1 naqsh fariyādī hai kis kī shoḳhī-e-tahrīr kā
2 mubārakbād 'asad' ġham-ḳhvār-e-jān-e-dardmand aayā
3 sahrā magar ba-tañgi-e-chashm-e-hasūd thā
4 kahte ho na deñge ham dil agar paḌā pāyā
5 dil mirā soz-e-nihāñ se be-muhābā jal gayā
6 shauq har rañg raqīb-e-sar-o-sāmāñ niklā
7 dhamkī meñ mar gayā jo na bāb-e-nabard thā
8 shumār-e-sub.ha marġhūb-e-but-e-mushkil-pasand aayā
9 dahr meñ naqsh-e-vafā vaj.h-e-tasallī na hu.ā
10 satā.ish-gar hai zāhid is qadar jis bāġh-e-rizvāñ kā
11 na hogā yak-bayābāñ māñdgī se zauq kam merā
12 ibādat barq kī kartā huuñ aur afsos hāsil kā
13 mahram nahīñ hai tū hī navā-hā-e-rāz kā
14 bazm-e-shāhanshāh meñ ash.ār kā daftar khulā
15 shab ki barq-e-soz-e-dil se zahra-e-abr āb thā
16 nāla-e-dil meñ shab, andāz-e-asar nāyāb thā
17 ḳhūn-e-jigar vadī.at-e-mizhgān-e-yār thā
18 bas-ki dushvār hai har kām kā āsāñ honā
19 shab ḳhumār-e-shauq-e-sāqī rustaḳhez-andāza thā
20 dost ġham-ḳhvārī meñ merī sa.ī farmāveñge kyā
21 ye na thī hamārī qismat ki visāl-e-yār hotā
22 havas ko hai nashāt-e-kār kyā kyā
23 dar-ḳhur-e-qahr-o-ġhazab jab ko.ī ham sā na hu.ā
24 ki hai sar-panja-e-mizhgān-e-āhū pusht-ḳhār apnā
25 pa.e-nazr-e-karam tohfa hai sharm-e-nā-rasā.ī kā
26 gar na andoh-e-shab-e-furqat bayāñ ho jā.egā
27 dard minnat-kash-e-davā na hu.ā
28 gila hai shauq ko dil meñ bhī tañgi-e-jā kā
29 qatra-e-mai bas-ki hairat se nafas-parvar huā
30 jab ba-taqrīb-e-safar yār ne mahmil bāñdhā
31 gar maiñ ne kī thī tauba sāqī ko kyā hu.ā thā
32 ghar hamārā jo na rote bhī to vīrāñ hotā
33 na thā kuchh to ḳhudā thā kuchh na hotā to ḳhudā hotā
34 yak-zarra-e-zamīñ nahīñ be-kār bāġh kā
35 vo mirī chīn-e-jabīñ se ġham-e-pinhāñ samjhā
36 phir mujhe dīda-e-tar yād aayā
37 hu.ī tāḳhīr to kuchh bā.is-e-tāḳhīr bhī thā
38 lab-e-ḳhushk dar-tishnagī-murdagāñ kā
39 tū dost kasū kā bhī sitamgar na hu.ā thā
40 shab ki vo majlis-faroz-e-ḳhalvat-e-nāmūs thā
41 sāhab ko dil na dene pe kitnā ġhurūr thā
42 arz-e-niyāz-e-ishq ke qābil nahīñ rahā
43 aql kahtī hai ki vo be-mehr kis kā āshnā
44 zikr us parī-vash kā aur phir bayāñ apnā
45 ki rahe chashm-e-ḳharīdār pe ehsāñ merā
46 be-shāna-e-sabā nahīñ turra gayāh kā
47 jaur se bāz ā.e par bāz ā.eñ kyā
48 chaman zañgār hai ā.īna-e-bād-e-bahārī kā
49 ishrat-e-qatra hai dariyā meñ fanā ho jānā
50 phir hu.ā vaqt ki ho bāl-kushā mauj-e-sharāb
51 jin logoñ kī thī dar-ḳhur-e-aqd-e-guhar añgusht
naqsh fariyādī hai kis kī shoḳhī-e-tahrīr kā
kāġhazī hai pairahan har paikar-e-tasvīr kā
kāv kāv-e-saḳht-jānī hā.e-tanhā.ī na pūchh
sub.h karnā shām kā lānā hai jū-e-shīr kā
jazba-e-be-iḳhtiyār-e-shauq dekhā chāhiye
sīna-e-shamshīr se bāhar hai dam shamshīr kā
āgahī dām-e-shunīdan jis qadar chāhe bichhā.e
mudda.ā anqā hai apne ālam-e-taqrīr kā
bas-ki huuñ 'ġhālib' asīrī meñ bhī ātish zer-e-pā
mū-e-ātish dīda hai halqa mirī zanjīr kā
* * *
naqsh fariyādī hai kis kī shoḳhī-e-tahrīr kā
kāġhazī hai pairahan har paikar-e-tasvīr kā
Against whose playful writings can an image petition
For made of paper is the attire of each image
Note 1. In ancient Iran, people pleading before the Shah went dressed in paper clothes.
kāv kāv-e-saḳht-jānī hā.e-tanhā.ī na pūchh
sub.h karnā shām kā lānā hai jū-e-shīr kā
Ask not of the hardships of life and its loneliness
Labour from dawn to dusk is like bringing forth a channel of milk2
Note 2. The reference to digging the channel of milk harks back to the love legend of Farhad and Shireen. To deny his love the Emperor Khusrau tasked Farhad with digging a tunnel in a mountain.
