miir-e kaarvaaN yaaro – himayat ali shaa’er

For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the “English” or “Notes” tab.
tarannum button himayat ali shaa’er

 

میرِ کارواں یارو ۔ میر حمایت علی شاعرؔ

۱

اب بتاؤ جائے گی زندگی کہاں یارو

پھر ہیں برق کی نظریں سوئے آشیاں یارو

۲

اب نہ کوئی منزل ہے اور نہ رہ گزر کوئی

جانے قافلہ بھٹکے اب کہاں کہاں یارو

۳

پھول ہیں کہ لاشیں ہیں باغ ہے کہ مقتل ہے

شاخ شاخ ہوتا ہے دار کا گُماں یارو

۴

موت سے گزر کر یہ کیسی زندگی پائی

فکر پا بہ جولاں ہے گنگ ہے زباں یارو

۵

تُربتوں کی شمعیں ہیں اور گہری خاموشی

جا رہے تھے کس جانب آ گئے کہاں یارو

۶

راہزن کے بارے میں اور کیا کہوں کھل کر

میر کارواں یارو میر کارواں یارو

۷

صرف زندہ رہنے کو زندگی نہیں کہتے

کچھ غم محبت ہو کچھ غم جہاں یارو

۸

وقت کا تقاضا تو اور بھی ہے کچھ لیکن

کچھ نہیں تو ہو جاؤ میرے ہم زباں یارو

۹

ایک میں ہوں جس کو تم مانتے نہیں شاعرؔ

اور ایک میں ہی ہوں تم میں نکتہ داں یارو

मीर-ए-कारवाँ यारो – मीर हिमाएत अली शाएर

अब बताओ जाएगी ज़िंदगी कहाँ यारो

फिर हैं बर्क़ की नज़्रें सू-ए-आशियाँ यारो

अब न कोई मंज़िल है और न रहगुज़र कोई

जाने क़ाफ़िला भटके अब कहाँ कहाँ यारो

फूल हैं के लाशें हैं बाग़ है के मक़्तल है

शाख़ शाख़ होता है दार का गुमाँ यारो

मौत से गुज़र कर ये कैसी ज़िंदगी पाई

फ़िक्र पा-ब-जौलाँ है गुंग है ज़बाँ यारो

तुर्बतों की शमएँ हैं और गहरी ख़ामोशी

जा रहे थे किस जानिब आ गए कहाँ यारो

राहज़न के बारे में और क्या कहूँ खुल कर

मीर-ए-कारवाँ यारो मीर-ए-कारवाँ यारो

सिर्फ़ ज़िंदा रहने को ज़िंदगी नहीं कहते

कुछ ग़म-ए-मोहब्बत हो कुछ ग़म-ए-जहाँ यारो

वक़्त का तक़ाज़ा तो और भी है कुछ लेकिन

कुछ नहीं तो हो जाओ मेरे हम-ज़बाँ यारो

एक मैं हूँ जिस को तुम मानते नहीं शाएर

और एक मैं ही हूँ तुम में नुक्ता-दाँ यारो

 

Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mir himayat ali shaa’er (1926-2019) poet, writer, lyricist, actor, radio drama artist. Contemporary of habib jalib. Both wrote with much feeling about people’s issues. This Ghazal, written in the 1970s declares its defiance against military dictatorship.
1
ab bataao jaa’egi zindagi kahaaN yaaro
phir haiN barq1 ki nazreN soo2-e aashiyaaN3 yaaro   
1.lightning 2.towards 3.nest, home, refuge
‘barq – lightning strike’ is used here as a symbol of oppression by the regime. O, friends, where can we go now, the power of the regime is turned towards the refuge of the people.

2
ab na koi manzil1 hai aur na rahguzar2 koi
jaane qaafila3 bhaTke ab kahaaN kahaaN yaaro  
1.goal, destination 2.pathway 3.caravan
There is no longer a clear goal, nor a way to get there. Who knows where and how this caravan will wander now.

3
phuul haiN ke laasheN1 haiN baaGh hai ke maqtal2 hai
shaaKh shaaKh hota hai daar3 ka gumaaN4 yaaro  
1.corpses 2.field of slaughter 3.hangman’s platform 4.suspicion
Conditions are such that gardens look like fields of slaughter and flowers like so many corpses. Each branch looks like a hanging platform.

4
maut se guzar1 kar ye kaisi zindagi paaii
fikr2 paa-ba-jaulaaN3 hai guNg4 hai zabaaN yaaro  
1.pass by, escape 2.thought, reason 3.fettered feet 4.silenced
Escaping death, what kind of a life did we get. Reason is fettered and tongue silenced.

