For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
اِرتقا ۔ علی سردار جعفری
۱
آہ اے ناداں، خیالی دیوتاؤں کو نہ پوج
ذہن میں بنتے ہیں جو ایسے خداؤں کو نہ پوج
۲
جو برستے ہیں یہاں بھی اور وہاں بھی ہم نشیں
ایسے آوارہ طبیعت بے وفاؤں کو نہ پوج
۳
ہاں مُرادیں اپنی اِن گونگی چٹّانوں سے نہ مانگ
قدر کر اپنے اِرادوں کی دعاؤں کو نہ پوج
۴
پوجنا ہے پوج اپنی فطرتِ آزاد کو
مشرق و مغرب کی آوارہ ہواؤں کو نہ پوج
۵
گود میں سِمٹی ہوئی رعنائوں کو چھوڑ کر
وادیٔ و کہسار کی رنگیں اداؤں کو نہ پوج
۶
بھول کر اپنے سرودِ لذّتِ گفتار کو
آسماں میں گونجنے والی صداؤں کو نہ پوج
۷
یہ خدا یہ دیوتا دو روز ہی رہ پائیں گے
جہل سے پیدا ہوئے ہیں علم سے مر جائیں گے
इर्तेक़ा – अली सरदार जाफ़री
१
आह अए नादां, ख़्याली देवताओं को न पूज
ज़हन में बनते हैं जो ऐसे ख़ुदाओं को न पूज
२
जो बरसते हैं यहां भी और वहां भी हमनशीं
ऐसे आवारा तबिय्यत बेवफ़ाओं को न पूज
३
हां मुरादें अपनी इन गूंगी चट्टानों से न मांग
क़द्र कर अपने इरादों की, दुआओं को न पूज
४
पूजना है पूज अपनी फ़ितरत-ऐ आज़ाद को
मश्रिक़ ओ मग़्रिब की आवारा हवाओं को न पूज
५
गोद में सिमटी हुई रानाईयों को छोढ कर
वादी ओ कोहसार की रंगीं अदाओं को न पूज
६
भूल कर अपने सुरूद-ए लज़्ज़त-ए गुफ़्तार को
आस्मां में गूंजने वाली सदाओं को न पूज
७
ये ख़ुदा ये देवता दो रोज़ ही रह पाएंगे
जहल से पैदा हुए हैं इल्म से मर जाएंगे
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. ali sardar jafri (1913-2000), balrampur, gonDa, U.P. Religious upbringing and education. MA luckhnow university. Started composing at 15. He soon turned to progressive, revolutionary nazm/Ghazal. Member Communist Party. Arrested in 1940. Plays, short stories, movies and TV serials gave him a career in mumbaii. Padma Shri in 1967. This nazm is linked to ‘uloohiyat-ehtejaaj’ on the Theme Index page.
1
aah aye naadaN1 Khayaali2 devtaauN ko na pooj
zahn3 meN bante haiN jo aise KhudaauN ko na pooj 1.simpleton 2.imaginary 3.mind
O simpleton, do not worship imaginary gods. Gods that are created in human minds, do not worship them. One possible variation is to read ‘naadaaN-Khayaali’ as a phrase meaning simple minded thinking. Thus, it is simple minded-thinking that leads us to believe in gods and worship them.
2
jo baraste haiN yahaaN bhi aur vahaaN bhi, humnashiN1
aise aavara-tabiyyat2 be-vafaauN3 ko na pooj 1.friend 2.wandering nature 3.faithless
These gods shower blessings here as well as there, my friend. They have a wandering eye and are faithless, looking for opportunities. A reasonable interpretation might be that they (appear to) favour those who fawn on them. Do not worship such faithless gods.
3
haaN muraadeN1 apni in gooNgi2 chaTTanauN se na maaNg
qadr3 kar apne iraadauN4 ki, duaauN ko na pooj 1.desires 2.dumb 3.respect 4.determination, capabilities
Do not beg before these dumb hills – perhaps a reflection that most places of worship are hilltops. Respect your own capabilities, do not depend on prayers. Does this echo iqbal’s “Khudi”?
