Translation: Parveen Shakir

Posted on October 29, 2006
Filed Under >Naveed E., People, Poetry, Urdu, Women
27 Comments
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Guest Post by Naveed E.

Perveen Shakir died young. Her legend lives on.

She is arguably the most popular poetess of the literary history of Pakistan. She expressed the sensibilities of young lovelorn girl with the innocence of a girl next door and innovation of an adept poet. Her romantic poems and ghazals stirred the sentiments of youthful readers.

She enlivened the tales and traditions of love in a manner that her first book “Khushbooà€Â? met an instant and incredible success. Within a span of seventeen years she wrote three more books of poetry, titled, “Sud Bergâ€Â?, “Khud Kalamieâ€Â? and “Inkarâà ¢â€šÂ¬Ã‚?.

“Barish Ki Nazmein� are very sentimental poems from “Sud Berg�.

On a rainy night, while posted in a far flung area of Pakistan, I was deeply touched with the enchantment of these poems.

My translations, below, are a tribute to the magic of Perveen.

A Poem of Rain
Barish mein kia tanha bhegna larki!
usay bula jis ki chahat mein
ttera tun mun bhega hai
pyar ki barish say barh kr kia barish ho gi
aur jub is barish kay baad
hijr ki pehli dhoop khilay gi
tujh per rang kay ism khulein gay

Why to soak alone in the rain, O! Girl
Beckon him in whose love
Your mind and body are drenched
There is no rain more than the rain of love
And when after this rain
The first sunshine of separation would glow
The mysteries of hues you’d know

Another poem of Rain
Peron ki mehndi mein nay
Kis mushkil say chhuraie thi
aur phir bairon khushboo ki
kaisi kaisi binti ki thi
pyari dheray bol
bhra ghar jag uthay ga
lekin jub us kay aanay ki ghari hoi
subah say aisi jhari lagi
umer mein pehli bar
barish achhi nahin lagi!

The henna on my feet
I scrubbed away so hard
And to insolent fragrance
Intensely I had begged
Dear speak lowly
Lest the full house might wake up
But when the time of his arrival came
Since morning the rain so set in
First time in my life
Rain didn’t amuse me!

Yet another poem of rain
Barish ab say pehlay bhi kai bar hoi thi
kia is bar meray rangrez nay chunri kachchi rangi thi
ya tan ka hi kehna such keh
rung to us kay honton mein tha!

It had rained often before
Did my dyer badly colored the scarf this time?
Or my torso had told the truth that
The colour was in his lips.

Naveed E. is a former civil servant, with a passion for poetry and writing.

27 responses to “Translation: Parveen Shakir”

  1. Dr Aftab says:

    Ay moaj-e-Hawa
    Tu hi batta !!
    Wo dost Hamara kesa he?
    Jo bhool chuka hai hamain kab sey !
    Wo jo jan se pyara kesa hai?

    Kya us ky Jeevan
    Lamhon mein…
    Koi Lamha mera baaqi Hai?

    Kya us ki jaagti ankho mein,,,
    meri Yaad abhi bhi baqi hai?

    Agr aisa nahi to!!!
    Tu hi Batta,,,
    Hum yad ussey kyun kartey hain?

    Wo Hum se bichar k khush he agar!
    Tu pal pal kyun hm marttay hain?

    Ay “moj-ehwa” tu hi bata,,

  2. Dr Aftab says:

    pyar k deep jalane wale kuch pagal hote hai
    apni jaan se jane wale kuch kuch pagal hote hai
    hijr k ghary zakhum mile to mugh ko ya ehsas hua
    pagal ko samjhny wale kuch kuch pagal hote hai
    jaan se pyare logon se bhi kuch kuch parda lazim hai
    sari baat batane wale kuch kuch pagal hote hai….

  3. Dr Aftab says:

    Khushbuu hai vo to chhuu ke badan ko guzar na jaaye
    jab tak mere wajuud ke andar utar na jaaye

    Khud phuul ne bhii honth kiye apane niim-vaa
    chorii tamaam rang kii titalii ke sar na jaaye

    is Khauf se vo saath nibhaane ke haq mein hai
    khokar mujhe ye ladakii kahiin dukh se mar na jaaye

    palkon ko us kii apane dupatte se ponch duun
    kal ke safar mein aaj kii gard-e-safar na jaaye

    main kis ke haath bhejuun use aaj kii duaa
    qaasid havaa sitaaraa koii us ke ghar na jaaye

    (Parveen Shakir)

  4. Dr Aftab says:

    Shikan chup hai
    Badan khamosh hai
    Gaalon pe waisi tantamahat bhi nahin, lekin
    Main ghar se kaise nikloon gi
    Hawa, chanchal saheli ki tarah bahar khari hai
    Dekhte hi muskuraye gi
    Mujhe choo kar teri har baat paa le gi
    Mujhe tujhse chura le gi
    Zamaney bhar se keh de gi
    Main tujhse mil ke ayi hoon!
    Hawa ki shokhiyaan yeh
    Aur mera bachpana aisa
    Ke apne aap se bhi main
    Teri khushboo chupati phir rahi hoon!

  5. Adnan Ahmad says:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ISs4VVrW0E&feature =related&pos=0

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3RzaawOD3w&feature =related&pos=0

    A documentary on Parveen Shakir with some incredible footage.

    ye haseen shaam apni abhi jiss mein dhal rahee hey terey perahun ki khushboo
    zara der ka hey manzar

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