The Eid Moon and the Magic of Literature: Poetry, Stories, and a Question
The colors of Eid in Urdu literature: Exploring the beauty and emotions of the festival through poetry and stories.
When the Eid moon shines in the sky, a festival of joy begins on the earth. The scent of henna, the hustle and bustle all around, and the sparkle of clothes — these are the magical moments of Chand Raat before Eid-ul-Fitr that I felt even today. But do you know that the oldest and most beautiful way to capture these emotions in words is through literature? Poetry and stories have preserved the colors of Eid for centuries. In Urdu poetry, various poets have expressed the Eid moon and its associated emotions in their unique styles. Today, when the Eid moon shone above us on March 31, 2025, a strange happiness spread through the atmosphere. Come, let’s take a journey through this literary treasure and talk about some things that might be new to you.
The Bond Between Eid and Poetry
Eid is frequently mentioned in Urdu poetry, but the interesting thing is that most poets, even on the occasion of Eid, weave sadness into their words.
Mustafa Zaidi’s Poem "The Groaning Heart"
کسی کے قدموں میں سورج کا سر جھکا بھی تو کیا
Kisi ke qadmon mein suraj ka sar jhuka bhi to kya
So what if the sun bowed its head at someone’s feet?
ہوا ہی کیا جو یہ چھوٹی سی کائنات ملی؟
Hua hi kya jo yeh chhoti si kainaat mili?
What happened if this tiny universe was granted?
مرے وجود کی گہری خموش ویرانی
Mere wajood ki gehri khamosh veerani
The deep, silent desolation of my existence
تمہیں یہاں کے اندھیرے کا علم کیا ہوگا
Tumhein yahan ke andhere ka ilm kya hoga
What would you know of the darkness here?
تمہیں تو صرف مقدر سے چاند رات ملی
Tumhein to sirf muqaddar se chand raat mili
You only got Chand Raat by fate.
Well, my intention isn’t to make you sad, but to double the joy of this moment with a cheerful poem. By the way, most poets seem to get melancholic even when they see Eid. God knows, most poets stay sad even when they aren’t. Perhaps it’s because of their deep thinking. I’m a poet myself, and I’ve felt this about myself too.
Maroof Rae Bareilvi’s Poem
یہ ان دنوں کی بات ہے
Yeh un dinon ki baat hai
This is a tale of those days
کہ جب وہ چاند رات میں
Ke jab woh chand raat mein
When she, on Chand Raat
برائے فکر شاعری
Barae fikr-e-shaairi
For the sake of poetic thoughts
جو چھت پہ جا کے بیٹھتی
Jo chhat pe ja ke baithti
Would sit on the roof
تو ماہتاب سے
To mahtaab se
Then from the moonlight
ستارے
Sitare
The stars
سارے جا کے پوچھتے
Sare ja ke poochhte
All went and asked
یہ شاعرہ ہے
Yeh shaaira hai
Is this a poetess
یا کوئی
Ya koi
Or some
غزل
Ghazal
Ghazal
اداس اداس ہے
Udaas udaas hai
Sad, so sad?
یہ ان دنوں کی بات ہے
Yeh un dinon ki baat hai
This is a tale of those days
Wasi Shah’s Ghazal "Chand Raat"
میں ہوں ترا خیال ہے اور چاند رات ہے
Main hoon tera khayal hai aur chand raat hai
I am your thought, and it’s Chand Raat
دل درد سے نڈھال ہے اور چاند رات ہے
Dil dard se nidhaal hai aur chand raat hai
The heart is weary with pain, and it’s Chand Raat
آنکھوں میں چبھ گئیں تری یادوں کی کرچیاں
Aankhon mein chubh gayin teri yaadon ki kirchiyan
The splinters of your memories pierced my eyes
کاندھوں پہ غم کی شال ہے اور چاند رات ہے
Kandhon pe gham ki shaal hai aur chand raat hai
A shawl of sorrow rests on my shoulders, and it’s Chand Raat
دل توڑ کے خموش نظاروں کا کیا ملا
Dil tod ke khamosh nazaron ka kya mila
What was gained by breaking the heart with silent sights?
شبنم کا یہ سوال ہے اور چاند رات ہے
Shabnam ka yeh sawaal hai aur chand raat hai
This is dew’s question, and it’s Chand Raat
پھر تتلیاں سی اڑنے لگیں دشت خواب میں
Phir titliyan si udne lagin dasht-e-khwab mein
Then butterflies began to fly in the desert of dreams
پھر خواہش وصال ہے اور چاند رات ہے
Phir khwahish-e-wisaal hai aur chand raat hai
Then there’s a longing for union, and it’s Chand Raat
کیمپس کی نہر پر ہے ترا ہاتھ ہاتھ میں
Campus ki nehar pe hai tera haath haath mein
By the campus canal, your hand is in mine
موسم بھی لا زوال ہے اور چاند رات ہے
Mausam bhi la-zawaal hai aur chand raat hai
The weather is timeless too, and it’s Chand Raat
ہر اک کلی نے اوڑھ لیا ماتمی لباس
Har ik kali ne odh liya maatmi libaas
Every bud has donned mourning attire
ہر پھول پر ملال ہے اور چاند رات ہے
Har phool par malaal hai aur chand raat hai
Every flower bears regret, and it’s Chand Raat
میری تو پور پور میں خوشبو سی بس گئی
Meri to poor poor mein khushboo si bas gayi
A fragrance has settled in every pore of me
اس پر ترا خیال ہے اور چاند رات ہے
Is par tera khayal hai aur chand raat hai
Along with your thought, and it’s Chand Raat
چھلکا سا پڑ رہا ہے وصیؔ وحشتوں کا رنگ
Chhilka sa pad raha hai Wasi wahshaton ka rang
A hint of wildness is spilling, Wasi
ہر چیز پہ زوال ہے اور چاند رات ہے
Har cheez pe zawaal hai aur chand raat hai
Everything is in decline, and it’s Chand Raat
Oops, I made a mistake again and saddened you. What can I do? Poets don’t write cheerful ghazals even when they see the beautiful moon of Chand Raat; they just stay drowned in sorrow. I have the same problem because I’m a poet too. I rarely write joyful verses. There’s sadness, but not to share. Perhaps what’s sadness for me isn’t sadness for you. Anyway, let’s leave that aside and stick to our topic, which is the bond between Eid and poetry.
