Aatish-e-Chinar

Whenever I post an article, I compile the writing first and then think of a picture that suits it. Well, that is what I usually do. Sometimes though you are inspired to make exceptions. The inspiration came from the picture below.

I took it on a fresh October morning and stylized it on a mundane November afternoon. It was orginally meant to be the album cover of an unreleased Kashmiri Band. [More on the picture in the next post]

For now, let me put down the Nazm/Poem that originated because of the artwork. The Nazm titled ‘Naar-e-Chinar’ has been written by Sharjeel and translated to a Poem titled ‘The Chinar Fire’ by me.

NAAR-E-CHINAR

Naar-e-chinar naar-e-chinar
Naar-e-chinar woh Aah-o-figaar

Dekhta hai koi meree weeranee ko,
Sunta hai koi meree ashq-i-fishaani ko

Woh koi hai ya nahee, Ek khayal ki tarah
Jal gaya mera wajood, Kisee aatish ki tarah

Naar-e-chinar naar-e-chinar
Patey mere watan ke huey khaak zaar

Jal gaye kisi gulzaar mein, Ronde gaye kisi mazaar mein,
Chinar ke woh jo patey hain, Talaf huey kisi ke pyaar mein

Naar-e-chinar naar-e-chinar
Naa dhuaan utha ai naar-e-chinar

Raat uskee ankhen hain ab, Woh jo meree ibaadat hai
Dhoondtee hai meree parchaai, Be khabar woh ki qayamat hai

Dekh ki mera ghar waheen hai kaheen
Ya phir kabhee woh dar kabhee khulaa he nahee
Kya woh bache khelte hain abhee bhee waheen
Har shab ke baad jahan subeh hotee thee kabhee

Sab jal gaya, Sab badal gaya
Na zameen rahee, Na aasmaan
Ai naar-e-chinar, Ai naar-e-chinar

THE CHINAR FIRE

The fire within The fire within
The fire within and That war cry

Is there somebody watching my ruins burn
Is there somebody hearing my tears turn

Whether there is or not, Like an unsure thought
My existence stands to expire, Like the smoldering mire

The fire within The fire within
The wilted leaves of mine, lie in the desolate shrine

Burnt in the flowery hearth, Trampled in the deathly earth
The young leaves that were, Slaughtered for their verve

The fire within The fire within
No smoke surge for the fire within

Their eyes see darkness, of whom I saw radiance
Amidst yearning for shadows, they overlook doomed gallows

Gaze for my abode, Somewhere it might be
Or did it never see, The doors of glee

Is that place there, The young played where
Is that place there, Where nights saw dawn appear

The fire engulfed, The change spread
The earth died, The sky cried
The fire within The fire within

~ by candidmusing on February 3, 2008.