For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
munavvar sultaana
چراغِ شبستانِ آرزو ۔ داؤد خاں اخترؔ شیرانی
۱
میں آرزوئے جاں لکھوں یا جانِ آرزو
تو ہی بتا دے ناز سے ایمانِ آرزو
۲
آنسو نکل رہے ہیں تصوّر میں بن کے پھول
شاداب ہو رہا ہے گلستانِ آرزو
۳
ایمان و جاں نثار تری اک نگاہ پر
تُو جانِ آرزو ہے تُو ایمانِ آرزو
۴
ہونے کو ہے طلوع صباحِ شبِ وصال
بجھنے کو ہے چراغِ شبستانِ آرزو
۵
اک وہ کہ آرزؤں پہ جیتے ہیں عمر بھر
اک ہم کہ ہیں ابھی سے پشیمانِ آرزو
۶
آنکھوں سے جوئے خوں ہے رواں دل ہے داغ داغ
دیکھے کوئی بہارِ گلستانِ آرزو
۷
دل میں نشاطِ رفتہ کی دھندلی سی یاد ہے
یا شمعِ وصل ہے تہ دامانِ آرزو
۸
اخترؔ کو زندگی کا بھروسہ نہیں رہا
جب سے لٹا چکے سر و سامانِ آرزو
चराग़-ए शबिस्तान-ए आर्ज़ू – दाऊद ख़ां अख़्तर शीरानी
१
मैं आर्ज़ू-ए जाँ लिखूँ या जान-ए आर्ज़ू
तू ही बता दे नाज़ से ईमान-ए आर्ज़ू
२
आँसू निकल रहे हैं तसव्वुर में बन के फूल
शादाब हो रहा है गुलिस्तान-ए आर्ज़ू
३
ईमान ओ जाँ निसार तेरी एक निगाह पर
तू जान-ए आर्ज़ू है तू ईमान-ए आर्ज़ू
४
होने को है तुलू’-ए सबाह-ए शब-ए विसाल
बुझने को है चराग़-ए शबिस्तान-ए आर्ज़ू
५
एक वो के आर्ज़ुओं पे जीते हैं उम्र भर
एक हम के हैं अभी से पशेमान-ए आर्ज़ू
६
आँखों से जू-ए ख़ूँ है रवाँ दिल है दाग़ दाग़
देखे कोई बहार-ए गुलिस्तान-ए आर्ज़ू
७
दिल में नशात-ए रफ़्ता की धुँदली सी याद है
या शम-ए वस्ल है तह-ए दामान-ए आर्ज़ू
८
अख़्तर को ज़िंदगी का भरोसा नहीं रहा
जब से लुटा चुके सर-ओ-सामान-ए आर्ज़ू
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mohammed dawood KhaaN aKhtar shiiraani (1904-1948) ToNk, rajashthan. He received religious and classical education at home and was also given lessons in wrestling. In 1921, there was a rebellion against the local navaab. He was able to put down the rebellion but banished a lot of people, among them shiiraani’s family, who migrated to lahore. He started working as a journalist and publisher. His love interest and poetry caused a breakdown of relationship with his father, but his allowance continued. He died early due to heavy smoking and drinking. In his poetry he broke with the trend of progressive poets and stayed with romantic themes.
1
maiN aarzu-e-jaaN1 likhuN ya jaan-e-aarzu2
tu hi bata de naaz3 se iimaan-e-aarzu4 1.desire of my life 2.life of my desire 3.pride, style 4.belief/sanctity of desire
The poet says – the beloved is the desire of his life i.e., the main purpose of his life, without her, his life is meaningless. The beloved can also be the life of his desire i.e., his desire derives its strength . Thus, what should I call you, he asks. You tell me with all your pride/coquetry O faith of my desire i.e., the only faith the lover has is in love of the beloved.
2
aaNsu nikal rahe haiN tasavvur1 meN ban ke phuul
shaadaab2 ho raha hai gulistaan-e aarzu 1.imagination 2.verdant, blooming
In the lover’s imagination the world of his desire (love for the beloved) is a garden which he waters with his profuse tears which then appears as flowers and the garden blooms.
3
iimaan1 o jaaN2 nisaar3 teri ek nigaah4 par
tu jaan-e-aarzu5 hai tu iimaan-e-aarzu6 1.faith 2.life 3.devotional offering 4.glance 5.life of desire 6.faith of desire
The lover is ready of offer his faith and his life (this world and the next) in devotion to a single glance of the beloved. He says – you are the life and faith of my desire.
4
hone ko hai tuluu’1 sabaah2-e shab3-e visaal4
bujhne ko hai charaaGh-e shabistaan5-e aarzu 1.emerge, rise 2.morning, dawn 3.night 4.union 5.bedchamber
This was the night of union with the beloved. It has passed and dawn is about to emerge. The light of the bedchamber of desire is about to be extinguished. The implication is that this is not an actual physical union but his intense desire has transformed it into a night of union in his imagination, but even that is about to end.
5
ek voh keh aarzuoN1 pe jiite haiN umr-bhar2
ek ham keh haiN abhi se pashemaan3-e aarzu 1.desires 2.life-long 3.insulted, repentent
There is the rival who has lived all his life on the basis of his desire. And then there is the lover who is already insulted/abandoned by desire i.e., he has become hopeless … or perhaps he has been made so hopeless that he repents falling in love.
6
aaNkhoN se juu1-e KhuN hai ravaaN2 dil hai daaGh-daaGh3
dekhe koi bahaar4-e gulistaan5-e aarzu 1.river 2.flowing 3.wounded 4.spring, blooms 5.garden
It is conventional in poetic tradition to describe wounds as flowers, because of the red colour of blood from wounds and colour of flowers. The lover is crying tears of blood, so profusely that a river of blood flows from his eyes. On top of it, his heart/bosom as so many wounds that they appear like garden of flowers. He invites people to see his condition.
