saaz aahista-maKhdoom

tarannum – maKhdoom

ساز آہستہ ۔ مخدوم محی الدین

 

ساز آہستہ ذرا گردِشِ جام آہستہ

جانے کیا آئے نگاہوں کا پیام آہستہ

 

چاند اُترا کہ اُتر آئے ستارے دِل میں

خواب میں ہونٹوں پہ آیا تیرا نام آہستہ

 

کوئے جاناں میں قدم پڑتے ہیں ہلکے ہلکے

آشیانے کی طرف طائرِ بام آہستہ

 

اُن کے پہلو کے مہکتے ہوئے شاداں جھونکے

یوں چلے جیسے شرابی کا خرام آہستہ

 

اور بھی بیٹھے ہیں ائے دِل ذرا آہستہ دھڑک

بزم ہے، پہلو پہلو ہے، کلام آہستہ

 

یہ تمنّا ہے کہ اُڑتی ہوئی منزل کا غبار

صبح کے پردے میں یا آ گئی شام آہستہ

साज़ आहिस्ता – मख़्दूम मोहिउद्दीन

 

साज़ आहिस्ता ज़रा गरदिश-ए जाम आहिस्ता

जाने क्या आए निगाहैं का पयाम आहिस्ता

 

चांद उतरा के उतर आए सितारे दिल में

ख़्वाब में होंटों पे आया तेरा नाम आहिस्ता

 

कू-ए जानां में क़दम पड़ते हैं हल्के हल्के

आशियाने की तरफ़ ता’एर-ए बाम आहिस्ता

 

उन के पहलु के महकते हुए शादां झोंके

यूं चले जैसे शराबी का ख़राम आहिस्ता

 

और भी बैठे हैं अऐ दिल ज़रा आहिस्ता धड़क

बज़्म है, पहलू ब पहलू है, कलाम आहिस्ता

 

ये तमन्ना है की उड़ती हुई मंज़िल का ग़ुबार

सुबह के परदे में या आ गई शाम आहिस्ता

saaz aahista – maKhdoom mohiuddin

Click here for overall comments and on any she’r for word meanings and discussion. Both faiz and maKhdoom write exquisite romantic poetry, many times using the ‘beloved’ as a metaphor for homeland and/or for socialist ideology. The balance between romanticism and ideology differs and is at the discretion of the audience. If you give a more romantic flavour to your interpretation then it is very pleasant to compare this with faiz’s ‘manzar’.

saaz1 aahista zara gardish2-e jaam3 aahista
jaane kya aaye nigaahauN4 ka payaam5 aahista
1.music 2.circulation 3.cup (of wine) 4.eyes 5.message
The poet lover is eagerly expecting the beloved to send him a message with her looks. He beseeches his fellow revelers to be quiet, reduce the sound of their musical revelry and slow down on the enthusiastic circulation of the wine cup.

chaand utra ke utar aaye sitaare dil meN
Khwaab meN honNToN pe aaya tera naam aahista
The poet/lover has been talking in his sleep, dreaming of the beloved and taking her name. Just this act makes him so happy that it feels like the moon and stars have descended to his heart.

koo1-e jaanaaN2 meN qadam3 paRte haiN halke halke
aashiyaane4 ki taraf5 taa’er6-e baam7 aahista
1.street of 2.beloved 3.steps 4.nest, home 5.towards 6.bird 7.roof
Maybe it is the heart of the poet/lover that is likened to a bird sitting on the roof of the beloved’s house, waiting for a sight of her. There are soft footsteps in the street of the beloved. May be she is coming. In that hope, O bird waiting on the roof, do not fly away to your nest, tarry a while and catch her sight.

un ke pahlu1 ke mahakte2 hue shaadaaN3 jhoNke
yuN chale jaise sharaabi ka Kharaam4 aahista
1.sides, used here to mean body 2.fragrance 3.pleasing 4.gait, pace
The poet/lover feels gusts of fragrance of the beloved, blowing gently as if a drunk is stumbling slowly along.

