For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the “Roman” or “Notes” tab.
Recitation
جلوہ مجھے دِکھا دے ۔ آنند نرائن مُلّا
۱
کبھی تو اے شاہدِ نہانی، یہ پردۂ رنگ و بُو اُٹھا دے
میں اپنی آنکھوں کو بند کر لوں، تو اپنا جلوہ مجھے دِکھا دے
۲
کہاں ہے اے بُلبُلِ نوا سنج، نالۂ درد چھیڑ ایسا
ہر ایک غنچہ کو اِس چمن کے، ترانۂ آرزو سُنا دے
۳
بھرا ہوا رنج و غم سے بیٹھا ہوں، تُو کہاں ہے رفیقِ صادق
یہ چارہ جُو سارے نا سمجھ ہیں، ذرا مجھے چھیڑ کر رُلا دے
۴
وہ اور ہیں طالبانِ کوثر، مرے لئے ساقیا فقط تو
ذرا سی اُلفت کی چاشنی لے کے، شربتِ درد میں مِلا دے
۵
جگر میں جِن کے ہے تابِ عِصیاں، وہی سمجھتے ہیں رازِ ہستی
رہِ طلب میں جو گامزن ہیں، بنیں گے فرزیں وہی پیادے
۶
تبسُمِ گُل کا منتظر ہے، سرودِ جادو نوائے بُلبُل
کوئی نسیمِ سحر سے کہہ دے، کہ جا کے غنچوں کو گُدگُدا دے
۷
اُصولِ ایماں، حصولِ دنیا، فریبِ دانِش، خیالِ عِزّت
یہ سب، اگر دِل کا پاس کچھ ہے، تو آتشِ عشق میں جلا دے
۸
خِرد کی آنکھوں کو بند کر اور، دیکھ پھر جلوہ ہائے پِنہاں
بہار تاروں کی لوٹنی ہے، تو شمع خورشید کو بجھا دے
۹
بہت میں بیباک ہو گیا ہوں، کہیں نہ مستی میں کہہ اُٹھوں کچھ
کِسی بہانے یہی منساب، ہے بزم سے مجھ کو تُو اُٹھا دے
जल्वा मुझे दिखा दे-आनंद नारायन मुल्ला
१
कभी तो अए शाहेद-ए नेहानी, ये परदा-ए रंग ओ बू उठा दे
मैं अपनी आंखों को बन्द कर लूँ, तू अपना जल्वा मुझे दिखा दे
२
कहां है अए बुल्बुल-ए नवा-संज, नाला-ए दर्द छेड़ ऐसा
हर एक ग़ुंचे को इस चमन के, तराना-ए आरज़ू सुना दे
३
भरा हुआ रंज ओ ग़म से बैठा हूं तू कहां है रफ़ीक़-ए सादेक़
ये चारा-जू सारे नासमझ हैं, ज़रा मुझे छेड़ कर रुला दे
४
वो और हैं तालेबान-ए कौसर, मेरे लिए साक़िया फ़क़त तू
ज़रा सी उल्फ़त कि चाशनी ले के शरबत-ए दर्द में मिला दे
५
जिगर में जिन के है ताब-ए इसियाँ, वही समझते हैं राज़-ए हस्ती
रह-ए तलब में जो गाम-ज़न हैं, बनेंगे फ़र्ज़ीं वही पियादे
६
तबस्सुम-ए गुल का मुन्तज़र है, सुरूद-ए जादू नवा-ए बुल्बुल
कोई नसीम-ए सहर से कह दे, के जा के ग़ुंचौं को गुदगुदा दे
७
उसूल-ए ईमां, हुसूल-ए दुनिया, फ़रेब-ए दानिश, ख़याल-ए इज़्ज़त
ये सब अगर दिल का पास कुछ है, तो आतिश-ए इश्क़ में जला दे
८
ख़िरद कि आंखों को बन्द कर और देख फिर जल्वा-हा-ए पिन्हां
बहार तारों कि लूटनी है, तो शमा-ए ख़ुरशीद को बुझा दे
९
बहुत मैं बेबाक हो गया हूं, कहीं न मस्ती में कह उठूं कुछ
किसी बहाने यही मुनासिब है बज़्म से मुझ को तू उठा दे
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. anand narain mulla (1901-1997) was a progressive thinker. A judge and later a member of the lok sabha and then the rajya sabha. All of his writing transcends religion and openly flirts with atheism. This is a highly intellectual, sufiyaana composition, in which he plays with the thought of a hidden beauty, mystical spirit and in the last she’r as if waking up from a trance, asks to be ejected from this etherial ambience, perhaps back to his intellectual self.
