Thursday, December 27, 2012

Ghalib and the Stars

चर्ख-ए-सुखन जिस से मुनव्वर है ये वो नज्म-ए-शिमाल
तालिब जो हैं उर्दू ‘अदब के उन का मुर्शिद भी वही

(चर्ख-ए-सुखन = firmament of language; मुनव्वर = illuminated; नज्म-ए-शिमाल = North Star; तालिब = seekers, students; मुर्शिद = guide)

Mirza Asadullah Khan ‘Ghalib’ – the North Star illuminating the firmament of language, the spiritual guide to the students of Urdu language, the brightest star among the constellation of poets. On his birth anniversary today, I didn’t find a better way than to write an ode to his greatness in the form of a couplet.

Talking of stars, almost every Urdu poet of renown has written about stars. Ghalib is no exception. As one would expect, he hardly uses stars in conventional metaphors and descriptions. There aren’t many ‘starry’ couplets in his deewan (collection), but whenever they make an appearance it is in a very unique fashion. Not many poets would refer to stars in the manner Ghalib has done in his poetry. Though the couplets themselves are very unidirectional and straightforward, the beauty lies either in the visual nature of the imagery, the usage of unprecedented words, or a subtle twist to a conventional metaphor.

I am taking three couplets from his deewan to demonstrate my point.

First of all, let’s look at a conventional metaphor i.e. counting of stars, a pet pastime of someone who cannot sleep at night for some reason.

किस तरह काटे कोई शबहा-ए-तार-ए-बरशकाल
है नज़र ख़ू-करदह-ए-अख़तरशुमारी हाए हाए

(शबहा-ए-तार-ए-बरशकाल = dark nights of the rainy season; ख़ू-करदह-ए-अख़तरशुमारी = habituated to counting stars)

Let’s look at the language first. The usage of Persianized plural (शबहा) for nights is very Ghalibian. Not that other poets have not used it, but Ghalib has used this more often than others. Even the usage of relatively rare words like बरशकाल and ख़ू-करदह is very true to Ghalib.

Let’s turn our attention to the meaning now. When one is unable to sleep, the best way to pass the night is to lie down facing the sky and count the stars. One will either fall asleep during the exercise, or at least the night will pass. But what does a habitual star-counter do when there is an impediment to this exercise? Nothing, but lament (हाए हाए). How this impediment appears is the crux of this she’r. At the very literal level, the impediment is external i.e. the rainy season itself play spoil sport. The sky is covered with clouds, so the stars are not visible and the night is completely dark. What does one count? But there is a very subtle alternate interpretation as well. The impediment is internal, where the ‘rainy season’ is a metaphor of incessant crying. One’s vision is impaired because of being misty eyed, no stars can be seen, so how does one accustomed to counting stars spend the night?

Now for the second couplet, where stars are indeed the protagonist but not in the usual way one would expect. The words used are rare and unique.

थीं बनात-उल-न`श-ए-गरदूँ दिन को परदे में निहाँ
शब को उन के जी में क्या आई कि `उरयाँ हो गईं

(बनात-उल-न`श-ए-गरदूँ = Daughters of the Bier of the Sky, a name for the Ursa Major constellation; निहाँ = hidden;`उरयाँ = naked)

Now this is truly unique! Bringing an entire constellation to the fore, instead of a mere star. The Great Bear is called the Daughter of the Bier because it looks like a rhomboidal bier with the three stars forming the ‘tail’ appearing like pall bearers. The uniqueness of this couplet is just in the usage of the words. The meaning is pretty straightforward. The poet is simply stating a natural fact in the form of a rhetorical question. Stars are only visible at night, and since we’re referring to ‘daughters’ here it is an interesting analogy to equate hidden with the purdah and visibility with nakedness. Apart from this, there isn’t much layering in this couplet (at least not that I could fathom).

Finally, a couplet that can be considered a fine example of visual poetry

शब हुई फिर अन्जुम-ए-रख़्शिन्दः का मंज़र खुला
इस तकल्लुफ़ से कि गोया बुत-कदे का दर खुला

(अन्जुम-ए-रख़्शिन्दः = shining stars; मंज़र = scene; तकल्लुफ़ = ceremony; गोया = as if; बुत-कदा = an idol-temple)

I do not count Ghalib as a ‘visual poet’. His poetry is idiosyncratically nuanced, philosophical, multi-layered, and what not, but examples of couplets that paint a visual picture are very few. This is one couplet that draws strength only from the visual similitude it creates. Imagine the ceremony of opening the gates of a temple. Imagine the countless lamps illuminating the temple precincts in and around the idol. Aren’t they like the stars that illuminate the night sky? Again, a very straightforward couplet relying primarily on visual poetry. One could stretch it a bit and equate the idol in a temple to a beloved and assign the stars the role of lamps illuminating the thoughts of the beloved at night. But still, it lacks depth in meaning. This is totally compensated by the beauty of imagination of the poet.

