Main Shayar hoon...

Main shayar hoon,

to aksar log mujh se poochhte hain;
iss hasiin israar ke baare:

"Batayein to bhala kya hai!
Muhabbat aakhirish hai kya?"

Wasi, main hans ke kehta hoon:
"Kisi pyaase ko apne hisse ka paani pilana bhi
muhabbat hai.

Bhanwar mein doobte ko saahilon tak le ke jaana bhi
muhabbat hai.

Kisi ke waaste nanhi si qurbaani -
muhabbat hai.

Kahin hum raaz saare khol sakte hon,
magar phir bhi
kisi ki be-basi ko dekh kar,
khaamosh reh jana -
muhabbat hai.

Ho dil mein dard, veerani
magar phir bhi,
kisi k waaste jabran hi honthon par hansi laana,
zabardasti hi muskaana -
muhabbat hai.

Kahin baarish mein sehme bheegte billi ke bachche ko,
zara si der ko ghar le ke aana bhi muhabbat hai.

Koi chiriya jo kamre mein bhatakti aan nikli ho,
To us chiriya ko pankhe band kar ke raasta baahir ka dikhlaana -
muhabbat hai.

Kisi ke zakhm sehlaana,
kisi rotey hue ke dil ko behlana -
muhabbat hai.

Ke meetha bol,
meethi baat,
meethe lafz -
sab kya hai?

Muhabbat hai.

Muhabbat ek hi bas ek hi insaan ki khaatir
magan rehna,
hama-waqt uski baaton,
khushbuon mein dolna kab hai?

Muhabbat uski zulf ke bal kholna kab hai?

Muhabbat ke hazaaron rang, laakhon ista'aare hain.
Kisi bhi rang mein ho ye mujhe apna banati hai.

Ye mere dil ko bhaati hai..."

~Wasi Shah

Tasalsul toot jayega...

Na chhero khilti kaliyon, hanste phoolon ko;
in urti titliyon, aawaara bhanwron ko;
tasalsul (continuity) toot jayega...

Faza (atmosphere) mahv-e-sama'at (engrossed in listening) hai,
hasiin hothon ko naghma-rez (songful) rahne do.
Nigahen niichi rakho, aur mujassim gosh ban jao (become all ears*) .

Agar jumbish (movement) labon (lips) ko di,
tasalsul toot jayega...
Hawa se pattiyaan sargoshiyon (whispering) mein mahv (engrossed) hain.

Aur jhoomti shaakhon (branches) ke jhoolon mein,
parindon ki chahek se saara saahil (seashore)
sarmadi (eternal) ehsaas me dooba hua
sarshaar-o-shaadan (tippled and happy) hai.

Agar kankar bhi satah-e-aab (surface of water) par maara,
tasalsul toot jayega...

Ufaq (horizon) mein doobte suraj ka manzar (scene)
iss balandi (altitude) se zara dekho.
Isi rangiin (colourful) kinaare par,
shafaq (rays) sona lutayegi.

Yun hi tum behis-o-saakit (senseless and bestill) raho;
aise mein,
palkein bhi zara jhapkiin,
tasalsul toot jayega...

Woh khwabeeda (dreamy) hai, khwabeeda hi rehne do.
Na jaane khwaab mein kin waadiyon ki sair karti ho.
Balandi se phisalte aabshaaron (waterfall) me kahin gum ho.
Falak-aasaar (high as the sky) choti (peak) par kahin mehv-e-tarannum (engrossed in melody) ho. 

Agar aawaz dii tum ne,
tasalsul toot jayega...

Main shaayar hoon,
meri fikr-e-rasaa (reach of imagination) ehsaas ki us satah par hai,
jismen khushboo rang bantii hai,
sada (call) ko shakl milti hai,
tasawwur (imagination) bol uthta hai,
khamoshi gungunati hai.

Yeh waqfa (interlude) hai;
aise mein,
agar daad-e-sukhan (praise for speech) bhi di;
tasalsul toot jayega...

~Mohsin Bhopali

*mujassim - embodiment, gosh - ear

Ae gham-e-dil kya karoon...

Never before seeing the video below, could I have thought of two artists, so different in their art forms, geography, time, and culture, to be so similar! The artists in question are the famous Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh and the Urdu poet Asrar-ul-Haq Majaz. Hats off to the uploader who observed the similarities and put their works together in one video.

For those of you not aware of these artists or their stories-

Van Gogh was a great painter who's work influenced the 20th century art. He was believed to be suffering with mental illness which eventually claimed his life. Apparently his anxiety took him to self destruction and he eventually succeeded by committing a suicide. Though his death is still a mystery; because the gun, with which he supposedly shot himself in the head, could never be recovered.

Majaz was another passionate artist. True to his art and heart. It is said that he fell in love with a married woman. Being unsuccessful in love lead him to alcoholism and mental illness. He spent a lot of time in mental asylums. Once he ran away from a mental asylum and later his body was found on the terrace of a shop in a busy market in Lucknow. How he reached there and died, remains a mystery.

The pain of these two artists can be felt in the song, sung so beautifully by Jagjit Singh. Beautiful paintings, brilliant poetry and soulful singing: what a great confluence of three great artists!.

