Below is a line-by-line translation that balances literal meaning with poetic flow.
Original (Urdu script):
کل چودھویں کی رات تھی، شب بھر رہی چراغاں میں
نکلے تھے ہم جو گھر سے تو اکثر تھے راہ مشکل میں
Transliteration:
Kal Chaudhvin ki raat thi, shab bhar rahi charaghaan mein
Nikle the hum jo ghar se to aksar the raah mushkil mein
Translation:
Last night was the night of the full moon, the entire night was illuminated.
When I left home, the path was often full of difficulties.
Original:
کسی نے مہرِ کامل سے ہمیں یوں آشنا کیا
کھلا ہے آج سودا بھی، اٹھے ہیں آج دامن میں
Transliteration:
Kisi ne mehr-e-kaamil se humein yun aashna kiya
Khula hai aaj sauda bhi, uthe hain aaj daaman mein
Translation:
Someone introduced me to the perfect sun (i.e., the beloved's radiance) in such a way,
Today the bargain is clear, and today the hem of my garment has risen (metaphor for being ready to sacrifice/pay any price).
Original:
چمک تیرا بھی کم تھا کچھ، نکھرا تیرا بھی کم تھا کچھ
تری زلفوں کے کھلنے سے، تیرے رخ کے سنورنے سے
Transliteration:
Chamak tera bhi kam tha kuch, nikhra tera bhi kam tha kuch
Teri zulfon ke khilne se, tere rukh ke sanwarne se
Translation:
Your glow was somewhat incomplete, your brilliance somewhat incomplete,
Until your curls spread open, and your face was adorned.
Original (Most famous line):
شبِ فرقت نے جاگا کر بہت بے چین کر ڈالا
نہیں معلوم تجھ کو بھی، کوئی رات ایسی گزری ہے؟
Transliteration:
Shab-e-furqat ne jaaga kar bohat bechain kar daala
Nahin maloom tujh ko bhi, koi raat aisi guzri hai?
Translation:
The night of separation has made me restless by keeping me awake.
I don't know if you, too, have ever spent such a night?
Original (Climax of the ghazal):
ہوا جب درد سے سینہ، سوئے مہرِ جہاں تاباں
ہماری خاک کو اُس نے، بنایا شمع گلشن میں
Transliteration:
Hua jab dard se seena, suye mehr-e-jahan taabaan
Hamari khaak ko usne, banaya shamma-e-gulshan mein
Translation:
When my chest became radiant with pain, turning toward the world-illuminating sun (the beloved),
He/She turned my dust into a candle in the garden.
Roman: Haan tum ne kaha kuch aur hai, Insha ne kaha ye chaand hai Tum apni zaban rakhna, Hum apni zaban rakhte hain
English Translation: Yes, you say something else (it’s just a face), Insha says this is the moon. You keep your dialect/language (opinion), I will keep my dialect (opinion).
Explanation: The poet (signing off as Insha) concludes beautifully. A critic might say the moon is just a rock. A lover says it’s a face. The poet refuses to argue. “You believe what you want; I will believe what I want.”
Urdu: Hum bhi wahan maujood the, hum se bhi sab poochha kiye Translation: I was present there as well, and everyone kept asking me (for my opinion).
Urdu: Hum hans diye, hum chup rahe, andaaz tha kya kya tera Translation: I smiled, and then I stayed silent. (Because) your style, your manner, was beyond description.
Interpretation: This is the emotional core. The poet cannot answer the question. He can’t confirm “it is the moon” or “it is her face” because both pale in comparison to her andaaz (grace/style). His silence and smile are the only appropriate responses to a beauty that words fail.
Below is the complete ghazal. We have broken it down stanza by stanza for clarity, providing the Romanized Urdu (for singing along) followed by the English translation.
Urdu: Dono ne kar rakha hai kya, ulfat ka maara kya kare Translation: What have both of us done? What can a person struck by love do?
Urdu: Ya zehar de de ya dawaa, hum dam magar hai dam tera Translation: Either give me poison, or give me the cure. But (remember), my last breath is still connected to your breath.
Interpretation: The poet reaches a desperate surrender. He gives the beloved total ultimatum and control (poison or cure). However, in the final line, he reveals the impossibility of separation. Even if she kills him, his very life-force (dam) is intertwined with hers. This is the ultimate declaration of eternal, unbreakable love.
Let’s break down the ghazal verse by verse, translating both the literal meaning and the poetic sentiment.
Few ghazals in history have captured the essence of longing, beauty, and celestial romance quite like "Kal Chaudhvin Ki Raat Thi". Written by the legendary poet Ibn-e-Insha and immortalized by the voice of Jagjit Singh, this masterpiece remains a favorite for poetry lovers around the world.
The poem uses the imagery of the "Chaudhvin" (the 14th night of the lunar month when the moon is nearly full) to describe a night of intoxication and sleeplessness.
Here is the English translation of the lyrics to help you appreciate the depth of these words.
Rafi’s rendition adds a layer of sober intoxication. He sings it like a man who is perfectly sober but drunk on memory. The pauses between "Kal chaudhvin ki..." and "...raat thi" are not musical breaks; they are sighs. An English speaker listening to the translation must imagine a voice that trembles not with anger, but with the weight of beauty that hurts.