For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
لافانی حروف۔۱۲۔۲۲ – جوشؔ ملیح آبادی
۱۲
دِل کے خونِ تازہ کی بوندوں کو ٹپکاتی ہوئی
فرشِ قرطاس و قلم پر پھول برساتی ہوئی
۱۳
آہِ سوزاں کو نوائے ارغنوں دیتی ہوئی
نرم پوروں سے ادب کی کشتیاں کھیتی ہوئی
۱۴
مرمر و آہن کو شیشوں کی کھنک دیتی ہوئی
آنسووں کو فصلِ باراں کی دھنک دیتی ہوئی
۱۵
دائروں میں بند کرتی با ہزاراں پیچ و خم
سِسکِیوں کی تھرتھراہٹ، زمزموں کا زیر و بم
۱۶
لکھ رہی ہیں گیت، فریادیں، فسانے، قہقہے
ہچکیاں، سرگوشیاں، آنسو، دعائیں، چہچہے
۱۷
ابر غم کی چھاؤں میں پازیب جھنکاتی ہوئی
آنسوں کو موتیوں کے ہار پہناتی ہوئی
۱۸
اُنگلیوں سے گِر رہا ہے خونِ دِل کا آبشار
بج رہا ہے آنسووں کی نرم لڑیوں کا ستار
۱۹
اُنگلیوں میں پرفشاں ہیں جلوہ ہائے دِل نشیں
کاکُل و رخسار و خال و نرگس و لعل و جبیں
۲۰
بہرِ تفسیرِ شکوۂ شیب و ہیجانِ شباب
لکھ رہی ہیں داستانِ قعر و تاریخِ حباب
۲۱
لکھ رہی ہیں، لکھ رہی ہیں، لکھ رہی ہیں صبح و شام
موجِ گیتی کے ترانے اوجِ گردوں کے پیام
۲۲
نغمہ زن ہیں کلکِ جنباں میں رموزِ کائنات
جبرئیل و انبیا و کرُسی و ذات و صفات
लाफ़ानी हुरूफ़ – १२-२२-जोश मलीहाबादी
१२
दिल के ख़ून-ए ताज़ा की बूँदों को टपकाती हुई
फ़र्श-ए क़िर्तास ओ क़लम पर फूल बर्साती हुई
१३
आह-ए सोज़ाँ को नवा-ए अर्ग़ुनूं देती हुई
नर्म पूरों से अदब की किश्तियाँ खेती हुई
१४
मरमर ओ आहन को शीशों की खनक देती हुई
आंसुओं को फ़स्ल-ए बारां की धनक देती हुई
१५
दाएरों में बंद करती बा हज़ारां पेच ओ ख़म
सिस्कियों की थरथराहट ज़मज़मों का ज़ेर ओ बम
१६
लिख रही हैं गीत, फ़र्यादें, फ़साने, क़हक़हे
हिच्कियां, सर्गोशियां, आंसू, दुआएं, चहचहे
१७
अब्र-ए ग़म की छाओं में पाज़ेब झनकाती हुई
आंसुओं को मोतियों के हार पहनाती हुई
१८
उंगलियों से गिर रहा है ख़ून-ए दिल का आबशार
बज रहा है आंसुओं की नर्म लढियों का सितार
१९
उंगलियों में परफ़शां हैं जल्वा हा-ए दिल नशीं
काकुल ओ रुख़्सार ओ ख़ाल ओ नर्गिस ओ लाल ओ जबीं
२०
बहर-ए तफ़्सीर-ए शिक्वा-ए शेब ओ हैजान-ए शबाब
लिख रही हैं दास्तान-ए क़ार ओ तारीख़-ए हुबाब
२१
लिख रही हैं, लिख रहीं हैं, लिख रही हैं सुबह ओ शाम
मौज-ए गेती के तराने औज-ए गर्दूं के पयाम
२२
नग़्मा ज़न हैं किल्क-ए जुंबां में रूमूज़-ए काएनात
जिब्र’ईल ओ अंबिया ओ कुर्सी ओ ज़ात ओ सिफ़ात
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. josh malihabadi (1898-1982) is known as – shaa’er-e inqelaab – poet of revolution. His nazm are fiery, passionate, and full of energy. His Ghazal and rubaaii are equally good. He was a secular humanist writing sharply and irreverently against colonialism, abuse of power, injustice and orthodoxy. This long nazm, in praise of the fingers of the poet, their pen and their words, is posted in 5 parts for easy reading/listening. All the 5 parts are linked to ‘suKhanvar o suKhavari’ in the Theme Index page.
12
dil ke Khuun-e taaza ki boondauN ko Tapkaati hui
farsh12-e qirtaas-o-qalam13 par phool barsaati hui 12.floor, platform 13.paper and pen
Dripping blood of fresh wounds of the heart (expressing pain). Strewing petals in the path of pen and paper (expressing joy).
