For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
طرزِ بیانِ اُردو ۔ بشویشور پرشاد مُنوّرؔ لکھنوی
۱
منزلِ اوج پہ لہرائے نشانِ اُردو
ہر شرف کی ہے سزاوار زبانِ اُردو
۲
اُن بزرگوں کے قدم اہلِ اِرم لیتے ہیں
جن کے ہاتھوں ہوئی تعمیرِ مکانِ اُردو
۳
زاویہ اپنی نگاہوں کا بدل دینا ہے
نظر آئے نہ کوئی دشمنِ جانِ اُردو
۴
گردشِ دہر سے لازم ہے تحفّظ اِس کا
خاک و خوں میں نہ ملے جنسِ گِرانِ اُردو
۵
اس میں ہیں ایک زمانے کی زبانیں شامل
خوب ہے اپنی جگہ طرزِ بیانِ اُردو
۶
کام سے اپنے جو دنیا میں اسے کام رہا
مٹ سکے گا نہ کبھی نام و نشانِ اُردو
۷
ہوں ثوابوں میں وہ اب حسنِ عمل سے تبدیل
جن عذابوں میں گرفتار ہے جانِ اُردو
۸
اپنی مستانہ خرامی سے قیامت ڈھائے
موجِ طوفاں نہ بنے سیلِ روانِ اُردو
۹
اِس کی توسیع پہ ہے زندگی اِس کی موقوف
تنگ دنیا پہ نہ ہو کاش زبانِ اُردو
۱۰
سیر اِس نعمتِ عظمیٰ سے مُنوّرؔ ہوں میں
ہے میسّر شرفِ شرکتِ خوانِ اُردو
तर्ज़-ए बयान-ए उर्दू – विश्वेश्वर प्रशाद मुनव्वर लखनवी
१
मंज़िल-ए औज पे लहराए निशान-ए उर्दू
हर शरफ़ की है सज़ावार ज़बान-ए उर्दू
२
उन बुज़ुर्गौं के क़दम अहल-ए इरम लेते हैं
जिन के हाथौं हुई ता’मीर-ए मकान-ए उर्दू
३
ज़ाविया अपनी निगाहौं का बदल देना है
नज़र आए न कोई दुश्मन-ए जान-ए उर्दू
४
गर्दिश-ए दहर से लाज़िम है तहफ़्फ़ुज़ इस का
ख़ाक ओ ख़ूं में न मिले जिन्स-ए गिरान-ए उर्दू
५
इस में हैं एक ज़माने कि ज़बानें शामिल
ख़ूब है अपनी जगह तर्ज़-ए बयान-ए उर्दू
६
काम से अपने जो दुनिया में इसे काम रहे
मिट सकेगा न कभी नाम ओ निशान-ए उर्दू
७
हो सवाबौं में वो अब हुस्न-ए अमल से तब्दील
जिन अज़ाबौं में गिरफ़्तार है जान-ए उर्दू
८
अपनी मस्ताना ख़रामी से ख़यामत ढाए
मौज-ए तूफ़ां न बने सैल-ए रवान-ए उर्दू
९
इस की तौस’ई पे है ज़न्दगी इस की मौक़ूफ़
तंग दुनिया पे न हो काश ज़बान-ए उर्दू
१०
सेर इस ने’मत-ए अज़्मा से मुनव्वर हूं मैं
है मयस्सर शरफ़-ए शिर्कत-ए ख़्वान-ए उर्दू
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. munshi bishweshwar prasad munavvar lakhnavi (1897-1970). He was a scholar of arabi, faarsi, urdu, and hindi. His father, munshi dwarka prasad ufaq was also a great poet who recomposed the ramayan in urdu using the same qaafiya for more than 6000 ash’aar. He himself re-composed the bhagwad gita in chaste urdu. He credits urdu with “saving the hindu religion” because of the many translations of hindu religious texts into urdu because that was the language that more north Indian hindus could relate to, rather than avadhi or sanskrit. In the synchretic spirit of India (now lost) he composed odes and elegies to islamic religious figures. This nazm/Ghazal recited at an urdu day function is from a collection pulished in 1939. He is anticipating with much trepidation the future of urdu in India.
