Eternal Expressions

The poetry that I am sharing in this article is a friend's favorite and I could not agree more with such a taste. This one kind of grows upon you. The more you listen to it, the more beautiful it seems. This work of Faiz is beautifully rendered by Iqbal Bano and the best version I could find is here.

dasht-e-tanhaayi mein, ae jaan-e-jahaan, larzaan hain
teri aawaaz ke saaye, tere honthon ke saraab

In the emptiness/deserts(dasht) of my solitude(tanhayi), the shadows/remains(saaye) of your voice and mirage/illusions(saraab) of your lips tremble(larzaan). It is known how one can see the mirages in desert amd there are illusions of water around. This is more so tragic for the wanderer who is thirsty. This is used as a metaphor for the lover who is lost in his solitude and sees the shadows of his beloved all around. The use of 'larzaan' for the illusions of missing lover is extremely beautiful.

dasht-e-tanhaai mein, doori ke khas-o-khaak tale
khil rahe hain tere pehlu ke saman aur gulaab

In the deserts of my solitude, the dust(khas) and ashes(khaak) of this separation cause the jasmines(saman) and roses(gulaab) of your presence to flower. The poet has chosen the signs of decay and ruins (khas-o-khaak) to be the illusions and causes of something as lively as the flowers. This again shows the creativity and power of imagination. One can take this as a sign of derangement and illusion or a sign of romanticism as to how the separated lover is trying to keep his beloved close through his imagination.

uth rahi hai kahin qurbat se teri saans ki aanch
apani khushboo mein sulagti hui maddham maddham

From somewhere close(qurbat), the warmth of your breaths(and hence sign of your presence) is rising, smouldering slowly in its own sweet scent.

dur ufaq par chamakati hui qatra qatra
gir rahi hai teri dildaar nazar ki shabnam

At the horizon(ufaq), the dew of your lovely glimpse falling, shimmers drop by drop. It is again, I suppose, to emphasize the deception that poet feels how the beloved is near in the last lines and close in these ones. He is feeling the beloved everywhere.

is qadar pyaar se hai jaan-e jahaan rakhaa hai
dil ke rukhsaar pe is vaqt teri yaad ne haath

These last four lines are the mark of genius of Faiz and the reason why this poem is so prepossessing. The poet says that while in this solitude, as he indulges in recalling his beloved, (the hands of) her reminiscence has touched the rukhsar(cheeks) of his heart so lovingly that

yun guman hota hai garche hai abhi subah-e-firaaq
dhal gaya hijr ka din, aa bhi gayi vasl ki raat

even though its just the dawn (after) of the disunion (subah-e-firaaq), it seems as if the day of hijr(separation) is already over and the night of union is here.

The loneliness and longing of a separated lover is impeccably captured in the beautiful metaphors used throughout. The lover is desiring and being hopeful through his own hopelessness(illusions). He is either losing the sanity or creating these deceptions on purpose so as to feel his beloved.