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Recitation
حمد ۔ جان رابرٹ پال نادرؔ شاہجاں پوری
۱
ہوا جب حمد میں مطلعٔ دیواں رقم میرا
ادب سے سر بہ سجدہ ہو گیا پہلے قلم میرا
۲
جو سر خم ہو تو سجدے ہی میں یارب سر ہو خم میرا
قدم اُٹّھے تو تیری راہ میں اُٹّھے قدم میرا
۳
جو تیری چشمِ رحمت ہو تو دَم کے دَم میں ہو جائے
بہِشت و خُلد و عرش و کُرسی و لوح و قلم میرا
۴
تو ہی ہے یا خدا بس ناخدا بحرِحوادث میں
نہیں ہے آشنا کوئی در بِن دریائے غم میرا
۵
بوقتِ جاں کنی لب پر ترا ہی ذِکر جاری ہو
ترا ہی دم بھروں جب تک رہے قالب میں دم میرا
۶
رہوں گا میں جہاں یارب رہے گا میزباں تو ہی
بقائے دائمی میں تو بدل دے گا عدم میرا
۷
بظاہر گو نہیں کشکول بھی ہے پاس اے نادرؔ
بباطن شیشۂ دِل بھی ہے رشکِ جامِ جم میرا
हम्द-जॉन रॉबर्ट पॉल नादिर शाह्जहांपूरी
१
हुआ जब हम्द में मत्ला-ए दीवां रक़म मेरा
अदब से सर ब सिज्दा हो गया पहले क़लम मेरा
२
जो सर ख़म हो तो सिज्दे ही में यारब सर हो ख़म मेरा
क़दम उट्ठे तो तेरी राह में उट्ठे क़दम मेरा
३
जो तेरी चश्म-ए रहमत हो तो दम के दम में हो जाए
बेहिश्त ओ ख़ुल्द ओ अर्श ओ कुर्सी ओ लौह ओ क़लम मेरा
४
तु ही है या ख़ुदा बस नाख़ुदा बहर-ए हवादिस में
नहीं है आश्ना कोई दर बिन दर्या-ए ग़म मेरा
५
बवक़्त-ए जां-कनी लब पर तेरा ही ज़िक्र जारी हो
तेरा ही दम भरूं जब तक रहे क़ालिब में दम मेरा
६
रहूँगा मैं जहां यारब रहेगा मेज़्बां तू ही
बक़ा-ए दाएमी में तू बदल देगा अदम मेरा
७
बज़ाहिर गो नहीं कशकोल भी है पास अए नादिर
बबातिन शीशा-ए दिल भी है रश्क-ए जाम-ए जम मेरा
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. hamd is traditionally a composition in praise of god. nadir shahjahanpuri was a believing/practising Christian and chose to write a hamd and a n’aat-e maseehi in urdu. He also has an extensive ‘divan’ of Ghazal. His hamd looks so like any hamd that any muslim poet might write that even a non-believer like me can marvel at the universal nature of devotion. All sentiments expressed are universal with a sprinkling of Islamic imagery like ‘sijda’.
1
hua jab hamd1 meN matla2-e diivaaN3 raqam4 mera
adab5 se sar ba-sijda6 jo gaya pahle qalam7 mera 1.praise 2.rise (as in sunrise), announce 3.collection of Ghazal 4.writing 5.respect 6.ritual bowing/prostrating in prayer 7.pen
The pen is put to paper to write the first words of the divaan. The poet/devotee likens this to the pen respectfully doing a ritual sijda – prostration. Also, the first words of the divaan are in praise of god.
2
jo sar Kham1 ho to sijde2 hi meN yaarab3 sar ho Kham mera
qadam4 uTThe to teri raah5 meN uTThe qadam mera 1.bend, bow 2.ritual prostration 3.lord 4.step 5.pathway
The poet/devotee prays that his head not bow anywhere except in prayer to god, as in a sijda, that is steps exclusively fall on the pathway towards god.
3
jo teri chashm1-e rahmat2 ho to dam3 ke dam meN ho jaaye
behisht4 o Khuld5 o arsh6 o kursi7 o lauh8 o qalam9 mera 1.eye, glance 2.benevolence 3.instant, minute 4.heaven 5.heaven 6.high/seventh heaven 7.(divine) seat 8.(divine) writing tablet 9.pen
If your (god’s) benevolent glance were to fall (on the poet/devotee) then in an instant he would gain access to the heavens and to the divine/virtuous writing tablet and pen. The last one particularly reflect his desire to write good poetry.
4
tu hi hai ya Khuda bus na-Khuda1 bahr2-e havaadis3 meN
nahiN hai aashna4 koi dar5 bin6 darya7-e Gham8 mera 1.boatman, captain 2.ocean 3.difficulties 4.familiar, known 5.door 6.without 7.sea 8.sorrow, love
O god, you and only you are the captain of my boat that sails in the ocean of difficulties. There is a nice play of words between Khuda and na-Khuda. No door is familiar to me without the ocean of love.
