do gaam bhi chalna kaaNToN par-jaaved fatehpuri-shiv prasaad vashishT

For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.

دو  گام  بھی  چلنا  کانٹوں  پر  ۔  شِو  پرشاد  وشِشٹ  جاویدؔ  فتح  پوری

۱

ساغر  ہی  کی  گردش  آنکھوں  میں،  ساقی  ہی  کی  صورت  پیشِ  نظر

مے  خانے  میں  اتنا  ہوش  کسے،  کب  شام  گئی  کب  آئی  سحر

۲

کلیوں  کو،  صبا  کو،  پھولوں  کو،  گلشن  کو،  ہنسا  کر  اُٹّھیں  گے

یہ  کر  کے  تہیّہ  بیٹھے  ہیں،  ہم  آبلہ  پا،  ہم  خاک  بسر

۳

یہ  کِس  نے  لبوں  کو  جنبش  دی،  یہ  کس  نے  تبسُّم  فرمایا

شرمائی  کلی  اِٹھلائی  صبا،  اِترائی  کِرن،  لہرائی  سحر

۴

وہ  کوئے  بتاں،  وہ  دیر  و  حرم،  کس  سمت  ہے  یہ  بھی  یاد  نہیں

ہر  گام  پہ  اُس  کی  منزل  ہے،  ہر  گام  ہے  اُس  کی  منزل  پر

۵

دل  توڑ  دیا  اچھا  ہی  کیا،  دل  ٹوٹ  کے  ہی  دل  بنتا  ہے

دل  توڑنے  والے  سوگ  نہ  کر،  بس  ایک  تبسُّم  ایک  نظر

۶

کچھ  شوقِ  طلب،  کچھ  ذوقِ  جُنُوں  کچھ  اُن  کا  اشارہ  مبہم  سا

جاویدؔ  سے  ورنہ  مشکل  تھا،  دو  گام  بھی  چلنا  کانٹوں  پر

दो गाम भी चलना कांटों – शिव प्रशाद वशिष्ठ जावेद फ़तह पूरी

साग़र ही की गर्दिश आंखों में, साक़ी ही की सूरत पेश-ए नज़र
मय-ख़ाने में इतना होश किसे, कब शाम गई कब आई सहर

कलियों को, सबा को, फूलों को, गुलशन को, हंसा कर उट्ठेंगे
ये कर के तहय्या बैठे हैं, हम आबला-पा, हम ख़ाक-ब-सर

ये किस ने लबों को जुम्बिश दी, ये किस ने तबस्सुम फ़रमाया
शर्माई कली, इठलाई सबा, इतराई किरन, लहराई सहर

वो कू-ए बतां, वो दैर ओ हरम, किस सम्त हैं ये भी याद नहीं
हर गाम पे उस की मंज़िल है, हर गाम है उस की मंज़िल पर

दिल तोड़ दिया अच्छा ही क्या, दिल टूट के ही दिल बनता है
दिल तोड़ने वाले सोग न कर, बस एक तबस्सुम एक नज़र

कुछ शौक़-ए तलब, कुछ ज़ौक़-ए जुनूं, कुछ उन का इशारा मुब्हम सा
जावेद से वर्ना मुश्किल था, दो गाम भी चलना कांटों पर

Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. jaaved fatehpuri, shiv prasad vashishT (1920-1994). Started out as lecturer in dehli college while still an MA student. PhD on mulla vaj’hi, working for a while in hyderabad. Studied under maulvi abdul haq for some time. Later shaagird of shamiim kirmaani. There are several collections of his historical and literary works as well as his nazm and Ghazal. Faculty, urdu department, zakir husain college.
1
saaGhar1 hi ki gardish2 aaNkhoN meN, saaqi hi ki suurat pesh-e-nazar3
mai-Khaane4 meN itnaa hosh5 kise, kab shaam ga’ii kab aa’ii sahar6   
1.cup, goblet (of wine) 2.circulation 3.before the eyes 4.tavern 5.sobriety 6.dawn
The poet/wine-lover and his friends are all in the tavern. A cup of wine is being circulated for each to take a sip. The saaqi carries this cup around. All eyes are on the circulation of the cup, all sight is fixed on the saaqi. This has been going on all night long. Who has the senses in the tavern to observe when the night departed and when dawn emerged.

