Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi : A poetic translation.

Hazaaron Khwaishen Aisi is the Anthem of the ghazal buff. Everyone that reads Ghalib and Urdu sher has a translation. To some it’s philosophy (where inexplicably, the beloved is god, and the winestore is “nirvana”. ) to others it’s drunk poetry where , as the poet goes deeper into the ghazal it becomes bloodier and filled with morose thoughts of self mutilation and pain(..funerals…death…last breath….).

This is an attempt to translate the poetry, and it tuns out all is well in the romance.

Edited in later : I’m adding the literal translation of the words, when they differ significantly from my poetic translation , below, in smaller font.)

Presenting…

(The clip above is from the serial “Mirza Ghalib” Gulzar directs, Naseerudin Shah acts, Jagjit Singh Sings the Ghazal)

hazaaro.n Khvaahishe.n aisii ki har Khvaaish pe dam nikale
bahut nikale mere armaa.N lekin phir bhii kam nikale

There are thousands of ambitions that each such wish could consume my life

My desires , and I experience them all intensely, aren’t enough for this one lifetime.

Dare kyuu.N meraa qaatil kyaa rahegaa usakii gardan par
vo Khuu.N jo chashm-e-tar se umr bhar yuu.N dam-ba-dam nikale

so don’t cry , my love, you didn’t cause this pain

 

It was my fault that I fell so intensly in love with you.

(why does my murderer fear that hangs around her neck,the consequence of the blood that gushes down from my head’s bloody wound )

nikalanaa Khuld se aadam kaa sunate aaye hai.n lekin
bahut be-aabaruu hokar tere kuuche se ham nikale

Of the(unclean* ) birth of man, from the womb, one has heard

but you must see my rebirth when I passed shamelessly by your door!

bharam khul jaaye zaalim tere qaamat kii daraazii kaa
agar is turraa-e-purapech-o-Kham kaa pech-o-Kham nikale

 

The beauty of your flowing, offending, tresses can be fully exposed/experiened

only when I let down my hair (proper attitudes) as I would open my turban.

 

magar likhavaaye koii usako Khat to hamase likhavaaye
huii subah aur ghar se kaan par rakkhar qalam nikale

( for a long while), I wanted no more than that I get to write the poetic letters

your many admires make me write to you,

( i went each day, like to work , with a pen behind my ear)

 

huii is daur me.n ma.nsuub mujhase baadaa-ashaamii

phir aayaa vo zamaanaa jo jahaa.N se jaam-e-jam nikale

and I was acquainted with such intoxication during this period(of knowing you), my love

that the world , after ,  appeared  passionless and dry.

huii jinase tavaqqo Khastagii kii daad paane kii
vo hamase bhii ziyaadaa Khastaa-e-teG-e-sitam nikale

I wandered looking for sympathy (to god)

who was himself , it turned out,was  lovesick for you

muhabbat me.n nahii.n hai farq jiine aur marane kaa
usii ko dekh kar jiite hai.n jis kaafir pe dam nikale

then for me, there was no difference between living and dying

and I lived , each last breath looking at you (the infidel) from afar,

 

zara kar jor siine par ki tiir-e-pursitam nikale
jo vo nikle to dil nikale jo dil nikale to dam nikale

I then steeled myself and  prised out the arrow of cupid from my heart

 

so that when it left, it took my heart with it, and with it, my last breath.

Khudaa ke vaaste pardaa na kaabe se uThaa zaalim
Kahii.n aisaa na ho yaa.N bhii vahii kaafir sanam nikale

but now you come back to me, and ask me to lift your veil(marriage for the moslems),

Stop!  because you may find me as unfaitful(as you once were) in love..

(for god’s sake do not take off the veil that covers the Ka’aba. lest it turn out that in there i might find my unfaithful love)

 

Kahaa.N maiKhaane ka daravaazaa ‘Ghalib’ aur kahaa.N vaaiz

par itanaa jaanate \nhai.n kal vo jaataa thaa ke ham nikale

 

And now my love, that we have  both been love sick like this , I wonder

Where were those days of intoxication, and what is this call to faith

 

(it’s like we’re in revolving doors..You now want me to be married and faithful, when at one point I would have been nothing but that, from my intoxication! )

 

How can you compare the door to the winery with the drug store? yet it’s true that when he went, I was saved)

 

hazaaro.n Khvaahishe.n aisii ki har Khvaaish pe dam nikale
bahut nikale mere armaa.N lekin phir bhii kam nikale

All these desires now drive my heart

and I could die of each

that no matter how much I suffer from them,

it’s still not enough .

 

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Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)

• hazaaro Khvaahishen aisi
• Hazaaro.n Khvaahishe-Galib