For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
روح کو بیدار کر دیا ۔ جوشؔ ملیح آبادی
۱
بے ہوشیوں نے اور خبردار کر دیا
سوئی جو عقل روح کو بیدار کر دیا
۲
اللہ رے حُسنِ دوست کی آئینہ داریاں
اہلِ نظر کو نقش بہ دیوار کر دیا
۳
یا رب یہ بھید کیا ہے کہ راحت کی فکر نے
اِنساں کو اور غم میں گرفتار کر دیا
۴
دل کچھ پنپ چلا تھا تغافل کی رسم سے
پھر تیرے التفات نے بیمار کر دیا
۵
کل اُن کے آگے شرحِ تمنّا کی آرزو
اتنی بڑھی کہ نطق کو بیکار کر دیا
۶
مجھ کو وہ بخشتے تھے دو عالم کی نعمتیں
میرے غرورِ عشق نے اِنکار کر دیا
۷
یہ دیکھ کر کہ اُن کو ہے رنگینیوں کا شوق
آنکھوں کو ہم نے دیدۂ خوںبار کر دیا
रूह को बेदार कर दिया – जोश मलीहाबादी
१
बे-होशियों ने और ख़बरदार कर दिया
सोई जो अक़्ल रूह को बेदार कर दिया
२
अल्लाह रे हुस्न-ए दोस्त की आईना दारियां
अहल-ए नज़र को नक़्श ब-दीवार कर दिया
३
या रब ये भेद क्या है के राहत की फ़िक्र ने
इंसां को और ग़म में गिरफ़्तार कर दिया
४
दिल कुछ पनप चला था तग़ाफ़ुल की रस्म से
फिर तेरे इल्तेफ़ात ने बीमार कर दिया
५
कल उनके आगे शरह-ए तमन्ना की आर्ज़ू
इतनी बढ़ी के नुत्क़ को बेकार कर दिया
६
मुझ को वो बख़्शते थे दो आलम की ने’मतें
मेरे ग़ुरूर-ए इश्क़ ने इन्कार कर दिया
७
ये देख कर के उनको है रंगीनियौं का शौक़
आंखों को हम ने दीदा-ए ख़ूंबार कर दिया
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. josh malihabadi (1898-1982) is called shaa’er-e inqelaab, poet of change/revolution. He is very secular and nationalistic in his writings and rebels against orthodoxy. His range of language and vocabulary is simply amazing. He has written extensively about the beauty of dawn. His collection of nazm/Ghazal and rubaaii can be accessed both under the poet’s name and from the Theme Index, ‘jalva-e sahr’.
1
be-hoshiyoN1 ne aur Khabardaar2 kar diya
so’ii jo aql3 rooh4 ko bedaar5 kar diya 1.intoxication, trance 2.aware, alert 3.mind, intellect 4.soul 5.awake
This is a classic debate between the primacy of intelligence/knowledge vs spirituality. I must confess that I belong firmly in the former group. josh straddles both, here. In other places, he is stridently on the side of aql. Here, be-hoshi implies a sufi trance, deep feeling, getting lost in the larger entity. This makes you even more alert/wise, says the poet. When reason goes to sleep/goes into the background, then the sould wakes up. It’s a reflection on how profound insights/feelings often come from unexpected experiences.
2
allah re husn1-e dost2 ki aaina-daariyaaN3
ahl-e-nazar4 ko naqsh-ba-diivaar5 kar diya 1.beauty 2.friend, god 3.holding up a mirror, reflecting, showing 4.people with discerning sight 5.lifeless images on the wall, stunned, perplexed
By god, the display of the beauty of the friend – this could be the beloved, but more likely the divine spirit. Those who have the ability to preceive it are left stunned, unable to describe it, perplexed.
3
allah re husn1-e dost2 ki aaina-daariyaaN3
ahl-e-nazar4 ko naqsh-ba-diivaar5 kar diya 1.beauty 2.friend, god 3.holding up a mirror, reflecting, showing 4.people with discerning sight 5.lifeless images on the wall, stunned, perplexed
By god, the display of the beauty of the friend – this could be the beloved, but more likely the divine spirit. Those who have the ability to preceive it are left stunned, unable to describe it, perplexed.
4
dil kuchh panap1 chala tha taGhaaful2 ki rasm3 se
phir tere iltefaat4 ne bimaaar5 kar diya 1.recovering, getting better 2.indifference 3.tradition 4.favours 5.afflicted
There is a long tradition in urdu poetry that the beloved neglects, ignores is indifferent to the lover. He was just getting used to this and recovering from it, when the beloved showed a little favour, and he was afflicted again-afflicted with the sorrow of separation.
5
kal unke aage1 shar’h2-e tamanna3 ki aarzu4
itni baRhi keh nutq5 ko bekaar6 kar diya 1.in the presence of 2.explanation, narration 3.desire, love 4.wish 5.power of speech 6.useless, ineffective
The poet/lover was in the presence of the beloved and the wish to express his love became so intense that it rendered him speechless.
