For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
زباں خاموش ہے ۔ عطا الرحمان عطاؔ کاکوی
۱
پھر ہے گلشن میکدہ گلبانگِ نوشا نوش ہے
پھول ہے ساغر بکف غنچہ سبو بر دوش ہے
۲
پھر بہار آئی ہے پھر دیوانگی کا جوش ہے
جیب و دامن کیا لِباسِ ہوش بارِ دوش ہے
۳
اہلِ محفل میرے رازِ عشق سے واقف ہوں کیا
گفتگو ہوتی ہے آنکھوں سے زباں خاموش ہے
۴
ضبط دیکھو لب کو نالوں سے نہ آلودہ کیا
دل میں ہے طوفانِ غم لیکن زباں خاموش ہے
۵
تفرقہ ماضی و مستقبل کا کچھ باقی نہیں
حال کیا فردہ بھی اپنا دوش سے ہم دوش ہے
۶
خُم کے خُم پینے پہ بھی قائم رہیں ہوش و حواس
کوئی ایسا اے عطاؔ رِندوں میں ساغر نوش ہے
ज़ुबां खामोश है – अता-उर-रहमान अता काकवी
१
फिर है गुलशन मयकदा गुलबांग-ए नोशा-नोश है
फूल है साग़र ब-कफ़ ग़ुंचा सबू बर-दोश है
२
फिर बहार आई है फिर दीवानगी का जोश है
जेब ओ दामन क्या, लिबास-ए होश बार-ए दोश है
३
अहल-ए महफ़िल मेरे राज़-ए इश्क़ से वाक़ेफ़ हों क्या
गुफ़्तुगू होती है आँखौं से ज़बां ख़ामोश है
४
ज़ब्त देखो, लब को नालौं से न आलूदा किया
दिल में है तूफ़ान-ए ग़म लेकिन ज़बां ख़ामोश है
५
तफ़्रेक़ा माज़ी ओ मुस्तक़्बिल का कुछ बाक़ी नहीं
हाल क्या, फ़र्दा भी अपना दोश से हम-दोश है
६
ख़ुम के ख़ुम पीने पे भी क़ा’एम रहें होश ओ हवास
कोई ऐसा, अए अता, रिंदौं में साग़र-नोश है
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. ata kaakvi-ata-ur-rahman (1904-1998), UGC professor, faarsi, paTna university. Head of the Institute of Research in urdu and faarsi. Prolific writer, critic, translator, poet-authored 19, compiled 82 and translated 6 books. This Ghazal in the zamiin of Ghalib’s ‘navaa-e sarosh hai’ is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
phir hai gulshan1 maikada2 gulbaaNg3-e noshaa-nosh4 hai
phool hai saaGhar5 ba-kaf6 Ghuncha7 subuu8 bar-dosh9 hai 1.garden 2.tavern 3.song, joyous cry 4.drink and drink 5.goblet 6.in hand 7.bud 8.glass, jug 9.carrying on the back/shoulder
‘gulshan’ symbolizes life and beauty; tavern symbolizes a liberal, unorthodox, sufi place. Wine could be wine of love and/or liberal thinking. Thus, once again life is like a tavern with joyous cries of drink! drink! The second misra is an imagery of a flower opened up like a goblet of wine and a bud carrying a jug of wine on its shoulders. Thus, the garden and nature become a part of the celebration of unorthodoxy.
2
phir bahaar1 aa’ii hai phir diivaanagi2 ka josh3 hai
je’b4 o daaman5 kya, libaas6-e hosh7 baar8-e dosh9 hai 1.spring 2.madness, passion 3.overflowing, bubbling 4.collar 5.hem of the robe/dress 6.garment 7.awareness, sobriety 8.burden 9.shoulders, back
Traditionally, spring the season of rejuvenation, love and joyous celebration. Once again spring has arrived and passion is in full swing. In poetic convention the mad passionate lover tears his collar down to the hem of the robe as if his garment is a burden on his body. Here the poet goes beyond the physical burden of the garment. He is also talking about the garment of sobriety being a burden … this is a call to abandon all conventions, cast off the garment of sobriety because it is a burden on the shoulders.
3
ahl1-e mahfil2 mer’e raaz3-e ishq se vaaqif4 hoN kya
guftuguu5 hoti hai aaNkhoN se zabaaN Khaamosh hai 1.people of 2.gathering 3.secret 4.aware, familiar, know 5.conversation
Lovers/rivals are gathered around the beloved, perhaps some merriment and some jostling for position and attention is going on. But the poet/lover seems to be happy with his situation. How can the people of this gathering know the secret of my love. I carry on a conversation (with the beloved) with my eyes and my tongue remains silent.
4
zabt1 dekho, lab2 ko naaloN3 se na aaluuda4 kiya
dil meN hai toofaan5-e Gham laikin zabaaN Khaamosh hai 1.self-control 2.lips 3.wailing 4.polluted, dirtied 5.storm
Look at my self-control. I have not let any wailing soil my lips. There is a storm of pain/sorrow in the heart but my tongue remains silent.
