For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
shivani gupta agarwal
apoorva mudgal
یاد ۔ فیض احمد فیض
۱
دشتِ تنہائی میں اے جانِ جہاں لرزاں ہیں
تیری آواز کے سائے، ترے ہونٹوں کے سراب
۲
دشتِ تنہائی میں دوری کے خس و خاک تلے
کِھل رہے ہیں تیرے پہلو کے سمن اور گلاب
۳
اُٹھ رہی ہے کہیں قربت سے تری سانس کی آنچ
اپنی خُوشبُو میں سلگتی ہوئی مدھم مدھم
۴
دور ۔ اُفق پار، چمکتی ہوئی قطرہ قطرہ
گر رہی ہے کسی دِلدار نظر کی شبنم
۵
اِس قدر پیار سے اے جانِ جہاں رکھا ہے
دِل کے رُخسار پہ اِس وقت تری یاد نے ہات
۶
یوں گماں ہوتا ہے، گر چہ ہے ابھی صبح فراق
ڈھل گیا ہجر کا دِن، آ بھی گئی وصل کی رات
याद – फ़ैज़ अहमद फ़ैज़
१
दश्त-ए तनहाई में अए जान-ए जहाँ लरज़ाँ हैं
तेरी आवाज़ के साए तेरे होंटों के सराब
२
दश्त-ए तनहाई में दूरी के ख़स ओ ख़ाक तले
खिल रहे हैं तेरे पहलू के समन और गुलाब
३
उठ रही है कहीं क़ुर्बत से तेरी सांस की आंच
अपनी ख़ुश्बू से सुलगती हुई मद्धम मद्धम
४
दूर – उफ़क़ पार, चमकती हुई क़तरा क़तरा
गिर रही है किसी दिलदार नज़र की शबनम
५
इस क़दर प्यार से अए जान-ए जहाँ रखा है
दिल के रुख़सार पे इस वक़्त तेरी याद ने हात
६
यूं गुमां होता है, गर चे है अभी सुब्ह फ़िराक़
ढल गया हिज्र का दिन, आ भी गई वस्ल की रात
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. faiz ahmad faiz (1911-1984) nominated several times for the Nobel Prize. Awarded Lenin Peace Prize. Progressive, humanist, internationalist, rebel, free thinker. Jailed and exiled, he came back stronger every time. This nazm, from “dast-e saba”, a collection of nazm and Ghazal published while faiz was in Central Jail, Hyderbad, Sindh. Presumably, this selection too was written from prison making it all the more poignant.It remains an enigma, who the beloved is, in whose memory faiz is writing this. He has often used the beloved as a stand-in for country/society.It is interesting that maKhdoom too was jailed in Central Jail, Hyderabad (Telangana) and wrote about his incarceration. See “qaid” under maKhdoom.
1
dasht-e tanhaai1 meN aye jaan-e jahaaN larzaaN2 haiN
teri aavaaz ke saa’e3 tere hoNtoN ke saraab4 1.wilderness of solitude 2.shimmering 3.shadows, images 4.mirage
In the “wilderness/banishment of solitude” (probably written during solitary confinement, which had a big impact on faiz), O my beloved, I see shimmering and tremulous, the shadows of your voice, the mirage of your lips. Such a beautiful imagination. There is beauty in the treatment of “sound as sight” as in “aavaaz ke saa’e”. “saa’e” can also be image/illusion.
2
dasht-e-tanhaai1 meN duuri ke Khas o Khaak2 tal’e
khil rahe haiN tere pahloo3 ke saman4 aur gulab 1.wilderness of loneliness 2.dry brush, straw and dust 3.side (polite for bosom) 4.jasmine
In my arid solitude, there under the brush and the dust, I see you bloom like the jasmine and the rose.
3
uTh rahi hai kahiiN qurbat1 se teri saaNs ki aaNch
apni Khushboo2 se sulagti3 hui maddham-maddham4 1.near by 2.fragrance, scent 3.glowing 4.gently, softly
Somewhere close to me I feel the warmth of your breath, stirring up the fragrance that is you, subtly, softly.
