jab tere shahr se maiN chala jaauNga – bekal utsaahi

Click here for overall comments and on any passage for meanings and discussion. bekal utsahi died on Dec 3, 2016. I found this nazm of his to be a fitting tribute. In this nazm he is addressing his beloved (or a host of admirers/gopis) and/or his audience reminding them of the things they will miss when he is gone.

tujh ko chheReNgi geetauN ki purvaaiyaaN¹
jab tere shahr se maiN chala jaauNga1.eastern winds, generally rain bearing
Rain bearing winds are a trigger for celebration, song and dance. Thus the poet addresses his beloved … after I am gone, you will become restless when spring rains arrive.

gaauN ki bhooli pagDanDiyaaN aayeNgi
aur saRkauN se poochheNgi mera pata
DhooDheNgi sahmi¹ sahmi hui goriyaaN
apni khoii hui paaelauN ki sada
raah² ruk ruk ke poochheNgi rusvaaiyaaN³
jab tere shahr se maiN chala jaauNga1.scared, shy 2.pathway 3.embarrassment
The poet was and proudly portrayed himself as a rural man. Thus the foot trails of the village will come to the city road and ask about him. Shy village girls will have lost the zest to dance the tinkle of their anklets will be lost. They will ask people on the road about the stories of my transgressions (because they are jealous of my many admirers).

park ki chhaauN meN roop ki har kiran
shooKhiyauN se utarna bisar¹ jaaye gi
bheegi bheegi fizaauN ki aaGhosh² meN
chaandni bhi nikharna³ bisar jaaye gi
raushni pi ke bahkeN⁴ gi parchhaiyaaN
jab tere shahr se maiN chala jaauNga1.forget 2.lap 3.freshen 4.drunken stagger
When the poet is gone, the playful rays of light in the garden will forget to descend and at night in the cool, damp air, moonlight will forget to shine. The moving shadows on the ground will appear in drunk stagger, having drunk the wine of light. The imager is beautiful … slanting rays of light, a light breeze, swaying branches, creating the effect of moving shadows as drunken stagger.

ye dulhan jaisi GhazlauN ki nairaNgiyaaN¹
Khaamushi ke khanDar meN chali jaayeN gi
saahil²-e jaam³ o meena⁴ ki sarmastiyaaN⁵
tishnagi⁶ ke bhaNwar meN chali jaayeNgi
anjuman⁷ anjuman hoNgi tanhaaiyaaN⁸
jab tere shahr se maiN chala jaauNga1.enchantment 2.shore 3.cup 4.flask (of wine) 5.intoxication 6.thirst 7.gathering, party 8.loneliness
When I am gone … this enchantment of the bride-like Ghazal will fall into ruins of silence. This intoxication and enjoyment of cup and flask on the shore/river bank will be sucked into the thirst of the whirlpool. All gatherings will be deserted.

chhuT ke haathauN se gir jaayeNge aaiine
saNwre¹ saNwre se gesu² bikhar jaayeNge
rooTh jaayeNgi muskaaneN³ kaliyauN se bhi
aur phoolauN ke chehre utar⁴ jaaeNge
ajnabi⁵ ajnabi hoNgi aNgRaaiyaaN
jab tere shahr se maiN chala jaauNga1.arranged, primmed 2.hair 3.smiles 4.crestfallen, sad 5.strange
The beloved, looking at herself in the mirror will be so despondent that she will drop it. Her combed hair will become disheveled. Smiles will disappear from buds and flowers will be crestfallen. The beloved’s stretching yawn is considered to be a romantic, enticing posture. But because the poet/lover will no longer be there the stretch/yawn will find itself a stranger, unappreciated.

ye hasiN qumqume¹ zeb²-e jalsa haiN jo
raNg in ke tabassum³ ka uR jaayega
saaz⁴ o naGhma⁵ ka ye naqraii⁶ silsilaa⁷
TooT kar bad-havaasi⁸ se juR jaayega
aur sannaaTe⁹ meN hoNgi gahraaiyaaN
jab tere shahr se maiN chala jaauNga1.candelabra, lights 2.beauty, decoration 3.smile 4.lute, music 5.song 6.silvery 7.continuation, chain, train 8.stunned, senselessness 9.silence
The beautiful lights of this celebration will lose their smile. This silvery chain of song and music will turn to stunning senselessness and silence will deepen, when I am gone.

chalti phirti guphaayeN¹ ajanta ki bhi
ja ke baNglauN ke laanauN² meN kho jaayeNgi
kitni mumtaz³ maahaul⁴ se rooTh kar
taaj meN be-bisaati⁵ se so jaayeNgi
husn ki kasmasaayeNgi⁶ naThraaiyaaN⁷
jab tere shahr se maiN chala jaauNga1.caves – walking caves of ajanta are beautiful idols, the many admirers, gopis that the poet/lover has 2.lawns 3.mumtaz mahal – used here as a metaphor for beautiful ladies of the court 4.atmsophere 5.without a bed, on the bare floor 6.to stretch to wake up 7.apathy, disinterest
My admirers, like the idols of Ajanta, will withdraw to the lawns of their bungalows. And how many “mumtaz’s” tiring of the bland atmosphere (without me) would retire to the Taj, on the bare floor. Beauty will wake up to a feeling of listlessness and apathy, when I am gone.

kaun kuTiyauN¹ ki dhoii hui bhor² ko
sheesh mahlauN ki dahleez³ par laaye ga
geet sailaab⁴ ka, qahat⁵ ki daastaaN⁶
kaun bazm⁷-e Ghazal meN suna jaaye ga
kaun ugaaye ga gamlauN meN amraaiyaaN⁸
jab tere shahr se maiN chala jaauNga1.hut 2.dawn 3.threshold 4.flood 5.famine 6.story 7.assembly 8.mango grove
The poet considers himself a representative of rural folk. He is the one that would have brought the washed brilliance of dawn from the huts of the village to be made equal to the shining “sheesh mahal”. Without him there would be no one to compose stories of floods and famine and bring them to the gathering of Ghazals. He is the one who brings the picture of the mango grove in a potted package for “city folk” to see/feel.

ye vatan ke taraanauN ki bebaakiyaaN¹
koocha²-e mahvashaaN³ meN simaT⁴ jaayeNgi
naGhma-e amn⁵ ki dhaRkaneN⁶ be-jhijhak⁷
vaqt ki saazishauN⁸ se lipaT jaayeNgi
daur-e nau⁹ ka hunar¹⁰ hoNgi kaThinaiyaaN¹¹
jab tere shahr se maiN chala jaauNga1.fearlessness 2.street of 3.wine drinkers, revelers, lovers, poets 4.contract, withdraw, limited to 5.peace 6.heartbeat 7.without hesitation 8.conspiracies 9.new times/era 10.talent, ability 11.difficulties
The poet considers himself to be a man of the people, a peacemaker/integrator of the various communities of the homeland. Without him the daring songs of the homeland will be limited to the street of (esoteric) poets and the song of peace would merge with conspiracies (of communal hatred). When he is gone, the main feature of the times will be “difficulties”.