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Recitation
رباعیات-بشریّت-جوش ملیح آبادی
۱
یہ بزم گہِ عمل ہے بے نغمہ و صوت
اِس دائرے میں ولولۂ روح ہے فوت
یک رنگی و یکسانیِ اُسلوبِ حیات
در اصل ہے اک سانس لیتی ہوئی موت
۲
موقوف نِزاعِ کفر و ایماں کر دوں
اضداد کا رابطہ نمایاں کر دوں
اپنے دِل سے اگر اُٹھا دوں میں نقاب
کیا دیر ہے، خود حرم کو ویراں کر دوں
۳
یہ شیشہ رصد گاہ کا ہے، سنگ نہیں
پھولوں کا ہے، لہو کا یہ رنگ نہیں
سرِ منزلِ صلحِ دائمی کی جانب
یہ جادۂ نا گزیر ہے ، جنگ نہیں
۴
اک سَمت ادب ہے اک جانب مذہب
ان دونوں میں کون پاک دِل ہے یا رب
عالِم باطِل بہ قلب و حق بر ممبر
شاعِر ایماں بہ سینہ و کفر بہ لب
۵
انسان کو راہ پر لگا دے ساقی
رازِ توحیدِ جاں بتا دے ساقی
اِس عالمِ خاک و آب کو کلّیتن
ہر فرد کا جزوِ دِل بنا دے ساقی
۶
یا دِل ہے تیرا سیاہ، یا عقل ہے خام
تو یا تو خِرد نوش ہے یا خون آشام
اِس روُئے زمیں پہ ہے فقط ایک ہی قوم
ائے موجدِ اِصطلاحِ بین الا اقوام
۷
قرنوں ابھی ٹوٹینگے ہزاروں تارے
سَر سے ابھی گزریں گے کروڑوں دھارے
انسان بننے میں ہے ابھی وقت بہت
اب تک تو فقط دُم ہی جھڑی ہے پیارے
۸
کوئی ہے اہرمن نہ کوئی یزداں
اوّل انساں ہے اور آخر انساں
آدم کا دماغ ہے وہ کشتیِ عظیم
ہونے پہ ہے خونِ ناخدا میں جو رواں
۹
اِنسان کو قوموں میں نا بانٹو یارو
تفریق کا لاِللہ نہ کاجل پارو
جس پر ہے رواں کشتیِ توحیدِ بشر
اُس خون كے دھارے پہ نہ لاٹھی مارو
۱۰
وہ جن کا تخیل ہے نجیب اُلطّرفین
آتَش کدہ و دیر بھی اُن كے حرمین
ہوتا ہے اُنہیں حبِّ وطن کا ہیضہ
ہوتی نہیں جن کو ہضم حُبّ کونین
रुबाईयात-बशारिय्यत-जोश मलीहाबादी
१
ये बज़्म-गह-ए अम्ल है बे-नग़्मा ओ सौत
इस दाएरे में वलवला-ए रूह है फ़ौत
यक-रंगी ओ यक्सानी-ए उस्लूब-ए हयात
दर अस्ल है एक सांस लेति हुई मौत
२
मौक़ूफ़ निज़’अ-ए कुफ़्र ओ ईमां कर दूँ
अज़्दाद का राबता नुमायाँ कर दूँ
अपने दिल से अगर उठा दूँ मैं नक़ाब
क्या दैर है, ख़ुद हरम को वीरां कर दूँ
३
ये शीशा रसद-गाह का है, संग नहीं
फूलौं का है, लहू का ये रंग नहीं
सर-ए मंज़िल-ए सुलह-ए दाएमी की जानिब
ये जादा-ए नागुज़ीर है, जंग नहीं
४
एक सम्त अदब है एक जानिब मज़हब
इन दोनों में कौन पाक दिल है यारब
आलेम-ए बातिल बा-क़ल्ब ओ हक़ बर मिम्बर
शाएर-ए ईमां बा-सीना ओ कुफ़्र बा-लब
५
इन्सान को राह पर लगा दे साक़ी
राज़-ए तौहीद-ए जां बता दे साक़ी
इस आलम-ए ख़ाक ओ आब को कुल्लियतन
हर फ़र्द का जुज़्व-ए दिल बना दे साक़ी
६
या दिल है तेरा सियाह, या अक़्ल है ख़ाम
तू या तो ख़िरद-नोश है या ख़ून-आशाम
इस रू-ए ज़मीं पे है फ़क़त एक ही क़ौम
अए मोजिद-ए इस्तेलाह-ए बैन-उल-अक़्वाम
७
क़रनौं अभी टूटेंगे हज़ारों तारे
सर से अभी गुज़्रेंगे करोड़ों धारे
इंसां बन्ने में है अभी वक़्त बहुत
अब तक तो फ़क़त दुम ही झड़ी है प्यारे
८
कोई है अहरमन न कोई यज़्दां
अव्वल इन्सां है और आख़िर इंसां
आदम का दिमाग़ है वो कश्ती-ए अज़ीम
होने पे है ख़ून-ए नाख़ुदा में जो रवां
९
इन्सान को क़ौमों में न बांटो यारो
तफ़्रीक़ का लिल्लाह न काजल पारो
जिस पर है रवां कश्ती-ए तौहीद-ए बशर
उस ख़ून के धारे पे न काजल पारो
१०
वो जिन का तख़य्युल है नजीब-उत-तरफै़न
आतिश कदा ओ दैर भी उन के हरमैन
होता है उन्हें हुब्ब-ए वतन का हैज़ा
होती नहीं जिन को हज़म हुब्ब-ए कौनेन
