For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
ایسی نماز رہنے دے ۔ رنگا چاری رنگاؔ
۱
یہ رازِ عشق ہے تا حدّ راز رہنے دے
اِسے یونہی نگہِ فتنہ ساز رہنے دے
۲
دکھا نہ ہم کو حقیقت کے معجزے واعظ
جواں ہیں ہم ہمیں غرقِ مجاز رہنے دے
۳
زمانہ روزِ ازل سے ہے اِس سے وابستہ
نگاہِ ناز کو پابندِ ناز رہنے دے
۴
تری نوازشِ پیہم کا شکریہ لیکن
یہ دردِ عشق ہے اے چارہ ساز رہنے دے
۵
ہٹا نہ اِس کو تجھے میری اُلجھنوں کی قسم
تو اپنے شانہ پہ زلفِ دراز رہنے دے
۶
یہ سجدے خُلد کی لالچ میں تو نہیں رنگاؔ
اگر یہ سچ ہے تو ایسی نماز رہنے دے
ऐसी नमाज़ रहने दे – रंगा चारी रंगा
१
ये राज़-ए इश्क़ है, ता हद्द-ए राज़ रहने दे
इसे युंही निगह-ए फ़ित्ना-साज़ रहने दे
२
दिखा न हम को हक़ीक़त के मो’जेज़े वा’एज़
जवां हैं हम हमें ग़र्क़-ए मजाज़ रहने दे
३
ज़माना रोज़-ए अज़ल से है इस से वाबस्ता
निगाह-ए नाज़ को पाबन्द-ए नाज़ रहने दे
४
तेरी नवाज़िश-ए पैहम का शुक्रिया लैकिन
ये दर्द-ए इश्क़ है अए चारा-साज़ रहने दे
५
हटा न इस को तुझे मेरी उल्झनौं कि क़सम
तु अपने शाने पे ज़ुल्फ़-ए दराज़ रहने दे
६
ये सज्दे ख़ुल्द कि लालच में तो नहीं रंगा
अगर ये सच है तो ऐसी नमाज़ रहने दे
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. raNga chari raNga allahabadi (1931-????) worked as a head clerk, at the Govt Junior Basic Training College, jhaanNsi – a middle level job at best. But he was caught in the love of urdu and I found his diivan to be particularly erudite and was delighted to discover him. He learnt faarsi and urdu at home from his grandfather, munshi nand kishor who clerked for panDit motilal nehru. He names shu’ara sukhdev parshad bismil, and rajeshwar parshad soz as friends of his father with regular recitation sessions at their home. His brother put Ghazal to music and sang them. In 1956 he helped organize a major mushaa’era. zahoor nashtar salonavi, who saw this, encouraged him to compose and ended up being his ustaad. He published his diivaan, navaa-e dair o haram, in 1985.
1
ye raaz-e-ishq2 hai, taa2 hadd-e-raaz3 rahne de
ise yuNhi nig’h4-e fitna-saaz5 rahne de 1.secret of love 2.up to, until 3.bounds of secret/mystery 4.glance 5.mischief making
The poet deliberately keeps this ambiguous. ‘nig’h-e fitna-saaz’ could either be the lover’s own glance (secretively cast upon the beloved) or ‘fitna-saaz’ could be the beloved and it is her glance that is being addressed. In saying ‘ye raaz-e-ishq hai’, the poet again is not explicit about what the ‘ye’ actually is. If it is his own glance that is secretly making mischief, looking at the beloved, then the act of looking is the ‘ye’ – the secret. Let it remain within the bounds of mystery, he tells his own glance – do not go any further, do not announce this to the world. If it is the beloved’s glance that is raising the poet/lover’s passion and causing a tumult, he is asking it to keep things in bounds, so he may not get so made that he may end up revealing the secret.
2
dikha1 na hum ko haqiiqat2 ke mo’jeze3 vaa’ez4
javaaN haiN hum hameN Gharq5-e majaaz6 rahne de 1.show 2.reality, truth 3.miracles, wonders 4.preacher 5.drowned in 6.illusion, deception
Young lover’s live in their own world, drowned in illusions. The preacher is trying to turn them around, getting them to look at the wonders of reality. The poet/lover does not want to have anything to do with it.
3
zamaana1 roz-e-azal2 se hai is se vaabasta3
nigaah-e-naaz4 ko paaband5-e naaz rahne de 1.times, the world 2.day of beginning of time, eternity 3.associated 4.coquettish glance 5.bound by
The world is associated/familiar with ‘this’ since the beginning of time. The ‘this’ turns out in the second misra to ‘nigaah-e naaz’ – the coquettish glance of the beloved. Let it remain within the bounds of coquetry/playfulness/teasing.
4
teri navaazish1-e paiham2 ka shukriya laikin
ye dard3-e ishq4 hai aye chaara-saaz5 rahne de 1.offering, kindness 2.repeated 3.pain, sickness 4.love 5.healer
The poet/lover is suffering pangs of love. Perhaps he is on his death bed. The healer is being kind comes offering cures again and again. Thank for your kindness O healer, but this is the pain of love (it cannot be cured by any of your potions).