5
turbatoN1 ki sham’eN haiN aur gahri Khaamoshi
jaa rahe the kis jaanib2 aa gaye kahaaN yaaro   
1.graves 2.direction
Which direction where we headed and look where we have come. Here there are lamps at the head of graves i.e. we are in a graveyard without any future.

6
raahzan1 ke baare2 meN aur kya kahuN khul kar
miir-e-kaarvaaN3 yaaro miir-e-kaarvaaN yaaro  
1.robber, highwayman 2.about 3.leader of the caravan
How much more openly can I speak about the robber. He is the leader of the caravan my friends, the leader of the caravan.

7
sirf1 zinda rahne ko zindagi nahiN kahte
kuchh Gham-e-mohabbat2 ho kuchh Gham-e-jahaaN3 yaaro  
1.only 2.sorrow of love 3.sorrow/concern of/for the world
Mere survival cannot be called living. Some personal goals and some concern for the world, my friends.

8
vaqt ka taqaaza1 to aur bhi hai kuchh laikin
kuchh nahiN to ho jaao mere ham-zabaaN2 yaaro  
1.demands 2.same voice, join in the call
There are other demands of the times for sure, but if not anything else, at lease lend your voice to my voice, my friends.

9
ek maiN huN jis ko tum maante nahiN shaa’er
aur ek maiN hi huN tum meN nukta-daaN1 yaaro  
1.understanding fine/hidden points
I am the one who you do not accept as a poet. And I among you, am the one who understands the hidden purpose of the powerful, my friends.

mir himayat ali shaa’er (1926-2019) poet, writer, lyricist, actor, radio drama artist.  Contemporary of habib jalib.  Both wrote with much feeling about people’s issues.  This Ghazal, written in the 1970s declares its defiance against military dictatorship.
1
ab bataao jaa’egi zindagi kahaaN yaaro
phir haiN barq1 ki nazreN soo2-e aashiyaaN3 yaaro

1.lightning 2.towards 3.nest, home, refuge

‘barq – lightning strike’ is used here as a symbol of oppression by the regime.  O, friends, where can we go now, the power of the regime is turned towards the refuge of the people.
2
ab na koi manzil1 hai aur na rahguzar2 koi
jaane qaafila3 bhaTke ab kahaaN kahaaN yaaro

1.goal, destination 2.pathway 3.caravan

There is no longer a clear goal, nor a way to get there.  Who knows where and how this caravan will wander now.
3
phuul haiN ke laasheN1 haiN baaGh hai ke maqtal2 hai
shaaKh shaaKh hota hai daar3 ka gumaaN4 yaaro

1.corpses 2.field of slaughter 3.hangman’s platform 4.suspicion

Conditions are such that gardens look like fields of slaughter and flowers like so many corpses.  Each branch looks like a hanging platform.
4
maut se guzar1 kar ye kaisi zindagi paaii
fikr2 paa-ba-jaulaaN3 hai guNg4 hai zabaaN yaaro

1.pass by, escape 2.thought, reason 3.fettered feet 4.silenced

Escaping death, what kind of a life did we get.  Reason is fettered and tongue silenced.
5
turbatoN1 ki sham’eN haiN aur gahri Khaamoshi
jaa rahe the kis jaanib2 aa gaye kahaaN yaaro

1.graves 2.direction

Which direction where we headed and look where we have come.  Here there are lamps at the head of graves i.e. we are in a graveyard without any future.
6
raahzan1 ke baare2 meN aur kya kahuN khul kar
miir-e-kaarvaaN3 yaaro miir-e-kaarvaaN yaaro

1.robber, highwayman 2.about 3.leader of the caravan

How much more openly can I speak about the robber.  He is the leader of the caravan my friends, the leader of the caravan.
7
sirf1 zinda rahne ko zindagi nahiN kahte
kuchh Gham-e-mohabbat2 ho kuchh Gham-e-jahaaN3 yaaro

1.only 2.sorrow of love 3.sorrow/concern of/for the world

Mere survival cannot be called living.  Some personal goals and some concern for the world, my friends.
8
vaqt ka taqaaza1 to aur bhi hai kuchh laikin
kuchh nahiN to ho jaao mere ham-zabaaN2 yaaro

1.demands 2.same voice, join in the call

There are other demands of the times for sure, but if not anything else, at lease lend your voice to my voice, my friends.
9
ek maiN huN jis ko tum maante nahiN shaa’er
aur ek maiN hi huN tum meN nukta-daaN1 yaaro

1.understanding fine/hidden points

I am the one who you do not accept as a poet.  And I among you, am the one who understands the hidden purpose of the powerful, my friends.

Key Search Words: