For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
abida parveen
naseer turabi
ہم نوائی نہ تھی ۔ نصیرؔ ترابی
۱
وہ ہم سفر تھا مگر اس سے ہم نوائی نہ تھی
کہ دھوپ چھاؤں کا عالم رہا جدائی نہ تھی
۲
نہ اپنا رنج نہ اوروں کا دکھ نہ تیرا ملال
شب فراق کبھی ہم نے یوں گنوائی نہ تھی
۳
محبتوں کا سفر اس طرح بھی گزرا تھا
شکستہ دل تھے مسافر شکستہ پائی نہ تھی
۴
عداوتیں تھیں، تغافل تھا، رنجشیں تھیں بہت
بچھڑنے والے میں سب کچھ تھا، بے وفائی نہ تھی
۵
بچھڑتے وقت ان آنکھوں میں تھی ہماری غزل
غزل بھی وہ جو کسی کو ابھی سنائی نہ تھی
۶
کسے پکار رہا تھا وہ ڈوبتا ہوا دن
صدا تو آئی تھی لیکن کوئی دہائی نہ تھی
۷
کبھی یہ حال کہ دونوں میں یک دلی تھی بہت
کبھی یہ مرحلہ جیسے کہ آشنائی نہ تھی
۸
عجیب ہوتی ہے راہ سخن بھی دیکھ نصیرؔ
وہاں بھی آ گئے آخر، جہاں رسائی نہ تھی
हम-नवाई न थी – नसीर तुराबी
१
वो हम-सफ़र था मगर उस से हम-नवाई न थी
के धूप छाँव का आलम रहा जुदाई न थी
२
न अपना रंज न औरों का दुख न तेरा मलाल
शब-ए फ़िराक़ कभी हम ने यूँ गँवाई न थी
३
मोहब्बतों का सफ़र इस तरह भी गुज़्रा था
शिकस्ता-दिल थे मुसाफ़र शिकस्ता-पाई न थी
४
अदावतें थीं, तग़ाफ़ुल था, रंजिशें थीं बहुत
बिछड़ने वाले में सब कुछ था, बेवफ़ाई न थी
५
बिछड़ते वक़्त उन आँखों में थी हमारी ग़ज़ल
ग़ज़ल भी वो जो किसी को अभी सुनाई न थी
६
किसे पुकार रहा था वो डूबता हुआ दिन
सदा तो आई थी लेकिन कोई दुहाई न थी
७
कभी ये हाल के दोनों में यक-दिली थी बहुत
कभी ये मरहला जैसे के आश्नाई न थी
८
अजीब होती है राह-ए सुख़न भी देख नसीर
वहाँ भी आ गए आख़र, जहाँ रसाई न थी
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. naseer turabi (1945-2021). Born in hyderabad, family migrated to pakistan in 1948. He began composing in 1962 and was active in liberal causes including opposing military rule. This is about the breaking away of baNgla desh. The poet expresses his sorrow at this separation, with considerable understanding of the baNgladeshi position but without a full appreciation of the historical burden that the relationship carried. Also see faiz ahmed faiz’s, ‘Dhaake se vaapasi’.
1
vo ham-safar1 thaa magar us se ham-navaaii2 na thi
keh dhuup chhaauN kaa aalam3 rahaa judaaii4 na thi 1.companions on the journey (of life) 2.same voice 3.condition 4.separation
We were companions on the same journey but we didn’t speak in the same voice (didn’t speak the same language, were out of sync). Editorial comment, this does not explicitly recognize that unequal relationship. We were like sunlight and shade, never one and the same and yet never apart.
2
na apnaa raNj1 na auroN kaa dukh na teraa malaal2
shab3-e firaaq4 kabhi ham ne yuuN gaNvaaii5 na thi 1.sorrow 2.pain, sickness 3.night of 4.separation (from the beloved) 5.lost, wasted
In urdu shaa’eri, shab-e firaaq or the evening of separation from the beloved is typically spent in suffering; it’s practically its raison d’etre. It is supposed to be painful and the pain is valued. But in this case … neither did we feel our own pain, nor the suffering of others, nor your sorrow. Never had we squandered the night of separation thus. There is a recognition of the pain of and sorrow of baNgladesh and of the lost opportunity to correct injustices.
3
mohabbatoN kaa safar1 is tarah2 bhi guzraa3 thaa
shikasta-dil4 the musaafir5 shikasta-paaii6 na thi 1.journey 2.like this 3.passed 4.broken hearts 5.travelers 6.tired feet
The journey of love passed thus: the travelers lost heart/hope but their feet weren’t tired. This could mean two things: they had the strength/ability to continue the journey but not the heart OR even though they lost heart, they kept moving, kept trying.
4
adaavateN1 thiiN, taGhaaful2 thaa, ranjisheN3 thiiN bahut
bichhaRne4 vaale meN sab kuchh thaa, bevafaaii5 na thi 1.animosity, rivalry 2.indifference 3.complaints, rancor 4.the one who is separating 5.betrayal
There was animosity, indifference, and rancor between us, but the one who separated never showed infidelity/unfaithfulness/betrayal i.e. in spite of all the ill will, they did not show (or we failed to see) the intent to break up.
5
bichhaRte1 vaqt un aaNkhoN meN thi hamaari Ghazal
Ghazal bhi vo jo kisi ko abhi sunaaii na thi 1.separation, rupture
At the moment of separation, the beloved’s eyes reflected my love song, one that I hadn’t yet recited. i.e. we were so close that the beloved was privy to the secrets of my heart. This appears to be a rather rosy assessment of the relationship.
