Copyright © 2019

by Copyright holder name

ISBN:123-45678-9
Printed in Country name

Whispers of the Pen

(Translation of Urdu book "Sareer-e-Qama
by Jaffer Ameer)

Ather Kazi
Contents

Foreword from a new convert to poetry
I am a new convert to poetry even though
my dad, Jaffer Ameer is a poet and my family
used to host Mushairas (social gatherings for
reading poetry) on a regular basis. Being
exposed to these rich cultural traditions as a
child did not instill in me the love for poetry. I
am not sure why. If I were to guess, then I would
say may be, I felt that it was a waste of time.
However, I have lost a lot of time in finding out
that poetry is not waste of time but gives more
time. How? Before I get into the virtues of poetry
in general, and Urdu poetry, specially, here is
some context.
Growing up, I have very fond memories of
Mushairas at our house or at my uncle's house.
Th e se w e re n ot y o u r ru n -of-th e -m ill g e t
togethers of a few people sitting around and
sharing someoneelse's poems. There were
serious affairs as far as I could remember with
50-100 folks gathered in a big hall, usually men,
and around 10-20 poets reciting their own poems
from their notebooks or fro hand-written papers.
These were fun events for me and my cousins
because we could stay up late, eat paan and
drink tea along with the elders and shout out
"wah wahs" at the top of our lungs while
pretending to understand the poems. We also
devilishly enjoyed the fact that we, the kids,
were not the only ones unable to understand the
meaning of some poems but a few elders were in
the same boat too. It was sort of a game for us to
spot these pretnbders.
Spotting the pretenders became vbery easy
especially whbenb my dad recited his poems inb
the mushairas. The bewildered looks could
easily be discerned when difficult words were
employed. It was then, when I learnt that my
father's poetry was vbery deep and very rich in
vocabulary. If someone did not have a command
over Urdu language, then most likely they would
miss out the nuances of his poetry and that
person become a statistic for us - the
judgemental kids. This was a common occurance
in almost every Mushaira. I recall asking my
dad a few times, why he used such difficult
words that he had to emplain the meaning
himself after reciting his poems. His answer
would always be the same. The word had to be
the right onbe to convey the depth of the
thought. The deeper the thought, the heavier the
word.
My dad's poems though well received by a
select few, did not give him the right kind of
appreciation to publish his works. For that
reason, most of his works languished in his
diaries and notebooks until a few years back,
when two young Urdu enthusiasts visited him
on a project they were working on. One of these
young men is Mohammed Anwar Hadi who took
it upon himself to bring my dad's works into the
wider world.
That was how the book Sareer-e-Qama
came into existence a few years back. A few
hundred copies of Sareer-e-Qama were
published and were distributed to friends and
family. I received a few copies too, but these
copies languished on my shelf until one of these
copies got into Ather Ahmed's hand and as they
say, the rest in history.
Some historical context again, Ather and I
go way back. As students of Engineering, we not
only used to talk about our subjects, but we also
shared a passion for literature. Ather more so
than I. Ather was my senior in college and I
used to look up to him because he was a
well-rounded person who not only had an
amazing grasp in science and mathematics but
also had a keen sense for the literary arts. That
combination is not common and so we continued
our freindship through writing letters. Those
days our infatuation was with P.G.Woodhouse,
the comic genius.
In the following years, our paths crossed a
few more times after we both moved to the U.S.
There were also a couple of times that my dad
and Ather met - the last one at Denver,
Colorado. Those exchanges were good and
memorable for both, but little did they know
then about the upcoming collaboration, the fruit
of which is in your hands. Before we get into the
circu m sta n ce s o f h o w th i s co lla b o ra ti o n
happened, I need to tie it with the main cause of
how they met.
My parents had visited us in Denver to see
their new-born grand child, Heba. Ather and his
lovely family also came to see us during the
same time for the same reason. I do not know
what literary conversations Ather and my dad
had at that time and don't know ifthe new-born
was liste ning to their conv ersations bu t
somehow Heba now has the love for poetry and
pens some deep poems - although not in Urdu,
yet. That brings this story back full circle, what
my dad could not do for poetry, my daughter did.
Through reading her poetry, I have now fallen in
love with poetry.
It took many decades for me to love poetry
and very recently I found out that poetry gives
yo u m ore time . Yo u se e, a hu ma n brain
degenerates over time because we keep thinking
the same thoughts over and over. On an average
a normal person thinks 60,000 thoughts per day
of which most thoughts are the same. When
there are no new thoughts there are no new
connections made in the brain. So, the brain
degenarates but recent neuroscience studies
found that folks who read and write poetry have
active brains and avoid dementia in old age.
Why? Because poetry is imagination and as
Einstein said, imagination is better than
knowledge. Knowledge is an artifact, something
that is known, something that is already out
ther, whereas imagination is always new,
always non-existent before it comes into being.
(As a student of science, I had to bring science
into the picture too).
Any preconceived notions I had about
poetry are now all gone and have helped me
further on reading poetry. While going through
this personal journey, I have realized how much
time I had lost in not taking the time to read
poetry, especially Urdu poetry. Why Urdu? My
experience has been that there are more
non-Urdu speaking folks who get attracted to
Urdu than any other language. I have not seen
someone learn English to become a poet,
however, I can say that I know quite a few folks
who learnt Urdu just to read poetry and then
wrote their own poems. That's the beauty of
Urdu.
The book tha t you are ho lding is an
excellent effort to translate the deep thought in
Urdu into an equally meaningful thought in
English. But this effort was very humble in its
beginnings. When I visited Ather's house last
November, taking my dad's book Sareer-e-
Qama, with me was an after-thought. I really
did not think much of it. But when Ather read a
few verses from Sareer-e-Qama, he liked them
so much that he started translating them so I
could read these to my daughter Heba. Ather
sent these translations in Whatsapp and one
thing led to another - we made a Whatsapp
group of Urdu fans, more members joined, more
translations followed, and finally the idea of
publishing a book of these translations took a
concrete shape.
While you read the translated verses, you
will no doubt like these verses because they
have been reviewed and revised several times by
my dad himself to get the right meaning across.
This is rare. I have read some translations of
Iqbal and Rumi and they do not bring out the
same powerful expression that the original
author intended. Kudos to Ather for doing an
ecellent job.
Not only that, Ather has brought immense
joy to my dad. Which author does not love that
his works be translated in other languages? My
sister Bilkhis Anjum and my brothers Masood
Akhtar, Nayeem Akhtar and Suhail Akhtar are
heavily indebted to Ather Ahmed for this selfless
work. May Allah reward him richly in Duniya
and Aaquirat. My father-in-law, Dr.
Azmathullah Mohammed, who has been a big
admirer of my dad's poetry, could not help but
aptly comment with the below couplet after
se e in g th e tra n sla tio n s flo w th ro u g h o n
Whatsapp group.
Hazaron saal Nargis apni bey noori pey rothi rahi
Badi mushkil se hota hai chaman mey deedavar
paida
With this book, the difficulty of finding an
audience will be reduced since our goal is to get
this book into as many hands as possible as an It is my sincere hope that "Whispers of the
act of our service to poetry. For that reason, we Pen" will open your mind as well as touch you
will be collecting donations so copies of this book soul. With a new convert's enthusiasm, I will
can be distributed to schools and libraries. It is sign off with this beautiful couplet from the
worth noting here that my dad's life-long book.
passion has been to provide excellent education The obsession of a new path and destination is in
to under privileged kids. As someone who came my head
up in life seeing many difficult situations faced How can I just conform to the traditions of a lead
by his parents to provide him with education, he
took it uponb himself to pay it forward by Thank You
helping orphanages and institutions in our Shakeel Akhtar
hometown. Healso made sure that his kids
received the best education when this was not
the normal practice within his circle of friends.
We are all very grateful for that. Growing up,
books were always around us and no expense
was spared to provide us the books that we
wanted.
Not just that, he also helped us in becoming
open-minded. You see open-mindedness is a
trait that is not easy to come by. It is much
needed especially now so that one does not fall
prey to blind following. You can feel that from
the couplets below:
Everyone is throwing a dice in search for paradise
For the high altitude flight, the feathers and wings
are not to be found