1
manzil1-e auj2 pe lahraa’e nishaan3-e urdu
har sharaf4 ki hai sazavaar5 zabaan6-e urdu 1.stage, station 2.climax 3.sign, banner 4.nobility, greatness 5.deserving 6.language
May the banner of urdu wave at the peak of the greatest heights. urdu is deserving of every greatness/honour it is accorded.
2
un buzurgoN1 ke qadam2 ahl-e-iram3 lete haiN
jin ke haathoN hui taamiir4-e makaan5-e urdu 1.elders 2.feet 3.people of heaven 4.building 5.home
‘qadam lena’ is an expression that means touch feet as a show of respect/veneration. Thus, the elders of urdu who helped build the ‘house of urdu’ go to heaven and the people of heaven touch their feet out of veneration.
3
zaaviya1 apni nigaahoN2 ka badal3 dena hai
nazar4 aaye na koii dushman5-e jaan6-e urdu 1.angle, point of view 2.eyes 3.change 4.seen 5.enemy 6.life
He perceives that there are some who have become enemies of urdu to the point of wanting it kill/eliminate it from India. (This nazm is out of a collection that was published in 1939). He is calling upon the lovers of urdu to change their point of view/adopt a new strategy such that there be enemies of urdu are changed into friends and no enemy can be seen.
4
gardish1-e dahr2 se laazim3 hai tahaffuz4 is ka
Khaak-o-KhooN5 meN na mile jins6-e giraan7-e urdu 1.vicissitudes, trials and tribulations 2.world 3.essential 4.protection 5.bloody and dusty 6.commodity 7.valuable
It is essential to protect it from the trials and tribulations of the world. Otherwise I fear that this valuable treasure will be wounded/bloodied and thrown into the dust.
5
is meN haiN ek zamaane1 ki zabaaneN2 shaamil3
Khoob4 hai apni jagah tarz5-e bayaan6-e urdu 1.times, ages 2.languages 3.included, mingled 4.good, excellent 5.style 6.expression, poetic expression
There are many ancient languages mingled in urdu. But still urdu has its own unique style of poetic expression.
6
kaam se apne jo duniya meN ise kaam rahe
miT sakega na kabhi naam o nishaan-e urdu If urdu continues to focus on its mission, then its name and fame can never be erased from the face of the earth.
7
ho savaaboN1 meN vo ab husn2-e amal3 se tabdiil4
jin azaaboN5 meN giraftaar6 hai jaan7-e urdu 1.blessings 2.beauty, skill 3.action 4.changed 5.curse, difficulty 6.bound 7.life
With the skill of our actions the curse and difficulties in which the life of urdu is bound, will be converted to blessings.
8
apni mastaana-Khiraami1 se qayaamat2 Dhaaye3
mauj4-e toofaaN na bane saiyl5-e ravaan6-e urdu 1.intoxicating gait/style of flow 2.tumult (of admirers) 3.bring about, cause to descend 4.wave 5.flood 6.flowing
urdu is a saiyl-e ravaaN – flowing flood (of literature, culture, political movement). It has an intoxicating style which brings about tumultous applause. May this continue. May it not become a raging storm (of opposition).
9
is ki taus’ee1 pe hai zindagi is ki mauqoof2
taNg3 duniya pe na ho kaash4 zabaan5-e urdu 1.expansion (content and regional extent) 2.dependent 3.narrow, restrictive 4.I wish, may 5.language
The survival of urdu depends on the expansion of its content, coverage and regional extent. May the world never become restrictive of urdu.
10
saer1 is ne’mat2-e azma3 se munavvar4 huN maiN
hai mayassar5 sharaf6-e shirkat7-e Khwaan8-e urdu 1.satiated, fulfilled 2.blessing 3.great 4.pen-name of poet, brilliant, famous 5.available 6.honour 7.inclusion 8.table, dinner
I have been granted a seat at the table of urdu. Satiated with this great blessing, I have become famous, O munavvar.
munshi bishweshwar prasad munavvar lakhnavi (1897-1970). He was a scholar of arabi, faarsi, urdu, and hindi. His father, munshi dwarka prasad ufaq was also a great poet who recomposed the ramayan in urdu using the same qaafiya for more than 6000 ash’aar. He himself re-composed the bhagwad gita in chaste urdu. He credits urdu with “saving the hindu religion” because of the many translations of hindu religious texts into urdu because that was the language that more north Indian hindus could relate to, rather than avadhi or sanskrit. In the synchretic spirit of India (now lost) he composed odes and elegies to islamic religious figures. This nazm/Ghazal recited at an urdu day function is from a collection pulished in 1939. He is anticipating with much trepidation the future of urdu in India.
