For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
خدا ساز صنم اتنے ہیں ۔ رام سنگھ شررؔ فتح پوری
۱
راہ چلیے تو یہاں دیر و حرم اتنے ہیں
کس کو پوجیں کہ خدا ساز صنم اتنے ہیں
۲
اب کوئی اُٹّھے بہ اندازِ دِگر تیشہ بدست
کاٹے کٹتے ہی نہیں کوہِ الم اتنے ہیں
۳
تازہ احسانِ ستم طرفہ عنایت ہے تری
ورنہ ہونے کو ترے لطف و کرم اتنے ہیں
۴
یہ بھی کیا کم ہے کہ جینے کی طرح جیتا ہوں
ورنہ مرنے کے لیے زیست کے غم اتنے ہیں
۵
دیکھیے کس سے ہو تفسیرِ غمِ زیست شررؔ
یوں تو ہونے کو یہاں اہلِ قلم اتنے ہیں
ख़ुदा-साज़ सनम इतने हैं – राम सिंघ शरर फ़तहपूरी
१
राह चलिये तो यहां दैर ओ हरम इतने हैं
किस को पूजें के ख़ुदा-साज़ सनम इतने हैं
२
अब कोई ब-अंदाज़ दिगर तीशा ब-दस्त
काटे कटते ही नहीं कोह-ए अलम इतने हैं
३
ताज़ा एहसान-ए सितम तुर्फ़ा इना’एत हैं तेरी
वर्ना होने को तेरे लुत्फ़ ओ करम इतने हैं
४
ये भी क्या कम है के जीने की तरह जीता हूँ
वरना मरने के लिए ज़ीस्त के ग़म इतने हैं
५
देखिये किस से हो तफ़ेसीर-ए ग़म-ए ज़ीस्त शरर
यूं तो होने को यहां अहल-ए क़लम इतने हैं
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. ram siNgh sharar fatehpuri (1928-1992), fatehpur, haryaana. MA (urdu) and MEd, from aligaRh. He worked in the Department of Education, haryaana. Progressive Writers’ Association, Communist Party of India, awardee of the saahitya akademi of haryaana and uttar pradesh. Soviet Land’s Nehru Award. He composed a large body of protest nazm.
1
raah1 chaliye to yahaaN dair2 o haram3 itnay haiN
kis ko poojeN4 ke Khuda-saaz5 sanam6 itnay haiN 1.path 2.temple 3.mosque 4.pray 5.made like god 6.idols
‘sanam’ here is not just a physical idol but also conceptual idol. You walk along any path and there are so many temples and mosques. Who should I offer prayers to, there are so many god-like idols (both physical and conceptual).
2
ab koi uTThe ba-andaaz1 digar2 tiisha3 ba-dast4
kaaTay kaTtay hi nahiN koh5-e alam6 itnay haiN 1.in a style 2.different 3.pick-axe 4.in hand 5.hill, mountain 6.sorrow
This has reference to the legend of shiiriiN-farhaad in which farhaad was able to cut a channel through a mountain with his pickaxe. But things are different now. Now someone should arise in a different style with pick-axe in hand. How ever much you try you cannot cut through; there are so many mountains of sorrow. This is a way of saying that we need a different system of governance to solve problems. He is obviously talking about a socialist order.
3
taaza1 ehsaan-e-sitam2 turfah3 inaa’et4 hai teri
varna5 honay ko tere lutf6 o karam7 itnay haiN 1.fresh, new 2.benevolence of oppression/cruelty 3.novel, rare 4.grant, gift 5.otherwise 6.favour 7.kindness
This is a sarcastic expression about the ‘gifts of god’. The fresh benevolence of cruelty is a rare gift from you, otherwise there are many gifts, favours and kindnesses you could have bestowed upon us.
4
yeh bhi kya kam hai keh jiinay ki tarah jiita huN
varna1 marnay ke liye ziist2 ke Gham itnay haiN 1.otherwise 2.life
Isn’t it a wonder that I lead my life like I am alive, otherwise there are many sorrows of life that could have killed me.
5
dekhiye kis se ho tafsiir1-e Gham-e ziist2 sharar3
yuN to honay ko yahaaN ahl4-e qalam5 itnay haiN 1.explanation 2.life 3.pen-name of the poet 4.people of 5.pen
People of pen are poets/writers. O sharar, let us see who explains the pain of living. There are so many poets/writers … let us see who comes forward.
ram siNgh sharar fatehpuri (1928-1992), fatehpur, haryaana. MA (urdu) and MEd, from aligaRh. He worked in the Department of Education, haryaana. Progressive Writers’ Association, Communist Party of India, awardee of the saahitya akademi of haryaana and uttar pradesh. Soviet Land’s Nehru Award. He composed a large body of protest nazm.
1
raah1 chaliye to yahaaN dair2 o haram3 itnay haiN
kis ko poojeN4 ke Khuda-saaz5 sanam6 itnay haiN
1.path 2.temple 3.mosque 4.pray 5.made like god 6.idols
‘sanam’ here is not just a physical idol but also conceptual idol. You walk along any path and there are so many temples and mosques. Who should I offer prayers to, there are so many god-like idols (both physical and conceptual).
2
ab koi uTThe ba-andaaz1 digar2 tiisha3 ba-dast4
kaaTay kaTtay hi nahiN koh5-e alam6 itnay haiN
1.in a style 2.different 3.pick-axe 4.in hand 5.hill, mountain 6.sorrow
This has reference to the legend of shiiriiN-farhaad in which farhaad was able to cut a channel through a mountain with his pickaxe. But things are different now. Now someone should arise in a different style with pick-axe in hand. How ever much you try you cannot cut through; there are so many mountains of sorrow. This is a way of saying that we need a different system of governance to solve problems. He is obviously talking about a socialist order.
3
taaza1 ehsaan-e-sitam2 turfah3 inaa’et4 hai teri
varna5 honay ko tere lutf6 o karam7 itnay haiN
1.fresh, new 2.benevolence of oppression/cruelty 3.novel, rare 4.grant, gift 5.otherwise 6.favour 7.kindness
This is a sarcastic expression about the ‘gifts of god’. The fresh benevolence of cruelty is a rare gift from you, otherwise there are many gifts, favours and kindnesses you could have bestowed upon us.
4
yeh bhi kya kam hai keh jiinay ki tarah jiita huN
varna1 marnay ke liye ziist2 ke Gham itnay haiN
1.otherwise 2.life
Isn’t it a wonder that I lead my life like I am alive, otherwise there are many sorrows of life that could have killed me.
5
dekhiye kis se ho tafsiir1-e Gham-e ziist2 sharar3
yuN to honay ko yahaaN ahl4-e qalam5 itnay haiN
1.explanation 2.life 3.pen-name of the poet 4.people of 5.pen
People of pen are poets/writers. O sharar, let us see who explains the pain of living. There are so many poets/writers … let us see who comes forward.
