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Recitation
تم ہو کہ صبا ہو ۔ ہری چند اختر
۱
کلیوں کا تبسم ہو، کہ تم ہو کہ صبا ہو
اس رات کے سناٹے میں، کوئی تو صدا ہو
۲
یوں جسم مہکتا ہے ہوائے گل تر سے!
جیسے کوئی پہلو سے ابھی اٹھ کے گیا ہو
۳
دنیا ہمہ تن گوش ہے، آہستہ سے بولو
کچھ اور قریب آؤ، کوئی سن نہ رہا ہو
۴
یہ رنگ، یہ انداز نوازش تو وہی ہے
شاید کہ کہیں پہلے بھی تو مجھ سے ملا ہو
۵
یوں رات کو ہوتا ہے گماں دل کی صدا پر
جیسے کوئی دیوار سے سر پھوڑ رہا ہو
۶
دنیا کو خبر کیا ہے مرے ذوقِ نظر کی
تم میرے لئے رنگ ہو، خوشبو ہو، ضیا ہو
۷
یوں تیری نگاہوں میں اثر ڈھونڈ رہا ہوں
جیسے کہ تجھے دل کے دھڑکنے کا پتا ہو
۸
اس درجہ محبت میں تغافل نہیں اچھا
ہم بھی جو کبھی تم سے گریزاں ہوں تو کیا ہو
۹
ہم خاک کے ذرّوں میں ہیں اخترؔ بھی، گہر بھی
تم بامِ فلک سے، کبھی اترو تو پتا ہو
तुम हो कि सबा हो – हरी चंद अख़्तर
१
कलियों का तबस्सुम हो, के तुम हो के सबा हो
इस रात के सन्नाटे में, कोई तो सदा हो
२
यूँ जिस्म महकता है हवा-ए-गुल-ए-तर से!
जैसे कोई पहलू से अभी उठ के गया हो
३
दुनिया हमा-तन-गोश है, आहेस्ता से बोलो
कुछ और क़रीब आओ, कोई सुन न रहा हो
४
ये रंग, ये अंदाज़-ए-नवाज़िश तो वही है
शायद के कहीं पहले भी तू मुझ से मिला हो
५
यूँ रात को होता है गुमाँ दिल की सदा पर
जैसे कोई दीवार से सर फोड़ रहा हो
६
दुनिया को ख़बर क्या है मेरे ज़ौक़-ए-नज़र की
तुम मेरे लिए रंग हो, ख़ुशबू हो, ज़िया हो
७
यूँ तेरी निगाहों में असर ढूँड रहा हूँ
जैसे के तुझे दिल के धड़कने का पता हो
८
इस दर्जा मोहब्बत में तग़ाफ़ुल नहीं अच्छा
हम भी जो कभी तुम से गुरेज़ाँ हों तो क्या हो
९
हम ख़ाक के ज़र्रों में हैं ‘अख़्तर’ भी, गोहर भी
तुम बाम-ए-फ़लक से, कभी उतरो तो पता हो
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. hari chand aKhtar (1901-1958) wrote many thought provoking and rebellious Ghazal and qat’aat against orthodoxy and divinity and at the same time wrote highly devotional n’aat to mohammed and a nazm to krishn. This is one of his unusual romantic Ghazal. But then, substitute the beloved for god and see what happens.
1
kaliyauN ka tabassum1 ho, ke tum ho ke saba2 ho
is raat ke sannaaTe3 meN, koii to sada4 ho 1.smile 2.morning breeze 3.silence 4.sound
It is the wee hours of the late night, pre-dawn hours. The poet/lover longs for some sound of the beloved. What he hears is so gentle that it sounds like she is coming or like the clicking of petals as buds blossom into flowers or the gentle breeze of the early morning. Also see josh malihabadi’s albeli subah …
khaTak ye kyuN dil meN ho chali phir chiTakti kaliyo zara Thahrna
hava-e gulshan ki narm rau meN, ye kis ki avaaz aa rahi hai
2
yuN jism1 mahakta2 hai hava-e gul3-e tar4 se!
jaise koi pahlu5 se abhi uTh ke gaya ho 1.body 2.fragrant 3.rose 4.moist, fresh 5.side
The gentle breeze engulfs the poet in the fragrance of fresh roses. He imagines that fragrance clinging to his own body, as if the beloved had just gotten up from his side.
3
duniya hama-tan1 gosh2 hai, aahista se bolo
kuchh aur qareeb3 aao, koii sun na rahaa ho 1.embodiment, totally 2.ears 3.near
What a lovely trick to get the beloved to come closer. The world is all ears, speak softly. Come closer, somone might be listening.
4
ye raNg, ye andaaz1-e navaazish2 to vahi hai
shaa’ed3 ke kahiN pahle bhi tu mujh se mila ho 1.style 2.kindness, benevolence 3.perhaps
The beloved has ways and a style of benevolence (showing love) that seems familiar. He wonders if he has met her before. This poetically beautiful but an unusual construction. More usually the beloved withholds her kindness and the poet/lover never recalls another similar (possibly different) beloved.
5
yuN raat ko hota hai gumaaN1 dil ki sada2 par
jaise koi deevaar se sar phoR rahaa ho 1.suspicion 2.sound
The poet/lover’s heart is pounding in his chest so hard that it seems to him as if someone is banging their head against a wall.
6
duniya ko Khabar1 kya hai mere zauq2-e nazar3 ki
tum mere liye raNg ho, Khushboo ho, ziya4 ho 1.knowledge, awareness 2.taste 3.sight 4.light, brilliance
The poet/lover claims that the world does not know how much of an exquisite taste in beauty/looks he has. For him she is all the beauty of colour, fragrance and brilliance. Thus he is praising himself along with the beauty of the beloved.