1
manzil1-e auj2 pe lahraa’e nishaan3-e urdu
har sharaf4 ki hai sazavaar5 zabaan6-e urdu
1.stage, station 2.climax 3.sign, banner 4.nobility, greatness 5.deserving 6.language
May the banner of urdu wave at the peak of the greatest heights. urdu is deserving of every greatness/honour it is accorded.
2
un buzurgoN1 ke qadam2 ahl-e-iram3 lete haiN
jin ke haathoN hui taamiir4-e makaan5-e urdu
1.elders 2.feet 3.people of heaven 4.building 5.home
‘qadam lena’ is an expression that means touch feet as a show of respect/veneration. Thus, the elders of urdu who helped build the ‘house of urdu’ go to heaven and the people of heaven touch their feet out of veneration.
3
zaaviya1 apni nigaahoN2 ka badal3 dena hai
nazar4 aaye na koii dushman5-e jaan6-e urdu
1.angle, point of view 2.eyes 3.change 4.seen 5.enemy 6.life
He perceives that there are some who have become enemies of urdu to the point of wanting it kill/eliminate it from India. (This nazm is out of a collection that was published in 1939). He is calling upon the lovers of urdu to change their point of view/adopt a new strategy such that there be enemies of urdu are changed into friends and no enemy can be seen.
4
gardish1-e dahr2 se laazim3 hai tahaffuz4 is ka
Khaak-o-KhooN5 meN na mile jins6-e giraan7-e urdu
1.vicissitudes, trials and tribulations 2.world 3.essential 4.protection 5.bloody and dusty 6.commodity 7.valuable
It is essential to protect it from the trials and tribulations of the world. Otherwise I fear that this valuable treasure will be wounded/bloodied and thrown into the dust.
5
is meN haiN ek zamaane1 ki zabaaneN2 shaamil3
Khoob4 hai apni jagah tarz5-e bayaan6-e urdu
1.times, ages 2.languages 3.included, mingled 4.good, excellent 5.style 6.expression, poetic expression
There are many ancient languages mingled in urdu. But still urdu has its own unique style of poetic expression.
6
kaam se apne jo duniya meN ise kaam rahe
miT sakega na kabhi naam o nishaan-e urdu
If urdu continues to focus on its mission, then its name and fame can never be erased from the face of the earth.
7
ho savaaboN1 meN vo ab husn2-e amal3 se tabdiil4
jin azaaboN5 meN giraftaar6 hai jaan7-e urdu
1.blessings 2.beauty, skill 3.action 4.changed 5.curse, difficulty 6.bound 7.life
With the skill of our actions the curse and difficulties in which the life of urdu is bound, will be converted to blessings.
8
apni mastaana-Khiraami1 se qayaamat2 Dhaaye3
mauj4-e toofaaN na bane saiyl5-e ravaan6-e urdu
1.intoxicating gait/style of flow 2.tumult (of admirers) 3.bring about, cause to descend 4.wave 5.flood 6.flowing
urdu is a saiyl-e ravaaN – flowing flood (of literature, culture, political movement). It has an intoxicating style which brings about tumultous applause. May this continue. May it not become a raging storm (of opposition).
9
is ki taus’ee1 pe hai zindagi is ki mauqoof2
taNg3 duniya pe na ho kaash4 zabaan5-e urdu
1.expansion (content and regional extent) 2.dependent 3.narrow, restrictive 4.I wish, may 5.language
The survival of urdu depends on the expansion of its content, coverage and regional extent. May the world never become restrictive of urdu.
10
saer1 is ne’mat2-e azma3 se munavvar4 huN maiN
hai mayassar5 sharaf6-e shirkat7-e Khwaan8-e urdu
1.satiated, fulfilled 2.blessing 3.great 4.pen-name of poet, brilliant, famous 5.available 6.honour 7.inclusion 8.table, dinner
I have been granted a seat at the table of urdu. Satiated with this great blessing, I have become famous, O munavvar.
