For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the “English” or “Notes” tab.
Recitation
وہ بانسری کہاں ہے ۔ سیماب اکبرابادی
کرو تلاش وہ نئے جِس کا نغمۂ نوخیز
جہانِ کہنہ کی ظلمت میں ہے ابھی ضوخیز
کرو تلاش وہی بانسری نوا جس کی
ہزار فتنے فنا کر کے بھی فنا نہ ہوئی
کرو تلاش وہی بانسری جو متھرا میں
بنی رہی دمِ عیسیٰ کفِ کنہیا میں
کرو تلاش وہی بانسری کہیں ہوگی
یہیں سُنی تھی ابھی اُس کی لے یہیں ہوگی
اگر ہے روح قدیم اور مادّے حادث
تو مہر و ماہ و فلک کیوں نہ ہو سکے حادث
ہزاروں سال کی تعمیر سے کھلا یہ راز
یہاں ہے روح سے بھی مادّے کی روح دراز
وہ کیا حیات جو محوِ حجاب ہو کے رہے
ہے زندگی وہی جو بے نقاب ہو کے رہے
نقوشِ کہنہ جو ہیں یادگارِ عہدِ قدیم
وجود اُن کا محقق کو اب بھی ہے تسلیم
ہنوز اُن میں کچھ اسرار پائے جاتے ہیں
حیاتِ خضر کے آثار پائے جاتے ہیں
کہے گا کون کہ یہ امرِ اِتّفاقی ہے
فنا بدوش ہے نقّاش، نقش باقی ہے
اگر یہی اُبدیّت ہے مادّے کا صلہ
تو پھر ہے روح سے دُنیا میں مادّہ اچھا
غرض وہ بانسری والا اگر نہیں تو نہ ہو
تلاش کر کے مجھے اُس کی بانسری لا دو
ضرور ہوگی وہ محفوظ موجِ گنگا میں
اُسے تلاش کرو موج ہائے جمنا میں
ملے گی وہ کسی مندر کسی مہابن میں
ضرور ہوگی کسی برج اور بندرابن میں
ہوا بھی ہوگا جو شیرازہ منتشر اُس کا
ملے گا خاک کے ذرّوں میں کچھ اثر اُس کا
ادب کے ساتھ وہ ذرّے یہاں اُٹھا لاؤ
شکستہ ساز کے ٹکڑے یہاں اُٹھا لاؤ
اُنہیں میں جوڑ کے پھر بانسری بناؤںگا
جو نغمے گائے گئے تھے وہ میں بھی گاؤنگا
میں اُن سے از سرِ نو ہند کو جگاؤں گا
میں آگ اُن سے محبّت میں پھر لگاؤں گا
میں پھر سجاؤں گا کاشانہ محبت کو
میں جگمگاؤں گا ویرانۂ محبت کو
میں اُس کے نغموں سے زندہ جہاں کو کر دونگا
وفا و حُسن سے پھر زندگی کو بھر دوں گا
کلیم میں نہ سہی صاحبِ کلام تو ہوں
نہیں کرشن مگر اُن کا ہم پیام تو ہوں
वो बांसुरी कहां है – सीमाब अकबराबादी
करो तलाश वो नै जिस का नग़्मा-ए नौ-ख़ेज़
जहान-ए कोहना कि ज़ुल्मत में है अभी ज़ौ-ख़ेज़
करो तलाश वही बांसुरी नवा जिस कि
हज़ार फ़ित्ने फ़ना कर के भी फ़ना न हुई
करो तलाश वही बांसुरी जो मथुरा में
बनी रही दम-ए ईसा कफ़-ए कन्हय्या में
करो तलाश वही बांसुरी कहीं होगी
यहीं सुनी थी अभी उस के लै, यहीं होगी
अगर है रूह क़दीम और मा’द्दे हादेस
तो महर ओ माह ओ फ़लक क्यूं न हो सके हादेस
हज़ारों साल कि तामीर से खुला ये राज़
यहां है रूह से भी मा’द्दे कि रूह दराज़
वो क्या हयात जो महव-ए हिजाब हो के रहे
है ज़िंदगी वही जो बे-नक़ाब हो के रहे
नुक़ूश-ए कोहना जो हैं यादगार-ए अहद-ए क़दीम
वुजूद उन का मुहक़्क़िक़ को अब भी है तस्लीम
हुनूज़ उन में कुछ अस्रार पाए जाते हैं
हयात-ए ख़िज़्र के आसार पाए जाते हैं
कहे गा कौन के ये अम्र-ए इत्तेफ़ाक़ी है
फ़ना ब-दोश है नक़्क़ाश नक़्श बाक़ी है
अगर यही अबदिय्यत है मा’द्दे का सिला
तो फिर है रूह से दुनिया में मा’द्दा अच्छा
ग़रज़ वो बांसुरी वाला अगर नहीं तो न हो
तलाश कर के मुझे उस के बासुरी ला दो
ज़रूर होगी वो महफ़ूज़ मौज-ए गंगा में
उसे तलाश करो मौजा-हा-ए जमना में
मिलेगी वो किसी मंदिर किसी महाबन में
ज़रूर होगी डीसी बिर्ज किसी बिन्दरा बन में
हुआ भी होगा जो शीराज़ा मुन्तशिर उस का
मिले गा ख़ाक के ज़र्रों में कुछ असर उस का
अदब के साथ वो ज़र्रे यहां उठा लाओ
