For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
بنجر زمیں کو سبزا دے ۔ شنکر دت کمار پاشیؔ
۱
ہے اندھیرا بہت، اُجالا دے
راہ بھولا ہوں مجھ کو رستہ دے
۲
دھوپ میں گِھر گیا ہوں سایہ کر
میری بنجر زمیں کو سبزا دے
۳
چار دن اور مجھ کو زندہ رکھ
خشک ٹہنی کو سبز پتّا دے
۴
بخش دے اب گناہ گاروں کو
بستیاں جل رہی ہیں برکھا دے
۵
اپنی پہچان کھو چکا ہوں میں
میری بے چہرگی کو چہرہ دے
۶
میری رسوائیوں پہ پردا رکھ
میری عریانیوں کو کپڑا دے
۷
مجھ کو میرے لئیے فراہم کر
اپنے ہونے کا مجھ کو مژدا دے
۸
وہ زباں دے جو ہو پسند تجھے
جو لبھائے تجھے وہ لہجہ دے
बंजर ज़मीं को सब्ज़ा दे – शंकर दत्त कुमार पाशी
१
है अंधेरा बहुत, उजाला दे
राह भूला हुं मुझ को रस्ता दे
२
धूप में घिर गया हुं साया कर
मेरी बंजर ज़मीं को सब्ज़ा दे
३
चार दिन और मुझ को ज़िंदा रख
ख़ुश्क टहनी को सब्ज़ पत्ता दे
४
बख़्श दे अब गुनाह-गारौं को
बस्तियां जल रही हैं बर्खा दे
५
अपनी पहचान खो चुका हूं मैं
मेरी बे-चेहरगी को चेहरा दे
६
मेरी रुस्वाईयौं पे पर्दा रख
मेरी उर्यानियौं को कपढा दे
७
मुझ को मेरे लिये फ़राहम कर
अपने होने का मुझ को मुज़्श्दा दे
८
वो ज़बां दे जो हो पसंद तुझे
जो लुभाए तुझे वो लहजा दे
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. shaNkar dutt kumar paashi (1935-1992) fled from pakistan in 1947 to dehli and was deeply affected by the mayhem around him. This shows up frequently in his compositions. He composed Ghazal, nazm; wrote drama and short stories; edited an urdu literary magazine. There is not too much by way of his biography that I could find. I does seem like he had a daytime job in dehli, probably with the government, but I could not figure out in which department. It also seems like that he had a very indulgent wife and he has a book of nazms all about her or addressed to her. A number of people also noted that he was a very generous host. He chose the taKhallus “paashi” to suggest that he would shatter old traditions. This nazm composed in the structure of a Ghazal, has the same refrain (and theme) as a number of others linked to ‘sukoot ko naGhma saraai de’ on the Refrain page.
1
hai andhera bahut, ujaala1 de
raah2 bhoola huN mujh ko rasta de 1.brightness, light 2.path
There is intense darkness, grant me some light. I have lost my way, show me the right path. This is addressed to the divine. ‘Darkness’ and ‘Light’ could stand for ignorance and knowledge and this becomes a personal plea of the poet. Darkness and light could also stand for good and evil and this can become a plea on behalf of all humanity to come back to the right path – perhaps after communal rioting.
2
dhoop meN ghir gaya huN saaya kar
meri banjar1 zamiiN ko sabza2 de 1.dry, fallow, barren 2.greenery
I am engulfed in the fierce sun, grant me protection/shade. Give my barren land some greenery. Unlike in temperate climes where sunshine is almost always synonymous with happiness, the sun can be fierce in the tropics. It also implies lack of rain which makes land unproductive/barren. Thus, this could simply be a plea for rain and harvest or it could even stand for loss of ability to compose (in the fierce heat) and the need for productive verse for the poet.
3
chaar din aur mujh ko zinda rakh
Khushk1 Tahni2 ko sabz patta de 1.dry 2.branch
To me this appears to go a little beyond just praying for long life. There is a purpose to it. The ‘Khusk Tahni ko sabz patta’ could well imply that he wants to compose/write some more.
4
baKhsh1 de ab gunaah-gaaroN2 ko
bastiyaaN jal rahi haiN barkha3 de 1.pardon 2.sinners 3.rain
‘bastiyoN ka jalna’ could well be the fire of communal riots and praying for rain, could be asking for divine intervention to cool off tempers. As the biographical note says, he was deeply affected by the carnage of partition.
5
apni pahchaan1 kho chuka huN maiN
meri be-chehragi2 ko chehra3 de 1.identity, awareness of self 2.facelessness 3.face
I no longer know who I am. Grant my facelessness an identity i.e., this could well be a plea for return of human fellow feeling.