5
tafreqaa1 maazi2 o mustaqbil3 ka kuchh baaqi4 nahiN
haal5 kya, farda6 bhi apna dosh7 se ham-dosh8 hai 1.difference, discord 2.past 3.future 4.remaining 5.present 6.future 7.present 8.embrace, shoulder to shoulder
The poet/lover/reveler is so immersed in revelry of the garden/tavern that he feels like in a state of timelessness; the difference between past and future has blurred: why speak of the present, even my future walks shoulder to shoulder with the past. The beauty of the she’r is in the juxtaposition of dosh (here meaning past) and ham-dosh (meaning shoulder to shoulder).
6
Khum1 ke Khum piine pe bhi qaa’em2 raheN hosh-o-havaas3
koi aisaa, aye ataa4 rindoN5 meN saaGhar-nosh6 hai
1.goblet 2.stable, established, firm 3.awareness and senses 4.pen-name of the poet 5.revelers 6.wine drinker
O ataa, is there any wine-drinker among the revelers who can drink goblet after goblet and still be firmly in control of his senses. The implication is that the poet can do it, no one else can.
ata kaakvi-ata-ur-rahman (1904-1998), UGC professor, faarsi, paTna university. Head of the Institute of Research in urdu and faarsi. Prolific writer, critic, translator, poet-authored 19, compiled 82 and translated 6 books. This Ghazal in the zamiin of Ghalib’s ‘navaa-e sarosh hai’ is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
phir hai gulshan1 maikada2 gulbaaNg3-e noshaa-nosh4 hai
phool hai saaGhar5 ba-kaf6 Ghuncha7 subuu8 bar-dosh9 hai
1.garden 2.tavern 3.song, joyous cry 4.drink and drink 5.goblet 6.in hand 7.bud 8.glass, jug 9.carrying on the back/shoulder
‘gulshan’ symbolizes life and beauty; tavern symbolizes a liberal, unorthodox, sufi place. Wine could be wine of love and/or liberal thinking. Thus, once again life is like a tavern with joyous cries of drink! drink! The second misra is an imagery of a flower opened up like a goblet of wine and a bud carrying a jug of wine on its shoulders. Thus, the garden and nature become a part of the celebration of unorthodoxy.
2
phir bahaar1 aa’ii hai phir diivaanagi2 ka josh3 hai
je’b4 o daaman5 kya, libaas6-e hosh7 baar8-e dosh9 hai
1.spring 2.madness, passion 3.overflowing, bubbling 4.collar 5.hem of the robe/dress 6.garment 7.awareness, sobriety 8.burden 9.shoulders, back
Traditionally, spring the season of rejuvenation, love and joyous celebration. Once again spring has arrived and passion is in full swing. In poetic convention the mad passionate lover tears his collar down to the hem of the robe as if his garment is a burden on his body. Here the poet goes beyond the physical burden of the garment. He is also talking about the garment of sobriety being a burden … this is a call to abandon all conventions, cast off the garment of sobriety because it is a burden on the shoulders.
3
ahl1-e mahfil2 mer’e raaz3-e ishq se vaaqif4 hoN kya
guftuguu5 hoti hai aaNkhoN se zabaaN Khaamosh hai
1.people of 2.gathering 3.secret 4.aware, familiar, know 5.conversation
Lovers/rivals are gathered around the beloved, perhaps some merriment and some jostling for position and attention is going on. But the poet/lover seems to be happy with his situation. How can the people of this gathering know the secret of my love. I carry on a conversation (with the beloved) with my eyes and my tongue remains silent.
4
zabt1 dekho, lab2 ko naaloN3 se na aaluuda4 kiya
dil meN hai toofaan5-e Gham laikin zabaaN Khaamosh hai
1.self-control 2.lips 3.wailing 4.polluted, dirtied 5.storm
Look at my self-control. I have not let any wailing soil my lips. There is a storm of pain/sorrow in the heart but my tongue remains silent.
5
tafreqaa1 maazi2 o mustaqbil3 ka kuchh baaqi4 nahiN
haal5 kya, farda6 bhi apna dosh7 se ham-dosh8 hai
1.difference, discord 2.past 3.future 4.remaining 5.present 6.future 7.present 8.embrace, shoulder to shoulder
The poet/lover/reveler is so immersed in revelry of the garden/tavern that he feels like in a state of timelessness; the difference between past and future has blurred: why speak of the present, even my future walks shoulder to shoulder with the past. The beauty of the she’r is in the juxtaposition of dosh (here meaning past) and ham-dosh (meaning shoulder to shoulder).
6
Khum1 ke Khum piine pe bhi qaa’em2 raheN hosh-o-havaas3
koi aisaa, aye ataa4 rindoN5 meN saaGhar-nosh6 hai
1.goblet 2.stable, established, firm 3.awareness and senses 4.pen-name of the poet 5.revelers 6.wine drinker
O ataa, is there any wine-drinker among the revelers who can drink goblet after goblet and still be firmly in control of his senses. The implication is that the poet can do it, no one else can.
