For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
اثر رفتہ رفتہ ۔ کنور مہندر سنگھ بیدی سحرؔ
۱
محبت کا ہوگا اثر رفتہ رفتہ
نظر سے ملے گی نظر رفتہ رفتہ
۲
شبِ غم کی طولانیوں سے نہ گھبرا
کہ اس کی بھی ہوگی سحر رفتہ رفتہ
۳
نظر ان کی ایسے ملی ہے کہ جیسے
ملائیں گے دل بھی مگر رفتہ رفتہ
۴
قفس سے رہائی تو مل جائے پہلے
نکل آئیں گے بال و پر رفتہ رفتہ
۵
مری بندگی کا کرشمہ تو دیکھو
جبیں بن گئی سنگِ در رفتہ رفتہ
۶
جہاں ہم کہیں نقشِ پا چھوڑ آئے
وہیں بن گئی رہ گزر رفتہ رفتہ
۷
مرے ساتھ جو دو قدم بھی چلا ہے
وہی بن گیا ہم سفر رفتہ رفتہ
۸
خدا جانے کیوں سر جھکانے لگے ہیں
مجھے دیکھ کر چارہ گر رفتہ رفتہ
۹
ابھی اس نے آنے کا وعدہ کیا ہے
چمکنے لگے بام و در رفتہ رفتہ
۱۰
شبِ غم کی روداد کیا پوچھتے ہو
سحرؔ کو ملی ہے سحر رفتہ رفتہ
असर रफ़्ता रफ़्ता – कुंवर मोहिंदर सिंघ बेदी सहर
१
मोहब्बत का होगा असर रफ़्ता रफ़्ता
नज़र से मिलेगी नज़र रफ़्ता रफ़्ता
२
शब-ए ग़म की तूलानियों से न घबरा
के इस की भी होगी सहर रफ़्ता रफ़्ता
३
नज़र उन की ऐसे मिली है के जैसे
मिलाएँगे दिल भी मगर रफ़्ता रफ़्ता
४
क़फ़स से रेहाई तो मिल जाए पहले
निकल आएँगे बाल-ओ-पर रफ़्ता रफ़्ता
५
मेरी बंदगी का करिश्मा तो देखो
जबीं बन गई संग-ए दर रफ़्ता रफ़्ता
६
जहाँ हम कहीं नक़्श-ए पा छोढ आए
वहीं बन गई रहगुज़र रफ़्ता रफ़्ता
७
मेरे साथ जो दो क़दम भी चला है
वही बन गया हम-सफ़र रफ़्ता रफ़्ता
८
ख़ुदा जाने क्यूँ सर झुकाने लगे हैं
मुझे देख कर चारागर रफ़्ता रफ़्ता
९
अभी उस ने आने का वा’दा किया है
चमकने लगे बाम-ओ-दर रफ़्ता रफ़्ता
१०
शब-ए ग़म की रूदाद क्या पूछते हो
सहर को मिली है सहर रफ़्ता रफ़्ता
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. kuNwar mohindar singh bedi sahr (1909-1992) had to migrate to the Indian side after partition. In his writings he has reached across religious lines and national boundaries, writing about peace and harmony and odes to islamic as well hindu figures. This Ghazal is linked to ‘aahista aahista’ on the Refrain page.
1
mohabbat ka hoga asar1 rafta rafta2
nazar3 se milegi nazar rafta rafta 1.effect 2.gradually, by and by 3.eyes
Love will bear fruit gradually. Our eyes will meet over time.
2
shab1-e Gham ki tuulaniyoN2 se na ghabra3
keh is ki bhi hogi sahar4 rafta rafta 1.night of 2.length 3.worried, distressed 4.dawn
Do not get distressed with the long night of sorrow. It too will have its dawn in time.
3
nazar1 un ki aise mili hai keh jaise
milaa’eNge dil bhi magar rafta rafta 1.glance
Her glance has fallen me in such a way that I think she will give me heart too, but gradually.
4
qafas1 se rehaaii2 to mil jaa’e pahle
nikal aa’eNge bal-o-par3 rafta rafta 1.cage 2.release 3.feathers and wings
The poet is often depicted as a bird. The bird in the cage has had its wings clipped and feathers pulled. Normally, ash’aar depict these as a hopeless condition – what is the use of being released from the cage, I don’t have wings and feathers to fly. But here the poet presents a different picture … let me get my release first, feathers and wings will grow back in time.
5
meri bandagi1 ka karishma2 to dekho
jabiiN3 ban gaii saNg-e-dar4 rafta rafta 1.devotion 2.miracle 3.forehead 4.stone threshold (of the beloved’s door)
The poet/lover has been a sincere devotee bowing his head at the threshold of the beloved. He has done this so much that a miracle has happened. His forehead itself is now the threshold of the door.
