Aligarians.com

zamaanaa bahut bad-gumaaN ho rahaa hai
kisii shaKhs kaa imtihaaN ho rahaa hai

suriiilii sadaayeN haiN ek shoKh kii sii
ilaahii ! ye jalsaa kahaaN ho rahaa hai

bahut hasrat aatii hai mujh ko ye sun kar
kisii par ko’ii meh’rbaaN ho rahaa hai

tire zulm-e-pinhaaN abhii kaun jaane?
faqat aasmaaN aasmaaN ho rahaa hai

in aaNkhoN ne is dil kaa kyaa bhed kholaa?
ke muztar meraa raazdaaN ho rahaa hai

sunuuN kyaa Khabar jashn-e-ishrat kaa qaasid ?
jahaaN ho rahaa hai vahaaN ho rahaa hai

vo haal-e-tabiiyat jo barsoN chhupaayaa
har ek shaKhs se ab bayaaN ho rahaa hai

ko’ii uR ke aayaa, ko’ii chhup ke aayaa
pashemaaN teraa paasbaaN ho rahaa hai

kahiiN do ghaRii aap shabnam meN soye
jo ruKh par arq dur-fishaaN ho rahaa hai

ye behoshiyaaN “Dagh”, ye Khvaab-e-Ghaflat
Khabar bhii hai jo kuch vahaaN ho rahaa hai

Dagh Dehlvi

Translated by David Matthews from An Anthology of Urdu Verse in English.

People are suspicious. Have they guessed
That someone is getting ready for a test?

I hear sweet sounds. It’s my coquette, I’ll swear.
A party’s being held. I’ll find out where.

I was plagued with envy when I found
Her being kind to everyone around.

Who knows the secret of your cruel fame?
‘Ah’, they say. ‘You’ve got the sky to blame.’

What did my eyes reveal? What awful strain?
To give my closest confidant such pain.

Where is the feast? What news is this I hear?
The messenger will surely make it clear.

For years my state I cleverly concealed.
But now I find it everywhere revealed.

Some come excited, some come on tiptoe.
Your watchman’s worried by this to and fro.

You must have slept within some dewy place;
For pearl-like drops are beading on your face.

Oh, “Dagh”, you’re mindless, all your sense has gone.
You really do not know what’s going on.

To receive free updates on new Ghazal, Nazm and Mushaira postings, please visit subscribe for options.