Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mustafa zaidi (1929-1970) was a great poet with a controversial personal life and death. He was a progressive and wrote very subtly about orthodoxy and restrictive conventional mores. Here he writes forcefully about keeping hope and trying again and again.
1
chhup gaye raat ke daaman¹ meN sitaare laikin
ek nanha sa diya ab bhi hai ham² raah³ o nishaaN⁴
ek nanha sa diya aur ye shab⁵ ki yoorish⁶
aur ye abr ke toofaan, ye kohra, ye dhuaaN 1.valley, spread, expanse 2.same 3.path 4.marker, pointer 5.night 6.assault, invasion
In an unjust order, the night is dark and there are clouds, smoke and fog, but a small lamp (perhaps the verse of the poet) points the way along the path.
2
laikin is ek tasavvur¹ se na ho afsurda²
sa’ateN³ ab bhi naya josh⁴ liye baiThi haiN
saNg-e-rah⁵ aur kaii aayeNge laikin aaKhir
manzileN⁶ garmi-e-aaGhosh⁷ liye baiThi haiN    1.thought, imagination 2.wilted, sorrowful 3.times 4.passion 5.stones on the path 6.destination 7.warmth of embrace
The thoughts may overwhelm and make you sorrowful, but the times nurture new passion. There are many hurdles yet to face along the way. But the warm and loving embrace of the destination awaits us. “saNg-e-rah” could be hurdles/rocks/boulders, they could be rocks thrown at you by those opposed, they could be mile markers to measure progress, each giving a different nunanced interpretation.
3
ek naye ahd¹ ki ummeed nayi subah ki zau²
is andhere se ubharte³ haiN chiraaGhaaN kitne
zeest⁴ ke jaama⁵-e sad-chaak⁶ ka maatam⁷ kaisa
zer-e-taKhleeq⁸ haiN Khallaaq-e-garebaaN⁹ kitne    1.times, order, system 2.light 3.emerge 4.life 5.dress, robe 6.hundred tears 7.mourn 8.under/busy in creativity 9.creating/stitching collars
Hems or robes/skirts are shredded/rent, collars are torn. Both are signs of distress. Celebrations of a new order and a new dawn emerge from this darkness. Do not mourn the rent dress and torn collar. There are some who are re-fashioning new robes.
4
chhup gaye raat ke daaman meN sitaare laikin
ye teri shola-navaaii¹ ka naya daur² sahi
azm-e-parvaaz³ ki tauheen⁴ se mayoos⁵ na ho
ek baar aur sahi, aur sahi, aur sahi    1.fiery speech/recitation/verse 2.round 3.determination of flight 4.insult, failure 5.disappointed, hopeless
The light of stars has been veiled by the darkness of the night. But you can start a new round of your fiery verse. Do not lose hope over the failure of your attempt to fly. Try again and again.

1
The light of stars erased by the darkness of the night
But a small lamp glimmers on the path to show the way
A small lamp standing against the night with all its might
Even as clouds, smoke and blinding fog hold sway
2
In the face of dark thoughts, there is room for hope
The times nurture new passion, new goals to chase
There are many difficulties on the way yet to cope
But the goal beckons with her warm loving embrace
3
The hope of a new order, the light of a new dawn
Thousands of lights this inky darkness probe
The robe of life, torn to shreds, no need to mourn
There are still some who can fashion a new robe
4
The darkness of the night robs the stars of their light
Stay the course, that your verse, a new fire may gain
Do not be put out by the failed attempt at flight
One more time, once again and yet again