Regardless, whatever happens would be the

recompense of deeds
For life to be lived, move on from false beliefs
 family that Kadapa and my family can't thank
Assalam o Alaikum WRWB the Almighty enough for His priceless gift that is
Ameer Jaffar!
I a m v e r y m u ch t h rill e d to s e e th is May Allah SWT shower His Rahmah on
enthusiasm and true dedication towards Chand him and his beloved family!
Bhijan's work Masha Allah! The time and effort My 2c!!
by MeaN Athar and MeaN Hadi has made me
spellbound! May Allah SWT reward you for your
love for Bhijan and his work. As a great admirer
of his poetry and personality I can only say that
this is a fitting tribute to his love and dedication
to Urdu - prose and poetry. His great command
over English and Urdu is surprised everybody
who interacted with him both in his official
circles or literary gatherings and this is the
outcome of his voracious reading of both the
classical and modern literature - his command
over the language is unparalleled in literary
circles of Kadapa. He guided many young
upcoming poets in the town and tons of Urdu
lovers. He continues to do so besides his frail
health. His devotion and dedication beside
worshiping his Creator and His Messenger
(SAS) is to his beloved Wife and to Urdu - as his
brother in law who watched him closely both in
his personal life and his literary life a question
remains unanswered - whom does he love more -
my Sister or Urdu and I know he will just smile
and evade an answer - I doubt he has an
answer!!
He is one of the most lovable and loving
people of the town and the shining jewel of our

Foreword from the Translator
When Shakeel Akhtar, a dear friend of
mine, from my Engineering College days at
A n a n ta p u r, v i site d u s i n D a l la s, in th e
November of 2018, he had brought for me some
gifts that he thought would suit my taste. He
had some knowledge that I had started loving
and appreciating Urdu poetry. So he gifted me a
few Urdu books and I started off immediately
with "Sareer-e-Qama", a collection of Ghazals
written by his father, Syed Jaffer Ameer. I had
started browsing and kind of started having, as
is beautifully said in Urdu, "Halka Halka
Suroor". Putting it in plain English, I started
getting the initial slow kicks of enjoyment with a
growing realization that the content on paper
was far deeper than it appeared at once!
So I resolved that I must understand the
verse in Urdu, get familiarized with any difficult
word, find out its Arabic root, if the word was
indeed an Arabic derivative, and delve deep into
its possible wider meaning. The beauty of Arabic
is that most words stem from a three letter root
and literally hundreds of words are coined from
that root. To me this parent language is
basically a system of fullest expression. But
Urdu has its own beauty, its nuances and a
richness that makes it no less powerful as a
medium of sublime expression. Jaffer Ameer
Sahab, who I had the good fortune of meeting
long time back is indeed a man of fine taste in
thought and fine taste in style. What his pen
does is even more remarkable! The collection
that I felt compelled to translate, merely upon
reading, speaks to the richness of the verses he
has composed. If you know Urdu and read his
original poetry, you would see yourself travelling
with his thoughts and appreciating his inner
feelings much more intensely. He attempts to
portray the elevation of character in the path of
toiling and pain. He invites you to taste the
beauty of selfless love. He seems to yearn for the
novelty in expression and the creativity of ideas.
I fully realize that it's not possible to
faithfully translate a piece of art and render it in
a different form, much less Urdu poetry! I also
know Jaffar Ameer Sahab has been kind enough
to overlook the poetic departures I have made in
translating some of his verses. I am thankful to
him for suggesting better choice of words than I
came up with in the first pass in several
instances. In fact, engaging with him was fun!
He would generally comment on my attempted
translation pieces with nice letters that was
q u ite a ch a lle n g e fo r m e to re a d in th e
handwritten form! It's here that Mr. Anwar
Hadi a close friend of Jaffer Ameer Sahab would
often step in and painstakingly type out his
letters in Urdu. But for Hadi's help I would
either misread or lose the anecdotes that the
author would share with me. So thank you very
much Hadi bhai for all your help and
encouragement that you would slip in very often.
Once again, I am indebted to the original author
for being the very reason of this book in your
hands. I also like to thank Shakeel and Hadi
bhai for all their help and encouragement in
making this a reality. And in the spirit of "Do
not turn away from pain", I encourage you to
read the rest.

