Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. josh malihabadi (1898-1982) is known as – shaa’er-e inqelaab – poet of revolution. His nazm are fiery, passionate and full of energy. His Ghazal and rubaaii are equally good. He was a secular humanist writing sharply and irreverently against colonialism, abuse of power, injustice and orthodoxy. Typically, josh’s compositions throb and overflow with energy and ‘josh/passion’. Here josh celebrates life because it is finite and circumscribed, but still enjoyable. In this celebration, josh defies the rather morose convention that ‘real life begins after death’. He would much rather enjoy what he has. This is a long Ghazal-numa nazm, posted in two parts for easy reading. This is part two.
15
raah¹ meN gurg² o maar³ haiN, Ghaar⁴ haiN Khaarzaar⁵ haiN
q’aar⁶ haiN kohsaar⁷ haiN, phir bhi davaaN⁸ hai zindagi    1.path 2.wolf 3.serpent 4.cave, shelter 5.field of thorns 6.deep ravine 7.hills 8.running, galloping
Wolf and serpent along the way, field of thorns even in shelters
Deep ravines and high hills, still galloping to the goal is Life
16
arsa¹-e giir-o-daar² meN, halqa³-e barq⁴ o naar⁵ meN
dozaKh⁶-e rozgaar⁷ meN, baaGh-e jinaaN⁸ hai zindagi   1.times, age, era 2.conflict and struggle 3.circle 4.lightning 5.fire 6.hell 7.daily life 8.heaven
In times of conflict and struggle, in a circle of thunder and fire
Confronting hellish daily survival, a heavenly garden of pleasure is Life
17
Khasta¹-e jaur²-e aasmaaN, basta³-e marg⁴-e naagahaaN⁵
phir bhi mohiit⁶ o jaavedaaN⁷, mast⁸ o javaaN hai zindagi    1.broken 2.cruelty, oppression 3.confined 4.death 5.sudden, unpredictable 6.covering, shetering 7.immortal 8.carefree
Broken by cruel fate, bound an unpredictable death
Still protecting and preserving, carefree and youthful is Life
18
poochh keh kyuN hai yuN hasiiN¹, ziist² ki rau³ kahaaN nahiN
poochh na yaar⁴-e satah-biiN⁵, kya hai kahaaN hai zindagi    1.beautiful 2.life 3.flow 4.friend 5.of superficial sight
Ask what makes it so beautiful, the flow of life all around
Ask not O friend of casual glance, what and why there is Life
19
har Kham¹-e lab² meN daastaaN³, har bun-e-muu⁴ meN ek jahaaN
sadr⁵-e makaan⁶ o laamakaaN⁷, miir⁸-e zamaaN⁹ hai zindagi    1.curve 2.lip 3.story 4.hair follicle, fibre 5.centre 6.space 7.void 8.leader, king 9.time
The curve of every lip a story tells, every fibre holds a world
The focus of space and of the void, the king of time is Life
20
charKh¹-e t’ayyunaat² par, auj³-e sifaat⁴ o zaat⁵ par
shamsa⁶-e kaa’enaat⁷ par, kaahkashaaN⁸ hai zindagi   1.sky 2.pre-destination, fate 3.apex, climax 4.attributes, characteristics 5.(divine) being 6.embellishment, decoration 7.universe, cosmos 8.constellation
On the sky that determines our fate, the climax of the divine creation
On the cosmic panorama, the decoration of the star studded sky is Life
21
jaama¹ ba jaama, bar² ba bar, Khaana³ ba Khaana, dar⁴ ba dar
Khair⁵ ba Khair, shar⁶ ba shar, sirr-e-nehaaN⁷ hai zindagi   1.clothes, dress 2.width/spread of cloth 3.house, shelter 4.door, domain 5.good 6.bad 7.hidden secret
The cloth that covers, the dwelling that shelters, the domain that sustains
All the good and all the bad, the secret behind them all, is Life
22
qasr¹ ba qasr, tah² ba tah, mahr³ ba mahr, mah⁴ ba mah
koocha⁵ ba koocha, rah⁶ ba rah, noor-fashaaN⁷ hai zindagi   1.palace, mansion, settlements 2.layer 3.sun, year 4.moon, month 5.lane 6.path 7.light spreading
Palaces and forts, layer by layer, over months and years
Pathway by pathway, lane by lane spreading light is Life
23
mauj¹ ba mauj, tab² ba tab, roz³ ba roz, shab⁴ ba shab
nutq⁵ ba nutq, lab⁶ ba lab, harf-e-tapaaN⁷ hai zindagi    1.wave 2.moment 3.day 4.night 5.speech 6.lip 7.restless/burning words
Wave after wave, moment by moment, day by day, night after night
With speech on its lips, restlessly calling out to us is Life
24
aab¹ ba aab, gul ba gul, noor² ba noor, zil³ ba zil
siina ba siina, dil ba dil, zamzama-KhwaaN⁴ hai zindagi   1.water/life, lustre 2.light 3.shadow 4.singer
In everything living and blossoming, in light and in shade
In every bosom and throbbing heart, singing melodies is Life
25
husn¹ ba husn, zam² ba zam, pech³ ba pech, Kham⁴ ba Kham
dajla⁵ ba dajla, yum⁶ ba yum, garm-e anaaN⁷ hai zindagi    1.beauty, praise 2.blame 3.twist 4.curve, turn 5.river Tigris 6.brook, river 7.reins
In everything praiseworthy or to be blamed, in every twist and turn
In every river that flows and brook that gurgles, holding reins is Life
26
koh¹ ba koh, juu² ba juu, qarya³ ba qarya, kuu⁴ ba kuu
raNg ba raNg o buu⁵ ba buu, zauq⁶-e bayaaN⁷ hai zindagi   1.hill 2.river 3.region, settlement 4.street 5.fragrance 6.taste, desire 7.expression
Hill by hill, river after river, village by village, street after street
In every colour and in every fragrance, the taste for expression is Life
27
juzv¹ ba juzv, kul² ba kul, Khaar³ ba Khaar, gul⁴ ba gul
shiisha⁵ ba shiisha, mul⁶ ba mul, baada-fashaaN⁷ hai zindagi     1.part 2.whole 3.thorn 4.rose 5.bottle, cup of wine 6.wine 7.wine showering
In every part and in the whole, in every thorn and in the rose
In every cup and every drink, the freely flowing wine is Life
28
jur’a¹ ba jur’a, dam² ba dam, nosh³ na nosh, sam⁴ ba sam
jaam⁵ ba jaam, jam⁶ ba jam, piir-e-muGhaaN⁷ hai zindagi     1.sip 2.breath 3.mouthful 4.together 5.cup 6.jamshed, Persian emperor whose magical cup could divine the future 7.head priest/wine maker, saaqi
In every sip, in every breath, in every bite shared together
With every cup and every tale of the tavern, the saaqi is Life
29
josh¹ ka dam² hai vaapasiiN³, laa bhi sitaar o saatgiiN⁴
der na kar keh humnashiiN⁵, aab-e-ravaaN⁶ hai zindagi   1.pen-name of poet 2.breath, life 3.returning, departing 4.cup 5.friend 6.flowing water
josh’s breath is fleeting, bring out the sitar and goblet
Do not delay my friend, like flowing water is Life