رسمِ وفا
اُٹھتی جاتی ہے رسمِ مہر و وفا
رَفتگاں کو کہاں سے لائے کوئی
ایک ہے سب کی داستانِ اَلَم
داستانِ غم کی کیا سنائے کوئی
ہم چمن سے اُٹھے تہی داماں
خاکِ صَحرا سے کیا اُٹھائے کوئی
جِس کو چاہا، حَریفِ جاں نِکلا
آہ! کِس کو آزْمائے کوئی
ہاں، شِکَستِ اَنا نہیں مَنظُور
وُہ نہ مانے تو کیوں بُلائے کوئی
آنسُوؤں کے دِیئے جَلائے کوئی
جَشنِ فُرقت بھی یوں مَنائے کوئی
دھوپ کا ہے مُجھے سَفَر آساں
ساتھ چلتا ہے سائے سائے کوئی
یاد کی ہر گلی غُبار ہوئی
شَہرِ نِسیان میں کھو نہ جائے کوئی
– اطہر زیدی
English Translation, Deeper Analysis & Commentary
1.
اُٹھتی جاتی ہے رسمِ مہر و وفا
رَفتگاں کو کہاں سے لائے کوئی
The rituals of love and loyalty are fading away,
From where could one retrieve the departed?
The poem opens with a lament: the traditions of affection and loyalty are dissolving in a changing world. The word “رَفتگاں” (departed ones) is heavy—referring not just to people, but perhaps to values, innocence, or even a former self. It’s an elegy for what’s lost, spiritual and emotional.
2.
ایک ہے سب کی داستانِ اَلَم
داستانِ غم کی کیا سنائے کوئی
Everyone shares the same story of sorrow,
What new tale of grief could one possibly tell?
This couplet universalizes grief. It questions the point of storytelling in a world where sorrow is everyone’s story. It’s an existential sigh, echoing the futility of expression in a saturated emotional landscape.
3.
ہم چمن سے اُٹھے تہی داماں
خاکِ صَحرا سے کیا اُٹھائے کوئی
We left the garden empty-handed,
What treasure can one lift from desert dust?
The “چمن” (garden) symbolizes beauty, abundance, possibly youth or homeland. Leaving it “تہی داماں” (empty-handed) implies loss, exile, disillusionment. The صحرا (desert) contrasts the garden—barren and lifeless—implying the poet is now searching for meaning where none is found.
4.
جِس کو چاہا، حَریفِ جاں نِکلا
آہ! کِس کو آزْمائے کوئی
The one I loved turned out to be an enemy of the soul,
Ah! Who now remains to be tested?
Here comes betrayal. The beloved, trusted deeply, becomes a life-long rival. The rhetorical “کِس کو آزمائے” (who is left to test?) implies exhaustion, distrust, and the poet’s emotional depletion.
5.
ہاں، شِکَستِ اَنا نہیں مَنظُور
وُہ نہ مانے تو کیوں بُلائے کوئی
No, I cannot accept the defeat of my ego,
If they don’t heed, why call them back?
This is the most defiant couplet. Ego (انا) in classical Urdu poetry isn’t arrogance—it’s identity, dignity. The poet resists begging or calling back one who has turned away. It’s a stand against emotional subjugation.
6.
آنسُوؤں کے دِیئے جَلائے کوئی
جَشنِ فُرقت بھی یوں مَنائے کوئی
Let someone light lamps with their tears,
Let separation be celebrated like a festival.
This is the poem’s most visually haunting image: tears lighting lamps. The poet sarcastically proposes that someone make “جشنِ فُرقت” (a celebration of separation). Pain is being turned into ritual—perhaps mocking societal expectations of resilience.
7.
دھوپ کا ہے مُجھے سَفَر آساں
ساتھ چلتا ہے سائے سائے کوئی
The journey through sunlight is easy for me,
When a shadow walks beside me silently.
“Dhoop” (sunlight) can symbolize hardship. The poet finds the journey through hardship bearable—as long as they have the company of “سائے” (shadows). This shadow could be memory, conscience, divine grace, or inner strength.
8.
یاد کی ہر گلی غُبار ہوئی
شَہرِ نِسیان میں کھو نہ جائے کوئی
Every street of memory has turned to dust,
May no one get lost in the city of forgetfulness.
In the final couplet, the memory lanes are covered in غُبار (dust)—symbolic of time eroding even the past. The “شہرِ نِسیان” (city of forgetfulness) is a metaphorical place where identities, emotions, and connections are lost forever. The poet ends with a gentle wish: may no one else be lost as they were.
Overall Theme & Tone
This poem is a deeply philosophical ghazal of elegy, disillusionment, and emotional integrity. It mourns lost love, changing values, and fading traditions, but refuses to bow to emotional defeat. It strikes a fine balance between longing and pride, grief and dignity.
What do you think about the translation? Does it truley reflect the meaning, emotional spirit and profound message poet is trying to convey? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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