pō’ĭ-trē

Sahir Ludhianvi

Listen

chalo ek baar phir se ajnabii ban jaayeN ham donoN

na maiN tum se ko’ii ummiid rakhuuN dil navaazii kii
na tum merii taraf dekho Ghalat andaaz nazroN se
na mere dil kii dhaRkan laRkhaRaaye merii baatoN meN
na zaahir ho tumhaarii kash-ma-kash kaa raaz nazroN se

chalo ek baar phir se ajnabii ban jaayeN ham donoN

tumheN bhii ko’ii uljhan roktii hai pesh-kadmii se
mujhe bhii log kahte haiN ke ye jalve paraaye haiN
mere ham-raah bhii rusavaaiyaaN haiN mere maazii kii
tumhaare saath bhii guzrii hu’ii raatoN ke saaye haiN

ta’arruf rog ho jaaye to us ko bhuulnaa behtar
ta’alluq bojh ban jaaye to us ko toRnaa achchaa
vo afsaanaa jise ajnaam tak laanaa na ho mumkin
use ek Khuubsuurat moR dekar chhoRnaa achchaa

chalo ek baar phir se ajnabii ban jaayeN ham donoN

And a translation by Falstaff,

Come, let us be strangers again, you and I.

I shall no longer hope for any favours from you
Nor shall you look upon me with eyes askance.
And my words shall tremble no more with my heartbeat
Nor the secret of your struggle be betrayed in a glance.

Come, let us be strangers again, you and I.

You too have hesitated to give yourself completely
I too wear disguises, or so I am told
The disgraces of my past are my constant companions
And you too are possessed by the nights of old.

When involvement becomes illness it is best forgotten
When a relationship oppresses it is best to break it
When the adventure you are embarked on cannot be completed
One must find a beautiful way out, and take it.

Come, let us be strangers again, you and I.

Some years back, I had someone explain to me - the art of making a good presentation. Tell the audience what you are going to talk about. State your theory (- let us become strangers again) - and what that would mean. Then, explain the setting(, the memories and emotions you both carry with you). Finally explain your solution (- let us become strangers again). And all that in just 3 slides :)

What a simple solution to so many troubles life throws at you! Take a beautiful way out :) As they say, the simplest and the most elegant solutions are the ones that are hardest to arrive at.

Lovely poem, lovely theme.

And on Aligarians, a reading of this nazm by Sahir himself.

[blackmamba]