep just like the rooster of dawn. daaGh dehlavi has a slightly different, perhaps more witty take on this …
dii shab-e vasl mo’azzin ne azaaN pichhlii raat
haa’e kambaKht ko kis vaqt Khuda yaad aaya
6
is qadar1 shefta2 hai shakl3 ka apni keh sada4
aaiina haath meN, mashriq5 ko nazar6 aaKhir-e shab
1.so much 2.enamoured, in love 3.face, beauty 4.always 5.east 6.eyes, sight
The beloved is so enamoured with her beauty that every morning, she holds a mirror and looks east – she is comparing her own brilliance with the brilliance of the rising sun.
7
rokuuN naale1 ko na lab par to karuuN kya aye dil
shaam taaseer2 na is meN na asar3 aaKhir-e shab
1.wail, lament 2.effect, impact 3.effect
What else can I do except stop my lament at the lips, O heart. It (the lament) has no effect either in the evening nor late at night.
8
inteha1 aish2-e jahaaN3 ki jo tuu dekhaa chaahe
bazm4-e mastaaN5 pe nigah6 Ghaur7 se kar aaKhir-e shab
1.extreme 2.pleasure 3.world 4.gathering 5.intoxicated wine drinkers 6.glance, look 7.carefully
If you want to see the height of pleasure in this world, then look carefully at the gathering of wine drinkers late at night.
9
suurat1-e maah2-e shab3-e bist-o-chahaarum4 sauda5
kuch Dhalaa6 jalve7 se aaya vo nazar8 aaKhir-e shab
1.like, similar to 2.moon 3.night 4.twenty fourth 5.pen-name of the poet 6.faded, forlorn 7.brilliance 8.seen
The twenty fourth night of the month, the moon is waning, is less bright and can be seen late at night, sinking to the horizon. The poet appears to be talking about his own aging process. If you look at sauda, he appears like the waning moon of the twenty fourth night, fading and sinking.
