The Urdu Poetry Archive collects ghazals and nazms (see Uma’s Ghazal Page for a good introduction to the genre, and the Novice Nook at the Archive for more information):
Welcome to the Urdu Poetry Archive! Urdu poetry is like a vast ocean. Walking along its shores on the sands of time, I have gathered a few gems that I would like to share with you.
The ghazals and nazms in the Urdu poetry archive have been indexed alphabetically as well as by poet. As of 17th August, 2003 there are 1814 ghazals and nazms by 343 poets in the archive… The ghazals and nazms are written in transliterated Urdu (Urdu written in the English script).
Unfortunately, there are no English translations, but if you’re adventurous you might try using the online Urdu-English dictionaries available at Urdu Poetry Resources (if you know any Persian much of the vocabulary will be familiar), and you might find some translations on the web if you google an author’s name. (Via plep.)
A doctor in Pakistant has started a thread in the Yahoo Bulletin Boards on the topic of Urdu poetry.
Here is the URL:
http://messages.yahoo.com/bbs?.mm=boards&action=m&board=12817081&tid=urdupoetryonyahooforfirsttimeeva&sid=12817081&mid=5
aa ki merii jaan me.n qaraar nahii.n hai
taaqat-e-bedaad-e-intazaar nahii.n hai
dete hai.n jannat hayaat-e-dahar ke badale
nashshaa baa_andaazaa-e-Khumaar nahii.n hai
giriyaa nikaale hai terii bazm se mujh ko
haaye! ki rone pe iKhtiyaar nahii.n hai
ham se abas hai gumaan-e-ranjish-e-Khaatir
Khaak me.n ushshaq kii Gubaar nahii.n hai
dil se uThaa lutf-e-jalvaa haaye ma_anii
Gair-e-gul aa_iinaa-e-bahaar nahii.n hai
qatl kaa mere kiyaa hai ahad to baare vaaye! agar ahad ustavaar nahii.n hai
tuu ne qasam mai_kashii kii khaa_ii hai ‘Ghalib’
terii qasam ka kuchh aitabaar nahii.n hai
https://www.urdupoetry.com/ghalib01.html
I have removed vocab glosses after each couplet. In a ghazal, is the A rhyme typically allowed to be the same word throughout as here?
This poem also does this:
https://www.urdupoetry.com/bashir34.html
I believe the A rhymes are required to be the same word or phrase, or a homonym.
I’ll take this opportunity to plug one of my favorite songs. The lyrics, which are said to be a German translation from Hafiz, follow that convention.
@jf
Thanks. I am too lazy to look up things for myself sometimes.
Oh, me too, and I am happy to let the Hattery do my work for me when that happens.