Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. josh malihabadi (1898-1982) with a command of urdu, farsi and arabi and wide-ranging vocabulary has written romance, beauty, nature and resistance poetry in many formats – Ghazal, nazm, rubaaii and marsia. Here he is calling for change, sometimes asking the readers/audience to rise up for it, at other times addressing fellow poets.
1
uTho keh maqdam¹-e raNgiini-e bahaar kareN
tamaam arz-o-sama² ko taraana-baar³ kareN    1.welcome 2.earth and sky 3.singing
Rise and welcome the coming spring (re-birth, change, revolution). Let the whole earth and sky (world) break out into (rain down) joyous song.
2
damak¹ raha hai saroN par sitaara-e sahri²
uTho ke naara-e huu³ se kushood⁴-e kaar kareN    1.shining 2.dawn 3.chants (as in allaah-huu) 4.open, spread
Dawn is symbolic of change, the arrival of social justice. The dawn star shining is the herald of dawn/revolution. Rise and start/spread the work of the revolution with chants.
3
Khud apni mauj¹-e nafas² se khilaayeN³ Ghuncha⁴ o gul
Khiraam⁵-e baad⁶-e saba⁷ ka na intezaar kareN    1.wave 2.breath 3.bloom 4.buds 5.gait, saunter 6.breeze 7.morning
The convention is that the morning breeze blows in and wakes up sleeping buds and makes them bloom into flowers. The poet does not want to wait for the breeze but calls upon the audience to make flowers bloom with their own breath – make their own change rather than wait for revolution.
4
uTho ke khol ke moobaaf¹-e gesu²-e jaanaaN
tamaam roo³-e zamiN ko banfasha-zaar⁴ kareN    1.ribbon 2.hair 3.face 4.garden of violets
The hair of the beloved is tied up in a ribbon. Untie the ribbon and let her hair fly loose (a symbol of freedom and resitance). This will make the face of the earth bloom into a garden of banafsha.
5
sipar¹ ki tarah uTha kar suraahi²-e mai-e-naab³
chalo muqaabala⁴-e teGh-e-rozgaar⁵ kareN    1.shield 2.flask 3.strong wine 4.confrontation 5.sword of daily struggle
Wine and flask are symbols of unorthodoxy and resistance. The struggle for daily living is symbolized as a sword. Let us face this sword with a shield formed out of the flask (unorthodox thinking).
6
ataa¹ hui hai jo sarkaar-e fun² ke aivaaN³ se
us aabru⁴ ko mah⁵ o mahr⁶ par savaar kareN    1.granted 2.skill, talent 3.halls/palaces 4.dignity 5.moon 6.sun
Poets have been granted great dignity from the halls/palaces of talent. Let us use this talent to spread the light of knowledge making its light rival that of the sun and moon.
7
kiya tha Khuld¹ meN aadam ne jo gunaah-e jameel²
e’aada³ us ka kareN aur baar baar kareN    1.paradise 2.beautiful 3.repeat
The story of genesis is that aadam was tempted into disobeying god in heaven and was therefore banished to earth. The poet considers such transgression to be beautiful. He calls upon this to be repeated again and again. Thus, the earth and its pleasures are much better than bland heaven. Disobeying arbitrary orders is much better.
8
uTho ke tantana¹-e kaiqobaad² o Khusru² ko
gadaa³-e koo⁴-e Kharabaat⁵ par nisaar⁶ kareN     1.pomp 2.ancient persian kings used here symbols of royalty 3.beggar 4.street 5.tavern 6.sacrificial offering
The tavern is a symbol of liberal, open space that welcomes all. The beggar of the street of the tavern is so lowly that even he does not have the wherewithal to enter the tavern. Let us make the pomp and glory of royalty a sacrificial offering for this medicant.
9
jhuka vo abr-e bahaaraaN, chali vo baad¹-e shumal²
uTho ke jeb³ o garebaaN⁴ ko taar taar kareN    1.breeze 2.north 3.collar (in faarsi) 4.collar
The north wind is the harbinger of spring rains. Shredding the collar into threads is symbolic of intensity of passion. The spring clouds have descended, the north wind is blowing. It is spring, a time of love, a time to show intensity of passion by shredding the collar to threads.
10
jabiN¹ ko baKhsh² kar anvaar³-e vajh⁴-e zu-al-ikraam⁵
Khizar⁶ ki shama-e farozaaN⁷ ko sharmsaar kareN     1.forehead, brow 2.grant 3.rays of light 4.face (in arabi) 5.possessor of benevolence, god 6.legendary old man 7.bright
Khizar/Khizr is a legendary old man who knows a lot and travels. He knows all routes and is considered a patron saint of travelers. The picture is that he uses a bright light to show the way. The poet wants fellow poets to grant their own brows the brilliance of face of god. With this brilliance they can guide travelers in life, and put the bright lamp of Khizr to shame.
11
uTho ke nau-e-bashar¹ ke faroGh² ki Khaatir³
qaza⁴ se garm-e jadal⁵ hoN, qadar⁶ pe vaar⁷ kareN    1.humanity 2.progress 3.for the sake of 4.fate 5.conflict, quarrel 6.honour, power 7.strike a blow
Rise for the sake of progress of humanity and attack fate and strike a blow at the power of orthodoxy and its commandments.
12
mahall¹-e marg² meN tabliiGh³-e zindagi farmaaeN
maqaam-e jabr⁴ meN e’laan-e eKhtiyaar⁵ kareN    1.domain 2.death 3.preach 4.oppression 5.free will
Let us preach the way of life in the domain of Death. Wherever there is oppression, let us declare freedom.
13
jabeen¹-e kaatib²-e taqdiir³ par shikan⁴ paR jaaye
jo azm⁵-e tauba⁶ o taa’at⁷, gunaah-gaar kareN 1.forehead, brow 2.scribe 3.fate 4.wrinkles 5.determination 6.repentence 7.obedience, adherance (to instructions)
The brow of the scribe of fate would be wrinkled (in surprise) if all of us (sinners) decide to repent and from here on adhere to instructions. The implication is that to save the brow from getting wrinkled it is better to transgress and disobey.
14
uloohiyyat¹ ho KharoshaaN² jo hum Ghuroor³ dikhaaeN
pai’ambari⁴ ho Ghazal-KhwaaN jo inkesaar⁵ kareN    1.divinity 2.shout 3.pride, self-confidence, self-reliance, Khudi 4.prophet-hood 5.humility
Let us show pride/self-reliance so that divinity would cry out. Let us show humility so that prophet-hood might sing with joy.
15
uTho ke GhulGhula¹-e chaNg² o ‘ood³ ki rau⁴ meN
tavaaf⁵-e gul-kada⁶-e josh-e baada-Khwaar⁷ kareN    1.sound, gurgling, music 2.harp 3.fiddle 4.flow 5.circumabulate, show respect 6.garden 7.wine drinker
The garden of josh, the wine drinker, is of course the garden of his verse. So, he says that everyone along with the music of the harp and the fiddle, should dance around the verse of josh, showing respect.