Sehar

सहराँ-ए-ग़म में डूबा अंजुम-ए-हयात 

उम्मीद की एक किरण निकली तो फकत सराब 

अपने ही माजी से है ज़िन्दगी खफा

मर्ज़-ए-ग़म को कैसे हो अब शिफा 

क्या यूँ ही तन्हाई में अब दिन काटेंगे

न कोई आहट और न दस्तक सुनेंगे 

न पुकारेगा अब दरीचे से कोई हमदम 

याद-ए-माजी पर ही बस अब निकलेगा दम

थम गया वक़्त फकत एक सहर के इंतज़ार में 

अँधेरा ही पसरा है खिज़ा-ए-हयात में 

सदियाँ बीतीं एक हरफ-ए-तसल्ली के लिए 

कोई तो आये बस थोड़ी तशफ्फी के लिए 

लेकिन ये ज़िन्दगी भी एक किताब है 

हर वर्क कीमती जिसका, हर लफ्ज़ लाजवाब है 

बदल गया सबा का रुख यूँ इस तरफ 

न रह गया कीमती अब वो तसल्ली का हरफ 

दरिया-ए-शीरीं बह चला इन अश्कों के दयार से 

सब्ज़ होने लगे हैं पत्ते बिना इंतज़ार-ए-बहार के 

Here is the English transliteration of this poem 

The shining star of my life drowned in desert of pain

The only ray of hope too, turned out to be just mirage

My life feels ashamed of its own past

How will I get out of this vicious circle of grief?

Will rest of my days be spent in loneliness?

Without expecting even a single knock

No beloved will call me from the world outside

Some memories mere remain now to live by

The wait for the morning (happiness) has been endless

Only darkness prevails everywhere in life’s barren land

I spent a lifetime waiting for a word of consolation

And waiting for someone to sympathize with me

But, this life of mine is a story book in its own

Each page is wonderful and valuable and so is every word

These days the winds have started blowing the other way

These days I do not long for sympathy anymore

My eyes now brim with sweet drops of joy, not with bitter tears (of grief)

See, yellow leaves have now started turning green without even waiting for the spring!

(I am growing stronger from within, without waiting for any anyone’s sympathy or support)

PS: I wrote this poem originally in Urdu. Special thanks go to sir, Mr. Zafar Naqvi , former Editor-in-chief of the leading Urdu daily 'Sahafat' for his constant support, guidance and encouragement.

Thank you Mohan for motivating me to write something in Urdu!


Photo: me- http://www.flickr.com/photos/as_hummingwords/4894433113/in/photostream