4
poojna hai pooj apni fitrat-e aazaad1 ko
mashriq2 o maGhrib3 ki aavara4 havaauN ko na pooj 1.free nature, free will 2.east 3.west 4.wandering
If you have to worship, then worship your own free will. Do not worship these wandering winds of the east and west (these unsubstantiated ideas from here and there).
5
goad1 meN simTi2 hui ra’anaaiyauN3 ko chhoR kar
vaadi4 o kohsaar5 ki rangiN adaauN6 ko na pooj 1.lap 2.collected 3.beauty, qualities 4.valley 5.hills 6.colourful style
You have many capabilities within your grasp. Do not abandon them just to pray to colourful/false promises from hills and valleys.
6
bhool kar apne surood1-e lazzat2-e guftaar3 ko
aasmaaN meN goonjne vaali sadaauN4 ko na pooj 1.song 2.pleasure of 3.speech 4.sounds, voices
Do not forget your own song of pleasure. Do not worship sounds echoeing in the sky (this could either be false promises or natural phenomena like thunder).
7
ye Khuda ye devta do roz hi rah paayeNge
jahl1 se paida hue haiN ilm2 se mar jaayeNge 1.ignorance 2.knowledge
These gods will last only for a couple of days. Born of ignorance, they will get killed by knowledge.
ali sardar jafri (1913-2000), balrampur, gonDa, U.P. Religious upbringing and education. MA luckhnow university. Started composing at 15. He soon turned to progressive, revolutionary nazm/Ghazal. Member Communist Party. Arrested in 1940. Plays, short stories, movies and TV serials gave him a career in mumbaii. Padma Shri in 1967. This nazm is linked to ‘uloohiyat-ehtejaaj’ on the Theme Index page.
1
aah aye naadaN1 Khayaali2 devtaauN ko na pooj
zahn3 meN bante haiN jo aise KhudaauN ko na pooj
1.simpleton 2.imaginary 3.mind
O simpleton, do not worship imaginary gods. Gods that are created in human minds, do not worship them. One possible variation is to read ‘naadaaN-Khayaali’ as a phrase meaning simple minded thinking. Thus, it is simple minded-thinking that leads us to believe in gods and worship them.
2
jo baraste haiN yahaaN bhi aur vahaaN bhi, humnashiN1
aise aavara-tabiyyat2 be-vafaauN3 ko na pooj
1.friend 2.wandering nature 3.faithless
These gods shower blessings here as well as there, my friend. They have a wandering eye and are faithless, looking for opportunities. A reasonable interpretation might be that they (appear to) favour those who fawn on them. Do not worship such faithless gods.
3
haaN muraadeN1 apni in gooNgi2 chaTTanauN se na maaNg
qadr3 kar apne iraadauN4 ki, duaauN ko na pooj
1.desires 2.dumb 3.respect 4.determination, capabilities
Do not beg before these dumb hills – perhaps a reflection that most places of worship are hilltops. Respect your own capabilities, do not depend on prayers. Does this echo iqbal’s “Khudi”?
4
poojna hai pooj apni fitrat-e aazaad1 ko
mashriq2 o maGhrib3 ki aavara4 havaauN ko na pooj
1.free nature, free will 2.east 3.west 4.wandering
If you have to worship, then worship your own free will. Do not worship these wandering winds of the east and west (these unsubstantiated ideas from here and there).
5
goad1 meN simTi2 hui ra’anaaiyauN3 ko chhoR kar
vaadi4 o kohsaar5 ki rangiN adaauN6 ko na pooj
1.lap 2.collected 3.beauty, qualities 4.valley 5.hills 6.colourful style
You have many capabilities within your grasp. Do not abandon them just to pray to colourful/false promises from hills and valleys.
6
bhool kar apne surood1-e lazzat2-e guftaar3 ko
aasmaaN meN goonjne vaali sadaauN4 ko na pooj
1.song 2.pleasure of 3.speech 4.sounds, voices
Do not forget your own song of pleasure. Do not worship sounds echoeing in the sky (this could either be false promises or natural phenomena like thunder).
7
ye Khuda ye devta do roz hi rah paayeNge
jahl1 se paida hue haiN ilm2 se mar jaayeNge
1.ignorance 2.knowledge
These gods will last only for a couple of days. Born of ignorance, they will get killed by knowledge.
