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Recitation
منظور نہیں ۔ اسرار الحق مجازؔ
۱
وہ نقاب آپ سے اُٹھ جائے تو کچھ دور نہیں
ورنہ میری نگہ شوق بھی مجبور نہیں
۲
خاطرِ اہلِ نظر حسن کو منظور نہیں
اس میں کچھ تیری خطا دیدۂ مہجور نہیں
۳
لاکھ چھپتے ہو مگر چھپ کے بھی مستور نہیں
تم عجب چیز ہو نزدیک نہیں دور نہیں
۴
جرأتِ عرض پہ وہ کچھ نہیں کہتے لیکن
ہر ادا سے یہ ٹپکتا ہے کہ منظور نہیں
۵
دل دھڑک اُٹھتا ہے خود اپنی ہی ہر آہٹ پر
اب قدم منزلِ جاناں سے بہت دور نہیں
۶
ہائے وہ وقت کہ جب بے پیے مدہوشی تھی
ہائے یہ وقت کہ اب پی کے بھی مخمور نہیں
۷
حسن ہی حسن ہے جس سمت اُٹھاتا ہوں نظر
اب یہاں طور نہیں برقِ سرِ طور نہیں
۸
دیکھ سکتا ہوں جو آنکھوں سے وہ کافی ہے مجازؔ
اہلِ عرفاں کی نوازش مجھے منظور نہیں
मंज़ूर नहीं – अस्रार-उल-हक़ मजाज़
१
वो नक़ाब आप से उठ जाए तो कुछ दूर नहीं
वर्ना मेरी निगह-ए शौक़ भी मजबूर नहीं
२
ख़ातेर-ए अहल-ए नज़र हुस्न को मंज़ूर नहीं
इस में कुछ तेरी ख़ता दीदा-ए महजूर नहीं
३
लाख छुपते हो मगर छुप के भी मस्तूर नहीं
तुम अजब चीज़ हो नज़्दीक नहीं दूर नहीं
४
जुर’अत-ए अर्ज़ पे वो कुछ नहीं कहते लेकिन
हर अदा से ये टपकता है के मंज़ूर नहीं
५
दिल धड़क उठता है ख़ुद अपनी ही हर आहट पर
अब क़दम मंज़िल-ए जानाँ से बहुत दूर नहीं
६
हाए वो वक़्त के जब बे-पिए मद-होशी थी
हाए ये वक़्त के अब पी के भी मख़्मूर नहीं
७
हुस्न ही हुस्न है जिस सम्त उठाता हूँ नज़र
अब यहाँ तूर नहीं बर्क़-ए सर-ए तूर नहीं
८
देख सकता हूँ जो आँखों से वो काफ़ी है मजाज़
अहल-ए इरफ़ाँ की नवाज़िश मुझे मंज़ूर नहीं
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. asrar-ul haq majaz (1911-1955) was progressive as well as romantic poet, a heartthrob. He received his BA from aligaRh after interruptions in earlier schooling. He developed close relationships with progressives and was a major force in the Progressive Writers’ Association. He lived in aligaRh, dehli and lucknow working for radio stations, editing magazines on and off but with no steady income. He met with a rather tragic end at the young age of 44. This appears to be very much in the spirit of his other nazm ‘Khwaab-e sahr’ – dreams of the dawn of rationality. Some predominantly romantic ash’aar are also blended in.
1
vo naqaab1 aap se uTh jaa’e to kuchh duur nahiN
varna2 meri nigah3-e shauq4 bhi majbuur5 nahiN 1.veil 2.otherwise 3.eye, glance 4.love, desire 5.powerless
This is addressed to the beloved. It is not too far (within the realm of possibility) that you lift your veil and reveal yourself. Otherwise, my loving eye is not powerless i.e., it can seek a better response somewhere else. This appears to be an unusual warning to the beloved. I think a slightly better interpretation would be that ‘aap se’ implies ‘apne aap se’ – meaning by itself i.e., his gaze is so intense that it will penetrate the veil or the veil will lift itself. In all cases the second misra appears to be a warning. Is it a warning to the concept of the divine ‘I cannot see/comprehend’ you, I am ready to move on, or even, my gaze by lifting the mysterious veil is going to reveal that there is nothing behind that veil and we will move on.