6
mujh ko voh baKhshte1 the do-aalam2 ki ne’mateN3
mere Ghuroor4-e ishq ne inkaar5 kar diya 1.grant 2.two worlds, here and hereafter 3.blessings 4.pride, self-respect 5.refuse
They wanted to grant me blessings of both worlds but my self respect refused to accept them. This could easily be about the poet refusing to sell himself to the powerful.
7
yeh dekh kar keh unn ko hai raNgeeniyoN1 ka shauq2
aaNkhoN ko hum ne diida3-e KhooNbaar4 kar diya 1.colourfulness 2.taste, wish 3.eyes 4.blood raining, blood dripping
Realizing that they/she likes colour, I wept tears of blood. This could be about the beloved and the lover’s readiness to do anything to please her or it might be about the injustice of the system … the only way that things can be made colourful for ‘them’ is through the tears of blood of the oppressed and the deprived.
josh malihabadi (1898-1982) is called shaa’er-e inqelaab, poet of change/revolution. He is very secular and nationalistic in his writings and rebels against orthodoxy. His range of language and vocabulary is simply amazing. He has written extensively about the beauty of dawn. His collection of nazm/Ghazal and rubaaii can be accessed both under the poet’s name and from the Theme Index, ‘jalva-e sahr’.
1
be-hoshiyoN1 ne aur Khabardaar2 kar diya
so’ii jo aql3 rooh4 ko bedaar5 kar diya
1.intoxication, trance 2.aware, alert 3.mind, intellect 4.soul 5.awake
This is a classic debate between the primacy of intelligence/knowledge vs spirituality. I must confess that I belong firmly in the former group. josh straddles both, here. In other places, he is stridently on the side of aql. Here, be-hoshi implies a sufi trance, deep feeling, getting lost in the larger entity. This makes you even more alert/wise, says the poet. When reason goes to sleep/goes into the background, then the sould wakes up. It’s a reflection on how profound insights/feelings often come from unexpected experiences.
2
allah re husn1-e dost2 ki aaina-daariyaaN3
ahl-e-nazar4 ko naqsh-ba-diivaar5 kar diya
1.beauty 2.friend, god 3.holding up a mirror, reflecting, showing 4.people with discerning sight 5.lifeless images on the wall, stunned, perplexed
By god, the display of the beauty of the friend – this could be the beloved, but more likely the divine spirit. Those who have the ability to preceive it are left stunned, unable to describe it, perplexed.
3
ya rab1 ye bhed2 kya hai keh raahat3 ki fikr4 ne
insaaN ko aur Gham5 meN giraftaar6 kar diya
1.lord 2.secret, mystery 3.comfort 4.worry 5.sorrow 6.captive, bound
O lord, what is this mystery/anamoly that in the search of comfort, humans become captives of even more sorrow. This is a reflection on the irony that the more you chase comfort and happiness the more you get entangled in sorrow/disappointment. Here, ‘comfort and happiness’ pertain more to happiness through material possessions.
4
dil kuchh panap1 chala tha taGhaaful2 ki rasm3 se
phir tere iltefaat4 ne bimaaar5 kar diya
1.recovering, getting better 2.indifference 3.tradition 4.favours 5.afflicted
There is a long tradition in urdu poetry that the beloved neglects, ignores is indifferent to the lover. He was just getting used to this and recovering from it, when the beloved showed a little favour, and he was afflicted again-afflicted with the sorrow of separation.
5
kal unke aage1 shar’h2-e tamanna3 ki aarzu4
itni baRhi keh nutq5 ko bekaar6 kar diya
1.in the presence of 2.explanation, narration 3.desire, love 4.wish 5.power of speech 6.useless, ineffective
The poet/lover was in the presence of the beloved and the wish to express his love became so intense that it rendered him speechless.
6
mujh ko voh baKhshte1 the do-aalam2 ki ne’mateN3
mere Ghuroor4-e ishq ne inkaar5 kar diya
1.grant 2.two worlds, here and hereafter 3.blessings 4.pride, self-respect 5.refuse
They wanted to grant me blessings of both worlds but my self respect refused to accept them. This could easily be about the poet refusing to sell himself to the powerful.
7
yeh dekh kar keh unn ko hai raNgeeniyoN1 ka shauq2
aaNkhoN ko hum ne diida3-e KhooNbaar4 kar diya
1.colourfulness 2.taste, wish 3.eyes 4.blood raining, blood dripping
Realizing that they/she likes colour, I wept tears of blood. This could be about the beloved and the lover’s readiness to do anything to please her or it might be about the injustice of the system … the only way that things can be made colourful for ‘them’ is through the tears of blood of the oppressed and the deprived.