4
duur – ufaq-paar1, chamakti hui qatra-qatra2
gir rahi hai kisi dildaar-nazar3 ki shabnam4 1.beyond the horizon 2.drop by drop 3.heart pleasing sight/image 4.dew, mist
Far away, beyond the horizon, drop by sparkling drop, the dew shimmers like your beloved form. Alternatively, dildaar nazar could be interpreted to be the lovely eyes of the beloved. In that case, the shimmering drops of mist beyond the horizon are the tears of beloved, adding to the loneliness of the poet/lover.
5
is qadar1 pyaar se ae jaan-e jahaaN rakha hai
dil ke ruKhsaar13 pe is vaqt teri yaad ne haat 1.much 2.cheek
With what tenderness is placed, O love of my life, the hand of your memory on the contours of my heart ….
6
yuN gumaaN1 hota hai, garche2 hai abhi subah firaaq3
Dhal gaya hijr4 ka din, aa bhi gaii vasl5 ki raat 1.suspicion 2.even though 3.morning of separation 4.being away, banishment 5.union
…. that even in this separation I have this sense, that our separation is over, we will now meet at last. To touch/caress (especially) the cheek is an act of love. The hand of the memory of the beloved has caressed the “cheek of the heart”.
faiz ahmad faiz (1911-1984) nominated several times for the Nobel Prize. Awarded Lenin Peace Prize. Progressive, humanist, internationalist, rebel, free thinker. Jailed and exiled, he came back stronger every time. This nazm, from “dast-e saba”, a collection of nazm and Ghazal published while faiz was in Central Jail, Hyderbad, Sindh. Presumably, this selection too was written from prison making it all the more poignant.It remains an enigma, who the beloved is, in whose memory faiz is writing this. He has often used the beloved as a stand-in for country/society.It is interesting that maKhdoom too was jailed in Central Jail, Hyderabad (Telangana) and wrote about his incarceration. See “qaid” under maKhdoom.
1
dasht-e tanhaai1 meN aye jaan-e jahaaN larzaaN2 haiN
teri aavaaz ke saa’e3 tere hoNtoN ke saraab4
1.wilderness of solitude 2.shimmering 3.shadows, images 4.mirage
In the “wilderness/banishment of solitude” (probably written during solitary confinement, which had a big impact on faiz), O my beloved, I see shimmering and tremulous, the shadows of your voice, the mirage of your lips. Such a beautiful imagination. There is beauty in the treatment of “sound as sight” as in “aavaaz ke saa’e”. “saa’e” can also be image/illusion.
2
dasht-e-tanhaai1 meN duuri ke Khas o Khaak2 tal’e
khil rahe haiN tere pahloo3 ke saman4 aur gulab
1.wilderness of loneliness 2.dry brush, straw and dust 3.side (polite for bosom) 4.jasmine
In my arid solitude, there under the brush and the dust, I see you bloom like the jasmine and the rose.
3
uTh rahi hai kahiiN qurbat1 se teri saaNs ki aaNch
apni Khushboo2 se sulagti3 hui maddham-maddham4
1.near by 2.fragrance, scent 3.glowing 4.gently, softly
Somewhere close to me I feel the warmth of your breath, stirring up the fragrance that is you, subtly, softly.
4
duur – ufaq-paar1, chamakti hui qatra-qatra2
gir rahi hai kisi dildaar-nazar3 ki shabnam4
1.beyond the horizon 2.drop by drop 3.heart pleasing sight/image 4.dew, mist
Far away, beyond the horizon, drop by sparkling drop, the dew shimmers like your beloved form. Alternatively, dildaar nazar could be interpreted to be the lovely eyes of the beloved. In that case, the shimmering drops of mist beyond the horizon are the tears of beloved, adding to the loneliness of the poet/lover.
5
is qadar1 pyaar se ae jaan-e jahaaN rakha hai
dil ke ruKhsaar13 pe is vaqt teri yaad ne haat
1.much 2.cheek
With what tenderness is placed, O love of my life, the hand of your memory on the contours of my heart ….
6
yuN gumaaN1 hota hai, garche2 hai abhi subah firaaq3
Dhal gaya hijr4 ka din, aa bhi gaii vasl5 ki raat
1.suspicion 2.even though 3.morning of separation 4.being away, banishment 5.union
…. that even in this separation I have this sense, that our separation is over, we will now meet at last. To touch/caress (especially) the cheek is an act of love. The hand of the memory of the beloved has caressed the “cheek of the heart”.
