1/61: Voice, Expression & Language

naala-e-bulbul-e-shaidaa

to suna hans hans kar

ab jigar thaam ke baiTho

meri baari aayi

the nightingale’s passionate lament

you heard and laughed it off

now hold your heart and listen

it is my turn now

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

2/61: Voice, Expression & Language

seena-e-ney pe

jo guzarti hai

wo lab-e-ney

nawaaz kya jaane

that passes through

the heart of the flute

what do the lips

the caress it know?

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

3/61: Voice, Expression & Language

hota hai raaz-e-ishq-o-mohabbat

unhi se faash

aankhen zubaan naheen hain

magar bezubaan naheen

the secret of love and affection

is revealed through them

eyes are not tongues

but they are not voiceless either

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

4/61: Voice, Expression & Language

ye adaayen, ye ishaare

ye haseen qaul-o-qaraar

kitne aadaab ke parde

mein hai inkaar ki baat

these manners, these gestures

these beautiful words and promises

how a refusal is hidden

behind these layers of etiquette

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

5/61: Voice, Expression & Language

jis bazm mein tu naaz se guftaar

mein aawe

jaan kaalbad-e-soorat-e-deewar

mein aawe

in the gathering where you come

speaking with grace

life takes form

and appears all around

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

6/61: Voice, Expression & Language

lahjaa ki jaise

subh ki khushbu azaan de

jii chaahta hai

main teri aawaaz chuum lu

your manner of inflection is like the

morning fragrance calling out to prayer

oh, my heart so desires

to kiss your voice

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

7/61: Voice, Expression & Language

baat teri

suni naheen main ne

dhyaan mera

teri nazar par tha

what you said

i didn’t hear

my attention was

on your eyes

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

8/61: Voice, Expression & Language

munh tak bhi zoaf se

nahin aa sakti dil ki baat

darvaaza ghar se

saikdon farsang ho gaya

the heart's words don't

find a voice even as a whisper

the door has become so

distant from the home

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

9/61: Voice, Expression & Language

qaasid ke aate aate

khat ek aur likh rakhuun

main jaantaa huun

jo vo likhenge jawaab mein

while the messenger returns

i will keep another letter ready

for i know what

she would be writing in reply

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

10/61: Voice, Expression & Language

jazbaat ki hujuum mein

alfaaz kho gaye

izhaar-e-muddaa ki

ijaazat agar mili

in the throng of emotions

i lost my words

when i was allowed

to express my desire

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

11/61: Voice, Expression & Language

us ne gaali mujhe dee

ho ke itaab-aaluda

aur main saada…

use lutf-e-zabaani samjha

she had scolded me

with an angry tone

i, being simple, thought

it was delightfully eloquent

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

12/61: Voice, Expression & Language

ghazal mein bandish-e-alfaaz

hi nahi kaafi

jigar ka khoon bhi chaahiye

kuch asar ke liye

just a string of words is

not enough to make a poem

you also need a drop

of your heart's blood for it to last

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

13/61: Voice, Expression & Language

ulfat mein baraabar hai

wafa ho ki jafa ho

har baat mein lazzat hai

agar dil mein mazaa ho

loyalty and tyranny

both are equals in love

when there is joy in the heart

every (spoken) word is delightful

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

14/61: Voice, Expression & Language

avval to thoDi thoDi

chaahat thi darmiyaan mein

phir baat kehte

luknat aane lagi zabaan mein

at first, there was a

a little fondness between us

and then, i started to stutter

when i spoke to her

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

15/61: Voice, Expression & Language

hum na maanenge khamoshi hai

tamanna ka mizaaj

haan bhari bazm mein

woh bol na paayi hogi

i do not concede silence is

the temperament of desire

yes, maybe she couldn’t

speak out in a crowded gathering

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

16/61: Voice, Expression & Language

kaaghaz mein dab ke

mar gaye keeDe kitaab ke

deewaana be-paDhe-likhe

mashhoor ho gaya

insects of the book

died, buried in paper

while the unschooled madman

became famous

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

17/61: Voice, Expression & Language

mustaqil bolta hi

rahta hoon

kitna khaamosh hoon

main andar se

i keep talking

constantly

but how silent

i am within

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

18/61: Voice, Expression & Language

bana husn-e-takallum

husn-e-zan aahista aahista

bahar-surat khula

ek kam-sukhan aahista aahista

the beauty of eloquence turned into

beauty of insight, slowly, slowly

the reticent one opened up

in every way, slowly, slowly

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

19/61: Voice, Expression & Language

na sataish ki tamanna

na silay ki parwah

agar nahi hain mere ashar

mein maane na sahi

no craving for appreciation

nor a concern for reward

if my words makes no sense

it is what it is

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

20/61: Voice, Expression & Language

nahi alfaaz me nazaakat

mujhe urdu nahi aati

karu kaise mohabbat?

mujhe urdu nahi aati

no elegance in my words

as i don’t know urdu

how do i love?

