For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
شکلِ صنم دیکھتے ہیں ۔ پنڈت برج موہن کیفیؔ دہلوی
۱
بھرا اس سے دیر و حرم دیکھتے ہیں
ہر آئینہ شکلِ صنم دیکھتے ہیں
۲
ان آنکھوں سے کب دیکھ سکتا ہے کوئی
جو آئینۂ دل میں ہم دیکھتے ہیں
۳
یہاں دیکھنے کی جو ہے بات اس کو
بہت دیکھنے والے کم دیکھتے ہیں
۴
یہ کیا دیکھنا ہے جو تم دیکھتے ہو
وہی دیکھنا ہے جو ہم دیکھتے ہیں
۵
ترازو ہے تیرِ نظر جن کے دل میں
بہت دیکھتے ہیں نہ کم دیکھتے ہیں
۶
بری ہیں جو بندھن سے بیم و رجا کے
وہ ہستی میں سیرِ عدم دیکھتے ہیں
۷
کُھلا جن پہ ہے رازِ عالم انہیں کو
جنوں سے یہاں مُتّہم دیکھتے ہیں
۸
تاحد کی ہے اس میں ریشہ دوانی
جو اضداد کو ہم بہم دیکھتے ہیں
۹
ستم جانے کیا دل پہ عاشق کے ٹوٹے
وہ دیکھو بہ چشمِ کرم دیکھتے ہیں
۱۰
جو خوش ہو دل اپنا تو کس طرح کیفیؔ
زمانے کو صیدِ الم دیکھتے ہیں
शक्ल-ए सनम देखते हैं – पंडित ब्रिज मोहन कैफ़ी देहलवी
१
भरा इस से दैर ओ हरम देखते हैं
हर आईना शक्ल-ए सनम देखते हैं
२
इन आंखों से कब देख सकता है कोई
जो आईना-ए दिल से हम देखते हैं
३
यहां देखने की जो है बात उस को
बहुत देखने वाले कम देखते हैं
४
यह क्या देखना है जो तुम देखते हो
वही देखना है जो हम देखते हैं
५
तराज़ू है तीर-ए नज़र जिनके दिल में
बहुत देखते हैं ना कम देखते हैं
६
बरी हैं जो बंधन से बीम ओ रजा के
वो हस्ती में सैर-ए अदम देखते हैं
७
खुला जिन पे है राज़-ए आलम उन्हीं को
जुनूं से यहां मुत्तहम देखते हैं
८
ताहुद की है इस में रेशा दवानी
जो अज़्दाद को हम बहम देखते हैं
९
सितम जाने क्या दिल पे आशेक़ के टूटे
वो देखो ब-चश्म-ए करम देखते हैं
१०
जो ख़ुश हो दिल अपना तो किस तरह कैफ़ी
ज़माने को सैद-ए अलम देखते हैं
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. panDit brij mohan dattatreya kaifi (1866-1955) was recognized as a scholar of arabi, faarsi, sanskrit and urdu. He was a great lover of urdu and wrote a short history of the evolution of the language. He wrote with much poignancy about communal harmony that existed before the souring of relationships. He tends to be sufiyaana in his writings, as he is in this Ghazal, modeled after Ghalib’s ‘jahaaN tera naqsh-e qadam dekhte haiN’, linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
bhara is se da’er1 o haram2 dekhte haiN
har aaina shakl3-e sanam4 dekhte haiN 1.temple 2.mosque 3.image, reflection 4.beloved, divine
The world is full of temples and mosques. But I see everything in the universe reflecting the image of the divine.
2
in aaNkhoN se kab dekh sakta hai koi
jo aaiina-e dil meN hum dekhte haiN How can anyone see with these eyes, that which we can see in the reflections of our inner heart i.e., we the divine is reflected in our hearts.
3
yahaaN dekhnay ki jo hai baat us ko
bohat dekhnay vaalay kam dekhte haiN All this discussion about seeing him (god) here is not of much use. Those who look for him too much, cannot see him i.e., there is no need for deep philosophical discussions. We can see him with the inner eye.
4
yeh kya dekhna hai jo tum dekhte ho
vohi dekhna hai jo hum dekhte haiN What kind of thing is it that you see. Only that is real seeing which we see. The ‘you’ and ‘we’ here used to mean the rationalist who demands to ‘see’ vs the believer who relies on his/her faith.
5
taraazu1 hai tiir-e nazar2 jin ke dil meN
bohat dekhte haiN nah kam dekhte haiN 1.balance 2.eyes, sight
Those who use the inner eye as a balance (to judge right and wrong) do not spend their time engaging in complex discussions.
6
bari1 haiN jo bandhan2 se beem3 o raja4 ke
voh hasti5 meN sa’er6-e adam7 dekhte haiN 1.absolved, free of 2.binding, limitations 3.fear (of needs) 4.satiated, plenty 5.existence, life 6.sightseeing, pleasure 7.non-existence, union with the divine
Those who are free of the limitations of needs or of plenty see/experience the pleasure of one-ness with the divine in this life.
