Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. om krishn raahat (1925-xxxx) jalandhar and fareedabad. Learnt urdu in school and college. Retired from government service in 1984. His father was a close friend of aKhtar shiiraani which inspired him to compose verse. In an introduction to his book, he declares himself irreligious, non-believing and left-leaning. He has several collections of Ghazal and nazm to his credit, along with short stories.
1
chalo sharaab piyeN koi nek¹ kaam kareN
lo aao faKhr² se jeenay³ ka ehtemaam⁴ kareN    1.virtuous 2.pride, dignity 3.living 4.arrangements
Come, let us drink wine; let us do some virtuous deed. Come, let us make arrangements to live life with dignity. The implication is defiance against orthodoxy.
2
tumhaari zulf¹ ko laao bikhaer² deN ruKh³ par
tuluu⁴-e sub’h meN tahleel⁵ raNg-e shaam kareN    1.hair 2.spread 3.face 4.rise, sunrise 5.dissolve
The beloved’s face is bright like the rising sun. Her hair are dark like the night. The poet/lover wants to spread her hair over her face dissolving the darkness of the night into the brilliance of the rising sun.
3
kabhi to jaam¹ meN gholeN shafaq² ki surKhi³ ko
kabhi to mosam-e raNgiiN ka ehteraam⁴ kareN    1.cup of wine 2.horizon, twilight 3.redness 4.respect
The poet wants to respect/dignify the ‘colourful season’ i.e., spring. Spring is a time of celebration and rejuvenation, of love and joy. He wants to dissolve the redness of the twilight into his wine cup i.e., as a part of the celebration of spring he wants red wine.
4
uThaao aaNkh to hum Khaaksaar¹ kuchh boleN
nazar² milaao to ham jur’at³-e kalaam⁴ kareN    1.dust-dweller, humble, lowly 2.eyes 3.daring, courage 4.conversation
Raise your eyes and look at me so that his humble/lowly lover may dare to speak to you. ‘kalaam’ can also imply recite poetry. Perhaps he has a love poem ready.
5
kahiN kuchh aur udaasi¹ nah dil pay chhaa jaa’e
Ghuroob²-e shaam se pahlay tuluu³-e jaam⁴ kareN     1.sorrow 2.set, sunset 3.rising 4.cup, goblet of wine
Fearing that even more sorrow may overwhelm us, let us raise the cup of wine before the sun sets.
6
puraanay yaar¹ ayaadat² ko aaye haiN raahat³
kitaab rahan⁴ rakheN mai⁵ ka intezaam⁶ kareN     1.friends 2.visiting the sick, ask about well being 3.pen-name of the poet 4.mortgage 5.wine 6.arrangements
The poet is on his sick bed, perhaps even on his death bed. Old friends have come to ask about his well being. He wants to mortgage his book (book of verse, diivaan) to make arrangements for wine. I wouldn’t be surprised if the hidden implication by ‘kitaab’ is the qur’aan. Consider what mir taqi mir says …
ham rahn-e baadah jaama-e ahraam kar chuke
masti ki dayr meN qasam aqsaam kar chuke