Reading Shakespeare In Urdu

A Straight Version
The Love Sonnet is dedicated by a man-poet to an extremely beautiful woman who refuses to have sex with her admirers.

Oh Qatil Haseena, why do you spend
Upon yourself alone your entire khoobsurti?
Allah gives nothing, but only lends,
And a shukra-guzaar woman freely lends her husn to her aashiqs:

Then, o Behrehem Ada, why do you bring barbaadi
To the bounteous khazana given to you to give?
You profitless sood-khor, why do you save
So aalishaan a zayedaad with you, though you can't live forever?
For you having tanhaa mulakaatein with yourself alone,
You do dagaa to your sweet self:

When Allah calls you from this duniya,
What bahu-khaata will you leave?
Your unused zeenat will be given a dafan with you,
Which, if used, would stay in the Jigar of many.

A Gay Version
In the Sonnet IV, Shakespeare is referring to a beautiful young man. It has therefore set up delicious speculations about a possible gay theme.

Ah, Zaalim Jaanam, why do you kharch
On yourself alone your entire raunaq?
Kudrat's offerings are not gifts but mere karz,
And haseen shehjaadas freely loan their husn to their mashooqs:

Then, O Sakht-dil Mehboob, why do you lay ujaar
This bemisal karz given to you to give as karz?
You unlending lender, why do you keep mahfooz
So beshkeemti a daulat with you, when you can't live with it forever?
For you holding mehfils with yourself alone,
You do beimaani to your sweet self:

When Kudrat wipes you off from here,
What hisaab of yours will be left behind?
Your unspent jawani will go fanaa with you,
Which, if exercised, would survive in the ishq of many.

A Scientific Sexual Version
Sonnet IV is also considered as Shakespeare's mini treatise on the sheer uselessness of masturbation.

Ae, ziddi insaan, why do you istemaal
Upon yourself alone your Jism's tamaam garmi?
Jism has a khaas hathyaar, not a toy but a tool,
And a virile aadmi freely uses it on his aurat:

Then, o bewakoof mard, why do you bring tabhahee
To the Changez-Khani mardanagi instilled into you to instill others?
You withholding provider, why do you preserve
This mardaana taakat, knowing that Zindagi do not last for ever?
For you masturbating all the time,
You do beinsaafi to your mardaana farz:

When this jism is dead and done with,
What nishaanee will you leave?
Your unused al-Mani will get khatm with you,
Which, if injected, would stay in the kokh of many.

The Shakespeare Version
The complete 154 sonnets of Shakespeare are addressed to three people: a beautiful young man, a rival poet, and a dark-haired lady; today commonly referred to as the Fair Lord, the Rival Poet, and the Dark Lady respectively. The sonnets 1-126, interestingly. are directed to the appreciation of this mysterious 'Fair Lord'.

Unthrifty loveliness, why dost thou spend
Upon thy self thy beauty's legacy?
Nature's bequest gives nothing, but doth lend,
And being frank she lends to those are free:

Then, beauteous niggard, why dost thou abuse
The bounteous largess given thee to give?
Profitless usurer, why dost thou use
So great a sum of sums, yet canst not live?
For having traffic with thy self alone,
Thou of thy self thy sweet self dost deceive:

Then how when nature calls thee to be gone,
What acceptable audit canst thou leave?
Thy unused beauty must be tombed with thee,
Which, used, lives th' executor to be.