Before I end, I must reiterate that Ghalib’s poetry is like a bottomless ocean. Each reading can reveal a new dimension. So, it is very possible that when I revisit the above couplets I might have a different way of looking at them.

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Paradox of Heat and Cold

घर आतिशों के बीच भी क़ा’इम था और सबात
शबनम बरसने जब लगी ये कैसे जल गया

(Amidst all the fires, the house stood intact on its own
How could then only a few drops of dew burn it down)

Juxtaposition of heat and cold (in all its variants) is a common device used by poets to establish a paradox or oxymoron. Jigar Moradabadi put dewdrops and fire side by side in this couplet:

ओस पड़े बहार पर आग लगे कनार में
तुम जो नहीं कनार में लुत्फ़ ही क्या बहार में

(Dew drops on bounty of spring light a fire in my embrace
A spring without you in my arms is bereft of all grace)

Allama Iqbal, in his nazm Sair-e-Falak, turned a commonly held belief/concept on its head to create a contradiction. Though not strictly a paradox, he established hell, which is conventionally believed to be burning and hot, as a freezing cold place that would embarrass even the coldest of places. (I call it “not strictly a paradox”, because in Islam, one of the pits of hell – Zamhareer - is indeed known for its freezing character).

खुन्क ऐसा कि जिस से शर्मा कर
कुर्रा-ए-ज़म्हरीर हो रू-पोश

(It was so cold that being embarrassed by it
The coldest of places was concealing its face)

ये मक़ाम-ए-खुन्क जहन्नुम है
नार से, नूर से तेही आगोश

(This cold place is called Hell
It is deprived of fire and light)

When it comes to lyrics of Hindi film songs there is no dearth of this paradox of heat and cold. In fact it can almost be a called a cliché when it comes to usage of paradoxes and oxymorons in lyrics, next only to probably ‘sounds of silence’. 

Let’s explore how various lyricists have used this in Hindi films…

In this song from Brandy Ki Botal (1939), the lyricist talks about fire trapped in the water inside a bottle (भरी है आग मतवाले तेरी बोतल के पानी में…).

Bhari Hai Aag Matwale Teri Botal Ke Paani Mein - Film: Brandy Ki Botal (1939) - Singer: Unknown - Music: Dada Chandekar–Lyrics: Unknown

In this song from Jhoola (1962), Rajinder Krishna is curious how the water has caught fire (आग पानी में लगी कैसे…).

Aag Paani Mein Lagi Kaise - Film: Jhoola (1962) - Singers: Mohd. Rafi & Lata Mangeshkar - Music: Salil Chaowdhury - Lyrics: Rajinder Krishan

Hasrat Jaipuri talks about cold sighs causing heartburn in this song from Tere Ghar Ke Saamne (दिल जलाने के लिए ठंडी आहें न भरो…).

Dekho Rootha Na Karo - Film: Tere Ghar Ke Saamne (1963) - Singers: Lata Mangeshkar & Mohd. Rafi - Music: Sachin Dev Burman - Lyrics: Hasrat Jaipuri

Majrooh laments the ‘burning’ of solitude in the cold weather in Teen Deviyan (उफ्फ कितनी ठंडी है ये रुत, सुलगे है तन्हाई मेरी…)

Uff Kitni Thandi Hai Ye Rut - Film: Teen Deviyan (1965) - Singers: Lata Mangeshkar & Kishore Kumar - Music: Sachin Dev Burman - Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri

Shakeel Badayuni used this too as an oxymoron - ठंडी आग

Baalam Tere Pyar Ki Thandi Aag Mein - Film: Ram Aur Shyam - Singers: Mohd. Rafi & Asha Bhosle - Music: Naushad - Lyrics: Shakeel Badayuni

Another common variant of this paradox is where moon or moonlight, conventionally accepted as ‘cold’ is seen causing a burn. For example, Prem Dhawan in this song from Private Secretary talks about moonlight causing heartburn (जा जा रे चंदा जा रे, तेरी चाँदनी भी मेरा जियरा जलाये…).

