Gul Hui Jaati Hai : Faiz
April 13, 2007 42 Comments
This is one of the most beautiful Faiz compositions that I have heard. With Abida Parveen’s voice adding soul to these beautiful words, its the perfect setting for a nice quiet evening. I have seen a lot of people wondering about what the ghazal means. Thats when I thought I should just write this bit out. Listen it here
गुल हुई जाती है अफ़सुर्दा सुलगती हुई शाम
धुल के िनक्लेगी अभी चश्म-ए-माहताब से रात
और मुश्ताक िनगाहों की सुिन जाएगी
और उन हाथों से मस होंगे ये तरसे हुए हाथ
Gul hui jaati hai afsurda sulagti hui shaam
Dhul ke niklay gi abhi chashma-e-mahtab se raat
Aur mushtaaq nigaahon ki suni jaaye gi
Aur un hathon se mas hongay yeh tarse huay haath…. The morose evening is lost in the silhouette of a fading sun
But soon, it will come out bathed in the moonlit night
And those eager eyes will be heard to, one more time
and these longing fingers will be entwined with those fingers again उन का आंचल है िक रुखसार िक पैराहन है
कुछ तो है िजस से हुई जाती है िचलमन रंगीन
जाने उस ज़ुल्फ़ िक मौहूम घनी छावं में
िटमिटमाता है वो आवेज़ा अभी तक के नही
Un ka aanchal hai ke rukhsaar keh payrahan hai…
Kuch to hai jis se hui jaati hai chilman rangeen…
Jaanay us zulf ki mauhoom ghani chaaoon mein…
Timtimataa hai woh aawayzah abhi tak keh nahi… Is this the decorated end of your sari, or the colors on your face, or the way you’ve dressed
There has to be something, that has made the curtains (that hide you) so colorful
I wonder, if in the thick dark tresses of her long hair,
does it(the moon) still twinkle, hanging, suspended, still yearning for thee? आज िफर हुस्न-ए-िदल-अारा की वो ही धज होगी
वो ही ख्वाबीदा सी आंखें वो ही काज़ल की लकीर
रंग-ए-रुखसार पे हल्का सा वो गाज़े का गुबार
सन्द्ली हाथों पे धुन्धिल सी िहना की तहरीर Aaj phir husn-e-dil aaraa ki wohi dhaj hogi…
Wohi khaabeedah si aankhein wohi kaajal ki lakeer…
Rang-e-rukhsaar pe halka sa woh gaazay ka ghubaar…
Sandali haathon pe dhundli si hina ki tehreer… Tonite, the beauty of my beloved will show itself in the same resplendent glory
Those dreamy eyes, and those black eyelashes
the color of her cheeks flushed with the pink of roses (cosmetics/powder)
and those hands smelling of sandal, decorated with beautiful Hina designs अपने अफ्कार के अशआर िक दुिनया है यही
जान-ए-मज़मून है ये शािहद-ए-माना है यही
अपन मौज़ू-ए-सुखन इन के िसवा और नही
तब्बा शायर का वतन इन कॆ िसवा और नही
Apnay afkaar ki ashaar ki duniya hai yehi…
Jaanay mazmoon hai yehi, shahid-e-ma’anaa hai yehi…
Apna mauzoo-e-sukhan inke siva aur nahi
Tabba shayar ka vatan inke siva aur nahin
This is the world of the couplets and my thoughts
Such is the essense of my writings, such is the fate of this doomed poet.
