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Recitation
زبانِ بے زبانی ہے ۔ شاہدؔ صدیقی
۱
نہ میرا شوق فانی ہے نہ اُن کا ناز فانی ہے
محبت اک حیاتِ نو ہے لیکن جاودانی ہے
۲
پھر اُن کے سامنے یوں حالِ دل کی ترجمانی ہے
بیانِ بے اثر ہے اور زبانِ بے زبانی ہے
۳
محبت میں خیالِ شکوۂ غم بدگمانی ہے
ٹہر اے دل یقیناً یہ بھی اُن کی مہربانی ہے
۴
جو یہ سچ ہے تو شاید پھر محبت جاودانی ہے
مری نظریں بھی فانی ہے ترا جلوہ بھی فانی ہے
۵
کسی کو یاد کرنا زندگی کا عہدِ طفلی تھا
کسی کی یاد میں مرنا محبّت کی جوانی ہے
۶
مذاقِ اہلِ دل دنیا نہ سمجھی ہے نہ سمجھے گی
جو غم اُن سے ملے وہ غم نہیں ہے شادمانی ہے
۷
وہ لینا چاہتے ہیں اِمتحاں میری محبت کا
کوئی کہہ دے کہ خود میری محبت اِمتحانی ہے
۸
غمِ دل تھا مجھے وہ بھی تمہاری مہربانی تھی
نہ دل ہے اب نہ غم، یہ بھی تمہاری مہربانی ہے
۹
محبّت ہی نہیں تم کو وفا کیسی جفا کیسی
کہیں سے اِبتدا کردو کہانی پھر کہانی ہے
۱۰
گماں ہوتا ہے شامِ زندگی کا شامِ فرقت پر
خدا رکھے مری یہ شام بھی کتنی سہانی ہے
۱۱
کہاں وہ سحبتیں اب جن میں روحیں مسکراتی تھیں
ہماری شعر خوانی کیا ہے شاہدؔ نوحہ خوانی ہے
ज़बान-ए बे-ज़बानी है – शाहेद सिद्दीक़ी
१
न मेरा शौक़ फ़ानी है न उन का नाज़ फ़ानी है
मुहब्बत एक हयात-ए नौ है लेकिन जावेदानी है
२
फिर उनके सामने यूँ हाल-ए दिल की तर्जुमानी है
बयान-ए बे-असर है और ज़बान-ए बे-ज़बानी है
३
मुहब्बत में ख़याल-ए शिकवा-ए ग़म बदगुमानी है
ठहर ए दिल यक़ीनन ये भी उनकी मेहरबानी है
४
जो ये सच है तो फिर शायद मुहब्बत जावेदानी है
मेरी नज़रें भी फ़ानी हैं तेरा जलवा भी फ़ानी है
५
किसी को याद करना ज़िन्दगी का अहद-ए तिफ़्लि था
किसी की याद में मरना मुहब्बत की जवानी है
६
मज़ाक़-ए अहल-ए दिल दुनिया न समझी है न समझेगी
जो ग़म उनसे मिले वो ग़म नहीं है शादमानी है
७
वो लेना चाहते है इम्तेहां मेरी मुहब्बत का
कोई कह दे के ख़ुद मेरी मुहब्बत इम्तेहानी है
८
ग़म-ए दिल था मुझे वो भी तुम्हारी मेहरबानी थी
न दिल है अब न ग़म ये भी तुम्हारी मेहरबानी है
९
मोहब्बत ही नहीं तुम को वफ़ा कैसी जफ़ा कैसी
कहीं से इब्तेदा कर दा कहानी फिर कहानी है
१०
गुमां होता है शाम-ए ज़िन्दगी का शाम-ए फ़ुर्क़त पर
ख़ुदा रक्खे मेरी ये शाम भी कितनी सुहानी है
११
कहाँ वो सोहबतें अब जिन में रूहें मुस्कुराती थीं
हमारी शेर ख़्वानी क्या है शाहेद नौहा-ख़्वानी है
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. abdul matiin shahid siddiqui (1911-1962) hyderabad, India. Born in aagra but migrated to hyderabad in early childhood. Member of the Progressive Writers’ Association, socialist/communist, columnist, magazine editor and poet. He died very young, of complications due to heavy drinking. I recall only one misra that someone had composed as his obituary … apne kiye pe maut pashemaaN hai aajkal. This is a highly sufiyaana Ghazal and is linked to ‘hyderabad shu’ara’ icon on the Theme page.
