Sailaab

Barson tha muntazir- jawaab kyun na tab aaya,

Sawaal-o-mehr hi na pohunche, samajh ab aaya.

Muddatein dil ko patthar karne mein guzreen,

Kalaam-e-naazuk liye qaasid-e-lateef ab aaya.

Khud ko na kiya muaaf sadion mei aaj tak,

Chund maah der ho chuki thi laut ke jab aaya.

Us hi se keh ke har ek yaad hanste-rote hain,

Yaum-e-qayaamat sa lage hai jo waqt ab aaya.

Mujh hi se karte hain shikwe mere raqeeb ke,

Der hi sahi, durust inteqaam-e-rab aaya.

Teraa hi thaa, tujhe hi mil gayaa aakhir,

Kaar-e-jahaan do pal hi laga, waapas jab aaya.

Siyaah yaadon se ubhrun socha bhi gar ek roz,

Kis qadr rangeen tera khwaab-e-sailaab shab aaya. 

By Siyaah. 

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Notes

This possibly still needs refinement, if not of ideas, at least of words. Look forward to technical corrections and suggestions by readers. 

Muntazir: Anxiously waiting

Mehr: Gift

Kalaam: Speech/Words

Qaasid: Messenger

Lateef: Delicate, Graceful

Yaum-e-Qayaamat: Day of Judgement

Raqeeb: Rival

Kaar-e-Jahaan: Work of the world [speaks to Iqbal's "Baagh-e-bahisht se mujhe hukm-e-safar diya tha kyun; Kaar-e-jahaan daraaz hai, ab mera intezaar kar"]. 

Sailaab: Flood

Shab: Night

Saiyaara

Main akelaa hoon
Tumhaari yaadon mei akelaa hoon
Kis taraf chaloon
Ek taraf safed phoolon si bikhri tumhaari muskuraahatein
Jaise meelon door tak safed chaadarein
Aur is taraf tumhaare haath ki narmi
Badhte badhte ek baagh ban chuki hai
Hazaaron darakht hain, phalon se lade
Kya kho jaun in mei jaa kar
Ya udhar bhi ho lun
Tumhaari aakhon ki jheelon mei
Jinme duniyaa dikhai deti hai
Neele khule aasmaan
Aur meri zindagi
Dono ke aks hain wahaan
Tar hain jheelen phir kyun aaj
Kuchh der ruk hi letaa hoon udhar
Kuchh tishnagi mitaa letaa hoon
Pataa nahi wahaan se kab niklungaa
Idhar to kya kuchh baaqi hai abhi
Dard mei bhare wo raat din
Jab tum the hi nahi
Bin bataaye chale gaye the kahin
Unki bhi to yaadein hain
Kaanton bharaa ek bayaabaan
Dartaa hoon aaj bhi unse
Par jaana padta hai kabhi in mei bhi
Aakhir tumhaari hi to yaadein hain...

Hoton ki to baat na puchho
Jaise jumbish karte pyaare parindey
Kabhi baithen kabhi ud jaayen
Mujhe dekhte hi rehte hain
Main hiloon to ye hil jaate hain
Thodaa ghabraa ke paas aate hain
Ab bhi nahi jaante
Meraa hi chaman hai inkaa ghar
Kyun hijraton ko jaate hain
Inki ek ek chehchahaahat
Mausiqi ban ke goonjti rehti hai yahan kab tak...

Kya kuchh hai aur kya batlaun
Kuchh dekhaa, kuchh to maine bhi dekhaa nahi hai
Zulfon ke ghane andhere behte dariyaa
Kho jaane ko
Jabeenon ke maahtaab
Raah dikhaane ko
Til aise
Khatarnaak raahon pe sandeson jaise
Yahin ruk jaao
Aage mat jaana
Par aur mujhe bhadkaate hi hain
Un raaston pe kheench le jaate hi hain
Jahaan ki khaak bhi lage hai aise
Bikhre laale kabhi bhi khilne waale
Gulistaan hi gulistaan ta-hadd-e-nazar
Surkh phoolon se lade
Koi aur hi saiyaara hai shaayad
Yahaan to saanson ki raftaar hi alag hai...

Main kitnaa khush hoon in yaadon mei
In phoolon jheelon aur bayabaanon mei
Mujhe dhoondh lenaa jab bhi waapas aao
Main kahin nahi gayaa hoon aaj tak
Inhi mei kahin khoyaa hua milungaa
Kisi jheel kinaare baagh mei letaa
Parindon mei soyaa hua milungaa
Aa jao to jagaa denaa
Tab tak to nahi kuchh duniyaa mei meri
Is laayaq ke is jannat se niklun.


[By Siyaah]

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Meanings
Tishnagi: thirst
Bayaabaan: wilderness
Hijraton: plural of hijrat, hijr = migration
Mausiqi: music
Jabeenon: plural of jabeen = forehead
Maahtaab: moon
Khaak: dust
Laale: tulips, in South Asia also refers to red poppy flowers
Gulistaan: flower garden
Ta-hadd-e-nazar: as far as the eye can see
Saiyaara: planet
Raftaar: speed
Jannat: garden, by implication means paradise

RIP Jagjit Singh

In memory of Jagjit Singh, who played a major role in popularizing and keeping alive the ghazal and other poetic forms for several decades. Like many other listeners, Jagjit's choice of simpler yet beautiful ghazals was an important initiation point for me into the world of Urdu poetry. Looking for my earliest memories, I remembered this one today, from a compilation that was passed down (or rather, fell into my hands by chance) from an earlier generation.

Mohabbat aur Kahani: Saleem Kausar

I was lucky to attend a live mushaira recently after quite a long time. The feeling of an interactive mushaira is quite amazing. Saleem Kausar was the last poet of the evening and recited some real gems. Here's a clip of the last two verses of his most famous ghazal: 

But what really caught my attention was his "Mohabbat aur Kahaani", which I couldn't record, but found in a raw video elsewhere, here: 

"Tumhein kaisay bataaein hum,
Mohabbat aur Kahaani mein koi rishtaa nahi hota,
Kahaani mein to hum waapas bhi aate hain
Mohabbat mein palatne ka koi rastaa nahi hota...
...
Kahaani ko kai kirdaar mil jul kar kahin aage chalaate hain,
Mohabbat apne kirdaaron ko khud aage barhaati hai..."

Naseeb

Tere dard mein bhi qareeb nahi,
Aaj itna bhi naseeb nahi.

[by Siyaah]