शिकस्ता साज़ के टुकड़े यहां उठा लाओ
उन्हें मैं जोड़ के फिर बांसुरी बनाऊंगा
जो नग़्मे गाए गए थे वो मैं भी गाऊंगा
मैं उन से अज़-सर-नौ हिन्द को जगाऊंगा
मैं आग उन से मोहब्बत कि फिर लगाऊंगा
मैं फिर सजाऊँग काशाना-ए मोहब्बत को
मैं जगमगाऊंगा वीराना-ए मोहब्बत को
मैं उस के नग़्मौं से ज़िन्दा जहां को कर दूंगा
वफ़ा ओ हुस्न से फिर ज़िन्दगी को भर दूंगा
कलीम मैं न सही, साहेब-ए कलाम तो हूं
नहीं क्रिश्न मगर उन का हम पयाम तो हूं
vo baaNsuri kahaaN hai – seemaab akbarabadi
Click here for background and on any she’r for word meanings and explanatory discussion. seemaab akbarabadi is using the commonly held Hindu belief that whenever there is a need in this world an avtaar of vishnu will come and destroy the mischief maker. He is using the flute (songs of love) of krishn as the instrument to overcome the calamities of colonization and communal hatred by creating universal love, much as the gopis and nature used to gather to hear his flute.
karo talaash1 vo nai2 jis ka naGhma3-e nau-Khez4
jahaan-e-kohna5 ki zulmat6 meN hai abhi zau-Khez7
karo talaash vahi baaNsuri, navaa8 jis ki
hazaar fitne9 fana10 kar ke bhi fanaa na hui
karo talaash vahi baaNsuri jo mathura meN
bani rahi dam-e-eesa11 kaf-e-kanhaiyya12 meN 1.search 2.flute 3.song 4.newly created, used here to mean creating new life 5.ancient world 6.darkness 7.light creating 8.sound/call 9.mischief, disturbance, rebellion 10.finish, annihilate 11.breath of Jesus – that could cure the sick, bring the dead back to life 12.hand of krishn
Search for that flute whose life givine song can still bring light to the darkness of this ancient world. Search for that flute, whose music/sound, annihilated a thousand evils but itself remained untouched. Search for that flute which in Mathura, in the hands of krishn, was like the blessing of the breath of Jesus, which brought the dead back to life.
karo talaash vahi baaNsuri kahiN hogi
yahiN suni thi abhi us ki lai1 yahiN hogi
agar hai rooh2 qadeem3 aur maa’dde4 haadis5
to mahr6 o maah7 o falak8 kyuN na ho sake haadis
hazaarauN saal ki taameer9 se khula ye raaz10
yahaaN hai rooh2 se bhi maa’dde4 ki umr-daraaz11 1.melody 2.spirit, soul 3.ancient 4.body, essence, capacity – used in the sense of manifestation 5.new 6.sun 7.moon 8.skies 9.progress 10.mystery 11.long life
Here and in several other places seemab uses “maa’dda” to mean the manifestation of the essence of the old “rooh” – spirit. Search for that flute, it must be somewhere here. Its melody was heard here not too long ago. Even if the spirit is old, but if its manifestation is new, then even the sun, moon and the skies (the world order) can be changed. Thousands of years of progress has shown us new manifestation of old spirit has a long life. Thus, the old songs of love of krishn can come back and bring change about.