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. josh malihabadi is well known for his fiery nazm. He also wrote many romantic as well as cerebral nazm and Ghazal. His marsia are a celebration of dignified death rather than bowing to injustice even at the cost of life. He also wrote numerous rubaaii. This series is a collection of nearly 300 rubaaiyaat from various books organized by subject. This selection is one that illustrates josh’s thoughts about humanism – the power of human values vs faith.
1
ye bazm-gah-e-amal1 hai be-naGhma2 o saut3
is daa’ere4 meN valvala5-e rooh6 hai faut7
yak-raNgi8 o yak-saani9-e usloob10-e hayaat11
dar-asl12 hai ek saaNs leti hui maut 1.the place of gathering for action – a poetic way of saying “world” 2.without song 3.sound 4.circle, field 5.fervor, zeal 6.spirit 7.dead 8.same colour, monotony 9.same looks 10.ways/qualities/traditions 11.life 12.in reality
At first reading it appears that josh is saying that this world IS bland and uninteresting. But I like to interpret this as an IF-THEN statement. This world will become a place without music and sound. In this field all fervour/joy will be dead, IF all traditions would become similar. In such a case, life would be like breathing death. Thus, josh embraces diversity, cultural and religious.
2
mauqoof1 niza’2-e kufr-o-eemaaN3 kar duN
azdaad4 ka raabta5 numaayaaN6 kar duN
apne dil se agar uTha duN maiN naqaab7
kya dair8 hai, Khud haram9 ko veeraaN kar duN 1.cancel, nullify 2.dispute, conflict 3.faith and unfaith/other faith 4.opposites 5.relationship 6.apparent 7.veil 8.temple 9.mosque
Published in 1937 (probably written a few years before that) at a time when there was active debate among Muslim orthodoxy about daar-ul-harab and daar-ul-islam – region of conflict or region of peace. This was in the context of Muslims living in a Hindu majority India. Thus, josh weighs in and says that he would nullify all this conflict and reveal the relationship between opposites. If he could lift the veil from his heart, it would show one-ness of all humanity and empty both temple and mosque.
3
ye shisha1 rasad-gaah2 ka hai, saNg3 nahiN
phoolauN ka hai, lahu4 ka ye raNg nahiN
sar-e-manzil5-e sulah-daa’emi6 ki jaanib7
ye jaada8-e na-guzeer9 hai, jaNg nahiN 1.lens/mirror 2.observatory/telescope 3.stone, rock 4.blood 5.start of the destination 6.permanent/enduring peace 7.towards 8.pathway 9.unavoidable, essential
Published in 1945, but probably written a bit earlier, in the background of WW II, peace treaties and the formation of the United Nations. The “ye” meaning “this”, probably refers to a peace agreement or the agreement to form the UN. “This” is a telescopic lens (far sighted) not a stone (blind-short sighted). This has the pleasant colour of flowers, not of blood. This is the only pathway towards an enduring peace, not war.
