For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
آسماں کی طرح ۔ آزردہؔ دہلوی کنہیا لال
۱
جو کھنچ رہے تھے مری بات پر کماں کی طرح
گلے ملے ہیں وہی آج مہرباں کی طرح
۲
وفا کی راہ میں سب کچھ لُٹا کے یوں خوش ہوں
سمجھ رہا ہوں ترا راز رازداں کی طرح
۳
یہ کس کی یاد دمِ صبح دفعتاً آئی
چلے ہیں اشک ستاروں کے کارواں کی طرح
۴
ہماری خاک کے ذرّے جو تم نے ٹھکرائے
چمک رہے ہیں فلک پر وہ کہکشاں کی طرح
۵
بہار آئے گی جس روز دل کے داغوں پر
کھلیں گے پھول امیدوں کے گلستاں کی طرح
۶
سنا رہا ہوں اُنہیں سرگزشتِ غم دل سے
وہ سُن رہے ہیں حقیقت کو داستاں کی طرح
۷
نہ دیکھ چشمِ حقارت سے دیکھنے والے
بلند ہے مری پستی بھی آسماں کی طرح
۸
دعائیں مانگ رہا ہوں یہ برقِ سوزاں سے
کسی کا گھر نہ جلے میرے آشیاں کی طرح
۹
مشاہدات نے ثابت کیا ہے آزردہؔ
زمیں بھی کروٹیں لیتی ہے آسماں کی طرح
आसमां की तरह – आज़ुर्दा देहलवी-कनहय्या लाल
१
जो खिंच रहे थे मेरी बात पर कमां की तरह
गले मिले हैं वही आज मेहरबां की तरह
२
वफ़ा कि राह में सब कुछ लुटा के यूं ख़ुश हूं
समझ रहा हुं तेरा राज़ राज़दां की तरह
३
ये किस की याद दम-ए सुबह दफ़’अतन आई
चले हैं अश्क सितारौं के कारवां की तरह
४
हमारी ख़ाक के ज़र्रे जो तुम ने ठुकराए
चमक रहे हैं फ़लक पर वो कहकशां की तरह
५
बहार आएगी जिस रोज़ दिल के दाग़ौं पर
खिलेंगे फूल उमीदौं के गुल्सितां की तरह
६
सुना रहा हुं उन्हें सरगुज़िश्त-ए ग़म दिल से
वो सुन रहे हैं हक़ीक़त को दास्तां की तरह
७
न देख चश्म-ए हिक़ारत से देखने वाले
बलंद है मेरी पस्ती भी आसमां कि तरह
८
दुआएं मांग रहा हुं ये बर्क़-ए सोज़ां से
किसी का घर न जले मेरे आशियां की तरह
९
मुशाहदात ने साबित किया है आज़ुर्दा
ज़मीं भि करवटें लेती है आसमां की तरह
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. aazurda dehlavi-kanhaiyya lal (~1915-xxxx). Due to family financial circumstances he could get formal education only through high school but it is reported that he was an expert is urdu, English and faarsi. His ustaad, haidar dehlavi, migrated to pakistan, but the two maintained a strong relationship. He worked as a clerk in the Press Information Bureau, in the government. He also served as joint secretary of ‘bazm-e adab’. A collection of his Ghazal was published in 1968. This Ghazal is linked to other ham-radeef Ghazal on the Refrain page.
1
jo khiNch1 rahe the meri baat par kamaaN2 ki tarah
galay mile hain vahi aaj mehrbaaN3 ki tarah 1.pulling back, avoiding 2.bow 3.kind, loving
The poet does not specifically state who it is that is pulling away. Is it friends, rivals or the beloved. We have to decide. Pulling away and becoming taut like a bow (as in bow and arrow) is an expression used to mean, pull away in disdain. Those who were pulling away from me in disdain, now embrace me with kindness. Why this sudden change, the poet leaves it to us to imagine. It could be that the beloved is showing him favours and his value has gone up among rivals. The beloved may have perceived that he is inclined to look for someone else and is showing him favours to keep him hanging around.