5
ba-vaqt1-e jaaN-kani2 lab3 par tera hi zikr4 jaari5 ho
tera hi dam-bharuN6 jab tak rahe qaalib7 meN dam8 mera 1.at the time of 2.withdrawing of life, death 3.lips 4.narrative 5.prevalent, going on 6.dam-bharna is an expression used to mean ‘believe in’ 7.body 8.breath, life
May only your name be on my lips at the time of death. May my belief in you be firm as long as I have breath in my body.
6
rahuN ga maiN jahaaN yaarab1 rahega mezbaaN2 tu hi
baqaa3-e daa’emi4 meN tu badal dega adam5 mera 1.lord 2.host, protector 3.preservation 4.forever 5.non-existence
I will only be there, where you are the host, my lord. You will change my non-existence into eternal life.
7
ba-zaahir1 go2 nahiN kashkol3 bhi hai paas aye nadir
ba-baatin4 sheesha5-e dil bhi hai rashk6-e jaam7-e jam8 mera 1.superficially evident, illusory 2.even though 3.begging bowl 4.in reality 5.cup of 6.envy of 7.goblet of 8.legendary Persian emporer jamshed
Legend says that the cup/goblet of the Persian emperor had magical powers. You could look into it and divine the future. Here it is used to suggest a cup of high value. Even such a cup is envious/jealous of my heart, which is like a begging bowl, even though on the surface it might look like I don’t have one.
hamd is traditionally a composition in praise of god. nadir shahjahanpuri was a believing/practising Christian and chose to write a hamd and a n’aat-e maseehi in urdu. He also has an extensive ‘divan’ of Ghazal. His hamd looks so like any hamd that any muslim poet might write that even a non-believer like me can marvel at the universal nature of devotion. All sentiments expressed are universal with a sprinkling of Islamic imagery like ‘sijda’.
1
hua jab hamd1 meN matla2-e diivaaN3 raqam4 mera
adab5 se sar ba-sijda6 jo gaya pahle qalam7 mera
1.praise 2.rise (as in sunrise), announce 3.collection of Ghazal 4.writing 5.respect 6.ritual bowing/prostrating in prayer 7.pen
The pen is put to paper to write the first words of the divaan. The poet/devotee likens this to the pen respectfully doing a ritual sijda – prostration. Also, the first words of the divaan are in praise of god.
2
jo sar Kham1 ho to sijde2 hi meN yaarab3 sar ho Kham mera
qadam4 uTThe to teri raah5 meN uTThe qadam mera
1.bend, bow 2.ritual prostration 3.lord 4.step 5.pathway
The poet/devotee prays that his head not bow anywhere except in prayer to god, as in a sijda, that is steps exclusively fall on the pathway towards god.
3
jo teri chashm1-e rahmat2 ho to dam3 ke dam meN ho jaaye
behisht4 o Khuld5 o arsh6 o kursi7 o lauh8 o qalam9 mera
1.eye, glance 2.benevolence 3.instant, minute 4.heaven 5.heaven 6.high/seventh heaven 7.(divine) seat 8.(divine) writing tablet 9.pen
If your (god’s) benevolent glance were to fall (on the poet/devotee) then in an instant he would gain access to the heavens and to the divine/virtuous writing tablet and pen. The last one particularly reflect his desire to write good poetry.
4
tu hi hai ya Khuda bus na-Khuda1 bahr2-e havaadis3 meN
nahiN hai aashna4 koi dar5 bin6 darya7-e Gham8 mera
1.boatman, captain 2.ocean 3.difficulties 4.familiar, known 5.door 6.without 7.sea 8.sorrow, love
O god, you and only you are the captain of my boat that sails in the ocean of difficulties. There is a nice play of words between Khuda and na-Khuda. No door is familiar to me without the ocean of love.
5
ba-vaqt1-e jaaN-kani2 lab3 par tera hi zikr4 jaari5 ho
tera hi dam-bharuN6 jab tak rahe qaalib7 meN dam8 mera
1.at the time of 2.withdrawing of life, death 3.lips 4.narrative 5.prevalent, going on 6.dam-bharna is an expression used to mean ‘believe in’ 7.body 8.breath, life
May only your name be on my lips at the time of death. May my belief in you be firm as long as I have breath in my body.
6
rahuN ga maiN jahaaN yaarab1 rahega mezbaaN2 tu hi
baqaa3-e daa’emi4 meN tu badal dega adam5 mera
1.lord 2.host, protector 3.preservation 4.forever 5.non-existence
I will only be there, where you are the host, my lord. You will change my non-existence into eternal life.
7
ba-zaahir1 go2 nahiN kashkol3 bhi hai paas aye nadir
ba-baatin4 sheesha5-e dil bhi hai rashk6-e jaam7-e jam8 mera
1.superficially evident, illusory 2.even though 3.begging bowl 4.in reality 5.cup of 6.envy of 7.goblet of 8.legendary Persian emporer jamshed
Legend says that the cup/goblet of the Persian emperor had magical powers. You could look into it and divine the future. Here it is used to suggest a cup of high value. Even such a cup is envious/jealous of my heart, which is like a begging bowl, even though on the surface it might look like I don’t have one.
Key Search Words: cross-religious, cross religious, kaaba kaashi, k’aaba-kaashi, k’aaba kaashi, hamd, n’aat-e maseehi, masihi