5
haTa na is ko tujhe meri uljhanoN1 ki qasam2
tu apne shaane3 pe zulf4-e daraaz5 rahne de 1.perplexity, confusion, anxiety 2.I swear by 3.shoulder 4.hair 5.long
Long, dark hair are a standard of beauty. Hair spread over the shoulders are a sign of coquetry and even of intimacy. Such a sight confuses the poet/lover. He is not sure if the beloved is teasing or showing real interest. In either case, I swear by my confusion (I would rather be perplexed than lose sight of that beauty), let your long hair remain on your shoulders.
6
ye sajde1 Khuld2 ki laalach3 meN to nahiN raNga4
agar5 ye such6 hai to aisi namaaz rahne de 1.ritual prostration in prayer 2.heaven 3.temptation, allure 4.pen-name of the poet 5.if 6.true
O raNga, are your prayerful prostrations due to the allure of heaven rather than due to pure devotion. If this be true, just set aside such prayers.
raNga chari raNga allahabadi (1931-????) worked as a head clerk, at the Govt Junior Basic Training College, jhaanNsi – a middle level job at best. But he was caught in the love of urdu and I found his diivan to be particularly erudite and was delighted to discover him. He learnt faarsi and urdu at home from his grandfather, munshi nand kishor who clerked for panDit motilal nehru. He names shu’ara sukhdev parshad bismil, and rajeshwar parshad soz as friends of his father with regular recitation sessions at their home. His brother put Ghazal to music and sang them. In 1956 he helped organize a major mushaa’era. zahoor nashtar salonavi, who saw this, encouraged him to compose and ended up being his ustaad. He published his diivaan, navaa-e dair o haram, in 1985.
1
ye raaz-e-ishq2 hai, taa2 hadd-e-raaz3 rahne de
ise yuNhi nig’h4-e fitna-saaz5 rahne de
1.secret of love 2.up to, until 3.bounds of secret/mystery 4.glance 5.mischief making
The poet deliberately keeps this ambiguous. ‘nig’h-e fitna-saaz’ could either be the lover’s own glance (secretively cast upon the beloved) or ‘fitna-saaz’ could be the beloved and it is her glance that is being addressed. In saying ‘ye raaz-e-ishq hai’, the poet again is not explicit about what the ‘ye’ actually is. If it is his own glance that is secretly making mischief, looking at the beloved, then the act of looking is the ‘ye’ – the secret. Let it remain within the bounds of mystery, he tells his own glance – do not go any further, do not announce this to the world. If it is the beloved’s glance that is raising the poet/lover’s passion and causing a tumult, he is asking it to keep things in bounds, so he may not get so made that he may end up revealing the secret.
2
dikha1 na hum ko haqiiqat2 ke mo’jeze3 vaa’ez4
javaaN haiN hum hameN Gharq5-e majaaz6 rahne de
1.show 2.reality, truth 3.miracles, wonders 4.preacher 5.drowned in 6.illusion, deception
Young lover’s live in their own world, drowned in illusions. The preacher is trying to turn them around, getting them to look at the wonders of reality. The poet/lover does not want to have anything to do with it.
3
zamaana1 roz-e-azal2 se hai is se vaabasta3
nigaah-e-naaz4 ko paaband5-e naaz rahne de
1.times, the world 2.day of beginning of time, eternity 3.associated 4.coquettish glance 5.bound by
The world is associated/familiar with ‘this’ since the beginning of time. The ‘this’ turns out in the second misra to ‘nigaah-e naaz’ – the coquettish glance of the beloved. Let it remain within the bounds of coquetry/playfulness/teasing.
4
teri navaazish1-e paiham2 ka shukriya laikin
ye dard3-e ishq4 hai aye chaara-saaz5 rahne de
1.offering, kindness 2.repeated 3.pain, sickness 4.love 5.healer
The poet/lover is suffering pangs of love. Perhaps he is on his death bed. The healer is being kind comes offering cures again and again. Thank for your kindness O healer, but this is the pain of love (it cannot be cured by any of your potions).
5
haTa na is ko tujhe meri uljhanoN1 ki qasam2
tu apne shaane3 pe zulf4-e daraaz5 rahne de
1.perplexity, confusion, anxiety 2.I swear by 3.shoulder 4.hair 5.long
Long, dark hair are a standard of beauty. Hair spread over the shoulders are a sign of coquetry and even of intimacy. Such a sight confuses the poet/lover. He is not sure if the beloved is teasing or showing real interest. In either case, I swear by my confusion (I would rather be perplexed than lose sight of that beauty), let your long hair remain on your shoulders.
6
ye sajde1 Khuld2 ki laalach3 meN to nahiN raNga4
agar5 ye such6 hai to aisi namaaz rahne de
1.ritual prostration in prayer 2.heaven 3.temptation, allure 4.pen-name of the poet 5.if 6.true
O raNga, are your prayerful prostrations due to the allure of heaven rather than due to pure devotion. If this be true, just set aside such prayers.
