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Recitation
maKhdoom mohiuddin
آخرِ شب ۔ مخدوم محی الدین
۱
بڑھ گیا بادۂ گلگوں کا مزا آخرِ شب
اور بھی سُرخ ہے رخسارِ حیا آخرِ شب
۲
منزلیں عشق کی آساں ہوئیں چلتے چلتے
اور چمکا ترا نقشِ کفِ پا آخرِ شب
۳
کھٹکھٹا جاتا ہے زنجیرِ درِ میخانہ
کوئی دیوانہ کوئی آبلہ پا آخرِ شب
۴
سانس رکتی ہے چھلکتے ہوے پیمانوں کی
کوئی لیتا ہے تیرا نامِ وفا آخرِ شب
۵
گلُ ہیں قِندیلِ حرم، گلُ ہیں کلیسا کے چراغ
سوُئے پیمانہ بڑھے دستِ دعا آخرِ شب
۶
ہائے کِس دھوم سے نکلا ہے شہیدوں کا جلوس
جرم چپ، سر بہ گر یباں ہے جفا آخرِ شب
۷
اُسی انداز سے پھر صبح کا آنچل ڈھلکے
اُسی انداز سے چل بادِ صبا آخرِ شب
आख़ेर-ए शब – मख़्दूम मोहिउद्दीन
१
बढ़ गया बादा-ए गुल्गूं का मज़ा आख़िर-ए शब
और भी सुर्ख़ है रुख़सार-ए हया आख़िर-ए शब
२
मंज़िलें इश्क़ की आसां हुईं चलते चलते
और चमका तेरा नक़्श-ए कफ़-ए पा आख़िर-ए शब
३
खटखटा जाता है ज़ंजीर-ए दर-ए मैख़ाना
कोई दीवाना कोई आबला पा आख़िर-ए शब
४
सांस रुकती है छलकते हुए पैमानों की
कोई लेता है तेरा नाम-ए वफ़ा आख़िर-ए शब
५
गुल हैं क़िन्दील-ए हरम, गुल हैं कलीसा के चिराग़
सू-ए पैमाना बढ़े दस्त-ए दुआ आख़ेर-ए शब
६
हाए किस धूम से निकला है शहीदों का जुलूस
जुर्म चुप, सर बा गरेबां है जफ़ा आख़िर-ए शब
७
उसी अंदाज़ से फिर सुबह का आँचल ढलके
उसी अंदाज़ से चल बाद-ए सबा आख़िर-ए शब
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. “aaKhir e shab” is used literally or metaphorically to convey various meanings. Literally – very late hour of the night just before dawn, metaphorically – end of life, end of a long journey, giving up at the end of a period of trials and tribulations. It may be used in different ways in different asha’ar. faiz wrote his appreciation of maKhdoom in the same “bahr”. In both Ghazal there is a mixture of romanticism and the use of the beloved as a metaphor for revolution.
1
baRh gaya bada-e gulgooN1 ka maza aaKhir-e shab
aur bhi surKh hai ruKhsaar e haya2 aaKhir-e shab 1.rose coloured wine 2.visage of bashfulness/beloved
The joy of redolent wine grows with the passing of the night. The beloved grows flushed, blushing. You are free to imagine the redness of the face of the beloved to be the redness of the banner of socialism.
2
manzileN ishq ki aasaaN huiN chalte chalte
aur chamka tera naqsh-e kaf-e paa3 aaKhir-e shab 3.footprints
The questing journey of my love gets easier with time. Your footprints glow brightly, with the passing of the night. The footprints of revolutionaries who have gone before, glow and make it easier for others to follow.
3
khaTkhaTa jata hai zanjeer-e dar-e maiKhana4
koi deevana koi aabla paa5 aaKhir-e shab 4.tavern door 5.sore/bruised feet
He keeps knocking at the chain of the tavern door, that wandering madman, late into the night. You are free to imagine the “aabla paa” as the peasant with sore feet, who has walked a long way to demand justice … knocking inistently at the door of the tavern.
4
saaNs rukti hai chhalakte hue paimanoN6 ki
koi leta hai tera naam-e vafa aaKhir-e shab 6.cups, goblets (of wine)
Imagine a gathering of comrades celebrating, their goblets brimming with wine and forgetting the problems of the world. Suddenly someone speaks of the beloved (social justice) … the “paimana”, catches its breath and spills over, painful memories come back and revolution is back on center stage. Is it the revolution or is it just a long forgotten flesh and blood beloved?
