Classical Urdu poet Qaim Chandpuri's ghazal: Dil hai ya rab ki paara-e-seemab....

Sheikh Qaimuddin alias Qaim [pronunciation Qaa'em] Chandpuri is a major classical poet, who hailed from Chandpur [Bijnor]. His birth year is often described as 1722 and also as 1725.

Initially, he showed his 'kalaam' to Hidayatullah, but later got islaah from Mir Dard, and then Sauda. No one disputes his greatness, yet, he is not given his due place along with giants. Qaim passed away in 1794. Read his ghazal:

रात को चैन है न दिन को ताब 
दिल है या रब कि पारा-ए-सीमाब* 

जाए बूदन नहीं ये बहर-ए-जहाँ
ख़ानः बरदोश रह तू मिस्ल-ए-हुबाब**

हम दिवानों को बस है पोशिश से
दामन-ए-दश्त-ओ-चादर-ए-महताब

दिल के ताबेए हैं जो हुआ सो किया
हम समझते नहीं सवाब-ओ-अज़ाब

अब कहाँ मैं किधर है मय, नासेह!
ये भी था मुतक़ज़ाए अहद-ए-शबाब

क़ायम चांदपुरी 

Now read the ghazal in Roman script:

raat ko chain hai na din ko taab
dil hai yaa-Rab ki paara-e-Seemaab

jaaye buudan nahiiN yeh bahr-e-jahaaN
khaana-bardosh ra tuu misl-e-hubaab

ham divaanoN ko bas hai poshish se
daaman-e-dasht-o-chaadar-e-mahtaab

dil ke taabe' haiN jo huaa so kiyaa
ham samajhte nahiiN savaab-o-azaab

ab kahaaN maiN kidhar hai mai naaseh
ye bhii thaa mutaqazaae-ahd-e-shabaab

Qaim Chandpuri

[Alternative spellings: Qayam, Qaaem, Qaem]

Mini Urdu-English dictionary [Meanings]

*Seemab=Mercury, mercurial (character, condition)
**Hubaab=bubble, short-lived like a bubble