On the far horizon waved some flicker of light
My heart, a city of suffering, awoke in a state of dream
My eyes, turning restless, still dreaming,
the morning, dawning in this vacuous abode of separation
In the wine-cup of my heart, I poured my morning wine
Mixing in the bitterness of the past, the poison of the present
On the far horizon waved some flicker of light
far from the eye, a precursor to some morning
Some song, some scent, some unbelievably pretty face
went by unknowingly, carrying a distressful hope
Mixing in the bitterness of the past, the poison of the present
I proposed a toast to the longings on this day of prison-visit
To the fellow drinkers of my homeland and beyond
To the beauty of the worlds, the grace of beloved's lip and cheek
Great poem from the revolutionary Urdu poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz. He was tried by Pakistan Govt. in Rawalpindi Conspiracy Case and put behind bars. It was during this period that he composed many poems and this was one of them. This is the reflection of the poet's sufferings and his loneliness. But, there is an air of optimism in these words. I quote: In the wine-cup of my heart, I poured my morning wine Mixing in the bitterness of the past, the poison of the present On the far horizon waved some flicker of light far from the eye, a precursor to some morning
क़ैद-ए-तन्हाई (फैज़ अहमद फैज़) दूर आफ़ाक़ पे लहराई कोई नूर की लहर ख़्वाब ही ख़्वाब में बेदार हुआ दर्द का शहर ख़्वाब ही ख़्वाब में बेताब नज़र होने लगी अदम-आबाद-ए-जुदाई में सहर होने लगी कासा-ए-दिल में भरी अपनी सुबूही मैं ने घोल कर तलख़ी-ए-दीरोज़ में इमरोज़ का ज़हर दूर आफ़ाक़ पे लहराई कोई नूर की लहर आँख से दूर किसी सुब्ह की तम्हीद लिए कोई नग़्मा, कोई ख़ुशबू, कोई काफ़िर सूरत बे-ख़बर गुज़री, परेशानी-ए-उम्मीद लिए घोल कर तलख़ी-ए-दीरोज़ में इमरोज़ का ज़हर हसरत-ए-रोज़-ए-मुलाक़ात रक़म की मैं ने देस परदेस के यारान-ए-क़दह-ख़्वार के नाम हुस्न-ए-आफ़ाक़, जमाल-ए-लब-ओ-रुख़्सार के नाम आफ़ाक़=क्षितिज / आबाद-ए-जुदाई=विरह का यमलोक / कासा-ए-दिल = ह्रदय रूपी कटोरा / सुबूही=सुबह पीने वाली शराब / तलख़ी-ए-दीरोज़=बीते दिनों की कड़वाहट / इमरोज़=आज / तम्हीद=भूमिका / रक़म=लिखना / यारान-ए-क़दहख़्वार=शराब पीने वाले दोस्त
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
A wonderful translation - would like to know who translated this beautiful poem. Faiz is an extraordinary poet.
I think Faiz himself has translated his Urdu Nazm into English. He was a Professor of English in India (before partition) and in Pakistan after August 1947.