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Recitation
رام رام ہے ۔ رائے بالکشن
۱
خط کا جواب ہے نہ پیام و سلام ہے
اُن کا قصور کیا، میری قسمت کا کام ہے
۲
اے دِل سنھل کے کُوئے ستمگر میں رکھ قدم
اب اُس کی گلی میں معرکۂ قتلِ عام ہے
۳
ہے رُخ سے اُن کے روشنیِ صبح کا ظہور
وہ زلف کھولتے ہیں تو ہو جاتی شام ہے
۴
قسمیں نہ کھاؤ جانتا ہوں عہد آپ کے
پہلی کا وعدہ ہے تو مہینہ تمام ہے
۵
طفلی یہ میری اور یہ سدمے فراق کے
بس عشق کو تو بالکشن رام رام ہے
राम राम है – राए बालकिशन
१
ख़त का जवाब है ना पयाम ओ सलाम है
उन का क़ुसूर क्या, मेरी क़िस्मत का काम है
२
अए दिल संभल के कू-ए सितमगर में रख क़दम
अब उस की गली में म’आरेका-ए क़त्ल-ए आम है
३
है रुख़ से उन के रौशनी-ए सूबह का ज़हूर
वो ज़ुल्फ़ जो खोलते हैं तो हो जाती शाम है
४
क़स्में ना खाओ जानता हूँ अहद आप के
पहली का वा’दा जो है तो महीना तमाम है
५
तिफ़्ली ये मेरी और ये सदमे फ़िराक़ के
बस इश्क़ को तो बालकिशन राम राम है
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. rai balkishan (xxxx-xxxx) of hyderabad. I could not locate dates of his birth and death but his his work is listed as done during the period of 1883-1918. He is listed as a scholar of urdu and farsi. This selection is rather mundane and uses ‘ghase-piTe’ – well worn concepts and analogies but is included to indicate the breadth of urdu poetic tradition among non-muslims.
1
Khat ka javaab hai na payaam o salaam hai
un ka qusoor1 kya, meri qismat ka kaam hai 1.fault
She does not reply to my missives, there is no message or greeting. This is not her fault, it all the doing of my fate.
2
aye dil sanbhal ke koo1-e sitamgar2 meN rakh qadam3
ab us ki gali meN m’aareka4-e qatl-e-aam5 hai 1.street of 2.torturer 3.step 4.field of battle 5.mass killings
In urdu poetic tradition the street of the beloved is where all lovers hang around. ‘sitamgar’, the torturer is the beloved. When she comes out, her lovers catch a glimpse and die, which makes it a mass killing. O, my stricken heart, step carefully into the street of the beloved. It is like a field of battle with a massacre going on.
3
hai ruKh1 se un ke raushni-e subh ka zahoor2
vo zulf3 jo kholte haiN to ho jaati shaam hai 1.face 2.manifestation, emergence 3.hair
The beloved’s face is brilliant and her hair, dark like the night. Her face is like the emergence of morning light (sunrise) and when she spreads her hair, it is as nightfall.
4
qasmeN na khaao jaanta huN ahd1 aap ke
pahli2 ka vaa’da3 jo hai to maheena tamaam4 hai 1.promise 2.first 3.promise 4.complete, finished, over
A rather well-used poetic convention is that the beloved promises to come but never does. Thus … don’t make any promises, for I know all about them. If you promise to come on the first, then I know that the month will soon be over and yet you will not come.
5
tifli1 ye meri aur se sadme2 firaaq3 ke
bas ishq ko to baalkishan4 raam-raam5 hai 1.youth 2.tragedies, sorrows 3.separation (from the beloved) 4.name and pen-name of the poet 5.used both as a greeting and as a good-bye, as in ‘Khuda hafiz’
Even at this young age, these sorrows of separation. I cannot bear them, O baalkishan, it is time to say good-bye to Love.
rai balkishan (xxxx-xxxx) of hyderabad. I could not locate dates of his birth and death but his his work is listed as done during the period of 1883-1918. He is listed as a scholar of urdu and farsi. This selection is rather mundane and uses ‘ghase-piTe’ – well worn concepts and analogies but is included to indicate the breadth of urdu poetic tradition among non-muslims.
1
Khat ka javaab hai na payaam o salaam hai
un ka qusoor1 kya, meri qismat ka kaam hai
1.fault
She does not reply to my missives, there is no message or greeting. This is not her fault, it all the doing of my fate.
2
aye dil sanbhal ke koo1-e sitamgar2 meN rakh qadam3
ab us ki gali meN m’aareka4-e qatl-e-aam5 hai
1.street of 2.torturer 3.step 4.field of battle 5.mass killings
In urdu poetic tradition the street of the beloved is where all lovers hang around. ‘sitamgar’, the torturer is the beloved. When she comes out, her lovers catch a glimpse and die, which makes it a mass killing. O, my stricken heart, step carefully into the street of the beloved. It is like a field of battle with a massacre going on.
3
hai ruKh1 se un ke raushni-e subh ka zahoor2
vo zulf3 jo kholte haiN to ho jaati shaam hai
1.face 2.manifestation, emergence 3.hair
The beloved’s face is brilliant and her hair, dark like the night. Her face is like the emergence of morning light (sunrise) and when she spreads her hair, it is as nightfall.
4
qasmeN na khaao jaanta huN ahd1 aap ke
pahli2 ka vaa’da3 jo hai to maheena tamaam4 hai
1.promise 2.first 3.promise 4.complete, finished, over
A rather well-used poetic convention is that the beloved promises to come but never does. Thus … don’t make any promises, for I know all about them. If you promise to come on the first, then I know that the month will soon be over and yet you will not come.
5
tifli1 ye meri aur se sadme2 firaaq3 ke
bas ishq ko to baalkishan4 raam-raam5 hai
1.youth 2.tragedies, sorrows 3.separation (from the beloved) 4.name and pen-name of the poet 5.used both as a greeting and as a good-bye, as in ‘Khuda hafiz’
Even at this young age, these sorrows of separation. I cannot bear them, O baalkishan, it is time to say good-bye to Love.
Key Search Words: dakkani hindu
