For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
جرأتِ رنداں کبھی کبھی ۔ طاہرہ سعید طاہرہؔ
۱
حد سے گزر گیا غمِ دوراں کبھی کبھی
دامن میں اشک ہو گئے غلطاں کبھی کبھی
۲
جب زعمِ عقل و ہوش سے کچھ بھی نہ بن سکا
کام آ گئی ہے جرأتِ رنداں کبھی کبھی
۳
آتے ہیں انقلاب کبھی بہرِ انقلاب
کشتی کو پار کرتے ہیں طوفاں کبھی کبھی
۴
سر دے دیا، دیا نہ مگر غیرِ حق کا ساتھ
دنیا میں آئے ایسے بھی انساں کبھی کبھی
۵
کیا کلبۂ حزیں میں نہیں رونقِ حیات
ہوتا ہے دل یہاں بھی غزل خواں کبھی کبھی
۶
گھبرا کے زندگی سے تلاشِ قرار میں
چھانی ہے خاکِ دشت و بیاباں کبھی کبھی
۷
ہر چند ہے دکن سے مجھے پیار طاہرہؔ
آتی ہے یاد محفلِ طہراں کبھی کبھی
जुर’अत-ए रिंदाँ कभी कभी – ताहेरा सईद ताहेरा
१
हद से गुज़र गया ग़म-ए दौराँ कभी कभी
दामन में अश्क हो गए ग़लताँ कभी कभी
२
जब ज़ो’म-ए अक़्ल-ओ-होश से कुछ भी न बन सका
काम आ गई है जुर’अत-ए रिंदाँ कभी कभी
३
आते हैं इन्क़लाब कभी बहर-ए इन्क़लाब
कश्ती को पार करते हैं तूफ़ाँ कभी कभी
४
सर दे दिया, दिया न मगर ग़ैर-ए हक़ का साथ
दुनिया में आए ऐसे भी इन्साँ कभी कभी
५
क्या कल्बा-ए हज़ीं में नहीं रौनक़-ए हयात
होता है दिल यहाँ भी ग़ज़ल-ख़्वाँ कभी कभी
६
घबरा के ज़िन्दगी से तलाश-ए क़रार में
छानी है ख़ाक-ए दश्त-ओ-बयाबाँ कभी कभी
७
हर चंद है दकन से मुझे प्यार ताहेरा
आती है याद महफ़िल-ए तेहराँ कभी कभी
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. baano tahira sayeed tahira (1922-1991+??), hyderabad. Born in agra, raised in lucknow and some in tehran, but finally settled in hyderabad. Poet, translator, fiction writer. Earned a D.Litt, perhaps in urdu. Scholar of faarsi and arabi. There are at least six collections of nazm and Ghazal. She appears to have been very progressive and India loving poet.
1
had1 se guzar2 gaya Gham-e-dauraaN3 kabhi kabhi
daaman4 meN ashk5 ho gaye GhaltaaN6 kabhi kabhi 1.limits, bounds 2.pass beyond 3.sorrows of the times/world 4.hem of the robe 5.tears 6.absorbed
Sometime the suffering of the world goes beyond limits. I cry and tears of sorrow run down and flood the hem of the robe.
2
jab zo’m1-e aql-o-hosh2 se kuchh bhi na ban3 saka
kaam aa gaiii hai jur’at4-e rindaaN5 kabhi kabhi 1.pride, overconfidence 2.mind and knowledge 3.could not be of use 4.courage 5.wine-lover
In this case, the ‘rind’, wine-lover drinks the wine of love or mysticism. Thus, when over-confidence in mind and knowledge failed to solve a mystery, the courage of the mystic came in useful. Editorial comment – a rationalist would say, if you are willing to deceive yourselves, so be it.
3
aate haiN inqelaab1 kabhi bahr-e-inqalaab2
kashti ko paar karte haiN toofaaN3 kabhi kabhi 1.revolution 2. for the sake of/in the name of revolution 3.storm, rising tide
Sometimes revolutions happen to help revolutions, just like sometimes storms push the boat towards the shore. The implication is don’t be afraid of storms, keep going towards your goal and the storm might help you get there.
4
sar de diya, diya na magar Ghair1-e haq2 ka saath
duniya meN aaye aise bhi insaaN kabhi kabhi 1.other than 2.truth, god
This has reference to husain and the battle of karbala where, husain, refusing to accept the legitimacy of yazid’s claim, fought a one-sided battle, knowing full well that he was going to be killed. Thus, he gave up his head but did not support anything other than truth. Rarely are such people born.
