For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
جو ابھی پیدا نہ ہوا ۔ وحید اخترؔ
۱
دل وہ شعلہ ہے جو بُجھ بُجھ کے بھی ٹھنڈا نہ ہوا
مُنجمد آگ کا بہتا ہوا دریا نہ ہوا
۲
حسرت و خواب و تمنّا کا وہ ہنگامہ رہا
مدّتیں گزریں کہ خود اپنے سے ملنا نہ ہوا
۳
آرزو اب کسی چہرے کو نہ پہچانے گی
رُو برُو ایک زمانے سے وہ چہرہ نہ ہوا
۴
جنّتِ بے خبراں میں جو رہا شاد رہا
جو رہا ہوش میں آخر کو وہ دیوانہ ہوا
۵
عمر بھر کے لیے بنباس ملا ہے ہم کو
سرد اک پَل کو بھی احساس کا صحرا نہ ہوا
۶
کیا تمنائیں ہیں، کیا لوگ جو آسودہ ہیں
خواب میں بھی ہمیں دیدارِ تمنّا نہ ہوا
۷
نارسائی بھی ہے سرمایۂ جاں تشنہ لہو
کیوں کریں رنج کہ جو سوچا جو چاہا نہ ہوا
۸
عہدِ حاضر کے سرابوں سے گزر کر ڈھونڈیں
ایک ایسا بھی جہاں جو ابھی پیدا نہ ہوا
۹
دشتِ امکاں کے اندھیروں میں جلائے تو چراغ
نہ سہی میں جو خرابِ غمِ عقبیٰ نہ ہوا
۱۰
جس پہ چمکا نہیں تیرے کفِ پا کا سورج
آج تک نیند سے بیدار وہ جادا نہ ہوا
۱۱
یہی لمحہ ہے ازل اور یہی لمحہ ہے ابد
دوش و فردا نہیں کچھ حال گر اپنا نہ ہوا
जो अभी पैदा न हुआ – वहीद अख़्तर
१
दिल वो शो’ला है जो बुझ बुझ के भी ठंडा न हुआ
मुंजमिद आग का बहता हुआ दर्या न हुआ
२
हसरत ओ ख़्वाब ओ तमन्ना का वो हंगामा रहा
मुद्दतें गुज़रीं के ख़ुद अपने से मिलना न हुआ
३
आर्ज़ू अब किसी चेहरे को न पहचानेगी
रू-ब-रू एक ज़माने से वो चेहरा न हुआ
४
जन्नत-ए बे-ख़बरां में जो रहा शाद रहा
जो रहा होश में आख़िर को वो दीवाना हुआ
५
उम्र भर के लिए बनबास मिला है हम को
सर्द एक पल को भी एहसास का सहरा न हुआ
६
क्या तमन्नाएं हैं क्या लोग जो आसूदा हैं
ख़्वाब में भी हमें दीदार-ए तमन्ना न हुआ
७
ना-रसाई भी है सरमाया-ए जाँ तिश्ना लहू
क्यूं करें रंज के जो सोचा जो चाहा न हुआ
८
अहद-ए हाज़िर के सराबों से गुज़र कर ढूंडें
एक ऐसा भी जहाँ जो अभी पैदा न हुआ
९
दश्त-ए इम्काँ के अंधेरों में जलाए तो चराग़
न सही मैं जो ख़राब-ए ग़म-ए उक़्बा न हुआ
१०
जिस पे चमका नहीं तेरे कफ़-ए पा का सूरज
आज तक नींद से बेदार वो जादा न हुआ
११
यही लम्हा है अज़ल और यही लम्हा है अबद
दौश ओ फ़र्दा नहीं कुछ हाल गर अपना न हुआ
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. vaheed aKhter (1935-1996), hyderabad, poet, writer and critic. He did his PhD in philosophy from osmania university and later taught at aligaRh. His compositions are very thoughtful and thought provoking and reflect his scholarship of philosophy. His ‘free verse’ nazm are extremely musical. This Ghazal in the zamin of Ghalib’s ‘dard minnat-kash-e davaa na hua’ is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
dil vo sho’la1 hai jo bujh bujh ke bhi ThanDa na hua
munjamid2 aag ka bahta hua dariya na hua 1.flame 2.congealed, solidified, stop
The heart was such a flame that even after being put out, it did not cool down. It was such a flowing river of fire, that it did not stop. The poet is talking about the intensity of emotions in his heart. Even if a temporary crisis … like a flame … is put out, the base intensity is not reduced. What is this emotion about? Is it purely about love, or is it the passion of creativity? The poet leaves it to us.
