WO SHUKS (THAT MAN)

I wrote a ghazal few days ago, let me introduce ghazal to those who don't ubderstand Urdu, Ghazal is a form of poetry in URDU as sonnet in English and haiku in Japanese)

Ghazals usually have no titles, first line or first two/three words of the ghazal considered as a title. So as the first two words of my ghazal are WO SHUKS (translation THAT MAN) so title of my ghazal is WO SHUKS.

Follwoing is the ghazal with the translation, I don't really like to translate poetry as it ruins the charm of the original script but as for those who don't understand Urdu, I decided to translate my ghazal.


Wo shuks…Bay naam thaa, bay daagh thaa, bud naam thaa,
Makhmalee libaas main, kantoon kay darmyan thaa.

THAT MAN WAS NAMELESS, STAINLESS BUT HE WAS DEFAMED
HE WAS LIKE A VELVET TORN BY THE THORNS OF BLAMES

Wo shuks tu thaa ajnabee, per zuban-e-zade aam thaa
Rahatoon kee dhuup main, sayoon ke zere daam thaa

THAT MAN WAS A STRANGER BUT KNOWN TO EVERY TONGUE
UNDER THE SOOTHING SUNLIGHT HE WAS ENCIRCLED BY THE TEASING SHADES

Wo shuks bohat weeran thaa, ujraa gulistan thaa
Na khilwatoon ke aan thaa, na mefiloon ke jaan thaa.

THAT MAN WAS LIKE A DESERTED AND SAVAGE GARDEN
WAS NEITHER RESPECTABLE IN THE CLOSET NOR IN THE COMPANY OF MILLIONS

Na wo kisee ka yaar tha, na kisee ke dil ka qarar thaa
Naa thaa aseer-e-zulf wo , na shutr-e-bay muhaar thaa

HE WAS NEITHER A FRIEND OF ANYONE, NOR A HEARTBEAT OF ANYONE'S HEART
HE WASN'T ENTANGLED WITH FAIRY'S HAIR , WASN'T A WILD/FREE STALLION EITHER

Wo shuks thaa bay zarur, par ajab insaan thaa
Sher-e-darogh main zuban-e-bay nayam thaa.

HE WASN'T A BRAVE MAN BUT HE WASN'T AFRAID OF ANYONE
IN THE WAR OF LIES HE WAS LIKE A DOUBLE EDGED TONGUE

Afsos! wo budnaseeb rindon ke darmyaan thaa
Hosh waloon kay lye pastyoon kaa jam tha.

THAT MAN LIVED AMONGST THE DRUNKARDS/IGNORANTS
AS FOR THE WISE MEN HE WAS LIKE A POISONOUS WINE.

___________nocturnal