For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
جنّت سے ہم نکلے ۔ مہر لال سونی ضیاؔ
۱
فرشتے امتحانِ بندگی میں ہم سے کم نکلے
مگر اک جرم کی پاداش میں جنّت سے ہم نکلے
۲
غمِ دنیا و دیں ان کو نہ فکرِ نیک و بد ان کو
محبت کرنے والے بے نیازِ بیش و کم نکلے
۳
غرض کعبہ سے تھی جن کو نہ تھا مطلب کلیسا سے
حدِ دیر و حرم سے بھی وہ آگے دو قدم نکلے
۴
سحر کی منزلِ روشن پہ جا پہنچے وہ دیوانے
شبِ تاریک میں جو نور کا لے کر علم نکلے
۵
مہ و خورشید بن کر آسمانوں پر ہوئے روشن
دو آنسو وہ مری آنکھوں سے جو شامِ الم نکلے
۶
سکوتِ شب میں ہم نے ایک رنگیں خواب دیکھا تھا
مسرّت جاوداں ہوگی اگر تعبیرِ غم نکلے
۷
نہ ملتی ہوں شراب زندگی کی تلخیاں جن میں
سنا ہے وہ ضیاؔ کے دل سے ایسے شعر کم نکلے
जन्नत से हम निकले – महर लाल सोनी ज़िया
१
फ़रिश्ते इम्तेहान-ए बंदगी में हम से कम निकले
मगर एक जुर्म की पादाश में जन्नत से हम निकले
२
ग़म-ए दुनिया-ओ-दीं उन को न फ़िक्र-ए नेक-ओ-बद उन को
मोहब्बत करने वाले बे-नियाज़-ए बेश-ओ-कम निकले
३
ग़रज़ का’बे से थी जिन को न था मतलब कलीसा से
हद-ए दैर-ओ-हरम से भी वो आगे दो-क़दम निकले
४
सहर की मंज़िल-ए रौशन पे जा पहुँचे वो दीवाने
शब-ए तारीक में जो नूर का ले कर अलम निकले
५
मह-ओ-ख़ुर्शीद बन कर आसमानों पर हुए रौशन
दो आँसू वो मेरी आँखों से जो शाम-ए अलम निकले
६
सुकूत-ए शब में हम ने एक रंगीं ख़्वाब देखा था
मसर्रत जावेदाँ होगी अगर ता’बीर-ए ग़म निकले
७
न मिलती हों शराब-ए ज़िंदगी की तल्ख़ियाँ जिन में
सुना है वो ज़िया के दिल से ऐसे शेर कम निकले
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mahr lal soni zia (1913-1986), kapurthala, panjab. Even though he had no family tradition of urdu or shaa’eri, he fell in love with both at an early age and learnt at home from an ustaad. He got a BA and MA from Forman Christian College and served as student magazine editor. Worked at the Reserve Bank of India. He was a shaagird of seemab akbarabadi and has more than half a dozen collections to his credit. He started composing in 1930 with the first collection published in 1934. In addition to nazm, Ghazal and rubaaii, he published biographies and critiques of shu’ara. This Ghazal, in the zamin of Ghalib is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
farishte imtehaan1-e bandagi2 meN ham se kam niklay
magar ek jurm3 ki paadaash4 meN jannat se ham niklay 1.test 2.devotion, obedience 3.crime, transgression 4.punishment
This has reference to a qur’aanic story which says that god created aadam out of clay and water and blew life into him. He then asked all angels to bow down to aadam. shaitaan, one of the angels, refused. Thus the poet claims that the angels turned to be less than aadam/humans in their devotion/obedience to god. But then, aadam and havva ate the forbidden fruit and were banished from heaven. This seems to be a complaint against this perceived severity.
2
Gham-e duniya-o-diiN1 un ko, na fikr2-e nek-o-bad3 un ko
mohabbat karne vaale be-niyaaz4-e besh-o-kam5 niklay 1.material and spiritual, here and hereafter 2.worry 3.good and bad, vice and virtue 4.unmindful 5.more or less, profit and loss
Those who love are unmindful of gain or loss. They do not think about the here and the hereafter, nor do they worry about good and bad. All they focus on, is love.
3
Gharaz1 k’aabe se thi jin ko na tha matlab2 kaliisa3 se
had4-e dair-o-haram5 se bhi vo aage6 do-qadam7 niklay 1.concern 2.relationship 3.church 4.limits 5.temple and mosque 6.farther 7.two steps
Those not concerned about the k’aaba or with any affinity to the church, go beyond the bounds/limits of temple and mosque (and into the domain of true love).
4
sahar1 ki manzil2-e raushan3 pe ja pahuNche vo diivaane
shab4-e taariik5 meN jo nuur6 ka le kar alam7 niklay 1.dawn, knowledge, wisdom, justice 2.destination 3.shining 4.night, ignorance, injustice 5.darkness 6.light 7.banner
‘diivaane’ are lovers (who have gone beyond the bounds of temple and mosque). These mad lovers raised the banner of light in the dark night and finally reached the destination of dawn.
