Recitation
طوائف – معین احسن جذبی
ا پنی فطرت کی بلندی پہ مجھے ناز ہے کب
ہاں تیری پست نگاہی سے گلا ہے مجھکو
تو گرا دیگی مجھے اپنی نظر سے ورنہ
تیرے قدموں پہ تو سجدہ بھی روا ہے مجھکو
تو نے ہر آن بدلتی ہوئی اِس دُنیا میں
میری پابندگیِ غم کو تو دیکھا ہوتا
کلیاں بیزار ہیں شبنم کے تلوّن سے مگر
تو نے اِس دیدہٗ پرُ نم کو تو دیکھا ہو تا
ہائے جلتی ہوئی حسرت یہ تری آنکھوں میں
کہیں مِل جائے محبت کا سہارا تجھ کو
ا پنی پستی کا بھی احساس پھر اتنا احساس
کہ نہیں میری محبت بھی گوارا تجھ کو
اور یہ زرد سے رخسار یہ اشکوں کی قطار
مجھ سے بیزار مری عرضِ وفا سے بیزار
तवाएफ़ – मोईन एह्सन जज़्बी
अपनी फ़ित्रत की बलंदी पे मुझे नाज़ है कब
हाँ तेरी पस्त निगाही से गिला है मुझको
तू गिरा देगी मुझे अपनी नज़र से वर्ना
तेरे क़दमों पे तो सिजदा भी रवा है मुझको
तू ने हर आन बदलती हुई इस दुनिया में
मेरी पाबंदगी ए ग़म को तो देखा होता
कलियाँ बेज़ार हैं शब्नम के तलव्वुन से मगर
तू ने इस दीदा ए पुर नम को तो देखा होता
हाए जलती हुई हसरत ये तेरी आँखों में
कहीं मिल जाए मोहब्बत का सहारा तुझ को
अपनी पस्ती का भी एहसास फिर इतना एहसास
के नहीं मेरी मोहब्बत भी गवारा तुझ को
और ये ज़र्द से रुख़सार ये अश्कों की क़तार
मुझ से बेज़ार मेरी अर्ज़ ए वफ़ा से बेज़ार
tawaaif – moin ehsan jazbi
Click here for overall comments and on any passage for meanings and discussion.
This is one of the more sensitive compositions towards the plight of sex workers. Jazbi offers his love, but there is blame that it is not accepted … there is no clear recognition that he has to earn it. Even so, this is a far stronger expression of empathy than many that I have seen of this period.
apni fitrat1 ki balandi2 pe mujhe naaz3 hai kab
haaN teri past nigahi4 se gila5 hai mujhko
tu gira degi mujhe apni nazar se varna
tere qadmon pe to sijda bhi ravaa6 hai mujhko1.nature, birth status 2.superiority 3.pride 4.low self-esteem 5.complaint 6.prostration (paying homage) sanctioned (by religion)
Who says I claim any superiority of birth/heritage, but I do have a complaint about your low self-esteem. You would reject me if I bowed down to you even if sanctioned by orthodoxy. Jazbi shows a slightly more nuanced view of the status of prostitutes (and more generally, of women), but there is a tinge of blaming her for low self-esteem (as if it is an internally developed sentiment).
tu ne har aan7 badalti hui is duniya meN
meri pabandagi e Gham8 ko to dekha hota
kaliyaN bezaar haiN shabnam ke talavvun9 se magar
tu ne is deeda e pur nam10 ko to dekha hota7.every moment 8.restrictions on sympathy 9.indifference, inconstancy 10.moist eye (crying)
In this constantly changing world, I wish you could see how my expression of sympathy for you is circumscribed. Your patrons may be faithless, like dew drops on flowers, but I wish you had seen the tears in my eyes. Consider the beautiful metaphor that Jazbi is using. Shabnam, dew condenses at night. With the morning rays of light it disappears. Buds are tired of the inconstancy of the claims of love of dew drops (dew drops claim love of buds and cling to them until dawn … but they are not constant in their love … and disappear at dawn just like the patrons of the prostitute).
