For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
abida parveen
آنکھیں ترستیاں ہیں ۔ مرزا رفیع سوداؔ
۱
وے صورتیں الٰہی کس ملک بستیاں ہیں
اب دیکھنے کو جن کے آنکھیں ترستیاں ہیں
۲
آیا تھا کیوں عدم سے کیا کر چلا جہاں میں
یہ مرگ و زیست تجھ بن آپس میں ہنستیاں ہیں
۳
کیونکر نہ ہو مُشَبّک شیشہ سا دل ہمارا
اس شوخ کی نگاہیں پتھر میں دھنستیاں ہیں
۴
برسات کا تو موسم کب کا نکل گیا پر
مژگاں کی یہ گھٹائیں اب تک برستیاں ہیں
۵
لیتے ہیں چھین کر دل عاشق کا پل میں دیکھو
خوباں کی عاشقوں پر کیا پیش دستیاں ہیں
۶
اس واسطے کہ ہیں یہ وحشی نکل نہ جاویں
آنکھوں کو میری مژگاں ڈوروں سے کستیاں ہیں
۷
قیمت میں ان کے گو ہم دو جگ کو دے چکے اب
اس یار کی نگاہیں تس پر بھی سستیاں ہیں
۸
جب میں کہا یہ اس سے سوداؔ سے اپنے مل کے
اس سال تو ہے ساقی اور مے پرستیاں ہیں
۹
ان نے کہا یہ مجھ سے اب چھوڑ دُختِ رز کو
پیری میں اے دوانے یہ کون مستیاں ہیں
आँखें तरस्तियां हैं – मिर्जां रफ़’ई सौदा
१
वे सूरतें इलाही किस मुल्क बस्तियाँ हैं
अब देखने को जिन के आँखें तरस्तियां हैं
२
आया था क्यूँ अदम से क्या कर चला जहाँ में
ये मर्ग-ओ-ज़ीस्त तुझ बिन आपस में हंस्तियां हैं
३
क्यूँकर न हो मुशब्बक शीशा सा दिल हमारा
उस शोख़ की निगाहें पत्थर में धंस्तियां हैं
४
बरसात का तो मौसम कब का निकल गया पर
मिज़्शगां की ये घटाएँ अब तक बरस्तियां हैं
५
लेते हैं छीन कर दिल आशेक़ का पल में देखो
ख़ूबाँ की आशेक़ौं पर क्या पेश-दस्तियाँ हैं
६
इस वास्ते के हैं ये वहशी निकल न जावें
आँखों को मेरी मिज़्श्गां डोरों से कस्तियां हैं
७
क़ीमत में उन के गो हम दो जग को दे चुके अब
उस यार की निगाहें तिस पर भी सस्तियाँ हैं
८
जब मैं कहा ये उस से सौदा से अपने मिल के
इस साल तो है साक़ी और मय-परस्तियाँ हैं
९
उन ने कहा ये मुझ से अब छोढ दुख़्त-ए रज़ को
पीरी में अए दिवाने ये कौन मस्तियाँ हैं
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mirza mohammed raf’ii sauda (1713-1781) wrote faarsi and urdu, romantic and sufiyaana Ghazal in classical style. Contemporary (somewhat senior) of mir taqi mir. sauda, along with mir taqi mir was a strong proponent of communal harmony. They made much fun of orthodoxy.
1
ve suurateN ilaahi1 kis mulk bastiyaaN2 haiN
ab dekhne ko jin ke aaNkheN tarastiyaaN3 haiN 1.faces, images, memories 2.reside, live 3.thirst, long for
It appears that poet is fondly remembering departed souls. O my god, those sweet faces, in which homeland do they live now. To look at them, my eyes thirst. Reminds me of Ghalib’s ‘Khaak meN kya soorateN hoNgi keh pinhaaN ho gaiiN’. It is also worth noting that renowned poet jagan nath aazaad wrote two books, one entitled, ‘aaNkheN tarastiyaaN haiN’ and the other ‘kis des bastiyaaN haiN’ – both notes on his personal interactions with other shu’ara who had passed away.