2
hasrat1 o Khwaab2 o tamanna3 ka voh haNgaama4 raha
muddateN5 guzriiN keh Khud apne se milna na hua 1.longing 2.dreams 3.desires 4.tumult, chaos 5.ages, long time
The poet reflects on how he has been caught up in a chaotic tumult of longings, desires and dreams. He has been so caught up with these that ages have passed since he has had a chance to ‘meet himself’ i.e., done any introspection of his inner desires and objectives.
3
aarzu1 ab kisi chehre2 ko na pahchaanegi3
ruu-ba-ruu4 ek zamaane5 se vo chehra2 na hua 1.desire, longing 2.face 3.recognize 4.face to face 5.for ages, for a long time
The ‘chehra’ symbolizes something that the poet wants to realize/see. Perhaps it is the face of the realisation of his own desires, including even his own face i.e., his desire to know himself. It has been such a long time since that ‘chehra’ has come face to face, that it not likely to recognize it anymore. Thus, his desire/feelings have been numbed by long years of frustration.
4
jannat1-e be-KhabraaN2 meN jo raha shaad3 raha
jo raha hosh4 meN aaKhir5 ko voh divaana hua 1.heaven 2.unaware, used in the sense of insensitive, superficial, uncaring 3.happy 4.aware, in full senses, sensitive 5.at last, finally
The poet implies that those who do not think deeply, do not introspect they are happy; they are in the heaven of the insensitive/superficial crowd. But they who were aware/thinking/introspecting finally went mad. Perhaps there is a tongue-in-cheek wistfulness that says, if only I had not been so sensitive, I might have led a happy life.
5
umr-bhar1 ke liye banbaas2 mila hai ham ko
sard3 ek pal4 ko bhi ehsaas5 ka sahra6 na hua 1.life-long 2.exiled to the forest 3.cold, quiet 4.moment 5.feelings 6.wilderness
The wilderness of feelings ‘ehsaas ka sahra’ symbolizes the tumult of desires that the poet has been talking about in the previous ash’aar. ‘banbaas’ – exile to the forest symbolizes banishment from the comforts of life. ‘sard’ implies that the heat of passion/frenzy that accompanied the tumult of desires did not cool off. Thus, all my life, I was banished from the comforts of life. The frenzy of desires (thirst for knowledge) did not cool off, not even for a moment.
6
kya tamannaaeN1 haiN kya log jo aasuda2 haiN
Khwaab meN bhi hameN diidaar3-e tamanna1 na hua 1.desires 2.comfortable, satisfied, contented 3.sight, seeing
What kind of desires do they have, what kind of people are these that are contended. For me, I did not see my desires fulfilled, even in my dreams. Clearly, the poet is not talking about material desires but the constant tumult of search for knowledge. He sees others ‘satisfied’ because they are not ‘aware, sensitive, thirsty’ and marvels at them.
7
naa-rasaa’ii1 bhi hai sarmaaya2-e jaaN3 tishna4 lahu5
kyuN kareN ranj6 keh jo socha jo chaaha na hua 1.unreachability, unachievability 2.wealth, treasure 3.soul, mind 4.thirsty 5.blood 6.sorrow, grief
It appears that the poet may be addressing his ‘tishna lahu’ – unfulfilled desire. He says, unreachability (of goals/desires) is the treasure of the mind, O unfulfilled desire. Why should I grieve that that which I thought/wished, that which I wanted did not come to pass. There are many such beautiful ash’aar suggesting the pleasure of the search is better than achievement of the goal. Said jaikrishn chaudhry habiib …
vo bhi kya maze ki thi zindagi, jo safar safar meN guzar gaii
nahiN manziloN meN vo dil-kashi, mujhe phir safar ki talaash hai
8
ahd-e-haazir1 ke saraaboN2 se guzar3 kar DhoonDeN4
ek aisa bhi jahaaN5 jo abhi paida6 na hua 1.present times 2.mirages 3.pass beyond 4.search 5.world 6.born, created
Here ‘saraab-mirage’ symbolizes something that is not real – that is superficial. Going beyond the superficial images of the present times let us search for a (vision of) world that has not yet been created. Here ‘vision of a future world’ is implied and contrasted with the mirage of the present times. Said Ghalib …
huN garmi-e nishaat-e tasavvur se naGhma-sanj
maiN andaleeb-e gulshan-e naa-aafrida huN
9
dasht1-e imkaaN2 ke andheroN meN jalaa’e to charaaGh
na sahi maiN jo Kharaab3-e Gham-e uqba4 na hua 1.wilderness 2.possibilities 3.ruined, destroyed 4.hereafter