vo kya hayaat1 jo mahv2-e hijaab3 ho ke rahe
hai zindagi vahi jo be-naqaab4 ho ke rahe
nuqoosh5-e kohna6 meN haiN yaadgaar7-e ahd8-e qadeem9
vujood10 un ka mohaqqiq11 ko ab bhi hai tasleem12
hunooz13 un meN kuchh asraar14 paaye jaate haiN
hayaat-e-Khizr15 ke aasaar16 paaye jaate haiN 1.life 2.engrossed in, lost in 3.veil, hiding 4.without veil, not hidden, open 5.sketches, marks, relics 6.ancient 7.memorialized 8.age, times, era 9.ancient 10.existence 11.researcher, expert 12.acceptable 13.upto now 14.secrets, mysteries 15.immortal/long life 16.effects
What use is that life which remains hidden. Life is only that which comes out in the open (in protest against colonization). Messages/lessons from ancient era are memorialized/preserved in relics, experts agree. Even to this day (solutions to) some mysteries can be found in them (old relics, like krishn’s flute). They have immortality like Khizr.
kahe ga kaun ke ye amr-e-ittefaaqi1 hai
fana2 ba-dosh3 hai naqqaash4, naqsh5 baaqi6 hai
agar yahi abadiyyat7 hai maa’dde8 ka sila9
to phir hai rooh10 se duniya meN maa’dda achchha
Gharaz11 vo baaNsuri vaala agar nahiN to na ho
talaash kar ke mujhe us ki baaNsuri laa do 1.accidental happening 2.annihilation, death 3.on the back/shoulder 4.artist/sculptor 5.sketch/sculpture 6.remains 7.eternity, survival 8.matter/body 9.recompense, reward 10.spirit 11.therefore
How can anyone say that this is an accidental scheme (it has been ordained by god/fate to be this way) that the artist carries his own destruction on his back but the art remains/survives. Thus, the messenger may be gone but the message still remains. If this is the recompense for being trapped in a material body, then surely the body is better than the spirit. No matter if the flute player is gone. Look for his flute and bring it back to me.
zaroor1 hogi vo mahfooz2 mauj3-e gaNga meN
use talaash4 karo mauja-haa5-e jamna meN
milegi vo kisi mandir, kisi mahaaban6 meN
zaroor1 hogi kisi birj-o-bindaraban7 meN
hua bhi hoga jo sheeraaza8 muntashir9 us ka
milega Khaak10 ke zarrauN11 meN kuchh asar12 us ka 1.surely 2.preserved, safe 3.wave of 4.search 5.waves of 6.dense forest 7.brij and brindavan, spelling and pronunciation modified to suit the meter, abodes of krishn 8.literally-binding of a book, used to mean arrangement, scheme, plan 9.scattered 10.dust 11.particles 12.effects
Surely it is safely hidden in the waves of the Ganges. Or look for it in the ripples of the Jumna. Or you might find it in some temple or dense forest. Even if it is scattered all over, you will find its effects/remains in the particles of dust.
adab1 ke saath vo zarre2 yahaaN uTha laao
shikasta3 saaz4 ke TukRe yahaaN uTha laao
unheN maiN joR ke phir baaNsuri banaauN ga
jo naGhme5 gaaye gaye the vo maiN bhi gaauN ga
maiN us se az-sar-e-nau6 hind7 ko jagaauN ga
maiN aag un se mohabbat ki phir lagaauN ga 1.respect 2.particles (of dust) 3.broken 4.flute 5.songs 6.from a new beginning, once again 7.hindostan
With great respect/care bring those dust particles, those pieces of the broken flute here. I will put them together and repair the flute. I will sing the same songs (of love) that were sung on it. With it I will wake India up again. With the songs I will light the fire of love again.