5
mah1-o-Khurshid2 ban kar aasmaanoN par hue raushan3
do aaNsu4 vo meri aaNkhoN se jo shaam5-e alam6 niklay 1.moon 2.sun 3.shining 4.tears 5.evening, night 6.sorrow
In urdu poetic tradition ‘alam-sorrow’ is highly valued. It may be sorrow because of pining for the beloved or it may be sorrow at human misery. In either case tears shed is such sorrow are highly valued. They are like shining sun and moon in the sky.
6
sukoot1-e shab2 meN ham ne ek raNgiN Khwaab dekha tha
masarrat3 jaavedaaN4 hogi agar5 t’aabir6-e Gham niklay 1.silence 2.night 3.joy 4.never ending 5.if 6.fulfilment
The poet/lover has been suffering pain, pining for the beloved. He has a dream in the silence of the night that his joy would be everlasting if his wishes are fulfilled.
7
na milti hoN sharaab-e zindagi ki talKhiyaaN1 jin meN
suna hai vo ziya2 ke dil se aise she’r kam niklay 1.bitterness 2.pen-name of the poet
The poet, mahr lal soni zia, claims that most of his ash’aar contain elements of the bitterness of the wine of life i.e., the stories of sorrow, deprivation, lost love.
mahr lal soni zia (1913-1986), kapurthala, panjab. Even though he had no family tradition of urdu or shaa’eri, he fell in love with both at an early age and learnt at home from an ustaad. He got a BA and MA from Forman Christian College and served as student magazine editor. Worked at the Reserve Bank of India. He was a shaagird of seemab akbarabadi and has more than half a dozen collections to his credit. He started composing in 1930 with the first collection published in 1934. In addition to nazm, Ghazal and rubaaii, he published biographies and critiques of shu’ara. This Ghazal, in the zamin of Ghalib is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
farishte imtehaan1-e bandagi2 meN ham se kam niklay
magar ek jurm3 ki paadaash4 meN jannat se ham niklay
1.test 2.devotion, obedience 3.crime, transgression 4.punishment
This has reference to a qur’aanic story which says that god created aadam out of clay and water and blew life into him. He then asked all angels to bow down to aadam. shaitaan, one of the angels, refused. Thus the poet claims that the angels turned to be less than aadam/humans in their devotion/obedience to god. But then, aadam and havva ate the forbidden fruit and were banished from heaven. This seems to be a complaint against this perceived severity.
2
Gham-e duniya-o-diiN1 un ko, na fikr2-e nek-o-bad3 un ko
mohabbat karne vaale be-niyaaz4-e besh-o-kam5 niklay
1.material and spiritual, here and hereafter 2.worry 3.good and bad, vice and virtue 4.unmindful 5.more or less, profit and loss
Those who love are unmindful of gain or loss. They do not think about the here and the hereafter, nor do they worry about good and bad. All they focus on, is love.
3
Gharaz1 k’aabe se thi jin ko na tha matlab2 kaliisa3 se
had4-e dair-o-haram5 se bhi vo aage6 do-qadam7 niklay
1.concern 2.relationship 3.church 4.limits 5.temple and mosque 6.farther 7.two steps
Those not concerned about the k’aaba or with any affinity to the church, go beyond the bounds/limits of temple and mosque (and into the domain of true love).
4
sahar1 ki manzil2-e raushan3 pe ja pahuNche vo diivaane
shab4-e taariik5 meN jo nuur6 ka le kar alam7 niklay
1.dawn, knowledge, wisdom, justice 2.destination 3.shining 4.night, ignorance, injustice 5.darkness 6.light 7.banner
‘diivaane’ are lovers (who have gone beyond the bounds of temple and mosque). These mad lovers raised the banner of light in the dark night and finally reached the destination of dawn.
5
mah1-o-Khurshid2 ban kar aasmaanoN par hue raushan3
do aaNsu4 vo meri aaNkhoN se jo shaam5-e alam6 niklay
1.moon 2.sun 3.shining 4.tears 5.evening, night 6.sorrow
In urdu poetic tradition ‘alam-sorrow’ is highly valued. It may be sorrow because of pining for the beloved or it may be sorrow at human misery. In either case tears shed is such sorrow are highly valued. They are like shining sun and moon in the sky.
6
sukoot1-e shab2 meN ham ne ek raNgiN Khwaab dekha tha
masarrat3 jaavedaaN4 hogi agar5 t’aabir6-e Gham niklay
1.silence 2.night 3.joy 4.never ending 5.if 6.fulfilment
The poet/lover has been suffering pain, pining for the beloved. He has a dream in the silence of the night that his joy would be everlasting if his wishes are fulfilled.
7
na milti hoN sharaab-e zindagi ki talKhiyaaN1 jin meN
suna hai vo ziya2 ke dil se aise she’r kam niklay
1.bitterness 2.pen-name of the poet
The poet, mahr lal soni zia, claims that most of his ash’aar contain elements of the bitterness of the wine of life i.e., the stories of sorrow, deprivation, lost love.