7
yuN teri nigaahauN1 meN asar2 DhoonD raha huN
jaise ke tujhe dil ke dhaRakne3 ka pata ho 1.eyes 2.effect 3.beating, throbbing
The poet/lover looks into her eyes to try and see the effect of his love on her, as if she can hear the throbbing of his heart.
8
is darja1 mohabbat meN taGhaaful2 nahiN achchha
hum bhi jo kabhi tum se gurezaaN3 hoN to kya ho 1.degree, extent, quantity 2.forgetfulness, neglect 3.run away, flee
A complaint and an unusual threat. So much neglect is not good in love. What if I too run away from you. Here again the poet inserts his own status/dignity. It is not the usual abject submission to the beloved’s neglect.
9
hum Khaak1 ke zarrauN2 meN haiN aKhtar3 bhi, guhar4 bhi
tum baam5-e falak6 se, kabhi utro to pata ho 1.dust, sand 2.particles, grains 3.star 4.gem, pearl 5.roof, top 6.sky
This is a beautiful use of the taKhallus, pen-name of the poet – aKhtar which also means star. It is also a veiled complaint that the beloved is too proud and withdrawn. Among the grains of sand, I am like a star and a gem. If you ever come down (to earth) from the heights of the sky, you will know. Once again the poet/lover forsakes the traditional path of abject submission and makes demands and asserts his own dignity.
hari chand aKhtar (1901-1958) wrote many thought provoking and rebellious Ghazal and qat’aat against orthodoxy and divinity and at the same time wrote highly devotional n’aat to mohammed and a nazm to krishn. This is one of his unusual romantic Ghazal. But then, substitute the beloved for god and see what happens.
1
kaliyauN ka tabassum1 ho, ke tum ho, ke saba2 ho
is raat ke sannaaTe3 meN, koii to sada4 ho
1.smile 2.morning breeze 3.silence 4.sound
It is the wee hours of the late night, pre-dawn hours. The poet/lover longs for some sound of the beloved. What he hears is so gentle that it sounds like she is coming or like the clicking of petals as buds blossom into flowers or the gentle breeze of the early morning. Also see josh malihabadi’s albeli subah …
khaTak ye kyuN dil meN ho chali phir chiTakti kaliyo zara Thahrna
hava-e gulshan ki narm rau meN, ye kis ki avaaz aa rahi hai
2
yuN jism1 mahakta2 hai hava-e gul3-e tar4 se!
jaise koi pahlu5 se abhi uTh ke gaya ho
1.body 2.fragrant 3.rose 4.moist, fresh 5.side
The gentle breeze engulfs the poet in the fragrance of fresh roses. He imagines that fragrance clinging to his own body, as if the beloved had just gotten up from his side.
3
duniya hama-tan1 gosh2 hai, aahista se bolo
kuchh aur qareeb3 aao, koii sun na rahaa ho
1.embodiment, totally 2.ears 3.near
What a lovely trick to get the beloved to come closer. The world is all ears, speak softly. Come closer, somone might be listening.
4
ye raNg, ye andaaz1-e navaazish2 to vahi hai
shaa’ed3 ke kahiN pahle bhi tu mujh se mila ho
1.style 2.kindness, benevolence 3.perhaps
The beloved has ways and a style of benevolence (showing love) that seems familiar. He wonders if he has met her before. This poetically beautiful but an unusual construction. More usually the beloved withholds her kindness and the poet/lover never recalls another similar (possibly different) beloved.
5
yuN raat ko hota hai gumaaN1 dil ki sada2 par
jaise koi deevaar se sar phoR rahaa ho
1.suspicion 2.sound
The poet/lover’s heart is pounding in his chest so hard that it seems to him as if someone is banging their head against a wall.
6
duniya ko Khabar1 kya hai mere zauq2-e nazar3 ki
tum mere liye raNg ho, Khushboo ho, ziya4 ho
1.knowledge, awareness 2.taste 3.sight 4.light, brilliance
The poet/lover claims that the world does not know how much of an exquisite taste in beauty/looks he has. For him she is all the beauty of colour, fragrance and brilliance. Thus he is praising himself along with the beauty of the beloved.
7
yuN teri nigaahauN1 meN asar2 DhoonD raha huN
jaise ke tujhe dil ke dhaRakne3 ka pata ho
1.eyes 2.effect 3.beating, throbbing
The poet/lover looks into her eyes to try and see the effect of his love on her, as if she can hear the throbbing of his heart.
8
is darja1 mohabbat meN taGhaaful2 nahiN achchha
hum bhi jo kabhi tum se gurezaaN3 hoN to kya ho
1.degree, extent, quantity 2.forgetfulness, neglect 3.run away, flee
A complaint and an unusual threat. So much neglect is not good in love. What if I too run away from you. Here again the poet inserts his own status/dignity. It is not the usual abject submission to the beloved’s neglect.
9
hum Khaak1 ke zarrauN2 meN haiN aKhtar3 bhi, guhar4 bhi
tum baam5-e falak6 se, kabhi utro to pata ho
1.dust, sand 2.particles, grains 3.star 4.gem, pearl 5.roof, top 6.sky
This is a beautiful use of the taKhallus, pen-name of the poet – aKhtar which also means star. It is also a veiled complaint that the beloved is too proud and withdrawn. Among the grains of sand, I am like a star and a gem. If you ever come down (to earth) from the heights of the sky, you will know. Once again the poet/lover forsakes the traditional path of abject submission and makes demands and asserts his own dignity.
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