Mushkil apni hui jo bood-o-baash

According to wikipedia a Mukhammas ('fivefold') refers to a type of Persian or Urdu cinquain or pentastich with Sufi connections based on a pentameter.It is one of the more popular verse forms in Tajik Badakhshan, occurring both in madoh and in other performance-genres. The mukhammas represents a stanza of two distichs and a hemistich in monorhyme, the fifth line being the “bob” or burden: each succeeding stanza affects a new rhyme, except in the fifth line, e.g., bbbbb + ccccb + ddddb and so forth. Every stanza of a mukhammas includes five lines.

• In the first stanza, all five lines rhyme.
• In the later stanzas, the first four lines rhyme, but the fifth line breaks the rhyme. It can be repeated, or else its rhyme can be that of the first stanza

Meer saw the destruction and moral decline of the society in which he lived. His writings are the living tale of the times he lived in. One of his mukhammas capturing the same is given below:

मुश्किल अपनी हुई जो बूद-ओ-बाश
आए लश्कर में हम बराए तलाश
आन के देखी याँ की तुर्फ़ म'आस
है लब-ए-नां पा सौ जगह परखाश
ने दम-ए-आब है ना चमचा-ए-आश्
[ बूद-ओ-बाश = lifestyle, लश्कर = army, बराए तलाश = in search of job; तुर्फ़ = difficult/ironical, म'आस = condition, लब-ए-नां  = circumference/corner of roti/bread, परखाश = injury, दम-ए-आब = a drink of water, चमचा-ए-आश् = a spoonful of cereal ]

Mushkil apni hui jo bood-o-baash

aaye lashkar mein hum baraaye talaash

aan ke dekhi yaan kee turf maash

hai lab-e-naan pa sau jagah parkhaash

ne dum-e-aab hai na chamcha-e-aash

When living became difficult
I came in army looking for a job
here I see an ironical situation
the bread is torn from all the sides
no water to drink and not even a spoonful of cereal

ज़िंदगानी हुई है सब पे बवाल
कुंजरे झिके हैं रोते हैं बक्काल
पूछो मत कुछ सिपाहियों का हाल
इक तलवार बेचे है इक ढाल
बादशाह-ओ-वज़ीर सब कल्लास

[ बवाल = madness, कुंजरे = a community that sells vegetables and fruits,झिके = to complain बक्काल = merchant, कल्लास  = poor ]

zindagani hui hai sab pe bawaal

kunjare jhike hain rote hain bakkal

poochon mat kuch sipahiyon ka haal

ik talwaar beche hai ik dhaal

baadshaah-o-wazir sab kallash

Life has become hell for all
the fruit sellers are complaining and the merchants are crying
and do not ask the condition of the soldiers
one sells his sword and another his shield
the kings and the ministers all have become poor

शोर मुत्लcक नहीं किसु सर में
ज़ोर बाकी ना अस्प-ओ-उश्तर में
भूख का ज़िक्र अक़्ल-ओ-अक्सर में
खाना जंगी से अमन लश्कर में
ना कोई रींद् ना कोई औबाश
[मुत्लcक = always, अस्प-ओ-उश्तर = horse and camel; अक़्ल-ओ-अक्सर = minority and majority; खाना जंगी = internal conflict; अमन = peace; रींद्  = drunkard,  औबाश = bad]

shor mutluck nahin kisu sar mein

zor baaki na asp-o-ushtar mein

bhookh ka zikr aql-o-aksar mein

khaana jangi se amn lashkar mein

na koi rind ne koi aubaash

there is no drive in any ones mind
there is no strength in horses and camels
all are discussing the hunger
internal conflict has led to peace
and there aren't any drunkard or baddie

लाल खेमा जो है सिपहर असास
पाले हैं रंडियों की उसके पास
है ज़ीना-ओ-शराब बेवस्वास
रोब कर लीजिए यहीं से कियास
किस्सा कोतह रईस है आय्याश
[ सिपहर असास  = whose foundation is sky/tall, ज़ीना-ओ-शराब = beauty & wine बेवस्वास = unlimited, कियास = guess;  ]

laal khema jo hai siphar asaas

paale hain randiyon kee uske paas

hai zina-o-sharaab ke waswaas

rob kar lijiye yahin se kiyaas

kissa kotah raees hai ayyaash

the high red camp
where prostitutes can be readily found
and where beauty and wine are limitless
and you can guess it from here
that the rich are the drown in pleasure

चार लुचे हैं मुस्तैद-ए-कार
दस तिलंगे जो हों, तो है दरबार
हैं वज़ी-ओ-शरीफ सारे ख्वार
लूट से कुछ है गर्मी-ए-बाज़ार
सो भी कंद-ए-सियाह है या माश
[ मुस्तैद-ए-कार = on work, तिलंगे  =soldiers, वज़ी-ओ-शरीफ = decent and respected;ख्वार = disrespect, unpopular; कंद-ए-सियाह = black jaggery; माश = cereal ]

chaar lucche hain mustaid-e-kaar

dus tilange jo hon, tou hai darbaar

hain wazi-o-sharif saare khwaar

loot se kuch hai garmi-e-baazar

so bhee kand-e-siyaah hai ya maash

four goons are alert on the work
ten soldiers if present then it becomes a court
the respected and decent are all dishonoured
the market is high because of the loot
be it black jaggery or the cereals

बस कलम अब ज़बान को अपनी संभाल
खुशनुमा कब है ऐसी काल-ओ-मक़ाल
है  कुद्हब चरख-ए-रुसियह की चाल
मसलेहत है के रहिए होकर लाल
फ़ायदा क्या ज़ो राज़ करिए फ़ाश
[काल-ओ-मक़ाल = conversation ; चरख-ए-रुसियह  = one with black mouth; मसलेहत = advice; लाल = silent ]

bas kalam ab zabaan ko apni sambhaal

khushnumaa kab hai aishi kaal-o-makaal

hai kudab charkh-e-rusiyah kee chaal

maslehat hai ke rahiye hokar laal

faayda kya zo raaz kariye faash

O Pen, keep your mouth in control
pleasant when is such conversation
the black faced is taking a crooked walk
its advisable to be silent
whats is the gain in unvailing the mask?

'Meer Taki Meer'