For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
قلم کی آبرو رکھنا ۔ دیوی دیال آتشؔ بھاولپوری
۱
تمہیں زیبا نہیں ہرگز صلے کی آرزو رکھنا
تمہارا کام ہے آتشؔ قلم کی آبرو رکھنا
۲
اگر دل میں تمنائے نشاط رنگ و بو رکھنا
مآل خندہ گل کو بھی اپنے رو بہ رو رکھنا
۳
یہ مے خانہ ہے مے خانہ تقدس اِس کا لازم ہے
یہاں جو بھی قدم رکھنا ہمیشہ با وضو رکھنا
۴
کہیں طوق و سلاسل ہیں کہیں زہرِ ہلاہل ہے
مجھے ہر آزمائش میں الہٰی سرخ رو رکھنا
۵
زمانے پر کسے معلوم کیسا بار گزرا ہے
مرا حق و صداقت پر مدارِ گفتگو رکھنا
۶
نہ مل پائے سراغ منزل جاناں نہ مل پائے
ہمارا کام ہے جاری تلاش و جستجو رکھنا
क़लम की आबरू रखना – देवी दयाल आतिश भावलपूरी
१
तुम्हें ज़ेबा नहीं हरगिज़ सिले की आरज़ू रखना
तुम्हारा काम है आतिश क़लम की आबरू रखना
२
अगर दिल में तमन्ना-ए नशात-ए रंग-ओ-बू रखना
म’आल-ए ख़ंदा-गुल को भी अपने रू-ब-रू रखना
३
ये मय-ख़ाना है मय-ख़ाना तक़द्दुस इस का लाज़िम है
यहाँ जो भी क़दम रखना हमेशा बा-वज़ू रखना
४
कहीं तौक़-ओ-सलासिल हैं कहीं ज़हर-ए हलाहल है
मुझे हर आज़मा’एश में इलाही सुर्ख़-रू रखना
५
ज़माने पर किसे मालूम कैसा बार गुज़रा है
मेरा हक़्क़-ओ-सदाक़त पर मदार-ए गुफ़्तुगू रखना
६
न मिल पाए सुराग़-ए मंज़िल-ए जानाँ न मिल पाए
हमारा काम है जारी तलाश-ओ-जुस्तुजू रखना
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. devidayal aatish bhaavalpuri (1915-1993), sonipat, haryana. Served as general secretary of the sahitya academy. He was born in Khairpur, muzaffargaRh (now pakistan). Influenced by many shu’ara around him, among them jaimini sarshaar, he began composing. But his composition matured and received recognition in bhaavalpur. They moved to the Indian side even before partition. He worked as an editor of a weekly magazine ‘naya jiivan’ and then as lecturer of urdu in chhoTuram aarya college. He started and edited a magazine called ‘paiGhaam’ and was a staunch secularist throughout his life.
1
tumheN zeba1 nahiN hargiz2 silay3 ki aarzu4 rakhna
tumhaara kaam hai aatish5 qalam6 ki aabru7 rakhna 1.suitable, becoming, behoove 2.under no circumstances 3.recompense, reward 4.desire 5.pen-name of the poet 6.pen 7.dignity
It does not behoove you to desire/expect reward/praise under any circumstances. O aatish, your only job is to preserve the dignity of the pen. Said Ghalib …
na sataa’esh ki tamanna na sile ki parva
gar nahiN haiN mere ash’aar meN mu’aani na sahi
and …
surma-e muft-e nazar huN meri qiimat ye hai
keh rahe chashm-e Khariidaar pe ehsaaN mera
2
agar dil meN tamanna1-e nashaat2-e raNg-o-bu3 rakhna
m’aal4-e Khanda-gul5 ko bhi apne ru-ba-ru6 rakhna 1.desire 2.pleasure 3.colour and fragrance 4.result, end 5.smiling/blossoming rose 6.in front
If you have a desire for the pleasure of colour and fragrance in your heart, then keep before you the destiny/result of the blossoming rose. ‘Colour and fragrance’ are often used as a metaphor for material pleasures. The implication is that the material pleasures of this world are not lasting – a rose that desires colour and fragrance, blossoms but soon afterwards it withers and falls.
3
ye mai-Khaana1 hai mai-Khaana taqaddus2 us ka laazim3 hai
yahaaN jo bhi qadam4 rakhna hamesha5 ba-vazu6 rakhna 1.tavern 2.sanctity, respect 3.required, necessary 4.step 5.always 6.with vazu-ritual ablution – washing/cleansing before offering prayers
Whenever devotees offer prayers in a mosque (or elsewhere) they have to perform ritual ablutions. Thus, the poet is equating the tavern with a sanctified prayer hall. This is a tavern, it is necessary to respect its sanctity. Before you step in it, perform ablutions. Said jigar muradabadi …
ye hai maikada yahaaN rind haiN, yahaaN sab ka saaqi imaam hai
ye haram nahiN hai aye shaiKh jee, yahaaN paarsaaii haraam hai
4
kahiN tauq-o-salaasil1 haiN kahiN zahr2-e halaahal3 hai
mujhe har aazmaa’ish4 meN ilaahi5 surKh-ruu6 rakhna 1.fetters and shackles 2.poison 3.fatal 4.trial, test 5.my god 6.glowing face, triumphant
Wherever I turn, it is either fetters and shackles or a poisoned chalice. O my god, whenever I am tested, make me triumphant. There is a faint reference to mansur-al-hallaaj and Socrates, who were killed/poisoned for speaking the truth. The implication is that the poet wants the courage to speak the truth in the face even of death.
