For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
دیوالی ۔ سیمابؔ اکبر آبادی
۱
کیا رنگ و نورِ ایوانِ ہستی، عشرت فروزِ ذہن و نظر ہے
ہر در پہ شمع، ہر سر میں مستی، گھر گھر چراغاں گھر گھر اُجالا
۲
لیکن بہ قیدِ ظاہر پرستی، تہذیبِ باطِن ممکن نہیں ہے
پیکر ہو تیرا کتنا ہی روشن، پہنچے گا کیوںکر دل تک اُجالا
۳
ہے انتظارِ نورِ حقیقت روشن ہو جس سے شام ابد تک
تسکینِ دل کا ساماں نہیں ہے، ظلمت ہمیشہ دم بھر اُجالا
۴
پیشِ تصوّر دنیا ہے ایسی، راتیں بھی جس کی مطلق سحر ہوں
یوں تو بہ فیضِ ذوقِ تماشہ، ہوتا رہا ہے اکثر اُجالا
۵
اے دستِ فطرت بہر بصیرت، دل میں جلا دے شمعِ محبت
یہ کیا ہے طِلسمِ انوار و ظلمت، اندر اندھیرا باہر اُجالا
दिवाली – सीमाब अक्बराबादी
१
क्या रंग ओ नूर-ए ऐवान-ए हस्ती, इश्रत-फ़रोज़-ए ज़हन ओ नज़र है
हर दर पे शम’अ, हर सर में मस्ती, घर घर चराग़ां, घर घर उजाला
२
लैकिन ब-क़ैद-ए ज़ाहिर परस्ती, तहज़ीब-ए बातिन मुम्किन नहीं है
पैकर हो तेरा कितना ही रौशन, पहुँचेगा क्यूंकर दिल तक उजाला
३
है इन्तेज़ार-ए नूर-ए हक़ीक़त, रौशन हो जिस से शाम-ए अबद तक
तस्कीन-ए दिल का सामाँ नहीं है, ज़ुल्मत हमेशा, दम भर उजाला
४
पेश-ए तसव्वुर दुनिया है ऐसी, रातें भी जिस की मुत्लक़ सहर हों
यूँ तो ब-फ़ैज़-ए ज़ौक़-ए तमाशा, होता रहा है अक्सर उजाला
५
अए दस्त-ए फ़ितरत बहर-ए बसीरत, दिल में जला दे शम’अ-ए मोहब्बत
ये क्या है तिलस्म-ए अनवार ओ ज़ुल्मत, अंदर अंधेरा, बाहर उजाला
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. syed aashiq husain seemab akbarabadi (1880-1951) was a scholar of farsi and arabi in addition to urdu. A progressive poet of secular outlook who wrote nazm of socialist themes as well odes to krishn and buddh. He also did a poetic urdu translation of the whole qur’aan. His secular credentials are impeccable. He along with his contemporary hasrat mohani, participated in the freedom struggle and composed a collection of devotional poems to krishn, which was published as a book called ‘krishn geet’. This is his celebration of divaali.
1
kya raNg-o-noor1-e aivaan2-e hasti3, ishrat-faroz4-e zahn-o-nazar5 hai
har dar6 pe sham’a7, har sar meN mastii8, ghar-ghar charaaGhaaN9 ghar-ghar ujaala10 1.colour and light 2.palace 3.existence, life 4.pleasure increasing 5.mind and sight 6.door 7.lamp 8.intoxication, pleasure 9.lighting 10.brilliance
The palace of life is drenched in colours and light increasing the pleasure of mind and sight. Lamps at every door, intoxicating pleasure in every heart. Every house lit up and shining.
2
laikin ba-qaid1-e zaahir-parastii2, tahziib3-e baatin4 mumkin5 nahiiN hai
paikar6 ho tera kitna hi raushan7, pahuNchega kyuNkar8 dil tak ujaala9 1.bound/imprisoned by 2.worship of exhibition 3.culture 5.possible 6.form, body 7.lighted 8.how 9.brilliance
The development and enlightenment of inner culture is not possible by valuing superficial display, bound by ritualistic traditions. The outside form is lit up, but how can brilliance reach the depths of the heart.
3
hai intezaar1-e noor2-e haqiiqat3, raushan4 ho jis se shaam5-e abad6 tak
taskiin7-e dil ka saamaaN8 nahiiN hai, zulmat9 hamesha10 dam-bhar11 ujaala 1.waiting 2.light 3.reality, truth, divine 4.lighted 5.evening, night 6.eternity, forever 7.consolation, satisfaction 8.means 9.darkness 10.always, often 11.momentary
Here, ‘shaam-e abad’ – the evening of eternity is the ‘end of time’. We wait for divine light which can light up all nights to end of time. Darkness most of the time, lighting for a few minutes, is not the means of satisfaction of the heart.
