Date: Mon, 18 Dec 95 14:41:00 PST
From: Ramesh Hariharan (rameshh@tp.ac.sg)
Subject: Ghazal by Saba Afghani!

Hi netters

It is so nice to see this sudden spurt in interest generated for shayari's.
I would like to present to our readers, this wonderful ghazal by Saba
Afghani, sung by Jagjit Singh, in his album Desires.

1. gulshan ki faqat phooloN se nahiN, kaaNToN se bhi zeenat hoti hai
jeene ke liye is duniyaa meiN GHam ki bhi zaroorat hoti hai

[faqat = only; zeenat = beauty/attractiveness]

[The beauty of a garden, is not only because of flowers but also due to thorns
To live in this world, one also needs sorrows (along with happiness)]

2. ae waaiz-e-naadaaN kartaa hai too ek qayaamat kaa charchaa
yahaaN roz nigaaheN milti haiN, yahaaN roz qayaamat hoti hai

[waaiz = preacher; qayaamat = day of judgement; nigaaheN = eyes]

[E preacher, don't talk to me about The Day of Judgement;
Here, everyday our eyes meet, and everyday is A Day of Judgement]

3. woh purshish-e-GHam ko aaye haiN, kuchh keh na sakooN, chup reh na sakooN
KHaamosh rahooN to mushkil hai, keh dooN to shikaayat hoti hai

[purshish-e-GHam = inquiry of sorrow, pay condolences, sympathize]

[She has come to inquire the reasons for my sorrows; I can't say anything, and I cannot keep quiet either
Keeping quiet will make things difficult, while telling the reasons would only be a cause for complaints]

4. karnaa hi padegaa zapt-e-alam, peene hi padeNge yeh aaNsoo
faryaad-o-fuGHaaN se ai naadaaN, tauheeN-e-muhabbat hoti hai

[zapt-e-alam = bottle one's emotions, keep sorrow to heart;
faryaad-o-fuGHaaN = crying out aloud and beseeching;
tauheen-e-muhabbat = disgracing the act of love]

[A person has to bottle his/her emotions and drink his/her own tears
By crying out loudly and beseeching attention, hey inncocent, your are only disgracing love]

5. jo aa ke ruke daaman pe 'Saba' woh ashq nahiN hai paani hai!
jo ashk na chhalke aaNkhoN se us ashk ki qeemat hoti hai

[chhalke = to top the rim and overflow, in this case, the eyes brimming with tears]

[Hey 'Saba', the tears that flow from the eyes and fall onto the lap, are not tears but plain water
Of priceless value are those tears, which do not flow from the eyes]

Hope you folks enjoy this one.

regards
Ramesh Hariharan