2
Khaatir1-e ahl2-e nazar3 husn4 ko manzuur5 nahiN
is meN kuchh teri Khata6 dida7-e mahjuur8 nahiN 1.heart, soul 2.people of 3.(loving) gaze 4.beauty, beloved 5.acceptable 6.mistake, fault 7.eyes 8.wandering, roving
This also appears to be a warning to the beloved but addressed to console his own wandering eyes. The beloved does not accept your loving gaze. O wandering eye, it is not your fault that you are looking around. Once again, this could have been addressed to the divine beloved – I am looking towards atheism/rationality. Some predominantly romantic ash’aar are also blended in.
3
laakh chhupte ho magar chhup ke bhi mastuur1 nahiN
tum ajab2 chiiz ho nazdiik3 nahiN duur nahiN 1.hidden 2.strange, enchanting 3.near
You try to conceal yourself in a thousand ways, yet you are not hidden. You are an enchanting being, neither near nor far. This could be addressed to the playfully hiding/appearing beloved or the divine.
4
jur’at1-e arz2 pe vo kuchh nahiN kahte lekin3
har ada4 se ye Tapakta5 hai keh manzuur6 nahiN 1.courage, daring 2.presenting, appealing 3.but 4.style, gesture 5.dripping 6.acceptable
When I dare to present my cause (of love), she does not say anything but every gesture drips with the message of rejection.
5
dil dhaRak1 uThta hai Khud apni hi har aahaT2 par
ab qadam3 manzil4-e jaanaaN5 se bahut duur nahiN 1.beat, palpitation 2.sound, footfall 3.step 4.destination 5.beloved
It appears that the poet/lover is not too far away from his intended destination – to reach the beloved. How does he know this? He is startled, his heart begins to beat fast at the sound of his own footfall.
6
haa’e1 vo vaqt keh jab be-piye mad’hoshi2 thi
haa’e1 ye vaqt keh ab pi ke bhi maKhmuur3 nahiN 1.alas 2.intoxication 3.intoxicated
Alas, there was a time when I could get intoxicated even without drinking (wine). But alas, these are times when even with drinking, I don’t get drunk. Perhaps this refers to the time of his youth when just looking at the beloved was enough to make him intoxicated. But now he has to drink not just to get drunk but to ‘drown his sorrows’.
7
husn1 hi husn hai jis samt2 uThaata huN nazar3
ab yahaaN tuur4 nahiN barq5-e sar6-e tuur4 nahiN 1.beauty 2.direction 3.eyes, glance 4.mount tuur 5.lightning 6.top
Biblical and qur’aanic legends say that moosa/Moses went up mount tuur and insisted on seeing god even though a divine voice told him that he will not be able to see. Upon his insistence the divine manifested itself in the form a flash of lightning. moosa fainted and mount tuur was reduced to ashes. But now neither mount tuur nor a divine flash can be seen. Wherever the poet turns his gaze, all he can see is beauty. Does he imply that all he sees is the manifestation of the divine in all creation or does he say that all he is focused on is the beauty of the beloved. We are left to decide.
8
dekh sakta huN jo aaNkhoN se vo kaafi1 hai majaz2
ahl3-e irfaaN4 ki navaazish5 mujhe manzuur6 nahiN 1.enough 2.pen-name of the poet 3.people of 4.mystic knowledge 5.benevolence 6.acceptable
O majaz, whatever I can see/comprehend of the (material) world is enough for me. I am not ready to accept (fall for) the ‘benevolence’ of mystics. This implies that he is unwilling to accept the tall tales of spirituality. This goes along with his Khwaab-e sahr also posted on urdushahkar …
aadmi minnat kash-e arbaab-e irfaaN hi raha
dard-e insaani magar mahroom-e darmaaN hi raha
asrar-ul haq majaz (1911-1955) was progressive as well as romantic poet, a heartthrob. He received his BA from aligaRh after interruptions in earlier schooling. He developed close relationships with progressives and was a major force in the Progressive Writers’ Association. He lived in aligaRh, dehli and lucknow working for radio stations, editing magazines on and off but with no steady income. He met with a rather tragic end at the young age of 44. This appears to be very much in the spirit of his other nazm ‘Khwaab-e sahr’ – dreams of the dawn of rationality. Some predominantly romantic ash’aar are also blended in.