6
jahaaN1 ham kahiiN naqsh-e-paa2 chhoR aaye
vahiiN ban gaii rahguzar3 rafta rafta 1.where 2.footprints 3.path
Where we left our footprints, gradually became the path that others followed.
7
mere saath jo do qadam1 bhi chala hai
vahi ban gaya ham-safar2 rafta rafta 1.steps 2.fellow seeker/traveler
Whoever has taken a couple of steps with me, became a fellow seeker with time.
8
Khuda jaane kyuN sar jhukane lage haiN
mujhe dekh kar chaaragar1 rafta rafta 1.healers
God knows why healers keep looking down when they see me. The implication is that the poet/lover has an incurable disease and healers know that they cannot do anything for him. The look down in embarrassment or in pity.
9
abhi us ne aane ka vaa’da1 kiya hai
chamakne lage baam2-o-dar3 rafta rafta 1.promise 2.roof 3.door
‘baam-o-dar’ as an expression means houses, in this case, houses along the street to the poet/lover’s house. The beloved is notorious for for making promises to come and not keeping them. Also well established is the thought that poet/lover deceives himself every time into thinking that this time she will come. Thus, she has just promised to come and gradually the houses along my street have begun to glow.
10
shab1-e Gham ki ruudad2 kya poochhte ho
sahar3 ko mili hai sahar4 rafta rafta 1.night of 2.story 3.pen-name of the poet 4.dawn
This is a play on words with the pen-name and the word sahar/dawn. Thus, what can I say about the story of the night of separation. Sahar has managed to achieve its dawn over a long time .
kuNwar mohindar singh bedi sahr (1909-1992) had to migrate to the Indian side after partition. In his writings he has reached across religious lines and national boundaries, writing about peace and harmony and odes to islamic as well hindu figures. This Ghazal is linked to ‘aahista aahista’ on the Refrain page.
1
mohabbat ka hoga asar1 rafta rafta2
nazar3 se milegi nazar rafta rafta
1.effect 2.gradually, by and by 3.eyes
Love will bear fruit gradually. Our eyes will meet over time.
2
shab1-e Gham ki tuulaniyoN2 se na ghabra3
keh is ki bhi hogi sahar4 rafta rafta
1.night of 2.length 3.worried, distressed 4.dawn
Do not get distressed with the long night of sorrow. It too will have its dawn in time.
3
nazar1 un ki aise mili hai keh jaise
milaa’eNge dil bhi magar rafta rafta
1.glance
Her glance has fallen me in such a way that I think she will give me heart too, but gradually.
4
qafas1 se rehaaii2 to mil jaa’e pahle
nikal aa’eNge bal-o-par3 rafta rafta
1.cage 2.release 3.feathers and wings
The poet is often depicted as a bird. The bird in the cage has had its wings clipped and feathers pulled. Normally, ash’aar depict these as a hopeless condition – what is the use of being released from the cage, I don’t have wings and feathers to fly. But here the poet presents a different picture … let me get my release first, feathers and wings will grow back in time.
5
meri bandagi1 ka karishma2 to dekho
jabiiN3 ban gaii saNg-e-dar4 rafta rafta
1.devotion 2.miracle 3.forehead 4.stone threshold (of the beloved’s door)
The poet/lover has been a sincere devotee bowing his head at the threshold of the beloved. He has done this so much that a miracle has happened. His forehead itself is now the threshold of the door.
6
jahaaN1 ham kahiiN naqsh-e-paa2 chhoR aaye
vahiiN ban gaii rahguzar3 rafta rafta
1.where 2.footprints 3.path
Where we left our footprints, gradually became the path that others followed.
7
mere saath jo do qadam1 bhi chala hai
vahi ban gaya ham-safar2 rafta rafta
1.steps 2.fellow seeker/traveler
Whoever has taken a couple of steps with me, became a fellow seeker with time.
8
Khuda jaane kyuN sar jhukane lage haiN
mujhe dekh kar chaaragar1 rafta rafta
1.healers
God knows why healers keep looking down when they see me. The implication is that the poet/lover has an incurable disease and healers know that they cannot do anything for him. The look down in embarrassment or in pity.
9
abhi us ne aane ka vaa’da1 kiya hai
chamakne lage baam2-o-dar3 rafta rafta
1.promise 2.roof 3.door
‘baam-o-dar’ as an expression means houses, in this case, houses along the street to the poet/lover’s house. The beloved is notorious for for making promises to come and not keeping them. Also well established is the thought that poet/lover deceives himself every time into thinking that this time she will come. Thus, she has just promised to come and gradually the houses along my street have begun to glow.
10
shab1-e Gham ki ruudad2 kya poochhte ho
sahar3 ko mili hai sahar4 rafta rafta
1.night of 2.story 3.pen-name of the poet 4.dawn
This is a play on words with the pen-name and the word sahar/dawn. Thus, what can I say about the story of the night of separation. Sahar has managed to achieve its dawn over a long time .