Ather Khazi
Dallas, USA
Email: atherkazi@hotmail.com
 G E
Naat-e-Rasbool-e-Paak å Îg ï
u 0*
Á L š$
Oh! the keeper of secret of the Greatest Creator, å Îg º Z Û{ §ZŠi Zg } Z
u 0*w
Sacred Messenger
There is no one equal to you, Sacred Messenger u 0*
w å Wì 7ðÃ
å Îg Ž » \
In the recital of Durood, lies all the eminence
The night of Isra was at your door, — ~g ‚ ~ u 0*›zgŠ ›gŠ
Vc*
gŠÆ\
Sacred Messenger
å Îg6,
u0*
w  ÅòuZ
å W‰‘
At a place where even Gabriel's wing would
burn down 6,ÌÆ sƒ? x £TN Y V
He has arrived after crossing that place, Sacred
Messenger å Îg ™ Y ? x £ k Q
ñW
u 0*
w
Pelted with stones, his lips were moving in quick
supplication ̈ ¸ Ú ¬Š ¾ Æ3 Ìß
The world is astonished at this example, Sacred
Messenger å Îgg¨? wVkZì *Š
u 0*
w
Å
The wonder of the touch of your purified body,
. 0 Ÿ øL. ¯ ÚZ
{ ZÍ Z}
God is the witness
The rocks of Uhud, became bright, Sacred å Îgß
Æ uZ ¶ y+
u 0*
w
messenger

Overjoyed is Ameeron the belief
 Ð y‹Z kZ ÷

"Z ì ^u
E
å Îg S üL¢
That on the day of Gathering intercessor is
Sacred Messenger u 0*w á [ˆ ¯ zg
We call every grief, every pain, as thy grace ë
ìg È x™Ã 0C
Ù ôg C
Ù
We are saying the finesse of character has an
important place ë
ìg È ëZ Ã Ï0
+i ƒZŠ W
The reason to live is for the perfecton of living
So we are calling every torment as petty in WZz Æ ë  w¾ ì Ì

enduring
Ù Æë
ë
ìgÈ ÁÃ[Z±C
Every moment, as it cuts thru our life
We call this fine blade, the heartbeat of life Ì Ð ^ » Å TœC
]§ „g . Ù
IE
He listens, he knows, but would not agree
ë
ìg È xŠ Ã % çLG.n$ kZ
We say, the very impediment is the idol per se

Two sips, Oh Ameer, when he poured with his 7 }â 1 ì }Y ì ù

7
palms, once
We named us from that day as the mythical ë
ìg È 4Ã 4:
L ,Z !*
persian "Jam"
bŠ ö ä kZ Ð uzZ÷ $˜zŠ
"Z .
ë
ìgÈWÃ\WLZÐyŠkZ
 Do not turn away from pain ** Ö [ AZ Ð ŠgŠ
™ #
Do not let your being wane
** Ö [Zy
™ #   KZ
My tranquility is in y restlessness for him
The heart's uneasiness, let it not dim
à ~g Z Œ
Û " Ð kZ g Z Œ
Ûì
What a quality of pleasantness sadness has **
™#Ö [ZCZ Á » wŠ
Do not keep account of it in every moment passed

There is an attraction in beauty ,

ì ~k+wŠ z H ~ §
5
Still, withbout a reason do nbot exhibit
**
™#Ö [ïZ ~{ C
Ù
Yourheart will break inb dents after dents
Do not keep account of the accidents M fY
ÌQ ~ Œì š
In the courtyard, gone is the light **
™#Ö [Õ " :
L"
Let not the blame go on the moonlight
Ç L I ÌwŠ „ / /
Who listens to your heart Ameer
Poetry! do not try, please! ** Ö [ˆ » VNŠ q
™ #

7 Ýzg ~ ‰WÆ y
** Ö
™ # [ Lâ Ò“

"Z ]!*Å wŠ ì ù
÷ 7yÃ
** Ö [» ðÍ Ä
™ #
In comfort there is no ease, in riches there is no taste Ï }Š : {'
× ]zW,Ô Ï }Š : {'
× ]‚
Without my beloved, by my side, in company
there is no taste Ï }Š : {'
× Ä Ôx^ % >
Ø e
Even clay shines, due to the presence of this trait
If the attractive gaze is missing, the appearance ª +Å z kZ Ô − ì Ì è
z$
has to taste Ï }Š : {'
× ]gß Ô Â ƒ : Ã [f Y
The plants have to be green and the flowers blooming
Otherwise, in a garden, mere fragrance lacks taste ög ƒ Ì ~ VßY Ôƒ Z½ ZC
Ù {!
Along with happy times, there must exist grief Ï } Š : {'
× « Ô Ë ~ m :gz
and heartache
Without the kick in the drink, pleasure has no taste xiÑ Ì§z ôg¼ Ôì VxgŠ Æ Vìp
If there is no continuous itch in the traveler's feet Ï } Š : {'
× ]¯ Å õ&M % Ò
After reaching the destination, the rest will not
give taste
Ù g ~ Vƒ Œ
¹!* 7 liÎ Å ~zC
Some like-minded company and gatherings of Ï }Š : {' # Zg à Zz Y ? w2
× s
poetry and discourse
If these were not present, leisure will have no taste
À Å K z Ä ¶‚ wì ë ¼
The verses are in poor form in their mannerism,
Ï }Š : {' Û Ãí Â Vƒ : Ýq
× ›
oh! ignorant
At his ager, Ameer, your nerve will have no taste
{¾z » g ÃZ ÔVZŠ **ì 7 6,K
Ú e
Ï } Š : {' "Z ~ / kZ
× ]P̀[Z ÷
 Who gets the strength to find humor now Å t Zè þì Cƒ Æ [Z =Â
It's a chance or blow, it's a different matter now
Å t · Z z XŠ q ]!*gzZ ì
The wind of separation is furious and fierce
Oh Lord, let my lamp find a niche for cover Å t Z í Z Zƒ ! z H ì ¹
Each day, with this prayer is the ending of my Å t ¤ ^zZ A ÃbŠ }% [g c*
night  x ÓZ ì ? ¬Š kZ izg C
Z% ‘ Ù
Oh Lord, may I never come across, a parting
night Å t Z
Û‘ LñW? í : [g c*
Inthe desire to be free from showing unfair Ð Y " ’g~ { e kZ
ƒ u 0*
displeasure
We purged from our heart every desire for Å t ¬ „ Õä ë q Ù Ð wŠ
-Z C
pleasure
"Z V¹ õG
÷ /ÍF
7 ? o¶
K6,{ Zg ì
There is happiness along the way, but where Å t ‚ §Zi W [Z „ ì Ð Ã wŠ
to go Ameer
About the final ailment, the heart is now worried
 Let them live in royal style ™ ~zÆ zŠ ä™ Ã yQ
**
Our portion is service and sacrifice
™ ÏÈ
** x¬ CZ
The condition is that intention is pure
Be it in friendship or making foe
ƒ +
M mï ì t oÑ
Toiling, day in and day out ™ #Š  ƒ 4zŠ
**
This is called having a life