1
na mera shauq1 hai faani2, na un ka naaz3 faani hai
mohabbat ek hayaat-e-nau4 hai laikin jaavedaani5 hai 1.desire, love 2.mortal, finite 3.style, coquetry 4.new life, rejuvenation 5.eternal, immortal
“fana-mortal, material”, “baqa-immortal, spiritual” are concepts often used in sufi philosophy to imply merger with the divine beloved to obtain ‘baqaa’-immortality. Here the poet/lover claims that his desire/love is immortal as is the beloved’s style/coquetry. Love also is rejuevenated and lives forever.
2
phir unke saamne yuN haal-e dil ki tarjumaani1 hai
bayaan2-e be-asar3 hai, aur zabaan-e be-zabaani ha 1.interpret, explain 2.relating, story-telling 3.ineffective
Before the beloved the poet/lover again relates/explains the condition of his heart. But his narration is ineffective. He has a tongue, but it is as if he has been “tongue-less”. She completely ignores him, or he is speechless before her.
3
mohabbat meN Khayaal1-e shikva2-e Gham3 badgumaani4 hai
Thahr aye dil yaqeenan5 ye bhi unki mehrbaani6 ha 1.thought of 2.complaint about 3.sorrow, pain 4.ill-omen 5.certainly 6.kindness, gift
In urdu poetic conventions of true love, even thinking of complaining about pain/sorrow is not good, for pain/sorrow of love is but a gift of the beloved and should be treasured.
4
jo ye such hai to phir shaayed1 mohabbat jaavedaani2 hai
meri nazreN bhi faani3 haiN tera jalwa4 bhi faani hai 1.perhaps 2.eternal 3.mortal 4.face, beauty
If this (pevious asha’ar) be true then perhaps only love is eternal. My looking at you and your beauty are both temporary/mortal. The poet/lover seems to have changed his mind from the opening she’r to this one.
5
kisi ko yaad karna zindagi ka ahd-e-tifli1 thaa
kisi ki yaad meN marna mohabbat ki javaani hai 1.period/phase of childhood/immaturity
Thus remembering/longing for the beloved is but a phase of immaturity in life. Giving up life for Love is (eternal) youth (giving up one’s identity and merging with the divine beloved is immortality).
6
mazaaq1-e ahl-e-dil2 duniya na samjhi hai na samjhegi
jo Gham un se mile vo Gham nahiN hai shaadmaani3 hai 1.taste, desire, nature 2.people of love 3.joyful celebration
The world has not understood, will never be able to understand the nature of the “people of love” (sufis). The sorrow/pain granted by the beloved is not pain it is a joyful celebration.
7
vo lena chaahte haiN imtehaaN meri mohabbat ka
koii kah de keh Khud1 meri mohabbat imtehaani hai 1.itself
The beloved wants to test the poet/lover. Would someone please tell her that his love itself is a test (of his sincerity/genuine-ness) i.e., by loving, he has already passed the test.
8
Gham-e dil tha mujhe vo bhi tumhaari mehrbaani1 thi
na dil hai ab na Gham, ye bhi tumhaari mehrbaani hai 1.kindness, gift
In the early stage of love the poet/lover felt longing/pain. Now he is past that stage and into the stage of be-Khudi (losing one’s identity and identifying with the beloved). Both of these stages are gifts from the beloved, to be treasured.
9
mohabbat hi nahiN tum ko vafa1 kaisi jafa2 kaisi
kahiiN se ibteda3 kar do kahaani phir kahaani hai 1.faith, fidelity 2.cruelty 3.beginning
You have no love, so there is no question of fidelity or of cruelty (both these are gifts of the beloved but she is oblivious of such feelings). Start the story from anywhere, after all it is only a fable/fictional.
10
gumaaN1 hota hai shaam-e zindagi ka shaam-e furqat2 par
Khuda rakkhe meri ye shaam bhi kitni sohaani3 hai 1.perception 2.separation 3.pleasant
Since longing/pain is a gift and is to be valued the poet/lover finds the evening (waning days) of his life to be pleasant, perceiving it to be just like “shaam-e furqat”.
11
kahaaN vo sohbateN1 ab, jin meN rooheN2 muskuraati haiN
hamaari she’r Khwaani3 kya hai shahid, nauha Khwaani4 hai 1.company, companions 2.spirit 3.reciting poetry 4.lamentation
There was a time when the poet was surrounded by loving/admiring friends and the spirit/soul was happy. Where have those days gone (or where have those companions gone) that my recitation is more like lamentation.
abdul matiin shahid siddiqui (1911-1962) hyderabad, India. Born in aagra but migrated to hyderabad in early childhood. Member of the Progressive Writers’ Association, socialist/communist, columnist, magazine editor and poet. He died very young, of complications due to heavy drinking. I recall only one misra that someone had composed as his obituary … apne kiye pe maut pashemaaN hai aajkal. This is a highly sufiyaana Ghazal and is linked to ‘hyderabad shu’ara’ icon on the Theme page.
