Recitation
noor jahaaN
faiz ahmed faiz
شبِ انتظار گزری ہے ۔ فیض احمد فیض
تم آئے ہو، نہ شبِ انتظار گزری ہے
تلاش میں ہے سحر بار بار گزری ہے
جنوں میں جتنی بھی گزری بکار گزری ہے
اگر چہ دِل پہ خرابی ہزار گزری ہے
ہوئی ہے حضرتِ ناصح سے گفتگو جس شب
وہ شب ضرور سرِ کوئے یار گزری ہے
وہ بات سارے فسانے میں جس کا ذکر نہ تھا
وہ بات اُنکو بہت ناگوار گزری ہے
نہ گلُ کھلے ہیں، نہ اُن سے ملے نہ مئے پی ہے
عجیب رنگ میں اب کے بہار گزری ہے
چمن پہ غارتِ گلچیں سے جانے کیا گزری
قفس سے آج صبا بیقرار گزری ہے
शब-ए इंतेज़ार गुज़री है – फ़ैज़ अहमद फ़ैज़
तुम आए हो ना शब-ए इंतेज़ार गुज़री है
तलाश में है सहर, बार बार गुज़री है
जुनूं में जितनी भी गुज़री ब-कार गुज़री है
अगरचे दिल पे ख़राबी हज़ार गुज़री है
हुई है हज़रत-ए नासेह से गुफ़्तगू जिस शब
वो शब ज़रूर सर-ए कू-ए यार गुज़री है
वो बात सारे फ़साने में जिस का ज़िक्र न था
वो बात उनको बहुत नागवार गुज़री है
ना गुल खिले हैं, ना उन से मिले, ना मै पी है
अजीब रंग में अब के बहार गुज़री है
चमन में ग़ारत-ए गुल्चीं से जाने क्या गुज़री
क़फ़स से आज सबा बेक़रार गुज़री है
shab-e intezaar guzri hai – faiz ahmed faiz
Click here for overall comments and on any she’r for word meanings and discussion. faiz uses “beloved” as a metaphor for a new social order or for country/society. This Ghazal lends itself to that interpretation beautifully. It was written in 1952 while faiz was imprisoned on trumped up charges of sedition.
tum aae ho na shab-e intezaar1 guzri2 hai
talaash3 meN hai sahr4, baar baar guzri2 hai1.night of waiting 2.passed, over 3.search 4.dawn
The poet/lover spends long nights waiting for the beloved (new social order). But the night of waiting is not over. Dawn has come around again and again looking for her, only to be disappointed.
junooN1 meN jitni bhi guzri ba-kaar2 guzri hai
agarche3 dil pe Kharaabi4 hazaar guzri hai1.mad passion 2.useful, enjoyable 3.even though 4.damage, hurt
The poet/lover is at peace that he has spent his time/life in mad passion, longing for her (for the new social order) even though he has suffered much. He is not prepared to give up his love.
huwi hai hazrat-e naaseh1 se guftagu2 jis shab3
vo shab zaroor sar-e4 koo-e5 yaar6 guzri hai1.one who instructs/corrects, moral police 2.conversation 3.night 4.at the head of 5.alley of 6.beloved
The moral policeman is out to set the poet/lover on the “straight path”. Whenever he has had an enounter with the critic it has been at the head of the alley of the beloved when the critic was trying to dissuade him from his mission of passion.
vo baat saare fasaane1 meN jis ka zikr2 na tha
vo baat unko bahut naagawaar3 guzri hai1.legend, fable 2.mention 3.offensive, intolerable
That which was not even mentioned in the story (in my letter) she has found that offensive. Commentators point out that this has reference to false testimony that was brought up against faiz to convict him. They say that “un ko” – “to them” can mean “the powers that be”, and not just the beloved. This is one of the beauties of the conventions of urdu poetry that a lot can be implied without saying it.
na gul khile haiN, na un se mile, na mae pii hai
ajeeb raNg meN ab ke bahaar guzri haiThe poet/lover is in prison and has missed out on wine and on the celebrations of spring.
chaman meN Ghaarat1-e gulchiN2 se jaane3 kya guzri
qafas4 se aaj sabaa5 beqaraar6 guzri hai1.destruction 2.flower picker 3.who knows, I wonder 4.cage, prison 5.morning breeze 6.restless, disturbed
There must have been a major destruction in the garden (country/society) caused by the flower picker (the oppressor). The poet/lover does not know. He wonders because he feels the restlessness of the morning breeze as it blows past his prison cell.
shab-e intezaar guzri hai – faiz ahmed faiz
faiz uses “beloved” as a metaphor for a new social order or for country/society. This Ghazal lends itself to that interpretation beautifully. It was written in 1952 while faiz was imprisoned on trumped up charges of sedition.
tum aae ho na shab-e intezaar1 guzri2 hai
talaash3 meN hai sahr4, baar baar guzri2 hai
1.night of waiting 2.passed, over 3.search 4.dawn
The poet/lover spends long nights waiting for the beloved (new social order). But the night of waiting is not over. Dawn has come around again and again looking for her, only to be disappointed.
junooN1 meN jitni bhi guzri ba-kaar2 guzri hai
agarche3 dil pe Kharaabi4 hazaar guzri hai
1.mad passion 2.useful, enjoyable 3.even though 4.damage, hurt
The poet/lover is at peace that he has spent his time/life in mad passion, longing for her (for the new social order) even though he has suffered much. He is not prepared to give up his love.
huwi hai hazrat-e naaseh1 se guftagu2 jis shab3
vo shab zaroor sar-e4 koo-e5 yaar6 guzri hai
1.one who instructs/corrects, moral police 2.conversation 3.night 4.at the head of 5.alley of 6.beloved
The moral policeman is out to set the poet/lover on the “straight path”. Whenever he has had an enounter with the critic it has been at the head of the alley of the beloved when the critic was trying to dissuade him from his mission of passion.
vo baat saare fasaane1 meN jis ka zikr2 na tha
vo baat unko bahut naagawaar3 guzri hai
1.legend, fable 2.mention 3.offensive, intolerable
That which was not even mentioned in the story (in my letter) she has found that offensive. Commentators point out that this has reference to false testimony that was brought up against faiz to convict him. They say that “un ko” – “to them” can mean “the powers that be”, and not just the beloved. This is one of the beauties of the conventions of urdu poetry that a lot can be implied without saying it.
na gul khile haiN, na un se mile, na mae pii hai
ajeeb raNg meN ab ke bahaar guzri hai
The poet/lover is in prison and has missed out on wine and on the celebrations of spring.
chaman meN Ghaarat1-e gulchiN2 se jaane3 kya guzri
qafas4 se aaj sabaa5 beqaraar6 guzri hai
1.destruction 2.flower picker 3.who knows, I wonder 4.cage, prison 5.morning breeze 6.restless, disturbed
There must have been a major destruction in the garden (country/society) caused by the flower picker (the oppressor). The poet/lover does not know. He wonders because he feels the restlessness of the morning breeze as it blows past his prison cell.