Ja Ja Re Chanda Ja Re - Film: Private Secretary (1962) - Singer: Lata Mangeshkar - Music: Dilip Dholakia - Lyrics: Prem Dhawan

In Stree, Bhart Vyas went a step ahead and even made this more explicit by specifying that although the moon is cold, it burns the body (ये चन्दा शीतल कहलाता फिर क्यों मेरे अंग जलाता…). He goes further and talks about full moon night turning to fire (… आग बनी पूनम)

O Nirdayi Preetam - Film: Stree (1962) - Singer: Lata Mangeshkar - Music: C. Ramchandra–Lyrics: Bharat Vyas

Another very common usage in Hindi film songs has been of the relation between monsoon/rains (सावन) and fire (आग). Although it had been used before by other lyricists, going by the sheer number of times he used it, one could say that this imagery was almost patented by Anand Bakshi. Here’s one example from Amar Prem (1971) (सावन जो अगन लगाये उसे कौन बुझाये)

Chingari Koi Bhadke - Film: Amar Prem (1971) - Singer: Kishore Kumar - Music: Rahul Dev Burman - Lyrics: Anand Bakshi

Among all the lyricists who have written songs for Hindi films, if there is one name that is almost synonymous with the usage of paradox/oxymoron, it has to be Gulzar. If you pick up any song of his at random, chances are that you will find at least one instance of a paradox. So it is only natural that this paradox of heat and cold is amply visible in his oeuvre as well. In this song from Aastha (1996), he finds ‘drops of fire’ to be colder than ice (बर्फ से ठंडी आग की बूँदें…).

Tan Pe Lagti Kaanch Ki Boondein - Film: Asstha (1996) - Singer: Sriradha Banerjee - Music: Sharang Dev - Lyrics: Gulzar

This was just a random sampling of a few songs written by different lyricists. There are surely countless other examples of this paradox in Hindi film songs.

Sunday, December 09, 2012

Interpreting My Poem - V

And now one of my personal favourites. I had started writing this one as a self-imposed challenge to write something in the same tarah (combination of meter, rhyme and refrain) as a she’r written by a friend, that had completely blown me off. You can read more about that inspiration in this previous post.

As earlier, the English verses and interpretations are penned by Archana Gupta.


गरचिह हम वादाशिकन के नाम से जाने गये

बाइस-ए-ग़फ़्लतशियारी उनको समझाने गये
Although I was declared disloyal and promise-breaker in essence
All I tried to do was explain the reasons for my habitual negligence

गरचिह = Although, though, If; वादाशिकन = promise-breaker; बाइस = reason;
ग़फ़्लतशियारी = carelessness, negligence

I tried to explain things to her/them but on the basis of my (past record of) habitual negligence, I was declared disloyal/unfaithful.


ऐश-ओ-इशरत की तलब उस पर फ़ना होने की चाह

महफ़िल-ए-रक्स-ए-शरर की ओर परवाने गये
Craving for pleasure and glitter, the desire to obliterate self in her affection
Drove the moth towards the flame dancing in the congregation

ऐश = pleasure; इशरत = delight; तलब = desire; फ़ना = destruction, death; रक्स = dance; शरर = flame

The moth approached the dancing flame attracted by the glitter in pursuit of  simple pleasure & happiness unabashed by /unmindful of its inevitable destruction.  Possibly an indirect reference to people getting attracted to a glittery life instead of taking the high road, despite knowing the trade-off.


ज़ुल्म ख़ुद पर करने का हम को अजब ये शौक़ है

बज़्म-ए-ख़ूबाँ में हम अपने दिल को बहलाने गये
Torturing self must be a strange hobby of mine
Merely to be entertained, to her gathering I made a beeline

बज़्म = gathering; ख़ूबाँ = beautiful ones
 
I must have masochistic tendencies, I went to her/their gathering just for entertainment (knowing I'll likely be hurt by what I will see and the treatment that will be meted out to me).


