For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
تقلید و تحقیق (١٩٤٤) – جوشؔ ملیح آبادی
۱
افسونِ ذات اور یہ افسانۂ صفات
بالا ہے اِس سے مردِ قلندر کی کائنات
۲
حَتّیٰ کہ صاحبانِ روائت کے دین سے
پاکیزہ تر ہیں اہلِ درائت کے کفریات
۳
کیونکر یقیں دلائیے اربابِ عشق کو
مبنی ہے صرف عقل پر اِنسان کی نجات
۴
ایوانِ فکر کی خس و خاشاک کے حضور
بے آبرو ہیں دیر و حرم کے تبرکات
۵
ہو جائے گا زمین پہ در آسماں کا بند
کھل جائیں گے عقول پہ جب رازِ کائنات
۶
زہ کر چکے ہیں اہلِ بصیرت کمانِ عقل
ہشیار آشیانے سے مرغِ اِلہیات
۷
صدہا مقلدوں کے گراں محکمات پر
بھاری ہیں جوشؔ ایک محقق کے ظنّیات
तक़्लीद ओ तहक़ीक़ (१९४४) – जोश मलीहाबादी
१
अफ़्सून-ए ज़ात और ये अफ़्साना-ए सिफ़ात
बाला है इस से मर्द-ए क़लनदर की का’एनात
२
हत-ता के साहेबान-ए रिवायत के दीन से
पाकीज़ा तर हैं अहल-ए दरायत के कुफ़्रियात
३
क्यूंकर यक़ीं दिलाइये अर्बाब-ए इश्क़ को
मबनी है सिर्फ़ अक़्ल पर इंसान की नजात
४
ऐवान-ए फ़िक्र की ख़स ओ ख़ाशाक के हुज़ूर
बे आब्रू हैं दैर ओ हरम के तब्बकुरात
५
हो जाएगा ज़मीन पे दर आस्मां का बंद
खुल जाएंगे उक़ूल पे जब राज़-ए का’एनात
६
ज़ह कर चुके हैं अहल-ए बसीरत कमान-ए अक़्ल
होशियार आशियाने से मुर्ग़-ए इलाहियात
७
सद-हा मुक़्लिदों के गिरां महकमात पर
भारी हैं जोश एक मोहक़्क़िक़ के ज़न्नियात
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. josh malihabadi (1898-1982) is known as – shaa’er-e inqelaab – poet of revolution. His nazm are fiery, passionate, and full of energy. His Ghazal and rubaaii are equally good. He was a secular humanist writing sharply and irreverently against colonialism, abuse of power, injustice and orthodoxy. josh forcefully questions (blind) followership, ‘taqleed’, and advocates ‘tahqeeq’ – inquiry and questioning – a consistent message and a strong protest against ‘received’ wisdom. This nazm is linked to ‘uloohiyat-ehtejaaj’.
1
afsoon1-e zaat2 aur ye afsaana3-e sifaat4
baala5 hai is se mard-e qalandar6 ki kaa’enaat7 1.magic, illusion 2.person (of god) 3.fable 4.qualities (of god) 5.superior 6.Sufi philosopher/teacher (teaching one-ness of all life)
(We are surrounded by) the illusion of god and fables of his qualities (benevolence). Far superior to this is the (message of) universal love of the sufi/qalandar.
2
hat-ta8 ke saahebaan-e rivaayat9 ke deen10 se
paakeeza tar11 haiN ahl-e daraayat12 ke kufriyaat13 7.universe 8.even to this limit 9.keepers of tradition 10.faith 11.even more pure 12.people of intellect/thoughtfulness (darayat is opposite of rivayat) 13.non-faith
So much so that compared to the blind faith of believers the non-belief of rational thinkers is better.
3
ho jaaega zamin pe dar14 aasmaaN ka band
khul jaaeNge uqool15 pe jab raaz-e kaa’enaat16 14.door 15.minds 16.secrets of the universe
The door of heaven will be closed on earth i.e. heaven will no longer be considered such a superior place to go to, when the secrets of the universe will become apparent to minds.
4
kyuNkar1 yaqeeN dilaaiye arbaab-e ishq2 ko
mabni3 hai sirf4 aql5 par insaan ki najaat6 1.how 2.lords of faith 3.dependent 4.only 5.intellect 6.deliverance
How can I convince these lords of faith that the fate/deliverance of man is dependent only on the mind/intellect.
