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Recitation
حسین ۔ بنارسی لال ورما لکھنوی
۱
دو جہاں میں نائب خیرالانام ایسا تو ہو
دیکھنے والے خدا کہہ دیں اِمام ایسا تو ہو
۲
رشک ہے دنیا کو اب تک رفعتِ شبّیر پر
مصطفیٰ ناقہ بنیں عالی مقام ایسا تو ہو
۳
تیری عظمت تک کوئی شبّیر پہنچا ہی نہیں
جو رہے یکساں زبان و دِل پہ نام ایسا تو ہو
۴
مضطرب ہوں سوکھے ہونٹوں تک پہنچنے کے لئے
موجیں سر ٹکرائٰیں کوئی تشنہ کام ایسا تو ہو
۵
روند کر دوزخ کو جنّت کی طرف آتا ہے حُر
دونوں عالم کہہ رہے ہیں خوش خرام ایسا تو ہو
۶
آ چُکا جو لب پہ گردوں کے ستاروں کے سوا
جُز شہہ والا کسی بندے کا نا م ایسا تو ہو
۷
کہتے تھے سجّاد کے خطبے کو سُن کر اہلِ شام
لوحِ دِل پر نقش ہو جائے کلام ایسا تو ہو
۸
تشنگی میں جس کو اپنے خون سے بھر دیں حسین
جس سے ہو سیراب اُمّت کوئی جام ایسا تو ہو
۹
جس کو سن کر اہلِ دِل رو کر کلیجہ تھام لیں
اے علی کے لال ورما کا سلام ایسا تو ہو
हुसैन – बनारसी लाल वरमा लखनवी
१
दो जहां में नाएब-ए ख़ैर-उल-अनाम ऐसा तो हो
देखने वाले ख़ुदा कह दें इमाम ऐसा तो हो
२
रश्क है दुनिया को अब तक रफ़’अत-ए शब्बीर पर
मुस्तफ़ा नाक़ा बनें आली मक़ाम ऐसा तो हो
३
तेरी अज़्मत तक कोई शब्बीर पहुंचा ही नहीं
जो रहे यक्सां ज़बान ओ दिल पे नाम ऐसा तो हो
४
मुज़्तरिब हों सूखे होंटौं तक पहुंचने के लिए
मौजें सर टक्राएं कोई तिश्ना-काम ऐसा तो हो
५
रौंद कर दोज़ख़ को जन्नत की तरफ़ आता है हुर
दोनों आलम कह रहे हैं ख़ुश ख़राम ऐसा तो हो
६
आ चुका जो लब पे गर्दूं के सितारौं के सिवा
जुज़ शह-ए वाला किसी बन्दे का नाम ऐसा तो हो
७
कहते थे सज्जाद के ख़ुत्बे को सुन कर अहल-ए शाम
लौह-ए दिल पर नक़्श हो जाए कलाम ऐसा तो हो
८
तिश्नगी, जिस को अपने ख़ून से भर दें हुसैन
जिस से हो सैराब उम्मत, कोई जाम ऐसा तो हो
९
जिस को सुन कर अहल-ए दिल रो कर कलेजा थाम लें
अए अली के लाल वरमा का सलाम ऐसा तो हो
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. banarsi lal varma lakhnavi (????-????). I don’t know much more than this about him. From secondary sources where he is quoted, all I can say is that he was a practising hindu, claimed that husain belonged to all humanity, and wrote elegies and odes to him and his followers.
1
do jahaaN meN naa’eb1-e Khair-ul-anaam2 aisa to ho
dekhne vaale Khuda kah deN imaam3 aisa to ho 1.representative, deputy 2.blessing for mankind, mohammed 3.leader
‘Khair-ul-anaam’ is often used as a title/attribute of mohammed. A representative of mohammed should be like this (like husain). Those who see should attribute divinity to him, such should be a leader.