4
ek samt1 adab2 hai ek jaanib3 mazhab4
in donoN meN kaun paak-dil5 hai yaarab6
aalim7 baatil8 ba-qalb9 o haq10 bar-mimbar11
shaa’er eemaN12 ba-seena13 o kufr14 ba-lab15 1.direction 2.culture/humanism 3.direction, side 4.religion 5.pure of heart 6.lord 7.scholar, holy man 8.falsehood 9.in the heart 10.truth 11.on the pulpit 12.truth 13.in the bosom 14.denial, rebellion, irreverence 15.on the lips
On one side culture/civilization, on the other side religion. Which of these two is pure of heart, O lord – the holy man with falsehood in his heart but who claims truth/rectitude on the pulpit or the poet who is true to his spirit but speaks irreverently.
5
insaan ko raah1 par laga de saaqi
raaz2-e tauheed3-e jaaN4 bataa de saaqi
is aalam5-e Khaak6 o aab7 ko kulliyyatan8
har fard9 ka juzv10-e dil bana de saaqi 1.pathway (of truth) 2.secret 3.unity/one-ness 3.life 5.world 6.clay 7.water 8.totally 9.individual 10.component/part of
Put humans on the right path, O saaqi. Reveal the secret of the one-ness of all life (advaita/sufi concepts of unity of life). Make the totality of this world of clay and water, a part of everyone’s heart.
6
ya dil hai tera siyaah1, ya aql hai Khaam2
tu ya to Khirad-nosh3 hai ya Khoon-aashaam4
is roo5-e zamiN pe hai faqat6 ek hi qaum7
aye mojid8-e istelaah9-e bain-ul-aqwaam10 1.dark 2.defective 3.wisdom-eating 4.blood-drinking 5.face of 6.only 7.nation/community 8.inventor 9.terminology, definition 10.international, also the word ‘qaum’ can mean a people
josh takes issue with the terminology ‘international’ – claiming that on the face of this earth there is only one nation (humanity). Thus, the inventor of this term must be either a person of dark heart or twisted mind, who ‘eats wisdom’ or ‘drinks blood’. The latter two terms might mean ‘ignoring wisdom’ and ‘destroying relationships – blood linkages’.
7
qarnauN1 abhi TooTeNge hazaarauN taare
sar se abhi guzreNge karoRauN dhaare
insaaN ban-ne meN hai abhi vaqt bahut
ab tak to faqat2 dum hi jhaRi hai pyaare 1.millenia 2.only
In a light, sarcastic note josh suggests that all that has happened is that man has shed his tail but has not yet become human. Many more stars will explode over many millenia, many more floods will come. A lot more time has to pass before man becomes human.
8
koi hai ahrman1 na koii yazdaaN2
avval insaaN hai aur aaKhir insaaN
aadam ka dimaaGh hai vo kashti-e-azeem3
hone4 pe hai Khoon-e-naKhuda5 meN jo ravaaN 1.evil spirit/satan 2.god, virtuous spirit 3.great/glorious boat 4.being, existence, creation 5.blood/effort of the oarsman
There is neither god nor satan. There is only man, from beginning to end. The human mind is a glorious boat that sails on the river of existence under the power of human effort.
9
insaan ko qaumauN1 meN na baaNTo2 yaaro
tafreeq3 ka lillah4 na kaajal-paaro5
jis par hai ravaaN6 kishti-e tauheed7-e bashar8
us Khoon ke dhaare pe na laaThi maaro 1.communities, nations 2.distribute/divide 3.division/differentiation 4.for god’s sake 5.making collyrium 6.flowing/sailing 7.one-ness, unity 8.human
Do not divide humans into communities/nations. Don’t make differentiation/distinction a beautiful/desirable concept. The boat of human unity/one-ness flows in a river of (the same) blood (genes/relationships). Do not strike at this unity.
