Home | August '98 Index

The poet of the week is Sahir Ludhianvi. This nazm which is titled "mataa-e-Gair", 
was already present in the archive. However, it was incomplete. Having come 
across the complete nazm in a book ('Sahir Ludhianvi Aur Unki Shaayari' by 
Prakash Pandit), we decided it would be a good idea to concentrate on Sahir's 
nazms. 

Sahir's poetry touches one's hearts in a way that very few poets of the modern 
era have managed. Whether it is love or revolution that he writes of, he never 
fails to give pause to his readers, to make them think, which in my humble opinion, 
is one of the signs of a great artiste. Sometimes, the topic maybe be one that we 
know of but which we collectively ignore, ashamed to acknowledge them. Sahir 
forces you to look the facts squarely in the eye. He allows you no escape. His 
nazm "chakle" is one such, which draws your attention to the state of society 
and women in particular, bringing to light the hypocrisy of the so-called social 
reformers and do-gooders. However, it is not that Sahir did not write about love. 
In his own words,

mere sarakash taraane sun ke duniyaa ye samajhatii hai
ki shaayad mere dil ko ishq ke naGmo.n se nafarat hai

[sarakash = filled with revolutionary fire]

mai.n shaayar huu.N mujh fitarat ke nazzaaro.n se ulfat hai
meraa dil dushman-e-naGmaa-saraa_ii ho nahii.n sakataa

[dushman-e-naGmaa-saraa_ii = enemy of/against singing]

Sahir's poetry is replete with love, often unrequited . However, the melancholy 
of Meer is nowhere to be seen. There are numerous allusions to his beloved's
beauty but without the blatant sensuousness of Firaq. 

It will be our attempt to provide all the facets of Sahir's poetry through his nazms.
We hope we succeed in our endeavour.


Mataa-e-Gair (Belonging to someone else)

mere Khvaabo.n ke jharoko.n ko sajaane vaalii 
tere Khvaabo.n me.n kahii.n meraa guzar hai ki nahii.n 
puuchhakar apanii nigaaho.n se bataade mujhako 
merii raato.n kii muqaddar me.n sahar hai kii nahii.N 

[muqaddar = fate; sahar = dawn]

chaar din kii ye rafaaqat jo rafaaqat bhii nahii.n 
umr bhar ke liye aazaar huii jaatii hai 
zi.ndagii yuu.n to hameshaa se pareshaan-sii thii 
ab to har saa.Ns giraa.N_baar huii jaatii hai 

[rafaaqat = company/closeness; aazaar = illness; giraa.N_baar = unbearable]

merii uja.Dii huii nii.ndo.n ke shabistaano.n me.n 
tuu kisii Khvaab ke paikar kii tarah aaii hai 
kabhii apanii sii kabhii Gair nazar aatii hai 
kabhii iKhalaas kii muurat kabhii harajaaii hai 

[shabistaan = a place to pass the night/a place of dreams;]
[paikar = body/form]

pyaar par bas to nahii.n hai meraa lekin phir bhii 
tuu bataa de ki tujhe pyaar karuu.N yaa na karuu.N 
tuune Khud apane tabassum se jagaayaa hai ji.nhe.n 
un tamannaao.n ka izahaar karuu.N yaa na karuu.N 

[tabassum = smile;]

tuu kisii aur ke daaman kii kalii hai lekin 
merii raate.n terii Khushbuu se basii rahatii hai.n 
tuu kahii.n bhii ho tere phuul se aariz kii qasam 
terii palake.n merii aa.Nkho.n pe jhukii rahatii hai.n 

[aariz = cheeks]

tere haatho.n kii haraarat tere saa.Nso.n kii mahak 
tairatii rahatii hai ehasaas kii pahanaa_ii me.n 
Dhuu.NDhatii rahatii hai.n taKha_iil kii baa.Nhe.n tujhako 
sard raato.n kii sulagatii hu_ii tanahaa_ii me.n 

[haraarat = warmth; pahanaa_ii = expanse; taKha_iil = imagination]

teraa altaaf-o-karam ek haqiiqat hai magar 
ye haqiiqat bhii haqiiqat me.n fasaanaa hii na ho 
terii maanuus nigaaho.n kaa ye mohataat payaam 
dil ke Khuu.N karane kaa ek aur bahaanaa hii na ho

[altaaf-o-karam = kindness, benevolence; maanuus = loving]

kaun jaane merii imroz kaa fardaa kyaa hai 
qurbate.n baD ke pashemaan bhii ho jaatii hai 
dil ke daaman se lipaTatii hu_ii ra.ngii.n nazare.n 
dekhate dekhate a.njaan bhii ho jaatii hai 

[imroz = today; fardaa = future; qurbat = closeness; pashemaan = ashamed]

merii daramaa.Ndaa javaanii kii tamannaao.n ke 
muzmahil Khvaab kii taabiir bataa de mujhako 
tere daaman me.n gulistaa.N bhii hai, viiraane bhii 
meraa haasil merii taqdiir bataa de mujhako 

[daramaa.Ndaa = helpless; muzmahil =  hopeless/disappointed]
[taabiir = result (of); haasil = due/reward]