Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. durga sahay suroor (1873-1910) died young, probably because of excessive drinking. Tellingly, his books are named Khum-kada-e suroor, paimaana-e suroor, and Khum-Khaana-e suroor. He wrote about hindu religious themes also and moved easily and rhythmically between chaste urdu/farsi and hindi/khaRi boli. This is an urdu recomposition of Thomas Moore’s poem. It is amazing how true it is to the original, yet so elegant in language. It is linked to ‘English-urdu recompositions’ on the Theme page.
1
ye aaKhri gulaab ka hai yaadgaar¹ phool
aur shaaKh par khila hua tanha² chaman meN hai
bekas³, Ghariib, furqat⁴-e ahbaab⁵ meN malool⁶
dhundla sa ek charaaGh-e-sahr⁷ anjuman⁸ meN hai     1.memorable 2.alone 3.helpless 4.separation 5.friends 6.sad, dejected 7.candle at dawn (about to be extinguished) 8.gathering
This is a memorable rose, blooming all by itself in the garden. Helpless and sad because of separation from friends. It is a like a faint candle of the late night about to be extinguished.
2
hai koi hamgusaar¹ na hamdam² koi qariiN³
bachpan ke aashna⁴ haiN na vo KhaandaaN ke phool
ruKhsat⁵ hue chaman se rafiiqaan⁶-e hamnashiiN⁷
bikhre⁸ paRe haiN Khaak⁹ pe ab gulsitaaN¹⁰ ke phool    1.sorrow sharing, sympathizer 2.friend 3.near 4.familiar 5.departed 6.friends 7.together 8.scattered 9.dust 10.garden
There is no sympathizer or friend nearby. Neither family nor people he had been familiar with since childhood. Friends who used to be together have departed from the garden. Flowers of the garden are now scattered in the dust.
3
nanhi si koi aah¹, kali bhi nahiN qariib²
Daale jo aks³ phool se ruKh⁴ ka Ghariib par
kuch dard⁵-e dil ka haal⁶ kahe jis se Gham-nasiib⁷
jo us ki aah-e-sard⁸ ko sun kar ho nauha-gar⁹     1.alas 2.nearby 3.shadow, reflection 4.face 5.pain, sorrow 6.condition 7.fated for sorrow, ill-fated 8.cold/sad sigh 9.mourner, sympathizer
Alas, there is not even a little bud close by that can cast its shadow on the poor rose. No one to whom the ill-fated rose can relate the condition of his sorrowful heart, who might hear his long-drawn sad sigh and mourn with him.
4
kumhlaane¹ duuNga tujh ko maiN tanha² na Khaak³ par
Dar hai na kunj⁴ meN teri miTTi-Kharaab⁵ ho
ahbaab⁶ so rahe haiN jahaaN⁷ tere be-Khabar⁸
ja tuu bhi un ke saath ham-aaGhosh⁹-e Khwaab¹⁰ ho    1.world 2.alone 3.dust 4.corner 5.‘miTTi Kharaab hona’ means ‘legacy destroyed’, ‘origin=miTTi disreputed’ 6.friends 7.where 8.unconsious, asleep 9.embrace 10.sleep
(There is not even a little bud that would say) … I will not let you wilt alone in the dust. I am fearful that your legacy will be lost in a corner. Go where your friends are sleeping and embrace sleep yourself.
5
kab tak zabaaN pe furqat-e-ahbaab¹ ka gila²
ab teri pattiyaaN maiN bichhaata huN Khaak³ par
haiN mahv⁴-e Khwaab-e-marg⁵ jahaaN⁶ tere aashna⁷
tujh ko bhi un ke saath sulaata huN Khaak³ par     1.separation from friends 2.complaint, mourning 3.dust 4.engrossed, preoccupied 5.sleep of death 6.where 7.friends
(Not even a small bud nearby who could cosole saying) … how long will the complaint of the loss of friends be on your tongue/lips. Now, I will lay your petals down on the dust, where your friends sleep the deep sleep of death. I will lay you too down in the same dust.
6
raKht-e-safar¹ uThaauNga maiN bhi jahaaN² se jald³
ahbaab⁴ mujh se jab mere ho jaa’eNge juda⁵
chhooTuNga⁶ mar ke hijr⁷ ke dard-e-nehaaN⁸ se jald³
tanha⁹ koi jahaaN² me jiya bhi to kya jiya    1.provisions for the journey 2.world 3.soon 4.friends 5.separated 6.escape 7.separation 8.hidden sorrow 9.alone
(The same little bud continues) … I too will soon pack my possessions for the journey from this world, when my friends will be separated from me. In death, I will escape the hidden sorrow of parting. What kind of a life can one lead when they are alone in the world.
7
kya kahiye koi aah¹ kare umr² jaavedaaN³
silk-e-vafa⁴ meN jab na rahe durr-e-aabdaar⁵
yaaraan-e-rafta⁶ ka hai ziyaarat-kada⁷ jahaaN⁸
meri bhi bekasi⁹ ka banega vahiiN mazaar¹⁰    1.I wish 2.lifespan 3.eternal 4.thread of fidelity 5.shining pearl 6.old friends 7.place of offering tribute 8.where 9.helplessness 10.grave
(The same little bud continues) … how can one wish that life be eternal when there are no shining pearl left in the thread of fidelity. Where there is the place to make offerings to the memory of old friends, my helplessness too will find a grave there.
8
jab uTh gaye jahaan¹ se yaaraan²-e zinda-dil³
jii⁴ kar Gham-e-firaaq⁵ ke sadme⁶ sahega⁷ kaun
kaRiyaaN⁸ teri uThaane ko aye dard⁹-e jaaN-gusil¹⁰
is Gham-kade¹¹ meN aah¹² akela¹³ rahega kaun    1.world 2.friends 3.of welcoming hearts 4.continue living 5.sorrow of separation 6.blow, misfortune 8.hardness i.e., oppression 9.pain 10.life-sapping 11.house of sorrow 12.alas 13.alone
When friends with loving hearts have left this world, who can keep living and bear the blows of the sorrow of separation. Who wants to be left alone in this house of sorrow to bear the burden of this life-sapping pain of separation.

Thomas Moore (28 May 1779 – 25 February 1852) was an Irish writer, poet, and lyricist celebrated for his Irish Melodies.

‘Tis the last rose of summer,
Left blooming alone;
All her lovely companions
Are faded and gone;
No flower of her kindred,
No rose-bud is nigh,
To reflect back her blushes
Or give sigh for sigh!

I’ll not leave thee, thou lone one.
To pine on the stem;
Since the lovely are sleeping,
Go, sleep thou with them;
Thus kindly I scatter
Thy leaves o’er the bed,
Where thy mates of the garden
Lie scentless and dead.

So soon may I follow,
When friendships decay,
And from love’s shining circle
The gems drop away!
When true hearts lie withered,
And fond ones are flown,
Oh! who would inhabit
This bleak world alone?