Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. josh malihabadi (1898-1982) is known as – shaa’er-e inqelaab – poet of revolution. His nazm are fiery, passionate, and full of energy. His Ghazal and rubaaii are equally good. He was a secular humanist writing sharply and irreverently against colonialism, abuse of power, injustice and orthodoxy. This is a particularly daring nazm in which he challenges not only orthodoxy, but divinity itself.
1
har ek daqiiqa¹-e juuindagi²-e ahl-e-sha’oor³
liye hue hai zamaam⁴-e do-sad⁵ sinain⁶ o shuhoor⁷    1.small, minute 2.searching, seeking 3.people of wisdom/intellect 4.reins 5.two hundred 6.years 7.months
‘do-sad sinain o shuhoor’ – ‘two hundred years and months’ is used to mean ‘passage of time’. Thus, even the most insignificant search of intelligent people holds the reins of time.
2
har ek chaak¹ hai ek baab²-e kaargaah³-e rafu⁴
har ek rashk⁵ hai ek taaq⁶-e shaahed⁷-e kaafoor⁸    1.tear, wound 2.theme, chapter 3.workshop 4.sewing, tailoring 5.envy, jealousy 6.alcove, cupboard 7.beauty 8.‘kaafoor ho jaana’ is an expression meaning-to flee
Every tear is chapter in the workshop of repair i.e., whenever there is a tear/gap in understanding, human endeavour tries to fill it. ‘shaahed-e kaafoor’ is the beauty/beloved who is missing. The lover/seeker is envious and this envy is the cupboard prepared and made ready to install the idol when it is retrieved. Thus, envy is a motivating factor in creating beauty/truth.
3
navaa¹-e harb² meN hai baad³-e sul’h⁴ o raqs⁵-e bahaar⁶
navaa¹-e karb⁷ meN hai saaz⁸-e kaif⁹ o lahn¹⁰-e suroor¹¹    1.sound, call 2.war 3.breeze 4.peace, reconciliation 5.dance 6.spring, celebration, joy 7.pain 8.music 9.contentment, pleasure 10.melody 11.happiness
The sound of war carries with it the breeze of reconciliation and the dance of joy. The cry of pain carries the music of contentment and melody of happiness i.e., humans make progress in the face of obstacles.
4
daroon¹-e jauhar²-e Khanjar hai sa’yl³-e aab-e-hayaat⁴
bataan⁵-e zahr-e halaahal⁶ hai baada⁷-e aNgoor⁸    1.inside 2.sharp edge 3.flood 4.nectar of immortality 5.goose-necked bottle/flask 6.lethal 7.wine 8.grape
Contained in the sharp edge of the dagger is a flood of the nectar of immortality. The bottle of lethal poison also contains the wine of grapes – the theme of progress in the face of obstacles continues.
5
azaab¹ meN hai ravaaN² mauja³-e nishaat⁴-e kasiir⁵
saraab⁶ meN hai davaaN⁷ dajla⁸-e sharaab-e-tahoor⁹   1.torment, pain 2.flowing 3.wave 4.pleasure, joy 5.ample, plent5y 6.mirage 7.flowing 8.river 9.holy/blessed wine
An abundance of waves of joy are contained in the ocean of pain. Rivers of wine flow in the distant mirage.
6
hijaab¹-e jaNg meN hai jalva²-e uroos³-e amaaN⁴
naqaab⁵-e saNg⁶ meN hai chehra⁷-e butaan-e-biloor⁸    1.hidden, disguised 2.manifestation, beauty 3.bride 4.peace 5.veil 6.stone, rock 7.face 8.idols of crystal
Hidden in the face of war is the manifestation of the bride of peace. Veiled in unpolished rock is the image of crystalline idols.
7
charaaGh-e fikr¹ ka duud²-e ravaaN³ su⁴-e aflaak⁵
nigaah⁶-e ahl-e-nazar⁷ meN hai chob⁸-e Khaima⁹-e noor¹⁰    1.thought, reason 2.smoke 3.flowing, rising 4.towards 5.skies 6.sight, eyes 7.people of discerning eye 8.pole 9.tent 10.light, knowledge
For people of discerning sight, the smoke rising towards the sky from the lamp of reason is the main pole that holds up the tent of knowledge.
8
bisaat¹-e Khaak² pe dhoomeN³ haiN shaadiyaanoN⁴ ki
keh aa raha hai javaani par aadmi ka sha’oor⁵    1.domain 2.clay, dust 3.bustle, pomp 4.celebrations 5.wisdom
‘bisaat-e Khaak’-domain of dust is the earth. Thus, there is pomp of celebrations on earth that the wisdom of humans is coming of age, turning into a youth.
9
Khafa¹ na ho keh hai asr²-e jadiid³ garm⁴-e Kharosh⁵
keh murda⁶ hai vo javaani jo phooNkti⁷ nahiN soor⁸    1.annoyed 2.times, age 3.modern 4.busy, engaged in 5.tumult, clamour 6.dead 7.blow 8.horn, trumpet
‘soor phooNkna’ probably refers to the day of judgement when an angel is supposed to blow a trumpet to rouse everyone from their sleep of death and be presented for judgement. Thus, do not be annoyed if the modern age is busy in tumultous blowing of the trumpet to wake you up from your stupor. The youth does not wake you up is like being dead.
10
Gharyu¹ o shor-e jadaal² o qataal³ o josh⁴ o Kharosh⁵
azal⁶ se daur⁷-e uboori⁸ ka hai yahi dastoor⁹   1.thunder, shout 2.war, conflict 3.battle 4.passion 5.tumult 6.eternity, beginning 7.times, age 8.conquest, overcoming 9.tradition
He is continuing to explain why one should not be annoyed at the modern age … because … the sounds of conflict, the tumultous passion of battle, have forever been the tradition of the conquest. The winner celebrates and modern thought/reason is winning over traditional/classical thinking.

