Sunday, July 19, 2015

Ye kya ke ek jahan ko --- Sufi Tabassum





An attempt at a literal translation.
Sung by Farida Khanum.

Yeh kya ke ek jahan ko karo *vaqf-e-*iztiraab,
Yeh kya ke ek dil ko *shakeba na kar sako!

You can make the whole world feel discontent with desire for you,
But you can't make even one heart content!
[I think that there are three things being said here:
1. A compliment, that you're so beautiful that the whole world squirms in desire for you :).
2. A complaint that you can't even make one person content.
3. An insinuation that if you be kindly towards me, make my heart content, you won't be considered so cruel ;-)]

Aisa na ho ye dard bane dard-e-la-dawa,
Aisa na ho ke tum bhi *madawa na kar sako

I hope this pain doesn't become so uncurable,
That even you are not able to do anything about it

Shayad tumhe bhi chain na aaye mere bagair
Shayad ye baat tum bhi *gavaaran na kar sako

Perhaps you too would terribly miss me,
Perhaps you too would not be able to bear it!

Allah kare jahan ko meri yaad bhool jaaye,
Allah kare ke tum kabhi aisa na kar sako

I pray that the whole world forgets me,
But God doesn't ever let you do so

Kya jaane phir sitam bhi *mayassar hon ya na hon,
Kya jaane ye karam bhi karo ya na kar sako!

Who knows if even these tyrannies would be possible in the future!
Perhaps the future would be bereft of even these favors

---- Sufi Tabassum
Rekhta page

vaqf : engrossed
iztiraab : restlessness
shakeba : content/patient
gavaaran : bearable/tolerable
madawa : cure
mayassar : possible