Hum-radeef ghazlein...

My all time favourite Jagjit-Chitra Ghazal:

Its actually two ghazals sung as one. In Urdu-poetic language its called 'hum-radeef ghazlein' - two ghazals with same ending word(s).

The part sung by Jagjit Singh is Amiir Miinaai's 'Uski Hasrat hai jise dil se mita bhi na sakun, Dhoondhne usko chala huun jise paa bhi na sakun', while Chitra Singh sings the famous Mirza Ghalib ghazal 'Meherbaan hoke bula lo mujhe Chahe jis waqt; Main gaya waqt nahi huun ke phir aa bhi na sakun'. Interestingly Ghalib's ghazal sounds like the reply to that of his contemporary Amiir Miinaai.

Writing ghazals on other poet's 'Zameen' is very common in Urdu poetry. Daagh Dehlvi has also written a ghazal 'hum-radeef' with Ghalib's very famous 'Ye na thi humaari qismat'. The famous ghazal singer Tina Sani sings these two in the video below. The singer and the compere (Anwar Masood) have also tried to explain the concept of hum-radeef ghazals at the start of the video.

Rare ghazals of Jagjit Singh...

Recently, I came across a few youtube videos of some of Jagjit Singh's rare ghazals. And I was blown away by a couple of them. Absolute gems!

Aaj tumse bichhad raha hoon main...

Jao ab sub'ha hone waali hai...

Unko bhoole hue apne hi sitam yaad aaye...

Aaj baazaar mein...

An amazing nazam by Faiz Ahmed Faiz:

Chashm-e-nam (teary eyes), jaan-e-shoreeda (distressed soul) kaafi nahin;
Tohmat-e-ishq (accusation of love) posheeda (covered) kaafi nahin;
Aaj baazaar mein paa-ba-jaulaan (cuffed feet) chalo!

Dast afshaan (hands swinging) chalo!
mast-o-raqsaan (carefree and dancing) chalo!
Khaak bar-sar (dust on the head) chalo!
khoon ba-daamaan (blood on the clothes) chalo!
Raah taktaa hai sab shehar-e-jaanaan (city of the beloved) chalo!
Aaj baazaar mein paa-ba-jaulaan chalo!

Haakim-e-shehar (ruler of the city) bhi,
majmaa-e-aam (common crowd) bhi;
Subh-e-naashaad (sad morning) bhi,
roz-e-naakaam (unsuccessful day) bhi;
Teer-e-ilzaam bhi (arrows of accusation),
sang-e-dushnaam (stones of abuse) bhi;
Inka damsaaz (sympathizer) apne siwa kaun hai?
Shehar-e-jaanaan (city of the beloved) mein ab ba-safaa (sincere) kaun hai?
Dast-e-qaatil (murderer's hands) ke shaayaan (worthy) raha kaun hai?
Rakht-e-dil (heartbeats) baandh lo,
dil-figaaron (broken-hearted) chalo!
phir humiin (hum hi) qatl ho aayen yaaron chalo!

Once Faiz was taken out from a prison in an open horse-drawn cart. The intention of the government was to ridicule him, but it inspired him to write this awesome poem. Here's he reciting the nazam.

And here is a video of the same nazm sung beautifully by Nayyara Noor.



Hum ke thehre ajnabi...

Here's one of my most favorite ghazals. Written by Faiz Ahmed Faiz. The best thing about this ghazal is that though it sounds like a sad romantic song, the original context is very different. Apart from being one of the greatest poets of our times, Faiz was a political activist and had been involved in Pakistani politics during Zia-ul-Haque's dictatorship and had also spent many years in exile. This particular ghazal was his reaction to what pakistanis call as the 'Fall of Dhaka', which marked the separation of Bangladesh from Pakistan.

The ghazal beautifully explains Faiz's disappointment on losing Bangladesh and the trust of Bangladeshi people in Pakistan. Listen to it twice; once as a sad romantic ghazal and again as for what it was written. How amazingly it fits in both contexts. Thats poetry at its best!

Hum ke thehre ajnabi itni madaaraaton(exchange of civilities) ke baad

Phir banenge aashnaa(acquainted) kitni mulaaqaaton ke baad

Kab nazar mein aayegi be-daagh(spotless) sabze(greenery) ki bahaar

Khoon ke dhabbe dhulenge kitni barsaaton ke baad

Dil to chaaha, par shikast-e-dil(defeated heart) ne mohlat(respite) hi na di

Kuchh gile-shikwe(complaints) bhi kar lete, munajaaton(pleadings) ke baad

The bahut bedard(cruel) lamhe(moments) khatm-e-dard-e-ishq(end <of the pain> of love) ke

Thin bahut be-meher(unkind) subhein, meherbaan(kind, generous) raaton ke baad

Unse jo kehne gaye the 'Faiz' jaan sadqa(with great courage*) kiye

Ankahi(unsaid) hi reh gayi wo baat sab baaton ke baad

Poet: Faiz Ahmed Faiz

Singer: Nayyara Noor

*jaan sadqa = to be ready to sacrifice one's life (for something)