haae jalti hui hasrat11 ye teri aankhoN meN
kahiN mil jaye mohabbat ka sahara tujh ko
apni pasti12 ka bhi ehsaas13 phir itna ehsaas
ke nahiN meri mohabbat bhi gavaara14 tujh ko11.longing, desire 12.inferiority 13.consciousness, awareness 14.acceptable, tolerable
Alas, this burning desire/longing in your eyes! May you find support/fulfillment of love somewhere. This feeling of inferiority and such a strong feeling, that my love is not acceptable to you.
aur ye zard15 se ruKhsar16 ye ashkoN ki qataar17
mujh se bezaar18 meri arz e vafa19 se bezaar15.pale 16.cheeks 17.stream of tears 18.tired, disgusted 19.expression of love And these pale cheeks and stream of tears, indifferent to me and to my expression of love. Jazbi concludes as if in mid-stream, with a note that smacks of self-satisfaction. But again I emphasize that this is a lot more empathetic than many others. It will be left to the real feminist poets to bring out the real issues.
tawaaif – moin ehsan jazbi
This is one of the more sensitive compositions towards the plight of sex workers. Jazbi offers his love, but there is blame that it is not accepted … there is no clear recognition that he has to earn it. Even so, this is a far stronger expression of empathy than many that I have seen of this period.
apni fitrat1 ki balandi2 pe mujhe naaz3 hai kab
haaN teri past nigahi4 se gila5 hai mujhko
tu gira degi mujhe apni nazar se varna
tere qadmon pe to sijda bhi ravaa6 hai mujhko
1.nature, birth status 2.superiority 3.pride 4.low self-esteem
5.complaint 6.prostration (paying homage) sanctioned (by religion)
Who says I claim any superiority of birth/heritage, but I do have a complaint about your low self-esteem. You would reject me if I bowed down to you even if sanctioned by orthodoxy. Jazbi shows a slightly more nuanced view of the status of prostitutes (and more generally, of women), but there is a tinge of blaming her for low self-esteem (as if it is an internally developed sentiment).
tu ne har aan7 badalti hui is duniya meN
meri pabandagi e Gham8 ko to dekha hota
kaliyaN bezaar haiN shabnam ke talavvun9 se magar
tu ne is deeda e pur nam10 ko to dekha hota
7.every moment 8.restrictions on sympathy 9.indifference, inconstancy 10.moist eye (crying)
In this constantly changing world, I wish you could see how my expression of sympathy for you is circumscribed. Your patrons may be faithless, like dew drops on flowers, but I wish you had seen the tears in my eyes. Consider the beautiful metaphor that Jazbi is using. Shabnam, dew condenses at night. With the morning rays of light it disappears. Buds are tired of the inconstancy of the claims of love of dew drops (dew drops claim love of buds and cling to them until dawn … but they are not constant in their love … and disappear at dawn just like the patrons of the prostitute).
haae jalti hui hasrat11 ye teri aankhoN meN
kahiN mil jaye mohabbat ka sahara tujh ko
apni pasti12 ka bhi ehsaas13 phir itna ehsaas
ke nahiN meri mohabbat bhi gavaara14 tujh ko
11.longing, desire 12.inferiority 13.consciousness, awareness
14.acceptable, tolerable
Alas, this burning desire/longing in your eyes! May you find support/fulfillment of love somewhere. This feeling of inferiority and such a strong feeling, that my love is not acceptable to you.
aur ye zard15 se ruKhsar16 ye ashkoN ki qataar17
mujh se bezaar18 meri arz e vafa19 se bezaar
15.pale 16.cheeks 17.stream of tears 18.tired, disgusted 19.expression of love
And these pale cheeks and stream of tears, indifferent to me and to my expression of love. Jazbi concludes as if in mid-stream, with a note that smacks of self-satisfaction. But again I emphasize that this is a lot more empathetic than many others. It will be left to the real feminist poets to bring out the real issues.