if i don’t know urdu

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

21/61: Voice, Expression & Language

maangey allah se bas

itni dua hai rashid

main jo urdu mein

wasiyat likhoon, beta padh le

of god, rashid has

just this small prayer

when i write my will in urdu

my son can read it

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

22/61: Voice, Expression & Language

kuchh na kuchh

bolte raho hum se

chup rahoge to

log sun lenge

please do keep

saying something

if you remain silent

people will hear

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

23/61: Voice, Expression & Language

khulta kisi pe kyon

mere dil ka mamla

sheron ke intikhaab

ne ruswa kiya mujhe

why should my heart’s matters

be open for all to see

my selection of poetry

has brought me enough infamy

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

24/61: Voice, Expression & Language

jo ghazal aaj tere

hijr mein likhi hai woh kal

kya khabar ahl-e-mohabbat ka

taraana ban jaaye

that poem written today

on separation from you

who knows...could become a song

for those in love tomorrow

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

25/61: Voice, Expression & Language

jaadu hai ya tilism

tumhari zabaan mein

tum jhuuT kah rahe the

mujhe eitbaar tha

is it magic or spell

that's in what you say

you kept telling lies

and i kept believing

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

26/61: Voice, Expression & Language

sun ne waala koyi agar hota

kehte dil ki baaton ko

us ke bina to aaj

adhuure apne fasaane lagte hain

if there is someone to listen

i’d share the matters of my heart

without them, today,

even my stories seem incomplete

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

27/61: Voice, Expression & Language

woh kare baat toh

har lafz se khushboo aaye

aisi boli wohi bole

jise urdu aaye

when she speaks, from every word

a delightful fragrance

she speaks like those

who know urdu

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

28/61: Voice, Expression & Language

kab woh sunti hai

kahaani meri

aur phir vo bhi

zabaani meri

when did she listen

to my sorry state

that too when i

narrated it myself

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

29/61: Voice, Expression & Language

koi mila hi nahi jis se

haal-e-dil kehte

mila to rah gaye

lafzon ke intekhaab mein ham

never found one with whom

i could share matters of the heart

when i met someone

i was found searching for words

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

30/61: Voice, Expression & Language

hum dard ka afsaana

duniya ko suna denge

har dil mein mohabbat ki

ek aag laga denge

i will make the world

listen to the tales of woe

in every heart i will

light a fire of love

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

31/61: Voice, Expression & Language

dekhna un ki gavaahi pe

yaqeen mat karna

aye jahaan sun le abhi

mera bayaan baaqi hai

don't place faith

in his testimony

for my statement

is yet to be heard

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

32/61: Voice, Expression & Language

ye samajh ke maana hai sach

tumhaari baaton ko

itne khoobsoorat lab

jhooT kaise bolenge

thinking this i

believed all that you said

how can such beautiful

tell any lies?

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

33/61: Voice, Expression & Language

hai fahm us ka jo

har insaan ke dil ki zubaan samjhe

sukhan wo hai jise

har shakhs apna hi bayaan samjhe

her/his understanding relates to

the language of every heart

and the speech is such that

we all feel it is our own voice

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

34/61: Voice, Expression & Language

ajeeb tarz-e-takallum se

aazma ke mujhe

woh chaahta hai abhi dekhna

jhuka ke mujhe

with a weird style of speech

he tests me

and he wishes to

see me in submission

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

35/61: Voice, Expression & Language

maani na aayen dark mein

ghair-az-wajuud-e-lafz

aare daleel-e-raah-e-haqeeqat

majaaz hai

without word, meaning is not

within mind’s reach

certainly, abstraction is the

beacon in the path of truth

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

36/61: Voice, Expression & Language

kya thi hamaari mohabbat

aur ab kya ho gayi hai

mashuqa ke liye seekhi urdu

urdu mashuqa ho gayi hai

what was our love

and what has it now become?

i learned urdu for my beloved

urdu has now become my beloved

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

37/61: Voice, Expression & Language

izhaar pe bhari hai

khamoshi ka takallum

harfon ki zubaan aur hai

aankhon ki zubaan aur

the eloquence of silence

outweighs any expression

the language of words is one

the language of eyes is something else

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

38/61: Voice, Expression & Language

'saif' andaaz-e-bayaan

rang badal deta hai

varna duniya mein

koi baat nai baat nahin

the style of narration

changes everything, ‘saif’

