kahāñ jāoge
by Faiz Ahmed Faizkahāñ jāoge
aur kuch der meñ luT jā.egā har baam pe chāñd
aks kho jā.eñge ā.īne taras jā.eñge
arsh ke diida-e-namnāk se baarī-baarī
sab sitāre sar-e-khāshāk baras jā.eñge
aas ke maare thake hare shabistānoñ meñ
apnī tanhāi.ī sameTegā, bichhā.egā koī
bevafā.ī kī ghaDī, tark-e-madārāt ka vaqt
is ghaDī apne sivā yaad na aa.egā koī
tark-e-duniyā kā samāñ khatm-e-mulāqāt ka vaqt
is ghaDī ai dil-e-āvāra kahāñ jāoge
is ghaDī koī kisi kā bhi nahīñ rahne do
koī is vaqt milegā hī nahīñ rahne do
aur mile gā bhī is taur ki pachtāoge
is ghaDī ai dil-e-āvāra kahāñ jāoge
aur kuchh der Tahar jaao ki phir nashtar-e-sub.h
zakhm kī tarah har ik aañkh ko bedār kare
aur har kushta-e-vāmāñdgī-e-ākhir-e-shab
bhuul kar saa.at-e-darmāndagī-e-ākhir-e-shab
jaan pahchān mulāqāt pe isrār kare
Note: The original text appears in transliterated Roman Urdu due to incompatibilities between the original script and our publishing software. Many thanks to the translator for providing the transliteration.
Where Will You Go?
by Faiz Ahmed FaizIn a little while,
the moon will be
robbed on every
rooftop;
mirrors will thirst
for vanished reflections.
One by one, the stars will
disintegrate—
exploding into
dust that will rain down
from heaven’s moist eyes.
Inside night-quarters
tired beyond hope
someone will gather his
loneliness, he will spread it
over;
at this faithless hour,
at this time of turning away—
when every man is only for
himself without memory
of another,
at this hour of severance,
at the end of our tryst
with the world:
wild heart, where will you go
at this hour?
No one will recognize you, let it go.
Who will you find now? Let it go.
And whoever you come across
by chance, you’ll regret seeing:
wild heart, where will you go
at this hour?
Stay a little longer—
wait until morning’s fleam
has roused every eye once more
like a wound;
then all the helpless slain
at the end of the night—
forgetting the destitute hour,
the end of the night—
will insist on meeting,
on being called by name
translated from Urdu by Umair Kazi