10
vo jin ka taKhayyul1 hai najeeb-ut-tarafain2
aatish-kada3 o dair4 bhi un ke haramain5
hota hai unheN hubb-e-vatan6 ka haiza7
hoti nahiN jin ko hazam8, hubb-e-kaunain9 1.thought 2.pure/noble from both sides/parents 3.fire-temple (Zoroastrian) 4.temple (Hindu) 5.holy places (term usually used for Islamic holy places) 6.patriotism 7.cholera/disease 8.digest 9.love of both worlds i.e. all creation, humanity
Those whose thoughts are noble consider the temple and fire-temple also to be their holy places (equal to the k’aaba). Those who cannot digest love of humanity are stricken with the disease of patriotism.
josh malihabadi is well known for his fiery nazm. He also wrote many romantic as well as cerebral nazm and Ghazal. His marsia are a celebration of dignified death rather than bowing to injustice even at the cost of life. He also wrote numerous rubaaii. This series is a collection of nearly 300 rubaaiyaat from various books organized by subject. This selection is one that illustrates josh’s thoughts about humanism – the power of human values vs faith.
1
ye bazm-gah-e-amal1 hai be-naGhma2 o saut3
is daa’ere4 meN valvala5-e rooh6 hai faut7
yak-raNgi8 o yak-saani9-e usloob10-e hayaat11
dar-asl12 hai ek saaNs leti hui maut
1.the place of gathering for action – a poetic way of saying “world” 2.without song 3.sound 4.circle, field 5.fervor, zeal 6.spirit 7.dead 8.same colour, monotony 9.same looks 10.ways/qualities/traditions 11.life 12.in reality
At first reading it appears that josh is saying that this world IS bland and uninteresting. But I like to interpret this as an IF-THEN statement. This world will become a place without music and sound. In this field all fervour/joy will be dead, IF all traditions would become similar. In such a case, life would be like breathing death. Thus, josh embraces diversity, cultural and religious.
2
mauqoof1 niza’2-e kufr-o-eemaaN3 kar duN
azdaad4 ka raabta5 numaayaaN6 kar duN
apne dil se agar uTha duN maiN naqaab7
kya dair8 hai, Khud haram9 ko veeraaN kar duN
1.cancel, nullify 2.dispute, conflict 3.faith and unfaith/other faith 4.opposites 5.relationship 6.apparent 7.veil 8.temple 9.mosque
Published in 1937 (probably written a few years before that) at a time when there was active debate among Muslim orthodoxy about daar-ul-harab and daar-ul-islam – region of conflict or region of peace. This was in the context of Muslims living in a Hindu majority India. Thus, josh weighs in and says that he would nullify all this conflict and reveal the relationship between opposites. If he could lift the veil from his heart, it would show one-ness of all humanity and empty both temple and mosque.
3
ye shisha1 rasad-gaah2 ka hai, saNg3 nahiN
phoolauN ka hai, lahu4 ka ye raNg nahiN
sar-e-manzil5-e sulah-daa’emi6 ki jaanib7
ye jaada8-e na-guzeer9 hai, jaNg nahiN
1.lens/mirror 2.observatory/telescope 3.stone, rock 4.blood 5.start of the destination 6.permanent/enduring peace 7.towards 8.pathway 9.unavoidable, essential
Published in 1945, but probably written a bit earlier, in the background of WW II, peace treaties and the formation of the United Nations. The “ye” meaning “this”, probably refers to a peace agreement or the agreement to form the UN. “This” is a telescopic lens (far sighted) not a stone (blind-short sighted). This has the pleasant colour of flowers, not of blood. This is the only pathway towards an enduring peace, not war.
4
ek samt1 adab2 hai ek jaanib3 mazhab4
in donoN meN kaun paak-dil5 hai yaarab6
aalim7 baatil8 ba-qalb9 o haq10 bar-mimbar11
shaa’er eemaN12 ba-seena13 o kufr14 ba-lab15
1.direction 2.culture/humanism 3.direction, side 4.religion 5.pure of heart 6.lord 7.scholar, holy man 8.falsehood 9.in the heart 10.truth 11.on the pulpit 12.truth 13.in the bosom 14.denial, rebellion, irreverence 15.on the lips
On one side culture/civilization, on the other side religion. Which of these two is pure of heart, O lord – the holy man with falsehood in his heart but who claims truth/rectitude on the pulpit or the poet who is true to his spirit but speaks irreverently.
