Recitation
منہہ اندھیرے – جوش ملیحا بادی
منہہ اندھیرے میں اُٹھا ہوں شعر کہنے کے لئے
تیرگی میں نور کے دریا ہیں بہنے کے لئے
بوئے گلُ، رنگِ اُفق، نازِ صبا، بانگِ ہزار
واہ، کیا سامان ہے بشاش رہنے کے لئے
مسکراتی آ رہی ہے صبح کی مشعل لئے
حورِ فطرت مجھ سے اپنے راز کہنے کے لئے
وہ کلی چٹکی، وہ برسا رنگ، وہ پھوٹی کرن
ہنس کے وہ انگڑائی لی دریا نے بہنے کے لئے
मुंह अंधेरे – जोश मलीहाबादी
मुंह अंधेरे मैं उठा हूँ शेर कहने के लिये
तीरगी में नूर के दरया हैं बहने के लिये
बू ए गुल, रंग ए उफ़क़, नाज़ ए सबा, बांग ए हज़ार
वाह क्या सामान है बशाश रहने के लिये
मुस्कुराती आ रही है सुबह की मश’अल लिये
हूर ए फ़ित्रत मुझ से अपने राज़ कहने के लिये
वो कली चिटकी, वो बरसा रंग, वो फूटी किरन
हंस के वो अंगडाई ली दरया ने बहने के लिये
muNh andhere – josh malihabadi
Click here for overall comments and on any passage for meanings and discussion. Urdu tradition has it that best compositions occur to the poet in the pre-dawn hours. Josh was known to take long early morning walks and uses this to wonderful effect with double meanings.
muNh andhere1 maiN uTha huN she’r kahne ke liye
teeragi2 meN noor ke darya3 haiN bahne ke liye
boo e gul, raNg e ufaq4, naaz e saba5, baaNg e hazaar6
vaah kya saaman hai bashaash7 rahne ke liye1.darkness before dawn 2. darkness 3. river of light 4. colourful horizon 5. playful morning breeze 6. thousand songs (of birds) 7. happy
I am up at pre-dawn to compose she’r. A river of brilliant rays is about to flow in this darkness. “Brilliant rays about to flow” can be either the light of dawn or the brilliance of his composition about to flow. Fragrance of rose, colour of horizon, gentle breeze, birdsong, Oh! what provisions there are for beautiful composition.
muskurati aa rahi hai subah ki masha’al8 liye
hoor e fitrat9 mujh se apne raaz10 kahne ke liye
vo kali chiTki11, vo barsa raNg, vo phooTi kiran
haNs ke vo aNgRaai li darya ne bahne ke liye8.torch 9. angel of nature 10. secrets 11. bud bloomed
She comes smiling, bearing the torch of dawn, the angel of nature to reveal her secrets (which he will compose into his verse). Here a bud blooms, there colour spreads, a ray of light breaking out, there smiles the brook, yawning and stretching to begin its flow. Again what is beginning to flow could also be his poetry!
muNh andhere – josh malihabadi
Urdu tradition has it that best compositions occur to the poet in the pre-dawn hours. Josh was known to take long early morning walks and uses this to wonderful effect with double meanings.
muNh andhere1 maiN uTha huN she’r kahne ke liye
teeragi2 meN noor ke darya3 haiN bahne ke liye
boo e gul, raNg e ufaq4, naaz e saba5, baaNg e hazaar6
vaah kya saaman hai bashaash7 rahne ke liye
1.darkness before dawn 2. darkness 3. river of light 4. colourful horizon 5. playful morning breeze 6. thousand songs (of birds) 7. happy
I am up at pre-dawn to compose she’r. A river of brilliant rays is about to flow in this darkness. “Brilliant rays about to flow” can be either the light of dawn or the brilliance of his composition about to flow. Fragrance of rose, colour of horizon, gentle breeze, birdsong, Oh! what provisions there are for beautiful composition.
muskurati aa rahi hai subah ki masha’al8 liye
hoor e fitrat9 mujh se apne raaz10 kahne ke liye
vo kali chiTki11, vo barsa raNg, vo phooTi kiran
haNs ke vo aNgRaai li darya ne bahne ke liye
8.torch 9. angel of nature 10. secrets 11. bud bloomed
She comes smiling, bearing the torch of dawn, the angel of nature to reveal her secrets (which he will compose into his verse). Here a bud blooms, there colour spreads, a ray of light breaking out, there smiles the brook, yawning and stretching to begin its flow. Again what is beginning to flow could also be his poetry!