One lamp will light another ì xg ò Æ % % izg

Extend friendship to the enemy, brother
™ Ï0
** +i ì » kZ x **
He would get lost in the dark maze
Light a fire, even by setting your home ablaze P ZuzŠ ì Ð bŠ uZ
Where will we be, so go ahead Ameer ™ 4zŠ Ð ÔŠ Æ | (,
**
Whatever you say, let it be sweet
+ZÐN Yx{z
~}ƒ0
™ Ýzg Ì ™ ° y
**

"Z ß™ ëÐVƒ V¹À

÷
**
™ ? z™ Ì  ]!*
 The noise and vileness of thoughts has created ~‚fì ]g ZwÅÑzgØVaÎ
a fever in my mind
Yes, there is some heat of my blood bursting ~ ‚f ì ]i ÓÅÛÌLZ¼
in the mind

As a human, inclined to work, why should I VY : ìg ) ̈‡ g » / bâ

not be a tmplate soft ~ ‚f ì ]¸}% Å 2x ³
Yet, a solid intention, I can develop in my mind

The dark shade under my eyes may show fright H Âì ~ V\WÏ÷ϾuZ

\I
~ ‚f ì ]Š ÌZ Å ]§ üL.
Yet the lamp of life is still bright in my mind

How much can words, meanings, gist and

sound bites express o Î Å x|z pz ]ßz sw H
The vastness of the One, universally sought,
is the landscape of my mind ~ ‚f ì Ýz Å]Ñ» [£
With civility, discipline and imaginative ways
B‚ B‚ Æ Ço í Z z d
$
The divine code of transmitting thoughts is
also in my mind ~ ‚f ì <Ñ ÌÅ „−F,
It was not to be said, but here is the poem Ameer
Since a special devotion to Anwar is also in "Z wç ì Î ì ? ¶: :
÷
the mind
~ ‚f ì ]Š Zg Z m{ KZÐ g"
âZ
 Š äƒ : Á ¯ » ŠgŠ
c*
I did not let the enjoyment of pain dim
I would not shed tears and wet my shirt's hem Š äƒ : ß Ã ðZŠ LZ
c*
The agonies of life continued with breath after +xŠ 0 VY
~g ¤ „g x$
Š äƒ : xŠ ½Ü à ‰
breath
But I did not allow time to be the sole expense c* Ü z
of my breath å ´g k0*» ~g ZŠ äz
I had to put up a facade neat Š äƒ : x½ » **
c* Z Zz
I proetected my ego from getting breached
^ » VGù Å Ï0
+i
In fleeing life's adversities
I did not break my word or treaties Š äƒ : n z w¸ LZ
c*
/Ì Å Vß2
~ §g ¦
In the tough pathways of life's destinations
I refused to be blocked by my afflictions Š äƒ : ÝZ CZ bq
c*
I got bent down by the burden of life, for sure p Ð ai g !*Š
HÌ
But I did not bow down at anyone's door
Š äƒ : n ? gŠ Ë u
c*
 In a few glances they peck us e wÂ~ V\WV\W

f
With nothing in exchange they buy us
e wñ x ZŠ " Ã ë

f
May be we will see the depravity in future
At least today we talk and censure
N Y kF,kF,h
+á ÃÀ
What to say about their speech
f
e w1 ` W ë \ W
They roll up diamonds and pearls on
their sleeve
ì H ]!*Å VÂ!*Å yZ
We are confronted, Ameer, with those
who mix sugar in their discourse
f
e wzg  Cñ }‹

"Z ì —‚
 Ð yZ ÷

f
e w˜ ¥ ~ w1
 There is none for who longing itself could be lˆ Å mσ & ðà ì 7
the object of desire
Still, it's the search for water that brings one lˆÅ „ [ Wì CWJ
-V1Zua
to a mirage

It's for him, that enjoyment, cheerfulness and x Zæ ai o ¶

Kz ¯ì z » ÏZ
eternal happiness due lˆÅ Ùp ÌÃT „g ~ §ÄW
Om am pceam pf sadmess wjp ;ppls fpr delight

