rah-e- talab mein kaun kisi ka?

apne bhi begaaney hain,

chand se mukhrey, rashk-e-ghizalan,
sab jaane pehchaaney hain.

tanhai si tanhai hai, kaise kahein, kaisey samjhayein,

chashm-o-lab-o-rukhsar ki teh mein,

roohon ke veeraney hain,

uff, yeh talashey husn-o-haqeeqat,

kis jah theherein, jayein kahan?

sehan-e-chaman mein phool khilein hain,

sehra mein deewaney hain...

aur

hum ko sahaarey kya raas ayein,

apna sahara hain hum aap,

khud hi sehra, khud hi deewaney,

sham-e-nafas, parwaney hain,

bil-aakhir thak haar ke yaaro, hum ne bhi tasleem kiya,

apni zaat se ishq hai sacha, baaqi sab afsaaney hain...

- Ibn-Safi


English translation:
(on the path of desire,
even the dearest become distant,
and pretty faces, admirers of beauty,
all remain familiar.
who to tell, to speak of,- this loneliness?
beneath the layers of all eyes, all cheeks,
lie shadows of haunting souls.
oh! this desire for truth and beauty...
where do we go and where do we stop?
flowers blossom in gardens and terraces-
yet in deserts they wander madly, in vain...
and
for me, no support has worked,
except myself,
myself- the desert, myself- the crazy wanderer,
myself- the lamp, myself- the moth,
alas! my friends, I admit,
With oneself only, love is true-
the rest are but tales and fables...)

A poet for a moment or two

On Sahir Ludhianvi's Birthday, I would like to share my most favourite of his poem (rendered beautifully by Mukesh for the film "Kabhie Kabhie"). Sahir Ludhianvi is undoubtedly one of the greatest Urdu poets of the 20th Century, and sadly most people are not aware about the man who penned some of the best Hindi/Urdu film songs.

Here are the English translations of his lyrics:

I am a poet of a moment or two,

My story is a moment or two,

My existence is a moment or two,

My life is just a moment or two... 

So many have been before me,

Poets that came and went,

some left with a few sighs,

others left with melodies…

they too, were a story of a moment,

I too, shall be a passing tale,

I may not be here tomorrow,

But I am a part of your today.

I am a poet of a moment or two…

Tomorrow, there will be more

Who bloom with numerous songs

Better poets than me

Better listeners than you

Tomorrow, if someone thinks of me

Why would they think of me?

The busy world, for my sake,

Why would it bother?

I am but a poet, for a moment or two…

my life is just a moment or two...

(Main pal do pal ka shayar hoon- by Sahir, translation by: Hareem)