7
khula1 jin pe hai raaz2-e aalam3 unhiiN ko
junooN4 se yahaaN muttaham5 dekhte haiN 1.revealed 2.secret, mystery 3.world 4.passion, madness 5.blamed, accused of
Those upon whom the mysteries of the world revealed are the ones that we see accused of madness (passionate love of the divine).
8
taahud1 ki hai is meN resha-davaani2
jo azdaad3 ko hum baham4 dekhte haiN 1.one-ness, unity (of the creator and created) 2.conspiratorial mischief 3.opposites 4.at the same time, side by side
It is the conspiratorial mischief against the concept of one-ness that we see opposites/incompatibilities side by side i.e., there is no duality – advaita.
9
sitam1 jaane kya dil pay aashiq ke TooTay
vo dekho ba-chashm2-e karam3 dekhte haiN 1.calamity 2.with the eye 3.kindness, love
Who knows what calamity will break upon the lover, the beloved is looking at him with a kind/loving eyes.
10
jo Khush ho dil apna to kis tar’ha1 kaifi2
zamaane3 ko sa’ed4-e alam5 dekhte haiN 1.how, which way 2.pen-name of the poet 3.world 4.victim, prey 5.sorrow
How can my heart be happy, O kaifi, when I see the world a prey of sorrow.
panDit brij mohan dattatreya kaifi (1866-1955) was recognized as a scholar of arabi, faarsi, sanskrit and urdu. He was a great lover of urdu and wrote a short history of the evolution of the language. He wrote with much poignancy about communal harmony that existed before the souring of relationships. He tends to be sufiyaana in his writings, as he is in this Ghazal, modeled after Ghalib’s ‘jahaaN tera naqsh-e qadam dekhte haiN’, linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
bhara is se da’er1 o haram2 dekhte haiN
har aaina shakl3-e sanam4 dekhte haiN
1.temple 2.mosque 3.image, reflection 4.beloved, divine
The world is full of temples and mosques. But I see everything in the universe reflecting the image of the divine.
2
in aaNkhoN se kab dekh sakta hai koi
jo aaiina-e dil meN hum dekhte haiN
How can anyone see with these eyes, that which we can see in the reflections of our inner heart i.e., we the divine is reflected in our hearts.
3
yahaaN dekhnay ki jo hai baat us ko
bohat dekhnay vaalay kam dekhte haiN
All this discussion about seeing him (god) here is not of much use. Those who look for him too much, cannot see him i.e., there is no need for deep philosophical discussions. We can see him with the inner eye.
4
yeh kya dekhna hai jo tum dekhte ho
vohi dekhna hai jo hum dekhte haiN
What kind of thing is it that you see. Only that is real seeing which we see. The ‘you’ and ‘we’ here used to mean the rationalist who demands to ‘see’ vs the believer who relies on his/her faith.
5
taraazu1 hai tiir-e nazar2 jin ke dil meN
bohat dekhte haiN nah kam dekhte haiN
1.balance 2.eyes, sight
Those who use the inner eye as a balance (to judge right and wrong) do not spend their time engaging in complex discussions.
6
bari1 haiN jo bandhan2 se beem3 o raja4 ke
voh hasti5 meN sa’er6-e adam7 dekhte haiN
1.absolved, free of 2.binding, limitations 3.fear (of needs) 4.satiated, plenty 5.existence, life 6.sightseeing, pleasure 7.non-existence, union with the divine
Those who are free of the limitations of needs or of plenty see/experience the pleasure of one-ness with the divine in this life.
7
khula1 jin pe hai raaz2-e aalam3 unhiiN ko
junooN4 se yahaaN muttaham5 dekhte haiN
1.revealed 2.secret, mystery 3.world 4.passion, madness 5.blamed, accused of
Those upon whom the mysteries of the world revealed are the ones that we see accused of madness (passionate love of the divine).
8
taahud1 ki hai is meN resha-davaani2
jo azdaad3 ko hum baham4 dekhte haiN
1.one-ness, unity (of the creator and created) 2.conspiratorial mischief 3.opposites 4.at the same time, side by side
It is the conspiratorial mischief against the concept of one-ness that we see opposites/incompatibilities side by side i.e., there is no duality – advaita.
9
sitam1 jaane kya dil pay aashiq ke TooTay
vo dekho ba-chashm2-e karam3 dekhte haiN
1.calamity 2.with the eye 3.kindness, love
Who knows what calamity will break upon the lover, the beloved is looking at him with a kind/loving eyes.
10
jo Khush ho dil apna to kis tar’ha1 kaifi2
zamaane3 ko sa’ed4-e alam5 dekhte haiN
1.how, which way 2.pen-name of the poet 3.world 4.victim, prey 5.sorrow
How can my heart be happy, O kaifi, when I see the world a prey of sorrow.
