For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
چلنے کی تیاری ہے ۔ من موہن شکلا تلخؔ
۱
ایک لمحہ جو کٹے دوسرا پھر بھاری ہے
ہوئی اک عمر کہ اپنی تگ و دو جاری ہے
۲
کہہ کے یہ مجھ سے کہ اس شہر میں ہو تم کب سے
اینٹ سر پر کسی نے جیسے کہ دے ماری ہے
۳
اور لے آئے ہو تم باتیں یہ دنیا بھر کی
اپنی باتوں سے یہاں پہلے ہی بے زاری ہے
۴
کوئی جس بات سے خوش ہے تو خفا دوسرا ہے
کچھ بھی کہنے میں کسی سے یہی دشواری ہے
۵
ساتھ لے لیں یہ ذرا خود کو تو بس چلتے ہیں
اور رہنے کے نہیں چلنے کی تیاری ہے
۶
داد جب مد مقابل کے سخن کی دی آج
دوست کہتے ہیں کہ مطلب کی طرف داری ہے
۷
خود کو یا دوسروں کو تلخؔ پریشاں نہ کرو
کچھ نہیں تم کو فقط جینے کی بیماری ہے
चलने की तय्यारी है – मन मोहन शुक्ला तल्ख़
१
एक लम्हा जो कटे दूसरा फिर भारी है
हुई एक उम्र के अपनी तग-ओ-दौ जारी है
२
कह के ये मुझ से के इस शहर में हो तुम कब से
ईंट सर पर किसी ने जैसे के दे मारी है
३
और ले आए हो तुम बातें ये दुनिया भर की
अपनी बातौं से यहाँ पहले ही बे-ज़ारी है
४
कोई जिस बात से ख़ुश है तो ख़फ़ा दूसरा है
कुछ भी कहने में किसी से यही दुश्वारी है
५
साथ ले लें ये ज़रा ख़ुद को तो बस चलते हैं
और रहने के नहीं चलने की तय्यारी है
६
दाद जब मद्द-ए-मुक़ाबल के सुख़न की दी आज
दोस्त कहते हैं के मत्लब की तरफ़-दारी है
७
ख़ुद को या दूसरों को तल्ख़ परेशाँ न करो
कुछ नहीं तुम को फ़क़त जीने की बीमारी है
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. manmohan shukla talKh (1931-2001), naagpur, maharashtra. There are at least six books of his collections of verse. He started composing in 1950 with his first collection published in 1958. The final collection was published with a loving foreword (translated from English by a friend) by his widow, who says that he tried to get her interested in learning urdu all their married life. But there is no word in any of the collections about how he came to urdu or about a day job he might have had. My guess is that he was an academic.
1
ek lamha1 jo kaTe doosraa phir bhaari2 hai
hui ek umr keh apni tag-o-dau3 jaari4 hai 1.moment 2.heavy, difficult 3.struggle 4.ongoing, continuing
This is a rather common, fashionable refrain in the sub-continental culture, which considers this life’s journey to be inconsequential. What matters is life after death. In the journey of life, as one moment passes, the next one becomes more difficult. Through all my life I have had this struggle and it still goes on.
2
kah1 ke ye mujh se keh is shahr meN ho tum kab se
iiNT sar par kisi ne jaise keh de maari hai 1.saying, asking
It is apparently the beloved who is asking – how long have you lived in this town. The question implies that she does not know him well, or pretends that she does not know him. Naturally the poet/lover is offended and hurt. He feels like someone has hit him in the head with a brick.
3
aur le aaye ho tum baateN ye duniyaa bhar ki
apni baatoN se yahaaN pahle hi be-zaari1 hai 1.boredom
Apparently the poet/lover is having a conversation with the beloved. He wants to talk about his love for her and she keeps bringing up all tangential subjects. He protests, you seem already bored with what I have to say, and you seem to want to break in with all other subjects.
4
koi jis baat se Khush hai to Khafaa1 doosraa hai
kuchh bhi kahne meN kisi se yahi dushvaari2 hai 1.offended 2.difficulty
If someone is happy with a statement, someone else seems to be offended by it. That is the difficulty in saying something to anyone. Apparently the poet is careful about not offending anybody.
