Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. ahmad faraz (1931-2008) popular love and romance poet as well as a substantial contributor to progressive themes. He wrote openly against military dictatorships for which he was arrested. This nazm reflects his time while under arrest. Although this is not a Ghazal it has many characteristics that make similar to Ghalib’s Ghair-mudarraf Ghazal ‘maiN huN apni shikast ki aavaaz’ and I take the liberty to link it to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
na kahiN shahr¹-e mehrbaaN² ki hava
na koi yaar³-e hamdam⁴ o damsaaz⁵      1.city, dwelling, sheltering 2.kind 3.friend 4.same/similar breath/views 5.helpful
Nowhere is there a kind, sheltering atmosphere. No like-minded friend. None that is helpful.
2
na sar¹-e baam² zulf³-e aavaara⁴
na sar⁵-e raah⁶ chashm⁷-e fitna-taraaz⁸    1.top 2.roof 3.hair 4.scattered, spread 5.head, beginning 6.path, street 7.glance 8.mischievous
There is no sight of the beloved on the rooftop with her hair flowing freely. There is no chance of an encounter with her mischievous glance at the side of the street.
3
na kahiN kuu¹-e chaak² daamaanaaN³
na kahiN ruu⁴-e dostaan-e faraaz⁵     1.street 2.torn 3.hem of the robe 4.face 5.pen-name of the poet
The street of the beloved is where all lovers (who may be friends sympathetic to one another) are gathered. The are all distressed because of the indifference of the beloved and have the hems of their robe (their clothes) rent/torn to show their distress. None of this is accessible to the imprisoned poet. Nowhere is there a friendly face to look at.
4
na koi bait¹-e bedil² o Ghalib
na koi she’r-e haafiz³-e shiiraaz⁴     1.home, residence but the word is also used to mean she’r 2.eminent faarsi poet (1644-1720) of dehli 3.eminent faarsi poet (1315-1390) 4.hometown of haafiz
There is no one with whom the poet/prisoner would be able to exchange couplets of bedil, Ghalib or haafiz.
5
na koii sham’a kushta¹-e shab² hai
na koi andaleeb³-e siina-gudaaz⁴     1.killed, put out 2.night 3.nightingale 4.bosom/heart melting
There is no flickering/dying candle of the late night (after an all night mushaa’era). There is no nightingale singing heart-melting songs.
6
Khalvat¹-e Gham na bazm²-e rusvaaii³
na savaal⁴-e talab⁵ na arz⁶-e niyaaz⁷     1.privacy, seclusion 2.gathering 3.shame, insult 4.question, demand 5.desire 6.speak, present 7.devotional offering
There is no place, no seclusion to quitey feel/nurse the pain (of unrequited love). No longer are there gatherings of the beloved where we used to be subjected to the abuse of the beloved. There is no occasion to ask the beloved for fulfilment of our desire, no chance to present our devotion.
7
chaar suu¹ ek fasiil²-e be-dar³ hai
chaar jaanib⁴ hisaar⁵-e be-andaaz⁶      1.directions 2.parapets, fortifications 3.doorless 4.directions 5.boundaries 6.unestimable, unlimited
In all four directions there are walls without doors. On all four sides there are boundaries that cannot be estimated.
8
niind ke taa’eraan¹-e be-parva²
shaaKh-e mizshgaaN³ se kar gaye parvaaz⁴      1.birds 2.uncaring, unkind 3.eyelashes
Sleep is depicted as birds. These birds light on the eyelashes. But they have taken flight i.e., he can no longer sleep.
9
aisi viiraaniyoN¹ se ghabra² kar
jab uThaata huN teri yaad ka saaz³    1.desolation 2.scared, confused 3.musical instrument
This is not an independent she’r in the sense that it is not complete in its meaning. Thus, this whole composition cannot be considered a Ghazal but a nazm. Other than this and the fact that it does not have a ‘matla’ it has the structure of a Ghair-mudarraf Ghazal. Scared of this desolation, I picked up the sitar of your memories.
10
toR deti hai silsile¹ saare
pahre-daaroN² ki bad-numa³ aavaaz   1.chain, continuation 2.watchmen, guards 3.ugly
This is a continuation of thought from the previous she’r. As he picked up the sitar of memories, he was rudely interrupted by the ugly footfalls of the watchmen/prison guards.