raushan kahii.n bahaar ke imkaa.N huye to hai.n

raushan kahii.n bahaar ke imkaa.N huye to hai.n
Faiz Ahmed Faiz

raushan kahii.n bahaar ke imkaa.N huye to hai.n
gulashan me.n chaak cha.nd garebaa.N huye to hai.n

[Some signs of spring are visible now, at long last
Some flowers with torn cloaks, we can now see]

[imkaa.N=possibility; chaak=torn; garebaa.N=clothes/outer garment/cloak]

ab bhii Khizaa.N kaa raaj hai lekin kahii.n kahii.n
goshe rah-e-chaman me.n Gazal-Khvaa.N huye to hai.n

[Khizaa.N=autumn; goshaa=corner; Gazal-Khvaa.N=singing]

[Though autumn still reigns but in places, nevetheless
The sound of singing can be found in some corners of the garden]

Thaharii huyii hai shab kii siyaahii vahii.n magar
kuchh kuchh sahar ke rang par-afshaa.N huye to hai.n

[The darkness of the the night does not seem to lessen
Yet the colours of dawn can be seen in the Eastern sky]

in me.n lahuu jalaa ho hamaaraa ke jaan-o-dil
mahafil me.n kuchh chiraaG farozaa.N huye to hai.n

[Whether it uses our blood or our heart and soul
Some lamps are now ablaze in the gathering]

haa.N kaj karo kulaah ke sab kuchh luTaa ke ham
ab be-niyaaz-e-gardish-e-dauraa.n huye to hai.n

ahal-e-qafas kii subah-e-chaman me.n khulegii aa.Nkh
baad-e-sabaa se vadaa-e-paimaa.N huye to hai.n

[The prisoners will now awake in the flush of the dawn
We have had such a promise from the morning breeze]

hai dasht ab abhii dasht magar Khuun-e-paa se "Faiz"
sairaab cha.nd Khaar-e-muGelaa.N huye to hai.n

[The wilderness is still a wilderness but with our bleeding feet "Faiz"
We have managed to reclaim some of the thorns from this]