For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
حسنِ بتاں کی بات کریں ۔ جے کشن چودھری حبیبؔ
۱
خموش نظروں سے حسنِ بُتاں کی بات کریں
نہ لب پہ آئی جو اُس داستاں کی بات کریں
۲
رہِ جُنوں میں بھٹکتے کہاں کہاں پہنچے
کہاں کہاں کی سنائیں کہاں کی بات کریں
۳
جگر کے داغ دِکھانے سے فائدہ کیا ہے
عبث ہے محض کہ زورِ زماں کی بات کریں
۴
نہ بھول جائے زمانہ وفا کی قدروں کو
مِٹے جو عشق میں اُن کے نشاں کی بات کریں
۵
جبینِ شوق کا سجدہ یہاں وہاں کیوں ہو
جہاں ہو عظمتِ سر ہم وہاں کی بات کریں
۶
قدم قدم پہ گزرتے ہیں امتحاں کتنے
چلو کہ آج نئے امتحاں کی بات کریں
۷
یہ یادِ لطفِ بہاراں بھی کم نہیں ہے حبیبؔ
بھری خِزاں میں بھی کیا ہم خِزاں کی بات کریں
हुस्न-ए बुताँ कि बात करें – जय किशन चौधरी हबीब
१
ख़मोश नज़्रौं से हुस्न-ए बुताँ कि बात करें
न लब पे आई जो उस दास्ताँ कि बात करें
२
रह-ए जुनूँ में भटकते कहाँ कहाँ पहुँचे
कहाँ कहाँ कि सुनाएँ कहाँ कि बात करें
३
जिगर के दाग़ दिखाने से फ़ा’एदा क्या है
अबस है महज़ के ज़ोर-ए ज़माँ कि बात करें
४
न भूल जाए ज़माना वफ़ा की क़द्रौं को
मिटे जो इश्क़ में उन के निशाँ कि बात करें
५
जबीन-ए शौक़ का सज्दा यहाँ वहाँ क्यों हो
जहाँ हो अज़्मत-ए सर हम वहाँ कि बात करें
६
क़दम क़दम पे गुज़रते हैं इम्तहाँ कितने
चलो के आज नए इम्तहाँ कि बात करें
७
ये याद-ए लुत्फ़-ए बहाराँ भी कम नहीं है हबीब
भरी ख़िज़ाँ में भी क्या हम ख़िज़ाँ कि बात करें
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. jaikishan chaudhry habiib (1904-xxxx), born in Dera ismail KhaaN, in pakistan. Lived in jabalpur. He was a scholar of sanskrit, English, faarsi and urdu, and was an active participant in the independence struggle, most notably with Khaan abdul Ghaffaar KhaaN. MA from aligaRh and later LLB, law practice 1929. He migrated to India after the partition in 1947. IAS – Collector and later Education Secretary. Early retirement in 1960, but recalled later to serve three more years in jabalpur and retired there. In 1969 he served on Ghalib shataabdhi naagarik samiti which organized four ‘tarahi’ mushaa’era over that year and published a book.
1
Khamosh nazroN1 se husn2-e butaaN3 ki baat kareN
na lab4 pe aaii jo us daastaaN5 ki baat kareN 1.glances 2.beauty 3.idols, beloved 4.lips 5.story
Because he wants to talk about ‘husn-e butaaN’, this conversation is probably not with the beloved herself but among friends/rivals, commiserating with each other. With silent glances, let us talk about the beauty of the beloved. That which could not said out loud, let us talk about that story. It is quite possible that in this case the “beloved” could be the homeland/independence and they could not talk about it openly because of censorship.
2
rah1-e junooN2 meN bhaTakte3 kahaaN kahaaN pahuNche
kahaaN kahaaN ki sunaa’eN kahaaN ki baat kareN 1.path 2.passion, frenzy 3.wandering, lost
The legendary, frenzied ‘majnuN’ wanders the wilderness looking for his beloved laila. Look at where all my wandering in passionate frenzy has taken me. How can I tell you where all I went. How can relate the story of what I saw.
3
jigar1 ke daaGh2 dikhaane se faa’eda3 kya hai
abas4 hai mahz5 keh zor6-e zamaaN7 ki baat kareN 1.liver/heart 2.scars, wounds 3.use 4.useless 5.only 6.oppression 7.times, society
The scars/wounds of his heart could well be the wounds of love. What is the use of displaying these scars. It is useless to merely talk about the cruelty/oppression of the times. It is not clear who he is showing the scars to and what he is suggesting should be done instead of merely talking about it. But such ambiguity is a strong tradition in urdu shaa’eri. The audience is left to form their own (multiple) opinions.
4
na bhuul1 jaa’e zamaana vafaa2 ki qadroN3 ko
miTe4 jo ishq5 meN un ke nishaaN6 ki baat kareN 1.forget 2.faith, fidelity 3.value, respect 4.erased, died 5.love 6.marks, memories
It is ambiguous what this fidelity was towards – towards the beloved in romantic love or towards the homeland in the freedom struggle. In either case, he is fearful that the world will forget the value of such fidelity. He wants to talk about the memories of those who died in the path of love (for the homeland?).
