For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
اُردو اور سیاست ۔ وجیندر سنگھ پروازؔ
۱
چھا گیا بن کے حسیں نورِ غزل کا جادو
جب کسی رخ پہ اُداسی کا اندھیرا دیکھا
وہ غلامی کے بُرے دن وہ سلگتے حالات
ہم نے اُردو کے دکھائے ہی سویرا دیکھا
۲
کتنے دیوانے صلیبوں کے ہوئے پڑھ کے کلام
کتنی نظموں سے سجایا گیا زندانوں کو
پرچمِ ہند تیری لاج بچانے کے لیے
مقتلوں سے بھی محبت ہوئی دیوانوں کو
۳
جب گھٹاؤں میں گِھرا ہے کبھی ماہِ اُردو
یوں لگا جیسے اندھیروں میں وطن لپٹا ہو
یوں زبانوں کو سیاست نے کیا ہے زخمی
جیسے طوفاں کہیں پھولوں کی طرف جھپٹا ہو
۴
اوس میں بھیگے ہوئے پھول کا مذہب کیا ہے
سرحدیں کیسے مقرر ہوں ہواؤں کے لیے
کس کے آنگن میں مقّید ہوئی سورج کی کرن
کون گھر اپنا پرایا ہے گھٹاؤں کے لیے
۵
مستقل روپ سے سوچا نہ گیا فن کے لیے
بات رہ جاتی ہے کچھ دیر اثر ہونے تک
کچھ تو تبدیلیاں آئیں گی بقولِ غالب
شمع ہر رنگ میں جلتی ہے سحر ہونے تک
۶
کوئی اُردو میں کہے شعر یا ہندی میں لکھے
فن تو ایک نور ہے انسان کی عظمت کے لیے
تنگ نظری نے جنہیں خاک بنا ڈالا ہے
خاک سوچیں گے وہ اُردو کی حفاظت کے لیے
उर्दू और सियासत – विजेंद्र सिंघ परवाज़
१
छा गया बन के हसीं नूर ग़ज़ल का जादू
जब किसी रुख़ पे उदासी का अंधेरा देखा
वो ग़ुलामी के बुरे दिन वो सुलग्ते हालात
हमने उर्दू के दिखाए ही सवेरा देखा
२
कितने दीवाने सलीबौं के हुए पढ़ के कलाम
कितनी नज़्मौं से सजाया गया ज़िंदानौं को
परचम-ए हिंद तेरी लाज बचाने के लिए
मक़्तलौं से भी मोहब्बत हुई दीवानौं को
३
जब घटाओं में घिरा है कभी माह-ए उर्दू
यूं लगा जैसे अंधेरौं में वतन लपटा हो
यूं ज़बानौं को सियासत ने किया है जख़्मी
जैसे तूफ़ां कहीं फूलों की तरफ़ झपटा हो
४
ओस में भीगे हुए फूल का मज़्हब क्या है
सरहदें कैसे मुक़र्रर हों हवाओं के लिए
किस के आंगन में मुक़य्यद हुई सूरज की किरन
कौन घर अपना पराया है घटाओं के लिए
५
मुस्तक़िल रूप से सोचा न गया फ़न के लिए
बात रह जाती है कुछ देर असर होने तक
कुछ तो तब्दीलियाँ आएँगी ब-क़ौल-ए ग़ालिब
शम’अ हर रंग में जल्ती है सहर होने तक
६
कोई उर्दू में कहे शे’र या हिंदी में लिखे
फ़न तो एक नूर है इंसान की अज़्मत के लिए
तंग-नज़री ने जिन्हें ख़ाक बना डाला है
ख़ाक सोचेंगे वो उर्दू की हिफ़ाज़त के लिए
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. vijendra siNgh parvaaz (1943-living), fareedabad and meeraTh. MA (English Literature). Lecturer, KV Inter College meeraTh. I could not figure out what his family background was and how he came to urdu. A great lover of urdu and a staunch secularist. He has several collections of nazm to his credit and collection of odes to islamic religious figures. This is one of several collections of his qat’aat in praise of and in defence of urdu. They are linked to ‘urdu’ on the Theme page.
