Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. parveen shakir (1952-1994), English literature and linguistics, correspondent, educator, Pakistan Civil Service. Prolific writer bringing new thought and new forthright, feminist style to urdu shaa’eri. It was considered unbecoming for a woman to express her love. parveen shakir is one of the earliest feminist poets to break that tradition and break it openly/courageously and beautifully.
1
phir mere shahr se guzra hai vo baadal¹ ki tarah
dast²-e gul phaila hua hai mere aaNchal ki tarah   1.parveen shakir often uses “cloud” as a metaphor for her beloved/lover – as a blessed cloud raining love 2.hand
Her beloved/lover is passing through (like a cloud) and she is hopeful that she will be able to catch some rain drops in her aaNchal … like a rose expectantly spreads out its petal/hand.
2
kah raha hai kisi mosam ki kahaani ab tak
jism barsaat meN bheege hue jaNgal ki tara    Her body is drenched, her sensuality is exposed and is telling the story of her encounter with the lover/beloved just like a forest that has been rained upon tells its story (wet, fresh, new shoots).
3
ooNchi aavaaz meN us ne to kabhi baat na ki
KhafgiyauN¹ meN bhi vo lahja² raha komal³ ki tara    1.annoyances 2.accent 3.gentle, soft
She recalls his gentleness. He was always soft spoken. Even when annoyed his accent was always soft.
4
mil ke us shaKhs se maiN laakh Khamoshi se chalooN
bol uThti hai nazar paauN ki chhaagal ki tara However much she tries to hide her love, walks quietly away after her rendezvous, her joyous/shining eyes give her away as surely as the tinkle of ankle bells.
5
paas jab tak vo rahe dard thama rahta hai
phailta jaata hai phir aaNkh ke kaajal ki tara As long as he is with her, her pain is in abeyance. But after he leaves, flowing tears cause the “kaajal” to spread.
6
ab kisi taur se ghar jaane ki soorat¹ hi nahiN
raaste mere liye ho gaye daldal² ki tarah 1.way, method 2.swamp, quicksand, trap
She has had her rendezvous with her lover and is now unable to return home (reputation, embarrassment, malign comments). It is as if the road home is like a trap/swamp.
7
jism ki teera¹ o aaseb-zada² mandir meN
dil sar-e-shaam³ sulag uThta hai sandal ki tarah 1.dark 2.haunted with ghosts 3.beginning of the night
She compares her body to a haunted temple. In the early evening a devotionaly fire of sandle wood is lit in the temple. Her heart is like that sandal wood burning with desire from early evening. Compare this to mir taqi mir …
shaam hi se bujha sa rahta hai
dil hua hai chiraaGh muflis ka