For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
اور بڑھا دائرہ ذرا ۔ سبودھ لعل ساقیؔ
۱
جنگل کی سمت شہر بڑھا ہے ذرا ذرا
وحشت کی سلطنت میں اضافہ ہوا ذرا
۲
دیکھے تو کوئی رشتوں کا یہ سلسلہ ذرا
نزدیکیاں بڑھیں تو بڑھا فاصلہ ذرا
۳
لگتا ہے جلد چھوڑنا ہوگا یہ شہر بھی
آنے لگی ہے راس یہاں کی ہوا ذرا
۴
اس آئینوں کے شہر میں اکثر کی بھیڑ ہے
کچھ خود گِرفتا اور ہیں کچھ گم شدہ ذرا
۵
لاکھوں کے شہر اور کروڑوں کے دیش میں
تنہائیوں کا اور بڑھا دائرہ ذرا
और बढ़ा दा’एरा ज़रा – सुबोध लाल साक़ी
१
जंगल की सम्त शहर बढ़ा है ज़रा ज़रा
वहशत की सल्तनत में इज़ाफ़ा हुआ ज़रा
२
देखे तो कोई रिश्तों का ये सिलसिला ज़रा
नज़दीकियाँ बढ़ीं तो बढ़ा फ़ासला ज़रा
३
लगता है जल्द छोढना होगा ये शहर भी
आने लगी है रास यहाँ की हवा ज़रा
४
इस आइनों के शहर में अक्सर की भीढ है
कुछ ख़ुद-गिरफ़्ता और हैं कुछ गुमशुदा ज़रा
५
लाखों के शहर और करोढौं के देश में
तन्हाइयों का और बढ़ा दा’एरा ज़रा
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. subodh lal saaqi (1945-xxxx) direct descendant of hargopal tufta. His father vinod lal taalib was also a shaa’er and his mother a scholar of hindi and sanskrit. Both his older and younger brother are published shu’ara. His father and then aalam fatehpuri were his ustaad. Worked as a high-level officer in the government and later as President of ZTV. His collection was published in 2016. Also see saahir ludhianavi ‘shahr ki aabaadi’ and nida faazeli ‘be-shumaar aadmi’.
1
jaNgal ki samt1 shahar baRha hai zara zara
vahshat2 ki saltanat3 meN izaafa4 hua zara 1.direction 2.‘wildness’, brutality 3.reign, rule 4.increase
Urban spaces are usually associated with order and civility, culture and civilization. Here jaNgal is used as symbolic of ‘survival of the fittest’ and vahshat is used in the sense of being vahshi-wild. The gradual movement of the shahr towards the jaNgal is symbolic of civility and culture being overtaken by savagery/brutality. Thus, bit by bit, the city has crept toward the jungle; there’s been a gradual expansion in the empire of savagery/brutality.
2
dekhe to koi rishtoN1 ka ye silsila2 zara
nazdiikiyaN3 baRhiiN to baRha faasla4 zara 1.relationships 2.series, chain 3.nearness, closeness 4.distance
Look closely at this chain of relationships; as intimacy increased, so does the distance. A quiet paradox: as people appear to grow closer, the emotional or meaningful distance between them also grows. Relationships are now perhaps more performative than genuine, the poet invites us to ‘look closely’. I am tempted to think that this is about increasing urbanization and hustle-bustle of modernity, although there is nothing specific in the she’r that says so.
3
lagta hai jald1 choRna hoga ye shahar bhi
aane lagi hai raas2 yahaaN ki havaa3 zara 1.soon 2.suitable, compatible 3.atmosphere, ambience, culture, thinking
There’s a note of irony here. The city, once different, has been changing (perhaps not for the better). But the poet is getting used to this change; the ambience is becoming familiar and compatible; but that’s precisely the warning. When one starts getting used to toxicity havaa, it might be time to leave. Thus, it seems like I’ll have to leave this city soon too; its air has begun to suit me.
