‘tarannum’ (recitation only) faiz
Recitation
Tarannum
ہر چند کہ کم ہے ۔ فیض احمد فیض
دربار میں اب سطِوتِ شاہی کی علامت
درباں کا عصا ہے کہ مصنف کا قلم ہے
آوارہ ہے پھر کوہِ ندا پر جو بشارت
تمہیدِ مسرت ہے کہ طولِ شبِ غم ہے
جس دھجی کو گلیوں میں لئے پھرتے ہیں طفلاں
یہ میرا گریباں ہے کہ لشکر کا علم ہے
جس نور سے ہے شہر کی دیوار درخشاں
یہ خونِ شہیداں ہے کہ زر خانہ جم ہے
حلقہ کئے بیٹھے رہو اِک شمع کو یارو
کچھ روشنی باقی تو ہے، ہر چند کہ کم ہے
हरचंद के कम है – फ़ैज़ अहमद फ़ैज़
दरबार में अब सित्वत ए शाही की अलामत
दरबां का असा है के मुसन्निफ़ का क़लम है
आवारा है फिर कोह ए निदा पर जो बशारत
तमहीद ए मसर्रत है के तूल ए शब ए ग़म है
जिस धज्जी को गलियों में लिये फिरते हैं तिफ़्लां
ये मेरा गरेबां है के लश्कर का अलम है
जिस नूर से है शहर की दीवार दरख़शां
ये ख़ून ए शहीदां है के ज़र ख़ाना ए जम है
हलक़ा किए बैठे रहो एक शम’अ को यारो
कुच्छ रौशनी बाक़ी तो है, हरचंद के कम है
harchand ke kam hai – faiz ahmed faiz
Click on any she’r for word meanings and discussion.
darbar meN ab sitwat1 e shahi2 ki alaamat3
darbaaN4 ka asa5 hai ke musannif6 ka qalam hai 1.grandeur 2.royal 3.indication 4.doorkeeper, attendant 5.mace, sceptre 6.writer, author, poet
What is the symbol of grandeur at court these days. Is it the royal mace/axe of the warden or is it the scribe’s pen? The rhetorical implication is that it is the power of the sword not of the pen that rules.
aavara7 hai phir koh-e nida8 par jo bashaarat9
tamheed e masarrat10 hai ke tool e shab e Gham11 hai7.wandering 8.mountain from which call/appeal is made 9.revelation, intuition 10.beginning of happiness 11.lengthening of the night of sorrow
‘koh-e nida’ is where people would go to shout out their protest. In this she’r, there is a ‘revelation/realization’ that hovers over the Mount of Protest. Is it the preface of joy or a prolonging of the night of pain. Is the reign of the sword coming to an end or not?
jis dhajji12 ko galiyoN meN liye phirte haiN tiflaaN13
ye mera garebaaN14 hai ke lashkar15 ka alam16 hai 12.rag 13.children 14.collar 15.army 16.standard, flag
‘garebaaN’ literally means collar. A rent collar is used in Urdu poetry as a sign of mad passion or of despair. “lashkar ka alam” on the other hand is sign of defiance. “tiflaaN” literally children, is used metaphorically (not in a condescending or derogatory sense) for people. The rags that people wave, parading in the streets, is it my rented collar of despair or banner of the army of defiance?
jis noor1 se hai shahr ki deevar daraKhsaaN2
ye Khoon e shaheedaN3 hai ke zar Khaana4 e jam5 hai 1.light 2.shining 3.blood of martyrs 4.treasury 5.Jamshed, ancient king of Persia known for his wealth
‘shahr ki deevar’ is where the pride and joy of the city/homeland displayed. So, the light that makes so splendid all walls of the city, is it the blood of martyrs (celebrating/honoring their sacrifcice) or the wealth of kings (a display of hubris)?
halqa6 kiye baiThe raho ek sham’a7 ko yaaro
kuchh raushni baaqi to hai, harchand8 ke kam hai6.circle 7.lamp (poet) 8.even though
Sit around this lamp for a while, dear friends, it still has some light left, even though it is faint. This was transcribed from a youtube posting of the last “mushaira” on TV in which tribute was paid to faiz just two months before his death. The recording is distinctly “ek sham’a” – a lamp, any lamp. But it adds a lot of poignancy (and perhaps anticipation of death and the leaving of a legacy) if I take the liberty of changing it to “iss sham’a” – THIS lamp.
harchand ke kam hai – faiz ahmed faiz
darbar meN ab sitwat1 e shahi2 ki alaamat3
darbaaN4 ka asa5 hai ke musannif6 ka qalam hai
1.grandeur 2.royal 3.indication 4.doorkeeper, attendant 5.mace, sceptre 6.writer, author, poet
What is the symbol of grandeur at court these days. Is it the royal mace/axe of the warden or is it the scribe’s pen? The rhetorical implication is that it is the power of the sword not of the pen that rules.
aavara7 hai phir koh-e nida8 par jo bashaarat9
tamheed e masarrat10 hai ke tool e shab e Gham11 hai
7.wandering 8.mountain from which call/appeal is made
9.revelation, intuition 10.beginning of happiness 11.lengthening of the night of sorrow
‘koh-e nida’ is where people would go to shout out their protest. In this she’r, there is a ‘revelation/realization’ that hovers over the Mount of Protest. Is it the preface of joy or a prolonging of the night of pain. Is the reign of the sword coming to an end or not?
jis dhajji12 ko galiyoN meN liye phirte haiN tiflaaN13
ye mera garebaaN14 hai ke lashkar15 ka alam16 hai
12.rag 13.children 14.collar 15.army 16.standard, flag
‘garebaaN’ literally means collar. A rent collar is used in Urdu poetry as a sign of mad passion or of despair. “lashkar ka alam” on the other hand is sign of defiance. “tiflaaN” literally children, is used metaphorically (not in a condescending or derogatory sense) for people. The rags that people wave, parading in the streets, is it my rented collar of despair or banner of the army of defiance?
jis noor1 se hai shahr ki deevar daraKhsaaN2
ye Khoon e shaheedaN3 hai ke zar Khaana4 e jam5 hai
1.light 2.shining 3.blood of martyrs 4.treasury 5.Jamshed, ancient king of Persia known for his wealth
‘shahr ki deevar’ is where the pride and joy of the city/homeland displayed. So, the light that makes so splendid all walls of the city, is it the blood of martyrs (celebrating/honoring their sacrifcice) or the wealth of kings (a display of hubris)?
halqa6 kiye baiThe raho ek sham’a7 ko yaaro
kuchh raushni baaqi to hai, harchand8 ke kam hai
6.circle 7.lamp (poet) 8.even though
Sit around this lamp for a while, dear friends, it still has some light left, even though it is faint. This was transcribed from a youtube posting of the last “mushaira” on TV in which tribute was paid to faiz just two months before his death. The recording is distinctly “ek sham’a” – a lamp, any lamp. But it adds a lot of poignancy (and perhaps anticipation of death and the leaving of a legacy) if I take the liberty of changing it to “iss sham’a” – THIS lamp.
