Sunday 16 February 2014

Kaifi Azmi's 'Aurat' (with translation)

Aurat
Woman

uTh merii jaan mere saath hii chalnaa hai tujhe
Get up, my love, you have to walk with me

qalb-e-mahoul meiN larzaaN sharar-e-jang haiN aaj
hausley waqt ke aur ziist ke yakrang haiN aaj
aabgiinoN meiN tapaaN walwale-e- sang haiN aaj
husn aur ishq ham aawaaz-o-humaahang haiN aaj
jis meiN jaltaa huuN usi aag meiN jalnaa hai tujhe


Today
sparks of war waver in the air
time and life have the same spirit
delicate decanters hiss with the heat of rocks
beauty and love harmonise melodiously
You too have to be ignited by the fire that burns me

uTh merii jaan mere saath hii chalnaa hai tujhe
Get up, my love, you have to walk with me

zindagii jehad meiN hai sabr ke qaabuu meiN nahiiN
nabz-e-hastii kaa lahuu kaamptii aaNsuu meiN nahii
uRne khulne meiN hai nakhat kham-e-gesu meiN nahiiN
jannat aik aur hai jo mard ke pahluu meiN nahiiN
uskii aazaad ravish par bhii machalnaa hai tujhe


Life is in struggle, not in the restraint of patience
The blood of pulsating life is not in trembling tears
Fragrance lies in free-flight, not in the tresses, of hair
There is another Paradise which is not by the side of men
On its free pathways too you have yet to pirouette

uTh merii jaan mere saath hii chalnaa hai tujhe
Get up, my love, you have to walk with me
goshey goshey meiN sulagtii hai chitaa tere liye
farz kaa bhes badaltii hai qazaa tere liye
qahar hai terii har narm adaa tere liye
zahar hii zahar hai duniyaa kii havaa tere liye
rut badal Daal agar phuulnaa phalnaa hai tujhe


For you burning pyres wait at every corner
death disguised as duty
your every delicate gesture, a curse
nothing but poison in the breeze
Change the season if you wish to flourish

uTh merii jaan mere saath hii chalnaa hai tujhe
Get up, my love, you have to walk with me

qadr ab tak terii tarriikh ne jaanii hii nahiiN
tujh meiN shole bhii haiN bas ashkfishaanii hii nahiiN
tu haqiiqat bhii hai dilchasp kahaanii hii nahiiN
terii hastii bhii hai ik chiiz javaanii hii nahiiN
apnii tarrikh kaa unvaan badalnaa hai tujhe


History has not known your worth thus far
You have burning embers too, not merely tears
You're reality too, not a mere amusing anecdote
Your personality is something too, not just your youth
You've to change the title of your history

uTh merii jaan mere saath hii chalnaa hai tujhe
Get up, my love, you have to walk with me

toRkar rasm ke but baRe qadamat se nikal
zof-e-ishrat se nikal, vaham-e-nazaakat se nikal
nafs ke khiiNche hue halq-e-azmal se nikal
yeh bhii ek qaid hii hai, qaid-e-muhabbat se nikal
raah kaa khaar hii kyaa gul bhii kuchalnaa hai tujhe


Emerge out of
ancient bondage, break the idols of tradition,
the weakness of pleasure, this mirage of fragility
these self-drawn boundaries of imagined greatness
the bondage of love, for this too is a bondage
Not merely the thorns on the path but you have to trample on flowers too

uTh merii jaan mere saath hii chalnaa hai tujhe
Get up, my love, you have to walk with me

toR yeh azm-shikan dagdag-e-paNd bhii toR
terii khaatir hai jo zanjiir vah saugandh bhii toR
tauq yeh bhii zammruud kaa gulband bhii toR
toR paimana-e-mardaan-e-khirdmaNd bhii toR
banke tuufaan chhalaknaa hai ubalnaa hai tujhe


Shatter
these resolve breaking suspicions of sermons
these vows that have become shackles
this too, this necklace of emeralds
these standards set by the wise men
You have to turn into a tempest, bubble and boil over

uTh merii jaan mere saath hii chalnaa hai tujhe
Get up, my love, you have to walk with me

tuu falaatuno-arastuu haii tuu zohraa parviiN
tere qabze meiN hai garduuN, terii Thokar meiN zamiiN
haaN, uThaa, jald uThaa paae-muqqadar se jabiiN
maiN bhii rukne kaa nahii waqt bhii rukne kaa nahiiN

laRkhaRaayegii kahaaN tak ki sambhalnaa hai tujhe

You are Aristotle's philosophy, Venus, Pleiades
You control the sky, the earth at your feet
Yes, raise, fast, raise your forehead from the feet of fate
I too am not going to pause, nor will the time
How long would you falter, you have to be firm

uTh merii jaan mere saath hii chalnaa hai tujhe
Get up, my love, you have to walk with me