Urdu Ghazal by Zeeshan Ameer Saleemi

 

Exploring the Depths of Longing and Sorrow

A Reflection on a Heartfelt Ghazal

Article Writer: 

Dr. Sammar Hussain Naqvi, Ontario, Canada

Urdu poetry has always been the language of the soul, a mirror reflecting the deepest emotions and silent sorrows of the human heart. Recently, I came across a ghazal that resonated with me profoundly. Each couplet (sher) paints a vivid picture of pain, longing, and the fragile essence of life, weaving together memories, unfulfilled desires, and the bittersweet aroma of love lost.

Here is the ghazal in its entirety:

رہ گیا چھوڑ کے سب خواب، تری یاد سمیت

عمر گزری مری آلام کے افتاد سمیت

This opening sher immediately sets the tone of desolation. The poet begins by revealing that life’s dreams have been abandoned, yet they carry the memory of the beloved along with them. Every passing year has been spent amidst suffering and affliction, leaving the soul steeped in both nostalgia and pain.

جس طرف دیکھوں اداسی ہے، الم ہے، غم ہے

زندگی چلتی رہی حسرتِ برباد سمیت

Here, every glance the poet casts is laden with sorrow and grief. Life continues its relentless course, but it is intertwined with unfulfilled desires and shattered hopes. This couplet captures the essence of human existence the coexistence of moving forward while carrying the weight of despair.

نہ ملا خواب کا سایہ نہ ملا وعدۂ وصل

یوں گزرتا رہا ہر روز تری یاد سمیت

The poet expresses the agony of unattained dreams and unkept promises. Despite the passing days, each one is colored by the memory of the beloved. It’s a profound reflection on the persistence of longing and the inescapable nature of past attachments.

میرے جذبات کی قیمت بھی کہاں رکھی گئی

بیچ ڈالا گیا ہر شخص کو امداد سمیت

This sher reflects the injustice the poet feels. His emotions are undervalued, and every person has been placed between him and his true desires, offering assistance but simultaneously diluting the authenticity of his feelings. The lament here is not only for love lost but also for the lack of understanding from others.

اب تو ہر سانس میں افسوس کی خوشبو بسی ہے

اب کہاں جاؤں میں اس سایۂ ناشاد سمیت

Each breath now carries the fragrance of regret. The poet feels trapped under the shadow of sorrow, unsure where to seek solace. This couplet beautifully conveys the suffocating nature of perpetual melancholy and the helplessness it brings.

دہر کی راہوں میں ٹھہری نہیں کوئی بھی کرن

چلتے رہنا پڑا تاریکیِ ایجاد سمیت

In the poet’s world, no ray of hope seems to pause. Life demands perseverance through the darkness that has been artificially imposed a metaphor for the challenges and constructed adversities one faces in existence.

اب تو امید کا دامن بھی جلا بیٹھا ہوں

رہ گئی ساتھ فقط حیرتِ برباد سمیت

Even the garland of hope has been consumed by flames. All that remains is the astonishment at one’s own devastation. This sher is a powerful statement on the finality of despair and the contemplative nature of self-realization amidst ruin.

کس سے ذیشان کریں شکوہ جفاؤں کا یہاں

ہم نے کاٹی ہے یہ دنیا غمِ بنیاد سمیت

The closing couplet is an existential reflection. Whom should the poet complain to? The world itself has been endured with foundational sorrow. It signifies the acceptance of life’s inherent suffering while acknowledging the resilience it takes to navigate such trials.

Reflections

This ghazal is a profound meditation on the fragility of human hope, the inevitability of sorrow, and the haunting beauty of memory. Each sher layers emotional depth upon the previous, creating a tapestry of longing, lament, and philosophical introspection. For readers, it is a reminder that poetry is not merely words but a living, breathing mirror of the human heart.

In Canada, far from the lands where Urdu first blossomed, I find solace in such verses. They remind me that regardless of geography, the universality of human emotion binds us together through grief, love, and the silent ache of existence.