4
iss aainoN ke shahar meN aksar1 ki bhiiR hai
kuchh Khud-girifta2 aur haiN kuchh gum-shuda3 zara 1.many 2.in their own grip, trapped in themselves 3.lost
This city is one of appearances, illusions, reflections; possibly narcissism. People are either caught in their own image (ego, identity), or have disappeared altogether, lost in the maze of mirrors. Thus, in this city of mirrors, there is a crowd of many; some trapped by their own reflections, others dazed and lost.
5
laakhoN ke shahar aur karoRoN ke desh meN
tanhaaiyoN1 ka aur baRha daa’era2 zara 1.loneliness 2.circle, domain
Despite massive populations, loneliness continues to spread. The more we grow in number, the more isolated we seem to become; an aching commentary on the human, spiritual and emotional alienation of modern life. Thus, in cities of lakhs and nations of crores, the circle of loneliness has widened.
subodh lal saaqi (1945-xxxx) direct descendant of hargopal tufta. His father vinod lal taalib was also a shaa’er and his mother a scholar of hindi and sanskrit. Both his older and younger brother are published shu’ara. His father and then aalam fatehpuri were his ustaad. Worked as a high-level officer in the government and later as President of ZTV. His collection was published in 2016. Also see saahir ludhianavi ‘shahr ki aabaadi’ and nida faazeli ‘be-shumaar aadmi’.
1
jaNgal ki samt1 shahar baRha hai zara zara
vahshat2 ki saltanat3 meN izaafa4 hua zara
1.direction 2.‘wildness’, brutality 3.reign, rule 4.increase
Urban spaces are usually associated with order and civility, culture and civilization. Here jaNgal is used as symbolic of ‘survival of the fittest’ and vahshat is used in the sense of being vahshi-wild. The gradual movement of the shahr towards the jaNgal is symbolic of civility and culture being overtaken by savagery/brutality. Thus, bit by bit, the city has crept toward the jungle; there’s been a gradual expansion in the empire of savagery/brutality.
2
dekhe to koi rishtoN1 ka ye silsila2 zara
nazdiikiyaN3 baRhiiN to baRha faasla4 zara
1.relationships 2.series, chain 3.nearness, closeness 4.distance
Look closely at this chain of relationships; as intimacy increased, so does the distance. A quiet paradox: as people appear to grow closer, the emotional or meaningful distance between them also grows. Relationships are now perhaps more performative than genuine, the poet invites us to ‘look closely’. I am tempted to think that this is about increasing urbanization and hustle-bustle of modernity, although there is nothing specific in the she’r that says so.
3
lagta hai jald1 choRna hoga ye shahar bhi
aane lagi hai raas2 yahaaN ki havaa3 zara
1.soon 2.suitable, compatible 3.atmosphere, ambience, culture, thinking
There’s a note of irony here. The city, once different, has been changing (perhaps not for the better). But the poet is getting used to this change; the ambience is becoming familiar and compatible; but that’s precisely the warning. When one starts getting used to toxicity havaa, it might be time to leave. Thus, it seems like I’ll have to leave this city soon too; its air has begun to suit me.
4
iss aainoN ke shahar meN aksar1 ki bhiiR hai
kuchh Khud-girifta2 aur haiN kuchh gum-shuda3 zara
1.many 2.in their own grip, trapped in themselves 3.lost
This city is one of appearances, illusions, reflections; possibly narcissism. People are either caught in their own image (ego, identity), or have disappeared altogether, lost in the maze of mirrors. Thus, in this city of mirrors, there is a crowd of many; some trapped by their own reflections, others dazed and lost.
5
laakhoN ke shahar aur karoRoN ke desh meN
tanhaaiyoN1 ka aur baRha daa’era2 zara
1.loneliness 2.circle, domain
Despite massive populations, loneliness continues to spread. The more we grow in number, the more isolated we seem to become; an aching commentary on the human, spiritual and emotional alienation of modern life. Thus, in cities of lakhs and nations of crores, the circle of loneliness has widened.
