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Recitation
چہرے پہ نور تھا ۔ پنڈت آنند نرائن مُلّا
۱
دُنیا ہے یہ، کِسی کا نہ اِس میں قُصور تھا
دو دوستوں کا مِل کے بچھڑنا ضُرور تھا
۲
اُس کے کرم پہ شک تجھے زاہد ضُرور تھا
ورنہ ترا قُصور نہ کرنا، قُصور تھا
۳
تم دور جب تلک تھے تو نغمہ بھی تھا فغاں
تم پاس آ گئے تو الم بھی سُرور تھا
۴
اُس اِک نظر کے بزم میں قصّے بنے ہزار
اُتنا سمجھ سکا جسے جتنا شعور تھا
۵
اِک درس تھی کِسی کی یہ فنکاریِ نگاہ
کوئی نہ زد میں تھا نہ کوئی زد سے دور تھا
۶
بس دیکھنے ہی میں تھیں کِسی کی نگاہیں تلخ
شیریں سا اِک پیام بھی بین السطور تھا
۷
پیتے تو ہم نے شیخ کو دیکھا نہیں، مگر
نکلا جو مے کدے سے تو چہرے پہ نور تھا
۸
مُلّا کا مسجدوں میں تو ہم نے سُنا نہ نام
ذِکر اُس کا مے کدوں میں مگر دور دور تھا
चेहरे पे नूर था – पंडित आनँद नरायन मुल्ला
१
दुनिया है ये, किसी का ना इस में क़ुसूर था
दो दोस्तौँ का मिल के बिछढना ज़ुरूर था
२
उस के करम पे शक तुझे ज़ाहेद ज़ुरूर था
वरना तेरा क़ुसूर ना करना, क़ुसूर था
३
तुम दूर जब तलक थे तो नग़्मा भी था फ़ुग़ाँ
तुम पास आ गये तो अलम भी सुरूर था
४
इस एक नज़र के बज़्म में क़िस्से बने हज़ार
उतना समझ सका जिसे जितना शा’ऊर था
५
एक दर्स थी किसी की ये फ़न्कारी-ए निगाह
कोई ना ज़द में था ना कोई ज़द से दूर था
६
बस देखने ही में थीँ किसी की निगाहेँ तल्ख़
शिरीँ सा एक पयाम भी बैन-उल-सुतूर था
७
पीते तो हम ने शैख़ को देखा नहिँ, मगर
निक्ला जो मै-कदे से तो चेहरे पे नूर था
८
मुल्ला का मस्जिदोँ में तो हम ने सुना ना नाम
ज़िक्र उस का मै-कदौँ में मगर दूर दूर था
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. panDit anand narain mulla (1901-1997), a kashmiri panDit from lukhnow, a high court judge, member of lok sabha and then of the rajya sabha was a liberal thinker reaching across communal lines with a strong love of urdu. In this Ghazal he has delightful combinations of opposites.
1
duniya hai yeh, kisi ka na is meN qusoor1 tha
do dostoN ka mil ke bichhaRna2 zuroor3 tha 1.fault, blame 2.separate 3.necessary, pre-ordained
It looks like friends (or lovers) have either broken up or have been separated by circumstances. Nobody is to blame for this. After all, this is the kind of world we live in. This Ghazal is dated 1949. Could it be a reflection of partition and communal riots.
2
us ke karam1 pe shak2 tujhe zaahid3 zuroor tha
varna tera qusoor4 na karna, qusoor tha 1.kindness, forgiveness 2.doubt, lack of trust 3.observant, pious 4.error, transgression
A beautiful conundrum … O, zaahid, surely you must not have trusted god’s forgiveness. Otherwise, your not transgressing is itself a transgression.
Said muzaffar Khairabaadi …
mere gunah ziyaada haiN ya teri rahmateN
kariim tu hi bataa de hisaab kar ke mujhe
Said amiir miinaaii …
bandaa navaaziyoN pe Khudaa-e karim thaa
kartaa na maiN gunah to gunaah-e aziim thaa
3
tum duur jab talak the to naGhma1 bhi tha fuGhaaN2
tum paas aa gaye to alam3 bhi suroor4 tha 1.(joyful) song 2.sorrowful wailing 3.sadness 4.happiness
When you were far away even joyful singing sounded like sorrowful wailing. But when you are near even sadness turns to happiness. This once again, is a nice juxtaposition of opposites.
4
us ek nazar1 ke bazm2 meN qisse bane hazaar
utna samajh saka jise jitna sha’oor3 tha 1.glance 2.assembly, gathering 3.wisdom, knowledge
A single glance of the beloved created a thousand stories in the gathering. Each one understood/intepreted it (the glance) according to their own intellect. This could be a reflection on the interpretation of the idea of god. Each one perceives it in their own way.
5
ek dars1 thi kisi ki ye fankaari2-e nigaah3
koi na zad4 meN tha na koi zad se duur tha 1.lesson 2.skill 3.glance 4.range, target
The glance of the beloved is so skillful/playful that you can draw a lesson from it. Her sidelong glance may not be directed at anyone in particular, but everyone is the target – juxtaposition of opposites.
