Selection from Nida Fazli

1. PASSPORT OFFICER KE NAAM

KARACHI EK MAAn HAI
BAMBAI BICHHDA HUA BETA
YE RISHTA PYAR KA PAAKEEZA RISHTA HAI JISEY
AB TAK
NA KOI TOD PAYA HAI
NA KOI TOD SAKTA HAI
GHALAT HAI RADIO, JHOOTI HAIn SAB AKHBAR KI KHABREIn

NA MERI MAAn KABHI TALWAR TAANEY RUN MEIn AAI THI
NA MAIn NE APNI MAAn KE SAAMNEY BAnDOOQ UTHAI HAI

YE KAISA SHOR-O-HAnGAMA HAI
YE KAISI LADAI HAI

TOP

1. TO THE PASSPORT OFFICER

Karanchi is a mother,
Bombai, her lost son.
Its a pious bond of love that
no one could severe till now,
nor anyone can.
Radio misinforms,
newspapers lie.

Neither my mother ever joined the battle with a drawn sword
no I ever whipped out a gun at her.

What kind of a clamour is it?
What's the battle for?

TOP

2. EK DIN

SURAJ!
IK NAT KHAT BALAK SA
DIN BHAR SHOR MACHAYE
IDHAR UDHAR CHIDYOn KO BIKHEREY
KIRNOn KO CHHATRAAYE
QALAM. DARAnTI, BRUSH, HATHODA
JAGAH JAGAH PHAILAAYE

SHAAM!
THAKI HAARI MAAn JAISI
EK DIYA MALKAAYE
DHEEMEY DHEEMEY
SAARI BIKHRI CHEEZEIn CHUNTI JAAYE

TOP

2. A NEW DAY

Sun!
Like a naughty tot
vociferates the whole day,
scatters sparrows in all directions,
makes a canopy of rays.
Spreads pen, sickle, brush, hammer
all different places.

Dusk!
Like an exhausted mother
lights a lamp.
Slowly
collects all the scattered things.

TOP

3. BE-KHWAB NEEnD

NA JAANEY KAUN WO BAH-ROOPIYA HAI
JO HAR SHAB
MIRI THAKI HUI PALKOn KI SABZ CHHAOn MEIn
TARAH KE KARISHMEY DIKHAYA KARTA HAI!
LAPAKTI SURKH LIPAT
JHOOMTI HUI DAALI
CHAMAKTEY TAAL KE PAANI MEIn DOOBTA PATHHAR!
UBALTEY PHAILTEY GHEROn MEIn TAIRTEY KHAnJAR!
UCHHALTI GEND RUBBER KI
SIDHEY HUIYE DO HAATH
SULAGTEY KHET KI MITTI PE TOOT-TI BARSAAT
AJEEB KHWAB HAIn YE!!
BINA WUZU KIYE SOI NAHIEn KABHI MAIn TO
AMIn CHAHTI HOOn
KISI ROZ APNI BHABI KE
CHAMAKTEY PAOn KI PAZEB TOD KAR RAKH DOOn
BADI SHAREER HAI HAR WAQT SHOR KARTI HAI
KISI TARAH SAHI BE-KHWAB NEEnD TO AAYE
GHADI GHADI KI MUSEEBAT SE JAAN CHHUT JAAYE

TOP

3. DREAMLESS SLEEP

Wonder who the masquerader is,
the one who,
under the verdant shadow of my tired eyelashes,
exhibits various marvels each night.

A red flame darting forth,
a waving branch,
a stone submerging in the radiant water of the lake,
lancets floating in the emerging ripples,
a bouncing rubber ball, two adept hands,
fierce rain on the inflamed farmlands.

These are odd dreams,
thought I never slept without the customary ablution.

I feel, someday I should rip off
the lustrous anklet of my sister in law.
Its very naughty, makes noise all the time.

Somehow I should get a dreamless sleep
and be free from the incessant agony.

TOP

4. WAALID KI WAFAT PAR

TUMHARI QABR PAR
MAIn FATEHA PADHNEY NAHIEn AAYAA
MUJHEY MAALOOM THA
TUM MAR NAHIEn SAKTEY
TUMHARI
MAUT KI SACHCHI KHABAR JIS NE UDAAI THI
WO JHOOTA THA
WO TUM KAB THEY
KOI SOOKHA HUA PATTA HAWA SE HIL KE TOOTA THA
MIRI AAnKHEIn
TUMHAAREY MAnZAROn MEIn QAID HAIn AB TAK
MAIn JO BHI DEKHTA HOOn
SOCHTA HOOn
WO________WOHI HAI
JO TUMHARI NEK NAAMI AUR BAD NAAMI KI DUNIYA THI
KAHIEn KUCHH BHI NAHIEn BADLA
TUMHAREY HAATH
MERI UnGLIYOn MEIn SAAnS LETEY HAIn
MAIn LIKHNEY KE LIYE
JAB BHI QALAM KAAGHAZ UTHATA HOOn
TUMHEIn BAITHA HUA MAIn APNI HI KURSI MEIn PAATA HOOn
BADAN MEIn MEREY JITNA BHI LUHU HAI
WO TUMHARI
LAGHZISHOn NAAKAAMIYOn KE SAATH BAHTA HAI
MIRI AAWAAZ MEIn CHUP KAR
TUMHAARAA ZAHN RAHTA HAI
MIRI BEEMAARIYOn MEIn TUM
MERI LA-CHAARIYOn MEIn TUM
TUMHAARI QABR PAR JIS NE TUMHAARAA NAAM LIKHA HAI
WO JHOOTA HAI
TUMHAARI QABR MEIn MAIn DAFN HOOn
TUM MUJH MEIn ZINDA HO
KABHI FURSAT MILEY TO FATIHA PADHNEY CHALEY AANAA

