SAAHIRI (The Spell)

That you're a 'portrait of beauty' and the 'soul of beautiful gardens on the earth'; I agree! That your 'appearance is like that of the sun' and 'the youth of the heaven' you are; The 'moon's daughter', who 'descended from the revolving wheel of fortune', you are; I agree! In meeting me now, there's a chance of disrepute, I fear!! As the punishment of my own doings, I have got!! To dust, I have brought my youth; In 'flaming lamentations', I've burnt my youth; In the 'city of the beautiful', I've wasted my youth; In the 'places of dreams', I've kept it awake!! A favorable look, whenever, 'the beauty' has given; There only have surrendered 'my assertion of love'!! In a 'wild ecstasy', I was those days, A passion for 'drinking and pleasure' was in my head; A madness for loving 'the pieces of moon', I had, A craziness of having rivalry...

हर ख़ुशी में कोई कमी सी है हंसती आँखों में भी नमी सी है दिन भी चुप चाप सर झुकाए था रात की नब्ज़ भी थमी सी है किसको समझाएं किसकी बात नहीं ज़हन और दिल में फिर ठनी सी है ख़्वाब था या गुब़ार था कोई गर्द इन पलकों पे जमी सी है कह गए हम ये किससे दिल की बात शहर में एक सनसनी सी है हसरतें राख़ हो गयीं लेकिन आग अब भी कहीं दबी सी है --- जावेद अख़्तर

[Here is a  complete version of  another  famous Ghazal  by Qateel Shifai ! Jagjeet Singh has given it his beautiful voice! It is also one of my all time favourites......]  अपने हाथों की लकीरों में बसा ले मुझको ! मैं हूँ तेरा, तू नसीब अपना बना ले मुझको ! मैं हूँ गर काँटा, तो चल मुझ से बचा कर दामन मैं हूँ गर फूल, तो जूड़े में सजा ले मुझको ! मैं 'खुले दर के किसी घर' का हूँ सामाँ   (goods) प्यारे, तू दबे  पाँव   कभी आके चुरा ले मुझको !! मैं 'समन्दर' भी हूँ, 'मोती' भी हूँ,  'ग़ोता-ज़न'  (one who dives deep) भी; कोई भी नाम मेरा लेके बुला ले मुझको ! तू ने देखा नहीं, आईने से आगे कुछ भी  ख़ुद-परस्ती   (Self-worship/praise)  में कहीं तू न गँवा ले मुझको ! तर्क-ए-उल्फ़त   (abstaining from love) की क़सम भी कोई होती है क़सम ? तू कभी याद तो कर, भूलने वाले मुझको !! मुझसे तू पूछने आया है वफ़ा के माने ? ये तेरी सादा-दिली   (plain heartedness) मार ना डाले मुझको। कल की बात औ...

Qateel Shifai was the pen name of Aurangzeb Khan ( 24 December 1919 - 11 July 2001 ), a well known Urdu poet, who was born in Haripur, Hazara Division, British India (now Pakistan). "Qateel" was his "takhallus" and "Shifai" was in honour of his ustaad(master) Hakeem Mohammed 'Shifa' whom he considered his mentor. After working for some time as assistant lyricist to some of the famous poets/lyricists of the time (c.1947-48 to 1956-57), he eventually became a regular film lyricist and won numerous awards in due course. Many of his poem collections were published, one amongs them being "Mutriba" which got him the highest literature award in Pakistan. To raise the standards of ghazals in films has been Qateel's primary contribution to Urdu poetry. This was already started by Tanvir Naqvi and Sahir Ludhianvi , but perpetuated and concluded by Qateel Shifai. By using simple words and a larger amount of Hindi, Qateel brought Urdu poet...

कोई और सह के दिखा तो दे, ये तुम्हारी तल्ख़- नवाईयाँ; ये जो हम में, तुम में निबाह है, मेरे हौसले का कमाल है ! -- Anonymous