jazba-e-be-iḳhtiyār-e-shauq dekhā chāhiye
sīna-e-shamshīr se bāhar hai dam shamshīr kā
Behold my unmatched passion for love
It’s like the scimitar unfurled from its sheath
āgahī dām-e-shunīdan jis qadar chāhe bichhā.e
mudda.ā anqā hai apne ālam-e-taqrīr kā
How wide the web of knowledge has stretched its wings
To understand my words is to understand the concept of a mythical bird
bas-ki huuñ 'ġhālib' asīrī meñ bhī ātish zer-e-pā
mū-e-ātish dīda hai halqa mirī zanjīr kā
Even in bondage Ghalib my feet seem as if on fire,
The sparks are like singed hair on the chains that hold me
jarāhat-tohfa almās-armuġhāñ dāġh-e-jigar hadiya
mubārakbād 'asad' ġham-ḳhvār-e-jān-e-dardmand aayā
* * *
jarāhat-tohfa almās-armuġhāñ dāġh-e-jigar hadiya
mubārakbād 'asad' ġham-ḳhvār-e-jān-e-dardmand aayā
The gift of a wound, a diamond for a present, the boon of a scar on the heart
Congratulations Asad, now comes my grieving sympathizer
juz qais aur ko.ī na aayā ba-rū-e-kār
sahrā magar ba-tañgi-e-chashm-e-hasūd thā
āshuftagī ne naqsh-e-suvaidā kiyā durust
zāhir hu.ā ki dāġh kā sarmāya duud thā
thā ḳhvāb meñ ḳhayāl ko tujh se mu.āmla
jab āñkh khul ga.ī na ziyāñ thā na suud thā
letā huuñ maktab-e-ġham-e-dil meñ sabaq hanūz
lekin yahī ki raft gayā aur buud thā
Dhāñpā kafan ne dāġh-e-uyūb-e-barahnagī
maiñ varna har libās meñ nañg-e-vajūd thā
teshe baġhair mar na sakā kohkan 'asad'
sargashta-e-ḳhumār-e-rusūm-o-quyūd thā
* * *
juz qais aur ko.ī na aayā ba-rū-e-kār
sahrā magar ba-tañgi-e-chashm-e-hasūd thā
Except Qais, no one came to complete the work
But the wilderness looked through a narrow jealous eye
āshuftagī ne naqsh-e-suvaidā kiyā durust
zāhir hu.ā ki dāġh kā sarmāya duud thā
Anxiety healed the imprint of the dark spot
Clearly the sum of all darkness was but a smoldering mirage
thā ḳhvāb meñ ḳhayāl ko tujh se mu.āmla
jab āñkh khul ga.ī na ziyāñ thā na suud thā
In our dreams we exchanged our thoughts
But when the dream broke there was neither loss nor gain
letā huuñ maktab-e-ġham-e-dil meñ sabaq hanūz
lekin yahī ki raft gayā aur buud thā
I take lessons from the school of saddened hearts
But what has gone is beyond recall
Dhāñpā kafan ne dāġh-e-uyūb-e-barahnagī
maiñ varna har libās meñ nañg-e-vajūd thā
The coffin hid away my dark embarrassing nudity
Else I in any dress was a naked reality
teshe baġhair mar na sakā kohkan 'asad'
sargashta-e-ḳhumār-e-rusūm-o-quyūd thā
Farhad could not die without the axe, Asad
The madness was because of his customs and rituals
kahte ho na deñge ham dil agar paḌā pāyā
dil kahāñ ki gum kīje ham ne mudda.ā pāyā
ishq se tabī.at ne zīst kā mazā pāyā
dard kī davā pā.ī dard-e-be-davā pāyā
dost-dār-e-dushman hai e'timād-e-dil ma.alūm
āh be-asar dekhī nāla nā-rasā pāyā
sādgī-o-purkārī be-ḳhudī-o-hushyārī
husn ko taġhāful meñ jur.at-āzmā pāyā
ġhuncha phir lagā khilne āj ham ne apnā dil
ḳhūñ kiyā hu.ā dekhā gum kiyā hu.ā pāyā
hāl-e-dil nahīñ ma.alūm lekin is qadar ya.anī
ham ne bār-hā DhūñDhā tum ne bār-hā pāyā
shor-e-pand-e-nāseh ne zaḳhm par namak chhiḌkā
āp se ko.ī pūchhe tum ne kyā mazā pāyā
* * *
kahte ho na deñge ham dil agar paḌā pāyā
dil kahāñ ki gum kīje ham ne mudda.ā pāyā
You say you shall not return the heart should you find it somewhere,
Having found my purpose, where is the heart to lose?
ishq se tabī.at ne zīst kā mazā pāyā
dard kī davā pā.ī dard-e-be-davā pāyā
Love with all its passion found the pleasures of life
There was balm for pain, and also pain without a balm
dost-dār-e-dushman hai e'timād-e-dil ma.alūm
āh be-asar dekhī nāla nā-rasā pāyā
My heart gained confidence when I became friends with the enemy
I saw sighs that were ineffective and laments that went unheard
sādgī-o-purkārī be-ḳhudī-o-hushyārī
husn ko taġhāful meñ jur.at-āzmā pāyā
So innocent and so artful, frivolous yet so clever,
It is testing time when beauty shows indifference
ġhuncha phir lagā khilne āj ham ne apnā dil
ḳhūñ kiyā hu.ā dekhā gum kiyā hu.ā pāyā
The flowers again began to bloom, but my heart today
I saw it bleed, I saw it lost
hāl-e-dil nahīñ ma.alūm lekin is qadar ya.anī
ham ne bār-hā DhūñDhā tum ne bār-hā pāyā
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