1
kabhi to aye shaahed-e-nihaani1, ye parda2-e raNg-o-buu3 uTha de
maiN apni aaNkhauN ko band kar luN, tu apna jalva4 mujhe dikha de 1.hidden beauty 2.veil 3.colour and fragrance, senses, material perception 4.appearance, manifestation
The poet/mystic/sufi asks that the Hidden Beauty, lift the veil of material perception beyond which he cannot ordinarily see, and let him see into the spiritual. He will close his eyes (to material perception and open the door to the spiritual) and wants the Hidden Beauty to reveal itself. This has echoes of mohammed iqbal’s ‘haqiqat-e muntazir’ …
kabhi aye haqiqat-e muntazar nazar aa libaas-e majaaz meN
ke hazaaroN sajde taRap rahe haiN meri jabin-e niyaaz meN
Sometime, O awaited Truth, reveal yourself in to our senses
My prayerful brow is eager to bow down a thousand times
2
kahaaN hai aye bulbul-e nava-sanj1, naala2-e dard3 chheR aisa
har ek Ghunche4 ko is chaman ke, taraana-e-aarzu5 suna de 1.songster singing exclusive songs 2.wailing song 3.pain (of love) 4.unopened flower bud 5.song of love
The ‘bulbul’ is the poet himself. He is calling upon himself to start a song of the pain of love which every unopened flower bud of the garden (perhaps every young person of the country/world) might hear.
3
bhara hua ranj-o-Gham1 se baiTha huN tu kahaaN hai rafeeq-e-saadeq2
ye chaara-ju3 saare naa-samajh4 haiN, zara mujhe chheR5 kar rula de 1.pain and sorrow 2.true friend 3.healers 4.foolish 5.tease
The poet is still speaking as a bulbul. The bulbul is full of pain and sorrow (at its inability to see the beloved) and calls upon its true friend to come. All those around him are trying to console and heal him so that he may get out of his melancholy. They are foolish/they don’t know. He calls upon his true friend to come and tease him so that he may burst into tears. It is this sorrow (of love) to be treasured and celebrated.
4
vo aur1 haiN taalibaan2-e kausar3, mere liye saaqiya4 faqat5 tu
zara si ulfat6 ki chaashni7 le ke sharbat8-e dard9 meN mila de 1.different, other 2.seekers, those who demand 3.name of a river in heaven, used here to mean ‘heaven’ 4.tavern keeper, symbolic of universal love transcending faith 5.only 6.love 7.sweet syrup 8.juice 9.pain (of love)
Those who seek to go to heaven are different from the poet/sufi/mystic. They are bound by the traditions of faith. All that the sufi/mystic wants is the saaqiya (Hidden Beauty, Universal Love). He wants just a little sweet syrup of love mixed in with the juice of pain. Such a mixture is more desirable.
5
jigar1 meN jin ke hai taab2-e isyaaN3, vahi samajhte haiN raaz-e-hasti4
rah-e-talab5 meN jo gaam-zan6 haiN, baneNge farziiN7 vahi piyaade8 1.liver, seat of fortitude 2.(ability to bear the) weight 3.sin, mistake 4.secret of life 5.pathway of desire 6.walking on 7.chess piece of vazir/queen 8.chess piece-pawn
Only those who have the fortitude to bear the weight of mistakes understand the secret of life (They are trying, making mistakes and learning from them. They are also more accepting of others who make mistakes, they are not self-righteous). Only those pawns that are struggling on the path of desire will get to become vazir/queen.
6
tabassum-e-gul1 ka muntazir2 hai, surood3-e jaadu-navaa4-e bulbul
koii nasiim-e-sahr5 se kah de, keh jaa ke GhunchauN6 ko gudguda7 de 1.smile of the rose/flower 2.waiting 3.music/song 4.enchanting voice 5.morning breeze 6.unopened flower buds 7.tickle
The bulbul of enchanting voice is the poet himself and he is impatiently waiting for the flower to smile/bloom. In urdu poetic tradition, the morning breeze blows in and tickles buds and that makes them laugh/bloom. See for example josh malihabadi’s “kaliyauN ki bedaari” …
lapeTe muNh so rahiN theeN kaliyaN, saba ne aakar jo gudgudaya
sarak gaye haiN saroN se aaNchal, tamaam gulshan mahak raha hai
When the morning breeze wakes flowers up, then the bulbul/poet will burst out into song and regail them … tell them about universal love.
