For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
nayyara noor
تیری سمندر آنکھیں ۔ فیض احمد فیض
یہ دھوپ کنارا، شام ڈھلے
ملتے ہیں دونوں وقت جہاں
جو رات نہ دن، جو آج نہ کل
پل بھر کو امر، پل بھر میں دھواں
اِس دھوپ کنارے، پل دو پل
ہونٹوں کی لپک
باہوں کی چھنک
یہ میل ہمارا جھوٹ نہ سچ
کیوں راز کرو، کیوں دوش دھرو
کس کارن جھوٹی بات کرو
جب تیری سمندر آنکھوں میں
اِس شام کا سورج ڈوبیگا
سکھ سوئینگے گھر در والے
اور راہی اپنی رہ لیگا
तेरी समंदर आँखें – फ़ैज़ अहमद फ़ैज़
ये धूप किनारा शाम ढले
मिलते हैं दोनों वक़्त जहाँ
जो रात ना दिन, जो आज ना कल
पल भर को अमर, पल भर में धुआँ
इस धूप किनारे, पल दो पल
होंटों की लपक
बाहों की छनक
ये मेल हमारा झूट ना सच
क्यूं राज़ करो, क्यूं दोष धरो
किस कारण झूटी बात करो
जब तेरी समंदर आँखों में
इस शाम का सूरज डूबेगा
सुख सोएंगे घर दर वाले
और राही अपनी रह लेगा
Click here for overall comments and on any passage for word meanings and discussion. faiz ahmed faiz (1911-1984) a poet of romance, resistance, labour leader, journalist, political activist, Lenin Peace Prize awardee writes with great finesse and delicacy using the beloved as a metaphor for the homeland and/or the socialist revolution. But this nazm/geet appears to be a description of young romance thwarted by social restrictions – an eternal theme, beautifully expressed, lovers stealing fleeting moments together. Compare it with maKhdoom’s “toor” or sahir’s “parchhaiyaaN” for similar sentiments. Also worth pondering – are “lovers” as a metaphor for the deprived and oppressed.
ye dhoop-kinaara1 shaam Dhale
milte haiN donoN vaqt jahaaN
jo raat na din, jo aaj na kal
pal bhar ko amar2, pal bhar meN dhuaaN3 1.dusk 2.eternal 3.fog, uncertain
This twilight/evening at dusk where day meets night, which is neither light nor dark, neither today nor tomorrow, seeming eternal one moment, fleeting the next.
is dhoop kinaare, pal do pal
hoNToN ki lapak4
baahoN ki chhanak5
ye mel hamaara jhooT na such4.leap, eagerness 5.sizzle, passion
This fleeting twilight, just like the moment or two when our lips met, arms sizzled in passionate embrace. This fleeting union, like a dream, neither true nor false, neither real nor illusion.
kyuN raaz karo, kyuN dosh dharo
kis kaaran jhooTi baat karo
jab teri samandar aankhoN meN
is shaam ka suraj Doobega
sukh soeNge ghar dar vaale
aur raahi apni rah legaWhy hide our love, why blame anyone. Why deceive ourselves. When in the ocean, like your deep dark eyes, the sun goes down and it is night, the world will sleep blissfully, but lovers will still wander with nowhere to go. “kis kaaran jhooTi baat karo” is not about telling an untruth to someone else, but it is “why tell an untruth to/deceive ourselves”, for when all is said and done, everyone else will sleep in comfort and the lovers will resume their wandering (i.e. homelessness with nothing to shelter, protect, nurture them). This interpretation reinforces that “lovers” is a metaphor for the deprived. Compare with maKhdoom’s “toor” –
na ab vo khet baaqi haiN, na vo aab-e-ravaaN baaqi
magar us aish-e-rafta ka hai ek dhundla nishaaN baaqi
There is added poignancy to the story. When the sun sets in your deep dark eyes can signify “when all hope is lost”, then while everyone else sleeps comfortably, the protagonist will wend his way to other lands, leaving the beloved.
faiz ahmed faiz (1911-1984) a poet of romance, resistance, labour leader, journalist, political activist, Lenin Peace Prize awardee writes with great finesse and delicacy using the beloved as a metaphor for the homeland and/or the socialist revolution. But this nazm/geet appears to be a description of young romance thwarted by social restrictions – an eternal theme, beautifully expressed, lovers stealing fleeting moments together. Compare it with maKhdoom’s “toor” or sahir’s “parchhaiyaaN” for similar sentiments. Also worth pondering – are “lovers” as a metaphor for the deprived and oppressed.
ye dhoop-kinaara1 shaam Dhale
milte haiN donoN vaqt jahaaN
jo raat na din, jo aaj na kal
pal bhar ko amar2, pal bhar meN dhuaaN3
1.dusk 2.eternal 3.fog, uncertain
This twilight/evening at dusk where day meets night, which is neither light nor dark, neither today nor tomorrow, seeming eternal one moment, fleeting the next.
is dhoop kinaare, pal do pal
hoNToN ki lapak4
baahoN ki chhanak5
ye mel hamaara jhooT na such
4.leap, eagerness 5.sizzle, passion
This fleeting twilight, just like the moment or two when our lips met,
arms sizzled in passionate embrace. This fleeting union, like a dream, neither true nor false, neither real nor illusion.
kyuN raaz karo, kyuN dosh dharo
kis kaaran jhooTi baat karo
jab teri samandar aankhoN meN
is shaam ka suraj Doobega
sukh soeNge ghar dar vaale
aur raahi apni rah lega
Why hide our love, why blame anyone. Why deceive ourselves. When in the ocean, like your deep dark eyes, the sun goes down and it is night, the world will sleep blissfully, but lovers will still wander with nowhere to go.
“kis kaaran jhooTi baat karo” is not about telling an untruth to someone else, but it is “why tell an untruth to/deceive ourselves”, for when all is said and done, everyone else will sleep in comfort and the lovers will resume their wandering (i.e. homelessness with nothing to shelter, protect, nurture them). This interpretation reinforces that “lovers” is a metaphor for the deprived. Compare with maKhdoom’s “toor” –
na ab vo khet baaqi haiN, na vo aab-e-ravaaN baaqi
magar us aish-e-rafta ka hai ek dhundla nishaaN baaqi
There is added poignancy to the story. When the sun sets in your deep dark eyes can signify “when all hope is lost”, then while everyone else sleeps comfortably, the protagonist will wend his way to other lands, leaving the beloved.