At least I have lit a lamp in the darkness of the wilderness of possibilities. It doesn’t matter that I have not been destroyed by the sorrow/pain/worry of the hereafter. The wildernss of possibilities is the vision of a future world that has yet been created or described. Hence, it is dark; and the poet has lit a lamp in it. The second misra implies that he is glad that he did not get caught up in the conventional ‘worry of the hereafter’. Said faiz ahmed faiz …
hai dasht ab bhi dasht magar Khun e paa se faiz
sairaab chand Khaar-e-muGhailaaN hue to haiN
10
jis peh chamka1 nahiN tere kaf2-e paa3 ka sooraj
aaj tak neend se bedaar4 vo jaada5 na hua 1.shone, shed light 2.fistful (of dust) 3.feet 4.awake 5.path
The key word here is ‘tere-your’ and the poet has left it completely undefined. It could be himself, it could be the interlocuter to whom he is speaking. The path on which the sun of the dust of your feet did not shed light never wakes up from sleep i.e., if you don’t venture out on a path, on an unknown path, exploring and making a way, then it will remain dark and asleep. Elsewhere he writes …
dekho pasti se to har ek bulandi hai raaz
jaada-e koh faqat zer-e qadam khulta hai
11
yahi lamha1 hai azal2 aur yahi lamha1 hai abad3
dosh4 o farda5 nahiN kuchh haal6 gar7 apna na hua 1.moment 2.beginning 3.end-eternity 4.present 5.future 6.present 7.if
This is the moment that is both the beginning and the end. If you don’t own the present, cease the moment, then there is no past and no future. In essence, he is saying, do something with the present; don’t dwell on past glory nor put store on eternal bliss in the future.
vaheed aKhter (1935-1996), hyderabad, poet, writer and critic. He did his PhD in philosophy from osmania university and later taught at aligaRh. His compositions are very thoughtful and thought provoking and reflect his scholarship of philosophy. His ‘free verse’ nazm are extremely musical. This Ghazal in the zamin of Ghalib’s ‘dard minnat-kash-e davaa na hua’ is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
dil vo sho’la1 hai jo bujh bujh ke bhi ThanDa na hua
munjamid2 aag ka bahta hua dariya na hua
1.flame 2.congealed, solidified, stop
The heart was such a flame that even after being put out, it did not cool down. It was such a flowing river of fire, that it did not stop. The poet is talking about the intensity of emotions in his heart. Even if a temporary crisis … like a flame … is put out, the base intensity is not reduced. What is this emotion about? Is it purely about love, or is it the passion of creativity? The poet leaves it to us.
2
hasrat1 o Khwaab2 o tamanna3 ka voh haNgaama4 raha
muddateN5 guzriiN keh Khud apne se milna na hua
1.longing 2.dreams 3.desires 4.tumult, chaos 5.ages, long time
The poet reflects on how he has been caught up in a chaotic tumult of longings, desires and dreams. He has been so caught up with these that ages have passed since he has had a chance to ‘meet himself’ i.e., done any introspection of his inner desires and objectives.
3
aarzu1 ab kisi chehre2 ko na pahchaanegi3
ruu-ba-ruu4 ek zamaane5 se vo chehra2 na hua
1.desire, longing 2.face 3.recognize 4.face to face 5.for ages, for a long time
The ‘chehra’ symbolizes something that the poet wants to realize/see. Perhaps it is the face of the realisation of his own desires, including even his own face i.e., his desire to know himself. It has been such a long time since that ‘chehra’ has come face to face, that it not likely to recognize it anymore. Thus, his desire/feelings have been numbed by long years of frustration.
4
jannat1-e be-KhabraaN2 meN jo raha shaad3 raha
jo raha hosh4 meN aaKhir5 ko voh divaana hua
1.heaven 2.unaware, used in the sense of insensitive, superficial, uncaring 3.happy 4.aware, in full senses, sensitive 5.at last, finally
The poet implies that those who do not think deeply, do not introspect they are happy; they are in the heaven of the insensitive/superficial crowd. But they who were aware/thinking/introspecting finally went mad. Perhaps there is a tongue-in-cheek wistfulness that says, if only I had not been so sensitive, I might have led a happy life.