7
usool-e-eemaaN1, husool-e-duniya2, fareb-e-daanish3, Khayaal-e-izzat4
ye sub agar5 dil ka paas6 kuchh hai, to aatish-e-ishq7 meN jala de 1.basic principles of faith 2.(material) gain/profit from the world 3.deception of (mistaken confidence in) wisdom 4.concern about honour/(worldly) status 5.if 6.regard for 7.fire of (universal) love
If you have any regard for your heart/soul then take such things as principles of faith, material wealth, your own wisdom/knowledge, worldly position and burn them in the fire of (universal) love. Said Ghalib …
taa’at meN taa rahe na mai o aNgabiN ki laag
dozaKh meN Daal do koi le kar behisht ko
So that there be no temptation of wine and honey in submission
Will someone take heaven and throw it in perdition
8
Khirad1 ki aaNkhauN ko band kar aur, dekh phir jalva-haa2-e pinhaaN3
bahaar4 taarauN ki looTni hai, to shama5-e Khursheed6 ko bujha de 1.(worldly) knowledge 2.manifestations 3.hidden 4.spring, beauty, gentle glow 5.lamp 6.sun
If you want to capture the beautiful glow of the stars, put out the (overpowering light) lamp of the sun. Shut your eyes on (worldly) knowledge and see the hidden spiritual manifestations (of Beauty).
9
bahut maiN be-baak1 ho gaya huN, kahiN na masti2 meN kah uThuN kuchh
kisi bahaane3 yahi munaasib4 hai bazm5 se mujh ko tu uTha de 1.fearless, reckless 2.frenzy, (sufiyaana) trance 3.excuse, pretense 4.appropriate 5.assembly
The poet/rationalist suddenly realizes that maybe he is talking too much and is concerned that he might speak non-sense. He is addressing the ‘saaqi’, suggesting that it might be time to make some pretense and escort him (the poet) out of the assembly.
anand narain mulla (1901-1997) was a progressive thinker. A judge and later a member of the lok sabha and then the rajya sabha. All of his writing transcends religion and openly flirts with atheism. This is a highly intellectual, sufiyaana composition, in which he plays with the thought of a hidden beauty, mystical spirit and in the last she’r as if waking up from a trance, asks to be ejected from this etherial ambience, perhaps back to his intellectual self.
1
kabhi to aye shaahed-e-nihaani1, ye parda2-e raNg-o-buu3 uTha de
maiN apni aaNkhauN ko band kar luN, tu apna jalva4 mujhe dikha de
1.hidden beauty 2.veil 3.colour and fragrance, senses, material perception 4.appearance, manifestation
The poet/mystic/sufi asks that the Hidden Beauty, lift the veil of material perception beyond which he cannot ordinarily see, and let him see into the spiritual. He will close his eyes (to material perception and open the door to the spiritual) and wants the Hidden Beauty to reveal itself. This has echoes of mohammed iqbal’s ‘haqiqat-e muntazir’ …
kabhi aye haqiqat-e muntazar nazar aa libaas-e majaaz meN
ke hazaaroN sajde taRap rahe haiN meri jabin-e niyaaz meN
Sometime, O awaited Truth, reveal yourself in to our senses
My prayerful brow is eager to bow down a thousand times
2
kahaaN hai aye bulbul-e nava-sanj1, naala2-e dard3 chheR aisa
har ek Ghunche4 ko is chaman ke, taraana-e-aarzu5 suna de
1.songster singing exclusive songs 2.wailing song 3.pain (of love) 4.unopened flower bud 5.song of love
The ‘bulbul’ is the poet himself. He is calling upon himself to start a song of the pain of love which every unopened flower bud of the garden (perhaps every young person of the country/world) might hear.
3
bhara hua ranj-o-Gham1 se baiTha huN tu kahaaN hai rafeeq-e-saadeq2
ye chaara-ju3 saare naa-samajh4 haiN, zara mujhe chheR5 kar rula de
1.pain and sorrow 2.true friend 3.healers 4.foolish 5.tease
The poet is still speaking as a bulbul. The bulbul is full of pain and sorrow (at its inability to see the beloved) and calls upon its true friend to come. All those around him are trying to console and heal him so that he may get out of his melancholy. They are foolish/they don’t know. He calls upon his true friend to come and tease him so that he may burst into tears. It is this sorrow (of love) to be treasured and celebrated.
