Home | October '98 Index

Hasrat Mohani was known for his forthright representation 
of love. He broke the convention of shyness in the matters 
of love and expressed his feelings with a characteristic 
directness. Unlike the poets of the earlier era, he did not 
hesitate to disclose the gender of his beloved, nor did he 
present her as a heartless and cruel person. Simple words 
and every-day situations were used to convey the feelings 
in a completely natural way. 

Most of you will have heard "chupake chupake raat din 
aa.Nsuu bahanaa yaad hai", immortalised by Ghulam Ali's 
rendition of the  same. It is, without doubt, Hasrat Mohani's 
most well known Gazal. Here is the complete Gazal:


chupake chupake raat din aa.Nsuu bahanaa yaad hai
ham ko ab tak aashiqii kaa vo zamaanaa yaad hai

baa-hazaaraa.N iztiraab-o-sad-hazaaraa.N ishtiyaaq
tujhase vo pahale pahal dil kaa lagaanaa yaad hai

[iztiraab = anxiety; ishtiyaaq = excessive desire]

tujhase milate hii vo bebaak ho jaanaa meraa
aur teraa daato.n me.n vo u.ngalii dabaanaa yaad hai

[bebaak = outspoken]

**Ghulam Ali sings this line slightly differently:
tujhase milate hii vo --kuchh-- bebaak ho jaanaa meraa

I think this sounds better... but the original sher does not 
have --kuchh-- in it.**

khe.nch lenaa vo meraa parde kaa konaa daff'atan
aur dupaTTe se teraa vo muu.Nh chhupaanaa yaad hai

[daff'atan = suddenly]

jaan kar sotaa tujhe vo qasaa-e-paabosii meraa
aur teraa Thukaraa ke sar vo muskuraanaa yaad hai

[qasaa-e-paabosii = attempt to kiss the feet]

tujh ko jab ta.nhaa kabhii paanaa to az_raah-e-lihaaz 
hal-e-dil baato.n hii baato.n me.n jataanaa yaad hai

[az-raah-e-lihaaz = with caution]

jab sivaa mere tumhaaraa ko_ii diivaanaa na thaa
sach kaho kyaa tum ko bhii vo kaarakhaanaa yaad hai

[kaarakhaanaa = time/age]

Gair kii nazaro.n se bachakar sab kii marzii ke Khilaaf
vo teraa chorii chhipe raato.n ko aanaa yaad hai

aa gaya gar vasl kii shab bhii kahii.n zikr-e-firaaq 
vo teraa ro ro ke mujhako bhii rulaanaa yaad hai

[zikr-e-firaaq = mention of separation]

do-pahar kii dhuup me.n mere bulaane ke liye
vo teraa koThe pe na.nge paao.n aanaa yaad hai

dekhanaa mujhako jo bargashtaa to sau sau naaz se
jab manaa lenaa to phir Khud ruuTh jaanaa yaad hai

[bargashtaa = offended (ruuThaa huyaa)]

**I really could not come up with an English equivalent
of "ruuThanaa". Can someone help?**

chorii chorii ham se tum aa kar mile the jis jagah
muddate.n guzarii.n par ab tak vo thikaanaa yaad hai

beruKhii ke saath sunaanaa dard-e-dil kii dastaa.N
aur teraa haatho.n me.n vo ka.ngan ghumaanaa yaad hai   

vaqt-e-ruKhsat alvidaa kaa lafz kahane ke liye
vo tere sukhe labo.n kaa thar-tharaanaa yaad hai     

[vaqt-e-ruKhsat = time of parting; alvidaa = goodbye]

baavajuud-e-iddaa-e-ittaqaa 'Hasrat' mujhe
aaj tak ahad-e-havas kaa ye fasaanaa yaad hai

[baavajuud = inspite of; iddaa-e-ittaqaa = vow of piety]
[ahad-e-havas = sensuous days]