6
kise pukaar rahaa thaa vo Doobtaa huaa din
sadaa1 to aaii thi laikin koi duhaaii2 na thi 1.cry (for help or of protest) 2.appeal/ask or an answer to prayers/appeals
‘duhaaii’ can be a little complex. In colloquial language it is sometimes used to imply asking for help and at other times to imply giving help/giving attention. Who was the fading day calling out to? We could hear the sound but couldn’t make out any appeal for justice/mercy. Or it might mean that there was no one to answer this appeal.
7
kabhi ye haal1 ke donoN meN yak-dili2 thi bahut
kabhi ye marhala3 jaise ke aashnaaii4 na thi 1.condition 2.same heart, love 3.problem, impediment 4.acquaintance, friendship
At times it felt like our hearts were one. At others, it was as if we were never even friends.
8
ajiib1 hoti hai raah2-e suKhan3 bhi dekh naseer
vahaaN bhi aa gaye aaKhir4, jahaaN rasaaii5 na thi 1.strange 2.path 3.poetry, expression (of emotions/pain) 4.at last 5.reach, access
Strange is the way of poetry/pain, naseer, it has brought us to a place to where we had thought we would never reach.
naseer turabi (1945-2021). Born in hyderabad, family migrated to pakistan in 1948. He began composing in 1962 and was active in liberal causes including opposing military rule. This is about the breaking away of baNgla desh. The poet expresses his sorrow at this separation, with considerable understanding of the baNgladeshi position but without a full appreciation of the historical burden that the relationship carried. Also see faiz ahmed faiz’s, ‘Dhaake se vaapasi’.
1
vo ham-safar1 thaa magar us se ham-navaaii2 na thi
keh dhuup chhaauN kaa aalam3 rahaa judaaii4 na thi
1.companions on the journey (of life) 2.same voice 3.condition 4.separation
We were companions on the same journey but we didn’t speak in the same voice (didn’t speak the same language, were out of sync). Editorial comment, this does not explicitly recognize that unequal relationship. We were like sunlight and shade, never one and the same and yet never apart.
2
na apnaa raNj1 na auroN kaa dukh na teraa malaal2
shab3-e firaaq4 kabhi ham ne yuuN gaNvaaii5 na thi
1.sorrow 2.pain, sickness 3.night of 4.separation (from the beloved) 5.lost, wasted
In urdu shaa’eri, shab-e firaaq or the evening of separation from the beloved is typically spent in suffering; it’s practically its raison d’etre. It is supposed to be painful and the pain is valued. But in this case … neither did we feel our own pain, nor the suffering of others, nor your sorrow. Never had we squandered the night of separation thus. There is a recognition of the pain of and sorrow of baNgladesh and of the lost opportunity to correct injustices.
3
mohabbatoN kaa safar1 is tarah2 bhi guzraa3 thaa
shikasta-dil4 the musaafir5 shikasta-paaii6 na thi
1.journey 2.like this 3.passed 4.broken hearts 5.travelers 6.tired feet
The journey of love passed thus: the travelers lost heart/hope but their feet weren’t tired. This could mean two things: they had the strength/ability to continue the journey but not the heart OR even though they lost heart, they kept moving, kept trying.
4
adaavateN1 thiiN, taGhaaful2 thaa, ranjisheN3 thiiN bahut
bichhaRne4 vaale meN sab kuchh thaa, bevafaaii5 na thi
1.animosity, rivalry 2.indifference 3.complaints, rancor 4.the one who is separating 5.betrayal
There was animosity, indifference, and rancor between us, but the one who separated never showed infidelity/unfaithfulness/betrayal i.e. in spite of all the ill will, they did not show (or we failed to see) the intent to break up.
5
bichhaRte1 vaqt un aaNkhoN meN thi hamaari Ghazal
Ghazal bhi vo jo kisi ko abhi sunaaii na thi
1.separation, rupture
At the moment of separation, the beloved’s eyes reflected my love song, one that I hadn’t yet recited. i.e. we were so close that the beloved was privy to the secrets of my heart. This appears to be a rather rosy assessment of the relationship.
6
kise pukaar rahaa thaa vo Doobtaa huaa din
sadaa1 to aaii thi laikin koi duhaaii2 na thi
1.cry (for help or of protest) 2.appeal/ask or an answer to prayers/appeals
‘duhaaii’ can be a little complex. In colloquial language it is sometimes used to imply asking for help and at other times to imply giving help/giving attention. Who was the fading day calling out to? We could hear the sound but couldn’t make out any appeal for justice/mercy. Or it might mean that there was no one to answer this appeal.
7
kabhi ye haal1 ke donoN meN yak-dili2 thi bahut
kabhi ye marhala3 jaise ke aashnaaii4 na thi
1.condition 2.same heart, love 3.problem, impediment 4.acquaintance, friendship
At times it felt like our hearts were one. At others, it was as if we were never even friends.
8
ajiib1 hoti hai raah2-e suKhan3 bhi dekh naseer
vahaaN bhi aa gaye aaKhir4, jahaaN rasaaii5 na thi
1.strange 2.path 3.poetry, expression (of emotions/pain) 4.at last 5.reach, access
Strange is the way of poetry/pain, naseer, it has brought us to a place to where we had thought we would never reach.
