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Dil pe zakhm khaate hain jaan se guzarte hain by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan — Analysis & Translation

2 min read Urdu

Original Poem

Dil pe zakhm khaate hain jaan se guzarte hain Jurm sirf itna hai, unko pyaar karte hain Jurm sirf itna hai unko pyaar karte hain Aitebaar badhta hai aur bhi muhabbat ka Jab wo ajnabi ban kar paas se guzarte hain Jab wo ajnabi ban kar paas se guzarte hain Unki anjuman bhi hai daar bhi rasan bhi hai Dekhna hai deewane, ab kahan theharte hain Dekhna hai deewane, ab kahan theharte hain Unke ik taghaful se toot'te hain dil kitne Unki ik tawajjo se kitne zakhm bharte hain Unki ik tawajjo se kitne zakhm bharte hain Jo paley hain zulmat mein, kya seher ko pehchanen Teergi ke shaydayi, roshni se darte hain Laakh wo gurezan hon, laakh dushman e jaan hon Dil kio kya karein sahib, hum unhi pe marte hain

Translation (English)

We get hurt in our hearts, we go through life Our only fault is that we love them Our only fault is that we love them Trust in love grows even more When they walk by like strangers When they walk by like strangers Their gathering is like a gallows and a noose Let's see, crazy ones, where you stop now Let's see, crazy ones, where you stop now Many hearts break from their neglect Many wounds heal with their attention Many wounds heal with their attention Those who grew up in darkness, how will they know dawn Lovers of darkness, they are afraid of the light Even if they avoid us, even if they are life's enemies What can the heart do, sir, we are crazy about them

About the Poet

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (20th Century)

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was a renowned Pakistani musician, primarily known for his Qawwali, a form of Sufi Islamic devotional music. He is considered one of the greatest voices ever recorded and has a significant influence on both Eastern and Western music.

Read more on Wikipedia →

Historical Context

Literary Form
Qawwali
When Written
Late 20th Century
Background
This poem, performed as a Qawwali by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, explores themes of love, pain, and devotion. It reflects the paradox of divine love, where spiritual seekers willingly endure suffering as a testament to their devotion.

Sources: https://www.genzlyrics.com/jaan-se-guzarte-hain-lyrics-dhurandhar-2-khan-saab-shashwat-sachdev/, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npICvoKoT0s, https://genius.com/Nusrat-fateh-ali-khan-dil-pe-zakham-khaate-hain-lyrics, https://www.nusratcollection.com/2014/03/lyrics-dil-pe-zakham-khatey-hain-with.html, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urdu_poetry

Detailed Explanation

This poem, performed by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, delves into the complexities of love and devotion. It portrays the pain and suffering endured by those who love deeply, often without reciprocation. The poet expresses the paradox of love as both a source of wounds and healing. The imagery of passing by as strangers highlights the emotional distance in relationships. The poem also touches on themes of spiritual enlightenment, suggesting that those accustomed to darkness may fear the light of truth. Despite the challenges and opposition, the heart remains steadfast in its devotion, illustrating the depth and resilience of true love.

Themes

  • Love
  • Suffering
  • Devotion
  • Spiritual Enlightenment

Literary Devices

  • Metaphor: The poem uses metaphors like wounds on the heart and passing as strangers to convey emotional pain.
  • Imagery: Vivid imagery is used to describe the emotional and spiritual journey of the lover.
  • Repetition: Lines are repeated to emphasize the depth of emotion and the recurring nature of the lover's experience.
  • Paradox: The poem explores the paradox of love being both painful and healing.

Word Dictionary

Word Meaning Translation Transliteration
Dil دل the organ that beats in your chest dil
pe پر on top of pe
zakhm زخم cuts or injuries zakhm
khaate کھاتے receive khaate
hain ہیں exist hain
jaan جان existence jaan
se سے through se
guzarte گزرتے move through guzarte
Jurm جرم wrongdoing jurm
sirf صرف just sirf
itna اتنا so much itna
hai ہے exists hai
unko انکو those people unko
pyaar پیار affection pyaar
karte کرتے perform karte
Aitebaar اعتبار confidence aitebaar
badhta بڑھتا increases badhta
aur اور plus aur
bhi بھی as well bhi
muhabbat محبت deep affection muhabbat
ka کا belonging to ka
Jab جب at the time jab
wo وہ those people wo
ajnabi اجنبی unknown person ajnabi
ban بن turn into ban
kar کر by doing kar
paas پاس close by paas
Unki انکی belonging to them unki
anjuman انجمن group anjuman
daar دار execution place daar
rasan رسن rope rasan
Dekhna دیکھنا observe dekhna
deewane دیوانے crazy people deewane
ab اب at this moment ab
kahan کہاں at what place kahan
theharte ٹھہرتے pause theharte
Unke انکے belonging to them unke
ik ایک single ik
taghaful تغافل ignorance taghaful
toot'te ٹوٹتے shatter toot'te
dil دل the organ that beats in your chest dil
kitne کتنے what number kitne
tawajjo توجہ focus tawajjo
bharte بھرتے get better bharte
Jo جو the ones who jo
paley پلے brought up paley
zulmat ظلمت absence of light zulmat
mein میں inside mein
kya کیا what action kya
seher سحر morning light seher
ko کو towards ko
pehchanen پہچانیں identify pehchanen
Teergi تیرگی absence of light teergi
shaydayi شیدائی admirers shaydayi
roshni روشنی brightness roshni
darte ڈرتے are scared darte
Laakh لاکھ even though laakh
gurezan گریزاں stay away gurezan
hon ہوں exist hon
dushman دشمن foe dushman
e کا belonging to e
kio کیوں for what reason kio
karein کریں perform karein
sahib صاحب gentleman sahib
hum ہم us hum
unhi انہی those specific people unhi
marte مرتے perish marte

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