Ghazal
आ के मुझ तक कश्ती-ए-मय साक़िया उल्टी फिरी
This ghazal poignantly captures the poet's profound misfortune and perpetual despair, where moments of relief and joy turn back just as they reach him. Through metaphors of reversed winds and sighs that strangle his own throat, it conveys a sorrowful tone of enduring tragedy and adverse fate.
Source: rekhta · HI
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1
आ के मुझ तक कश्ती-ए-मय साक़िया उल्टी फिरी
आज क्या नद्दी बही उल्टी हवा उल्टी फिरी
Reaching right up to me, O Cupbearer, the boat of wine turned back; Did the river flow upstream today, or did the wind reverse its track?
O cupbearer, the vessel of wine reached right up to me and then turned back; did the river flow in reverse today, or did the wind blow backwards?
2
आते आते लब पर आह-ए-ना-रसा उल्टी फिरी
वो भी मेरा ही दबाने को गला उल्टी फिरी
Just as it reached my lips, my futile sigh turned back — it turned back only to choke my own throat.
My futile sigh turned back just as it reached my lips, and it returned only to choke my own throat.
3
मुड़ के देखा उस ने और वार अबरुओं का चल गया
इक छुरी सीधी फिरी और इक ज़रा उल्टी फिरी
She turned to look back, and the strike of her eyebrows struck true: one dagger sliced straight, and the other cut slightly in reverse.
As she turned back to look, the strike of her eyebrows hit its mark; it felt as though one dagger cut straight and the other slashed slightly in reverse.
4
ला सका नज़्ज़ारा-ए-रुख़्सार-ए-रौशन की न ताब
जा के आईने पे चेहरे की ज़िया उल्टी फिरी
Unable to endure the sight of that luminous cheek, striking the mirror, the radiance of the face turned back in retreat.
The mirror could not bear the sight of the luminous cheek, and upon hitting the mirror, the radiance of the face reflected and turned back.
5
रास्त-बाज़ों ही को पीसा आसमाँ ने रात दिन
वा-ए-क़िस्मत जब फिरी ये आसिया उल्टी फिरी
Night and day, the heavens crushed none but the righteous and the true; alas, such fate! Whenever this millstone turned, in reverse it turned askew.
Day and night, the heavens have crushed only the truthful and honest people; alas for fate, whenever this millstone turned, it always turned the wrong way.
6
जो बड़ा बोल एक दिन बोले थे पेश आया वही
गुम्बद-ए-गर्दूं से टकरा कर सदा उल्टी फिरी
The boastful words I spoke one day have returned to face me now; crashing against the dome of heaven, the echo rebounded back.
The boastful words that were once uttered have now come back to confront me, just as a sound echoes back after striking the dome of the sky.
7
रिज़्क़ खा कर ग़ैर की क़िस्मत का ज़ंबूर-ए-असल
तू ने देखा हल्क़ तक जा कर ग़िज़ा उल्टी फिरी
Having fed upon the sustenance fated for another, O honeybee, did you see how the food, reaching the throat, was turned back?
O honeybee, having consumed the sustenance destined for someone else, did you see how that food, after reaching your throat, was vomited back out?
8
तू सताइश-गर है उस का जो है तेरा मद्ह-ख़्वाँ
ये तो ऐ मुशफ़िक़ ज़मीर-ए-मर्हबा उल्टी फिरी
You lavish praise on one who sings your praise in turn; / O kindly friend, the sense of 'well done' has turned around!
You praise only the one who sings your praises; O kind friend, this congratulatory applause has turned completely backward into mere mutual flattery.
9
जिस पर आई थी तबीअत की उसी ने कुछ न क़द्र
जिंस-ए-दिल मानिंद-ए-जिंस-ए-नारवा उल्टी फिरी
The very one my heart was set upon held it in no esteem; like spurned and worthless merchandise, the heart returned unsold.
The one I had fallen for showed no appreciation at all, and my heart returned rejected like worthless, unsellable goods.
10
या तो कुशी डूबती थी या चली साहिल से दूर
वाए नाकामी फिरी भी तो हवा उल्टी फिरी
Either the boat was sinking or drifting far from the shore; Alas, what despair! Even when the wind turned, it turned adverse once more.
Either the boat was sinking or it was drifting far from the shore. Alas, what misfortune, even when the wind turned, it blew in the wrong direction.
11
गिरने वाला है किसी दुश्मन पे क्या तीर-ए-शहाब
आसमाँ तक जा के क्यूँ आह-ए-रसा उल्टी फिरी
Is an arrow of meteoric fire about to strike some foe, that my far-reaching sigh, having reached the heavens, now turns back below?
Is a meteoric arrow about to strike some enemy, that my far-reaching sigh, after ascending all the way to the sky, has turned back?
12
जी गया मैं उस के आ जाने से दुश्मन मर गया
देख कर ईसा को बालीं पर क़ज़ा उल्टी फिरी
Her arrival brought me back to life, and struck the rival dead; seeing the Messiah at my pillow, Death turned around and fled.
I came back to life upon their arrival while the enemy died; seeing the Messiah at my bedside, Death itself turned around and fled.
13
मर गया बे-मौत मैं आख़िर अजल भी दूर है
कूचा-ए-क़ातिल का बतला कर पता उल्टी फिरी
I died an untimely death, though destined Death was still afar; pointing the way to the slayer's lane, Death itself turned back.
I died an untimely death even though natural death was still far away; death itself merely showed me the way to the beloved's lane and turned back.
14
हिज्र की शब मुझ को उल्टी साँस लेते देख कर
एक ही दम में वहाँ जा कर सबा उल्टी फिरी
Seeing me draw my dying breath upon the night of separation, in a single breath the breeze flew to her and returned in haste.
Seeing me take my dying breaths on the night of separation, the morning breeze rushed to the beloved and returned immediately in a single instant.
15
है मिरा वीराना-ए-ग़म 'नज़्म' ऐसा हौल-नाक
मौज-ए-सैल आई तो ले कर बोरिया उल्टी फिरी
So terrifying, O Nazm, is this desolate wilderness of my grief, that even the surging flood packed its meager mat and turned back in fear.
O Nazm, the wilderness of my grief is so terrifying that when the wave of the flood arrived, it gathered its mat and turned back in fear.
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