maiN phir sajaauN1 ga kashaana2-e mohabbat ko
maiN jagmagaauN ga veeraana3-e mohabbat ko
maiN us ke naGhmauN4 se zinda jahaaN ko kar dooN ga
vafa5 o husn6 se phir zindagi ko bhar dooN ga
kaleem7 maiN na sahi saahib-e-kalaam8 to huN
nahiN krishn magar un ka hum-payaam9 to huN 1.adorn 2.palace 3.wilderness 4.songs 5.faith, fidelity, promise 6.beauty, love 7.speaker, also one of the names of Moses because he is said to have talked to god, used here to mean messenger of god, authority 8.poet 9.same message
Then I will adorn the house of love. I will light up this desolate wilderness. I will make the world come alive with the songs of this flute. I will fill life with fidelity (towards each other) and love. I may not be messenger, but I am a poet. I may not be krishn, but I have the same message (of love).
vo baaNsuri kahaaN hai – seemaab akbarabadi
seemaab akbarabadi is using the commonly held Hindu belief that whenever there is a need in this world an avtaar of vishnu will come and destroy the mischief maker. He is using the flute (songs of love) of krishn as the instrument to overcome the calamities of colonization and communal hatred by creating universal love, much as the gopis and nature used to gather to hear his flute.
karo talaash1 vo nai2 jis ka naGhma3-e nau-Khez4
jahaan-e-kohna5 ki zulmat6 meN hai abhi zau-Khez7
karo talaash vahi baaNsuri, navaa8 jis ki
hazaar fitne9 fana10 kar ke bhi fanaa na hui
karo talaash vahi baaNsuri jo mathura meN
bani rahi dam-e-eesa11 kaf-e-kanhaiyya12 meN
1.search 2.flute 3.song 4.newly created, used here to mean creating new life 5.ancient world 6.darkness 7.light creating 8.sound/call 9.mischief, disturbance, rebellion 10.finish, annihilate 11.breath of Jesus – that could cure the sick, bring the dead back to life 12.hand of krishn
Search for that flute whose life givine song can still bring light to the darkness of this ancient world. Search for that flute, whose music/sound, annihilated a thousand evils but itself remained untouched. Search for that flute which in Mathura, in the hands of krishn, was like the blessing of the breath of Jesus, which brought the dead back to life.
karo talaash vahi baaNsuri kahiN hogi
yahiN suni thi abhi us ki lai1 yahiN hogi
agar hai rooh2 qadeem3 aur maa’dde4 haadis5
to mahr6 o maah7 o falak8 kyuN na ho sake haadis
hazaarauN saal ki taameer9 se khula ye raaz10
yahaaN hai rooh2 se bhi maa’dde4 ki umr-daraaz11
1.melody 2.spirit, soul 3.ancient 4.body, essence, capacity – used in the sense of manifestation 5.new 6.sun 7.moon 8.skies 9.progress 10.mystery 11.long life
Here and in several other places seemab uses “maa’dda” to mean the manifestation of the essence of the old “rooh” – spirit. Search for that flute, it must be somewhere here. Its melody was heard here not too long ago. Even if the spirit is old, but if its manifestation is new, then even the sun, moon and the skies (the world order) can be changed. Thousands of years of progress has shown us new manifestation of old spirit has a long life. Thus, the old songs of love of krishn can come back and bring change about.
vo kya hayaat1 jo mahv2-e hijaab3 ho ke rahe
hai zindagi vahi jo be-naqaab4 ho ke rahe
nuqoosh5-e kohna6 meN haiN yaadgaar7-e ahd8-e qadeem9
vujood10 un ka mohaqqiq11 ko ab bhi hai tasleem12
hunooz13 un meN kuchh asraar14 paaye jaate haiN
hayaat-e-Khizr15 ke aasaar16 paaye jaate haiN
1.life 2.engrossed in, lost in 3.veil, hiding 4.without veil, not hidden, open 5.sketches, marks, relics 6.ancient 7.memorialized 8.age, times, era 9.ancient 10.existence 11.researcher, expert 12.acceptable 13.upto now 14.secrets, mysteries 15.immortal/long life 16.effects
What use is that life which remains hidden. Life is only that which comes out in the open (in protest against colonization). Messages/lessons from ancient era are memorialized/preserved in relics, experts agree. Even to this day (solutions to) some mysteries can be found in them (old relics, like krishn’s flute). They have immortality like Khizr.