1
na mera shauq1 hai faani2, na un ka naaz3 faani hai
mohabbat ek hayaat-e-nau4 hai laikin jaavedaani5 hai
1.desire, love 2.mortal, finite 3.style, coquetry 4.new life, rejuvenation 5.eternal, immortal
“fana-mortal, material”, “baqa-immortal, spiritual” are concepts often used in sufi philosophy to imply merger with the divine beloved to obtain ‘baqaa’-immortality. Here the poet/lover claims that his desire/love is immortal as is the beloved’s style/coquetry. Love also is rejuevenated and lives forever.
2
phir unke saamne yuN haal-e dil ki tarjumaani1 hai
bayaan2-e be-asar3 hai, aur zabaan-e be-zabaani hai
1.interpret, explain 2.relating, story-telling 3.ineffective
Before the beloved the poet/lover again relates/explains the condition of his heart. But his narration is ineffective. He has a tongue, but it is as if he has been “tongue-less”. She completely ignores him, or he is speechless before her.
3
mohabbat meN Khayaal1-e shikva2-e Gham3 badgumaani4 hai
Thahr aye dil yaqeenan5 ye bhi unki mehrbaani6 hai
1.thought of 2.complaint about 3.sorrow, pain 4.ill-omen 5.certainly 6.kindness, gift
In urdu poetic conventions of true love, even thinking of complaining about pain/sorrow is not good, for pain/sorrow of love is but a gift of the beloved and should be treasured.
4
jo ye such hai to phir shaayed1 mohabbat jaavedaani2 hai
meri nazreN bhi faani3 haiN tera jalwa4 bhi faani hai
1.perhaps 2.eternal 3.mortal 4.face, beauty
If this (pevious asha’ar) be true then perhaps only love is eternal. My looking at you and your beauty are both temporary/mortal. The poet/lover seems to have changed his mind from the opening she’r to this one.
5
kisi ko yaad karna zindagi ka ahd-e-tifli1 thaa
kisi ki yaad meN marna mohabbat ki javaani hai
1.period/phase of childhood/immaturity
Thus remembering/longing for the beloved is but a phase of immaturity in life. Giving up life for Love is (eternal) youth (giving up one’s identity and merging with the divine beloved is immortality).
6
mazaaq1-e ahl-e-dil2 duniya na samjhi hai na samjhegi
jo Gham un se mile vo Gham nahiN hai shaadmaani3 hai
1.taste, desire, nature 2.people of love 3.joyful celebration
The world has not understood, will never be able to understand the nature of the “people of love” (sufis). The sorrow/pain granted by the beloved is not pain it is a joyful celebration.
7
vo lena chaahte haiN imtehaaN meri mohabbat ka
koii kah de keh Khud1 meri mohabbat imtehaani hai
1.itself
The beloved wants to test the poet/lover. Would someone please tell her that his love itself is a test (of his sincerity/genuine-ness) i.e., by loving, he has already passed the test.
8
Gham-e dil tha mujhe vo bhi tumhaari mehrbaani1 thi
na dil hai ab na Gham, ye bhi tumhaari mehrbaani hai
1.kindness, gift
In the early stage of love the poet/lover felt longing/pain. Now he is past that stage and into the stage of be-Khudi (losing one’s identity and identifying with the beloved). Both of these stages are gifts from the beloved, to be treasured.
9
mohabbat hi nahiN tum ko vafa1 kaisi jafa2 kaisi
kahiiN se ibteda3 kar do kahaani phir kahaani hai
1.faith, fidelity 2.cruelty 3.beginning
You have no love, so there is no question of fidelity or of cruelty (both these are gifts of the beloved but she is oblivious of such feelings). Start the story from anywhere, after all it is only a fable/fictional.
10
gumaaN1 hota hai shaam-e zindagi ka shaam-e furqat2 par
Khuda rakkhe meri ye shaam bhi kitni sohaani3 hai
1.perception 2.separation 3.pleasant
Since longing/pain is a gift and is to be valued the poet/lover finds the evening (waning days) of his life to be pleasant, perceiving it to be just like “shaam-e furqat”.
11
kahaaN vo sohbateN1 ab, jin meN rooheN2 muskuraati haiN
hamaari she’r Khwaani3 kya hai shahid, nauha Khwaani4 hai
1.company, companions 2.spirit 3.reciting poetry 4.lamentation
There was a time when the poet was surrounded by loving/admiring friends and the spirit/soul was happy. Where have those days gone (or where have those companions gone) that my recitation is more like lamentation.