5
jabiin1-e shauq2 ka sajda3 yahaaN-vahaaN4 kyuN ho
jahaaN ho azmat5-e sar ham vahaaN ki baat kareN 1.forehead, brow 2.love, desire, yearning 3.ritual prostration 4.here and there, indiscrimate 5.respect
Traditionally, “sajda” is ritual prostration, placing the forehead to the ground to offer respect/devotion/obeisance/worship. Here is the forehead of love/desire. This could be love for the beloved (homeland) or sufiyaana love for the great spirit. Why should I offer the sajda of love indiscriminately. Let us talk about the place where there is respect for what we have to offer.
6
qadam-qadam1 pe guzarte2 haiN imtehaaN3 kitne
chalo keh aaj na’ye imtehaaN ki baat kareN 1.every step 2.pass, happen, encounter, face 3.tests, trials
There are trials that we face at every step (of our lives). Let us talk today about the new trial that we face (possibly about the independence struggle).
7
ye yaad1-e lutf2-e bahaaraaN3 bhi kam nahiN hai habiib4
bhari5 KhizaaN6 meN bhi kya ham KhizaaN ki baat kareN 1.memories 2.pleasure, comfort 3.spring, good times 4.pen name of poet 5.full, peak 6.dry/barren time of deprivation
O habiib, memories of the pleasures of springs (gone by) are not of any less value/use. Why should we continue to talk about deprivation even if the season of dryness/deprivation is at its peak.
jaikishan chaudhry habiib (1904-xxxx), born in Dera ismail KhaaN, in pakistan. Lived in jabalpur. He was a scholar of sanskrit, English, faarsi and urdu, and was an active participant in the independence struggle, most notably with Khaan abdul Ghaffaar KhaaN. MA from aligaRh and later LLB, law practice 1929. He migrated to India after the partition in 1947. IAS – Collector and later Education Secretary. Early retirement in 1960, but recalled later to serve three more years in jabalpur and retired there. In 1969 he served on Ghalib shataabdhi naagarik samiti which organized four ‘tarahi’ mushaa’era over that year and published a book.
1
Khamosh nazroN1 se husn2-e butaaN3 ki baat kareN
na lab4 pe aaii jo us daastaaN5 ki baat kareN
1.glances 2.beauty 3.idols, beloved 4.lips 5.story
Because he wants to talk about ‘husn-e butaaN’, this conversation is probably not with the beloved herself but among friends/rivals, commiserating with each other. With silent glances, let us talk about the beauty of the beloved. That which could not said out loud, let us talk about that story. It is quite possible that in this case the “beloved” could be the homeland/independence and they could not talk about it openly because of censorship.
2
rah1-e junooN2 meN bhaTakte3 kahaaN kahaaN pahuNche
kahaaN kahaaN ki sunaa’eN kahaaN ki baat kareN
1.path 2.passion, frenzy 3.wandering, lost
The legendary, frenzied ‘majnuN’ wanders the wilderness looking for his beloved laila. Look at where all my wandering in passionate frenzy has taken me. How can I tell you where all I went. How can relate the story of what I saw.
3
jigar1 ke daaGh2 dikhaane se faa’eda3 kya hai
abas4 hai mahz5 keh zor6-e zamaaN7 ki baat kareN
1.liver/heart 2.scars, wounds 3.use 4.useless 5.only 6.oppression 7.times, society
The scars/wounds of his heart could well be the wounds of love. What is the use of displaying these scars. It is useless to merely talk about the cruelty/oppression of the times. It is not clear who he is showing the scars to and what he is suggesting should be done instead of merely talking about it. But such ambiguity is a strong tradition in urdu shaa’eri. The audience is left to form their own (multiple) opinions.
4
na bhuul1 jaa’e zamaana vafaa2 ki qadroN3 ko
miTe4 jo ishq5 meN un ke nishaaN6 ki baat kareN
1.forget 2.faith, fidelity 3.value, respect 4.erased, died 5.love 6.marks, memories
It is ambiguous what this fidelity was towards – towards the beloved in romantic love or towards the homeland in the freedom struggle. In either case, he is fearful that the world will forget the value of such fidelity. He wants to talk about the memories of those who died in the path of love (for the homeland?).
5
jabiin1-e shauq2 ka sajda3 yahaaN-vahaaN4 kyuN ho
jahaaN ho azmat5-e sar ham vahaaN ki baat kareN
1.forehead, brow 2.love, desire, yearning 3.ritual prostration 4.here and there, indiscrimate 5.respect
Traditionally, “sajda” is ritual prostration, placing the forehead to the ground to offer respect/devotion/obeisance/worship. Here is the forehead of love/desire. This could be love for the beloved (homeland) or sufiyaana love for the great spirit. Why should I offer the sajda of love indiscriminately. Let us talk about the place where there is respect for what we have to offer.
6
qadam-qadam1 pe guzarte2 haiN imtehaaN3 kitne
chalo keh aaj na’ye imtehaaN ki baat kareN
1.every step 2.pass, happen, encounter, face 3.tests, trials
There are trials that we face at every step (of our lives). Let us talk today about the new trial that we face (possibly about the independence struggle).
7
ye yaad1-e lutf2-e bahaaraaN3 bhi kam nahiN hai habiib4
bhari5 KhizaaN6 meN bhi kya ham KhizaaN ki baat kareN
1.memories 2.pleasure, comfort 3.spring, good times 4.pen name of poet 5.full, peak 6.dry/barren time of deprivation
O habiib, memories of the pleasures of springs (gone by) are not of any less value/use. Why should we continue to talk about deprivation even if the season of dryness/deprivation is at its peak.
