Parveen Shakir

paa-ba-gil sab hain rihaai kii kare tadbiir kaun
dast-bastaa shahar mein khole merii zanjiir kaun
[rihaa_ii = freedom; tadabiir = solution/way][dast-bastaa = tied hands]

meraa sar haazir hai lekin meraa munsif dekh le
kar rahaa hai mere fard-e-jurm kii tahariir kaun
[munsif = judge; fard-e-jurm = tale of guilt][tahariir = writing]

aaj darvaazon pe dastak jaanii pehchaanii sii hai
aaj mere naam laataa hai merii taaziir kaun [taaziir = punishment]

niind jab khvaabon se pyaarii ho to aise ahad mein
khvaab dekhe kaun aur khvaabon ko de taabiir kaun
[ahad = era/times]

ret abhii pichhle makaanon kii na vaapas aayi thii
phir lab-e-saahil gharaundaa kar gayaa taamiir kaun [lab-e-saahil = on the shoreline; taamiir = construct]

saare rishte hijraton mein saath dete hain to phir
shahar se jaate hue hotaa hai daamangiir kaun

merii chaadar to chhinii thii shaam kii tanhaayi ne
beridaaii ko merii phir de gayaa tashahiir kaun

dushmanon ke saath mere dost bhii aazaad haiin
dekhanaa hai khenchtaa hai mujh pe pahalaa tiir kaun

Bashir Badr

Duaa karo ki ye paudhaa sadaa haraa hii lage
udaasiyo.n se bhii cheharaa khilaa-khilaa hii lageye
chaand taaron kaa aanchal usii kaa hissaa hai
koi jo doosraa odhe to doosraa hii lage
nahin hai mere muqaddar mein raushanii na sahii
ye khidki kholo zaraa subah kii havaa hii lage
ajiib shakhs hai naraaz hoke hanstaa hai
main chaahtaa hun khafaa ho to vo khafaa hii lage

Kaifi Azmi

Aaj kii raat bahut garm hava chalti hai
aaj ki raat na footpaath pe neend aaegi
sab utho, main bhi uthoon , tum bhi utho, tum bhi utho
koi khidki isi deewaar mein khul jaaegii

ye zameen tab bhi nigal lene pe aamaada [prepared/ready] thii
paanv jab tooti shaakhon se utaare ham ne
in makaanon ko khabar hai na makeenon [residents] ko khabar
un dinon ki jo gufaaon mein guzaare ham ne

haath dhalate gaye saanche mein to thakte kaise
naqsh ke baad naye naqsh nikhare humne
kii ye deevaar buland (lofty) , aur buland, aur buland
baam-o-dar aur zaraa, aur sanvare humne
[ baam=terrace/roof; dar=door]

aandhiyan tod liya karti thi shamo ki lauein
jad diye is liye bijli ke sitare humne
ban gayaa qasr to pehre pe koi baith gayaa
so rahe khaak pe ham shorish-e-taameer liye
[Khaak=dust/earth; shorish=chaos/tumult; taamiir=construction]

apni nas-nas mein liye mehnat-e-paiham ki thakan
band aankhon mein isi qasr kii tasveer liye
din phighalta hai isi tarah saron par ab tak
raat aankhon mein khatakati hai syaah teer liye
[mehanat-e-paiham= continuous work/effort]
[thakan=fatigue; syaah=dark/black]

aaj ki raat bahut garm havaa chalti hai
aaj ki raat na footpaath pe neend aayegii
sab utho main bhii uthoon tum bhii utho tum bhii utho
koii khidkii isii deevaar mein khul jayegii

Bahadurshah Zafar

Subah ro ro ke shaam hotii hai
shab tadap kar tamaam hotii hai

saamane chashm-e-mast ke saaqii
kis ko parvaah-e-jaam hotii hai

koi ghunchaa khilaa ke bul-bul ko
bekalii zar-e-daam hotii hai

ham jo kahate hain kuchh ishaaron
se ye khata laa-kalaam hoti hai

Baat karni mujhe mushkil

Baat karni mujhe mushkil kabhi aisi to na thi
jaisi ab hai teri mehfil kabhi aisi to na thi

le gayaa chheen ke kaun aaj teraa sabr-o-qarar
beqaraari tujhe ai dil kabhi aisi to na thi

chashm-e-qaatil meri dushman thi hameshaa lekin
jaise ab ho gayi qaatil kabhi aisi to na thi

un ki aankhon ne Khuda jaane kiya kyaa jaadoo
ke tabiiyat meri maayil kabhi aisi to na thi

aks-e-rukh-e-yaar ne kis se hai tujhe chamakaayaa
taab tujh mein maah-e-kaamil kabhi aisi to na thi

kyaa sabab tuu jo bigadta hai "Zafar" se har baar
Khuu teri huur-e-shamil kabhi aisi to na thi

