Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. syed ali haidar nazm tabaatabaai (1854-1933), scholar, critic, translator and poet. In 1883 he moved to hyderabad, Professor, Nizam College and Department of Translation, Osmania University with josh malihabadi. Wrote an explanatory discussion of Ghalib’s diivaan and published his own diivaan. This is a re-composed urdu version of Thomas Gray’s Ode on the Spring.
1
jidhar se qaafila¹ guzra² ho indar³ ki savaari⁴ ka
vo nasriiN-posh⁵ lashkar⁶ anjum⁷-e sub’h-bahaari⁸ ka
sabab⁹ tha lala¹⁰ o rehaaN¹¹ ki jo ummiid-vaari¹² ka
jagaaya jis ne jaadu fasl-e-gul¹³ ki laala-kaari¹⁴ ka
jahaaN bulbul kaleja¹⁵ toR kar faryaad¹⁵ karte haiN
jo qumri¹⁶ kookti¹⁷ ho raqs¹⁸ sab shamshaad¹⁹ karte haiN     1.travel party 2.passed 3.god of rain/thunder 4.ride, procession 5.wearing the robe of white rose 6.army 7.stars 8.dawn of spring 9.basis, reason 10.tulip 11.basil (fragrance) 12.expectation, hope 13.flowering season i.e., spring 14.embroidery, decoration 15.liver/heart 16.ring dove 17.cooing 18.dance, sway joyfully 19.tall slender/supple tree
indar/indra is the god of rain and his ‘qaafila’-travel party is interpreted to mean rain clouds. Thus, where the rain clouds pass, where the dawn of spring wearing the cloak of white roses like stars of the sky, becomes the reason for the hopeful expectations of the tulip and of fragrance. This awakens the magic of the decoration of spring. Where the nightingale breaks its heart, bursting into song. Where the turtle dove coos and supple trees sway in joyful dance.
2
upaj¹ se dil ki az-Khud² naachte hoN mor chilla kar
vo matla³ saaf ho ThanDi hava chalti ho iThla⁴ kar
naviid⁵-e taaza⁶, gosh⁷-e gul meN kah jaati ho jaa jaa kar
nikal jaati ho kosoN⁸ dam⁹ meN Khushbuu apni phaila kar
andhera kunj¹⁰-e gulshan¹¹ meN jahaaN ho shaaKhsaaroN¹² se
nikal sakta na ho saaya daraKhtoN¹³ ki qataaroN¹⁴ se    1.passion, ecstacy 2.by themselves, spontaneously 3.horizon 4.coquettish gait 5.good news, greetings 6.fresh, new 7.ears 8.miles 9.moment 10.grove, thicket 11.garden 12.branches 13.trees 14.line
Where peacocks spontaneously dance in ecstacy and screech joyfully. The skies are clear and a cool breeze blows in titillating style, whispering fresh tidings in the ears of the rose, and travels miles around spreading fragrance. Groves of trees with branches thick with leaves cast dark shadows.
3
har ek dahqaaN¹ ne thak kar haath khiiNcha kaam karne se
maveshi² le rahe haiN dam keh jaan aaye Thahrne se
nahiN baaz³ aati zumbuur⁴-e asal⁵ sargam⁶ ke bharne se
nahiN thamti⁷ havaa meN Doobne⁸ se aur ubharne⁹ se
pataNge¹⁰ ne bhi itra¹¹ kar Ghazab¹² ki shooKhiyaaN¹³ ki haiN
gale meN kurtiyaaN¹⁴, raNgiiN qabaa’eN¹⁵ dhoop chhaaN ki haiN  1.farmer 2.cattle 3.cease and desist 4.bee 5.honey 6.musical scales 7.stopping 8.dipping 9.rising 10.moth 11.teasing 12.conquering, overwhelming 13.teasing, mischief 14.shirts 15.cloak, robe
The tired farmer sets his work aside to rest. Cattle sit in repose, catching their breath. But the honey bee never ceases its droning, dipping and rising with the breeze. The winged insect too teasing with its mischievous play, wearing colourful robes of light and grey.
4
vahiiN mujh ko bhi mil jaa’e koi gosha¹ jo uzlat² ka
koii patthar ho takiya, aur sabza³ farsh⁴ raahat⁵ ka
kinaara⁶ nahr⁷ ka ho vaqt ho josh-e-tabiyat⁸ ka
sabaq⁹ ahl-e-jahaaN¹⁰ ke haal¹¹ par haasil¹² ho ibrat¹³ ka
keh adna¹⁴ to chale jaate haiN ab arsh-e-mo’alla¹⁵ par
jo haiN aala¹⁶ jhuke paRte haiN vo tahsiil¹⁷-e duniya par    1.corner 2.seclusion 3.greenery, grass 4.floor 5.comfort 6.bank 7.river 8.joyful disposition 9.learn 10.people of the world 11.condition 12.obtain 13.lesson 14.lowly (crawling), deprived 15.high heavens 16.high, mighty 17.acquisition, domain
Were I to find a secluded corner there, with a rock to sit on and a comfortable patch of grass to lie down, the bank of the river and a time of peace and joy, from there looking at the world, I would learn this lesson – that the low, crawling creatures take wing towards the high heavens and those who were high and mightly bown down towards the domain of the earth.
5
nigaah¹-e chashm²-e ibrat³ meN yahi hai haal⁴ insaaN ka
nikaale us ne par-purze⁵ to vo hai reNg⁶ kar chalta
ye nikle Khaak se haiN Khaak ki hi samt⁷ hai jaana
jo din hai ziist ka vo baal-afshaani⁸ meN guzrega
agar pahuNche na piiri⁹ tak to phir marg-e-javaani¹⁰ hai
na raqs-e-shaadmaani¹¹ hai na zauq-e-par-fashaani¹² hai  1.sight, view 2.eye 3.moral lesson 4.condition 5.blossoming into youth 6.crawl 7.direction, towards 8.spreading feathers 9.old age 10.death in youth 11.dance of joy 12.desire to spread wings/fly
Such is also the condition of human beings in the view of the discerning eye, that if one blossoms into vigorous youth, the other crawls. Both alike have come from the earth and towards it they will return. The day (time) they have been granted will be spent spreading their feathers. But if they don’t survive until old age then there is no joyous dance no spreading of wings to fly.
6
zara sun’na unhiiN meN se koi haNs kar ye kahta hai
Khabar¹ apni to le naaseh² keh tuu bhi ek pataNga³ hai
akela aaya duniya meN tu aur ab tak akela hai
na ho jab sham’a⁴ mahfil⁵ meN to kaashaana⁶ andhera hai
kahiiN DhoonDe se ab paa’ega ta’oos⁷-e javaani ko
lab-e-baam⁸ ab samajh le aaftaab-e-zindagaani⁹ ko    1.inquire about, take stock 2.critic, moralist 3.moth 4.candle 5.gathering 6.dwelling, house 7.peacock, colourful 8.edge of the roof/horizon 9.sun of life
Just listen carefully – one of them (the crawling or flying creatures), laughing, says to me – take stock of yourself, O moralist, for, you too are but a moth. If you don’t find a partner/candle in the gathering/life, then your house too will be dark. How can you bring back your colourful youth. Consider that the sun of your life is at the edge of the horizon.