5
zamaane1 par kise m’aalum kaisa baar2 guzra3 hai
mera haqq4-o-sadaaqat5 par madaar6-e guftugu7 rakhna 1.times, world 2.burden 3.happened, occurred 4.justice 5.truth 6.basis 7.speech, words
The basis of the poet’s words are truth and justice. He doesn’t know (doesn’t care) what burden/difficulty this causes for the world. He wants to continue to speak/write the truth.
6
na mil paa’e suraaGh1-e manzil2-e jaanaaN3 na mil paa’e
hamaara kaam hai jaari4 talaash5-o-justuju6 rakhna 1.clue, indication 2.destination 3.beloved 4.continue 5.search 6.seek
‘manzil-e jaanaaN’ is the destination where the beloved is. The beloved could be the divine or the truth. You may never be able to find any clue of the destination but it is incumbent upon you to keep searching and seeking.
devidayal aatish bhaavalpuri (1915-1993), sonipat, haryana. Served as general secretary of the sahitya academy. He was born in Khairpur, muzaffargaRh (now pakistan). Influenced by many shu’ara around him, among them jaimini sarshaar, he began composing. But his composition matured and received recognition in bhaavalpur. They moved to the Indian side even before partition. He worked as an editor of a weekly magazine ‘naya jiivan’ and then as lecturer of urdu in chhoTuram aarya college. He started and edited a magazine called ‘paiGhaam’ and was a staunch secularist throughout his life.
1
tumheN zeba1 nahiN hargiz2 silay3 ki aarzu4 rakhna
tumhaara kaam hai aatish5 qalam6 ki aabru7 rakhna
1.suitable, becoming, behoove 2.under no circumstances 3.recompense, reward 4.desire 5.pen-name of the poet 6.pen 7.dignity
It does not behoove you to desire/expect reward/praise under any circumstances. O aatish, your only job is to preserve the dignity of the pen. Said Ghalib …
na sataa’esh ki tamanna na sile ki parva
gar nahiN haiN mere ash’aar meN mu’aani na sahi
and …
surma-e muft-e nazar huN meri qiimat ye hai
keh rahe chashm-e Khariidaar pe ehsaaN mera
2
agar dil meN tamanna1-e nashaat2-e raNg-o-bu3 rakhna
m’aal4-e Khanda-gul5 ko bhi apne ru-ba-ru6 rakhna
1.desire 2.pleasure 3.colour and fragrance 4.result, end 5.smiling/blossoming rose 6.in front
If you have a desire for the pleasure of colour and fragrance in your heart, then keep before you the destiny/result of the blossoming rose. ‘Colour and fragrance’ are often used as a metaphor for material pleasures. The implication is that the material pleasures of this world are not lasting – a rose that desires colour and fragrance, blossoms but soon afterwards it withers and falls.
3
ye mai-Khaana1 hai mai-Khaana taqaddus2 us ka laazim3 hai
yahaaN jo bhi qadam4 rakhna hamesha5 ba-vazu6 rakhna
1.tavern 2.sanctity, respect 3.required, necessary 4.step 5.always 6.with vazu-ritual ablution – washing/cleansing before offering prayers
Whenever devotees offer prayers in a mosque (or elsewhere) they have to perform ritual ablutions. Thus, the poet is equating the tavern with a sanctified prayer hall. This is a tavern, it is necessary to respect its sanctity. Before you step in it, perform ablutions. Said jigar muradabadi …
ye hai maikada yahaaN rind haiN, yahaaN sab ka saaqi imaam hai
ye haram nahiN hai aye shaiKh jee, yahaaN paarsaaii haraam hai
4
kahiN tauq-o-salaasil1 haiN kahiN zahr2-e halaahal3 hai
mujhe har aazmaa’ish4 meN ilaahi5 surKh-ruu6 rakhna
1.fetters and shackles 2.poison 3.fatal 4.trial, test 5.my god 6.glowing face, triumphant
Wherever I turn, it is either fetters and shackles or a poisoned chalice. O my god, whenever I am tested, make me triumphant. There is a faint reference to mansur-al-hallaaj and Socrates, who were killed/poisoned for speaking the truth. The implication is that the poet wants the courage to speak the truth in the face even of death.
5
zamaane1 par kise m’aalum kaisa baar2 guzra3 hai
mera haqq4-o-sadaaqat5 par madaar6-e guftugu7 rakhna
1.times, world 2.burden 3.happened, occurred 4.justice 5.truth 6.basis 7.speech, words
The basis of the poet’s words are truth and justice. He doesn’t know (doesn’t care) what burden/difficulty this causes for the world. He wants to continue to speak/write the truth.
6
na mil paa’e suraaGh1-e manzil2-e jaanaaN3 na mil paa’e
hamaara kaam hai jaari4 talaash5-o-justuju6 rakhna
1.clue, indication 2.destination 3.beloved 4.continue 5.search 6.seek
‘manzil-e jaanaaN’ is the destination where the beloved is. The beloved could be the divine or the truth. You may never be able to find any clue of the destination but it is incumbent upon you to keep searching and seeking.
