For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
تضادات سے ہستی یہ اُبھاری – روی سنہا رویؔ
۱
یہ میرا کرشمہ کہ تری کارگزاری
ہر رات ستاروں میں تری شکل اتاری
۲
یہ بستۂ اوہام مرا رختِ سفر تھا
اس دشتِ ہویدا میں تھی مبہم کی سواری
۳
تنقید و تناقض کا گلہ ہو تو کسے ہو
قدرت کے تضادات سے ہستی یہ اُبھاری
۴
دھرتی پہ سکونت کے کرائے سے دبا ہوں
آگے کا سفر خرچ بھی ہے روح کو بھاری
۵
اس دل کی یہ فطرت کہ عبث ٹوٹتا جائے
کیوں سر یہ کرے رات بھر اندوہ شماری
तज़ादात से हस्ती ये उभारी – रवी सिन्हा रवी
१
ये मेरा करिश्मा के तेरी कारगुज़ारी
हर रात सितारों में तेरी शक्ल उतारी
२
ये बस्ता-ए औहाम मेरा रख़्त-ए सफ़र था
इस दश्त-ए हुवैदा में थी मुबहम की सवारी
३
तनक़ीद-ओ-तनाक़ुज़ का गिला हो तो किसे हो
क़ुदरत के तज़ादात से हस्ती ये उभारी
४
धरती पे सुकूनत के किराये से दबा हूँ
आगे का सफ़र-ख़र्च भी है रूह को भारी
५
इस दिल की ये फ़ितरत के अबस टूटता जाए
क्यूँ सर ये करे रात भर अंदोह-शुमारी
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. ravi sinha ravi (1952-living) bihar, UP and dehli, physicist, writer, educationist and an activist-scholar associated with progressive and emancipatory movements for nearly four decades. PhD in theoretical physics, MIT. Worked in research and teaching institutions in Maryland, USA and later ahmedabad, gujarat, before resigning from his job to devote himself full time to writing, organizing and theorizing. He is the principal author of the book, Globalization of Capital, co-founder of the hindi journal, sandhan, and one of the founding members of the New Socialist Initiative – an informal group of intellectuals and activists. . Came to urdu late in life (at 65) to start on a new unexpected and challenging venture …
iss umr-e-Ghazal kii mahfil meN ek der se pahuNche shaa’er ko
maqte ki ghaRii aate-aate kahne ka saliiqaa aa jaa’e
His Ghazal maintain a progressive and enlightened outlook.
1
ye mera karishmaa1 keh terii kaarguzaarii2
har raat sitaaroN meN terii shakl3 utaarii4 1.miracle, trickery 2.handiwork 3.face, image 4.drew, sketched
Who is the ‘terii’ – (a)beloved (b)the divine or (c)a sublime idea. The poet wonders – is it the miracle of my creativity or your handiwork that I sketch your image every night in the stars. This could be the poet writing Ghazal at night or engaging in any other creative activity. This could also imply creating unachievable illusions.
2
ye basta1-e auhaam2 meraa raKht3-e safar4 thaa
is dasht5-e huvaidaa6 meN thi mub’ham7 ki savaarii8 1.enclosed, surrounded 2.superstitions, illusions 3.provisions 4.journey 5.wilderness 6.manifest, apparent, seen 7.hidden, ambiguous, doubtful 8.journey, travel
The provisions for my journey (of life) are contained in bag of illusions/superstitions. My journey through this wilderness before me is full of doubts/uncertainties. Editorial comment – belief is not a guiding principle-doubts, questions, uncertainties are.
3
tanqiid1-o-tanaaquz2 ka gilaa3 ho to kis’e ho
qudrat4 ke tazaadaat5 se hastii6 ye ubhaarii7 1.criticism 2.discrepancy, contradiction 3.objection, complaint 4.nature 5.conflicts, contradictions 6.existence, being, life 7.emerged
How can anyone object to criticism and contradictions (of life and thought). After all, life has emerged out of contradictions of nature.