13
aah-e sozaaN1 ko navaa-e arGhunuuN2 deti hui
narm pooroN3 se adab4 ki kishtiyaN kheti5 hui 1.sorrowful sigh 2.sound (music) of the organ 3.soft (sensitive) knuckles (fingers) 4.literature 5.row (boat)
Giving the sweetness of music to sorrowful sighs. Navigating the ocean of writing with a subtle/soft touch of fingers.
14
marmar-o-aahan6 ko shiishoN7 ki khanak8 deti hui
aaNsuoN ko fasl-e baaraaN9 ki dhanak10 deti hui 6.marble and steel (hard) 7.crystal 8.tinkle 9.rainy season 10.rainbow
Granting the soft tinkle of crystal to hard iron and cold marble. A rainbow of colours for the rain of tears.
15
daa’eroN11 meN band karti ba hazaaraN12 pech-o-Kham13
siskiyoN14 ki thartharahaT15 zamzamoN16 ka zer-o-bam17 11.circles 12.thousands 13.tangles and twists 14.sobs 15.trembling 16.spring, river
Bringing twists/turns/entangled puzzles by the thousands into circles (classification into fields/domains of knowledge). To encircle twists and turns is to bring subtleties and complexities within the domain of understanding. That is what words/fingers (of the poet) are doing. The puzzles that are brought into the domain of understanding include emotional sobbing i.e., sorrow and high and low notes of music i.e., joy.
16
likh rahi haiN giit, faryaadeN1, fasaane2, qahqahe3
hichkiyaaN4, sargoshiaaN5, aaNsu, duaa’eN, chahchahe6 1.complaint, supplication 2.fables, stories 3.loud laughter 4.hiccups 5.whispers 6.chirp
They (fingers of the shaa’er) write songs, complaints, fables, hiccups (maybe from excessive sobbing or from someone remembering you), whispers, tears, prayers and twitters i.e., they write about the whole range of human emotions.
17
abr-e Gham1 ki chhaaoN meN paazeb2 jhankaati hui
aaNsuoN ko motiyoN ke haar pahnaati hui 1.cloud of sorrow 2.ankle bells
In the shadow of a cloudburst of sorrow, fingers (of the writer/poet) also bring the joyous musical sound of ankle bells. They string tears into a necklace of pearls.
18
uNgliyoN se gir raha hai Khuun-e dil1 ka aabshaar2
baj raha hai aaNsuoN ki narm laRiyoN ka sitar 1.blood of the heart, sorrow 2.waterfall, torrent
The story of the sorrowful heart flows from the fingers (of the poet) like a waterfall.
19
uNgliyoN meN par-fashaaN3 haiN jalva-haa4-e dil nashiiN5
kaakul6 o ruKhsaar7 o Khaal8 o nargis9 o la’al10 o jabiiN11 3.flying from 4.faces (beauties) 5.heart pleasing 6.curly forelocks 7.cheeks 8.mole, beauty spot 9.eye 10.ruby (red lips) 11.forehead
Heart warming scenes fly from the same fingers, curly tresses, beautiful faces, bright eyes, ruby lips, shining brows.
20
bahr-e tafsiir12 e shikwa-e sheb13 o hejaan-e shabaab14
likh rahi haiN daastaaN-e qa’ar15 o tariiKh-e hubaab16 12.for the sake of explaining 13.complaints of age 14.restlessness of youth 15.stories of the depths of the ocean 16.history/story of bubbles
In order to explain the complaints of age and the recklessness of youth, fingers write stories of deep trouble (depths of the ocean) and fleeting successes (bubble).
21
likh rahi haiN, likh rahi haiN, likh rahi haiN subah o shaam
mauj17-e geti18 ke taraane19 auj-e garduuN20 ke payaam21 17.wave 18.world, life 19.songs 20.grandeur of the skies 21.message
They write, they write, they write night and day they write songs of the earth’s happiness and of heaven’s grandeur.
22
naGhma zan1 haiN kilk-e jumbaaN2 meN rumooz-e kaaenaat3
jibra’eel4 o ambia5 o kursi6 o zaat7 o sifaat8 1.singing 2.moving pen 3.secrets of the universe 4.Gabriel 5.prophets 6.seat/throne (of god) 7.person (of god) 8.qualities (of god)
The moving pen sings songs of the secrets of the universe, of Gabriel, of the messengers and of god herself.
josh malihabadi (1898-1982) is known as – shaa’er-e inqelaab – poet of revolution. His nazm are fiery, passionate, and full of energy. His Ghazal and rubaaii are equally good. He was a secular humanist writing sharply and irreverently against colonialism, abuse of power, injustice and orthodoxy. This long nazm, in praise of the fingers of the poet, their pen and their words, is posted in 5 parts for easy reading/listening. All the 5 parts are linked to ‘suKhanvar o suKhavari’ in the Theme Index page.
