For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
اگر خدا نہ ملا ۔ دوارکا داس شعلہؔ
۱
کسی کو بھول بھلیّاں میں راستہ نہ ملا
خدا کا نام بڑا ہے مگر پتہ نہ ملا
۲
زہے نصیب کہ بجلی نے شمع دکھلا دی
بڑی تلاش کے بعد آج آشیانہ ملا
۳
گیا میں کعبہ بھی اور بتکدے بھی ہو آیا
کہیں بھی تیرے سوا کوئی دوسرا نہ ملا
۴
تلاشِ حق میں نہ دنیا کو چھوڑ اے زاہد
کہیں کا بھی نہ رہے گا اگر خدا نہ ملا
۵
تمام عمر تلاشِ معاش میں گزری
ملی تو زیست مگر زیست کا مزہ نہ ملا
۶
بتوں کو چھوڑ کے کھوئے گئے کِدھر شعلہؔ
خدا کی راہ میں اپنا بھی کچھ پتہ نہ ملا
अगर ख़ुदा न मिला – द्वारका दास शोला
१
किसी को भूल भुलय्यां में रास्ता न मिला
ख़ुदा का नाम बढा है मगर पता न मिला
२
ज़हे-नसीब के बिजली ने शम’अ दिखला दी
बढी तलाश के बाद आज आशियाना मिला
३
गया मैं काबा भी और बतकदे भी हो आया
कहीं भी तेरे सिवा कोई दूसरा न मिला
४
तलाश-ए हक़ में न दुनिया को छोढ अए ज़ाहेद
कहीं का भी न रहेगा अगर ख़ुदा न मिला
५
तमाम उम्र तलाश-ए म’आश में गुज़री
मिली तो ज़ीस्त मगर ज़ीस्त का मज़ा न मिला
६
बुतों को छोढ के खोए गए किधर शोला
ख़ुदा की राह में अपना भी कुछ पता न मिला
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion dwarka das sho’la (1910-1983), lahore and later punjab and dehli. He started learning urdu because he liked ‘urdu-vaale’ around him. He inherited a pharmacy business and grew it enough to get a mention in Who’s Who, India Trade Directory, 1942. He received formal schooling only up to 8th grade because his father recruited him in the family business. While washing bottles/vials he kept humming ash’aar. Later, hafiz jalandhari became his ustaad. He says they clicked because hafiz jaalandhari was equally unschooled (formally) and talked in panjabi.
1
kisi ko bhuul-bhulayyaaN1 meN raasta na mila
Khuda ka naam baRaa hai magar pataa2 na mila 1.labyrinthine maze 2.address, whereabouts, clue
The poet describes life as a labyrinth/maze bhuul bhulayyaN where no one finds a way out of it. While god’s name is known to all, everyone talks about him, his actual presence/address remains elusive.
2
zah’e-nasiib1 keh bijli2 ne sham’a3 dikhla di
baRi talaash4 ke baad aaj ashiyaana5 mila 1.good fortune 2.lightning flash 3.lamp 4.search 5.nest, home
Here bijli could symbolize a flash of insight/brain wave or even divine inspiration and sham’a could symbolize knowledge while aashiyaana may mean home/refuge from the confusion of the world. Thus by a stroke of good fortune a flash of insight saved him and he was able to find a refuge. Any number of simpler interpretations are possible. I think that the reader should be left free to choose their own.
3
gaya maiN kaa’ba1 bhi aur but-kade2 bhi ho aaya
kahiiN bhi ter’e siva3 koi duusra4 na mila 1.sanctuary in makkah, mosque 2.idol-house, temple 3.except for 4.other, different
I went to the mosque as well as to the temple. Nowhere did I find anyone other than you (a universal god of all human beings).
4
talaash1-e haq2 meN na duniya ko chhoR aye zaahid3
kahiiN ka bhi na rahega agar Khuda na mila 1.search 2.truth, god 3.observant of orthodox rituals
O observant ascetic zaahid, don’t abandon the (pleasures of the) world in your truth/god-seeking. If god isn’t found you’ll have missed out on the pleasures of the world without getting the promised rewards of the afterlife.
