Recitation
radhika chopra
رات بھر ۔ فیض احمد فیض
آپکی یاد آ تی رہی رات بھر
چاندنی دِل دُکھاتی رہی رات بھر
گاہ جلتی ہوئی گاہ بجھتی ہوئی
شمع غم جھلملاتی رہی رات بھر
کوئی خوشبو بدلتی رہی پیرہن
کوئی تصویر گاتی رہی رات بھر
پھر صبا سایہ شاخِ گلُ کے تلے
کوئی قصہ سناتی رہی رات بھر
جو نہ آیا اُسے کوئی زنجیرِ در
ہر صدا پر بلاتی رہی رات بھر
ایک اُمید سے دِل بہلتا رہا
اک تمناّ ستاتی رہی رات بھر
रात भर – फ़ैज़ अहमद फ़ैज़
आपकी याद आती रही रात भर
चांदनी दिल दुखाती रही रात भर
गाह जलती हुई गाह बुझती हुई
शम’अ ग़म झिलमिलाती रही रात भर
कोई ख़ुशबू बदलती रही पैरहन
कोई तस्वीर गाती रही रात भर
फिर सबा साया ए शाख़ ए गुल के तले
कोई क़िस्सा सुनाती रही रात भर
जो न आया उसे कोई ज़ंजीर ए दर
हर सदा पर बुलाती रही रात भर
एक उम्मीद से दिल बहलता रहा
एक तमन्ना सताती रही रात भर
raat bhar – faiz ahmed faiz
Click here for overall comments and on any passage for meanings and discussion. Faiz wrote this in the same bahr (pattern) as the Ghazal of Makhdoom. It is reported that Faiz was in Moscow when he received news of the death of Makhdoom and he wrote this immediately as a tribute. Makhdoom is not named directly in the Ghazal and there is the studied ambiguity … is he forlorn because of the beloved or because of the loss of his friend.
aapki yaad aati rahi raat bhar
chandni dil dukhaati rahi bharYour memories floated across my mind all night long. The full moon (reminding me of you) made my heart forlorn, aching all night long.
gaah1 jalti hui gaah bujhti hui
shama’a Gham jhilmilati rahi raat bhar1. one moment (and the next), changing
Flaring one moment, extinguished the next, the lamp of sadness, flickered all night long. This is loaded with metaphors and imagery specific to Urdu literary culture, like “sham’a Gham”, the lamp of sadness! In Urdu poetry the juxtaposition of pain and pleasure is a recurring theme. Sham’a is bright (happiness) and is juxtaposed here with Gham (pain) – and its flickering is suggestive of alternating pain and anticipation. This is a direct parallel to “dard ki sham’a” and “Gham ki lau”, used by Makhdoom in the second she’r of his ghazal, “raat bhar”.
koi Khushbu badalti rahi pairahan2
koi tasvir3 gaati rahi raat bhar2. changing robe, changing shape/nature/mood 3. image, memory
So many memories/fragrances emerged every moment, one crowding the other out. Your likeness, comforting, soothing all night long. “Khushboo” is memory and it kept changing robes all night long. “pairahan badalna” is used metaphorically to suggest changing images/memories emerging one after the other. The poet (Faiz) has a “tasveer” (an image, a memory of Makhdoom?) in his imagination and its “song” is soothing.
phir saba4 saya-e shaaKh-e gul ke taley
koi qissa sunaati rahi raat bhar4. morning breeze
Under the shade of the bower in bloom, the morning breeze told your story all night long. Does “shaaKh e gul ke tale`” remind you of “chameli ke manDve tale`”? I does me.
jo na aaya use koi zanjir-e-dar5
har sada6 par bulati rahi raat bhar5. door chain, door knocker 6. sound
For him who did not come, the door knocker, with every knock at the door, called all night long. The imagery is full of poignancy. There are many knocks at the door, many visitors except the one that Faiz is waiting for. There is such intense longing for the one who does not come, that the knocker itself is calling out for him with every knock.
ek ummeed se dil bahalta raha
ek tamanna sataati rahi raat bharVague hope gave comfort to my heart. My longing made me ache all night long. Both this and the preceding she’r are reminiscent of Makhdoom’s “intezar”. Besides, the whole Ghazal is rich in its likeness of Makhdoom’s “raat bhar”.
raat bhar – faiz ahmed faiz
Overall Comments: Faiz wrote this in the same bahr (pattern) as the Ghazal of Makhdoom. It is reported that Faiz was in Moscow when he received news of the death of Makhdoom and he wrote this immediately as a tribute. Makhdoom is not named directly in the Ghazal and there is the studied ambiguity … is he forlorn because of the beloved or because of the loss of his friend.
aapki yaad aati rahi raat bhar
chandni dil dukhaati rahi bhar
Your memories floated across my mind all night long. The full moon (reminding me of you) made my heart forlorn, aching all night long.
gaah1 jalti hui gaah bujhti hui
shama’a Gham jhilmilati rahi raat bhar
1. one moment (and the next), changing
Flaring one moment, extinguished the next, the lamp of sadness, flickered all night long. This is loaded with metaphors and imagery specific to Urdu literary culture, like “sham’a Gham”, the lamp of sadness! In Urdu poetry the juxtaposition of pain and pleasure is a recurring theme. Sham’a is bright (happiness) and is juxtaposed here with Gham (pain) – and its flickering is suggestive of alternating pain and anticipation. This is a direct parallel to “dard ki sham’a” and “Gham ki lau”, used by Makhdoom in the second she’r of his ghazal, “raat bhar”.
koi Khushbu badalti rahi pairahan2
koi tasvir3 gaati rahi raat bhar
2. changing robe, changing shape/nature/mood 3. image, memory
So many memories/fragrances emerged every moment, one crowding the other out. Your likeness, comforting, soothing all night long. “Khushboo” is memory and it kept changing robes all night long. “pairahan badalna” is used metaphorically to suggest changing images/memories emerging one after the other. The poet (Faiz) has a “tasveer” (an image, a memory of Makhdoom?) in his imagination and its “song” is soothing.
phir saba4 saya-e shaaKh-e gul ke taley
koi qissa sunaati rahi raat bhar
4. morning breeze
Under the shade of the bower in bloom, the morning breeze told your story all night long. Does “shaaKh e gul ke tale`” remind you of “chameli ke manDve tale`”? I does me.
jo na aaya use koi zanjir-e-dar5
har sada6 par bulati rahi raat bhar
5. door chain, door knocker 6. sound
For him who did not come, the door knocker, with every knock at the door, called all night long. The imagery is full of poignancy. There are many knocks at the door, many visitors except the one that Faiz is waiting for. There is such intense longing for the one who does not come, that the knocker itself is calling out for him with every knock.
ek ummeed se dil bahalta raha
ek tamanna sataati rahi raat bhar
Vague hope gave comfort to my heart. My longing made me ache all night long. Both this and the preceding she’r are reminiscent of maKhdoom’s “intezar”. Besides, the whole Ghazal is rich in its likeness of maKhdoom’s “raat bhar”.
Search Words: faiz-maKhdoom pairs
