Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. ilyaas rasaa lakhnavi (1890-1965) was the shaagird of munshi muzaffar ali KhaaN aseer. He lived and worked for the Salvation Army in lakhnow and retired in amritsar. This is one of series of posts showing that urdu is a language of the people that grew organically and poets of all religious persuasions and different linguistic backgrounds expressed their sentiments/devotions in urdu poetry. They must have had an audience that appreciated it.
1
bah rahe haiN vo har ek samt¹ karam² ke dhaare
chashmakiN³ karte haiN garduN⁴ pe Khushi se taare
chal rahe haiN sar-e shaitaaN pe alam⁵ ke aare
maut ghabraai hui phirti hai Gham ke maare
jee uTha ibn-e-Khuda⁶ josh⁷ hai sayyaaroN⁸ meN
us ki qudrat⁹ ke ajab raNg haiN gulzaaroN meN    1.direction 2.benevolence 3.joyful wink 4.sky 5.sorrow 6.son of god 7.passion, joy 8.planets/constellations 9.miracle
Rivers of benevolence flow in all directions. Stars in the sky wink at each other with joy. Satan is sorrowful as if his head is being sawed into pieces (because he could not tempt Christ to commit a transgression). Death goes about moping in sadness (because it could not kill Christ). All the stars/constellations are passionate with joy that the son of god has risen. There is a mysterious and miraculous style/colour in god’s garden.
2
sharm se sar ko jhukaaye hue phirte haiN yahood¹
aaj jee uTha hai marqad² se maseeh³-e mau’ood⁴
hai bhari lutf⁵-e Khuda-vandi⁶ se duniya-e shuhood⁷
shaadmaani⁸ ka hai ek daur⁹ tah¹⁰-e charKh-e-kabood¹¹
rahmateN¹² jhoomti phirti haiN shabistaanoN¹³ meN
fazl¹⁴ ka shor¹⁵ hai shahroN meN biyabanoN¹⁶ meN    1.jews (see explanatory note) 2.tomb 3.healer/Jesus 4.that which has been promised 5.pleasure 6.godliness 7.plural of shahed, witnesses (see explanatory note) 8.joy 9.circulation 10.under 11.blue dome/sky 12.blessings 13.night/evening chambers, places of celebration/partying 14.benevolence 15.cry, (joyful) noise 16.wilderness
There is a controversial part of the tradition of faith that jews had placed guards around the body/tomb of Christ to prevent his resurrection. The guards miraculously fainted and the tomb was found empty. Hence the controversial statement that jews are going about shamefaced because the healer that god promised to send, has risen from the dead. ‘duniya-e shuhood’ the world/gathering of witnesses/spectators is used to refer to the day of judgement when all will be present to see. In the language of the faith, the day of resurrection is also referred to as the day of judgement, probably because that was when the sins of the faithful were forgiven. ‘duniya-e shuhood’ is full of joyful people. There are joyful exchanges under the blue sky. Blessings are on offer in all joyful gatherings. A cry of god’s beneficence is heard among people and in the wilderness.
3
jee uTha ibn-e-Khuda¹ sab ko sunaaeN ye Khabar²
aaii jannat se hava sab ko sunaaeN ye Khabar
dar³-e jannat hai khula sab ko sunaaeN ye Khabar
aaj hai vaqt-e-dua⁴ sab ko sunaaeN ye Khabar
daaman⁵-e dil ko rasaa⁶ rahmat⁷-e manji⁸ se bhareN
aao hum sijda-e-shukraana⁹ ba-sad¹⁰ ijz¹¹ kareN 1.son of god 2.news 3.door 4.time to pray/repent 5.hem of the skirt 6.pen-name of the poet 7.blessings 8.redeemer 9.obeisance of thanks 10.with a hundred 11.humility
Spread the news that the son of god has risen. A fresh breeze blows from heaven. The door to heaven has opened wide. Tell everyone that it is time to repent. Let us gather up the blessings of the redeemer. Let us offer obeisance of thanks in humility.