For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
بے خانماں کوئی نہ ہو ۔ رگھونندن سنگھ ساحرؔ دہلوی
۱
عشق میں میری طرح محوِ فغاں کوئی نہ ہو
جان و دل سے مائلِ حسنِ بُتاں کوئی نہ ہو
۲
بے کسی آٹھوں پہر روتی ہے میرے حال پر
زندگی میں یوں کسی کا نوحہ خواں کوئی نہ ہو
۳
جو گزرتی ہے مرے دل پر مجھی کو ہے خبر
رازِ غم کس سے کہوں جب رازداں کوئی نہ ہو
۴
مائلِ بیداد ہو تم اور میں خاموش ہوں
سنگ دل تم سا تو مجھ سا بے زباں کوئی نہ ہو
۵
سانس بھی لینا فراقِ یار میں دشوار ہے
یہ دعا کرتا ہوں مجھ سا ناتواں کوئی نہ ہو
۶
حال پر اُس طائرِ بے بال و پر کے روئیے
جُز قفس جس کا جہاں میں آشیاں کوئی نہ ہو
۷
مال و زر ساحرؔ لٹا کر پھر رہا ہے در بدر
عشق میں اُس کی طرح بے خانماں کوئی نہ ہو
बे-ख़ानुमां कोई न हो – रघुनंदन सिंह साहिर देहलवी
१
इश्क़ में मेरी तरह महव-ए फ़ुग़ां कोई न हो
जान-ओ-दिल से मा’एल-ए हुस्न-ए बुतां कोई न हो
२
बे-कसी आठों पहर रोती है मेरे हाल पर
ज़िंदगी में यूँ किसी का नौहा-ख़्वां कोई न हो
३
जो गुज़रती है मेरे दिल पर, मुझी को है ख़बर
राज़-ए ग़म किस से कहूँ, जब राज़्दां कोई न हो
४
मा’एल-ए बेदाद हो तुम और मैं ख़ामोश हूँ
संगदिल तुम सा तो मुझ सा बे-ज़बां कोई न हो
५
सांस भी लेना फ़िराक़-ए यार में दुश्वार है
मैं दुआ करता हुं मुझ सा नातवां कोई न हो
६
हाल पर उस ता’एर-ए बे-बाल-ओ-पर के रोइये
जुज़ क़फ़स जिसका जहाँ में आशियां कोई न हो
७
माल-ओ-ज़र साहेर लुटा कर फिर रहा है दर-ब-दर
इश्क़ में उसकी तरह बे-ख़ानुमां कोई न हो
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. kaviraaj raghunandan siNgh saahir dehlavi (1916-xxxx). Both parents were poets but father died when saahir was only 6. High school in dehli and college in lahore with grandfather who was professor of sanskrit. Graduated with ‘hindi bhushan’. Degrees in ayurved and homeopathy. Practiced in dehli (1936). shaa’eri in urdu and some in hindi with ‘nirmal’ as taKhallus. Themes mostly religious and patriotic. Strong position in arya samaaj. Several controversial, hindutva leaning poems, all in urdu.
1
ishq meN meri tarah1 mahv2-e fuGhaaN3 koii na ho
jaaN-o-dil se maa’el4-e husn5-e butaaN6 koii na ho 1.like, similar to 2.engrossed in, lost in 3.wailing 4.inclined towards 5.beauty 6.idols
In love, may no one be lost in wailing like me; may no one give their heart and soul entirely to the beauty of idols. The poet expresses the intensity of the pain of unrequited love. ‘mahv-e fuGhaaN’ (lost in wailing) conveys the depth of suffering the poet endures, because he was captivated by ‘husn-e butaaN’, the beauty of idols. He does not wish this for anyone else.
2
be-kasi1 aaThoN pahar2 roti hai mere’ haal3 par
zindagi meN yuN kisi ka nauha-KhwaaN4 koii na ho 1.helplessness 2.eight 3-hour periods of the day 3.condition 4.mourner, elegy singer
Helplessness weeps over me day and night; may no one’s life have a mourner lamenting like this. Perpetual mourning (aaThoN pahar ronaa) reflects a life overwhelmed by grief and loneliness. The poet wishes that no one else experiences such sorrow.
3
jo guzarti1 hai mere’ dil par mujhii ko hai Khabar2
raaz3-e Gham kis se kahuuN jab raazdaaN4 koii na ho 1.happens to 2.awareness, knowledge 3.secret, reason, cause 4.confidant
That which my heart goes through/endures is known only to me; whom can i tell the secret reason of my sorrow when there is no friend/confidant to share it with?
4
maa’el1-e bedaad2 ho tum aur maiN Khaamosh3 huN
saNgdil4 tum saa5, toh mujh saa be-zabaaN6 koii na ho 1.inclined towards 2.cruelty 3.silent 4.hard hearted 5.short for jaisa-like 6.voiceless
You are inclined to cruelty, and I remain silent; may there be no one as heartless as you, nor as voiceless as me.