2
aaya tha kyuN adam1 se kya kar chalaa jahaaN2 meN
ye marg3-o-ziist4 tujh bin aapas meN haNstiyaaN haiN 1.non-existence, spiritual world 2.(material) world 3.death 4.life
Being in ‘adam/non-existence’ is valued as a higher form of ‘being’ because it is considered to be closer to god. Thus, why did you (human being) come out of non-existence/the spiritual world into the material world and what did you ever accomplish. See both life and death laugh at you in you absence i.e., when you are not looking.
3
kyuNkar na ho mushabbak1 shisha sa dil hamaaraa
us shooKh2 ki nigaaheN3 patthar meN dhaNstiyaaN4 haiN 1.perforated, latticed 2.mischievous, playful, beloved 3.glances 4.penetrate
Why would not my delicate heart be perforated. The beloved’s mischievous glances can penetrate through rock, leave alone my fragile (like glass) heart.
4
barsaat ka to mausam1 kab ka nikal gayaa par
mizshgaaN2 ki ye ghaTaa’eN3 ab tak barsatiyaaN haiN 1.season 2.eyelashes 3.clouds
The rainy season is long gone, but the dark clouds of eyelashes still rain (tears). Presumably it is the poet/lover’s eyelashes that are dripping tears because of his longing for the beloved. It is a bit unusual to refer to the lover’s eyelashes as dark, this being a sign of beauty and reserved for the beloved. But the association between dark clouds and rain (eyelashes and tears) is used here.
5
lete haiN chhiin1 kar dil aashiq ka pal2 meN dekho
KhuubaaN3 ki aashiqoN par kya pesh-dastiyaaN4 haiN 1.snatch 2.moment 3.beauties, beloved 4.surpassing, excelling, overcoming
The beloved grabs the heart of the lover in just a moment. Just look at their excellence.
6
is vaaste1 keh haiN ye vahshi2 nikal na jaaveN
aaNkhoN ko meri mizshgaaN3 DoroN se kastiyaaN4 haiN 1.because, for the sake of 2.wild, untamed 3.eyelashes 4.tie down tight
Because the eyes are wild and untamed (they stare at the beloved), fearing that they may escape, the eyelashes tie them down tightly.
7
qiimat1 meN un ke go2 ham do jag3 ko de chuke ab
us yaar4 ki nigaaheN5 tis par bhi sastiyaaN6 haiN 1.price 2.even though 3.worlds, here and hereafter 4.friend, beloved 5.glances 6.cheap, well worth it
Even though we have paid with both worlds (this life and the afterlife), the glances of the beloved are still well worth the price.
8
jab maiN kahaa ye us se sauda1 se apne mil ke
is saal tu hai saaqi2 aur mai-parastiyaaN3 haiN 1.pen-name of the poet 2.cup-bearer, beloved 3.worshipping wine
It is not entirely clear who the ‘maiN’ is in the first misra. Most likely it is a friend or the alter ego of the poet. When I met my sauda and told him, this year it will be saaqi and wine-worshipping … to which he replied … see next she’r …
9
un ne kahaa ye mujh se ab chhoR duKht-e-raz1 ko
piiri2 meN aye divaane ye kaun mastiyaaN3 haiN 1.daughter of grape, wine 2.old age 3.intoxications, throwing caution to the winds
… to which he (sauda) said to me, leave/quit this daughter of grape. O fool, in this old age, what is that you are doing, throwing all caution to the winds.
mirza mohammed raf’ii sauda (1713-1781) wrote faarsi and urdu, romantic and sufiyaana Ghazal in classical style. Contemporary (somewhat senior) of mir taqi mir. sauda, along with mir taqi mir was a strong proponent of communal harmony. They made much fun of orthodoxy.
