Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. shiv dayal sahaab – I cannot date him exactly, but “ishrat-e Gham”, his first divan, was published in 1971. He was a shaagird of panDit mela ram vafa (1895-1980). Introductions/testimonials written in this book recall sahaab’s 25 years of service to urdu, which places him as a young poet in the mid 1940s. He was editor of ‘milaap’ in chandigaRh. As his own introduction, he writes that he did not receive ‘shaa’eri’ as his ‘viraasat’ but was happy that it became a ‘viraasat’ that he is leaving for his progeny. His son, ashok narula, published his divan even before his father. This is one of a series of posts which shows that people of different religious persuasions and different linguistic backgrounds chose to express their devotional thoughts in urdu verse. This nazm is about radha forlorn and missing krishn.
1
shaam¹ aaye na kuchh Khabar aayi
aaj radha ki aaNkh bhar aayi    1.shyaam, another name for krishn
Neither did krishn came nor did he send any word. radha is sorrowful and in tears.
2
na-suboori¹ meN raat kaTne par
aayi to dukh bhari sahr² aayi    1.restlessness, impatience 2.dawn
A forlorn dawn arrived after a restless night.
3
maar Daala suhaani yaadoN ne
hasrat¹-e deed² aur ubhar aayi    1.longing, desire 2.sight, glimpse
Sweet memories kill. The longing to see becomes more acute.
4
chhaa gayi teeragi¹ nigaahoN meN
kalba²-e dil meN yaas³ dar⁴ aayi    1.darkness 2.dark chamber 3.longing 4.intrude, invade
Darkness spread over her eyes. Longing invaded the dark chamber of her sorrowful heart.
5
zabt¹ ka band² TooT phooT gaya
baaRh Gham ki urooj³ par aayi    1.forbearance, patience 2.dam 3.crest, climax
The dam over the river of patience breached. A flood of sorrow came to a crest.
6
aasra¹ mil gaya tasavvur² ko
koi soorat na jab nazar aayi    1.encouragement 2.imagination
Here imagination is personified. When she could not see his face, then Imagination was encouraged … because then she is forced to imagine.
7
shaam hi shaam tha tasavvur¹ meN
mahviyat² phir se aud³ kar aayi    1.imagination 2.(sorrowful) obsession 3.return
Her imagination is dominated by thoughts of krishn. Her obsession of him returns.
8
baaNsuri goonj uThi KhayaloN meN
is tarh shaam ki Khabar aayi    The flute echoed in her thoughts. That is how she got word of krishn.
9
muskuraati si shaam ki tasveer
parda¹-e zahan² par utar aayi    1.screen 2.mind, imagination, memories
A smiling picture of krishn descended on the screen of her memories.