Ada Jafri's ghazal: Do char qadam ham bhi tere saath chale hain...

Ada Jafri, 90, [she spelt it Jafarey] was born in Badaun in Uttar Pradesh (UP) in undivided India on August 22, 1926. She began penning poetry at an early age.

In fact, she was just nine when she wrote her first verse. Previously she wrote under the name, Ada Badayuni'. After partition, she migrated to Pakistan.

She is considered the foremost among women poets in Urdu. She won many prestigious literary awards and has four poetry collections to her credit. She passed away in Karachi [Pakistan] on March 16, 2015.

ये फख्र तो हासिल है, बुरे हैं कि भले हैं
दो चार क़दम हम भी तेरे साथ चले हैं

जलना तो चिराग़ों का मुक़द्दर है अज़ल से
ये दिल के कँवल हैं कि बुझे हैं न जले हैं

थे कितने सितारे कि सर-ए-शाम ही डूबे
हंगाम-ए-सहर कितने ही खुर्शीद ढले हैं

जो झेल गए हंस के कड़ी धूप के तेवर
तारों की खुन्क छाँव में वोह लोग जले हैं

एक शमा बुझाई तो कई और जला लीं
हम गर्दिश-ए-दौराँ से बड़ी चाल चले हैं

अदा जाफरी


Now read her ghazal in Roman English script:

Ye fakhr to haasil hai, bure hain ki bhale haiN
do chaar qadam ham bhii tere saath chale haiN

jalnaa to chiraaGho.n ka muqaddar hai azl se
ye dil ke kanwal haiN ki bujhe haiN na jale haiN

the kitne sitaare ki sar-e-shaam hii Duube
hangaam-e-sahar kitne hii Khurshiid Dhale haiN

jo jhel gaye ha.ns ke kaDii dhuup ke tevar
taaro.n kii Khunk chhao.n meiN voh log jale haiN

ek shamaa bujhaai to kau aur jalaa lein
ham gardish-e-duaraaN se baRii chaal chale haiN

Adaa Jafri

Mini Urdu-English dictionary

[Sahar: Dawn, Khursheed: Sun, Khunk: Cold]