7
dil meN nashaat1-e rafta2 ki dhundli3 si yaad hai
ya sham’4-e vasl5 hai tah6-e daamaan7-e aarzu 1.pleasure, joy 2.past 3.dim, foggy 4.candle 5.union 6.beneath 7.hem of the garment
The forlorn lover is nostalgic about days gone by. He has a dim/vague memory of pleasure … or is it the candle of union (with the beloved) under the hem of the garment of desire? It is very likely that he has worked up that pleasure of union is his imagination. Thus, his intense desire has hidden under the hem of its garment a candle/light/hope of union. What appears to him to be a vague memory is actually the imagination of the intensity of his desire.
8
aKhtar1 ko zindagi ka bharosa2 nahiN raha
jab se luTa3 chuke sar-o-saamaan4-e aarzu 1.pen-name of the poet 2.trust 3.plundered 4.belongings/possessions, essence and means
The lover has been looted/plundered of the essence of his desire and of the means by which he could sustain his desire i.e., he has lost all hope that he will ever be able to achieve union with the beloved. As a result, he has lost all faith/trust in life.
mohammed dawood KhaaN aKhtar shiiraani (1904-1948) ToNk, rajashthan. He received religious and classical education at home and was also given lessons in wrestling. In 1921, there was a rebellion against the local navaab. He was able to put down the rebellion but banished a lot of people, among them shiiraani’s family, who migrated to lahore. He started working as a journalist and publisher. His love interest and poetry caused a breakdown of relationship with his father, but his allowance continued. He died early due to heavy smoking and drinking. In his poetry he broke with the trend of progressive poets and stayed with romantic themes.
1
maiN aarzu-e-jaaN1 likhuN ya jaan-e-aarzu2
tu hi bata de naaz3 se iimaan-e-aarzu4
1.desire of my life 2.life of my desire 3.pride, style 4.belief/sanctity of desire
The poet says – the beloved is the desire of his life i.e., the main purpose of his life, without her, his life is meaningless. The beloved can also be the life of his desire i.e., his desire derives its strength . Thus, what should I call you, he asks. You tell me with all your pride/coquetry O faith of my desire i.e., the only faith the lover has is in love of the beloved.
2
aaNsu nikal rahe haiN tasavvur1 meN ban ke phuul
shaadaab2 ho raha hai gulistaan-e aarzu
1.imagination 2.verdant, blooming
In the lover’s imagination the world of his desire (love for the beloved) is a garden which he waters with his profuse tears which then appears as flowers and the garden blooms.
3
iimaan1 o jaaN2 nisaar3 teri ek nigaah4 par
tu jaan-e-aarzu5 hai tu iimaan-e-aarzu6
1.faith 2.life 3.devotional offering 4.glance 5.life of desire 6.faith of desire
The lover is ready of offer his faith and his life (this world and the next) in devotion to a single glance of the beloved. He says – you are the life and faith of my desire.
4
hone ko hai tuluu’1 sabaah2-e shab3-e visaal4
bujhne ko hai charaaGh-e shabistaan5-e aarzu
1.emerge, rise 2.morning, dawn 3.night 4.union 5.bedchamber
This was the night of union with the beloved. It has passed and dawn is about to emerge. The light of the bedchamber of desire is about to be extinguished. The implication is that this is not an actual physical union but his intense desire has transformed it into a night of union in his imagination, but even that is about to end.
5
ek voh keh aarzuoN1 pe jiite haiN umr-bhar2
ek ham keh haiN abhi se pashemaan3-e aarzu
1.desires 2.life-long 3.insulted, repentent
There is the rival who has lived all his life on the basis of his desire. And then there is the lover who is already insulted/abandoned by desire i.e., he has become hopeless … or perhaps he has been made so hopeless that he repents falling in love.
6
aaNkhoN se juu1-e KhuN hai ravaaN2 dil hai daaGh-daaGh3
dekhe koi bahaar4-e gulistaan5-e aarzu
1.river 2.flowing 3.wounded 4.spring, blooms 5.garden
It is conventional in poetic tradition to describe wounds as flowers, because of the red colour of blood from wounds and colour of flowers. The lover is crying tears of blood, so profusely that a river of blood flows from his eyes. On top of it, his heart/bosom as so many wounds that they appear like garden of flowers. He invites people to see his condition.
7
dil meN nashaat1-e rafta2 ki dhundli3 si yaad hai
ya sham’4-e vasl5 hai tah6-e daamaan7-e aarzu
1.pleasure, joy 2.past 3.dim, foggy 4.candle 5.union 6.beneath 7.hem of the garment
The forlorn lover is nostalgic about days gone by. He has a dim/vague memory of pleasure … or is it the candle of union (with the beloved) under the hem of the garment of desire? It is very likely that he has worked up that pleasure of union is his imagination. Thus, his intense desire has hidden under the hem of its garment a candle/light/hope of union. What appears to him to be a vague memory is actually the imagination of the intensity of his desire.
8
aKhtar1 ko zindagi ka bharosa2 nahiN raha
jab se luTa3 chuke sar-o-saamaan4-e aarzu
1.pen-name of the poet 2.trust 3.plundered 4.belongings/possessions, essence and means
The lover has been looted/plundered of the essence of his desire and of the means by which he could sustain his desire i.e., he has lost all hope that he will ever be able to achieve union with the beloved. As a result, he has lost all faith/trust in life.
