For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
اُٹّھے گا دھواں اور ۔ آلوک یادَوَ
۱
لاؤں میں کہاں سے بھلا انداز بیاں اور
منصف کی زباں اور ہے اور میری زباں اور
۲
یہ درد سمجھتا نہیں آدابِ زمانہ
کوشش ہو چھپانے کی تو ہوتا ہے عیاں اور
۳
قسمت کا لکھا مان لے تھوڑے سے زیاں کو
جائے گا عدالت میں تو پائے گا زیاں اور
۴
تفصیل بیاں کرتا ہے کیوں اپنے عمل کی
اس طرح تو ہر شخص پہ گزرے گا گماں اور
۵
منزل پہ پہنچ کر نہ ہوا دل جو مرا خوش
پوچھی جو وجہ اس نے کہا اور اماں اور
۶
تم سے بھی کہاں مجھ کو سماعت کی توقع
مجھ میں بھی کہاں باقی ہے اب تاب فغاں اور
۷
یہ ظلم کے شعلے ہیں فقط خوں سے بجھیں گے
اشکوں سے بجھاؤ گے تو اُٹّھے گا دھواں اور
उट्ठेगा धुआँ और – आलोक यादव
१
लाऊँ मैं कहाँ से भला अंदाज़-ए बयाँ और
मुंसिफ़ की ज़बाँ और है और मेरी ज़बाँ और
२
ये दर्द समझता नहीं आदाब-ए ज़माना
कोशिश हो छुपाने की तो होता है अयाँ और
३
क़िस्मत का लिखा मान ले थोढे से ज़ियाँ को
जाएगा अदालत में तो पाएगा ज़ियाँ और
४
तफ़्सील बयाँ करता है क्यूं अपने अमल की
इस तरह तो हर शख़्स पे गुज़्रेगा गुमाँ और
५
मंज़िल पे पहुँच कर न हुआ दिल जो मेरा ख़ुश
पूछी जो वजह उस ने कहा और अमाँ और
६
तुम से भी कहाँ मुझ को समा’अत की तवक़्क़ो
मुझ में भी कहाँ बाक़ी है अब ताब-ए फ़ुग़ाँ और
७
ये ज़ुल्म के शो’ले हैं फ़क़त ख़ूँ से बुझेंगे
अश्कों से बुझाओगे तो उट्ठेगा धुआँ और
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. aalok yaadav (1967-living), faruKhabaad. BSc and MBA from lukhnow and allahabad universities. Government officer by profession. I don’t know much more. Fell in love with urdu poetry in boyhood and presumably taught himself urdu. Published his work in various magazines and newspapers and his collection in 2012.
1
laa’uN maiN kahaaN se bhala andaaz1-e bayaaN2 aur
munsif3 ki zabaaN4 aur hai aur meri zabaaN aur 1.style, manner 2.speech, speaking 3.judge 4.tongue, language, words
This she’r appears to be in a legal setting where the poet/protagonist seems to have failed to get his point across to the judge. How can I develop a different (more convincing) manner of speaking. It is as if I speak a different language and the judge speaks a different one. It is also possible to think that the ‘munsif/judge’ is the beloved deciding whether the poet/lover is sincere or not. He appears to have failed in making his case and the meaning of the she’r comes closer to Ghalib’s …
yaarab vo na samjhe haiN na samjheNge merii baat
de aur dil un ko jo na de mujh ko zabaaN aur
2
ye dard1 samajhta nahiN aadaab2-e zamaana3
koshish4 ho chhupaane ki to hota hai ayaaN5 aur 1.pain (of love) 2.ways of behaviour, etiquette, manners, traditions 3.society, world 4.attempt 5.apparent
The pain of love does not understand the traditions of etiquette. The traditions of love require that pain be hidden, that the lover bear it stoically. The more you try to hide it, the more it reveals itself. Said munshi raghunath sinGh haajir …
ye raaz-e mohabbat bhi ajab raaz hai haajir
jab us ko chhupaao to ye hota hai ayaaN aur
3
qismat ka likha maan le thoRe se ziyaaN1 ko
jaa’ega adaalat2 meN to paa’egaa ziyaaN1 aur 1.loss 2.court
Like the first she’r, this one too seems to have a legal setting. If you have a small loss, write it off as ‘written in your fate’. If you go to court, you will end up with even more loss.
4
tafsiil1 bayaaN2 karta hai kyuN apne amal3 ki
is tarah to har shaKhs4 pe guzrega5 gumaaN6 aur 1.details 2.describe, speak of 3.actions 4.person 5.happen, occur 6.suspicion
This one again appears to have at least a partial legal setting. Why do you describe the details of your actions. In this way, every person will get even more suspicious. The image is that of a person repeating himself, insisting on his version of events.
5
manzil1 pe pahuNch2 kar na hua dil jo mera Khush
puuchhi jo vaj’h3 us ne kaha aur amaaN4 aur 1.destination, goal 2.reach 3.reason 4.protection, refuge, colloquially – O friend
I am not sure in what sense the word ‘amaaN’ is used. If it is being used in the colloquial sense, the there is discernible meaning in the she’r (albeit, rather pedestrian). If it is used as protection/refuge, then it becomes difficult to interpret. Even after reaching/achieving the desired goal, the heart was not happy. When asked for the reason, it said, some more, O friend, some more. This probably means that the ‘desired goal’ is here is something material and that one is never satisfied and wants more of it.