1
ve suurateN ilaahi1 kis mulk bastiyaaN2 haiN
ab dekhne ko jin ke aaNkheN tarastiyaaN3 haiN
1.faces, images, memories 2.reside, live 3.thirst, long for
It appears that poet is fondly remembering departed souls. O my god, those sweet faces, in which homeland do they live now. To look at them, my eyes thirst. Reminds me of Ghalib’s ‘Khaak meN kya soorateN hoNgi keh pinhaaN ho gaiiN’. It is also worth noting that renowned poet jagan nath aazaad wrote two books, one entitled, ‘aaNkheN tarastiyaaN haiN’ and the other ‘kis des bastiyaaN haiN’ – both notes on his personal interactions with other shu’ara who had passed away.
2
aaya tha kyuN adam1 se kya kar chalaa jahaaN2 meN
ye marg3-o-ziist4 tujh bin aapas meN haNstiyaaN haiN
1.non-existence, spiritual world 2.(material) world 3.death 4.life
Being in ‘adam/non-existence’ is valued as a higher form of ‘being’ because it is considered to be closer to god. Thus, why did you (human being) come out of non-existence/the spiritual world into the material world and what did you ever accomplish. See both life and death laugh at you in you absence i.e., when you are not looking.
3
kyuNkar na ho mushabbak1 shisha sa dil hamaaraa
us shooKh2 ki nigaaheN3 patthar meN dhaNstiyaaN4 haiN
1.perforated, latticed 2.mischievous, playful, beloved 3.glances 4.penetrate
Why would not my delicate heart be perforated. The beloved’s mischievous glances can penetrate through rock, leave alone my fragile (like glass) heart.
4
barsaat ka to mausam1 kab ka nikal gayaa par
mizshgaaN2 ki ye ghaTaa’eN3 ab tak barsatiyaaN haiN
1.season 2.eyelashes 3.clouds
The rainy season is long gone, but the dark clouds of eyelashes still rain (tears). Presumably it is the poet/lover’s eyelashes that are dripping tears because of his longing for the beloved. It is a bit unusual to refer to the lover’s eyelashes as dark, this being a sign of beauty and reserved for the beloved. But the association between dark clouds and rain (eyelashes and tears) is used here.
5
lete haiN chhiin1 kar dil aashiq ka pal2 meN dekho
KhuubaaN3 ki aashiqoN par kya pesh-dastiyaaN4 haiN
1.snatch 2.moment 3.beauties, beloved 4.surpassing, excelling, overcoming
The beloved grabs the heart of the lover in just a moment. Just look at their excellence.
6
is vaaste1 keh haiN ye vahshi2 nikal na jaaveN
aaNkhoN ko meri mizshgaaN3 DoroN se kastiyaaN4 haiN
1.because, for the sake of 2.wild, untamed 3.eyelashes 4.tie down tight
Because the eyes are wild and untamed (they stare at the beloved), fearing that they may escape, the eyelashes tie them down tightly.
7
qiimat1 meN un ke go2 ham do jag3 ko de chuke ab
us yaar4 ki nigaaheN5 tis par bhi sastiyaaN6 haiN
1.price 2.even though 3.worlds, here and hereafter 4.friend, beloved 5.glances 6.cheap, well worth it
Even though we have paid with both worlds (this life and the afterlife), the glances of the beloved are still well worth the price.
8
jab maiN kahaa ye us se sauda1 se apne mil ke
is saal to hai saaqi2 aur mai-parastiyaaN3 haiN
1.pen-name of the poet 2.cup-bearer, beloved 3.worshipping wine
It is not entirely clear who the ‘maiN’ is in the first misra. Most likely it is a friend or the alter ego of the poet. When I met my sauda and told him, this year it will be saaqi and wine-worshipping … to which he replied … see next she’r …
9
un ne kahaa ye mujh se ab chhoR duKht-e-raz1 ko
piiri2 meN aye divaane ye kaun mastiyaaN3 haiN
1.daughter of grape, wine 2.old age 3.intoxications, throwing caution to the winds
… to which he (sauda) said to me, leave/quit this daughter of grape. O fool, in this old age, what is that you are doing, throwing all caution to the winds.