TOP

4. ON THE DEMISE OF FATHER

I didn't come to offer prayer
at your grave.
I knew
that you could not die.
The one who spread the true news of your demise
was a lair.
It was not you
but a dry leaf had fallen because of wind.
My eyes are still
captivated in your scenes.
Whatever I see
or think is the same
that was the world of your repute and disrepute.
Nothing has changed anywhere.
Your hands
breathe in my fingers.
Whenever I pick up pen and paper
to write something,
I find you seated in my chair.
Whatever amount of blood is there in me
goes about with
your lapses and failures.
Hidden in my voice
is your mind.
You are there in my ailments
and my helplessness.
The one who wrote your name on your grave
is a liar.
It's I, who is buried in your grave ,
you are alive in me.
Come to offer prayer whenever you are free.

TOP

5. CHHOTA AADMI

TUMHAREY LIYE
SAB DUA GO HAIn
TUM JO NA HOGEY
TO KUCHH BHI NA HOGA
ISI TARAH MAR MAR KE JEETEY RAHO TUM
TUMHI HAR JAGAH HO
YUMHI MAS'ALA HO
TUMHI HAUSLA HO
MUSSAWIR KE RAnGOn MEIn
TASVEER BHI TUM
MUSANNIF KE LAFZOn MEIn
TAHREER BHI TUM
MUQARRIR KE NAAROn MEIn
TAQREER BHI TUM
TUMHAREY LIYE HI
KHUDA BAAP NE
APNEY IKLOOTEY BETEY KO QURBAAn KIYA HAI
SABHI AASMAANI KITAABOn NE TUM PAR
TUMHAREY AZAABOn KO
AASAAn KIYA HA
KHUDA KI BANAI HUI IS ZAMEEn PAR
JO SACH POOCHHO
TUM SE MOHABBAT HAI SAB KO
TUMHAREY DUKHOn KA
MADAAWAA NA HOGA
TUMHAREY DUKHOn KI
ZAROORAT HAI SAB KO

TOP

5. HUMBLE MAN

All pray for
your well being.
If you weren't there
nothing would've been.
Keep on living, as you've always been,
with great hardships.
You're everywhere.
You're the main issue
It's you who're painted
in colours by the painter.
It's you who're written about
in words by the writer.
It's you who're spoken about
in the rhetoric of the speaker.
It's for you alone
that the God sacrificed
his only son.
All the revealed scriptures
have punishments of your sins.
Honestly speaking,
on this earth made by God,
all love you.
There'll never be a remedy
for your sufferings.
All need
your sufferings.

TOP

6. KOI AKELA KAHAAn HAI

SHUKRIYA!
AYE DARAKHT TERA
TIRI GHANI CHHAAOn
MEREY RASTEY KI DIL KASHI HAI
SHUKRIYA!
AYE CHAMAKTEY SOORAJ
TIRI SHUAAOn SE
MEREY AAnGAN MEIn RAUSHINI HAI
SHUKRIYA!
AYE CHAHAKTI CHIDYA
TIREY SUROn SE
MIRI KHAMOSHI MEIn NAGHMAGI HAI
PAHAAD!
MIREY LIYE MAUSAM SAJA RAHA HAI
NADI KA PAANI
HAWA SE BAADAL BANA RAHA HAI
KISI KI SOOI SE
MERA KURTA TURAP RAHA HAI
GULAB
MEREY LIYE HI DHOOPOn MEIn TUP RAHA HAI
KOI AKELA KAHAAn HAI
ZAMEEN KE ZARAH SE AASMAAn TAK
HAR IK WAJOOD IK KAARWAAn HAI
ZAMEEN MAAn HAI
HAR EK SAR PAR
HAZAAR RISHTOn KA AASMAAn HAI
BATI HUI SARHADOn MEIn
SAB KUCHH JUDA HUA HAI
AKELA-PUN
AADMI KI FURSAT KA FALSAFA HAI

TOP

6. NOBODY IS ALONE

Thank you!
O tree,
for your dense shade
is the charm of my pathway.
Thank you!
O blazing sun,
for your beams
there is sunshine in my courtyard.
Thank you
O chirping sparrow,
for your tunes
there is melody in my repose.
Mountain
is embellishing season for me!
River water
is making clouds out of wind!
Someone's needle
is stitching my shirt!
Rose
is burning in the sunshine, solely, for me!
Where is any one alone!
from a speck of the earth to the sky
each existence is a caravan in itself.
The earth is mother,
on each head there is the sky of thousands of relations,
In the divided borders everything,
in fact, is linked.
Solitude is,
in fact, the philosophy of man's leisure.

TOP