kahe ga kaun ke ye amr-e-ittefaaqi1 hai
fana2 ba-dosh3 hai naqqaash4, naqsh5 baaqi6 hai
agar yahi abadiyyat7 hai maa’dde8 ka sila9
to phir hai rooh10 se duniya meN maa’dda achchha
Gharaz11 vo baaNsuri vaala agar nahiN to na ho
talaash kar ke mujhe us ki baaNsuri laa do
1.accidental happening 2.annihilation, death 3.on the back/shoulder 4.artist/sculptor 5.sketch/sculpture 6.remains 7.eternity, survival 8.matter/body 9.recompense, reward 10.spirit 11.therefore
How can anyone say that this is an accidental scheme (it has been ordained by god/fate to be this way) that the artist carries his own destruction on his back but the art remains/survives. Thus, the messenger may be gone but the message still remains. If this is the recompense for being trapped in a material body, then surely the body is better than the spirit. No matter if the flute player is gone. Look for his flute and bring it back to me.
zaroor1 hogi vo mahfooz2 mauj3-e gaNga meN
use talaash4 karo mauja-haa5-e jamna meN
milegi vo kisi mandir, kisi mahaaban6 meN
zaroor1 hogi kisi birj-o-bindaraban7 meN
hua bhi hoga jo sheeraaza8 muntashir9 us ka
milega Khaak10 ke zarrauN11 meN kuchh asar12 us ka
1.surely 2.preserved, safe 3.wave of 4.search 5.waves of 6.dense forest 7.brij and brindavan, spelling and pronunciation modified to suit the meter, abodes of krishn 8.literally-binding of a book, used to mean arrangement, scheme, plan 9.scattered 10.dust 11.particles 12.effects
Surely it is safely hidden in the waves of the Ganges. Or look for it in the ripples of the Jumna. Or you might find it in some temple or dense forest. Even if it is scattered all over, you will find its effects/remains in the particles of dust.
adab1 ke saath vo zarre2 yahaaN uTha laao
shikasta3 saaz4 ke TukRe yahaaN uTha laao
unheN maiN joR ke phir baaNsuri banaauN ga
jo naGhme5 gaaye gaye the vo maiN bhi gaauN ga
maiN us se az-sar-e-nau6 hind7 ko jagaauN ga
maiN aag un se mohabbat ki phir lagaauN ga
1.respect 2.particles (of dust) 3.broken 4.flute 5.songs 6.from a new beginning, once again 7.hindostan
With great respect/care bring those dust particles, those pieces of the broken flute here. I will put them together and repair the flute. I will sing the same songs (of love) that were sung on it. With it I will wake India up again. With the songs I will light the fire of love again.
maiN phir sajaauN1 ga kashaana2-e mohabbat ko
maiN jagmagaauN ga veeraana3-e mohabbat ko
maiN us ke naGhmauN4 se zinda jahaaN ko kar dooN ga
vafa5 o husn6 se phir zindagi ko bhar dooN ga
kaleem7 maiN na sahi saahib-e-kalaam8 to huN
nahiN krishn magar un ka hum-payaam9 to huN
1.adorn 2.palace 3.wilderness 4.songs 5.faith, fidelity, promise 6.beauty, love 7.speaker, also one of the names of Moses because he is said to have talked to god, used here to mean messenger of god, authority 8.poet 9.same message
Then I will adorn the house of love. I will light up this desolate wilderness. I will make the world come alive with the songs of this flute. I will fill life with fidelity (towards each other) and love. I may not be messenger, but I am a poet. I may not be krishn, but I have the same message (of love).
Key Search Words: krishn bhakti, devotional, symbolism, cross-religious, cross religious, kaaba kaashi, k’aaba-kaashi, k’aaba kaashi
