Woh Jiski Deed Mein – Faiz by Abida

Have been meaning to write out this beautiful ghazal – Wo jiski deed mein…Again,a FAIZ-ABIDA combination… companion for a quiet evening.. Here is a feeble attempt at translating it – (with special thanks to DigDownDeep

Woh jiski deed mein laakhoun masarratein pinhaaan
Woh husn jiski tamanna mein jannat pinhaan

Just for a look at her, I have lost a million joys
And its the desire of her beauty, that I let go of my Prophet

Hazaar fitney tah-e-paa-e-naaz khaak-e-nasheen
Har eik nigaah khumar-e-shabaab se rangeen

Shabaab jis se takhaiyul pe bijliyaan barsein
Waqaar jiski rafaqat ko shokhiyaan tarsey

A thousand temptations rise and fall, with every delicate footprint of hers
In every eye, the colored dreams of her youthful beauty lie

The mere thought of her youth, strikes me from the heavens above
Yet my innocent mischievousness seeks the solemnity of her companionship

Ada-e-laghzisheiy paa par qyamatein qurbaan
Bayaz-e-rukh pey sahar ki sabahatein qurbaan

Siyaah zulfoun mein badaaon sa nikhatoun ka hujoom
Taweel raatoun ki khwabeedah raahatoun ka hujoom

In the delicacy of those misplaced feet, I can sacrifice eternities
To read a leaf, off the book of her face, I can let go of the morning wine

From her dark tresses, the intoxicating fragrance of wine lures,
Like the dreamy long nights and the promise of tranquility

Woh aankh jiski banao pe khaliq dey raae
Zabaan-e-shair ko tareef kartey sharmaae

Gudaaz jism qaba jispe sajke naaz karey
Daraaz qad jisey sarw-e-sahi namaz karey

The shape of her eyes is brooded over by the Almighty
And the poets finds themselves inadequate at praising her beauty

Whatever she wears is honored by the fall off her buxom body
Her tall personality is worshipped by the rich and the fakir

Kisi zamaney mein is rah-guzar sey guzraa thaa
Ba-sad guroor-o-tajammul idhar sey guzraa thaa

Aur ab ye raah guzar bhi hai dilfareb-o-haseen
Hai uski khaak mein kaif-e-sharab-e-sair makeen

There was a time, when I had cross these streets
And so full I was of pride and magnificence

But the times have changed, and these very streets allure me
As even your dust carries the exhilaration of wine and intoxication

Hawa mein shokhi-e-raftaar ki adaaein hain
Faza mein narmi-e-guftaar ki sadaen hain

Garaz vo husn is raah ka juzu-e-manzar hai
Niyaz-e-ishq kou eik sajda gaah maiyassar hai

The air is full of the coquettishness of youth and agility
The weather seems full of the warmth of a conversation

And the pursuit of her beauty is what the heart craves to witness
a mosque is never too far for a prayer of love


Some of the key words and their meanings –
Masarrat: Happiness, Joy; Pinhaan: Concealed, Hidden; Tah : Plait, fold, multiplicity, perplexity; Fitnaa: Sedition, Mischief, Quarrel, Revolt, Temptation, Wickedness; Naaz : coquetry, amorous playfulness; Shabaab: Juvenility, Youth ; takhaaiyul : imagination, fancy ; Waqaar : Solemnity ;rafāqat : companionship, society, friendship ; Shokhiyaan : Coquetry, Mischief, Restlessness; Laghzish: Blunder, Lapse, Mistake, Tottering ; Bayaaz: Album, Handbook, Notebook, Vade Mecum; Sahaba : Wine, Esp. Red Wine ; Rukh : Face, Cheek, Side ; Siyaah :Black, Dark ; Baadaa : Booze, Wine ; Nikhat: Fragrance; Hujoom: Assault, Attack, Crowd, Onset, Throng, Tumult ; Taweel: Extended, Lengthy, Long ; Raahat : Quiet, rest, repose, ease, tranquillity; Banaao : Appearance, form, shape, colour, Adornment; Khaliq : The Great Creator, the Originator ;Gudaaz: Well-Mixed, Well-endowed ;Daraaz : Long, tall; Qaba: Gown, Long Coat Like Garment ;Sarw : Affluent, Opulent, Rich, Wealthy; Sahi : A religious mendicant, a Mohammadan faqīr; Tajammul : Dignity, pomp, splendour, magnificence; guroor : pride, vanity, haughtiness; Ba-sad : by a hundred; Dil fareb : Alluring, Beautiful, Charming, Enticing; Sair : Walk, Excursion, Stroll; Makeen : Firmly fixed; well-established;–in a high station; Kaif: exhilaration, Happiness, Intoxication, Joy; Fiza ; Atmosphere, Environment; guftaar : discourse, conversation ; Raftaar: Going, motion, walk, gait, pace; Shokhi : Playfulness, fun, mischief; pertness, sauciness; coquetry, wantonness; Garaz: An object of aim or pursuit, or of desire; aim, end, object, design, view, purpose; Manzar: Aspect, Countenance, Landscape, Scene, Visage ; Niyaz : Petition, supplication, prayer; Mayassar: easy, feasible, practicable; favourable

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About Amit
Conventional, boring, believer, poet, Shayar (to be precise), lover of music, musical instruments, and all that can be called music (theoretically or metaphorically), jack of all master of none, more of a reader less of a writer, arbit philosopher, foolish debater.. and many more such things.. like so many people!

14 Responses to Woh Jiski Deed Mein – Faiz by Abida

  1. Arvind Mishra says:

    A translation par excellence! All Kudos!

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  2. Rajiv tyagi says:

    Great.i am great fan of faiz.pl send more transliterations.

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  3. v says:

    Woh aankh jiski banao pe khaliq dey raae .. its not dey raae….. its itraaye meaning ( i think it should be this) the shape of her eyes are so beautiful that even the creator feels proud of this beautiful creation of his…..

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    • Amit says:

      Shukriya.. correction ke liye.

      And my urdu is just about passable, I’d say. So, the attempt was to keep at it, and make sure that more people understand the beauty of Faiz. All suggestions are welcome

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  4. v says:

    though the translation does help to understand…. it could have been better……. esplly….. Shabaab jis se takhaiyul pe bijliyaan barsein….

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    • S says:

      That’s right I think here takhaiyul gives a sense of periods loneliness and daydreaming when the proverbial lover occupies the most space and time

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  5. Beautiful.. You make it much easier for rookies like me to appreciate the beauty of it all.. Thanks!

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  6. RABIA says:

    its good.
    pinha means chuppa hua
    it does not mean ‘lost’.

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  7. Amit says:

    @Kalpesh – yes. all my own with my limited sensibilities.

    @muhammad – I have the MP3 – thanks nevertheless! The gesture is what is important.

    @mandar – will try and send it over sometime soon

    @thecommutist – Thanks!

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  8. thecommutist says:

    Thanks for the English transliteration. Excellent work!

    Like

  9. mandarisunique says:

    Real gem of an article, man !
    If possible do send the mp3 file at mandarisunique@indiatimes.com

    Like

  10. Muhammad Kamran says:

    Dear, I’m pleased to see someone taking interest in this piece of poetic and musical elegance.
    Well, I’ve this ghazal in MP3 Format. If you want it, do tell me immediately. Coz I’ve a rapidshare account on which I’ll load it, but this account will expire on 20th May, 2009 and you’ll have to download it before the date arrives.
    So reply me at my email address kami_lawyer@yahoo.com, fahim_ibrar@yahoo.com so that I can upload it there.
    Thanks.

    Like

  11. Hey, an excellent explanation of the song! Did you interpret it yourself?

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