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Recitation
Dreams Deferred
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore—
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over—
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?
خوابِ فردا ۔ لانگسٹن ہیوز
اُردو ترجمہ ۔ شاہد
۱
خوابِ فردا گر نہ ہو بارآور
تو کیا وہ سوکھ جاتا ہے
کہ جیسے دھوپ میں انگور کا مُنقیٰ
۲
پا پھر زخم لگتا ہے تو رِستا ہے
رِستے رِستے نہ کہیں خون فراواں ہو جائے
۳
یا کہ سڑ گل کے وہی زخم تعفّن پھیلائے
۴
یا کہ اُس زخم پہ اِک چھال سی یوں بن جائے
فرطِ شیرینی سے جیوں سطح پہ پپڑی جم جائے
۵
یا کھوکھلا ہے زخم
پھٹ کے جو خود دب جائے
۶
یا زخم جو بھر جائے تو پھر
پھٹ کے دھماکا ہو جائے
ख़वाब-ए फ़र्दा – लांग्स्टन ह्यूज़
उर्दू तर्जुमा – शाहेद
१
ख़्वाब-ए फ़र्रदा गर न हो बार-आवर
तो क्या वो सूख जाता है
के जैसे धूप में अंगूर का मुनक़्क़ा
२
या फिर ज़ख़्म लगता है तो रिस्ता है
रिस्ते रिस्ते न कहीं ख़ून फ़रावां हो जाए
३
या के सड़ गल के वही ज़ख़्म ता’अफ़्फ़ुन फैलाए
४
या के उस ज़ख़्म पे एक छाल सि यूं बन जाए
५
या खोख्ला है ज़ख़्म
फट के जो ख़ुद दब जाए
६
या ज़ख़्म जो भर जाये तो फिर
फट के धमाका हो जाए
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. Langston Hughes (1901–1967) poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist. Hughes is best known as a leader of the Harlem Renaissance. This is about the aspirations of young African-American people that have been suppressed/denied. What happens to these dreams. From 1942 to 1962 he wrote an in-depth weekly column related to the civil rights movement. shahed (1944-living) maintains this website, is a newcomer and novice to urdu, having spent all his professional life in engineering research.
1
Khwaab-e farda1 gar2 na ho baar-aavar3
to kya vo sookh jaata hai
ke jaise dhoop meN aNgoor ka munaqqa4 1.future 2.if 3.bear fruit 4.large raisin
If visions of the future do not bear fruit, what do you think happens to them. Do they dry up? Like a raisin in the sun.
2
ya phir zaKhm1 lagta hai to rista2 hai
riste riste na kahiN Khoon faraavaaN ho jaaye 1.wound 2.seeping blood, fester 3.free flowing
Or, when a wound is struck, does it fester. Or, it keeps festering until it changes to freely flowing blood.
3
ya ke saR gal ke vahi zaKhm1 ta’affun2 phailaay 1.wound 2.stench
Or, does the wound rot and having rotted, does it spread its stench.
4
ya ke us zaKhm1 pe ek chhaal2 si yuN ban jaaye 1.wound 2.crust
Or on that wound a crust forms.
5
ya, khokhla1 hai zaKhm2
phaT ke jo Khud dab jaaye 1.hollow 2.wound
Or, is the wound hollow and the (crust) bursts and collapses on itself.
6
ya zaKhm1 jo bhar2 jaaye to phir
phaT ke dhamaaka3 ho jaaye 1.wound 2.literally filled – meaning develop into a sore with puss 3.explosion
Or does the wound fill up with puss and then burst in an explosion.
Langston Hughes (1901–1967) poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist. Hughes is best known as a leader of the Harlem Renaissance. This is about the aspirations of young African-American people that have been suppressed/denied. What happens to these dreams. From 1942 to 1962 he wrote an in-depth weekly column related to the civil rights movement. shahed (1944-living) maintains this website, is a newcomer and novice to urdu, having spent all his professional life in engineering research.
1
Khwaab-e farda1 gar2 na ho baar-aavar3
to kya vo sookh jaata hai
ke jaise dhoop meN aNgoor ka munaqqa4
1.future 2.if 3.bear fruit 4.large raisin
If visions of the future do not bear fruit, what do you think happens to them. Do they dry up? Like a raisin in the sun.
2
ya phir zaKhm1 lagta hai to rista2 hai
riste riste na kahiN Khoon faraavaaN ho jaaye
1.wound 2.seeping blood, fester 3.free flowing
Or, when a wound is struck, does it fester. Or, it keeps festering until it changes to freely flowing blood.
3
ya ke saR gal ke vahi zaKhm1 ta’affun2 phailaaye
1.wound 2.stench
Or, does the wound rot and having rotted, does it spread its stench.
4
ya ke us zaKhm1 pe ek chhaal2 si yuN ban jaaye
1.wound 2.crust
Or on that wound a crust forms.
5
ya, khokhla1 hai zaKhm2
phaT ke jo Khud dab jaaye
1.hollow 2.wound
Or, is the wound hollow and the (crust) bursts and collapses on itself.
6
ya zaKhm1 jo bhar2 jaaye to phir
phaT ke dhamaaka3 ho jaaye
1.wound 2.literally filled – meaning develop into a sore with puss 3.explosion
Or does the wound fill up with puss and then burst in an explosion.