4
pesh1-e tasavvur2 duniya hai aisi, raateN bhi jis ki mutlaq3 sah’r4 hoN
yuuN to ba-faiz5-e zauq6-e tamaasha7, hota raha hai aksar8 ujaala 1.in front of, before 2.imagination 3.perfect, absolute 4.dawn 5.because of the benefit of 6.taste 7.display, exhibition 8.often
Before the eyes of my imagination is a world in which every night is a perfect/brilliant/cloudless dawn even though, due to the benefit of our taste for display/exhibition, we have often had (external and temporary) lighting.
5
aye dast1-e fitrat2 bah’r-e-basiirat3, dil meN jalaa de sham’-e-mohabbat4
yeh kya hai tilasm5-e anvaar-o-zulmat6, andar andhera baahir ujaala 1.hand of 2.nature, god 3.for the sake of foresight, vision, discernment 4.lamp of love 5.illusion 6.light and darkness
O hand of god, for the sake of foresight/vision, light the lamp of love in our hearts. What is this illusion of light and dark, darkness inside and lighting outside.
syed aashiq husain seemab akbarabadi (1880-1951) was a scholar of farsi and arabi in addition to urdu. A progressive poet of secular outlook who wrote nazm of socialist themes as well odes to krishn and buddh. He also did a poetic urdu translation of the whole qur’aan. His secular credentials are impeccable. He along with his contemporary hasrat mohani, participated in the freedom struggle and composed a collection of devotional poems to krishn, which was published as a book called ‘krishn geet’. This is his celebration of divaali.
1
kya raNg-o-noor1-e aivaan2-e hasti3, ishrat-faroz4-e zahn-o-nazar5 hai
har dar6 pe sham’a7, har sar meN mastii8, ghar-ghar charaaGhaaN9 ghar-ghar ujaala10
1.colour and light 2.palace 3.existence, life 4.pleasure increasing 5.mind and sight 6.door 7.lamp 8.intoxication, pleasure 9.lighting 10.brilliance
The palace of life is drenched in colours and light increasing the pleasure of mind and sight. Lamps at every door, intoxicating pleasure in every heart. Every house lit up and shining.
2
laikin ba-qaid1-e zaahir-parastii2, tahziib3-e baatin4 mumkin5 nahiiN hai
paikar6 ho tera kitna hi raushan7, pahuNchega kyuNkar8 dil tak ujaala9
1.bound/imprisoned by 2.worship of exhibition 3.culture 5.possible 6.form, body 7.lighted 8.how 9.brilliance
The development and enlightenment of inner culture is not possible by valuing superficial display, bound by ritualistic traditions. The outside form is lit up, but how can brilliance reach the depths of the heart.
3
hai intezaar1-e noor2-e haqiiqat3, raushan4 ho jis se shaam5-e abad6 tak
taskiin7-e dil ka saamaaN8 nahiiN hai, zulmat9 hamesha10 dam-bhar11 ujaala
1.waiting 2.light 3.reality, truth, divine 4.lighted 5.evening, night 6.eternity, forever 7.consolation, satisfaction 8.means 9.darkness 10.always, often 11.momentary
Here, ‘shaam-e abad’ – the evening of eternity is the ‘end of time’. We wait for divine light which can light up all nights to end of time. Darkness most of the time, lighting for a few minutes, is not the means of satisfaction of the heart.
4
pesh1-e tasavvur2 duniya hai aisi, raateN bhi jis ki mutlaq3 sah’r4 hoN
yuuN to ba-faiz5-e zauq6-e tamaasha7, hota raha hai aksar8 ujaala
1.in front of, before 2.imagination 3.perfect, absolute 4.dawn 5.because of the benefit of 6.taste 7.display, exhibition 8.often
Before the eyes of my imagination is a world in which every night is a perfect/brilliant/cloudless dawn even though, due to the benefit of our taste for display/exhibition, we have often had (external and temporary) lighting.
5
aye dast1-e fitrat2 bah’r-e-basiirat3, dil meN jalaa de sham’-e-mohabbat4
yeh kya hai tilasm5-e anvaar-o-zulmat6, andar andhera baahir ujaala
1.hand of 2.nature, god 3.for the sake of foresight, vision, discernment 4.lamp of love 5.illusion 6.light and darkness
O hand of god, for the sake of foresight/vision, light the lamp of love in our hearts. What is this illusion of light and dark, darkness inside and lighting outside.