there is no other subject of my conversataions,
The mood of the poet wanders in no other kingdom but that of the beloved ये खूं की महक है िक लब-ए-यार िक खुशबू
िकस राह की जािनब से सबा आती है देखो
गुलशन मे बहार आई के िज़न्दा हुआ आबाद
िकस संग से नगमों की सदा आती है देखो Yeh Khoon Ki mahak hai ki labe yaar ki khushboo
Kis raah ki – Jaanib se saba aati hai dekho
Gulshan mein bahar bahaar aayi ki zinda hua abad
Kis sang se naghmon ki sada aati hai dekho
धुल के िनक्लेगी अभी चश्म-ए-माहताब से रात
और मुश्ताक िनगाहों की सुिन जाएगी
और उन हाथों से मस होंगे ये तरसे हुए हाथ
Gul hui jaati hai afsurda sulagti hui shaam
Dhul ke niklay gi abhi chashma-e-mahtab se raat
Aur mushtaaq nigaahon ki suni jaaye gi
Aur un hathon se mas hongay yeh tarse huay haath…. The morose evening is lost in the silhouette of a fading sun
But soon, it will come out bathed in the moonlit night
And those eager eyes will be heard to, one more time
and these longing fingers will be entwined with those fingers again उन का आंचल है िक रुखसार िक पैराहन है
कुछ तो है िजस से हुई जाती है िचलमन रंगीन
जाने उस ज़ुल्फ़ िक मौहूम घनी छावं में
िटमिटमाता है वो आवेज़ा अभी तक के नही
Un ka aanchal hai ke rukhsaar keh payrahan hai…
Kuch to hai jis se hui jaati hai chilman rangeen…
Jaanay us zulf ki mauhoom ghani chaaoon mein…
Timtimataa hai woh aawayzah abhi tak keh nahi… Is this the decorated end of your sari, or the colors on your face, or the way you’ve dressed
There has to be something, that has made the curtains (that hide you) so colorful
I wonder, if in the thick dark tresses of her long hair,
does it(the moon) still twinkle, hanging, suspended, still yearning for thee? आज िफर हुस्न-ए-िदल-अारा की वो ही धज होगी
वो ही ख्वाबीदा सी आंखें वो ही काज़ल की लकीर
रंग-ए-रुखसार पे हल्का सा वो गाज़े का गुबार
सन्द्ली हाथों पे धुन्धिल सी िहना की तहरीर Aaj phir husn-e-dil aaraa ki wohi dhaj hogi…
Wohi khaabeedah si aankhein wohi kaajal ki lakeer…
Rang-e-rukhsaar pe halka sa woh gaazay ka ghubaar…
Sandali haathon pe dhundli si hina ki tehreer… Tonite, the beauty of my beloved will show itself in the same resplendent glory
Those dreamy eyes, and those black eyelashes
the color of her cheeks flushed with the pink of roses (cosmetics/powder)
and those hands smelling of sandal, decorated with beautiful Hina designs अपने अफ्कार के अशआर िक दुिनया है यही
जान-ए-मज़मून है ये शािहद-ए-माना है यही
अपन मौज़ू-ए-सुखन इन के िसवा और नही
तब्बा शायर का वतन इन कॆ िसवा और नही
Apnay afkaar ki ashaar ki duniya hai yehi…
Jaanay mazmoon hai yehi, shahid-e-ma’anaa hai yehi…
Apna mauzoo-e-sukhan inke siva aur nahi
Tabba shayar ka vatan inke siva aur nahin
This is the world of the couplets and my thoughts
Such is the essense of my writings, such is the fate of this doomed poet.
there is no other subject of my conversataions,
The mood of the poet wanders in no other kingdom but that of the beloved ये खूं की महक है िक लब-ए-यार िक खुशबू
िकस राह की जािनब से सबा आती है देखो
गुलशन मे बहार आई के िज़न्दा हुआ आबाद
िकस संग से नगमों की सदा आती है देखो Yeh Khoon Ki mahak hai ki labe yaar ki khushboo
Kis raah ki – Jaanib se saba aati hai dekho
Gulshan mein bahar bahaar aayi ki zinda hua abad
Kis sang se naghmon ki sada aati hai dekho
Is this the warm smell of blood, or the sweet fragrance of beloved’s lips
From which direction is this wind blowing, someone go and check
Can you feel, with the arrival of spring, that the estranged have come alive
You must go and check who is the stone-hearted that sings the song of serenade!
Its difficult to do justice to such a marvellous nazm given my limited vocab. But an attempt is always on! 🙂 Let me know if you can think of some better lines.