5
saaNs bhi lena firaaq1-e yaar2 meN dushvaar3 hai
maiN duaa kartaa huN mujh saa naatavaaN4 koii na ho 1.separation 2.beloved 3.difficult 4.weak
It is difficult even to breath in separation from the beloved; I pray, that no one become as weak as I have become in the pain of separation.
6
haal1 par us taa’er2-e be-baal-o-par3 ke roiye
juz4 qafas5 jiska jahaaN6 meN aashiyaaN7 koii na ho 1.condition 2.bird 3.featherless and wingless 4.except for 5.cage 6.world 7.nest, home
Pity the state of that bird without wings and feathers; whose only home in the world is a cage. A caged bird is a metaphor for confinement and vulnerability and thrown on top of it is winglessness i.e., the bird will not be able to fly even if it gets out of the cage. In urdu poetic tradition, often, ‘bird’ is symbolic of the poet.
7
maal-o-zar1 saahir2 luTa3 kar phir rahaa hai dar-ba-dar4
ishq meN uski tarah5 be-KhaanumaaN6 koii na ho 1.possessions and wealth 2.pen-name 3.squander, give away 4.door to door 5.like, in the example of 6.homeless
Saahir, after squandering his wealth and possessions, wanders door to door; may no one become homeless like him in love.
kaviraaj raghunandan siNgh saahir dehlavi (1916-xxxx). Both parents were poets but father died when saahir was only 6. High school in dehli and college in lahore with grandfather who was professor of sanskrit. Graduated with ‘hindi bhushan’. Degrees in ayurved and homeopathy. Practiced in dehli (1936). shaa’eri in urdu and some in hindi with ‘nirmal’ as taKhallus. Themes mostly religious and patriotic. Strong position in arya samaaj. Several controversial, hindutva leaning poems, all in urdu.
1
ishq meN meri tarah1 mahv2-e fuGhaaN3 koii na ho
jaaN-o-dil se maa’el4-e husn5-e butaaN6 koii na ho
1.like, similar to 2.engrossed in, lost in 3.wailing 4.inclined towards 5.beauty 6.idols
In love, may no one be lost in wailing like me; may no one give their heart and soul entirely to the beauty of idols. The poet expresses the intensity of the pain of unrequited love. ‘mahv-e fuGhaaN’ (lost in wailing) conveys the depth of suffering the poet endures, because he was captivated by ‘husn-e butaaN’, the beauty of idols. He does not wish this for anyone else.
2
be-kasi1 aaThoN pahar2 roti hai mere’ haal3 par
zindagi meN yuN kisi ka nauha-KhwaaN4 koii na ho
1.helplessness 2.eight 3-hour periods of the day 3.condition 4.mourner, elegy singer
Helplessness weeps over me day and night; may no one’s life have a mourner lamenting like this. Perpetual mourning (aaThoN pahar ronaa) reflects a life overwhelmed by grief and loneliness. The poet wishes that no one else experiences such sorrow.
3
jo guzarti1 hai mere’ dil par mujhii ko hai Khabar2
raaz3-e Gham kis se kahuuN jab raazdaaN4 koii na ho
1.happens to 2.awareness, knowledge 3.secret, reason, cause 4.confidant
That which my heart goes through/endures is known only to me; whom can i tell the secret reason of my sorrow when there is no friend/confidant to share it with?
4
maa’el1-e bedaad2 ho tum aur maiN Khaamosh3 huN
saNgdil4 tum saa5, toh mujh saa be-zabaaN6 koii na ho
1.inclined towards 2.cruelty 3.silent 4.hard hearted 5.short for jaisa-like 6.voiceless
You are inclined to cruelty, and I remain silent; may there be no one as heartless as you, nor as voiceless as me.
5
saaNs bhi lena firaaq1-e yaar2 meN dushvaar3 hai
maiN duaa kartaa huN mujh saa naatavaaN4 koii na ho
1.separation 2.beloved 3.difficult 4.weak
It is difficult even to breath in separation from the beloved; I pray, that no one become as weak as I have become in the pain of separation.
6
haal1 par us taa’er2-e be-baal-o-par3 ke roiye
juz4 qafas5 jiska jahaaN6 meN aashiyaaN7 koii na ho
1.condition 2.bird 3.featherless and wingless 4.except for 5.cage 6.world 7.nest, home
Pity the state of that bird without wings and feathers; whose only home in the world is a cage. A caged bird is a metaphor for confinement and vulnerability and thrown on top of it is winglessness i.e., the bird will not be able to fly even if it gets out of the cage. In urdu poetic tradition, often, ‘bird’ is symbolic of the poet.
6
maal-o-zar1 saahir2 luTa3 kar phir rahaa hai dar-ba-dar4
ishq meN uski tarah5 be-KhaanumaaN6 koii na ho
1.possessions and wealth 2.pen-name 3.squander, give away 4.door to door 5.like, in the example of 6.homeless
Saahir, after squandering his wealth and possessions, wanders door to door; may no one become homeless like him in love.
