Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. parvin shakir (1952-1994), English literature and linguistics, correspondent, educator, Pakistan Civil Service. Prolific writer bringing new thought and new forthright, feminist style to urdu shaa’eri. It was very unusual for women poets to write in the first person, active voice, female gender. It was unheard of for them to express love or disappointment or to describe male beauty. parveen shakir broke all these conventions. This musalsil Ghazal is a mixture of autobiographical and that which happens to all women. She is speaking beautifully and courageiously for woman.
1
kamaal¹-e zabt² ko Khud bhi to aazmaauNgi³
maiN apne haath se us ki dulhan sajaauNgi 1.ability 2.self-control 3.try
It is not clear whether the poet is already married to her beloved or he has broken off their engagement/relationship or is simply taking on a second wife. In any case the poet is going to try out her ability of self-control and prim up his (new) bride.
2
supurd¹ kar ke use chaandni ke haathauN meN
maiN apne ghar ke andherauN meN lauT aauNgi 1.consign, to give responsibility for
I will leave him to enjoy the beauty of moonlight (with his new/other bride) and return to the darkness of my own abode.
3
badan ke karb¹ ko vo bhi samajh na paayega
maiN dil meN ro’uNgi aaNkhauN meN muskuraauNgi    1.pain
Even he (who knows me intimately) will not be able to guess my pain. I will show my smile, but keep my tears inside.
4
vo kya gaya ke rifaaqat¹ ke saare lutf² gaye
maiN kis se rooTh sakuNgi, kise manaauNgi    1.friendship 2.pleasures
All the pleasures of friendship went with him. Now I have no one to get annoyed with, no one to make up with.
5
ab us ka fun¹ to kisi aur se hua mansoob²
maiN kis ki nazm akele meN gungunaauNgi     1.art, talent 2.associated
The poet/lover thinks of her beloved also as a poet. Now his talent/art/poetry will be associated with someone else. She is at a loss on whose poem/tune she will now hum.
6
vo ek rishta¹-e be-naam² bhi nahiN laikin
maiN ab bhi us ke ishaarauN³ pe sar jhukaauNgi    1.relationship 2.nameless, forgotten 3.signals
Their relationship is broken. But she still feels a traditional obligation. After all he is not a forgotten relationship. I will still mind signals that I get.
7
bichha diya tha gulaabauN ke saath apna vujood¹
vo so ke uTThe to KhwaabauN ki raakh uThaauNgi    1.existence, person
Not only is she helping prim up his new bride, she had spread herself (her feelings) on the bed along with rose petals. When he wakes up in the morning, I will pick up the ashes of my dreams.
8
sama’atauN¹ meN ghane jangalauN ki saaNseN haiN
maiN ab kabhi teri aavaaz sun na paauNgi    1.voices
All I hear is the wind blowing through thick forest (I am lost in the jungle, in a storm). I will never be able to hear his voice again in these stormy times.
9
javaaz¹ DhoonD raha tha nayii mohabbat ka
vo kah raha tha ke maiN us ko bhool jaauNgi    1.justification
He was looking for a justification/excuse to find a new love. He said that I was going to forget him (that was his excuse, or he thought that I would forget him, but I did not).