Idrees Azad’s Verse
عید کا چاند تم نے دیکھ لیا
Eid ka chand tum ne dekh liya
You’ve seen the Eid moon
چاند کی عید ہو گئی ہوگی
Chand ki eid ho gayi hogi
It must have become the moon’s Eid
Akbar Allahabadi’s Ghazal
گلے لگائیں کریں تم کو پیار عید کے دن
Gale lagayen karen tum ko pyar eid ke din
Let’s embrace and love you on Eid day
ادھر تو آؤ مرے گلعذار عید کے دن
Idhar to aao mere gul-e-zaar eid ke din
Come here, my flower, on Eid day
غضب کا حسن ہے آرائشیں قیامت کی
Ghazab ka husn hai aaraishen qayamat ki
The beauty of doomsday’s adornments is stunning
عیاں ہے قدرت پروردگار عید کے دن
Uyaan hai qudrat-e-parwardigar eid ke din
The Lord’s power is evident on Eid day
سنبھل سکی نہ طبیعت کسی طرح میری
Sambhal saki na tabiyat kisi tarah meri
My heart couldn’t settle in any way
رہا نہ دل پہ مجھے اختیار عید کے دن
Raha na dil pe mujhe ikhtiar eid ke din
I had no control over my heart on Eid day
وہ سال بھر سے کدورت بھری جو تھی دل میں
Woh saal bhar se kadurat bhari jo thi dil mein
The resentment that filled my heart all year
وہ دور ہو گئی بس ایک بار عید کے دن
Woh door ho gayi bas ek baar eid ke din
It vanished in a moment on Eid day
لگا لیا انہیں سینہ سے جوش الفت میں
Laga liya unhein seene se josh-e-ulfat mein
I held them to my chest in a surge of affection
غرض کہ آ ہی گیا مجھ کو پیار عید کے دن
Gharaz ke aa hi gaya mujh ko pyar eid ke din
In short, love came to me on Eid day
کہیں ہے نغمۂ بلبل کہیں ہے خندۂ گل
Kahin hai naghma-e-bulbul kahin hai khanda-e-gul
Somewhere the nightingale sings, somewhere the flower laughs
عیاں ہے جوش شباب بہار عید کے دن
Uyaan hai josh-e-shabab-e-bahaar eid ke din
The vigor of youthful spring is evident on Eid day
سویاں دودھ شکر میوہ سب مہیا ہے
Seviyan doodh shakar mewa sab muyassar hai
Vermicelli, milk, sugar, and fruits are all available
مگر یہ سب ہے مجھے ناگوار عید کے دن
Magar yeh sab hai mujhe na-gawar eid ke din
But all this is unpleasant to me on Eid day
ملے اگر لب شیریں کا تیرے اک بوسہ
Mile agar lab-e-sheerin ka tere ek bosa
If I could get one kiss from your sweet lips
تو لطف ہو مجھے البتہ یار عید کے دن
To lutf ho mujhe albata yaar eid ke din
Then I’d find joy, my friend, on Eid day
In this ghazal, the poet’s mood was somewhat good, and he described how hatred fades away on Eid day.
A Glimpse of Eid in Stories
Mayal Khairabadi’s "Eid ka Joda"
Written in the 1960s, this story, though short, beautifully portrays a poor boy’s desire for clothes for Eid. It tells us that Eid holds different meanings for every class. Read
Premchand’s "Eidgah"
This story depicts the sacrifice of an orphan boy, Hamid, for a gift for his grandmother. It remains a masterpiece in Urdu literature even today. Read
The Magic of Literature: Joy or Reflection?
Now a question — does literature enhance the joy of Eid, or does it make us think? The poets’ verses shake the heart and sometimes give birth to unnecessary sadness, while the writers’ stories invite us to reflect on poverty and sacrifice. Interestingly, literature has been preserving festivals for centuries — whether it’s Mir from the eighteenth century or Faiz from the twentieth. So, what do you say? Do you enjoy poetry on Eid, or learn lessons from stories?
An Invitation to Literature for Eid 2025
This Eid, make literature your friend. Did you know that Diwan-e-Ghalib is still one of the most widely read Urdu collections worldwide? So grab a cup of tea and flip through a few pages. Or sit with your family and read "Eidgah" — it’s a story for both kids and adults. Pen down your Eid memories; maybe what you write today becomes a famous story tomorrow. Host a poetry gathering for Eid, or tell a story to the kids — these moments could become part of history.
A Fun Question
If you could meet one of Ghalib, Faiz, or Manto on Eid, who would you choose and why? Or would you just quietly prefer reading their poems and stories?
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