2
kaliyoN ko, sabaa1 ko, phuuloN ko, gulshan ko, haNsaa kar uTTheN ge
yeh kar ke tahayya2 baiThe haiN, ham aablaa-paa3, ham Khaak-ba-sar4    
1.morning breeze 2.determination, resolve 3.blistered feet 4.dust on the head
The conventional description of the distraught lover is torn collar, blistered feet and dusty hair (due to wandering in the desert like majnuN). These distraught lovers are determined to bring joy to the garden. They have resolved that they will make the buds, breeze, flowers and the garden smile.

3
ye kis ne laboN1 ko jumbish2 di, ye kis ne tabassum3 farmaayaa4
sharmaa’i kali, iThlaa’i5 sabaa6, itraa’i7 kiran8, lahraa’i sahar9   
1.lips 2.movement 3.smile 4.to make, to offer 5.titillate 6.morning breeze 7.acting proud 8.ray of light 9.dawn
The beloved moves her lips, bestowing a smile. The buds are coy/shy, the breeze blows titillating the buds, the rays (of the sun) feel proud and dawn is ushered in with supple waves. The interesting point is that the imagery of dawn is … buds are asleep, they are coy; the morning breeze blows in tickles them and wakes them up, making them bloom. The early rays of sunlight proudly knock out dew drops, and the dawn comes in with a swaying gait. This is conflated with the dawning of a smile on the beloved’s lips.

4
voh kuu1-e butaaN2, vo dair3 o haram4, kis samt5 haiN ye bhi yaad nahiN
har gaam6 peh us ki manzil7 hai, har gaam6 hai us ki manzil7 par    
1.street 2.idols, beloved 3.temple 4.mosque 5.direction 6.step 7.destination
We don’t even remember the direction to the street of the beloved or to the temple or mosque. It appears that it doesn’t matter that he doesn’t remember the direction because every step that we take (in any direction) is the destination, every step is in the direction of the beloved’s destination. It leaves wide open the room to imagine who the beloved might be. This doesn’t have to be the object of romance.

5
dil toR diyaa achchaa hi kiya, dil TuuT ke hi dil bantaa hai
dil toRne vaale sog1 na kar, bas ek tabassum2, ek nazar3    
1.mourn 2.smile 3.glance
The beloved has broken the lover’s heart. He says that that is good, because it is the breaking of the heart that makes it a real heart i.e., a heart is not a heart until has experienced and nurtured the pain of love. Thus, do not be mournful about my broken heart, just a smile and glance will be enough for me. Perhaps the smile and the glance will cause even more pain by renewing unfulfilled desires.

6
kuchh shauq1-e talab2, kuchh zauq3-e junuuN4, kuchh un ka ishaara5 mub’ham6 sa
jaaved7 se varna8 mushkil tha, do gaam9 bhi chalnaa kaaNToN par   
1.wish, desire 2.demand (to be with the beloved) 3.taste 4.madness, passion 5.sign, gesture 6.vague 7.pen-name of the poet 8.otherwise 9.steps
Desire to be with the beloved, taste of passionate madness and a vaguely encouraging gesture from the beloved – the poet/lover has a combination of these things urging him on along the path of love – which is thorny and would otherwise have not been possible for him to undertake.

jaaved fatehpuri, shiv prasad vashishT (1920-1994).  Started out as lecturer in dehli college while still an MA student.  PhD on mulla vaj’hi, working for a while in hyderabad.  Studied under maulvi abdul haq for some time.  Later shaagird of shamiim kirmaani.  There are several collections of his historical and literary works as well as his nazm and Ghazal.  Faculty, urdu department, zakir husain college.
1
saaGhar1 hi ki gardish2 aaNkhoN meN, saaqi hi ki suurat pesh-e-nazar3
mai-Khaane4 meN itnaa hosh5 kise, kab shaam ga’ii kab aa’ii sahar6