1
chhaa gaya ban kay hasiiN1 noor2 Ghazal ka jaadu
jab kisi ruKh3 pay udaasi4 ka andhera dekha
voh Ghulaami5 kay buray din voh sulagtay6 haalaat7
hum ne urdu ke dikhaa’e hi savera dekha 1.beautiful 2.light, glow 3.face 4.sorrow 5.slavery, colonization 6.burning 7.conditions
Whenever there was sorrow reflected on anyone’s face and during the burning conditions of colonization, the magic of the beautiful glow of Ghazal spread across. We saw dawn/happiness/liberation only when urdu showed it to us.
2
kitnay diivaanay saliiboN1 kay huay paRh kay kalaam2
kitni nazmoN se sajaaya gaya zindaanoN3 ko
parcham4-e hind teri laaj5 bachaanay ke liye
maqtaloN6 se bhi mohabbat hui deevaanoN ko 1.cross, hanging platform 2.verse, poetry 3.prisons 4.banner 5.dignity, honour 6.fields of slaughter
This is a reference to the independence struggle in which urdu slogans and nazm inspired people to open resistance at the risk of being hanged. Thus, how many people fell in love with the cross after reading poetry. How many poems adorned prisons. O banner of India, to save your honour, how many crazy lovers fell in love with fields of slaughter.
3
jab ghaTaaoN1 meN ghira2 hai kabhi maah3-e urdu
yuN laga jaisay andheroN meN vatan4 lipTa ho
yuN zabaanoN5 ko siyasat6 ne kiya hai zaKhmi7
jaisay tufaan8 kahiiN phooloN ki taraf jhapTa ho 1.dark clouds 2.surrounded, covered 3.moon 4.homeland 5.languages 6.politics 7.wounded 8.storm
Whenever the ‘moon of urdu’ has been surrounded by dark clouds, we have felt that the homeland has been covered by darkness. Politics has wounded languages like a storm suddenly blowing towards flowers.
4
oas1 meN bheegay huay phool ka mazhab kya hai
sarhadeN2 kaisay muqarrar3 hoN havaaoN ke liye
kis kay aaNgan4 meN muqayyad5 hui sooraj ki kiran6
kaun ghar apna paraaya7 hai ghaTaaoN8 ke liye 1.dew 2.boundaries 3.determined, decided 4.courtyard 5.imprisoned 6.ray of light 7.other, foreign 8.rain clouds
The implication is that language is universal and does not belong to any religion. It can freely cross boundaries. Thus, what religion does a dew soaked flower subscribe to. How can boundaries be determined for winds. Can a ray of sunlight be restricted to any courtyard. Do clouds rain on selected houses.
5
mustaqil1 roop2 se socha nah gaya fun3 ke liye
baat4 rah jaati hai kuchh daer asar5 honay tak
kuchh to tabdeeliaaN6 aayeNgi ba-qaul7-e Ghalib
sham’a har raNg8 meN jalti hai sahar9 honay tak 1.permanent, long term 2.face, shape, sketch, plan 3.art 4.talk, announcement, policy 5.effect 6.changes 7.according to the sayings of 8.colour, condition 9.dawn
The implication is that the effect of neglecting/rejecting urdu on art and literature was not well thought out. Thus, a long-term plan for the arts and literature was never thought out. It takes time for such a policy to show its effect. Some changes are inevitable according to Ghalib (the next misra is a direct quote from a she’r of Ghalib). It implies that the lamp of urdu keeps burning and giving light in spite of adverse conditions.
6
koi urdu meN kahay she’r ya hindi meN likhay
fun1 to ek noor2 hai insaan3 ki azmat4 ke liye
taNg-nazri5 ne jinheN Khaak6 bana Daala hai
Khaak7 socheNge voh urdu ki hifaazat8 ke liye 1.art, literature, poetry 2.light 3.human 4.greatness 5.narrow-mindedness 6.ashes 7.nothing, no value (considering ashes to be of no value) 8.protection
If anyone reads poetry in urdu or writes it in hindi, it is an art form that is the shining light of the greatness of humanity. Those who have been reduced to ashes because of their narrow-mindedness, how will they offer any protection to urdu.
vijendra siNgh parvaaz (1943-living), fareedabad and meeraTh. MA (English Literature). Lecturer, KV Inter College meeraTh. I could not figure out what his family background was and how he came to urdu. A great lover of urdu and a staunch secularist. He has several collections of nazm to his credit and collection of odes to islamic religious figures. This is one of several collections of his qat’aat in praise of and in defence of urdu. They are linked to ‘urdu’ on the Theme page.