5
kya kalba-e-haziiN1 meN nahiN raunaq2-e hayaat3
hota hai dil yahaaN bhi Ghazal-KhwaaN4 kabhi kabhi 1.house of sorrow, sorrowful heart 2.light 3.life 4.joyful
Is there not any light (of joy/hope) in the sorrowful heart. There is. Even the sorrowful heart can sometimes sing with joy.
6
ghabra1 ke zindagi se talaash2-e qaraar3 meN
chhaani4 hai Khaak5-e dasht-o-bayaabaaN6 kabhi kabhi 1.worried, fearful 2.search 3.tranquility, solace 4.sifted through 5.sand, dust 6.desert and wilderness
Fearful of the trials and tribulations of life, in search of solace, I have sifted through the dust of desert and wilderness sometimes.
7
harchand1 hai dakan se mujhe pyaar tahira2
aati hai yaad mahfil3-e tehraaN4 kabhi kabhi 1.even though 2.pen-name of the poet 3.gathering 4.tehraan, capital of iraan
The poet’s father was irani and she lived in tehran for a few years before coming back to India to settle in hyderbad. Thus, even though, I love the dakkan O tahira, sometimes I remember the gatherings of tehraan.
baano tahira sayeed tahira (1922-1991+??), hyderabad. Born in agra, raised in lucknow and some in tehran, but finally settled in hyderabad. Poet, translator, fiction writer. Earned a D.Litt, perhaps in urdu. Scholar of faarsi and arabi. There are at least six collections of nazm and Ghazal. She appears to have been very progressive and India loving poet.
1
had1 se guzar2 gaya Gham-e-dauraaN3 kabhi kabhi
daaman4 meN ashk5 ho gaye GhaltaaN6 kabhi kabhi
1.limits, bounds 2.pass beyond 3.sorrows of the times/world 4.hem of the robe 5.tears 6.absorbed
Sometime the suffering of the world goes beyond limits. I cry and tears of sorrow run down and flood the hem of the robe.
2
jab zo’m1-e aql-o-hosh2 se kuchh bhi na ban3 saka
kaam aa gaiii hai jur’at4-e rindaaN5 kabhi kabhi
1.pride, overconfidence 2.mind and knowledge 3.could not be of use 4.courage 5.wine-lover
In this case, the ‘rind’, wine-lover drinks the wine of love or mysticism. Thus, when over-confidence in mind and knowledge failed to solve a mystery, the courage of the mystic came in useful. Editorial comment – a rationalist would say, if you are willing to deceive yourselves, so be it.
3
aate haiN inqelaab1 kabhi bahr-e-inqalaab2
kashti ko paar karte haiN toofaaN3 kabhi kabhi
1.revolution 2. for the sake of/in the name of revolution 3.storm, rising tide
Sometimes revolutions happen to help revolutions, just like sometimes storms push the boat towards the shore. The implication is don’t be afraid of storms, keep going towards your goal and the storm might help you get there.
4
sar de diya, diya na magar Ghair1-e haq2 ka saath
duniya meN aaye aise bhi insaaN kabhi kabhi
1.other than 2.truth, god
This has reference to husain and the battle of karbala where, husain, refusing to accept the legitimacy of yazid’s claim, fought a one-sided battle, knowing full well that he was going to be killed. Thus, he gave up his head but did not support anything other than truth. Rarely are such people born.
5
kya kalba-e-haziiN1 meN nahiN raunaq2-e hayaat3
hota hai dil yahaaN bhi Ghazal-KhwaaN4 kabhi kabhi
1.house of sorrow, sorrowful heart 2.light 3.life 4.joyful
Is there not any light (of joy/hope) in the sorrowful heart. There is. Even the sorrowful heart can sometimes sing with joy.
6
ghabra1 ke zindagi se talaash2-e qaraar3 meN
chhaani4 hai Khaak5-e dasht-o-bayaabaaN6 kabhi kabhi
1.worried, fearful 2.search 3.tranquility, solace 4.sifted through 5.sand, dust 6.desert and wilderness
Fearful of the trials and tribulations of life, in search of solace, I have sifted through the dust of desert and wilderness sometimes.
7
harchand1 hai dakan se mujhe pyaar tahira2
aati hai yaad mahfil3-e tehraaN4 kabhi kabhi
1.even though 2.pen-name of the poet 3.gathering 4.tehraan, capital of iraan
The poet’s father was irani and she lived in tehraan for a few years before coming back to India to settle in hyderbad. Thus, even though, I love the dakkan O tahira, sometimes I remember the gatherings of tehraan.