1
vo naqaab1 aap se uTh jaa’e to kuchh duur nahiN
varna2 meri nigah3-e shauq4 bhi majbuur5 nahiN
1.veil 2.otherwise 3.eye, glance 4.love, desire 5.powerless
This is addressed to the beloved. It is not too far (within the realm of possibility) that you lift your veil and reveal yourself. Otherwise, my loving eye is not powerless i.e., it can seek a better response somewhere else. This appears to be an unusual warning to the beloved. I think a slightly better interpretation would be that ‘aap se’ implies ‘apne aap se’ – meaning by itself i.e., his gaze is so intense that it will penetrate the veil or the veil will lift itself. In all cases the second misra appears to be a warning. Is it a warning to the concept of the divine ‘I cannot see/comprehend’ you, I am ready to move on, or even, my gaze by lifting the mysterious veil is going to reveal that there is nothing behind that veil and we will move on.
2
Khaatir1-e ahl2-e nazar3 husn4 ko manzuur5 nahiN
is meN kuchh teri Khata6 dida7-e mahjuur8 nahiN
1.heart, soul 2.people of 3.(loving) gaze 4.beauty, beloved 5.acceptable 6.mistake, fault 7.eyes 8.wandering, roving
This also appears to be a warning to the beloved but addressed to console his own wandering eyes. The beloved does not accept your loving gaze. O wandering eye, it is not your fault that you are looking around. Once again, this could have been addressed to the divine beloved – I am looking towards atheism/rationality.
3
laakh chhupte ho magar chhup ke bhi mastuur1 nahiN
tum ajab2 chiiz ho nazdiik3 nahiN duur nahiN
1.hidden 2.strange, enchanting 3.near
You try to conceal yourself in a thousand ways, yet you are not hidden. You are an enchanting being, neither near nor far. This could be addressed to the playfully hiding/appearing beloved or the divine.
4
jur’at1-e arz2 pe vo kuchh nahiN kahte lekin3
har ada4 se ye Tapakta5 hai keh manzuur6 nahiN
1.courage, daring 2.presenting, appealing 3.but 4.style, gesture 5.dripping 6.acceptable
When I dare to present my cause (of love), she does not say anything but every gesture drips with the message of rejection.
5
dil dhaRak1 uThta hai Khud apni hi har aahaT2 par
ab qadam3 manzil4-e jaanaaN5 se bahut duur nahiN
1.beat, palpitation 2.sound, footfall 3.step 4.destination 5.beloved
It appears that the poet/lover is not too far away from his intended destination – to reach the beloved. How does he know this? He is startled, his heart begins to beat fast at the sound of his own footfall.
6
haa’e1 vo vaqt keh jab be-piye mad’hoshi2 thi
haa’e1 ye vaqt keh ab pi ke bhi maKhmuur3 nahiN
1.alas 2.intoxication 3.intoxicated
Alas, there was a time when I could get intoxicated even without drinking (wine). But alas, these are times when even with drinking, I don’t get drunk. Perhaps this refers to the time of his youth when just looking at the beloved was enough to make him intoxicated. But now he has to drink not just to get drunk but to ‘drown his sorrows’.
7
husn1 hi husn hai jis samt2 uThaata huN nazar3
ab yahaaN tuur4 nahiN barq5-e sar6-e tuur4 nahiN
1.beauty 2.direction 3.eyes, glance 4.mount tuur 5.lightning 6.top
Biblical and qur’aanic legends say that moosa/Moses went up mount tuur and insisted on seeing god even though a divine voice told him that he will not be able to see. Upon his insistence the divine manifested itself in the form a flash of lightning. moosa fainted and mount tuur was reduced to ashes. But now neither mount tuur nor a divine flash can be seen. Wherever the poet turns his gaze, all he can see is beauty. Does he imply that all he sees is the manifestation of the divine in all creation or does he say that all he is focused on is the beauty of the beloved. We are left to decide.
8
dekh sakta huN jo aaNkhoN se vo kaafi1 hai majaz2
ahl3-e irfaaN4 ki navaazish5 mujhe manzuur6 nahiN
1.enough 2.pen-name of the poet 3.people of 4.mystic knowledge 5.benevolence 6.acceptable
O majaz, whatever I can see/comprehend of the (material) world is enough for me. I am not ready to accept (fall for) the ‘benevolence’ of mystics. This implies that he is unwilling to accept the tall tales of spirituality. This goes along with his Khwaab-e sahr also posted on urdushahkar …
aadmi minnat kash-e arbaab-e irfaaN hi raha
dard-e insaani magar mahroom-e darmaaN hi raha
