Mere Dil Mere Musafir: Faiz Ahmed Faiz with a basic translation

YouTube - Mere Dil Mere Musafir - Tina Sani. Poetry by Faiz, sung by Tina Sani and some literal (amateurish) translation by me, (assume basic urdu hindi): Mere dil mere musaafir -my heart, my companion [but in the sense of somebody that you bear with you] Huaa phir se hukm saadir Ke vatan badar hon ham tum -it has been commanded that we be exiled [from our homeland] Den galii galii sadaayen Karen ruKh nagar nagar kaa Ke suraag koi paayen -we find a clue to: Kisii yaar-e-naamaabar kaa -somebody to carry a missive [namabaar: he who carries a letter, but this in urdu tradition is usually the person who carries is surreptitiously, and ends up enchanted by the graces of the beloved] Har ek ajanabii se puuchhen

Aside re. the namabar: tujh se to kuchh kalaam nahiin lekin ae nadiim meraa salaam kahiiyo agar naamaabar mile above is ghalib, saying, essentially: give my regards, to the namabaar, if you ever come across his again. The basic assumption is that they are...well.. untrustworthy (but something which urdu poetry recognizes with indulgent resignation - its not their fault afterall, that the beloved is so enchanting). So whilst Faiz sahib above searches for the namaabar, he also implictly recognizes the futility, for this channel of communication is lkely fraught with hopelessness and despair.

Jo pataa thaa apane ghar kaa Sar-e-kuu-e-naashanaayaan -in this unknown alley Hamen din se raat karanaa -reference to Ghalib's sher [kave kave sakht jaani...] we must painfully await the transition of another day.. Kabhii is se baat karanaa Kabhii us se baat karanaa Tumhien kyaa kahun ke kyaa hai Shab-e-Gam burii balaa hai -Faiz's homage to Ghalib. i wont attempt to explain Ghalib's sher Hamien ye bhii thaa Ganimat Jo koii shumaar hotaa Hamien kyaa buraa thaa maranaa Agar ek baar hotaa -Again, Ghalib. suffice to say: I wouldnt have minded death, were I to merely suffer it once (which puts the whole context of the nazm into perspective - the daily pain of separation, unending unyielding)