ये हमारी ख़ू थी जो भेजा किये उनको ख़तूत

वो मगर क्यूँ ग़ैर से तहरीर पढ़वाने गये
Out of sheer force of habit, I wrote letters to her
But did she really have to get them read by a complete stranger

ख़ू = habit; ख़तूत = letters; तहरीर = writing
 
I wrote to her out of habit (knowing fully well that she will not comprehend), but why did she ask a stranger to interpret?
(Basic complain is against the lover letting a third party get an insider view of the relationship)


दोपहर की रौशनी में लगते हैं शफ़्फ़ाफ़ सब

रात जो आयी बदन के दाग़ पहचाने गये
In the light of the day, all the people seem transparent, sheer
It’s the night that makes all the blights clear

शफ़्फ़ाफ़ = transparent, clear

Looking at the the face people reveal (day or what is evident), everyone appears transparent (clear of heart and intent).  On getting to know people and understanding the nature they mask (night or what is hidden), we see the flaws.


है नहीं उम्मीद कोई उनसे शफ़क़त की हमें

चाक-ए-दिल ख़ून-ए-जिगर दुनिया को दिखलाने गये
From her I expect no understanding, no consideration
She who shared with strangers our affliction and tribulation

शफ़क़त = kindness, favour
 
Two very conflicting meanings emerge based on "who" the subject is in the second line.  I completely missed the second one till Aditya pointed it out...

  • I have no hope of understanding (of my need of privacy) from her, who went on to share our sorrows with strangers.
    and then there is…
  • Having lost all hope in her/dear ones, I shared my sorrows/wounds with complete strangers and started approaching all and sundry for a possible cure. 

I distinctly favor the first one as I do think that was the original intent and is more in line with the sentiments expressed in some of the other ash'aar of this ghazal as well as this poet's work elsewhere.


क़ैस-ओ-लैला शीरीं और फ़रहाद फिर हम और तुम

दास्तान-ए-इश्क़ में बस जुड़ते अफ़साने गये
Qais and Laila, Shirin and Farhad, and alas, now you and I too
Just some tales of romance for the world to gossip about and make much ado

क़ैस = Real name of legendary lover Majnoon;
 
We have also become yet another tale (talk of the town) for the world to talk about and discuss and interpret  -  another lament on the fact that details of our private relationship are open to world to interpret and comment on.

Saturday, December 08, 2012

Interpreting My Poem - IV

Here is the fourth installment of interpretation of my poems by Archana Gupta. The Urdu verses are of course mine, but the English verses and the interpretation are Archana’s


क्यूँ बादा-ए-गुनाह से मख़्मूर होते हैं

क़त्ल-ए-ख़ुलूस कर के भी मशहूर होते हैं
Why on the wine of crime, are people intoxicated
Despite smothering all sincerity and purity, celebrated?

बादा = wine; गुनाह = crime; मख़्मूर = intoxicated; ख़ुलूस = purity, sincerity;
मशहूर = famous

Why are people so very drunk on their success via a life of crime or wrong-doing?   They completely kill all the goodness and sincerity in them and around them, yet rejoice in the success they achieve by wrong means.  Definite social comment on today's state of affairs and absolutely unabashed culture of success at any cost.


जो हों न उनकी बज़्म में मौजूद हम कभी

क़िस्से हमारे मौज़ू-ए-मज़्कूर होते हैं
Even when I am not present in her gathering
Tales of my exploits set the tongues wagging

बज़्म = gathering; मौज़ू = topic, theme; मज़्कूर = what is mentioned

I am so much a part of her/his life that even when I am not there, my deeds and I are talked about.   Now part of life could be interpreted as positive or negative -  could be so dear or could be the worst enemy / so hated -  in either case, the speaker is not ignored.  Another slightly different way to express the same meaning is that I am well talked about by both friends and foes alike.


रन्जीदगी थी उनको जो मैं पास था नहीं

आया हूँ अब क़रीब तो वो दूर होते हैं
When I stayed away, she always complained of my absence
Now that I try to bridge the gap, she maintains the distance

रन्जीदगी = displeasure

First look suggests that it the poet's lament that the lover used to object that he/she makes no effort to come close (likely emotionally or even simply time wise, he is just not spending enough time with her) but now that he is making an effort, there is not enough reciprocation.  A second thought reveals that it is not clear why is the partner no longer responsive - could be on account of the partner having given up or could be on account of familiarity breeding contempt. And this last thought actually diverges into two -  second one leading to viewing the second line of the she’r as a paradox. 
 