2
vafa1 ki raah2 meN sub kuchh luTa ke yuN Khush huN
samajh raha huN tera raaz3 raazdaaN4 ki tarah 1.fidelity, loyalty, faith 2.path 3.secret, mystery 4.confidant
This could be about the beloved. The poet/lover is committed to her and stays faithful. In the path of fidelity he has given up everything else and is exclusively devoted to the beloved. This way he understands her secret and does not reveal it to anyone else because the beloved does not want anyone else to know. Could this be about god. He has given up everything else in the path of faith. This is the way to understand the mystery of god. Furthermore, he wants to keep this a secret, let everyone else discover it on their own.
3
ye kis ki yaad dam1-e sub’h daf’atan2 aaii
chale haiN ashk3 sitaaroN ke kaarvaaN ki tarah 1.at the time of 2.suddenly 3.tears
The poet/lover suddenly remembers the beloved at dawn and tears start flowing like the caravan of stars dropping out of the sky in the light of the rising sun.
4
hamaari Khaak1 ke zarre2 jo tum ne Thukraa’e3
chamak4 rahe haiN falak5 par vo kahkashaaN6 ki tarah 1.dust 2.particles, grains 3.kick, reject 4.sparkling 5.sky 6.constellations
The poet is dead and turned into dust. The beloved has visited the gravesite and kicked away his dust. He is either paying tribute to the beloved … the grains of dust that have had the honour of being touched by your feet shine like stars in the sky; or he might be getting back at her … the grains of my dust are like the stars of the sky and you kick them away!
5
bahaar1 aa’egi jis roz2 dil ke daaGhoN3 par
khileNge4 phool umiidoN5 ke gulsitaaN6 ki tarah 1.spring, blossoms 2.day 3.scars 4.bloom 5.hopes 6.garden
The arrival of spring is usually thought of as the time when mad/passionate lovers’ hopes rise and they yearn for union with the beloved. Thus, the wounds of love that were like scars in his heart, become fresh again on the day when spring arrives. The start bleeding again and appear like red roses. These are the blooms of hope, like those in the garden.
6
suna raha huN unheN sarguzisht1-e Gham dil se
vo sun rahe haiN haqiiqat2 ko daastaaN3 ki tarah 1.auto-biography 2.truth 3.fable
The poet/lover is telling the beloved the sorrowful tale of his own love and she listens to it intently like a fairy tale i.e., she does not believe that he sincerely loves her and is undergoing such pain.
7
na dekh chashm1-e hiqaarat2 se dekhne vaale
baland3 hai meri pasti4 bhi aasmaaN ki tarah 1.eye 2.hatred, disdain 3.high, respected 4.inferiority, lowly condition
The poet/lover is like majnuN – torn collar, bleeding feet and distraught. People look at him with disdain, but he claims that his lowly condition is in fact highly respected in the world of love.
8
duaa’eN maaNg raha huN ye barq1-e sozaaN2 se
kisi ka ghar na jale mere aashiyaaN3 ki tarah 1.lightning 2.burning, fiery 3.nest
Poetic convention is that poet is a bird and builds a nest in the garden in the hopes of getting his mate, but lightning always strikes and burns his nest. He prays that this may not happen to anyone else (to their house).
9
mushaahedaat1 ne saabit2 kiya hai aazurda3
zamiiN bhi karvaTeN4 leti hai aasmaaN ki tarah 1.that which is seen or imagined/inferred 2.proved 3.pen-name of the poet 4.turn side to side, restless
O aazurda, observation/inference proves that the earth too is restless like the sky. The poet could be implying any number of things by restlessness … it could be dynamism, sorrow/difficulties or simply routine motion under divine rule. I am not really sure.
aazurda dehlavi-kanhaiyya lal (~1915-xxxx). Due to family financial circumstances he could get formal education only through high school but it is reported that he was an expert is urdu, English and faarsi. His ustaad, haidar dehlavi, migrated to pakistan, but the two maintained a strong relationship. He worked as a clerk in the Press Information Bureau, in the government. He also served as joint secretary of ‘bazm-e adab’. A collection of his Ghazal was published in 1968. This Ghazal is linked to other ham-radeef Ghazal on the Refrain page.
