This poem was translated by Professor Carlo Coppola as part of the MULOSIGE Translations project. You can explore our collection of Urdu Poetry here.
G̲h̲azal: Shām-i g̲h̲am kuch us nigāh-yi nāz kī bāten̲ karo / Ghazal: This is the evening of sorrow
This is the evening of sorrow; say something of that look of naz;
Intoxication spreads; speak now of secrets.
.
This silence of naz; this breaking the heart’s veins;
In the silence, say something of the breaking of the instrument.
.
The redolence of spreading hair! The story of the veiling of sorrow!
Speak of such things till the coming of dawn.
.
Let every heart’s vein be enraptured! Let it also be pained!
Similarly, speak of her proper and improper naz.
.
Speak of that silence of the secrets, of that voice,
The essence of non-existence, the message of Life.
.
Love has begun to be disgraced, without pleasure, fed up.
Today, speak of her evasive eye.
.
O, Friends! Speak of that new spring of naz,
The mere mention of whose name creates the world of color, of smell.
.
What’s the sense of the excuse of negligence? Why accuse Love?
Today, speak of the sky, the creator of divisions.
.
Some sort of light is filtering through the bars of the cage;
Speak of some open spaces, of some unfulfilled desire.
.
Today, speak of something of that naz and andaz
Which is eternal life, which is sudden death.
.
Even careless love is beginning to be somewhat impatient;
Speak of the playfulness of enchanting beauty.
.
O, Firaq, today speak of that one who has the life-giving quality as Christ did;
Separation from her rejuvenated Love.
.
From: Gul-i nag̲h̲mah (Flower Songs), Part 1. Allahābād: Idārah-yi Anīs-i Urdū, 1971. p. 117
This is the evening of sorrow; say something of that look of naz;
Intoxication spreads; speak now of secrets.
.
This silence of naz; this breaking the heart’s veins;
In the silence, say something of the breaking of the instrument.
.
The redolence of spreading hair! The story of the veiling of sorrow!
Speak of such things till the coming of dawn.
.
Let every heart’s vein be enraptured! Let it also be pained!
Similarly, speak of her proper and improper naz.
.
Speak of that silence of the secrets, of that voice,
The essence of non-existence, the message of Life.
.
Love has begun to be disgraced, without pleasure, fed up.
Today, speak of her evasive eye.
.
O, Friends! Speak of that new spring of naz,
The mere mention of whose name creates the world of color, of smell.
.
What’s the sense of the excuse of negligence? Why accuse Love?
Today, speak of the sky, the creator of divisions.
.
Some sort of light is filtering through the bars of the cage;
Speak of some open spaces, of some unfulfilled desire.
.
Today, speak of something of that naz and andaz
Which is eternal life, which is sudden death.
.
Even careless love is beginning to be somewhat impatient;
Speak of the playfulness of enchanting beauty.
.
O, Firaq, today speak of that one who has the life-giving quality as Christ did;
Separation from her rejuvenated Love.
.
From: Gul-i nag̲h̲mah (Flower Songs), Part 1. Allahābād: Idārah-yi Anīs-i Urdū, 1971. p. 117
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