Sonnet - Urdu Sonnet

Urdu Sonnet

In the Indian Sub-continent sonnets have been written in Assamese, Bengali, Dogri, English, Gujerati, Hindi, Kashmiri, Malyalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Sindhi and Urdu language.Urdu poets also influenced by English and other European poets took to writing sonnets in Urdu language rather late. Azmatullah Khan (1887-1923) is believed to have introduced this format to Urdu Literature in the very early part of 20th century. The other renowned Urdu poets who wrote sonnets were Akhtar Junagarhi, Akhtar Sheerani, Noon Meem Rashid, Mehr Lal Soni Zia Fatehabadi, Salaam Machhalishahari and Wazir Agha. This example, a sonnet by Zia Fatehabadi taken from his collection Meri Tasveer which is in the usual English (Shakespearean) sonnet rhyme-scheme is also end-rhymed a-b-a-b, c-d-c-d, e-f-e-f, g-g.

ڈبکںی
پس پردہ کسی نے میرے ارمانوں کی محفل کو،
کچھ اس انداز سے دیکھا، کچھ ایسے طور سے دیکھا،
غبار آہ سے دے کر جلا آینہ دل کو،
ہر اک صورت کو میں نے خوب دیکھا، غور سے دیکھا
نظر آئی نہ وہ صورت ، مجھے جس کی تمنا تھی
بہت ڈھونڈا کیا گلشن میں، ویرانے میں، بستی میں
منّور شمع مہر و ماہ سے دن رات دنیا تھی
مگر چاروں طرف تھا گھپ اندھیرا میری ہستی میں
دل مجبور کو مجروح الفت کر دیا کس نے
مرے احساس کی گہرایوں میں ہے چبھن غم کی
مٹا کر جسم، میری روح کو اپنا لیا کس نے
جوانی بن گئی آما جگہ صدمات پیہم کی
حجابات نظر کا سلسلہ توڈ اور آ بھی جا
مجھے اک بار اپنا جلوہ رنگیں دکھا بھی جا

“ ” Sonnet 'Dubkani' ڈبکںی by Zia Fatehabadi taken from his book titled Meri Tasveer

" Dubkani "

Pas e pardaa kisii ne mere armaanon kii mehfil ko (a)

Kuchh is andaaz se dekhaa, kuchh aise taur se dekhaa (b)

Ghubaar e aah se de kar jilaa aainaa e dil ko (a)

Har ik soorat ko maine khoob dekhaa, ghaur se dekhaa (b)

Nazar aaii na woh soorat, mujhe jiskii tamanaa thii (c)

Bahut dhoondaa kiyaa gulshan mein, veeraane mein, bastii mein (d)

Munnawar shamma e mehar o maah se din raat duniyaa thii (c)

Magar chaaron taraf thaa ghup andheraa merii hastii mein (d)

Dil e majboor ko majrooh e ulfat kar diyaa kisne (e)

Mere ahsaas kii ghahraiion mein hai chubhan gham kii (f)

Mitaa kar jism, merii rooh ko apnaa liyaa kisne (e)

Jawanii ban gaii aamaajagaah sadmaat e paiham kii (f)

Hijaabaat e nazar kaa sisilaa tod aur aa bhii jaa (g)

Mujhe ik baar apnaa jalwaa e rangiin dikhaa bhii jaa. (g)

Free translation:

(Staying concealed, from behind a curtain someone has watched

The congregation of my longings and desires (grow),

Have done so in the manner that has caused my sighs

To bring alive my heart wherein I have frantically sought to find

Reflected that face which I have failed to locate anywhere else

Be it in a garden or in a desolate place or a crowd.

Even though the Sun and the Moon keep alit this world day and night

Yet my own world stays surrounded by pitch-black darkness

(I ask) who has forced my helpless heart to lose faith?

Who has deeply wounded my feelings pricking them with sadness?

Who has after obliterating my body come to own my soul?

That my youth has caused me to suffer endless grief.

Come, end this game of hide and seek and reveal yourself

And show me for once your bright and radiant self.)