Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. kuNwar mohindar singh bedi sahr (1909-1992) had to migrate to the Indian side after partition. He was invited to pakistan frequently and had good rapport with his audience at mushaa’era there. In his writings he has reached across religious lines and national boundaries, writing about peace and harmony and odes to islamic as well hindu figures.
1
kahiiN hai kibr¹-o-ra’uunat² kahiiN hai ‘ijz³-o-niyaaz⁴
balaa-kashaan⁵-e mohabbat tumhaari umr⁵ daraaz⁶    1.arrogance 2.vanity 3.humility 4.submission 5.calamity afflicted, suffering 5.life 6.long
On one side there is arrogance and vanity, and on the other humility and devotion; O sufferers of the affliction of love, may your lives be long. The poet/lover contrasts arrogance of the beloved with the humility of the lover. He anticipates that he (all lovers) will die soon and offers a tongue in cheek prayer for them – may your lives be long.
2
abhi tuyuur¹-e gulistaaN² haiN beKhabar³ shaa’ed⁴
qafas⁵ ki manzil⁶-e avval⁷ hai Khwaahish⁸-e parvaaz⁹    1.birds 2.garden 3.unaware 4.perhaps 5.cage 6.stage, step 7.first 8.desire 9.flight
The birds of the garden are perhaps still unaware; the first step towards the cage is the desire to fly. In urdu poetic tradition the bird either is caught by the birdcatcher and caged, or its nest is burnt by lightning. In this case, the focus is on the birdcatcher and the poet is cautioning the unaware bird that free flight is the first step towards being caught in a net. A second possibility is that the bird is already caged. The first step towards freedom is the urge/desire to fly. This maybe an exhortation to break out of the cage and fly.
3
na kar shabaab¹ meN talqiin²-e paarsaai³ shaiKh
humeN zamiir⁴ se pahle’ hai vaqt ki aavaaz 1.youth 2.religious instruction 3.piety 4.conscience
Do not preach piety to us in our youth, o shaiKh; before the voice of conscience, the call of time comes first. The poet rebuffs the shaiKh (a figure of moral authority) for advising piety during the energetic and impassioned phase of youth. The poet emphasizes the importance of listening to the demands of the present moment (of youth) over abstract moralistic ideals.
4
bajaa¹ keh tum na karoge numuud²-e ishq magar
nazar-nazar³ mutaqaazi⁴, adaa-adaa⁵ Ghammaaz⁶     1.appropriate, agreed 2.show, display 3.every glance 4.demands 5.every gesture 6.bearer/carrier of tales
Granted, you will not openly express your love, but every glance demands it, every gesture reveals it. The beloved is always reticent and plays games.
5
zaraa sambhal¹ ke chalo manzil²-e mohabbat meN
bahut mileNge abhi raah³ meN nasheb-o-faraaz⁴     1.carefully 2.journey to the destination 3.path 4.ups and downs
Walk carefully on the path of love, you will encounter many more ups and downs along the way. This could be a caution to all lovers or a caution addressed to himself. The path forward is fraught with emotional highs and lows.
6
miyaan¹-e kaa‘ba²-o-butKhaana³ farq⁴ kuchh bhi nahiiN
magar nazar⁵ se uThaayaa gayaa na pardah⁶-e raaz⁷     1.between 2.used here for mosque 3.idol-house, temple 4.difference 5.sight 6.veil 7.mystery
There is no difference between the mosque and the temple, but the veil of mystery has not been lifted from our sight. This suggests the universality of all faiths that lead to the divine. Who has not lifted the veil – there is a strong implication that it is ‘us’. We are still divided by superficialities.
7
nigaah¹-e lutf² se dekhaa kisi ne bas ek baar
yahiiN pe ishq kaa anjaam³ hai, yahiiN aaGhaaz⁴    1.glance 2.kindness, grace 3.result 4.begining
Someone (the beloved) cast a graceful/kind glance just once; here begins, and here ends, the story of love, meaning a single glance is all it took.
8
lipaT¹ gayaa huN yahi kah ke har musiibat² se
zamaana³ baa tu na saazad⁴, tu baa zamaana saaz 1.embrace 2.difficulty, hardship 3.times, world 4.shaped, adjusted
I have embraced every hardship by saying this: the world does not adjust to you, is not shaped by you, you have to adjust to the world.
9
shikast¹-e zabt² ki saa‘at³ kahiiN qariib⁴ na ho
zamaana⁵ kis liye baiThaa hai gosh⁶-bar⁷-aavaaz     1.breaking, defeat 2.self-control 3.moment 4.near at hand 5.world 6.ear 7.on
The moment of losing self-control may be near; that is probably why the world is sitting, waiting eagerly with ears focused on my sound (of wailing).
10
kisi ne dil ke liye Khoob¹ kah diyaa hai sahar²
tamaam³ ranj-o-musiibat⁴, tamaam soz-o-gudaaz⁵     1.very well, beautifully 2.pen-name 3.all, embodiment 4.pain and suffering 5.burning and anguish
Someone has said it beautifully, o sahr: the heart is an embodiment of pain and suffering, it is all burning and anguish.