Ode on the Spring – Thomas Gray

Lo! where the rosy-bosom’d Hours,
Fair Venus’ train appear,
Disclose the long-expecting flowers,
And wake the purple year!
The Attic warbler pours her throat,
Responsive to the cuckoo’s note,
The untaught harmony of spring:
While whisp’ring pleasure as they fly,
Cool zephyrs thro’ the clear blue sky
Their gather’d fragrance fling.

Where’er the oak’s thick branches stretch
A broader, browner shade;
Where’er the rude and moss-grown beech
O’er-canopies the glade,
Beside some water’s rushy brink
With me the Muse shall sit, and think
(At ease reclin’d in rustic state)
How vain the ardour of the crowd,
How low, how little are the proud,
How indigent the great!

Still is the toiling hand of Care:
The panting herds repose:
Yet hark, how thro’ the peopled air
The busy murmur glows!
The insect youth are on the wing,
Eager to taste the honied spring,
And float amid the liquid noon:
Some lightly o’er the current skim,
Some show their gaily-gilded trim
Quick-glancing to the sun.

To Contemplation’s sober eye
Such is the race of man:
And they that creep, and they that fly,
Shall end where they began.
Alike the busy and the gay
But flutter thro’ life’s little day,
In fortune’s varying colours drest:
Brush’d by the hand of rough Mischance,
Or chill’d by age, their airy dance
They leave, in dust to rest.

Methinks I hear in accents low
The sportive kind reply:
Poor moralist! and what art thou?
A solitary fly!
Thy joys no glitt’ring female meets,
No hive hast thou of hoarded sweets,
No painted plumage to display:
On hasty wings thy youth is flown;
Thy sun is set, thy spring is gone—
We frolic, while ’tis May.