5
aivaan-e-fikr7 ki Khas-o-Khaashaak8 ke huzoor9
be-aabroo10 haiN dair-o-haram11 ke tabarrukaat12 7.halls of faith 8.pebbles and hay 9.in front of 10.devoid of respect 11.temple and mosque 12.benediction, gifts
Compared to even the even discarded trash of the halls of reason, the sacred relics of temple and mosque hold no respect.
6
zah13 kar chuke haiN ahl-e-baseerat14 kamaan-e-aql15
hoshiaar16 aashiyaane17 se murGh-e-ilaahiyaat18 13.string a bow (getting ready to shoot arrows) 14.people who can see/understand/know 16.careful 17.nest 18.bird of godliness (faith in god)
People of intelligence have strung their bow, readied their arrow, O bird of faith in god, be careful of lighting on your nest (lest you get shot by their arrow).
7
sad-ha19 muqlidoN20 ke giraaN21 mahkamaat22 par
bhaari haiN josh ek mohaqiq23 ke zan-niyaat24 19.hundreds 20.conformist 21.high value 22.unshakable beliefs 23.researcher, philosopher 24.assumptions, speculations
Compared to hundreds of steadfast beliefs of the faithful, one questioning thought of the non-believer is superior, O Josh.
josh malihabadi (1898-1982) is known as – shaa’er-e inqelaab – poet of revolution. His nazm are fiery, passionate, and full of energy. His Ghazal and rubaaii are equally good. He was a secular humanist writing sharply and irreverently against colonialism, abuse of power, injustice and orthodoxy. josh forcefully questions (blind) followership, ‘taqleed’, and advocates ‘tahqeeq’ – inquiry and questioning – a consistent message and a strong protest against ‘received’ wisdom. This nazm is linked to ‘uloohiyat-ehtejaaj’.
1
afsoon1-e zaat2 aur ye afsaana3-e sifaat4
baala5 hai is se mard-e qalandar6 ki kaa’enaat7
1.magic, illusion 2.person (of god) 3.fable 4.qualities (of god) 5.superior 6.Sufi philosopher/teacher (teaching one-ness of all life)
(We are surrounded by) the illusion of god and fables of his qualities (benevolence). Far superior to this is the (message of) universal love of the sufi/qalandar.
2
hat-ta8 ke saahebaan-e rivaayat9 ke deen10 se
paakeeza tar11 haiN ahl-e daraayat12 ke kufriyaat13
7.universe 8.even to this limit 9.keepers of tradition 10.faith 11.even more pure 12.people of intellect/thoughtfulness (darayat is opposite of rivayat) 13.non-faith
So much so that compared to the blind faith of believers the non-belief of rational thinkers is better.
3
ho jaaega zamin pe dar14 aasmaaN ka band
khul jaaeNge uqool15 pe jab raaz-e kaa’enaat16
14.door 15.minds 16.secrets of the universe
The door of heaven will be closed on earth i.e. heaven will no longer be considered such a superior place to go to, when the secrets of the universe will become apparent to minds.
4
kyuNkar1 yaqeeN dilaaiye arbaab-e ishq2 ko
mabni3 hai sirf4 aql5 par insaan ki najaat6
1.how 2.lords of faith 3.dependent 4.only 5.intellect 6.deliverance
How can I convince these lords of faith that the fate/deliverance of man is dependent only on the mind/intellect.
5
aivaan-e-fikr7 ki Khas-o-Khaashaak8 ke huzoor9
be-aabroo10 haiN dair-o-haram11 ke tabarrukaat12
7.halls of faith 8.pebbles and hay 9.in front of 10.devoid of respect 11.temple and mosque 12.benediction, gifts
Compared to even the even discarded trash of the halls of reason, the sacred relics of temple and mosque hold no respect.
6
zah13 kar chuke haiN ahl-e-baseerat14 kamaan-e-aql15
hoshiaar16 aashiyaane17 se murGh-e-ilaahiyaat18
13.string a bow (getting ready to shoot arrows) 14.people who can see/understand/know 16.careful 17.nest 18.bird of godliness (faith in god)
People of intelligence have strung their bow, readied their arrow, O bird of faith in god, be careful of lighting on your nest (lest you get shot by their arrow).
7
sad-ha19 muqlidoN20 ke giraaN21 mahkamaat22 par
bhaari haiN josh ek mohaqiq23 ke zan-niyaat24
19.hundreds 20.conformist 21.high value 22.unshakable beliefs 23.researcher, philosopher 24.assumptions, speculations
Compared to hundreds of steadfast beliefs of the faithful, one questioning thought of the non-believer is superior, O Josh.
