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Recitation
اور ہوتے ہیں ۔ ہری چند اختر
۱
جہاں تجھ کو بٹھا کر پوجتے ہیں پوجنے والے
وہ مندر اور ہوتے ہیں شوالے اور ہوتے ہیں
۲
دہانِ زخم سے کہتے ہیں جِن کو مرحبا بِسمل
وہ خنجر اور ہوتے ہیں وہ بھالے اور ہوتے ہیں
۳
جنہیں محرومیِ تاثیر ہی اصلِ تمنّا ہے
وہ آہیں اور ہوتی ہیں وہ نالے اور ہوتے ہیں
۴
جنہیں حاصل ہے تیرا قرب وہ خوش قسمت سہی لیکن
تیری حسرت لئے مر جانے والے اور ہوتے ہیں
۵
جو ٹھوکر ہی نہیں کھاتے وہ سب کچھ ہیں مگر واعظ
وہ جن کو دستِ رحمت خود سنبھالے اور ہوتے ہیں
۶
تلاشِ شمع سے پیدا ہے سوزِ ناتمام اختر
خود اپنی آگ میں جل جانے والے اور ہوتے ہیں
और होते हैं – हरी चंद अख़्तर
१
जहाँ तुझ को बिठा कर पूजते हैं पूजने वाले
वो मंदिर और होते हैं शिवाले और होते हैं
२
दहान-ए-ज़ख़्म से कहते हैं जिन को मरहबा बिस्मिल
वो ख़ंजर और होते हैं वो भाले और होते हैं
३
जिन्हें महरूमी-ए-तासीर ही अस्ल-ए-तमन्ना है
वो आहें और होती हैं वो नाले और होते हैं
४
जिन्हें हासिल है तेरा क़ुर्ब ख़ुश-क़िस्मत सही लैकिन
तेरी हस्रत लिए मर जाने वाले और होते हैं
५
जो ठोकर ही नहीं खाते वो सब कुछ हैं मगर वा’एज़
वो जिन को दस्त-ए-रहमत ख़ुद सँभाले और होते हैं
६
तलाश-ए-शम’अ से पैदा है सोज़-ए-ना-तमाम अख़्तर
ख़ुद अपनी आग में जल जाने वाले और होते हैं
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. hari chand aKhtar (1901-1958) makes fun of orthodoxy in a number of delightful and sarcastic ways. The refrain, “aur hote haiN” is used to mean “those are something else, genuine, higher class” compared to these that we see which are fake, not good quality.
1
jahaaN tujh ko biTha kar poojte haiN poojne vaale
vo mandir aur hote haiN shivaale aur hote haiN Where they sit you down and worship you, O god, those are different temples, different shivalas not these fake ones that we ordinarily see – meaning that the real spirit of worship is found somewhere else, not in conventional temples. The second misra could easily have been …
vo masjid aur hote haiN, shivaale aur hote haiN
2
dahaan1-e zaKhm se kahte haiN jin ko marhaba2 bismil3
vo Khanjar aur hote haiN vo bhaale aur hote haiN 1.mouth 2.bravo, praise, welcome 3.sacrificial animal
Ordinary daggers and spears just wound and kill the sacrificial animal. But there are different/special daggers and spears that are praised/thanked/welcomed by the ‘mouth’ of the open wound of the sacrificial animal even as they cut. The sacrificial animal welcomes these daggers/spears. Of course the “sacrificial animal” could be the poet/lover and the “daggers and spears” could be the beloved’s playful glances. Alternatively, the poet/sacrificial animal is a rebel who welcomes the barbs and cuts of the powerful.
3
jinheN mahroomi1-e taasiir2 hi asl-e-tamanna3 hai
vo aaheN4 aur hoti haiN vo naale5 aur hote haiN 1.devoid of, be without 2.effect, result 3.essence of desire/love 4.sighs 5.laments
The thrust is that love without expecting results (reciprocity) is divine and higher than “selfish” love. The sighs and laments that believe that the lack of effect is the essence of love are ‘something else’ i.e. different from ‘ordinary’ sighs and laments.
