GUFTAGU BAND NA HO (LET’S KEEP ON TALKING!)

Ali Sardar Jafri

 

[This poem, in Urdu, was written by Ali Sardar Jafri  on the occasion of the 1965 war between India and Pakistan. Jafri was a member of the Progressive Writers Association led by the Communist Party of India while PC Joshi was the General Secretary)

 

GUFTGOO BAND NA HO

 

BAAT SE BAAT CHALEY

 

SUBH TAK SHAAM-E-MULAAQAAT CHALEY

 

HUM PE HANSTI HUEE

 

YE TAARON BHARI RAAT CHALEY

 

WO JO ALFAAZ KE HAATON MEIN HAI SANG-E-DUSHNAAM

 

TANZ CHALKAAYE TO CHALKAAYAA KAREIN ZAHR KE JAAM

 

TEEKHI NAZREIN HOON

 

TURSH ABROO-E-KHAMDAAR RAHEY

 

BAN PADEY JAISEY BHI DIL SEENON MEIN BE-DAAR RAHEY

 

BE-BASI HARF KO ZANJEER BA-PAA KAR NA SAKEY

 

KOI QAATIL HO MAGAR QATL-E-NAWAA KAR NA SAKEY

 

SUBH TAK DHAL KE KOI HARF-E-WAFAA AAYEGAA

 

ISHQ AAYEGAA BA-SAD LAGHZISH-E-PAA AAYEGAA

 

NAZREIN JHUK JAAYEINGI

 

DIL DHADKEINGEY

 

LUB KAANPEINGEY

 

KHAMUSHI BOSA-E-LUB BAN KE BAHAK JAAYEGI

 

SIRF GHUNCHON KE CHATAKNEY KI SADAA AAYEGI

 

AUR PHIR HARF-O-NAWAA KI NA ZAROORAT HOOGI

 

CHASHM-O-ABROO KE ISHAARON MEIN MOHABBAT HOGI

 

NAFRAT UTH JAAYEGI, MEHMAAN MURAWWAT HOGI

 

HAATH MEIN HAARH LIYE, SAARAA JAHAAN SAATH LIYE

 

TUM PYAAR KI SAUGHAAT LIYE

 

REGZAARON SE ADAAWAT KE GUZAR JAAYEINGEY

 

KHOON KE DARYAA SE HUM PAAR UTAR JAAYEINGEY

 

GEGUFTGOO BAND NA HO

 

English translation:

 

Keep the conversation going.

 

One word leading to another.

 

The evening rendezvous lasting till dawn,

 

The starry night laughing down with us.

 

Though we hurl our stones of abuse,

 

Pass around poisoned cups

 

Brimming with taunts,

 

Gaze steely-eyed at each other,

 

None of this matters.

 

Though we are helpless,

 

Just keep our hearts

 

Warm and beating.

 

Don’t let words

 

Be stifled with helplessness.

 

Don’t let voices be murdered.

 

By dawn some word of love

 

Is bound to emerge.

 

Love will be victorious,

 

It surely will.

 

Our hearts will stir,

 

Mouths tremble,

 

And eyes well with tears.

 

Silence will perfume

 

Like a kiss,

 

And will resound

 

With the sound of opening buds.

 

No need for talk,

 

When eyes glow with love

 

Hate will leave for ever

 

Giving way to affection.

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