12
dil ke Khuun-e taaza ki boondauN ko Tapkaati hui
farsh12-e qirtaas-o-qalam13 par phool barsaati hui
12.floor, platform 13.paper and pen
Dripping blood of fresh wounds of the heart (expressing pain). Strewing petals in the path of pen and paper (expressing joy).
13
aah-e sozaaN1 ko navaa-e arGhunuuN2 deti hui
narm pooroN3 se adab4 ki kishtiyaN kheti5 hui
1.sorrowful sigh 2.sound (music) of the organ 3.soft (sensitive) knuckles (fingers) 4.literature 5.row (boat)
Giving the sweetness of music to sorrowful sighs. Navigating the ocean of writing with a subtle/soft touch of fingers.
14
marmar-o-aahan6 ko shiishoN7 ki khanak8 deti hui
aaNsuoN ko fasl-e baaraaN9 ki dhanak10 deti hui
6.marble and steel (hard) 7.crystal 8.tinkle 9.rainy season 10.rainbow
Granting the soft tinkle of crystal to hard iron and cold marble. A rainbow of colours for the rain of tears.
15
daa’eroN11 meN band karti ba hazaaraN12 pech-o-Kham13
siskiyoN14 ki thartharahaT15 zamzamoN16 ka zer-o-bam17
11.circles 12.thousands 13.tangles and twists 14.sobs 15.trembling 16.spring, river 17.ripples
Bringing twists/turns/entangled puzzles by the thousands into circles (classification into fields/domains of knowledge). To encircle twists and turns is to bring subtleties and complexities within the domain of understanding. That is what words/fingers (of the poet) are doing. The puzzles that are brought into the domain of understanding include emotional sobbing i.e., sorrow and high and low notes of music i.e., joy.
16
likh rahi haiN giit, faryaadeN1, fasaane2, qahqahe3
hichkiyaaN4, sargoshiaaN5, aaNsu, duaa’eN, chahchahe6
1.complaint, supplication 2.fables, stories 3.loud laughter 4.hiccups 5.whispers 6.chirp
They (fingers of the shaa’er) write songs, complaints, fables, hiccups (maybe from excessive sobbing or from someone remembering you), whispers, tears, prayers and twitters i.e., they write about the whole range of human emotions.
17
abr-e Gham1 ki chhaaoN meN paazeb2 jhankaati hui
aaNsuoN ko motiyoN ke haar pahnaati hui
1.cloud of sorrow 2.ankle bells
In the shadow of a cloudburst of sorrow, fingers (of the writer/poet) also bring the joyous musical sound of ankle bells. They string tears into a necklace of pearls.
18
uNgliyoN se gir raha hai Khuun-e dil1 ka aabshaar2
baj raha hai aaNsuoN ki narm laRiyoN ka sitar
1.blood of the heart, sorrow 2.waterfall, torrent
The story of the sorrowful heart flows from the fingers (of the poet) like a waterfall.
19
uNgliyoN meN par-fashaaN3 haiN jalva-haa4-e dil nashiiN5
kaakul6 o ruKhsaar7 o Khaal8 o nargis9 o la’al10 o jabiiN11
3.flying from 4.faces (beauties) 5.heart pleasing 6.curly forelocks 7.cheeks 8.mole, beauty spot 9.eye 10.ruby (red lips) 11.forehead
Heart warming scenes fly from the same fingers, curly tresses, beautiful faces, bright eyes, ruby lips, shining brows.
20
bahr-e tafsiir12 e shikwa-e sheb13 o hejaan-e shabaab14
likh rahi haiN daastaaN-e qa’ar15 o tariiKh-e hubaab16
12.for the sake of explaining 13.complaints of age 14.restlessness of youth 15.stories of the depths of the ocean 16.history/story of bubbles
In order to explain the complaints of age and the recklessness of youth, fingers write stories of deep trouble (depths of the ocean) and fleeting successes (bubble).
21
likh rahi haiN, likh rahi haiN, likh rahi haiN subah o shaam
mauj17-e geti18 ke taraane19 auj-e garduuN20 ke payaam21
17.wave 18.world, life 19.songs 20.grandeur of the skies 21.message
They write, they write, they write night and day they write songs of the earth’s happiness and of heaven’s grandeur.
22
naGhma zan1 haiN kilk-e jumbaaN2 meN rumooz-e kaaenaat3
jibra’eel4 o ambia5 o kursi6 o zaat7 o sifaat8
1.singing 2.moving pen 3.secrets of the universe 4.Gabriel 5.prophets 6.seat/throne (of god) 7.person (of god) 8.qualities (of god)
The moving pen sings songs of the secrets of the universe, of Gabriel, of the messengers and of god herself.