2
rashk1 hai duniya ko ab tak raf’at2-e shabbir3 par
mustafa4 naaqa5 baneN, aali-maqaam6 aisa to ho 1.envy, source of pride 2.heights, greatness 3.another name of husain 4.another name of mohammed 5.camel 6.high status
It is commonly believed that hasan and husain (as young children) would play and ride their grandfather’s back, pretending that he was their camel/horse. This greatness of husain is a source of pride for the whole world.
3
teri azmat1 tak koii shabbir pahuNcha hi nahiN
jo rahe yaksaaN2 zabaan o dil pe naam aisa to ho 1.greatness 2.always
Nobody has reached your stature, O husain/shabbir. There is no other name constantly in our hearts and on our lips.
4
muztarib1 hoN sookhe hoNToN tak pahuNchne ke liye
maujeN sar Takraa’eN koii tishna-kaam2 aisa to ho 1.restless 2.thirsty throat
This has reference to the battle of karbala in which husain and his followers were denied access to water, even though the river was only a short distance from their camp. The imagery painted is that waves are beating their head against the bank, eager/restless to reach the thirsty throat of husain.
5
raund1 kar dozaKh ko jannat ki taraf aata hai hur2
donoN aalam kah rahe haiN Khush-Kharaam3 aisa to ho 1.trample, reject 2.warrior who changed sides 3.pleasing gait
‘hur’ was one of the commanders in yazid’s army, leading an advance party to divert husain away from the river and access to water. He did so, but in the process was much impressed with husain’s character and his position. On the morning of the battle he changed sides and came over to husain, knowing full well that he would be killed. Thus, he rejected hell and chose and walked towards heaven. This is the kind of pleasant gait that we shoud have.
6
aa chuka jo lab pe garduN1 ke sitaaroN ke siva2
juz3 shah-e-vaala4 kisi bande5 ka naam aisa to ho 1.skies, heaven 2.other than, beyond 3.except for 4.king of the worlds 5.creature, human
I am not sure if I fully understand this … if this is just a poetic expression or if the poet is referring to any specific belief/legend – in the heavens, beyond the stars, the name that could be heard was none other than that of husain. I know that husain is often referred to as shah-e-vaala. I am not sure what the ‘vaala’ means. I was told that it might mean something like, “high/exalted”. The expression was first used by amir Khusro.
7
kahte the sajjad1 ke Khutbe2 ko sun kar ahl-e-shaam3
lauh-e-dil4 par naqsh5 ho jaaye, kalaam6 aisa to ho 1.eldest son and heir of husain 2.sermon, speech 3.people of the court of yazid 4.tablet off the heart 5.engraved 6.speech
After the battle of karbala sajjad and other family members were taken prisoner and taken to ‘shaam/syria’ to the court of yazid. It is reporter that sajjad delivered a speech/Khutba at the court that greatly affected the enemy (courtiers of yazid). Thus says the poet, a Khutba should be of a quality that engraves itslef on the tablet of the heart, like that of sajjad in the court of yazid.
8
tishnagi1 jis ko apne Khoon se bhar deN husain
jis se ho sairaab2 ummat3 koii jaam4 aisa to ho 1.thirst 2.satiated, fulfilled 3.community 4.cup
The shedding of husain’s blood/his sacrifice is portrayed as filling a cup with his blood that satisfying the thirst of the whole community.
9
jis ko sun kar ahl-e dil ro kar kaleja thaam leN
aye ali ke laal varma ka salaam aisa to ho banarsi laal varma is referring to his composition – a salaam – a poem that is considered a devotional offering. ‘ali ke laal’ is son of ali i.e. husain. Thus, banarsi laal varma wishes/prays that husain grant him the ability to write a salaam that affects people so much that they hold their hearts in sorrow.
banarsi lal varma lakhnavi (????-????). I don’t know much more than this about him. From secondary sources where he is quoted, all I can say is that he was a practising hindu, claimed that husain belonged to all humanity, and wrote elegies and odes to him and his followers.