aur bhi baiThe haiN aye dil zara aahista dhaRak
bazm1 hai, pahlu2 ba pahlu hai, kalaam3 aahista
1.gathering 2.side 3.conversation
There are many others (rivals) sitting in the gathering, side by side, close to each other, O my heart, beat gently, talk softly (lest others might hear you). Alternatively, those sitting side by side are all comrades. Their hearts are beating in anticipation of a message from the beloved (socialist ideology). Says the poet, slow down, so as not to lose the message.

ye tamanna1 hai ke uRti hui manzil2 ka Ghubaar3
subah ke parde4 meN ya aa gayii shaam aahista
1.desire, longing (to see the beloved) 2.destination, goal (of beloved’s sight) 3.dust, mist, fog 4.veil
The poet/lover experiences a vision (of the beloved). He is not sure how to interpret it. The destination/goal is flying ahead (getting away from the lovers) and leaving them in the dust. Is it my over eager desire that I see a vision of the beloved or the dust left behind by the fast moving goal. Is it dawn (of the coming socialist revolution) or the sorrow of twilight.

saaz aahista – maKhdoom mohiuddin

Both faiz and maKhdoom write exquisite romantic poetry, many times using the ‘beloved’ as a metaphor for homeland and/or for socialist ideology.  The balance between romanticism and ideology differs and is at the discretion of the audience.  If you give a more romantic flavour to your interpretation then it is very pleasant to compare this with faiz’s ‘manzar’.

saaz1 aahista zara gardish2-e jaam3 aahista
jaane kya aaye nigaahauN4 ka payaam5 aahista

1.music 2.circulation 3.cup (of wine) 4.eyes 5.message

The poet lover is eagerly expecting the beloved to send him a message with her looks.  He beseeches his fellow revelers to be quiet, reduce the sound of their musical revelry and slow down on the enthusiastic circulation of the wine cup.

chaand utra ke utar aaye sitaare dil meN
Khwaab meN honNToN pe aaya tera naam aahista

The poet/lover has been talking in his sleep, dreaming of the beloved and taking her name.  Just this act makes him so happy that it feels like the moon and stars have descended to his heart.

koo1-e jaanaaN2 meN qadam3 paRte haiN halke halke
aashiyaane4 ki taraf5 taa’er6-e baam7 aahista

1.street of 2.beloved 3.steps 4.nest, home 5.towards 6.bird 7.roof

Maybe it is the heart of the poet/lover that is likened to a bird sitting on the roof of the beloved’s house, waiting for a sight of her.  There are soft footsteps in the street of the beloved.  May be she is coming.  In that hope, O bird waiting on the roof, do not fly away to your nest, tarry a while and catch her sight.

un ke pahlu1 ke mahakte2 hue shaadaaN3 jhoNke
yuN chale jaise sharaabi ka Kharaam4 aahista

1.sides, used here to mean body 2.fragrance 3.pleasing 4.gait, pace

The poet/lover feels gusts of fragrance of the beloved, blowing gently as if a drunk is stumbling slowly along.

aur bhi baiThe haiN aye dil zara aahista dhaRak
bazm1 hai, pahlu2 ba pahlu hai, kalaam3 aahista

1.gathering 2.side 3.conversation

There are many others (rivals) sitting in the gathering, side by side, close to each other, O my heart, beat gently, talk softly (lest others might hear you).  Alternatively, those sitting side by side are all comrades.  Their hearts are beating in anticipation of a message from the beloved (socialist ideology).  Says the poet, slow down, so as not to lose the message.

ye tamanna1 hai ke uRti hui manzil2 ka Ghubaar3
subah ke parde4 meN ya aa gayii shaam aahista

1.desire, longing (to see the beloved) 2.destination, goal (of beloved’s sight) 3.dust, mist, fog 4.veil

The poet/lover experiences a vision (of the beloved).  He is not sure how to interpret it.  The destination/goal is flying ahead (getting away from the lovers) and leaving them in the dust.  Is it my over eager desire that I see a vision of the beloved or the dust left behind by the fast moving goal.  Is it dawn (of the coming socialist revolution) or the sorrow of twilight.