Beyond Boundaries

Vo kuch aise man main samae hua hain
Vo aisai khayalon main chhai hua hain

Muhabbat main hum yun akele challe hain
Unhe is tapish say bachaye huai hain

Suna hai rakeebon say un ban hai unki
Umeedon ki shamma jalaye hua hain

Nahin Tahira kuch zamane say shikwa
Yeh gham khud khushi say uthai huai hain

He has completely gripped my emotions
as if taken hold of my thoughts.

On the path of love I tread alone
so I can save him the anguish.

Rumour has it that he has fallen out with my rivals.
This has brightened my light of hope.

Tahira why should I complain against the world
when I can myself bear this grief happily.

Kina nere ho ho baithan, fair ve doori reh jan di ai
Oodi maree yari vali, ghazal adhuri reh jan di ai

Ruh kalboot deh sare panchhi, ik ik kar kai ud jan dai nen
Pinjara khali ho jan da ai, hath wich choori reh jan di ai

Sara sona rul janda ai, miti deh wich dhul jan da ai
Nam we apna bhul jandai ai, sab mashhuri reh jan di ai

Yaar Nadeem eh ilma, amla kisnu paar langaya eh
Rah de vich he kidre sajna eh mazdoori reh jandi eh

Regardless of how close I sit to my lover
there is still a distance between us,
and so my love song remains unsung.

My soul leaves my body like a bird takes flight.
Despite all my riches I feel the isolation of an empty cage.

What value is my fame if
before my love I cannot recall my own name.

O Nadeem, what value are my knowledge and good deeds
if this labour is left behind when my soul leaves.

Saaqiya jaam utha saaqiya mai pila
Raat dhalti rahai daur chalta rahai
Rindh madhosh ho ho kay girtai rahain
Pinay walon ka armaan nikalta rahai

Dekh kar unki zulfoon ko rookhsaar par
Jee uthi phir tamana tarko jigar
Yun hi chehre pay zulfain machalti rahain
Chand chup chup kay yun hi nikalta rahai

Talkhiyeh zindagi is kadar badh gayee
Talkhiyeh mayn ka mainay sahara liya
Warna thi itni phursat jahan may kisay
Yoon bahakta rahai or sambhalta rahai

Saaqiya, lift the goblet, pour the wine.
Let the night flow, let the wine glow.
Let the drinkers get inebriated, let them lose their footing.
Let the drinkers satisfy their desires.

Looking at her locks gracing her cheeks,
my feelings for her have again been stoked.
Let her locks remain falling off her face.
Let the moon keep playing hide and seek.

Bitterness of life has so increased
that I have come to rely on the
bitterness of wine for recompense.
Otherwise, who had such leisure in life
to stumble and to regain footing again and again.

Mai dhoondta hoon jise vo jahan nahi milta
Nae zameen naya asmaan nahin milta

Vo teer mil gae jis se hua katal mera
Kisi ke haath ka us paar nishaan nahin milta

Khada hoon kabse main chehron ke ik jungle main
Tumhare chehre ka kuch bhi yahan nahi milta

Jo ek khuda nahi milta to itna matam kya
Mujhe khud apne kadam ka nishaan nahi milta

The new horizons that I seek are beyond me.
The world I am in search of cannot be found.

The arrows that have pierced my heart have been discovered
but the hands that pulled the string cannot be found.

Here I am standing in the midst of a jungle of faces
and yet it is your countenance that cannot be found.

What is the worry if I cannot find God,
when my own footprints cannot be found.

Ik Ranjha mainoo lodi da
Ranjha jeha mainoo hor na koi
Minta kar kar mori da

Maan waliyan de nain saloone
Sooha dupata gori da

Aap tur jandan naal maji de
Sanu kyon beliyon mori da

(last verse written by Shah Hussain)
Main vi jhok ranjhan di jana
Nal mere koi chale
Minta kardi tarle paundi
Jana taan piya ekale

I am searching for my lover, Ranjha,
I am pleading with him to come back.

My proud beloved has beautiful eyes
and is adorned with the colour of passion.

Ranjha, the shepherd walks away with his cattle,
I am left alone in the fields.

I want to go to where Ranjha is.
I have pleaded for others to accompany me.
In the end I must go alone.

Sar se pa tak voh ghulaabon ka shajar lagta hai
Baavazoo hokay bhi chootai huay dar lagta hai

Mujh main rehta hai koee dushmanay jaani mera
Khud say tanhayee main miltay huay dar lagta hai

Boot bhi rakhay hain namazain bhi ada hoteen hain
Dil mera dil nahin Allah ka ghar lagta hai

Zindagi toonay mujhe kabar say kam di hai zameen
Paon phailayoon to diwaar may sar lagta hai

Bejewelled in flowers from head to foot, she appears like an icon.
Though I am purified, still I am apprehensive of approaching her.

Within me resides an enemy of my soul,
that is why I am afraid to encounter myself alone.

I maintain idols as well as prostrate myself in prayer.
My heart is really not a heart but a house of God.

O’ life! You have given me less room than there is inside a grave.
I stretch my legs, my head hits the wall.

Mun tu kyon hai bechain

Sabhi hain andhkar main

You are not alone in your restlessness.

We are all in darkness.

Yeh nahi kai yahin atai hua aaiy hain yahan
Ham kahin aur ko jatai hua aaiy hain yahan

Gard alood hai lekin samjho to sahi
Khak barson ki udatai hua aai hain yahan

Raushani hai to likho nam hamara bhi kahin
Ungaliyan ham bhi jalatai hua aai hain yahan

It is not that I intended to come here
but the path has led me here.

Laced with dust though I am, yet please consider
that for years I have been wandering dusty paths.

In my travel I too have become a martyr of sorts.
This should be enough to earn me some fame too.

Meri gori gori mangdi kalayee, ve peeliyaan liyade churiyaan.

Pila pila suit teri chheet kaun pauna, leh ve chunni ve ranga kay os rang di.
Kanka kavanriya nay khushi vich jhoomna, jay vekhlen murabayaan to laangdi.
Saron diyan phoolan cho gavachi je na labi, apai ankhainga basant rut aayee.

Shala jug jive mere sah deya haniya, ve mundri karade merey hath noon.
Chan diyaan reeshma toon tand kadh paday dagha, meri ve suhag vali nath noon.
Balnon bagair sar suttangi shareek, banh chuk jan lavangi angarayee.

Ditay si sambhalne noon gokhru men jeth, taayee oh ve tut paina leh ke beh gaya.
Puchhiya te akhi oh te gayai ne gavach, vich vich eh jathanee taae keh gaya.
Jaan chak pooch bhaithi aaj ve main onu, teri vigaree phiray bharjai.

My love, my beautiful empty wrists are
calling out for some yellow bangles.

With the yellow bangles I will wear my yellow suit,
so you might as well also get a matching *chunni for me.
With my yellow garments I will blend in the fields of flowers.
It will be like spring has arrived.

My love may you live a long life,
may you buy me a ring as well.
It will be nice to also get a new nose ring
as beautiful as the moon.

I gave my gold bangles to my older brother-in-law for safekeeping
but when I asked for them back
he claimed he had lost them.
Since then my sister-in-law is upset with me.