Yeh khel kya hai


Merey mukhalif ne chaal chal di hai (* mukhalif: opponent)
aura ab meri chaal ke intezar mein hai
magar main kab se
safed khano, siyah khano mein rakhey
Kaaley safed mohron ko dekhta hoon,
Main sochta hoon…
Yeh mohrey kya hain?
Agar main samjhoon yeh jo mohrey hain
Sirf lakdi ke hain khiloney
To jeetna kya, haarna kya
Na ye zaroori, na wo aham hai
Agar khushi hai na jeetne ki, na haarne ka hi koi gham hai,
To khel kya hai?
Main sochta hoon jo khelna hai
To apney dil mein yaqeen kar loon
Ye mohrey sachmuch hain baadshah, wazir, pyadey
Aur inke aagey hai dushmano ki wo fauj
Rakhti hai jo mujhko tabaah karney ke
saarey mansoobey*, sab iradey (*mansoobey: desires)
Agar main aisa maan bhi loon, to sochta hoon
Yeh khel kab hai?
Yeh jang hai mujh ko jeetna hai
Yeh jang hai jis mein sab hai jayaz
Koi yeh kehta hai jaise mujh se
Yeh jang bhi hai, yeh khel bhi hai…
Yeh jang hai par khiladiyon ki
Yeh khel hai jang ki wazah* ka (* wazah: like)
Main sochta hoon jo khel hai
Isnmey is tarah ka usool kyon hai
Ki koi mohra rahey ki jaye
Magar jo hai baadshah us par
Kabhi koi aanch bhi na aaye
Wazir hi ko hai bas ijaazat
Ki jis taraf bhi wo jaana chahe.
Main sochta hoon jo khel hai
Ismey is tarah ka usool kyun hai
Ki pyada jo apney ghar se nikley, palat ke wapas na jaane paye
Main sochta hoon…
Agar yahi usool hai to phir usool kya hai?
Agar yahi khel hai to phir yeh khel kya hai?
Main in sawalon se jaaney kab se ulajh raha hoon
Mere mukhalif ne chaal chal di hai
Aur ab meri chaal ke intezar mein hai

Javed Akhtar- (Hitherto unpublished—expected to be out in his collection later this year)

Jane kya chahe man bawra
akhiyan me ley saawan chala

Saghan achal sarabor howe
sajan asuwan mein kya zor howe
kya zor howe apney jiya pe
man to bana yeh manchala

Pawan purva mein yu udta jaawey
badra chanda se man judta jawe
aawey hawa ka, jhonka kuchch aisa
tootey patang ki dor sa...

Translation:
This is a rough jist--

I don't know what my lovesick heart wants anymore, it carries the monsoons in my eyes that pour out my grief (at being distanced from the beloved)

Everything around me is inundated, that is the deluge of tears in which my love has left me. Emotions have such a power on the heart that they have turned my heart into a rebellious child which refuses to be quelled...

The heart runs like a wanton spirit with the soothing western winds in search of solace, it seeks the company of the rain-soaked clouds and the lone moon that floats up in the sky... and then it is jerked from that solitude by a gust of memories, leaving me fluttering rudderless like the snapped cord of a kite in the air...

Sheer poetry and a great song-- Pyaar ke Side Effects