My passion is captive in my own sell ì ~ \ WLZŠpVs Ây† Z%

Where are those who are searching for a
conscious self lˆÅ’ Wì Cƒq{z
V¹

Life is not the name for breathing in and out e ÷‚ sÜ 7x **]§

»h
Embedded in every breath is the search for
the labor of life lˆÅ0VYì Cƒ~÷‚q Ù
-ZC
I wonder whose image is centered on my brain
}÷ 6,‚f iÃ% ì @ » ¾t
Every morning and night my eyes in his chase,
reamain +Š ~% x 
lˆ Å ÏZ Ã h á z ðì
Those who bear ill will for the garden are
now getting distraught, Ameer "Z
ìg á u m ÈÑŠ Á
÷
Why then is every scenery looking out
lˆÅ Ïg Âì VY Ã{g  uZC
Ù
for a beholder
 What else will be the people of the pen perform Ð
g D™ ¯IZ ZÎÆ kZ H
What goes thru the heart will continue
to be penned down /? wŠ 
Ð
g D™ ¶g ì Cg ¦
Emotions will see like high tides always Ç ìg „ ÞZ ‚ yÃî ~ ]!*
.
_
Ð
g D™ ÁÃ ]Ñq )iÎ wŠ
Sympathy for the circumstances will
alleviate the pain
¹!*ÌZ ]Š ¬ ì Å 46,x 0Z
Love for the fetish continues to be a habit
This love will continue to pull sadness and pain Ð
g D™ ÝZ z ôg Õ wŠ
When nothing flashes as the poem's subject » wçy*ÌðÃZ# 7Ô ð^N
We will hymn about the summer of pain
Ð
g D™ ÝZ ýL G3rÂ~ Äë
The intent, Ameer, should be the pleasure of our
"Z Š°
x^ §{ ƒ Ã LZ ÷
closest friend
We will continue to bow down at His house Ð
g D™ n ? g c*§Š CZ u
entrance
 With a quality of self-projection the scenes
are so lovely [p[p
©ÐðúŠpzuZ
How the fate of the eager gaze, is too lovely
+Š ¾ØH
[p[p
glÌÆh
The buds are on the flower branches and the
lawns lush green lzg lzg {! Â? É ˜ 
á
¨
If thorns are like flowers, the fresh flowers are
even more lovely [p [p
F,É Â úÉg {

With the gardner, watering the garden, +Š ì © Ð ~g ÒW Å àâ

ãh
the scenery is worth seeing
The mirrors are inside the meadow so lovely +Z Æ g Zi {! N
[p [p
g0 WW

In the spread of the colors, lies the range of e Æ « ~ g_

OZ Æ Vùg
fragrances
These are the frecasters of comfort and ectasy [p[p
ê  Ægzuz T

The mynahs are chirping in the midst of @Æ m
ðƒ C¦ N f

Ö
the garden
In every direction these are the forms of singing, [p[p
(t Æ ¤‚C
Ù
so beautifully
-g 8
8 -g ñ_ t x à š cl
t
This sky azure, and flowers of every color
These are the axis of my eage gaze, so very lovely [p [p
g"Æ tØ { ó KZ
 There is comfort in the fragrance and colors V\ì ~ Vùg ÂgzuuZ~«
IJ
casta spell [p[p
1Æ ]§ øL $‚ W
For the comforts of life, these are the views so lovely

In the shadow of these fruits and leave, "Z  YÎ Å g !*

÷ ,~ ñ‚
z v'
let Ameer find sleep
[p[p
BÃñ‚}g v6,
u
Upon your head, for a shadow are these thatches
so lovely
 When love reached the stage of loss and increase ‰ WJ izŠÎÆGZ
-Vc* # µ%
In shackles we reached your hospice
‰ WJ
-V*W}g vë VÑ/ 0*
Between talks, we touched the peak of eloquence

-V;ŠzÁë~VÂ!*
The talk was ours, but it extended to someone else
‰ WJ „VÂ!*
The travelers of desire escaped the calamities -VZvŠ ì
‰ WJ " u Ô ¶KZ ]!*
ILG
But the accidents of the way reached the
caravan's chief
IT
Þ Nš ÐuÆ tØÈZzC
Ùg
-VZzg »÷Æ 5g PŠ q
The Milky Way appears like dust to the eyes
Your lunatics in love, see how far they have toiled ‰ WJ

For the fortunate ones, the destination was hit Ãì CW#â Æ Š¤

/ÌVK
Our portion was that we reached the caravan's dust
‰ WJ äZ-Š }¾
-V¹§{ ~ F,
Whether it was the need for light or the desire
for sacrifice
ˆ Ww2ÆyZk0*
~x¬åÆX
The moths flew into fire facing sudden demise
- VZzg » Š¤
‰ WJ / ëì KZ
Snatch, Oh Ameer, your portion of the sips
Did ever the bottle and the cup reach the
thirsty lips Û u c*Ô ¶Å Ýzg
V† » Ùz
‰ WJ v%Æh Z í V-
- V **

"Z}Z·̀»{}F,
÷ áá
™|(,
- V]¯ L H f z x Y
‰WJ
 Do not shut the doors to the smelling sense ™ : x x gŠ CZ È
The modern inspiration, make it not forbidden
.ýL I
™ : x Zw 4- ]] i±
Intellect tends to be a loud mouthed horse
Let it not be unleashed reagrdless of the cause ì Cƒ ï F^Z gzi ì =
™ : x Î " g .i à kZ
This is a disgrace of our instincts
Let's not bow down too low, when offering the ZÅ “
o  u KZ t ì
greetings
™ : xs L Ù
Û ÆÌ
Lest he may think, he has become God
Do not pay too high a respect to any servant Æ ™ Z} . Ã Šp : {z
of God ™ : x Z Z Ú Z » †
In the discussions on differing schools of
jurisprudence
L ~ V1 I Æ VQ
Do not merge intellect and wisdom ™ : x ‡Z » øZŠ z =
In keeping holy, the words that Allah swears ~ k¼ Æ x¬ ½w
™ : x Z%Z » ZŠ
upon
Let not the concern for doomsday die down Û „