1
chhaa gaya ban kay hasiiN1 noor2 Ghazal ka jaadu
jab kisi ruKh3 pay udaasi4 ka andhera dekha
voh Ghulaami5 kay buray din voh sulagtay6 haalaat7
hum ne urdu ke dikhaa’e hi savera dekha
1.beautiful 2.light, glow 3.face 4.sorrow 5.slavery, colonization 6.burning 7.conditions
Whenever there was sorrow reflected on anyone’s face and during the burning conditions of colonization, the magic of the beautiful glow of Ghazal spread across. We saw dawn/happiness/liberation only when urdu showed it to us.
2
kitnay diivaanay saliiboN1 kay huay paRh kay kalaam2
kitni nazmoN se sajaaya gaya zindaanoN3 ko
parcham4-e hind teri laaj5 bachaanay ke liye
maqtaloN6 se bhi mohabbat hui deevaanoN ko
1.cross, hanging platform 2.verse, poetry 3.prisons 4.banner 5.dignity, honour 6.fields of slaughter
This is a reference to the independence struggle in which urdu slogans and nazm inspired people to open resistance at the risk of being hanged. Thus, how many people fell in love with the cross after reading poetry. How many poems adorned prisons. O banner of India, to save your honour, how many crazy lovers fell in love with fields of slaughter.
3
jab ghaTaaoN1 meN ghira2 hai kabhi maah3-e urdu
yuN laga jaisay andheroN meN vatan4 lipTa ho
yuN zabaanoN5 ko siyasat6 ne kiya hai zaKhmi7
jaisay tufaan8 kahiiN phooloN ki taraf jhapTa ho
1.dark clouds 2.surrounded, covered 3.moon 4.homeland 5.languages 6.politics 7.wounded 8.storm
Whenever the ‘moon of urdu’ has been surrounded by dark clouds, we have felt that the homeland has been covered by darkness. Politics has wounded languages like a storm suddenly blowing towards flowers.
4
oas1 meN bheegay huay phool ka mazhab kya hai
sarhadeN2 kaisay muqarrar3 hoN havaaoN ke liye
kis kay aaNgan4 meN muqayyad5 hui sooraj ki kiran6
kaun ghar apna paraaya7 hai ghaTaaoN8 ke liye
1.dew 2.boundaries 3.determined, decided 4.courtyard 5.imprisoned 6.ray of light 7.other, foreign 8.rain clouds
The implication is that language is universal and does not belong to any religion. It can freely cross boundaries. Thus, what religion does a dew soaked flower subscribe to. How can boundaries be determined for winds. Can a ray of sunlight be restricted to any courtyard. Do clouds rain on selected houses.
5
mustaqil1 roop2 se socha nah gaya fun3 ke liye
baat4 rah jaati hai kuchh daer asar5 honay tak
kuchh to tabdeeliaaN6 aayeNgi ba-qaul7-e Ghalib
sham’a har raNg8 meN jalti hai sahar9 honay tak
1.permanent, long term 2.face, shape, sketch, plan 3.art 4.talk, announcement, policy 5.effect 6.changes 7.according to the sayings of 8.colour, condition 9.dawn
The implication is that the effect of neglecting/rejecting urdu on art and literature was not well thought out. Thus, a long-term plan for the arts and literature was never thought out. It takes time for such a policy to show its effect. Some changes are inevitable according to Ghalib (the next misra is a direct quote from a she’r of Ghalib). It implies that the lamp of urdu keeps burning and giving light in spite of adverse conditions.
6
koi urdu meN kahay she’r ya hindi meN likhay
fun1 to ek noor2 hai insaan3 ki azmat4 ke liye
taNg-nazri5 ne jinheN Khaak6 bana Daala hai
Khaak7 socheNge voh urdu ki hifaazat8 ke liye
1.art, literature, poetry 2.light 3.human 4.greatness 5.narrow-mindedness 6.ashes 7.nothing, no value (considering ashes to be of no value) 8.protection
If anyone reads poetry in urdu or writes it in hindi, it is an art form that is the shining light of the greatness of humanity. Those who have been reduced to ashes because of their narrow-mindedness, how will they offer any protection to urdu.
