abru-e yaar hai-osman ali KhaaN

For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the “English” or “Notes” tab.

ابروئے یار ہے ۔ عثمان علی خاں

۱

دِل ہی نہ اپنا معتکفِ کوئے یار ہے

رُخ بھی مثالِ قبلہ نما سوئے یار ہے

۲

کٹ جائے تیغِ رشک سے کیونکر نہ ماہِ نو

آمادہ خود نمائی پہ ابروئے یار ہے

۳

یہ بھی درازیِٔ شبِ ہجراں کی ہے دلیل

جو شام سے تصوّرِ گیسوئے یار ہے

۴

واعظ ہو مجھ پہ شورِ قیامت کا کیا اثر

میری نظر میں قامتِ دلجوئے یار ہے

۵

عثماں یہاں یگانہ و بیگانہ کون ہے

جِس رُخ کو دیکھتا ہوں وہی روئے یار ہے

अब्रू-ए यार है – उस्मान अली ख़ां

दिल ही न अपना मो’तकफ़-ए कू-ए यार है

रुख़ भी मिसाल-ए क़िब्ला-नुमा सू-ए यार

कट जाए तेग़-ए रश्क से क्यूंकर न माह-ए नौ

आमादा ख़ुद-नुमाई पे अब्रू-ए यार है

ये भी दराज़ी-ए शब-ए हिज्राँ कि है दलील

जो शाम से तसव्वुर-ए गेसू-ए यार है

वा’एज़ हो मुझ पे शोर-ए क़यामत का क्या असर

मेरी नज़र में क़ामत-ए दिल-जू-यार है

उस्मां यहां यगाना ओ बेगाना कौन है

जिस रुख़ को देखता हूं वही रू-ए यार है

Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. This is a refined and beautiful high praise of the beauty of the beloved. At a stretch, in the first three ash’aar, the beloved may be interpreted as god or the beauty of the creation of god but the last two are much more explicitly sufiyaana where he sees the beloved/god in everything.
1
dil hi na apna mo’takaf1-e koo2-e yaar3 hai
ruKh4 bhi misaal5-e qibla-numa6 soo7-e yaar hai
1.gone into e’tekaaf/seclusion 2.street of 3.beloved 4.face 5.like, similar to 6.compass, direction pointer 7.towards
It is not my heart alone that has withdrawn/sought seclusion/refuge in the street of the beloved. My face too, like the compass, always points in the direction of the beloved. Of course, the beloved can be god and poet/lover/sufi is devoted to him/her.

2
kaT jaaye teGh1-e rashk2 se kyuNkar3 na maah4-e nau5
aamaada6 Khud-numaaii7 pe abru8-e yaar hai
1.dagger 2.envy 3.why 4.moon 5.new 6.willing, ready 7.revealing/displaying itself 8.eye-brows
Eye-brow, dagger and the new moon all have the same shape and are used as similes. In this case the beloved is willing to display the beauty of her arched eyebrows. This rivals/surpasses the new moon in beauty which gets cut by the dagger of envy.

3
ye bhi daraazi1-e shab2-e hijraaN3 ki hai daleel4
jo shaam se tasavvur5-e gesu6-e yaar hai
1.length 2.evening of 3.separation 4.proof 5.thought, imagination, visualization 6.hair
The hair of the beloved are long and dark, just like the night of separation. From early evening on, the poet/lover imagines/visualizes the hair of the beloved. Surely, this is proof that the night of separation is going to be long and dark.

4
vaa’ez1 ho mujh pe shor2-e qayaamat3 ka kya asar
meri nazar4 meN qaamat5-e dil-joo6-e yaar hai
1.preacher 2.in faarsi – frenzy, passion, fear 3.doomsday 4.sight 5.stature, beauty 6.heart pleasing
The poet/lover is not apprehensive of doomsday because he has in his sight the beauty of the beloved. This could literally be that he so obsessed with the beloved that he does not care about the day of judgement. But it could also mean that the beauty, rahmat, kindness, love of god will save him, so he has no fear.

5
usmaaN yahaaN yagaana1 o begaana2 kaun hai
jis ruKh3 ko dekhta huN vahi roo4-e yaar hai
1.familiar, similar to oneself 2.different, other 3.face 4.image
O, osmaan, who is a friend and who is a foe. Whichever face I look at, I see the image of god.

This is a refined and beautiful high praise of the beauty of the beloved.  At a stretch, in the first three ash’aar, the beloved may be interpreted as god or the beauty of the creation of god but the last two are much more explicitly sufiyaana where he sees the beloved/god in everything.
1
dil hi na apna mo’takaf1-e koo2-e yaar3 hai
ruKh4 bhi misaal5-e qibla-numa6 soo7-e yaar hai

1.gone into e’tekaaf/seclusion 2.street of 3.beloved 4.face 5.like, similar to 6.compass, direction pointer 7.towards

It is not my heart alone that has withdrawn/sought seclusion/refuge in the street of the beloved.  My face too, like the compass, always points in the direction of the beloved.  Of course, the beloved can be god and poet/lover/sufi is devoted to him/her.
2
kaT jaaye teGh1-e rashk2 se kyuNkar3 na maah4-e nau5
aamaada6 Khud-numaaii7 pe abru8-e yaar hai

1.dagger 2.envy 3.why 4.moon 5.new 6.willing, ready 7.revealing/displaying itself 8.eye-brows

Eye-brow, dagger and the new moon all have the same shape and are used as similes.  In this case the beloved is willing to display the beauty of her arched eyebrows.  This rivals/surpasses the new moon in beauty which gets cut by the dagger of envy.
3
ye bhi daraazi1-e shab2-e hijraaN3 ki hai daleel4
jo shaam se tasavvur5-e gesu6-e yaar hai

1.length 2.evening of 3.separation 4.proof 5.thought, imagination, visualization 6.hair

The hair of the beloved are long and dark, just like the night of separation.  From early evening on, the poet/lover imagines/visualizes the hair of the beloved.  Surely, this is proof that the night of separation is going to be long and dark.
4
vaa’ez1 ho mujh pe shor2-e qayaamat3 ka kya asar
meri nazar4 meN qaamat5-e dil-joo6-e yaar hai

1.preacher 2.in faarsi – frenzy, passion, fear 3.doomsday 4.sight 5.stature, beauty 6.heart pleasing

The poet/lover is not apprehensive of doomsday because he has in his sight the beauty of the beloved.  This could literally be that he so obsessed with the beloved that he does not care about the day of judgement.  But it could also mean that the beauty, rahmat, kindness, love of god will save him, so he has no fear.
5
usmaaN yahaaN yagaana1 o begaana2 kaun hai
jis ruKh3 ko dekhta huN vahi roo4-e yaar hai

1.familiar, similar to oneself 2.different, other 3.face 4.image

O, osmaan, who is a friend and who is a foe.  Whichever face I look at, I see the image of god.

Key Search Words: sufiyaana, beauty of the beloved