This disease will eventually spread ì @*

Y ’ÌV- n% t
Pass not your cold to another head ™ : x »i Z F,u Æ )
People listen to your poems, Ameer, thinking
÷Z Æ ™¼
F
" g Ã
high of you
Do not belittle the purpose and lower its value á
™ : x Z% " âZ ~²
 It's a teat of trust, friendship and love ì öâ i W Å 4zŠ Å Ãz Å ›
In other words, it's one's own self that is at test
ì öâ i W Å òŠ W Šp ¤
/Š p ÖZ /
I can sense and your are probably aware too
That living is itself our life's test
+
h á ¸ ƒ Ì »ì @*
ƒ kC=
You may be a captain and someone else a close ì öâ i W Å Ï0
+i ~g ø Šp

attendant
In the journey, it's the mutual relations that is
$ gzZ ƒ ^ ç.( ðÃ
/øL F
ðà ^ ›¤
at test LG
Where is the time that I can count the blisters ì öâ i W Å b!*ûLE
$g Æ ƒ
 ~^
on my feet
Over here, every moment, it's the love of travel áYÆVƒ0*
~™ÖVßÌúV¹
that is at test
ì öâ i W Å ~zC
Ù g ¾Øœ C
Ù VŒ
I anticipate my destination at every step of
my journey
à í ^ ÄǾ » w2 ì @* ƒ Vá
For my confidence of awareness, is there some
’
more of a test ì öâ i W Å ’ W êL i gzZ H ÌZ
Ameer, it's a skill to hide the tears beneath the
eyelashes ì ®q 8Ö~V–ÃV“Z÷
-Z ̢ "Z
Eecause the decency in restraint is really at test
ì öâ i W Å -
á Å ‚ LZ 
Enjoyment hasn't reached the level of sickness à 7J
- g Zi W ¯
And pain has not reached its threshold yet
- g £ ŠgŠ
à 7 J
The happiness of the touch of flower, how would
Å
äY H {z É øL. ‹¯
he know
His hand has not touched the thorn yet
à 7J Š
- g{  „
Since hunger remained in closed doors
The noise has not reached the market stores
~Vz#ÈÐZ
# ìuÈ
In rhyme and rhythm he is lost Ameer
The soul remains missing in the verse yet à 7J
- g Zi !*gØ

"Z ì Ë {z ~ yZizZ z d
÷
à 7J
- g ÃZ bzg
 G
How bold is a lover's heart ì ÑØ H ÌÔ¬ ïE
L Ò¡
It keeps a smile even when it's hurt
ì @* 3 ^a
Z—ì @*
The memory of the past, somehow surfaces

Å èâ Š c*ì CY ÂW
But the time that is past never resurfaces

This is but the gaze's defect Ü zŠ

W^ß ‰
ì @* H“
What's daylight and what's dusk

That life still exists, my son g : » Ãă

tì
is like the increasing shadow of a
falling sun +Z Hì ÑYZ H
ì Zƒ0

The presence of happiness in a distressed Šz » Ï0

+i ì 4 (Z
heart
It's like an island in a river vast ìt‚ k(,
» `gÎÁe
If you are so sad, Ameer
Šz » Ùp ~ Šæg wŠ
Then, what the point of writing verse
,
ì {k gŠ ‰
uZ ~ c*
b

Q Â÷
"Z
T" ãZ
+Ã Ð ì Ä
ì H {Z
 The hair locks are fragrant and the chains ì E îi ì − ³i Q
jingle once again
The desire for captivity is destined once again ì L îi Å ~§Z ¾Ø Q
Every moment there is such suffocation and
every second remorse Ù âZ P yW C
+Z ¡ œ C Ù
Perhaps my life is hung tight on the noose ì y? àÎ KZ ]§  h
+á
Out of excessive joy or from the severity of
torment Ð ]” Å ŠgŠ c* ÛZ
Ð ]ä¹ Z
The dew drops fall when the branch bends
ì =c 
áZ# ì C· —Z kzZ
It secures the flow and invites the canoes
The wave that winks in the arms of the Å V%ì ¦ZŠ Å ãZzg ì ðŸ
watercourse
ì ¨~ Vr!* gŠ  `ñ {z
Å c*
Place that lamp in the eye of a storm
That blazes even in a chandelier with
+W~ l¨WŠŠ Äg à ÓkZ
Å S0
great fury
ì Ç¿ÅTß ÌDƒÆ kâ Ã
On every beat of newness, we have been Ameer
There is crying and sobbing from the virgin
poetry "Zì ¬Š Å]]
ä ë÷ Ù
.? [¢C
ì Nì Czg Å w¶ {²zŠ
 If you look, every scene will appear as a Ù Â dŠ
ñW Ã g » ˜ © uZ C
masterpiece
But the one who has insight will discover ñW à g ZuZ à gzà {z p
the layers beneath

To laugh at some thoughts and to weep bŠzgÆNŠ¼ ¢

8|Æ aμ
looking at some things ñW Ã g ZîZ Ã ë ¸ Æ ë
For living, we found these to be the right traits

In the paths where obstacles and nooses stood ÐVƒ Íg gzZ g ZŠ {Š *Z ~ { Zg T

To the eye, such paths appeared smooth
ñW à g Zû 3g „z à V\W
We learnt that grief and happiness have a
connection strong ì mÐ Vìp » § Zƒ x¥
When we found by the side of every flower,
exists a thorn # ~ U Æ wY C
ñWÃg { Z Ù
The ones endowed with vision, Ameer, are
"Z
Dƒ ÒZ Ã ÿL X3Z t
,Z ÷
often such
Who find in the useless, so much of great ñW Ãg » !*~ Vzà Ìg » "
worth
 This toiling that one must endure for a aƽ/ì ÅÍ 0VYt
lifetie
This is the reward in life for every human being aÆÆC
Ù x ÅZ »aiì ¸

nÅ wŠ z ‚f ÔŠ Zi W„å ìg
Your shall reamain free, I swear by my mind
and heart
The cage of prison was only forthe peripheral aÆ6, sܶÂ{Å$
zw!*
parts

This revelation of grace does not descend on ƒ 7x™ ýL I

@* i±t ? wŠ q Ù
-Z C
every heart G
The joy ofgrief is only for the authentic heart a Æ x ïE L Ò¡  ì §¹ ¶
K

It's not just due to grief that it sheds tears Cƒ 7ß„ ª +Å §sÜ{z
z$
A wide delight is also needed for the eyes I
g8
to tear aÆF,êL Fì xiÑÌo ]
OZ¼
 I may have been sad or I may have had some ~ Vƒ ;g VZŠ Vƒ ;g Ó
á Lc*
cheer
ÀYE
In this treacherous life though, I have kept ~ Vƒ ;g VZç ? ]§ öL . &
smiling however

