Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. syed aashiq husain seemab akbarabadi (1880-1951) was a scholar of farsi and arabi in addition to urdu. A progressive poet of secular outlook who wrote nazm of socialist themes as well odes to krishn and buddh. He also did a poetic urdu translation of the whole qur’aan. His secular credentials are impeccable. He along with his contemporary hasrat mohani, participated in the freedom struggle and composed a collection of devotional poems to krishn, which was published as a book called ‘krishn geet’. There are several Ghazal with the theme and radeef qaafiya paimaane pe kya guzri, maiKhaane pe kya guzri, parvaane pe kya guzri etc. seemab a, qamar j, sahir, shakeel b. It is interesting to visit all these posts, linked to the radeef icon, kya guzri, on the Refrain Index page.

1
subu¹ par jaam² par shishe³ pe paimaane⁴ pe kya guzri
na jaane maiN ne tauba⁵ ki to mai-Khaane⁶ pe kya guzri⁷  1.pitcher, flask 2.cup 3.bottle 4.measure, measuring cup 5.repentence, promise to abstain 6.tavern 7.whatever happened to (something … eg flask, cup, measure)
The poet/reveler has reformed and promised to abstain and is now wondering what will happen to the tavern, the cup, flask and the bottle. I have not been able to read any “hidden double meaning” into this. If you do, please let me know.
2
mileN to faae’zaan¹-e manzil²-e maqsud³ se puchhuN
guzargah⁴-e mohabbat se guzar⁵ jaane pe kya guzri 1.acquire/hold office/position 2.goal 3.desired 4.pathway 5.passing through
There may be some who have successfully passed through the pathway of love and reached their desired goal. The poet lover wonders IF he will meet such people. If he does, he will ask them what happened to them after they passed through this path. The implication is that all those who go through this path are perished and none reach the desired goal or that such perishing IS the goal.
3
kisi ko mere kaashane¹ se hamdardi² nahiN shaa’ed³
har ek ye poochhta hai mere kaashane pe kya guzri 1.home, nest 2.sympathy 3.perhaps
A frequent imagery in urdu poetry is that lightning strikes and burns up nests. After such a lightning strike everyone is asking him what happened to his abode. Everyone must have assumed that the lightning strike was meant just for him. Therefore, their enquiries are sarcastic not sympathetic.
4
na ho jo zindagi anjaam¹ vo vajdan²-e naaqis³ hai
huzur⁴-e sham’a⁵ baad⁶-e vajd⁷ parvaane⁸ pe kya guzri 1.result (final result) 2.trance 3.defective 4.before, presence of 5.lamp 6.after 7.trance 8.moth
The sufi dances and goes into a trance hoping to become one with the beloved/god in much the same way as a moth circles the lamp and perhaps is consumed in the fire (becoming one with it). Thus, if the trance does not result in finality (union) then it is considered defective. Just ask (look at, learn from) the moth what happens to it after its dance around the lamp.
5
bataa’eN barhaman¹ aur shaiKh² un ki Khaana-jaNgi³ meN
Khuda-Khaane⁴ pe kya biiti⁵ sanam-Khaane⁶ pe kya guzri 1.hindu priest 2.muslim preacher 3.civil war 4.house of Khuda 5.transpired, happened (implied calamity) 6.house of idols
Communal violence is characterized here as “civil war/war inside the house” and the implication is that such violence is at the instigation of religious/political leadership. Let the brahman and shaiKh tell us, as a result of their civil war, what calamities befell the mosque and the temple.
6
tu apne hi m’aal¹-e soz²-e Gham³ par Ghaur⁴ kar pahle
tujhe is se nahiN kuchh bahas⁵ parvaane⁶ pe kya guzri 1.result 2.fire of 3.pain, passion (of love) 4.consider carefully 5.argument 6.moth
The moth circles the lamp in frenzy of love and perishes in the flame. You too (O, poet/lover) carefully consider the result of your passionate love. Don’t get lost in arguing about the moth.
7
kisi hikmat¹ se kar de koi goya² marne valauN ko
ye raaz³ ab tak hai sar-basta⁴ ki mar jaane pe kya guzri 1.knowledge, wisdom 2.speaking ability 3.secret 4.hidden, closed
The dead cannot speak. The poet wishes that someone had the capability to make them talk, because the secret of what happens after death is still “closed”/puzzle unsolved.
8
teri har su¹ tajalli² aur meri har taraf nazreN³
tujhe to yaad hoga aaina-Khaane⁴ pe kya guzri 1.direction 2.brilliance 3.eyes, sight 4.house of mirrors, conscience
Everywhere I look, I see manifestations of your glory. Surely you must remember what happened in the house of mirrors. I think that the implication is that the poet/sufi is dazed.
9
zabaaN muNh meN hai arz¹-e haal² kar tu ne to dekha hai
ki Khoo³-e zabt⁴-o-Khaamoshi⁵ se parvaane⁶ pe kya guzri 1.speak out 2.condition 3.nature/character 4.forbearance 5.silence 6.moth
The moth circles the lamp and bears the pain/heat in silence until it is burnt to death. Surely, you have seen it, speak out and complain loudly about your condition otherwise the same fate awaits you as that of the moth/parvaana.
10
vo kahta tha Khuda jaane bahaar¹ aaye to kya guzre²
Khuda jaane bahaar aaii to divaane³ pe kya guzri 1.spring 2.what will happen 3.madman, passionate lover
The imagery is of “majnuN” the mad/passionate lover wandering all over is search of his laila. Also, spring time especially arouses the passion of love. The madman used to wonder what will happen to him. Only god knows what happened to him when spring arrived.
11
ye hai seemab ek na-gufta¹ ba-afsaana² kya kahiye
vatan³ se kunj⁴-e Ghurbat⁵ meN chale aane pe kya guzri 1.unspeakable 2.though a story 3.homeland 4.corner of 5.away from home, foreign
It is possible that seemab wrote this after leaving home/migrating. I cannot tell this in my story … I don’t have the words to describe what happened to me when I left the homeland and came to this foreign corner.