1
jo khiNch1 rahe the meri baat par kamaaN2 ki tarah
galay mile hain vahi aaj mehrbaaN3 ki tarah
1.pulling back, avoiding 2.bow 3.kind, loving
The poet does not specifically state who it is that is pulling away. Is it friends, rivals or the beloved. We have to decide. Pulling away and becoming taut like a bow (as in bow and arrow) is an expression used to mean, pull away in disdain. Those who were pulling away from me in disdain, now embrace me with kindness. Why this sudden change, the poet leaves it to us to imagine. It could be that the beloved is showing him favours and his value has gone up among rivals. The beloved may have perceived that he is inclined to look for someone else and is showing him favours to keep him hanging around.
2
vafa1 ki raah2 meN sub kuchh luTa ke yuN Khush huN
samajh raha huN tera raaz3 raazdaaN4 ki tarah
1.fidelity, loyalty, faith 2.path 3.secret, mystery 4.confidant
This could be about the beloved. The poet/lover is committed to her and stays faithful. In the path of fidelity he has given up everything else and is exclusively devoted to the beloved. This way he understands her secret and does not reveal it to anyone else because the beloved does not want anyone else to know. Could this be about god. He has given up everything else in the path of faith. This is the way to understand the mystery of god. Furthermore, he wants to keep this a secret, let everyone else discover it on their own.
3
ye kis ki yaad dam1-e sub’h daf’atan2 aaii
chale haiN ashk3 sitaaroN ke kaarvaaN ki tarah
1.at the time of 2.suddenly 3.tears
The poet/lover suddenly remembers the beloved at dawn and tears start flowing like the caravan of stars dropping out of the sky in the light of the rising sun.
4
hamaari Khaak1 ke zarre2 jo tum ne Thukraa’e3
chamak4 rahe haiN falak5 par vo kahkashaaN6 ki tarah
1.dust 2.particles, grains 3.kick, reject 4.sparkling 5.sky 6.constellations
The poet is dead and turned into dust. The beloved has visited the gravesite and kicked away his dust. He is either paying tribute to the beloved … the grains of dust that have had the honour of being touched by your feet shine like stars in the sky; or he might be getting back at her … the grains of my dust are like the stars of the sky and you kick them away!
5
bahaar1 aa’egi jis roz2 dil ke daaGhoN3 par
khileNge4 phool umiidoN5 ke gulsitaaN6 ki tarah
1.spring, blossoms 2.day 3.scars 4.bloom 5.hopes 6.garden
The arrival of spring is usually thought of as the time when mad/passionate lovers’ hopes rise and they yearn for union with the beloved. Thus, the wounds of love that were like scars in his heart, become fresh again on the day when spring arrives. The start bleeding again and appear like red roses. These are the blooms of hope, like those in the garden.
6
suna raha huN unheN sarguzisht1-e Gham dil se
vo sun rahe haiN haqiiqat2 ko daastaaN3 ki tarah
1.auto-biography 2.truth 3.fable
The poet/lover is telling the beloved the sorrowful tale of his own love and she listens to it intently like a fairy tale i.e., she does not believe that he sincerely loves her and is undergoing such pain.
7
na dekh chashm1-e hiqaarat2 se dekhne vaale
baland3 hai meri pasti4 bhi aasmaaN ki tarah
1.eye 2.hatred, disdain 3.high, respected 4.inferiority, lowly condition
The poet/lover is like majnuN – torn collar, bleeding feet and distraught. People look at him with disdain, but he claims that his lowly condition is in fact highly respected in the world of love.
8
duaa’eN maaNg raha huN ye barq1-e sozaaN2 se
kisi ka ghar na jale mere aashiyaaN3 ki tarah
1.lightning 2.burning, fiery 3.nest
Poetic convention is that poet is a bird and builds a nest in the garden in the hopes of getting his mate, but lightning always strikes and burns his nest. He prays that this may not happen to anyone else (to their house).
9
mushaahedaat1 ne saabit2 kiya hai aazurda3
zamiiN bhi karvaTeN4 leti hai aasmaaN ki tarah
1.that which is seen or imagined/inferred 2.proved 3.pen-name of the poet 4.turn side to side, restless
O aazurda, observation/inference proves that the earth too is restless like the sky. The poet could be implying any number of things by restlessness … it could be dynamism, sorrow/difficulties or simply routine motion under divine rule. I am not really sure.
