अहमद फ़राज़ | Ahmed Faraz — हर कोई दिल की हथेली पे है सहरा रक्खे | har koyi dil ki hatheli pe hai sahra rakkhe (with English translation)

Translation: Turn Off

हर कोई दिल की हथेली पे है सहरा रक्खे
किसको सैराब करे वो किसे प्यासा रक्खे

har koyi dil ki hatheli pe hai sahra rakkhe
kisko sairaab kare vo kise pyaasa rakkhe

Everyone holds in the heart a desert waiting for rain
Whom do they* douse then, whom do they* not imbue

–

उम्रभर कौन निभाता है तअल्लुक़ इतना
ऐ मेरी जान के दुश्मन तुझे अल्लाह रक्खे

umrbhar kaun nibhaata hai ta’alluq itna
ae meri jaan ke dushman tujhe allah rakkhe

Who (else but you) would maintain a life-long bond (with me) like this
O my mortal enemy! may you have a long life, may God protect you

–

हमको अच्छा नहीं लगता कोई हमनाम तेरा
कोई तुझसा हो, तो फिर नाम भी तुझसा रक्खे

humko achchha naheen lagta koyi ham’naam tera
koi tujhsa ho to phir naam bhi tujhsa rakkhe

I do not like any namesake of yours, for
If they can’t be like you, then having the same name is undue

–

दिल भी पागल है कि उस शख़्स से वाबस्ता है
जो किसी और का होने दे ना अपना रक्खे

dil bhi paagal hai ki us shakhs se vaabasta hai
jo kisi aur ka hone de na apna rakkhe

How foolish is my heart to be involved with that person
Who neither does hold me dear nor lets anyone else do

–

कम नहीं तमा-ए-इबादत भी तो हिर्स-ए-ज़र से
फ़क़्र तो वो है कि जो दीन ना दुनिया रक्खे

kam naheen tama-e-ibaadat bhi to hirs-e-zar se
faqr to vo hai ki jo din na duniya rakkhe

Devouring (/excessive) devoutness is no better than greed of gold
(True) Asceticism is that which does both faith and wordly things eschew

–

हँस ना इतना भी फ़क़ीरों के अकेलेपन पर
जा, ख़ुदा मेरी तरह तुझको भी तन्हा रक्खे

hans na itna bhi faqeeron ke akelepan par
ja, khuda meri tarah tujhko bhi tanha rakkhe

Mock not the solitary way of life of the faqirs
Like me, may God make you lonely too

–

ये क़नाअत है, इताअत है, कि चाहत है ‘फ़राज़’
हम तो राज़ी हैं वो जिस हाल में जैसा रक्खे

ye qanaa’at hai itaa’at hai ki chaahat hai ‘Faraz’
hum to raazi hain vo jis haal mein jaisa rakkhe

Is this your contentment, or submissiveness, or is it love ‘Faraz’
You are acquiescent, however (badly) they* treat you

—

Posted: 18-Apr-2020, Translation: 17-Apr-2020

Notes:

* Singular they is the use in English of the pronoun they or its inflected or derivative forms, them, their, theirs, and themselves (or themself), as an epicene (gender-neutral) singular pronoun
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singular_they