5
gul7 haiN qindil-e haram8, gul haiN kaleesa9 ke chiraaGh
soo-e paimana baRhe dast-e dua aaKhir-e shab 7.extinguished 8.mosque lamps 9.church
The lamps of the mosque and the church are extinguished. Extinguished lamps are metaphorically used to mean “closed – no help available at this time”. The “paimana” or the cup is a metaphor for human love/kindness which is open for business all night long. There is no redemption in religion (says maKhdoom) – turn towards the revolution? Hands raised in prayer turn to the wine-cup, as the night passes by.
6
haa’e kis dhoom se nikla hai shaheedoN ka juloos
jurm chup, sar ba garebaN10 hai jafa11 aaKhir-e shab 10.head hung in collar/shame 11.oppression
Oh! With what pomp proceeds the pageant of the martyrs. Guilt is silent, Cruelty shame-faced. Is this a tribute to his comrades who have been killed or put into prison? They are being remembered with such love that the oppressor is shamefaced.
7
usi andaaz12 se phir subah ka aaNchal Dhalke
usi andaaz se chal baad e saba13 aaKhir e shab 12.style 13.morning breeze
In this very manner may the veil of the morning slip away. In this very manner may the morning breeze greet the night passing by. Is this the new dawn that the revolution is bringing?
“aaKhir e shab” is used literally or metaphorically to convey various meanings. Literally – very late hour of the night just before dawn, metaphorically – end of life, end of a long journey, giving up at the end of a period of trials and tribulations. It may be used in different ways in different asha’ar. faiz wrote his appreciation of maKhdoom in the same “bahr”. In both Ghazal there is a mixture of romanticism and the use of the beloved as a metaphor for revolution.
1
baRh gaya bada-e gulgooN1 ka maza aaKhir-e shab
aur bhi surKh hai ruKhsaar e haya2 aaKhir-e shab
1.rose coloured wine 2.visage of bashfulness/beloved
The joy of redolent wine grows with the passing of the night. The beloved grows flushed, blushing. You are free to imagine the redness of the face of the beloved to be the redness of the banner of socialism.
2
manzileN ishq ki aasaaN huiN chalte chalte
aur chamka tera naqsh-e kaf-e paa3 aaKhir-e shab
3.footprints
The questing journey of my love gets easier with time. Your footprints glow brightly, with the passing of the night. The footprints of revolutionaries who have gone before, glow and make it easier for others to follow.
3
khaTkhaTa jata hai zanjeer-e dar-e maiKhana4
koi deevana koi aabla paa5 aaKhir-e shab
4.tavern door 5.sore/bruised feet
He keeps knocking at the chain of the tavern door, that wandering madman, late into the night. You are free to imagine the “aabla paa” as the peasant with sore feet, who has walked a long way to demand justice … knocking inistently at the door of the tavern.
4
saaNs rukti hai chhalakte hue paimanoN6 ki
koi leta hai tera naam-e vafa aaKhir-e shab
6.cups, goblets (of wine)
Imagine a gathering of comrades celebrating, their goblets brimming with wine and forgetting the problems of the world. Suddenly someone speaks of the beloved (social justice) … the “paimana”, catches its breath and spills over, painful memories come back and revolution is back on center stage. Is it the revolution or is it just a long forgotten flesh and blood beloved?
5
gul7 haiN qindil-e haram8, gul haiN kaleesa9 ke chiraaGh
soo-e paimana baRhe dast-e dua aaKhir-e shab
7.extinguished 8.mosque lamps 9.church
The lamps of the mosque and the church are extinguished. Extinguished lamps are metaphorically used to mean “closed – no help available at this time”. The “paimana” or the cup is a metaphor for human love/kindness which is open for business all night long. There is no redemption in religion (says maKhdoom) – turn towards the revolution? Hands raised in prayer turn to the wine-cup, as the night passes by.
6
haa’e kis dhoom se nikla hai shaheedoN ka juloos
jurm chup, sar ba garebaN10 hai jafa11 aaKhir-e shab
10.head hung in collar/shame 11.oppression
Oh! With what pomp proceeds the pageant of the martyrs. Guilt is silent, Cruelty shame-faced. Is this a tribute to his comrades who have been killed or put into prison? They are being remembered with such love that the oppressor is shamefaced.
7
usi andaaz12 se phir subah ka aaNchal Dhalke
usi andaaz se chal baad e saba13 aaKhir e shab
12.style 13.morning breeze
In this very manner may the veil of the morning slip away. In this very manner may the morning breeze greet the night passing by. Is this the new dawn that the revolution is bringing?