5
saath le leN ye zaraa Khud1 ko to bas chalte haiN
aur rahne ke nahiN chalne ki tayyaari2 hai 1.self 2.preparation
This is another popular and fashionable statement common to the sub-continental culture. Let me get myself together and I will be ready to go. I am not going to stay long, I am preparing to depart. The “departure” here is death.
6
daad1 jab madd-e-muqaabil2 ke suKhan3 ki di aaj
dost kahte haiN keh matlab4 ki taraf-daari5 hai 1.praise 2.rival 3.verse, poetry 4.hidden purpose, hidden agenda 5.taking sides, partiality
The poet has praised the verse of the rival. His friends accuse him of insincerity. They say that partiality (that I display) must have a hidden agenda i.e. they think that the rival’s verse was not all that good.
7
Khud1 ko yaa doosroN ko talKh2 pareshaaN3 na karo
kuchh nahiN tum ko faqat4 jiine ki bimaari hai 1.self 2.pen-name of the poet 3.bother 4.only, merely
This is yet another common statement. This life is a sickness and the cure is death. Thus, O, talKh, stop bothering yourself and others now. Your only malady is keeping on living i.e. it is time for you to die.
manmohan shukla talKh (1931-2001), naagpur, maharashtra. There are at least six books of his collections of verse. He started composing in 1950 with his first collection published in 1958. The final collection was published with a loving foreword (translated from English by a friend) by his widow, who says that he tried to get her interested in learning urdu all their married life. But there is no word in any of the collections about how he came to urdu or about a day job he might have had. My guess is that he was an academic.
1
ek lamha1 jo kaTe doosraa phir bhaari2 hai
hui ek umr keh apni tag-o-dau3 jaari4 hai
1.moment 2.heavy, difficult 3.struggle 4.ongoing, continuing
This is a rather common, fashionable refrain in the sub-continental culture, which considers this life’s journey to be inconsequential. What matters is life after death. In the journey of life, as one moment passes, the next one becomes more difficult. Through all my life I have had this struggle and it still goes on.
2
kah1 ke ye mujh se keh is shahr meN ho tum kab se
iiNT sar par kisi ne jaise keh de maari hai
1.saying, asking
It is apparently the beloved who is asking – how long have you lived in this town. The question implies that she does not know him well, or pretends that she does not know him. Naturally the poet/lover is offended and hurt. He feels like someone has hit him in the head with a brick.
3
aur le aaye ho tum baateN ye duniyaa bhar ki
apni baatoN se yahaaN pahle hi be-zaari1 hai
1.boredom
Apparently the poet/lover is having a conversation with the beloved. He wants to talk about his love for her and she keeps bringing up all tangential subjects. He protests, you seem already bored with what I have to say, and you seem to want to break in with all other subjects.
4
koi jis baat se Khush hai to Khafaa1 doosraa hai
kuchh bhi kahne meN kisi se yahi dushvaari2 hai
1.offended 2.difficulty
If someone is happy with a statement, someone else seems to be offended by it. That is the difficulty in saying something to anyone. Apparently the poet is careful about not offending anybody.
5
saath le leN ye zaraa Khud1 ko to bas chalte haiN
aur rahne ke nahiN chalne ki tayyaari2 hai
1.self 2.preparation
This is another popular and fashionable statement common to the sub-continental culture. Let me get myself together and I will be ready to go. I am not going to stay long, I am preparing to depart. The “departure” here is death.
6
daad1 jab madd-e-muqaabil2 ke suKhan3 ki di aaj
dost kahte haiN keh matlab4 ki taraf-daari5 hai
1.praise 2.rival 3.verse, poetry 4.hidden purpose, hidden agenda 5.taking sides, partiality
The poet has praised the verse of the rival. His friends accuse him of insincerity. They say that partiality (that I display) must have a hidden agenda i.e. they think that the rival’s verse was not all that good.
7
Khud1 ko yaa doosroN ko talKh2 pareshaaN3 na karo
kuchh nahiN tum ko faqat4 jiine ki bimaari hai
1.self 2.pen-name of the poet 3.bother 4.only, merely
This is yet another common statement. This life is a sickness and the cure is death. Thus, O, talKh, stop bothering yourself and others now. Your only malady is keeping on living i.e. it is time for you to die.