5
tamaam1 umr2 talaash3-e m’aash4 meN guzri5
mili to ziist6 magar ziist ka mazaa na mila 1.total, whole 2.life 3.search 4.livelihood 5.passed, spent 6.life
My whole life passed in the struggle for a livelihood talaash-e m’aash. I did get to live but did not get to enjoy life.
6
butoN1 ko chhoR ke khoye2 gaye kidhar3 sh’ola4
Khuda ki raah5 meN apna bhi kuchh pataa6 na mila 1.idols, also used for beloved 2.lost 3.where 4.pen-name 5.path 6.clue, identity
Here idols but can symbolize a faith in idolatory, beautiful women and/or worldly pleasures. After abandoning idols look where you got lost, O sho’la. In the path towards god, you lost your own identity-purpose in life.
dwarka das sho’la (1910-1983), lahore and later punjab and dehli. He started learning urdu because he liked ‘urdu-vaale’ around him. He inherited a pharmacy business and grew it enough to get a mention in Who’s Who, India Trade Directory, 1942. He received formal schooling only up to 8th grade because his father recruited him in the family business. While washing bottles/vials he kept humming ash’aar. Later, hafiz jalandhari became his ustaad. He says they clicked because hafiz jaalandhari was equally unschooled (formally) and talked in panjabi.
1
kisi ko bhuul-bhulayyaaN1 meN raasta na mila
Khuda ka naam baRaa hai magar pataa2 na mila
1.labyrinthine maze 2.address, whereabouts, clue
The poet describes life as a labyrinth/maze bhuul bhulayyaN where no one finds a way out of it. While god’s name is known to all, everyone talks about him, his actual presence/address remains elusive.
2
zah’e-nasiib1 keh bijli2 ne sham’a3 dikhla di
baRi talaash4 ke baad aaj ashiyaana5 mila
1.good fortune 2.lightning flash 3.lamp 4.search 5.nest, home
Here bijli could symbolize a flash of insight/brain wave or even divine inspiration and sham’a could symbolize knowledge while aashiyaana may mean home/refuge from the confusion of the world. Thus by a stroke of good fortune a flash of insight saved him and he was able to find a refuge. Any number of simpler interpretations are possible. I think that the reader should be left free to choose their own.
3
gaya maiN kaa’ba1 bhi aur but-kade2 bhi ho aaya
kahiiN bhi ter’e siva3 koi duusra4 na mila
1.sanctuary in makkah, mosque 2.idol-house, temple 3.except for 4.other, different
I went to the mosque as well as to the temple. Nowhere did I find anyone other than you (a universal god of all human beings).
4
talaash1-e haq2 meN na duniya ko chhoR aye zaahid3
kahiiN ka bhi na rahega agar Khuda na mila
1.search 2.truth, god 3.observant of orthodox rituals
O observant ascetic zaahid, don’t abandon the (pleasures of the) world in your truth/god-seeking. If god isn’t found you’ll have missed out on the pleasures of the world without getting the promised rewards of the afterlife.
5
tamaam1 umr2 talaash3-e m’aash4 meN guzri5
mili to ziist6 magar ziist ka mazaa na mila
1.total, whole 2.life 3.search 4.livelihood 5.passed, spent 6.life
My whole life passed in the struggle for a livelihood talaash-e m’aash. I did get to live but did not get to enjoy life.
6
butoN1 ko chhoR ke khoye2 gaye kidhar3 sh’ola4
Khuda ki raah5 meN apna bhi kuchh pataa6 na mila
1.idols, also used for beloved 2.lost 3.where 4.pen-name 5.path 6.clue, identity
Here idols but can symbolize a faith in idolatory, beautiful women and/or worldly pleasures. After abandoning idols look where you got lost, O sho’la. In the path towards god, you lost your own identity-purpose in life.