View it as a statement that as the speaker bridges the distance by being present more often physically, some keeps getting created simultaneously, perhaps at the emotional level -  more in the nature of "more time I spend with her, the more I realize we have so little in common and thus the physical decrease of the distance is increasing the emotional divide and taking her further away from me".  So here, they come close to drift apart -  a paradox as good as any....


क्या पत्थरों से होगा मेरे सर पे कोई ज़ख़्म

फूलों से खाई चोट तो मख़्सूर होते हैं
Stones hurled at my head cause it no laceration
But the flowers thrown my way bring most destruction

मख़्सूर = wounded, injured

Obvious slights or perhaps physical attack will cause me no harm (I am immune to that or I consider it insignificant), its the harshness of attitude, perhaps verbal slights or reprimands that cause me most damage (damage to the spirit, wound to heart that is harder to heal).


क्यूँ साकिनान-ए-क़स्र की तारीफ़ करते हो

हक़दार इत्तिसाफ़ के मज़दूर होते हैं
Why are the residents of the palaces showered with ovation
While the men who toil to build them are the ones worthy of recognition?

साकिनान = residents; क़स्र = palace; हक़दार = worthy; इत्तिसाफ़ = praise

Why do the residents of beautiful palaces get the praise?  It truly belongs to the masons that build it.  for example, Taj Mahal is credited to Shah Jahan (& Mumtaz)  with not much thought spared to those who toiled to build it.   Generically and universally applied, its the poet's comment on the world associating credit of a task with the face or the task without assigning due credit to forces behind the actual effort.


है ऐतिमाद जिनको न ताले’अ शिनास पर

जेहाद-ए-ज़िन्दगी में वो मन्सूर होते हैं
Those who less on luck and fortune-tellers lean
More in battles of life they succeed and glean

ऐतिमाद = dependence; ताले’अ शिनास = fortune teller, astrologer; जेहाद = war;
मन्सूर = victorious

I would chalk this one up to a "Karam Pradhan" attitude on the part of the poet. His claim is that those who do not believe in luck or fortune-tellers (but believe in their effort perhaps) are the ones that prevail in the battle of life and become successful. 


अख़्लाक़ का न इल्म किसी काम आयेगा

मिट जाते हैं जो नेकी से मजबूर होते हैं
Sincerity and virtue serve no purpose in this world today
Those who practice these are quickly obliterated away

अख़्लाक़ = virtues; इल्म = knowledge

The knowledge or practice of sincere, virtuous, righteous behavior is of no use in today's world.   Those who are bound by these "virtues" are overcome, defeated, and annihilated.  Yet another comment on the current state of our society.


साये जो हैं लिखे मेरी क़िस्मत में वो कहाँ

फ़ज़्ल-ए-शुआ-ए-शम्स से काफ़ूर होते हैं
The shadows and dark that are to my destiny bound
Are not overcome even by the bright sunshine around

फ़ज़्ल = grace; शुआ = ray; शम्स = sun; काफ़ूर = disappear

Now this is an interesting one based on how you interpret "साये".   If you mean darkness by it, the meaning is straightforward, the darkness that is associated with my life (in form of bad luck), does not get removed even by virtue of bright rays of sun shining upon me.  However if you consider "साये" to be shadows, the shadows are actually only formed when there is light.  Then the nuance is just a little different, the brightness of the world or happiness around me, accentuates or makes more visible, the shadows cast on my own life, rather my unhappiness.


उम्र-ए-शब-ए-फ़िराक़ अगर इतनी हो दराज़

उश्शाक़ वक़्त-ए-वस्ल भी रन्जूर होते हैं
When so long is each night of separation

The days of togetherness are also filled with apprehension

शब = night; फ़िराक़ = separation; दराज़ = long; उश्शाक़ = lovers; वस्ल = union;
रन्जूर = distressed

Literal meaning is that if the duration of the night of separation is so long, the lovers are sad even when they are together (with the thought of impending long separation).  It has a parallel universal application.  When the troubled periods in a life are so intense and long, even when the untroubled times come, a person is so used to staying sad that he/she is unable to enjoy the good times.


मग़रिब को देखता हूँ कि इशराक़ हो वहाँ

क्यूँ काम इस जहाँ के ब-दस्तूर होते हैं
After sunset, I search for light in the west but in vain
Why are the ways of this world so rigid again?