4
jinheN haasil1 hai tera qurb2 vo Khush-qismat3 sahi laikin
teri hasrat4 liye mar jaane vaale aur hote haiN 1.available 2.nearness 3.fortunate 4.desire, longing
Those who die quietly, secretly nurturing desire for you in their hearts – they are the true lovers. Those who get to be near you may be fortunate, but they are less than the true lovers who die bearing the burden of unfulfilled desire.
5
jo Thokar1 hi nahiN khaate vo sab kuchh haiN magar vaa’ez2
vo jin ko dast3-e rahmat4 Khud sambhaale aur hote haiN 1.stumble 2.preacher 3.hand of 4.benevolence/forgiveness
There are some who walk the straight and narrow and never stumble. They are all to the good, O preacher. But those that stumble and are lent a hand by the kindness of god, they are something else.
6
talaash1-e shama se paida hai soz2-e na-tamaam3 aKhtar
Khud apni aag meN jal jaane vaale aur hote haiN 1.searching 2.fire/pain/sorrow 3.not complete, continuing
There are those who keep searching for a lamp to light. They are always in pain (of unfulfilled desires). But there are those who offer themselves as fuel for their own fires (they don’t need to look for lamps). They are superior/genuine, O, aKhtar.
hari chand aKhtar (1901-1958) makes fun of orthodoxy in a number of delightful and sarcastic ways. The refrain, “aur hote haiN” is used to mean “those are something else, genuine, higher class” compared to these that we see which are fake, not good quality.
1
jahaaN tujh ko biTha kar poojte haiN poojne vaale
vo mandir aur hote haiN shivaale aur hote haiN
Where they sit you down and worship you, O god, those are different temples, different shivalas not these fake ones that we ordinarily see – meaning that the real spirit of worship is found somewhere else, not in conventional temples. The second misra could easily have been …
vo masjid aur hote haiN, shivaale aur hote haiN
2
dahaan1-e zaKhm se kahte haiN jin ko marhaba2 bismil3
vo Khanjar aur hote haiN vo bhaale aur hote haiN
1.mouth 2.bravo, praise, welcome 3.sacrificial animal
Ordinary daggers and spears just wound and kill the sacrificial animal. But there are different/special daggers and spears that are praised/thanked/welcomed by the ‘mouth’ of the open wound of the sacrificial animal even as they cut. The sacrificial animal welcomes these daggers/spears. Of course the “sacrificial animal” could be the poet/lover and the “daggers and spears” could be the beloved’s playful glances. Alternatively, the poet/sacrificial animal is a rebel who welcomes the barbs and cuts of the powerful.
3
jinheN mahroomi1-e taasiir2 hi asl-e-tamanna3 hai
vo aaheN4 aur hoti haiN vo naale5 aur hote haiN
1.devoid of, be without 2.effect, result 3.essence of desire/love 4.sighs 5.laments
The thrust is that love without expecting results (reciprocity) is divine and higher than “selfish” love. The sighs and laments that believe that the lack of effect is the essence of love are ‘something else’ i.e. different from ‘ordinary’ sighs and laments.
4
jinheN haasil1 hai tera qurb2 vo Khush-qismat3 sahi laikin
teri hasrat4 liye mar jaane vaale aur hote haiN
1.available 2.nearness 3.fortunate 4.desire, longing
Those who die quietly, secretly nurturing desire for you in their hearts – they are the true lovers. Those who get to be near you may be fortunate, but they are less than the true lovers who die bearing the burden of unfulfilled desire.
5
jo Thokar1 hi nahiN khaate vo sab kuchh haiN magar vaa’ez2
vo jin ko dast3-e rahmat4 Khud sambhaale aur hote haiN
1.stumble 2.preacher 3.hand of 4.benevolence/forgiveness
There are some who walk the straight and narrow and never stumble. They are all to the good, O preacher. But those that stumble and are lent a hand by the kindness of god, they are something else.
6
talaash1-e shama se paida hai soz2-e na-tamaam3 aKhtar
Khud apni aag meN jal jaane vaale aur hote haiN
1.searching 2.fire/pain/sorrow 3.not complete, continuing
There are those who keep searching for a lamp to light. They are always in pain (of unfulfilled desires). But there are those who offer themselves as fuel for their own fires (they don’t need to look for lamps). They are superior/genuine, O, aKhtar.
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