For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
نگینے کی طرح ۔ مصطفیٰ زیدی
۱
تیرے چہرے کی طرح اور مرے سینے کی طرح
میرا ہر شعر دمکتا ہے نگینے کی طرح
۲
پھول جاگے ہیں کہیں تیرے بدن کی مانند
اوس مہکی ہے کہیں تیرے پسینے کی طرح
۳
اے مجھے چھوڑ کے طوفان میں جانے والی
دوست ہوتا ہے تلاطم میں سفینے کی طرح
۴
اے مرے غم کو زمانے سے بتانے والی
میں ترا راز چھپاتا ہوں دفینے کی طرح
۵
تیرا وعدہ تھا کہ اِس ماہ ضرور آئے گی
اب تو ہر روز گزرتا ہے مہینے کی طرح
नगीने की तरह – मुस्तफ़ा ज़ैदी
१
तेरे चेहरे की तरह और मेरे सीने की तरह
मेरा हर शेर दमकता है नगीने की तरह
२
फूल जागे हैं कहीं तेरे बदन की मानिंद
ओस महकी है कहीं तेरे पसीने की तरह
३
अए मुझे छोड़ के तूफ़ान में जाने वाली
दोस्त होता है तलातुम में सफ़ीने की तरह
४
अए मेरे ग़म को ज़माने से बताने वाली
मैं तेरा राज़ छुपाता हूँ दफ़ीने की तरह
५
तेरा वादा था के इस माह ज़रूर आएगी
अब तो हर रोज़ गुज़रता है महीने की तरह
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 poet and wrote very subtly about orthodoxy and restrictive conventional mores. This one is a bit more conventional and part of a series that I have linked to the ‘radeef-refrain’ – ‘ki tarah’.
1
tere chehre ki tarah aur mere siine1 ki tarah
mera har she’r damakta2 hai nagiine3 ki tarah 1.chest, bosom 2.glows bright 3.jewel
The beloved’s face glows because of its beauty and the poet/lover’s chest glows because of burning passion. This passion expressed in his verse glows like a jewel.
2
phuul jaage haiN kahiN tere badan ki maanind1
oas2 mahki3 hai kahiiN tere pasiine4 ki tarah 1.similar to, like 2.dew 3.fragrant 4.sweat
Apparently the poet/lover considers the beloved’s sweat to be fragrant. He also uses dew as a simile for the beloved’s sweat. The “kahiN” literally meaning “where” or sometimes “when”, is better translated as “has it ever”. The imagery is of the poet/lover out in the garden surrounded by fragrance. It reminds him of the beloved and he compares … have flowers ever blossomed like your body. Has dew ever been as fragrant as your sweat. Rhetorical questions.
3
aye mujhe chhoR ke toofaan1 meN jaane vaali
dost2 hota hai talaatum3 meN safiine4 ki tarah 1.storm 2.friend 3.tumult, storm, deluge 4.boat
O you, who leave me to go out in the storm. Remember, a friend is like a boat in a tumultous deluge.
4
aye mere Gham ko zamaane1 se bataane vaali
maiN tera raaz2 chhupaata huuN dafiine3 ki tarah 1.times, the world 2.secret 3.buried treasure
Usually the beloved ignores and plays nonchalant while the poet/lover keeps his own love secret. But here it seems that she is out talking to everyone about him while he hides her secret (love for him) like a buried treasure.
5
tera v’aada1 tha keh is maah2 zaroor3 aayegi
ab to har roz guzarta4 hai mahiine ki tarah 1.promise, commitment 2.month 3.for sure 4.passes
You made a promise that you would come this month for sure. Now every day passes like a month.
mustafa zaidi (1929-1970) was a great poet with a controversial personal life and death. He was a progressive poet and wrote very subtly about orthodoxy and restrictive conventional mores. This one is a bit more conventional and part of a series that I have linked to the ‘radeef-refrain’ – ‘ki tarah’.
1
tere chehre ki tarah aur mere siine1 ki tarah
mera har she’r damakta2 hai nagiine3 ki tarah
1.chest, bosom 2.glows bright 3.jewel
The beloved’s face glows because of its beauty and the poet/lover’s chest glows because of burning passion. This passion expressed in his verse glows like a jewel.
2
phuul jaage haiN kahiN tere badan ki maanind1
oas2 mahki3 hai kahiiN tere pasiine4 ki tarah
1.similar to, like 2.dew 3.fragrant 4.sweat
Apparently the poet/lover considers the beloved’s sweat to be fragrant. He also uses dew as a simile for the beloved’s sweat. The “kahiN” literally meaning “where” or sometimes “when”, is better translated as “has it ever”. The imagery is of the poet/lover out in the garden surrounded by fragrance. It reminds him of the beloved and he compares … have flowers ever blossomed like your body. Has dew ever been as fragrant as your sweat. Rhetorical questions.
3
aye mujhe chhoR ke toofaan1 meN jaane vaali
dost2 hota hai talaatum3 meN safiine4 ki tarah
1.storm 2.friend 3.tumult, storm, deluge 4.boat
O you, who leave me to go out in the storm. Remember, a friend is like a boat in a tumultous deluge.
4
aye mere Gham ko zamaane1 se bataane vaali
maiN tera raaz2 chhupaata huuN dafiine3 ki tarah
1.times, the world 2.secret 3.buried treasure
Usually the beloved ignores and plays nonchalant while the poet/lover keeps his own love secret. But here it seems that she is out talking to everyone about him while he hides her secret (love for him) like a buried treasure.
5
tera v’aada1 tha keh is maah2 zaroor3 aayegi
ab to har roz guzarta4 hai mahiine ki tarah
1.promise, commitment 2.month 3.for sure 4.passes
You made a promise that you would come this month for sure. Now every day passes like a month.