About Amit
As I Was Saying 
All i can say is Big Thanks
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Great work…with ur lyrical translation it made this beautiful ghazal even more beautiful to me
Thanks.
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Great bro! Psychedelic for me……
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I believe in the last line it is not kis sang se but kis simt se…
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I would tend to agree with you. Somehow’ Abida’s rendition, which blends Faiz’s maouzoo-e-sukhan and a few of his other “quatrains”, seems to end with either “sang” or “sand”. Could be a listening error. Would make it a lot more intuitive if the reference is “simt/samt”, the word for “direction”
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and the more I think, simt is the one that fits better.
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Hi Amit,
I was listening to the Abida Parveen rendition of this Ghazal…and her voice, Faiz’s poetry and your translation just made my day…
Thanks
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🙂
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Thank you for the translation but i like your “About Amit” section more thananything…
Love from across the border…
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Thanks Saad
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Much appreciated.
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You are welcome
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Amit this is excellent. What a beautiful translation for a beautiful Ghazal. You have done justice to each and every word of it. Thanks!
Also can you please also translate the song “Phir Le aya Dil” from the movie Barfi please? I would be grateful.
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Thanks Nik. Shall try some time
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Thank you Amit. I shall wait! I have linked this post of yours from one of mine now. You absolutely deserve it.
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O WOW…brilliant. I always get lost while reading/listening such soulful gazals and need translation. HOw awesome it would be have one resource like this. 🙂
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Thanks
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Hello sir, im workng on faiz’s english translations as a comparative study. Ur translation is fablus. Any relevant infrmation u hv, so plz convey.
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Marvellous poetry and marvellous translation. Hope u guys have heard the Ghazal in Abida’s voice.. it is priceless…
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Thanks Kapil
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Very nice translation of the nazam.. I’ve always cherished listening to ghazals and sufi songs but understanding it’s meaning is quite difficult, at times. Your translation of this nazam will help people appreciate it more, which will definitely help the culture grow. I’ve been strong believer of the fact that language remains alive till people who practice it, spread it and help others know it remain alive. It’s just the same here.. Thanks
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Thanks Shavet
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thank u sir!
i think thats y poetry has its own unique place.its says a lot in a few words n that too in an ‘encoded’ way.
hats off to all those brilliant encoders!!
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thanks anushi
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sir, i cant understand ghazals.
would u plz tell me what is the gist of this ghazal or theme??i hav heard its stanza from many…..but could not make out if the poet is just missing his beloved or symbolizing Nature n his loneliness.plz help.
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Its a multitude of things. There is a base layer meaning, which is meant almost as a lover’s ode. But beneath the surface, its a Faiz qalaam, and deeply rooted in the progressive poetry of that era. You will need to read a bit about the author to understand the context in which it was written.
This one was written when he was in a prison for a very long time, away from his wife and kids….
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verry verrrry good translation man! lovely. thanks.
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Thanks Shenoy
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Wonderful translation, Amit. I never thought this poem could be expressed in English. Your choice of words is so beautiful.
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phool ke bina baag nahi hote , aap ke bina hum nahi hote……………
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Thanks! Faiz sahib would be satisfied with the tarjumaan… good job
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Thank you!
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HI Amit,
Thanx a heap for this wonderful effort, may God bless u.
I took a critical look on ur translation and at few places its kind of commentry, but its nice.
Other thing is that the last stanza sung by Ma’am Abida is not actually the part of this Ghazal Or Nazam. She just has sung that one with it and it goes here beautifully.
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@Jasmine – Thanks for the appreciation!
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Thank you so much for the translation. I love urdu poetry but don’t quite understand it all, so this was great!
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Muse… Thanks for the appreciation.. and I would just not mind! 😉
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Great translation. Dont mind if I link this post on my humble blog.
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I appricate your blog…very nice SHAYRI here
http://www.shayariquote.com..Thnaks Sir
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will definitely try that too! Thanks! 🙂
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Fantastic…thanx a ton for this…could you also help with another Faiz gem sung by Abida Parveen? “Woh Jiski Deed Mein”
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