5
umr-bhar1 ke liye banbaas2 mila hai ham ko
sard3 ek pal4 ko bhi ehsaas5 ka sahra6 na hua
1.life-long 2.exiled to the forest 3.cold, quiet 4.moment 5.feelings 6.wilderness
The wilderness of feelings ‘ehsaas ka sahra’ symbolizes the tumult of desires that the poet has been talking about in the previous ash’aar. ‘banbaas’ – exile to the forest symbolizes banishment from the comforts of life. ‘sard’ implies that the heat of passion/frenzy that accompanied the tumult of desires (thirst for knowledge) did not cool off. Thus, all my life, I was banished from the comforts of life. The frenzy of desires did not cool off, not even for a moment.
6
kya tamannaaeN1 haiN kya log jo aasuda2 haiN
Khwaab meN bhi hameN diidaar3-e tamanna1 na hua
1.desires 2.comfortable, satisfied, contented 3.sight, seeing
What kind of desires do they have, what kind of people are these that are contended. For me, I did not see my desires fulfilled, even in my dreams. Clearly, the poet is not talking about material desires but the constant tumult of search for knowledge. He sees others ‘satisfied’ because they are not ‘aware, sensitive, thirsty’ and marvels at them.
7
naa-rasaa’ii1 bhi hai sarmaaya2-e jaaN3 tishna4 lahu5
kyuN kareN ranj6 keh jo socha jo chaaha na hua
1.unreachability, unachievability 2.wealth, treasure 3.soul, mind 4.thirsty 5.blood 6.sorrow, grief
It appears that the poet may be addressing his ‘tishna lahu’ – unfulfilled desire. He says, unreachability (of goals/desires) is the treasure of the mind, O unfulfilled desire. Why should I grieve that that which I thought/wished, that which I wanted did not come to pass. There are many such beautiful ash’aar suggesting the pleasure of the search is better than achievement of the goal. Said jaikrishn chaudhry habiib …
vo bhi kya maze ki thi zindagi, jo safar safar meN guzar gaii
nahiN manziloN meN vo dil-kashi, mujhe phir safar ki talaash hai
8
ahd-e-haazir1 ke saraaboN2 se guzar3 kar DhoonDeN4
ek aisa bhi jahaaN5 jo abhi paida6 na hua
1.present times 2.mirages 3.pass beyond 4.search 5.world 6.born, created
Here ‘saraab-mirage’ symbolizes something that is not real – that is superficial. Going beyond the superficial images of the present times let us search for a (vision of) world that has not yet been created. Here ‘vision of a future world’ is implied and contrasted with the mirage of the present times. Said Ghalib …
huN garmi-e nishaat-e tasavvur se naGhma-sanj
maiN andaleeb-e gulshan-e naa-aafrida huN
9
dasht1-e imkaaN2 ke andheroN meN jalaa’e to charaaGh
na sahi maiN jo Kharaab3-e Gham-e uqba4 na hua
1.wilderness 2.possibilities 3.ruined, destroyed 4.hereafter
At least I have lit a lamp in the darkness of the wilderness of possibilities. It doesn’t matter that I have not been destroyed by the sorrow/pain/worry of the hereafter. The wildernss of possibilities is the vision of a future world that has yet been created or described. Hence, it is dark; and the poet has lit a lamp in it. The second misra implies that he is glad that he did not get caught up in the conventional ‘worry of the hereafter’. Said faiz ahmed faiz …
hai dasht ab bhi dasht magar Khun e paa se faiz
sairaab chand Khaar-e-muGhailaaN hue to haiN
10
jis peh chamka1 nahiN tere kaf2-e paa3 ka sooraj
aaj tak neend se bedaar4 vo jaada5 na hua
1.shone, shed light 2.fistful (of dust) 3.feet 4.awake 5.path
The key word here is ‘tere-your’ and the poet has left it completely undefined. It could be himself, it could be the interlocuter to whom he is speaking. The path on which the sun of the dust of your feet did not shed light never wakes up from sleep i.e., if you don’t venture out on a path, on an unknown path, exploring and making a way, then it will remain dark and asleep. Elsewhere he writes …
dekho pasti se to har ek bulandi hai raaz
jaada-e koh faqat zer-e qadam khulta hai
11
yahi lamha1 hai azal2 aur yahi lamha1 hai abad3
dosh4 o farda5 nahiN kuchh haal6 gar7 apna na hua
1.moment 2.beginning 3.end-eternity 4.present 5.future 6.present 7.if
This is the moment that is both the beginning and the end. If you don’t own the present, cease the moment, then there is no past and no future. In essence, he is saying, do something with the present; don’t dwell on past glory nor put store on eternal bliss in the future.