1.cup, goblet (of wine) 2.circulation 3.before the eyes 4.tavern 5.sobriety 6.dawn

The poet/wine-lover and his friends are all in the tavern.  A cup of wine is being circulated for each to take a sip.  The saaqi carries this cup around.  All eyes are on the circulation of the cup, all sight is fixed on the saaqi.  This has been going on all night long.  Who has the senses in the tavern to observe when the night departed and when dawn emerged.
2
kaliyoN ko, sabaa1 ko, phuuloN ko, gulshan ko, haNsaa kar uTTheN ge
yeh kar ke tahayya2 baiThe haiN, ham aablaa-paa3, ham Khaak-ba-sar4

1.morning breeze 2.determination, resolve 3.blistered feet 4.dust on the head

The conventional description of the distraught lover is torn collar, blistered feet and dusty hair (due to wandering in the desert like majnuN).  These distraught lovers are determined to bring joy to the garden.  They have resolved that they will make the buds, breeze, flowers and the garden smile.
3
ye kis ne laboN1 ko jumbish2 di, ye kis ne tabassum3 farmaayaa4
sharmaa’i kali, iThlaa’i5 sabaa6, itraa’i7 kiran8, lahraa’i sahar9

1.lips 2.movement 3.smile 4.to make, to offer 5.titillate 6.morning breeze 7.acting proud 8.ray of light 9.dawn

The beloved moves her lips, bestowing a smile.  The buds are coy/shy, the breeze blows titillating the buds, the rays (of the sun) feel proud and dawn is ushered in with supple waves.  The interesting point is that the imagery of dawn is … buds are asleep, they are coy; the morning breeze blows in tickles them and wakes them up, making them bloom.  The early rays of sunlight proudly knock out dew drops, and the dawn comes in with a swaying gait.  This is conflated with the dawning of a smile on the beloved’s lips.
4
voh kuu1-e butaaN2, vo dair3 o haram4, kis samt5 haiN ye bhi yaad nahiN
har gaam6 peh us ki manzil7 hai, har gaam6 hai us ki manzil7 par

1.street 2.idols, beloved 3.temple 4.mosque 5.direction 6.step 7.destination

We don’t even remember the direction to the street of the beloved or to the temple or mosque.  It appears that it doesn’t matter that he doesn’t remember the direction because every step that we take (in any direction) is the destination, every step is in the direction of the beloved’s destination.  It leaves wide open the room to imagine who the beloved might be.  This doesn’t have to be the object of romance.
5
dil toR diyaa achchaa hi kiya, dil TuuT ke hi dil bantaa hai
dil toRne vaale sog1 na kar, bas ek tabassum2, ek nazar3

1.mourn 2.smile 3.glance

The beloved has broken the lover’s heart.  He says that that is good, because it is the breaking of the heart that makes it a real heart i.e., a heart is not a heart until has experienced and nurtured the pain of love.  Thus, do not be mournful about my broken heart, just a smile and glance will be enough for me.  Perhaps the smile and the glance will cause even more pain by renewing unfulfilled desires.
6
kuchh shauq1-e talab2, kuchh zauq3-e junuuN4, kuchh un ka ishaara5 mub’ham6 sa
jaaved7 se varna8 mushkil tha, do gaam9 bhi chalnaa kaaNToN par

1.wish, desire 2.demand (to be with the beloved) 3.taste 4.madness, passion 5.sign, gesture 6.vague 7.pen-name of the poet 8.otherwise 9.steps

Desire to be with the beloved, taste of passionate madness and a vaguely encouraging gesture from the beloved – the poet/lover has a combination of these things urging him on along the path of love – which is thorny and would otherwise have not been possible for him to undertake.