4
vo aur1 haiN taalibaan2-e kausar3, mere liye saaqiya4 faqat5 tu
zara si ulfat6 ki chaashni7 le ke sharbat8-e dard9 meN mila de
1.different, other 2.seekers, those who demand 3.name of a river in heaven, used here to mean ‘heaven’ 4.tavern keeper, symbolic of universal love transcending faith 5.only 6.love 7.sweet syrup 8.juice 9.pain (of love)
Those who seek to go to heaven are different from the poet/sufi/mystic. They are bound by the traditions of faith. All that the sufi/mystic wants is the saaqiya (Hidden Beauty, Universal Love). He wants just a little sweet syrup of love mixed in with the juice of pain. Such a mixture is more desirable.
5
jigar1 meN jin ke hai taab2-e isyaaN3, vahi samajhte haiN raaz-e-hasti4
rah-e-talab5 meN jo gaam-zan6 haiN, baneNge farziiN7 vahi piyaade8
1.liver, seat of fortitude 2.(ability to bear the) weight 3.sin, mistake 4.secret of life 5.pathway of desire 6.walking on 7.chess piece of vazir/queen 8.chess piece-pawn
Only those who have the fortitude to bear the weight of mistakes understand the secret of life (They are trying, making mistakes and learning from them. They are also more accepting of others who make mistakes, they are not self-righteous). Only those pawns that are struggling on the path of desire will get to become vazir/queen.
6
tabassum-e-gul1 ka muntazir2 hai, surood3-e jaadu-navaa4-e bulbul
koii nasiim-e-sahr5 se kah de, keh jaa ke GhunchauN6 ko gudguda7 de
1.smile of the rose/flower 2.waiting 3.music/song 4.enchanting voice 5.morning breeze 6.unopened flower buds 7.tickle
The bulbul of enchanting voice is the poet himself and he is impatiently waiting for the flower to smile/bloom. In urdu poetic tradition, the morning breeze blows in and tickles buds and that makes them laugh/bloom. See for example josh malihabadi’s “kaliyauN ki bedaari” …
lapeTe muNh so rahiN theeN kaliyaN, saba ne aakar jo gudgudaya
sarak gaye haiN saroN se aaNchal, tamaam gulshan mahak raha hai
When the morning breeze wakes flowers up, then the bulbul/poet will burst out into song and regail them … tell them about universal love.
7
usool-e-eemaaN1, husool-e-duniya2, fareb-e-daanish3, Khayaal-e-izzat4
ye sub agar5 dil ka paas6 kuchh hai, to aatish-e-ishq7 meN jala de
1.basic principles of faith 2.(material) gain/profit from the world 3.deception of (mistaken confidence in) wisdom 4.concern about honour/(worldly) status 5.if 6.regard for 7.fire of (universal) love
If you have any regard for your heart/soul then take such things as principles of faith, material wealth, your own wisdom/knowledge, worldly position and burn them in the fire of (universal) love. Said Ghalib …
taa’at meN taa rahe na mai o aNgabiN ki laag
dozaKh meN Daal do koi le kar behisht ko
So that there be no temptation of wine and honey in submission
Will someone take heaven and throw it in perdition
8
Khirad1 ki aaNkhauN ko band kar aur, dekh phir jalva-haa2-e pinhaaN3
bahaar4 taarauN ki looTni hai, to shama5-e Khursheed6 ko bujha de
1.(worldly) knowledge 2.manifestations 3.hidden 4.spring, beauty, gentle glow 5.lamp 6.sun
If you want to capture the beautiful glow of the stars, put out the (overpowering light) lamp of the sun. Shut your eyes on (worldly) knowledge and see the hidden spiritual manifestations (of Beauty).
9
bahut maiN be-baak1 ho gaya huN, kahiN na masti2 meN kah uThuN kuchh
kisi bahaane3 yahi munaasib4 hai bazm5 se mujh ko tu uTha de
1.fearless, reckless 2.frenzy, (sufiyaana) trance 3.excuse, pretense 4.appropriate 5.assembly
The poet/rationalist suddenly realizes that maybe he is talking too much and is concerned that he might speak non-sense. He is addressing the ‘saaqi’, suggesting that it might be time to make some pretense and escort him (the poet) out of the assembly.