Bahadurshah Zafar

Merey humnafas, mere humnawa

Mere hamnafas, mere hamnavaa, mujhe dost banke daghaa na de
main hun dard-e-ishq se jaan-valab (dead) , mujhe zindagii kii duaa na de

mere daagh-e-dil (wound of heart) se hai raushni, usi raushni se hai zindagi
mujhe dar hai aye mere chaaraagar (physician), ye charaagh tuu hi bujhaa na de

mujhe chhod de mere haal par, tera kya bharosa hai chaaraagar
ye teri nawaazish-e-mukhtasar (small favour), mera dard aur badha na de

meraa azm itnaa baland hai ke paraaye sholon kaa dar nahii
mujhe khauf aatish-e-gul se hai, ye kahi chaman ko jalaa na de

wo uthe hain leke hom-o-subuu (offering of wine) , arey o 'Shakeel' kahaan hai tuu
teraa jaam lene ko bazm mein koi aur haath badhaa na de

Yeh saal achcha hai

Ek brahman ne kaha hai ki yeh saal achcha hai...

zulm ki raat bahut jald dhalegi ab to
aag chulhon mein harek roz jalegi ab to
bhookh ke maarey koi bachcha nahin royega
chayn ki neend harek shaqs yahan soyega
aandhi nafrat ki chalegi na kabhi ab ke baras
pyar ki fasl ugayegi zameen ab ke baras
hai yaqin ab na koi shor-sharaba hoga
zulm hoga na koi khoon kharaba hoga
os aur dhoop ke sadmey na sahega koi
ab merey des mein beghar na rahega koi
naye vaadon ka jo daala hai wo jaal achcha hai
rehnumaon ne kaha hai ki yeh saal achcha hai

...dil ke khush rakhney ko Ghalib yeh saal achcha hai

Tanhai/ Solitude/ Loneliness

Wo jo khat tuney mohabbat mein likhe thhe mujhko
ban gaye aaj wo satthi meri tanhai ke

Khat/ Paigham/ letters

Wo jo khat tuney mohabbat mein likhe thhe mujhko
ban gaye aaj wo satthi meri tanhai ke

Deke khat moonh dekhta hai namawar,
kuch to paigham-e-zubani aur hai
--Mirza Ghalib

Yaad/ Memories/ Reminiscences

Ujale apni yaadon ke, humarey saath rehney do
na jaane kis gali mein zindagi ki shaam ho jaaye

For women

Tere maathey pe yeh anchal bahut hi khoob hai lekin
tu is anchal ka ek parcham(flag) bana leti to achcha thha
--Majaz

To use in praise

Main hoon kisi mandir mein sulagta hua sandal
jo mujhko jalaye usse aa jaaye hai khushboo

Keh raha hai shor-e-dariya se samundar ka sukoot (sukoot-- silence)
jiska jitna zarf hai, utna hi wo khamosh hai ( zarf --stature)
-- Nasik Lakhnawi

Aap jinke qareeb hotey hain, wo bade khushnaseeb hotey hain...

Conversation/ building a rapport

Do ghadi kar lein pyar ki baatein
dil jalane ko umr saari hai

Hope/ Fortitude/ Destiny/Hausla

Har zulm pe badhta hai mera hausla-e-zeest (resolve to live)
har raat ki tameer (foundation) par buniyaad-e-seher (foundation of the dawn/ a new beginning) hai
--Fayyaz Gwaliori

Yeh to apna apna hai hausla, yeh to apni apni udaan hai
koi ud ke reh gaya baagh mein, koi kehkashan se guzar gaya (the galaxy of stars)

Taaki hum ukta na jaayein zindagi ke zulm se
iss liye zindadili be-inteha de di gayi
--Abdul Hamid Adam

Ek na ek shama andherey mein jalaye rakhiye
subah hone ko hai, mahaul banaye rakhiye

Shaping destiny

Ek patthar ki tasveer badal sakti hai
shart yeh hai ki saleeqey se sanwaara jaaye
-- Jigar Muradabadi

Baar-e-duniya mein raho, ghamzada ya shaad raho,
aisa kuchch karke chalo yaan, ki bahut yaad raho

History

Aaj tareekh to dohrati hai khud ko lekin
ismey behtar thhe jo wo hisse nahi hotey hain
--

Lucknow

Lakhnau to nahin

Aza (pain) mein behtey thhe ansoo, yaha lahoo to nahi
Yeh koi aur jagah hogi, Lakhnau to nahi

Yahan to chalti hain chhuriyan zubaan se pehle
yeh Mir Anis ki, Aatish ki guftagu (conversation) to nahin

Tapak raha hai jo zakhmon se dono firqon ke (firqon --sects)
baghaur dekho yeh Islam ka lahu to nahin

tum iska rakh lo koi aur naam mauzoo (more apt/suitable) sa
kiya hai khoon se jo tumney wo wazu to nahin

bujha rahe hain jis ko aap apne daman se
kahin wo aap hi ki shama-e-arzoo to nahin

Samajh ke maal mera jisko tumney loota hai
Padosiyon! Wo tumhari hi abroo to nahin
--Kaifi Azmi

Khuda aabad rakhe Lakhnau phir bhi ghanimat hai,
nazar koi na koi achchi surat aa hi jaati hai
--

Mujhse subah-shaam shikwa kar raha hai Lakhnau
Dekh kaise dheere dheere mar raha hai Lakhnau
-- Waali Aasi

Lakhnau aaj bhi tehzeeb ka gehwara hai
rang gehre hi kiye sheher-e-hina ne mere
--Nizami