1
do jahaaN meN naa’eb1-e Khair-ul-anaam2 aisa to ho
dekhne vaale Khuda kah deN imaam3 aisa to ho
1.representative, deputy 2.blessing for mankind, mohammed 3.leader
‘Khair-ul-anaam’ is often used as a title/attribute of mohammed. A representative of mohammed should be like this (like husain). Those who see should attribute divinity to him, such should be a leader.
2
rashk1 hai duniya ko ab tak raf’at2-e shabbir3 par
mustafa4 naaqa5 baneN, aali-maqaam6 aisa to ho
1.envy, source of pride 2.heights, greatness 3.another name of husain 4.another name of mohammed 5.camel 6.high status
It is commonly believed that hasan and husain (as young children) would play and ride their grandfather’s back, pretending that he was their camel/horse. This greatness of husain is a source of pride for the whole world.
3
teri azmat1 tak koii shabbir pahuNcha hi nahiN
jo rahe yaksaaN2 zabaan o dil pe naam aisa to ho
1.greatness 2.always
Nobody has reached your stature, O husain/shabbir. There is no other name constantly in our hearts and on our lips.
4
muztarib1 hoN sookhe hoNToN tak pahuNchne ke liye
maujeN sar Takraa’eN koii tishna-kaam2 aisa to ho
1.restless 2.thirsty throat
This has reference to the battle of karbala in which husain and his followers were denied access to water, even though the river was only a short distance from their camp. The imagery painted is that waves are beating their head against the bank, eager/restless to reach the thirsty throat of husain.
5
raund1 kar dozaKh ko jannat ki taraf aata hai hur2
donoN aalam kah rahe haiN Khush-Kharaam3 aisa to ho
1.trample, reject 2.warrior who changed sides 3.pleasing gait
‘hur’ was one of the commanders in yazid’s army, leading an advance party to divert husain away from the river and access to water. He did so, but in the process was much impressed with husain’s character and his position. On the morning of the battle he changed sides and came over to husain, knowing full well that he would be killed. Thus, he rejected hell and chose and walked towards heaven. This is the kind of pleasant gait that we shoud have.
6
aa chuka jo lab pe garduN1 ke sitaaroN ke siva2
juz3 shah-e-vaala4 kisi bande5 ka naam aisa to ho
1.skies, heaven 2.other than, beyond 3.except for 4.king of the worlds 5.creature, human
I am not sure if I fully understand this … if this is just a poetic expression or if the poet is referring to any specific belief/legend – in the heavens, beyond the stars, the name that could be heard was none other than that of husain. I know that husain is often referred to as shah-e-vaala. I am not sure what the ‘vaala’ means. I was told that it might mean something like, “high/exalted”. The expression was first used by amir Khusro.
7
kahte the sajjad1 ke Khutbe2 ko sun kar ahl-e-shaam3
lauh-e-dil4 par naqsh5 ho jaaye, kalaam6 aisa to ho
1.eldest son and heir of husain 2.sermon, speech 3.people of the court of yazid 4.tablet off the heart 5.engraved 6.speech
After the battle of karbala sajjad and other family members were taken prisoner and taken to ‘shaam/syria’ to the court of yazid. It is reporter that sajjad delivered a speech/Khutba at the court that greatly affected the enemy (courtiers of yazid). Thus says the poet, a Khutba should be of a quality that engraves itslef on the tablet of the heart, like that of sajjad in the court of yazid.
8
tishnagi1 jis ko apne Khoon se bhar deN husain
jis se ho sairaab2 ummat3 koii jaam4 aisa to ho
1.thirst 2.satiated, fulfilled 3.community 4.cup
The shedding of husain’s blood/his sacrifice is portrayed as filling a cup with his blood that satisfying the thirst of the whole community.
9
jis ko sun kar ahl-e dil ro kar kaleja thaam leN
aye ali ke laal varma ka salaam aisa to ho
banarsi laal varma is referring to his composition – a salaam – a poem that is considered a devotional offering. ‘ali ke laal’ is son of ali i.e. husain. Thus, banarsi laal varma wishes/prays that husain grant him the ability to write a salaam that affects people so much that they hold their hearts in sorrow.
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