apne dil meN sajaa’e hu’e haiN – naresh nadiim
1
tere dar pe saaqii voh aa’e hu’e haiN
jo Khud zindagii ke sataa’e hu’e haiN
2
tamannaa-e dair-o haram chhoR kar ham
charaaGh-e mohabbat jalaa’e hu’e haiN
3
tumhaarii nigaahoN pe qaa’em hai duniyaa
magar ek ham Dagamgaa’e hu’e haiN
4
giraanii kii sadiyoN talak sab pe jis ne
vahii baar ab ham uThaa’e hu’e haiN
5
tasavvur ke taa’er zamiN chhoR kar ab
havaa m’eN nash’eman banaa’e hu’e haiN
6
qadaamat ki bedii pe lo yaar saar’e
tahaa’ef javaanii ke laa’e hu’e haiN
7
kahaaN jaa’eN bechaar’e yeh soch kar ham
KharaaboN ko dil m’eN basaa’e hu’e haiN
8
ba-iiN haal-e taariik, fardaa ke sapn’e
nadiim apn’e dil m’eN sajaa’e hu’e haiN

naresh nadiim (1951-living), born in deoriya, a small town in eastern UP.  Left home in his teens and never looked back.  Pulled riksha, did factory work but managed to put himself through college in the region, then aligaRh and JNU in dehli.  Completed degrees in some and not in others.  Taught school and college in rural UP for a few years before returning to dehli and earning a living as a translater of English books into hindi, punjabi and some in urdu.  Contributed to periodicals and compiled his columns into a book.  Also published a collection of Ghazal and nazm.  How he gravitated towards towards urdu in the mid 1950s, I don’t know.  He seems to have been a member of the Communist Party of India.
1
tere dar¹ pe saaqii voh aa’e hu’e haiN
jo Khud zindagii ke sataa’e hu’e haiN

1.door

In urdu poetic convention, the tavern is a welcoming place especially for freethinkers and rebels who defy convention.  The poet/rebel calls out to the saaqi – the tavern keeper, that those who have been wronged/discarded by life/society are at the door.  Presumably, the door will be opened and they will be welcomed.  If saaqi is used metaphorically for the people in power, this could be a protest at their door by deprived people.
2
tamannaa¹-e da’er²-o-haram³ chhoR kar ham
charaaGh⁴-e mohabbat jalaa’e hu’e haiN

1.longing, intense desire, yearning 2.temple 3.mosque 4.lamp

The rebels have stopped yearning for salvation at the temple or the mosque.  In the place of conventional faith they have lit the lamp of universal love.
3
tumhaarii nigaahoN¹ pe qaa’em² hai duniyaa
magar ek ham Dagamgaa’e³ hu’e haiN

1.glance 2.based, depend on 3.stagger, stumble

The shaa’er does not say who the tumhaari is.  We are at liberty to make choices.  Three choices suggest themselves – the conservative orthodoxy, holders of wealth and power, the saaqi of the tavern.  Each of these choices corresponds with a parallel choice for the poet/protagonist – the universal humanist who has crossed the boundaries of the temple and mosque, the exploited labourer or the patron of the tavern.  In each of the three pairs of choices the message is the same – the world order is based on the favourable glance of orthodoxy/powerful/saaqi but all three neglect the lowly protagonist.  In each of the three cases Dagmagaana has to be interpreted appropriately.  Yet another possibility is that the saaqi is the beloved and others don’t get intoxicated by her eyes, but when the lover encounters her nigaah he gets intoxicated and staggers.
4
giraanii¹ kii² sadiyoN³ talak sab pe jis ne
vahii baar⁴ ab ham uThaa’e hu’e haiN

1.heaviness, oppression 2.did, exercised 3.centuries 4.burden

The poet/rebel carries the same burden today that has oppressed everyone for centuries.  What is this burden … it could be orthodox thinking or econmic exploitation.
5
tasavvur¹ ke taa’er² zamiN chhoR kar ab
havaa m’eN nash’eman³ banaa’e hu’e haiN

1.thought, imagination 2.bird 3.nest

This is a clear and beautiful statement of limitless imagination.  The bird of imagination that was bound to the earth and now air/space borne and is making a nest high up in the air.  Said mohammed iqbal …
sitaaroN se aag’e jahaaN aur bhi haiN
… and Ghalib expressed a wish …
manzar ek balandi par aur ham banaa sakt’e
arsh se udhar hota kaash keh makaaN apna
6
qadaamat¹ ki bedii² pe lo yaar³ saar’e
tahaa’ef⁴ javaanii ke laa’e hu’e haiN

1.ancient, antique 2.cane 3.friends 4.gifts, presents

This is a sarcastic criticism of friends around him who are stuck in ancient/conventional thinking leaning on the cane of antiquity/conservatism to bring gifts of youth.  Youth represents new life/new beginning but it is still bound by old thinking.
7
kahaaN jaa’eN bechaar’e yeh soch kar ham
KharaaboN¹ ko dil m’eN basaa’e² hu’e haiN

1.tavern 2.inhabit, to settle

This is a tongue in cheek justification for patronising the tavern.  The word Kharaabaat literally means ‘ruins’ but is also used for taverns.  We were feeling sorry for the poor/neglected taverns, thinking where would they go (without us), who would favour them; so we gave them a place to settle in our hearts.
8
ba-iiN¹ haal²-e taariik³, fardaa⁴ ke sapn’e
nadiim⁵ apn’e dil m’eN sajaa’e hu’e haiN

1.inspite of 2.present conditions 3.dark 4.future 5.pen-name

In spite of the darkness/hopelessness of the present times, O nadiim, we have adorned dreams of the future in our hearts.  Said saahir ludhianavi …
aao keh ko’ii Khwaab bun’eN kal ke vaast’e
varnaa ye raat aaj ke saNgiin daur kii
Das le gi jaan o dil ko kuchh ais’e keh jaan o dil
taa umr phir na ko’ii hasiiN Khwaab bun sak’eN