Muhabbat aur Kahaani...

Stumbled upon this poem the other day. Cant decide what I like better, the poem or the recitation. May be both are better than each other. Only the video has nothing to do with the poetry. A blank screen would have been much better.

Tumhein kaise batayen hum,

muhabbat aur kahaani mein, koi rishta nahin hota.

Kahaani mein toh hum waapas bhi aate hain;

muhabbat mein palatne ka koi rastaa nahin hota.

Zara socho...

kahin dil mein kharashen(scratches) daalti yaadon ki saffaaki(cruelty);

kahin daaman se lipti hai kisi bhoooli hui sa'at(moment) ki namnaaki(moistness);

kahin aankhon ke khemon(tents) mein charaagh-e-khwaab(lamp of dream) gul(put off) karne ki saazish(conspiracy) ko hawa deti hui raaton ki chaalaaki(shrewdness);

magar main banda-e-khaaki(a man made of dust* ),

na jaane kitne Firaun-on(devils**) se uljhi hai mere lehje ki bebaaki(outspoken-ness).

Mujhe dekho.

Mere chehre pe kitne mausamon(seasons) ki gard(dust), 

aur is gard ki teh(layer) mein,

samay ki dhoop mein rakkha ek aaiina, 

aur aaiine mein ta-hadde-nazar(as far as the eyes can see) phaile muhabbat ke sitaare aks(image) bankar jagmagaate hain.

Nayi duniyaaon ka rastaa bataate hain.

Usi manzar(scene) mein aaiine se uljhi kuchh lakeerein hain. 

Lakeeron mein kahaani hai.

Kahaani aur muhabbat mein azal(time before time) se jang jaari hai.

Muhabbat mein ik aisa mod aata hai,

jahan aa kar kahaani haar jaati hai.

Kahaani mein toh hum kuch kirdaar(characters) khud farz(assume) karte hain.

Muhabbat mein koi kirdaar bhi farzi(fictitious) nahin hota.

Kahaani ko kayi kirdaar milljull kar kahin aage chalaate hain.

Aur muhbbat...

muhabbat apne kirdaaron ko khud aage barhaati hai.

Kahaani mein kayi kirdaar zinda hi nahin rehte.

Aur muhabbat...

muhabbat apne kirdaaron ko marne hi nahin deti.

Kahaani ke safar mein manzaron ki dhool udti hai.

Muhabbat ki musaafat(journey) raah-geeron(travellers) ko bikharne hi nahin deti.

Aur muhabbat ik shajar(tree) hai.

Aur shajar ko iss se kya matlab,

ke iss ke saaye mein jo bhi thaka haaraa musaafir(traveller) aa ke baitha hai,

ab uss ki nasl(ethnicity) kya hai,

rang kaisa hai?

Kahan se aaya hai?

Kis sammt(direction***) jaana hai?

Shajar ka kaam toh bas chhaaon dena, dhoop sehna hai.

U-se iss se gharaz(interest) kya hai,

ke paraav(camp) daalne waalon mein kisne chhaaon ki taqseem(distribution) ka jhagra uthaya hai.

Kahan kis ahad(promise) ko toda, kahan waadaa nibhaaya hai.

Magar hum jaante hain,

chhaaon jab taqseem(divide) ho jaaye,

toh jalti dhoop ke naize(spears) rag-o-pai(veins and organs) mein utarte hain

Aur iss ke zakhm-khurda(wounded) log...

jeete hain,

na marte hain...

Poet - Saleem Kausar

Recitation - Asim Bashir


* here it means - a modest person
** refers to Firaun or Pharoah of the Exodus
*** the actual word is 'Simmt'