मग़रिब = west; इशराक़ = dawn, day break; ब-दस्तूर = as per norms

Literally speaking, the meaning is, I look at the point where sun has set so find a ray of light, knowing its against the law of nature and expectedly, find none.  I think the under the surface comment is on the inflexibility of the "systems" in this world and the way the world works and how its not willing to change even when the little changes would lead to much betterment.  Sounds like a socio-political comment.

Tuesday, December 04, 2012

Interpreting My Poem - III

Here is another of my ghazals translated/interpreted by Archana Gupta. This time she has gone a step ahead and created verses of her own in English, corresponding to each of my Urdu verses. Absolutely brilliant!


कैसे कटेगी रात ये अख़्तरशुमारी की

हालत न देखी जाये है अब बेक़रारी की
How shall I pass this night counting stars in sleeplessness
When I can't at all now stand this restlessness?

अख़्तरशुमारी = counting stars

Likely a hard night spent without the lover missing him/her, perhaps in anticipation of meeting the next day.

Universal application would be that its about a night before any "significant event" that may have nothing to do with romance but one lies sleepless, waiting in anticipation or even dread for the next day to dawn.


हालत पे मेरी आँख तेरी हो सकी न नम

उम्मीद फिर हो ग़ैर से क्या ग़मगुसारी की
My condition could not make even your eye wet
From strangers then what empathy may I expect?

ग़मगुसारी = to console or comfort

This seems like a straightforward complaint to one' lover or partner for not showing enough understanding.  Certainly, the speaker believes himself to be the wronged party.


नाम-ओ-निशाँ लहु का रगों तक से मिट चला

जिस्म-ए-नज़ार माँगे दुआ इस्तेवारी की
Not one can find signs of blood in my veins any longer
This weak and frail body prays to get stronger

नाम-ओ-निशाँ = signs; रग = vein; जिस्म-ए-नज़ार = weak body; इस्तेवारी = strength
 
Indicates fatigue fighting off adversity and sets the stage for some of the following ash'aar though is in no way necessary for their understanding or interpretation.


नासिर ये हम ने तेरी रिफ़ाक़त भी देख ली

यूँ चल दिये जो बात चली जाँनिसारी की
O my supposed well-wisher, testing your friendship is done
At the first sign of trouble, you were all but gone

नासिर = friend, ally; रिफ़ाक़त = companionship; जाँनिसारी = sacrificing one’s life

I have tested your friendship (and found it lacking), you who pretend to be my well-wisher.  As soon as it was mentioned that you may have to actually go to some bother for me, you got up and walked off.  Basically, a complaint against fair-weather friends.


नादाँ तू क्यूँ है ढूँढता तक़दीस और वफ़ा

तुझ को नहीं मिलेगी दवा दिलफ़िगारी की
O foolish one, why do you look for piety and fidelity here
For your broken heart, no medicine, no cure is there

तक़दीस = purity; दिलफ़िगारी = wounding of the heart

This seems to be an address to self in self-pitying tone.  This strongly reflects the poet's extreme disillusionment from his relationship(s) of past, likely romantic but not necessarily so.  Yet there is reference to a hope in him as well as that is precisely what he is trying to quell in himself.


हैं ज़ेर-ए-गर्द-ओ-ख़ाक चमन के तमाम गुल

देखा करेंगे राह ये बाद-ए-बहारी की
All the flowers of the garden are reduced to dirt, they lie in gloom
And shall await the winds of spring to yet again bloom

ज़ेर-ए-गर्द-ओ-ख़ाक = under the dust; बाद-ए-बहारी = breeze of spring

Literal meaning is "All the flowers of the garden are ruined -  defeated and destroyed, reduced to dirt.  They will now await for the signs (winds) of next spring to revive them".  The obvious indication is towards the poet's weakened state.  His current struggles have reduced his strength and stature and he is perhaps indicating that he awaits better times in life.  There is an element of reliance on luck/destined time in this she’r.


तौबा तमाम अब हों जफ़ाएँ भी आपकी

है आप से तवक़्क़ो’ हमें ऐतिज़ारी की
Oh stop it now! This torture must at once end
Apologise and your ways you must mend!

जफ़ाएँ = opression, torture; तवक़्क़ो’ = expectation; ऐतिज़ारी = regret, repentance

This she’r seems to be in a fairly fed up tone -  the poet has reached the end of his rope, has taken enough non-sense from perhaps a lover and is prepared to take no more!  Literal translation is "Your torture must end and you had better apologise for your behaviour...".  Underlying sentiment simply seems to be enough said and done, now atone or else...