Be it a narration of sorrow or be it a tale of joy ƒ Å Ùp e

$©  §ì
ILG
" u ƒ {z
I had been the subject of every epic told Ù Š È*ZŠ C
~ Vƒ ;g VZÄ » C Ù
Every period of decline that history would behold
I have been the central artery of every new revolt {ZÍ ì õg@*Å ozZ §zŠ C
Ù
Often it's true, because of me the world has ~ Vƒ ;g VY Àg Å â ƒzZ C
Ù
some peace
But because of it, I have remained worried Vj¼ ~Dì Ðíì st ÒZ
~ Vƒ ;g V.6,Ð n¾ÏZ ÌQ
 What appears as curtailment or straight +Š F, σ h
σ h + 
dissension
In it, lies the revival of my assertion σ h
+‰~ kZ Å ]!*
~%

~uì ZŠÎ » w2z {Zg 5

The obsession of a new path and destination is
in my head
How can I just conform to the traditions of a σ ÇÅÚg Ð ë V¹
lead

If the inertia of imagination remains untorn I : Ì [Z  ÇŠ§

N*
σ 6 ŠVßì {Š% Â
Dead ideas, I am afraid, will eventually be born

It's morning now, but the light is not yet bright

I have heard, the morrow was to bring new light ÐY : áYZ 6,ˆƒ H
Strange, Ameer, is the table of man, truly σ yZ ð À  å ‹
It begins with the end in the foreword really
» òŠW ÷
"Z :Y ì =
σ Ð ÔÅ kZ qzÑ
 The breath of life, except forthis, do nothing ,™ x » : ¼ Æ kZ ZÎ ]§ ÄŠ
This wild heart, just tame it, the only thing
,™ x Zg LZ Ã “z wŠ  ,™
In the dark night, everyone is looking for light
This is the time, we must like a firefly,
spread light ƒ +Z
ìg&
 ~]Zg~ƒ0 + 
ðerZl
,™x » » VƒNë ‰
Ü zì ¸
Life will never be complete happiness
Try to make aware with cheeriness
Cƒ 7 Ùp å ]§ L
The wounds of this is no less lasting
So let's just draw out the sword of pen and ink ,™ x OZ » äC Ã kZ Ð Ùp

The gift of joy of pain, Ameer, is tears ƒ 7 0*

@* ,
kŠ Á Ì ƒ v » kZ ¼
So revere this deposit of the time's sorrows
,™ x * " Ã „ ¯ $  g

"Z Å Vƒ²W ]¸Î ŠgŠ » O

÷
E
’
,™ x Z Z » VZgzŠ êL <Šz
If the gaze is obtuse, then everything has a flaw Ù Â{ óì w!
ì wÑ~ —C
Even a budding rose i a pricking acacia
ì wA $ Ì[† Zƒ •
When you tae delight at the sight of spring
The acacia's thorn in autumn, would like a ÀYG©E½Y]I
flower seem 6,g· ]gw öL 5 Z # ƒ
ì wY ÌV¨§{ » VZ7
Ç
Whether you are amidst a city's gunfire, or
inside a garden pleasant
The flower itself is the messenger, at every place Ö ~àƒ Æ Šzg!*
@Æ mƒ c*
of fragrance
ì wÎg „ É? x£ C
Ù » Òp
Stay, Oh Ameer, all the time in quiet expectation
Who knows, when is the time for a poem's "Z
g Æ ~ gOZ ‰
÷ Ü zC
Ù
revelation
Ü z »Ä yà äY H
ì wz4,‰
 Incisive are their talks, such ~ VÂ!*
Å y Z ì +Z ^ »
The heart's blood is frozen in the eyes
~ V\Wì Š HW wŠ yp
People talk to us in a manner
With so much acid dispersed in their voice
D™ vß Ð ë W
~ Vâ !*M Z! Æ ½
iš
The take revenge from us
affter reading history from the books Ð ë
f e x ÙZ { z
After getting homeless we had tarried ~ V1Â Ã õg @*Æ | 7,
Where our tents were set ablaze by the crooks
ë¸ Æg V;z y" ƃ
When the moon appears, we sigh with pain á ¶Å¿ ]W
~ Vâ x
Those moonlit nights saw many homes aflame

Who should we reveal our heart's condition

ì ÀZ uƒ Â † 0 +e
Is there anyone who is ours, in our vast nation +e Ä ¥ y
~ VÂZg 0
Hali and Iqbal were not the only ones who lamented BZ eÈÐ ¾ÆY wŠ Áq
Among the crying lot we are now included
~ VJZ ãZ ì CZ ðÃ
Ameer, how can a poem be composed
When there is so much cancer in the thoughts s ¸ñ 7 6,w "D Z Ô à"q
they possess ~ Vß Zz äzg
Ìë ` W

÷Z ñW ~ wç w¶ H
"
~ Vß ì Vƒ gÎ**
Z#
 Beyond the sky, to such a high place, soar /Ð x £,Z }6,Ð † `zZ
g¦
Where there is no morning or night, reach
such a universe, explore /Ð x Â,Z x 
g¦ á ð: V˜ Cƒ
Where there is no bowing or prostration, from
such an upright stand, move on /
g¦ÐxªÆkZƒ{>:qÃg~T
From such a prayer move on, from such a /Ð x â Z ,Z g ¦
g¦ /Ð i ú +Z
leader, move on

