Rediscovering Sahir Ludhianavi -Sudhir 7 October 09

Mera junoon-e-vafaa hai zavaal aamaadah
Shikast ho gaya tera fasoon-e-zebaai
... ... ... My ardor and allegiance is on a decline
... ... ... Your charm and spell have diminished so
Un aarzo'on pe chhai hai gard-e-maayusi
Jinhon ne tere tabassum mein parvarish paai
... ... ... Those desires are covered by dejection
... ... ... Which were groomed by your joie de vivre
Fareb-e-shauq ke rangeen talism toot gaye
Haqeeqato ne havaadis se phir jalaa paayi
... ... ... Colorful spells of deceptive penchants have broken
... ... ... Reality has found its light again by accident
Sukoon-o-khwaab ke parde sarakte jaate hain
Damaagh-o-dil mein hai vahshat ki kaar-farmaai
... ... ... Veils of delusions of harmony are moving aside
... ... ... The heart and mind are ruled by radicalism
Woh taare jin mein muhabbat ka noor taabaan tha
Woh taare doob gaye le ke rang-o-raa’naai
... ... .... Those stars that beamed the rays of love
... ... ... Those stars have gone with the virtue & light
Sulaa gayi thi jinhein teri multafat nazrein
Woh dard jaag uthe phir se le kar angdaai
... ... ... What lay dormant because of you insightful kindness
... ... ... Those injuries stir up again with new vehemence
Ajeeb aalam-e-afsurdagi hai ru- ba-farogh
Na ab nazar ko taqaazaa na dil tamannaai
... ... ... Odd is the state of sadness in the presence of splendor
... ... ... There is neither supplication nor any aspirations
Main zindagi ke haqaa’iq se bhaag aaya tha
Ke mujh ko khud mein chhupa le teri fusoon-zaai
... ... ... I evaded the realities of life and escaped
... ... ... Trusting to be saved by the light of your charm
Magar yahaan bhi ta’aqub kiya haqaa’iq ne
Yahaan bhi mil na saki jannat-e-shakeb’aai
... ... ... But I was persecuted here too by your realities
... .... ... Here too, there isn't that paradise of harmony
Har ek haath mein le kar hazaar aa’eene
Hayaat band dareechon se bhi guzar aayi
... ... ... In every hand holding a thousand mirror
... ... ... Life traversed through these dark passages
Mere har ik taraf se ek shor goonjaa hai
Aur us mein doob gayi ishraton ki shahnaai
... ... ... Everywhere around me rose this commotion
... ... ... And swamped my voice of peace & affluence
Kahaan talak koi zindah haqeeqaton se bache
Kahaan talak kare chhup chhup ke naghma pairaai
... ... ... How long can one dodge the living reality
... ... ... How long can one write songs of covert adoration
Nahi nahi mujhe yun multafat nazar se na dekh
Nahi nahi mujhe ab taab-e-naghmaa pairaai
... ... ... No, no don't look at me with that air of kindness
... ... ... No, no I don't have the will to fake adoration
Mera junoon-e-vafaa hai zavaal aamaadah
Shikast ho gaya teraa fasoon-e-zebaaii
... ... ... My ardor and allegiance is on a decline
... ... ... Your charm and spell have diminished so

---Sahir Ludhianvi