5
insaan ko raah1 par laga de saaqi
raaz2-e tauheed3-e jaaN4 bataa de saaqi
is aalam5-e Khaak6 o aab7 ko kulliyyatan8
har fard9 ka juzv10-e dil bana de saaqi
1.pathway (of truth) 2.secret 3.unity/one-ness 3.life 5.world 6.clay 7.water 8.totally 9.individual 10.component/part of
Put humans on the right path, O saaqi. Reveal the secret of the one-ness of all life (advaita/sufi concepts of unity of life). Make the totality of this world of clay and water, a part of everyone’s heart.
6
ya dil hai tera siyaah1, ya aql hai Khaam2
tu ya to Khirad-nosh3 hai ya Khoon-aashaam4
is roo5-e zamiN pe hai faqat6 ek hi qaum7
aye mojid8-e istelaah9-e bain-ul-aqwaam10
1.dark 2.defective 3.wisdom-eating 4.blood-drinking 5.face of 6.only 7.nation/community 8.inventor 9.terminology, definition 10.international, also the word ‘qaum’ can mean a people
josh takes issue with the terminology “international” – claiming that on the face of this earth there is only one nation (humanity). Thus, the inventor of this term must be either a person of dark heart or twisted mind, who “eats wisdom” or “drinks blood”. The latter two terms might mean “ignoring wisdom” and “destroying relationships – blood linkages”.
7
qarnauN1 abhi TooTeNge hazaarauN taare
sar se abhi guzreNge karoRauN dhaare
insaaN ban-ne meN hai abhi vaqt bahut
ab tak to faqat2 dum hi jhaRi hai pyaare
1.millenia 2.only
In a light, sarcastic note josh suggests that all that has happened is that man has shed his tail but has not yet become human. Many more stars will explode over many millenia, many more floods will come. A lot more time has to pass before man becomes human.
8
koi hai ahrman1 na koii yazdaaN2
avval insaaN hai aur aaKhir insaaN
aadam ka dimaaGh hai vo kashti-e-azeem3
hone4 pe hai Khoon-e-naKhuda5 meN jo ravaaN
1.evil spirit/satan 2.god, virtuous spirit 3.great/glorious boat 4.being, existence, creation 5.blood/effort of the oarsman
There is neither god nor satan. There is only man, from beginning to end. The human mind is a glorious boat that sails on the river of existence under the power of human effort.
9
insaan ko qaumauN1 meN na baaNTo2 yaaro
tafreeq3 ka lillah4 na kaajal-paaro5
jis par hai ravaaN6 kishti-e tauheed7-e bashar8
us Khoon ke dhaare pe na laaThi maaro
1.communities, nations 2.distribute/divide 3.division/differentiation 4.for god’s sake 5.making collyrium 6.flowing/sailing 7.one-ness, unity 8.human
Do not divide humans into communities/nations. Don’t make differentiation/distinction a beautiful/desirable concept. The boat of human unity/one-ness flows in a river of (the same) blood (genes/relationships). Do not strike at this unity.
10
vo jin ka taKhayyul1 hai najeeb-ut-tarafain2
aatish-kada3 o dair4 bhi un ke haramain5
hota hai unheN hubb-e-vatan6 ka haiza7
hoti nahiN jin ko hazam8, hubb-e-kaunain9
1.thought 2.pure/noble from both sides/parents 3.fire-temple (Zoroastrian) 4.temple (Hindu) 5.holy places (term usually used for Islamic holy places) 6.patriotism 7.cholera/disease 8.digest 9.love of both worlds i.e. all creation, humanity
Those whose thoughts are noble consider the temple and fire-temple also to be their holy places (equal to the k’aaba). Those who cannot digest love of humanity are stricken with the disease of patriotism.
Key Search Words: humamism, universal human values, rationality