if not, in this world

there is nothing new to say

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

39/61: Voice, Expression & Language

lab kuchh bhi kahen

is se haqeeqat naheen khulti

insaan ke sach jhoot

ki pehchaan hain aankhen

no matter what the lips say

the reality is not revealed

the eyes are the real markers

of truth and lies

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

40/61: Voice, Expression & Language

phool ki khushbu

hava ki chaap, sheeshe ki khanak

kaun si shai hai jo teri

khush-bayaani mein nahin

fragrance of flowers,

rustle of breeze, tinkling of glass

what is not there

in the beauty of your talk

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

41/61: Voice, Expression & Language

charaagh jalte hain

baad-e-saba mehakti hai

tumhare husn-e-takallum se

kya nahin hota

lamps light up and

fragrance in morning breeze

what can’t happen

with your beautiful eloquence

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

42/61: Voice, Expression & Language

bazm-e-adab-e-hind ke

har gul mein hai khushbu

mulla, gul-e-urdu ki mehak

aur hi kuchh hai

every flower of indian literature

has a wonderful scent

but the fragrance of urdu, mulla,

is something else

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

43/61: Voice, Expression & Language

yuun ‘abroo’ banaave

dil mein hazaar baaten

jab ruu-ba-ruu ho

tere guftaar bhool jaave

what, abroo, you think of

a thousand things to say in your heart

but when face-to-face

you don’t remember anything to say

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

44/61: Voice, Expression & Language

yan lab pe lakh lakh

sukhan iztiraab mein

wan ek khaamoshi teri

sab ke jawaab mein

millions of words

in turmoil on my lip

and your reply for them all

is just silence

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

45/61: Voice, Expression & Language

maza aata agar guzri hui

baaton ka afsaana

kahin se tum bayaan karte

kahin se hum bayaan karte

it is such a delight

reliving the stories of the past

you narrate from one end

and i from the other

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

46/61: Voice, Expression & Language

apne andaaz-e-takallum ko

badal de varna

mera lahja bhi tere saath

badal sakta hai

change the manner

of your speech, or else

i will be compelled to

change my tone as well

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

47/61: Voice, Expression & Language

khush aa gayi hai jahan ko

qalandari meri

wagarna sher mera kya hai

shaayari kya hai

my ecstasies and wanderings

have brought joy to the world

if not, what is my poem

of what worth is my poetry

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

48/61: Voice, Expression & Language

phir dekhiye

andaaz-e-gulafshaani-e-guftaar

rakh de koyi

paimaana-e-sahbaa mere aage

you watch

the style of my fun, flowery speech

after someone

places a glass of wine in front of me

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

49/61: Voice, Expression & Language

yaa-rab, vo na samjhe hai

na samjhenge meri baat

de aur dil un ko

jo na de mujh ko zabaan aur

oh god, she doesn’t understand me

nor will she ever

either give her another heart

or give me more eloquence

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

50/61: Voice, Expression & Language

suroor zikr se masti

bayaan se aayegi

woh naam loonga toh khushbu

zubaan se aayegi

intoxication comes with

pleasant thoughts narrated well

if i say that name

fragrance flows off the lips

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

51/61: Voice, Expression & Language

main bhi na thi kalaam mein

itni faraakh-dil

kuchh woh bhi ikhtisaar se

aage na jaa saka

i too was not generous

in my conversing

he too couldn't

get past his reticence

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

52/61: Voice, Expression & Language

dard ko dil mein

de jagah, shaayar

ilm se shayari

nahi hoti

find a place for pain

in your heart, o poet

no poetry comes

from just knowledge

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

53/61: Voice, Expression & Language

main ne aawaaz tumhein di hai

baDe naaz ke saath

tum bhi aawaaz mila do

meri aawaaz ke saath

i have called out to you

with utmost grace

won't you now blend

your voice with mine

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

54/61: Voice, Expression & Language

hum parvarish-e-lauh-o-qalam

karte rahenge

jo dil pe guzarti hai raqam

karte rahenge

we will keep nurturing

the pen and the paper

we will continue to capture

that which flows through our heart

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

55/61: Voice, Expression & Language

ghalat thay vaade

magar main yaqeen rakhta tha

woh shakhs lahja

bahut dil-nasheen rakhta tha

the promises were false

yet, i believed in them

that person possessed

a voice so enchanting

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

56/61: Voice, Expression & Language

dekhna taqreer ki lazzat

ke jo us ne kaha

main ne ye jaana ke

goya ye bhi mere dil mein hai

behold the charm of his speech

as what he said, i figured...

resonates within me

as if it is in my heart too

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

57/61: Voice, Expression & Language

arz-e-ahvaal ko

gila samjhe

kya kaha main ne

aap kya samjhe

describing my condition

sounds a complaint to you

i say one thing

you construe something else

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

58/61: Voice, Expression & Language

ab urdu kya hai

ek kothey ki tawaif

mazaa har ek leta hai

mohabbat karta hai kaun

what is urdu

but a courtesan in a brothel

everyone has fun with her

but who loves her really?

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

59/61: Voice, Expression & Language

suna hai us ko bhi hai

sher-o-shaayari se shaghaf

so hum bhi mojaze apne

hunar ke dekhte hain

i hear that she is also

fond of couplets and poetry

so let me try impressing her

with the magic of my poetic skills

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

60/61: Voice, Expression & Language

hum labon se keh na paaye

un se haal-e-dil kabhi

aur woh samjhe nahin

ye khaamoshi kya cheez hai

i couldn’t get the words out,

telling her of my heart’s state

nor could she understand

what my silence meant

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

61/61: Voice, Expression & Language

kitne lahjon ke ghilaafon mein

chhupaun tujh ko

shahr waale mera

mauzoo-e-sukhan jaante hain

in how many sheaths of words

can i hide you

people of the city know

you are the subject of my speech

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)