Regardless, whatever happens would be the Ð ¿]Ãk ǃ Ì ƒ : ƒ

recompense of deeds
For life to be lived, move on from false beliefs /Ð x ;zZ I Â ì 

g¦
E
This is the real height of prayers and é<G
X-4$ » Vez » VŠ „ t ì
supplications
That your actions are reformed and from /Ð xÑW Æ g J‡ Ã wqZ
g¦
plights you have sought aversion
}¾ » ]Ñì ÷Zz ~ 7”
G
I do not deny, Oh preacher, the thoughts you
convey / Ð x AZ ]â Z™ z õÖ
g¦
From empty words and fancied miracles, just
stay away
"Z
Ñ äƒ i ZgŠ ñ‚
[Z ÷
The shadows are getting larger, Oh Ameer,
/Ð x Z Æ we Zg f à Šp
g¦
at this moment
Caution yourself, lest you meet a bad end
The doors of foresight and understanding are Æ ûÆ „ Û
`ƒ È gŠ
 Z
no longer open
Look for the hidden and move on from /Ð x ;zZ L g ¦
g¦ /Ð g ZuZ
superstition

In the whirlwind of Rumi, iqbal flew away ‰ h Z wD Z ~ Š !*

Š¤
/Å òzg
Simple is religion, so from complex concepts /Ð x ~Z Ú ‚Š ì ZŠ ‚
g¦
stay away

That Quran in Urdu, i do read ~ zŠg Z Å yWŒ

Û ]zˆ~ Vƒ @*
™
/Ð xsZ }Š : È à ?
I fear the Mufti may declare, from Islam
you have fled g¦
In the act of gazing, the fineness of veiled looks V¹ Ã [s ýLrz ~ Ïg Â
is not to be found E
In the restless gaze, the virtue of lowered gaze V¹ y úLO “ Ã { ó ëLE@*"
cannot be found

That one would flip the veil, where is such a gaze V¹Ã+Z }Š «
Z [sÐ cg
Everyone is endowed with sight, but the sharp +Š 6,gzà X Â

V¹ gz {h
sighted is not to be found

I have set out knowing it's a path to joy KÓg à kZ Æ VY Vƒ Z 7,Â^

o¶
For a trader though, could a guide be ever found
V¹ ÚZg } ǃ Ì » ðZÎ
Wandering, that my nature is, I roam around
For the hysterical ones, the necessities of travel +gŠ Vƒ @*
g$ Q ì ‚ » Ïg ZzW
are never found
V¹ ^ Š Zi ~ ú8 Æ VE"
It's a terrible state for the Urdu language
People are now asking who is Daag, and
WZz Æ zŠg Z ì ]!*Å ª
tu
Jigar is not to be found
V¹®gzZ r ZŠ yÃvß
y7 [Z
Two lines that people write and call themselves
poets
In this crowd how can I be ever found á } É ´^zŠ
vß
¶ ²
V¹ ÃN WÃ \W ë ~ ƒ kZ
Those who struggle and defeat ignorance
In their fate, the crack of dawn is seldom found
“Ã]¬ì CƒÅXÐ lz»
V¹ H Š% ƒ ~ ‚ } yZ
Having become a big liability for a long time 4- Ð /uZ ì lzŠ w!*
z ™0
myself
A nook for placing my head at their home I V¹u Z÷ å ? gŠ Æ yZ bŠ Äg
could not find

Manna and Quails descended and water  ã0*Ð ß ò| z ð å Z F,

Z
gushed from rocks V ¹ 1 ? ë Ô å { z ‚ » yZ
That was their fate, where do you and I stand

It was the mracle of steadfastness of their {z å ¿ z +Š #

Ö / Z i ÚZ
faith and actions
In achieving their goals, the roadblock of land ,z d L ‘
V¹ ' W uzg Å 5g
and sea, they could always withstand
zg » ðà { ƒ W Zz Æ ë
g !*
For the sake of living, one needs some skill
or business V¹ gŠ z g Z- Š V¹ y  7 t
there is no home or shelter if that is not found
…ì q Ù ~ { e  ŠkzŠ
-Z C Û
Everyone is throwing a dice in search for
paradise V¹ 6,gzZ w!*a Æ yZ h Z œzZ
For the high altitude flight, the feathers and
wings are not to be found
"Z [ Z ì Lg Zƒ ¯ $Â
÷
Like a caged bird, exists now Ameer
V¹{ ~ kZ Ã $} h Z ™ á
To fly with the cage, such a skill is not found
 Generally, we see humans in every place X 7V¹ VK̈Z Â V-
But those with the same wave length it's
quite rare X 7 V!*
i ë Kë
To engage someone in a chat, my heart desires
But the subtle and the discerning I do not see ì *F,Y Ã ä™ ]!*
anywhere X 7VZŠ N kg N
How can connections be strengthened
When the common interests are missing there ÐVƒ H g Z2Z ÆZg
Those who have malice with the pathways Dƒ 7VxgŠ Z
# ta
The sign posts ofdestinations will always
disappear ÃVß Zz p
pg Ð V2gÛ
Flowers that I have picked up, Ameer ó óX 7V¶
KÆ Vß2L L
For a garden to resemble another, it's very rare
"Z
a`ä~wY
÷
X 7 V I VI
 The exertion in the fortress that the anger ǃ ~ [‰ g y Š ¿Z 
would create
That in fact, would the curriculum book ǃ ~ [ ! » à À  „z
of tomorrow convey

All the expanses would be subservient to those ÏVƒ Úz ~g ‚ 4k

,i Æ ÏQ
Who keep their grasp firm on their intellectual ǃ ~ [»g å » T gÅ
ride

The pearl when it appeared on the surface, we x¥ Š

Hƒ Â c*
W ? R  sœ
understood
That even the thirsty lips, in water, will find ǃ ~ [W Ì Z` » ̈¯
a abode
"Z~wçwç~pVƒ6 6
÷
There should be new topics in the verse, and
Ameer in it @Ktzf  7
ǃ ~ [@*z `
Else, the pleasure of discourse will be in
extreme distress
 Let something so happen ñYƒ ]!* +Z ðÃ
That about Him, I may become truly aware
ñYƒ ]Z f ÈòÃí
After seeing you, if I look at the other
À&
Š Ã gzZ Ã ? ™ NŠ
Let such a gaze pass away /ŸG
õG
That no one may utter the unsaid ever ñYƒ ]Ãz Å Ã kZ
And the actual incident may remain
engraved
:È]!*
ðÃñ0* ½yZ
ñYƒ ]ZŠg Zz ¶g gzZ