GUFTAGU BAND NA HO (LET’S KEEP ON TALKING!)
Ali Sardar Jafri
[This poem, in Urdu, was written by Ali Sardar Jafri on the occasion of the 1965 war between India and Pakistan. Jafri was a member of the Progressive Writers Association led by the Communist Party of India while PC Joshi was the General Secretary)
GUFTGOO BAND NA HO
BAAT SE BAAT CHALEY
SUBH TAK SHAAM-E-MULAAQAAT CHALEY
HUM PE HANSTI HUEE
YE TAARON BHARI RAAT CHALEY
WO JO ALFAAZ KE HAATON MEIN HAI SANG-E-DUSHNAAM
TANZ CHALKAAYE TO CHALKAAYAA KAREIN ZAHR KE JAAM
TEEKHI NAZREIN HOON
TURSH ABROO-E-KHAMDAAR RAHEY
BAN PADEY JAISEY BHI DIL SEENON MEIN BE-DAAR RAHEY
BE-BASI HARF KO ZANJEER BA-PAA KAR NA SAKEY
KOI QAATIL HO MAGAR QATL-E-NAWAA KAR NA SAKEY
SUBH TAK DHAL KE KOI HARF-E-WAFAA AAYEGAA
ISHQ AAYEGAA BA-SAD LAGHZISH-E-PAA AAYEGAA
NAZREIN JHUK JAAYEINGI
DIL DHADKEINGEY
LUB KAANPEINGEY
KHAMUSHI BOSA-E-LUB BAN KE BAHAK JAAYEGI
SIRF GHUNCHON KE CHATAKNEY KI SADAA AAYEGI
AUR PHIR HARF-O-NAWAA KI NA ZAROORAT HOOGI
CHASHM-O-ABROO KE ISHAARON MEIN MOHABBAT HOGI
NAFRAT UTH JAAYEGI, MEHMAAN MURAWWAT HOGI
HAATH MEIN HAARH LIYE, SAARAA JAHAAN SAATH LIYE
TUM PYAAR KI SAUGHAAT LIYE
REGZAARON SE ADAAWAT KE GUZAR JAAYEINGEY
KHOON KE DARYAA SE HUM PAAR UTAR JAAYEINGEY
GEGUFTGOO BAND NA HO
English translation:
Keep the conversation going.
One word leading to another.
The evening rendezvous lasting till dawn,
The starry night laughing down with us.
Though we hurl our stones of abuse,
Pass around poisoned cups
Brimming with taunts,
Gaze steely-eyed at each other,
None of this matters.
Though we are helpless,
Just keep our hearts
Warm and beating.
Don’t let words
Be stifled with helplessness.
Don’t let voices be murdered.
By dawn some word of love
Is bound to emerge.
Love will be victorious,
It surely will.
Our hearts will stir,
Mouths tremble,
And eyes well with tears.
Silence will perfume
Like a kiss,
And will resound
With the sound of opening buds.
No need for talk,
When eyes glow with love
Hate will leave for ever
Giving way to affection.