11
nadiim¹ khaiNch na zulmaat²-e be-panaah³ pe aah⁴
keh hai tul’oo⁵ se aabastani⁶ shab-e-dejoor⁷     1.friend 2.darkness 3.unforgiving 4.sigh 5.dawn 6.tied, covered 7.dark night
O friend, there is no need to draw a deep sigh because of the unforgiving darkness. With the coming dawn, the dark night will be put away.
12
utar rahi hai ba-tadreej¹ baaGh-e-rizvaaN² se
azaar³-e Khaak⁴ pe shiiriini⁵-e tabassum⁶-e hoor     1.step by step 2.garden of heaven 3.cheek, face 4.clay, dust, earth 5.sweetness 6.smile
A sweet, angelic smile is descending step by step from heaven to earth.
13
hazaar shukr¹ keh ab muR raha hai jaanib²-e gor³
vo jahl⁴-e koor⁵ keh hai qalb⁶-e dahr⁷ ka nasoor⁸    1.thanks 2.towards 3.grave 4.ignorance 5.blind 6.heart 7.world 8.tumour
I offer thanks a thousand times that blind ignorance that is a cancer in the heart of the world, has turned towards its death/grave.
14
zahe¹ karaamat²-e zarb³-e shadiid⁴-e fikr⁵-e jadiid⁶
faza⁷ dafeena⁸ ugalne pe ho gaii majboor⁹     1.bravo, great 2.miracle, marvel 3.blow 4.strong 5.reason 6.modern 7.atmosphere, ambience, customary/traditional conduct 8.buried treasure 9.forced
Bravo, the marvel of the strong blow of modern reasoning, customary ways have been forced to give up their treasure i.e., they have been forced to give up their monopoly over knowledge/virtue.
15
maiN aaj dekh raha huN keh mahr¹ o maah² o nujoom³
khaRe hue haiN kamar-basta⁴ aadmi ke huzoor⁵     1.sun 2.moon 3.stars 4.loins girded, ready 5.in the service of
I see that today the sun, moon and stars stand ready in the service of humans.
16
quvaa¹-e arz² o samaavaat³ ko tabaq⁴ meN liye
bashar⁵ ki samt⁶ KharaamaaN⁷ hai daavari⁸ ka Ghuroor⁹    1.powers, capabilities 2.earth 3.skies 4.platter 5.human 6.directions 7.walking 8.lordship 9.pride
The pride of lordship, bearing a serving platter of the powers of the earth and sky, is walking towards humanity.
17
payambaraan¹-e zamiN aasmaaN pe jaa’eNge
abhi nahiN na sahi, aayega vo daur² zaroor³     1.messengers 2.times, age, period 3.definitely
This appears to be a reversal of the arrival of messengers of god on earth. Thus, messengers of the earth will travel to the skies. Perhaps not right now, but that time will definitely come.
18
bahut qariib¹ hai vo din keh diid² ki Khaatir³
dar⁴-e kaleem⁵ pe Khud khaTkhaTaae laili⁶-e tuur⁷     1.near 2.sight, glimpse 3.for the sake of 4.door 5.another name of moosa/Moses 6.damsel 7.mount tuur
This has reference to the legend that moosa/Moses went up mount tuur asking to see god. After much insistence he saw a manifestation in the form of lightning and fainted. As in the previous she’r, josh is reversing roles. The ‘lightning of tuur’ – divine glory is depicted as the laili-e tuur – the damsel of tuur. Instead of Moses going up asking to see the ‘damsel of tuur’, the day is near when she (divine power) will come knocking at the door of Moses asking for a glimpse of him. Here Moses is used as a representation of all humanity. Thus, humanity will prevail over divinity.
19
ajab¹ nahiN keh bane ek roz naGhma²-e qum³
meri sadaa⁴-e salaam alaikum ahl⁵-e quboor⁶     1.unusual, surprising 2.song 3.arise, stand up 4.call 5.people of 6.graves
He is saying that humans may learn to raise the dead back to life. Thus, it is not surprising that my call of greeting will be a song to make the dead rise and come out of their graves.
20
ajab¹ nahiN ke uTha le rabaab²-e kun³ ek roz
ye abd⁴-e be-sar-o-saamaan⁵ o banda⁶-e majboor⁷    1.surprising 2.sitar, music 3.to be 4.devotee 5.without any means/power 6.servant, creature 7.bound, constrained, powerless
It is said that god uttered the word ‘kun’ i.e., ‘be’ and everything was. This is described as the primordial act of creation. Once again, josh appropriates this role for humanity. It is not surprising that one day this poor devotee, this powerless creature may pick up the music of creation i.e., create life.
21
ajab¹ nahiN keh sar²-e bazm³-e vahdat⁴-e aafaaq⁵
zabaan-e haq⁶ pe ho ab naara⁷-e an-al-mansoor⁸     1.surprising 2.at the head of, openly 3.gathering 4.one-ness 5.skies, cosmos 6.god 7.call, cry, declaration 8.I am mansoor
This has reference to the story of mansoor-al-hallaaj, a sufi scholar who declared ‘an-al-haq’-‘aham brahmasmi’, which can be interpreted to mean I am one with god. He was declared a heretic and was put to death. Once again, there is a role reversal … it will not be surprising if openly, in front of all creation, god himself would declare ‘an-al-mansoor’-‘I am mansoor’.
22
koii pukaar ke josh¹ aasmaaN se ye kah de
keh ab zamiiN ko teri bandagi² nahiN manzoor³     1.pen-name of the poet 2.servitude 3.acceptable
O josh, can somone please shout at the sky and tell it that the earth/humanity no longer accepts the servitude of the skies/heavens.