6
meri rusvaaiiyoN1 pe parda2 rakh
meri uryaaniyoN3 ko kapRa de 1.embarrassments 2.veil 3.nakedenss
Keep my transgressions/embarrassments under a veil. Grant clothing for my nakedness. This conveys a deep sense of personal helplessness at not being able to do anything about whatever he sees around him.
7
mujh ko mere liye faraaham1 kar
apne hone ka mujh ko muzshda2 de 1.gather, make available 2.good tidings
The poet feels that he is lost, scattered, divided. He prays for help in being collected back together into coherence. He has been so affected that he begins to think if there is a god, if there is divine justice. He wants a message of good tidings from the divine as evidence of its existence.
8
vo zabaaN1 de jo ho pasand tujhe
jo lubhaaye2 tujhe vo lahja3 de 1.tonge, words, verse 2.please, attract 3.accent, tone
Grant me words and ash’aar that you like, that you consider good. Give me a tone that pleases you.
shaNkar dutt kumar paashi (1935-1992) fled from pakistan in 1947 to dehli and was deeply affected by the mayhem around him. This shows up frequently in his compositions. He composed Ghazal, nazm; wrote drama and short stories; edited an urdu literary magazine. There is not too much by way of his biography that I could find. I does seem like he had a daytime job in dehli, probably with the government, but I could not figure out in which department. It also seems like that he had a very indulgent wife and he has a book of nazms all about her or addressed to her. A number of people also noted that he was a very generous host. He chose the taKhallus “paashi” to suggest that he would shatter old traditions. This nazm composed in the structure of a Ghazal, has the same refrain (and theme) as a number of others linked to ‘sukoot ko naGhma saraai de’ on the Refrain page.
1
hai andhera bahut, ujaala1 de
raah2 bhoola huN mujh ko rasta de
1.brightness, light 2.path
There is intense darkness, grant me some light. I have lost my way, show me the right path. This is addressed to the divine. ‘Darkness’ and ‘Light’ could stand for ignorance and knowledge and this becomes a personal plea of the poet. Darkness and light could also stand for good and evil and this can become a plea on behalf of all humanity to come back to the right path – perhaps after communal rioting.
2
dhoop meN ghir gaya huN saaya kar
meri banjar1 zamiiN ko sabza2 de
1.dry, fallow, barren 2.greenery
I am engulfed in the fierce sun, grant me protection/shade. Give my barren land some greenery. Unlike in temperate climes where sunshine is almost always synonymous with happiness, the sun can be fierce in the tropics. It also implies lack of rain which makes land unproductive/barren. Thus, this could simply be a plea for rain and harvest or it could even stand for loss of ability to compose (in the fierce heat) and the need for productive verse for the poet.
3
chaar din aur mujh ko zinda rakh
Khushk1 Tahni2 ko sabz patta de
1.dry 2.branch
To me this appears to go a little beyond just praying for long life. There is a purpose to it. The ‘Khusk Tahni ko sabz patta’ could well imply that he wants to compose/write some more.
4
baKhsh1 de ab gunaah-gaaroN2 ko
bastiyaaN jal rahi haiN barkha3 de
1.pardon 2.sinners 3.rain
‘bastiyoN ka jalna’ could well be the fire of communal riots and praying for rain, could be asking for divine intervention to cool off tempers. As the biographical note says, he was deeply affected by the carnage of partition.
5
apni pahchaan1 kho chuka huN maiN
meri be-chehragi2 ko chehra3 de
1.identity, awareness of self 2.facelessness 3.face
I no longer know who I am. Grant my facelessness an identity i.e., this could well be a plea for return of human fellow feeling.
6
meri rusvaaiiyoN1 pe parda2 rakh
meri uryaaniyoN3 ko kapRa de
1.embarrassments 2.veil 3.nakedenss
Keep my transgressions/embarrassments under a veil. Grant clothing for my nakedness. This conveys a deep sense of personal helplessness at not being able to do anything about whatever he sees around him.
7
mujh ko mere liye faraaham1 kar
apne hone ka mujh ko muzshda2 de
1.gather, make available 2.good tidings
The poet feels that he is lost, scattered, divided. He prays for help in being collected back together into coherence. He has been so affected that he begins to think if there is a god, if there is divine justice. He wants a message of good tidings from the divine as evidence of its existence.
8
vo zabaaN1 de jo ho pasand tujhe
jo lubhaaye2 tujhe vo lahja3 de
1.tonge, words, verse 2.please, attract 3.accent, tone
Grant me words and ash’aar that you like, that you consider good. Give me a tone that pleases you.