4
dhartii1 pe sukuunat2 ke kiraaye se dabaa huN
aage ka safar-Kharch3 bhi hai ruuh4 ko bhaarii5 1.earth 2.residence 3.expense of the journey 4.spirit, soul 5.heavy
I am burdened by the dues that I have to pay to live on this earth. The expense of the journey beyond sits heavy on my soul. The struggle to live on earth, the struggle to deal with the unknowns facing this life, the struggle to keep learning and progressing is a burden heavy enough. It is implied that the poet considers the additional burden of the journey beyond (afterlife) to be unwanted/unnecessary.
5
iss dil ki ye fitrat1 keh abas2 TuuTtaa jaa’e
kyuN sar3 yeh kare raat bhar andoh-shumaarii4 1.nature, character 2.for no reason, unnecessarily 3.sar karnaa – to overcome, to succeeed in 4.counting woes/calamities
Already the character of this heart is that it unnecessarily breaks/loses courage. Why should it be tasked to overcome the additional burden of counting calamities (of the onward journey).
ravi sinha ravi (1952-living) bihar, UP and dehli, physicist, writer, educationist and an activist-scholar associated with progressive and emancipatory movements for nearly four decades. PhD in theoretical physics, MIT. Worked in research and teaching institutions in Maryland, USA and later ahmedabad, gujarat, before resigning from his job to devote himself full time to writing, organizing and theorizing. He is the principal author of the book, Globalization of Capital, co-founder of the hindi journal, sandhan, and one of the founding members of the New Socialist Initiative – an informal group of intellectuals and activists. . Came to urdu late in life (at 65) to start on a new unexpected and challenging venture …
iss umr-e-Ghazal kii mahfil meN ek der se pahuNche shaa’er ko
maqte ki ghaRii aate-aate kahne ka saliiqaa aa jaa’e
His Ghazal maintain a progressive and enlightened outlook.
1
ye mera karishmaa1 keh terii kaarguzaarii2
har raat sitaaroN meN terii shakl3 utaarii4
1.miracle, trickery 2.handiwork 3.face, image 4.drew, sketched
Who is the ‘terii’ – (a)beloved (b)the divine or (c)a sublime idea. The poet wonders – is it the miracle of my creativity or your handiwork that I sketch your image every night in the stars. This could be the poet writing Ghazal at night or engaging in any other creative activity. This could also imply creating unachievable illusions.
2
ye basta1-e auhaam2 meraa raKht3-e safar4 thaa
is dasht5-e huvaidaa6 meN thi mub’ham7 ki savaarii8
1.enclosed, surrounded 2.superstitions, illusions 3.provisions 4.journey 5.wilderness 6.manifest, apparent, seen 7.hidden, ambiguous, doubtful 8.journey, travel
The provisions for my journey (of life) are contained in bag of illusions/superstitions. My journey through this wilderness before me is full of doubts/uncertainties. Editorial comment – belief is not a guiding principle-doubts, questions, uncertainties are.
3
tanqiid1-o-tanaaquz2 ka gilaa3 ho to kis’e ho
qudrat4 ke tazaadaat5 se hastii6 ye ubhaarii7
1.criticism 2.discrepancy, contradiction 3.objection, complaint 4.nature 5.conflicts, contradictions 6.existence, being, life 7.emerged
How can anyone object to criticism and contradictions (of life and thought). After all, life has emerged out of contradictions of nature.
4
dhartii1 pe sukuunat2 ke kiraaye se dabaa huN
aage ka safar-Kharch3 bhi hai ruuh4 ko bhaarii5
1.earth 2.residence 3.expense of the journey 4.spirit, soul 5.heavy
I am burdened by the dues that I have to pay to live on this earth. The expense of the journey beyond sits heavy on my soul. The struggle to live on earth, the struggle to deal with the unknowns facing this life, the struggle to keep learning and progressing is a burden heavy enough. It is implied that the poet considers the additional burden of the journey beyond (afterlife) to be unwanted/unnecessary.
5
iss dil ki ye fitrat1 keh abas2 TuuTtaa jaa’e
kyuN sar3 yeh kare raat bhar andoh-shumaarii4
1.nature, character 2.for no reason, unnecessarily 3.sar karnaa – to overcome, to succeeed in 4.counting woes/calamities
Already the character of this heart is that it unnecessarily breaks/loses courage. Why should it be tasked to overcome the additional burden of counting calamities (of the onward journey).