6
bas dekhne hi meN thiiN kisi ki nigaaheN talKh1
shiiriN2 sa ek payaam3 bhi bain-ul-sutoor4 tha 1.bitter, angry 2.sweet 3.message 4.between the lines
It was just a show, her glance was not really angry. Her sweet message was hidden between the lines. The lines could be furrows of an angry brow – anger/annoyance and love juxtaposed.
7
peete to hum ne shaiKh ko dekha nahiN, magar1
nikla jo mai-kade2 se to chehre3 pe noor4 tha 1.but 2.tavern 3.face 4.glow, brilliance
It is true, we did not actually see the shaiKh drink (wine), but as he left the tavern there was an enchanting glow on his face. Said Ghalib …
kahaaN mai-Khaane ka darvaaza Ghalib aur kahaaN vaae’z
par itnaa jaante haiN kal vo jaataa tha keh ham nikle
8
mulla1 ka masjidoN meN to hum ne suna na naam
zِikr2 us ka mai-kadoN meN magar duur duur tha 1.pen-name of the poet but also a religious scholar 2.mention
This is a beautiful play on the meaning of the poet’s pen-name. We never heard of ‘mulla’ in mosques but he was well known in taverns (the tavern is symbolic of secular, liberal space).
panDit anand narain mulla (1901-1997), a kashmiri panDit from lukhnow, a high court judge, member of lok sabha and then of the rajya sabha was a liberal thinker reaching across communal lines with a strong love of urdu. In this Ghazal he has delightful combinations of opposites.
1
duniya hai yeh, kisi ka na is meN qusoor1 tha
do dostoN ka mil ke bichhaRna2 zuroor3 tha
1.fault, blame 2.separate 3.necessary, pre-ordained
It looks like friends (or lovers) have either broken up or have been separated by circumstances. Nobody is to blame for this. After all, this is the kind of world we live in. This Ghazal is dated 1949. Could it be a reflection of partition and communal riots.
2
us ke karam1 pe shak2 tujhe zaahid3 zuroor tha
varna tera qusoor4 na karna, qusoor tha
1.kindness, forgiveness 2.doubt, lack of trust 3.observant, pious 4.error, transgression
A beautiful conundrum … O, zaahid, surely you must not have trusted god’s forgiveness. Otherwise, your not transgressing is itself a transgression.
Said muzaffar Khairabaadi …
mere gunah ziyaada haiN ya teri rahmateN
kariim tu hi bataa de hisaab kar ke mujhe
Said amiir miinaaii …
bandaa navaaziyoN pe Khudaa-e karim thaa
kartaa na maiN gunah to gunaah-e aziim thaa
3
tum duur jab talak the to naGhma1 bhi tha fuGhaaN2
tum paas aa gaye to alam3 bhi suroor4 tha
1.(joyful) song 2.sorrowful wailing 3.sadness 4.happiness
When you were far away even joyful singing sounded like sorrowful wailing. But when you are near even sadness turns to happiness. This once again, is a nice juxtaposition of opposites.
4
us ek nazar1 ke bazm2 meN qisse bane hazaar
utna samajh saka jise jitna sha’oor3 tha
1.glance 2.assembly, gathering 3.wisdom, knowledge
A single glance of the beloved created a thousand stories in the gathering. Each one understood/intepreted it (the glance) according to their own intellect. This could be a reflection on the interpretation of the idea of god. Each one perceives it in their own way.
5
ek dars1 thi kisi ki ye fankaari2-e nigaah3
koi na zad4 meN tha na koi zad se duur tha
1.lesson 2.skill 3.glance 4.range, target
The glance of the beloved is so skillful/playful that you can draw a lesson from it. Her sidelong glance may not be directed at anyone in particular, but everyone is the target – juxtaposition of opposites.
6
bas dekhne hi meN thiiN kisi ki nigaaheN talKh1
shiiriN2 sa ek payaam3 bhi bain-ul-sutoor4 tha
1.bitter, angry 2.sweet 3.message 4.between the lines
It was just a show, her glance was not really angry. Her sweet message was hidden between the lines. The lines could be furrows of an angry brow – anger/annoyance and love juxtaposed.
7
peete to hum ne shaiKh ko dekha nahiN, magar1
nikla jo mai-kade2 se to chehre3 pe noor4 tha
1.but 2.tavern 3.face 4.glow, brilliance
It is true, we did not actually see the shaiKh drink (wine), but as he left the tavern there was an enchanting glow on his face. Said Ghalib …
kahaaN mai-Khaane ka darvaaza Ghalib aur kahaaN vaae’z
par itnaa jaante haiN kal vo jaataa tha keh ham nikle
8
mulla1 ka masjidoN meN to hum ne suna na naam
zِikr2 us ka mai-kadoN meN magar duur duur tha
1.pen-name of the poet but also a religious scholar 2.mention
This is a beautiful play on the meaning of the poet’s pen-name. We never heard of ‘mulla’ in mosques but he was well known in taverns (the tavern is symbolic of secular, liberal space).