6
tum se bhi kahaaN mujh ko samaa’at1 ki tavaqq’o2
mujh meN bhi kahaaN baaqi3 hai ab taab4-e fuGhaaN5 aur 1.hearing 2.expectation 3.remaining 4.strength, courage 5.wail, appeal
This appears to be addressed to the beloved. How can I have any expectation of getting you to listen. And I too, don’t have the strength to wail/plead any more. munshi raghunath siNgh haajir had a slightly different view …
sun’ne ko to sun lete vo afsaana-e furqat
afsos keh mujh ko hi na thi taab-e bayaaN aur
7
ye zulm1 ke sho’le2 haiN faqat3 KhuuN se bujheNge
ashkoN4 se bujhaaoge to uTThega dhuaaN aur 1.cruelty, oppression 2.flames 3.only 4.tears
The flames of oppression can only be put out by (tears of) blood. If you try to put them out with (ordinary) tears, then a lot more smoke will rise. It is entirely possible to interpret this to mean ‘spill blood of the oppressor (or sacrifice your own) to avenge oppression’, but I hesitate to make that interpretation and fall back to the spirit to Ghalib’s she’r …
ragoN meN dauRte phirne ke ham nahiiN qaail
jab aaNkh se hii nah Tapkaa to phir lahuu kya hai
aalok yaadav (1967-living), faruKhabaad. BSc and MBA from lukhnow and allahabad universities. Government officer by profession. I don’t know much more. Fell in love with urdu poetry in boyhood and presumably taught himself urdu. Published his work in various magazines and newspapers and his collection in 2012.
1
laa’uN maiN kahaaN se bhala andaaz1-e bayaaN2 aur
munsif3 ki zabaaN4 aur hai aur meri zabaaN aur
1.style, manner 2.speech, speaking 3.judge 4.tongue, language, words
This she’r appears to be in a legal setting where the poet/protagonist seems to have failed to get his point across to the judge. How can I develop a different (more convincing) manner of speaking. It is as if I speak a different language and the judge speaks a different one. It is also possible to think that the ‘munsif/judge’ is the beloved deciding whether the poet/lover is sincere or not. He appears to have failed in making his case and the meaning of the she’r comes closer to Ghalib’s …
yaarab vo na samjhe haiN na samjheNge merii baat
de aur dil un ko jo na de mujh ko zabaaN aur
2
ye dard1 samajhta nahiN aadaab2-e zamaana3
koshish4 ho chhupaane ki to hota hai ayaaN5 aur
1.pain (of love) 2.ways of behaviour, etiquette, manners, traditions 3.society, world 4.attempt 5.apparent
The pain of love does not understand the traditions of etiquette. The traditions of love require that pain be hidden, that the lover bear it stoically. The more you try to hide it, the more it reveals itself. Said munshi raghunath sinGh haajir …
ye raaz-e mohabbat bhi ajab raaz hai haajir
jab us ko chhupaao to ye hota hai ayaaN aur
3
qismat ka likha maan le thoRe se ziyaaN1 ko
jaa’ega adaalat2 meN to paa’egaa ziyaaN1 aur
1.loss 2.court
Like the first she’r, this one too seems to have a legal setting. If you have a small loss, write it off as ‘written in your fate’. If you go to court, you will end up with even more loss.
4
tafsiil1 bayaaN2 karta hai kyuN apne amal3 ki
is tarah to har shaKhs4 pe guzrega5 gumaaN6 aur
1.details 2.describe, speak of 3.actions 4.person 5.happen, occur 6.suspicion
This one again appears to have at least a partial legal setting. Why do you describe the details of your actions. In this way, every person will get even more suspicious. The image is that of a person repeating himself, insisting on his version of events.
5
manzil1 pe pahuNch2 kar na hua dil jo mera Khush
puuchhi jo vaj’h3 us ne kaha aur amaaN4 aur
1.destination, goal 2.reach 3.reason 4.protection, refuge, colloquially – O friend
I am not sure in what sense the word ‘amaaN’ is used. If it is being used in the colloquial sense, the there is discernible meaning in the she’r (albeit, rather pedestrian). If it is used as protection/refuge, then it becomes difficult to interpret. Even after reaching/achieving the desired goal, the heart was not happy. When asked for the reason, it said, some more, O friend, some more. This probably means that the ‘desired goal’ is here is something material and that one is never satisfied and wants more of it.
6
tum se bhi kahaaN mujh ko samaa’at1 ki tavaqq’o2
mujh meN bhi kahaaN baaqi3 hai ab taab4-e fuGhaaN5 aur
1.hearing 2.expectation 3.remaining 4.strength, courage 5.wail, appeal
This appears to be addressed to the beloved. How can I have any expectation of getting you to listen. And I too, don’t have the strength to wail/plead any more. munshi raghunath siNgh haajir had a slightly different view …
sun’ne ko to sun lete vo afsaana-e furqat
afsos keh mujh ko hi na thi taab-e bayaaN aur
7
ye zulm1 ke sho’le2 haiN faqat3 KhuuN se bujheNge
ashkoN4 se bujhaaoge to uTThega dhuaaN aur
1.cruelty, oppression 2.flames 3.only 4.tears
The flames of oppression can only be put out by (tears of) blood. If you try to put them out with (ordinary) tears, then a lot more smoke will rise. It is entirely possible to interpret this to mean ‘spill blood of the oppressor (or sacrifice your own) to avenge oppression’, but I hesitate to make that interpretation and fall back to the spirit to Ghalib’s she’r …
ragoN meN dauRte phirne ke ham nahiiN qaail
jab aaNkh se hii nah Tapkaa to phir lahuu kya hai
