baadshah ki savaari - josh

Recitation

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بادشاہ کی سواری – جوش ملیح آبادی

پرے جماۓ ادب سے کھڑے ہوئے ہیں سوار

سڑک پہ رعب ہے جنبش میں ہیں در و دیوار

چلے تو کیسے چلے نبضِ کوچہ و بازار

اُبل رہا ہے تحکّمُ ، برس رہا ہے غبار

زمیں پہ چرخ سے تنویرِ ماہ آ تی ہے

ہٹو، بچو کہ سوارئ شاہ آ تی ہے

سڑک ہے بند پڑا ہے رُکا ہوا ہر کام

نہ جانے کتنے گھروں میں بپاہےاک کہرام

ہٹا رہے ہیں غریبوں کو سلطنت کے غلام

برس رہے ہیں جو کوڑے تو گر رہے ہیں عوام

سوارئ شہ گردوُں وقار آتی ہے

نویدِ رحمتِ پروردگار آتی ہے

ارے یہ موڑ پہ تیوراکے کون شخص گرا

حضور، ساٹھ برس کی مریض اک بُڑھیا

اِسے ہٹاؤ یہاں سے یہ ہے شگوُن بُرا

لبوں پہ جان ہے چلتاہے سانس کا ڈورا

اِسے ہٹاؤ کہ اِس کا اثر برا ہوگا

جبینِ شاہ پہ بل پڑ گۓ تو کیاہوگا

سفید ہو گیئں آ نکھیں اکڑ چلا ہے بدن

گلے میں سانس ہے ڈھلنے ہی پر ہے اب گردن

حلال خور، ہے کیاا پنی جان کا دشمن

اسے گھسیٹ کے گھوُرے پہ ڈال دے فورأ

جہاں پناہ غضبناک ہو نہ جا ئیں کہیں

نگاہیں شاہ کی ناپاک ہو نہ جا ئیں کہیں

بِگلُ بجا وہ سوارئ شہر یار آئی

خزاں کی رات گئ صبح نو بہار آئی

خدا کا شکر کہ پھر بادِمُشکبار آئی

“ادب کے ساتھ” کی آواز بار بار آئی

فلک نے جان لیااور زمین مان گئ

کسی کی آئی سواری کسی کی جان گئ

बादशाह की सवारी – जोश मलिहाबादी

परे जमाए अदब से खड़े हुए हैं सवार

सड़क पे रो’अब है, जुम्बिश में हैं दर ओ दीवार

चले तो कैसे चले नब्ज़-ए कूचा ओ बेज़ार

उबल रहा है तहक्कुम, बरस रहा है विक़ार

ज़मीं पे चर्ख़ से तनवीर-ए माह आती है

हटो, बचो के सवारी-ए शाह आती है

सड़क है बंद, पड़ा है रुका हुआ हर काम

ना जाने कितने घरौं में बपा है एक कोहराम

हटा रहे हैं ग़रीबों को सलतनत के ग़ुलाम

बरस रहे हैं जो कोड़े तो गिर रहे हैं अवाम

सवारी-ए शाह-ए गर्दूँ विक़ार आती है

नवीद-ए रहमत-ए परवर्दीगार आती है

अरे, ये मोड़ पे त्योरा के कौन शख़्स गिरा

हुज़ूर! साठ बरस की मरीज़ एक बुढ़िया

इसे हटाओ यहां से, ये है शगून बुरा

लबों पे जान है, चलता है सांस का डोरा

इसे हटाओ के इस का असर बुरा होगा

जबीन-ए शाह पे बल पड़ गए तो क्या होगा

सफ़ीद हो गईं आंखें अकड़ चला है बदन

गले में सांस है ढ़लने ही पर है अब गर्दन

हलाल ख़ोर, है क्या अपनी जान का दुश्मन

इसे घसीट के घूरे पे डाल दे फ़ौरन

जहां पनाह गज़बनाक हो ना जाएं कहीं

निगाहें शाह की नापाक हो ना जाएं कहीं

बिगुल बजा, वो सवारी-ए शहरयार आई

ख़िज़ां कि रात गई, सुबह नौ बहार आई

ख़ुदा का शुक्र के फिर बाद-ए मुष्कबार आई

“अदब के साथ” की आवाज़ बार बार आई

फ़लक ने जान लिया, और ज़मीन मान गई

किसी की आई सवारी, किसी की जान गई

baadshah ki savaari – josh malihabadi

Click here for overall comments and on any passage for meanings and discussion.During the 2015 hajj thousands of haajis (pilgrims) died due to asphyxiation and crushing. There are eyewitness and newspaper reports (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Mina_stampede) that one of the members of the Saudi ruling family was performing hajj and his escort/soldiers stopped a flow of pilgrims, diverting them to join another stream, causing overcrowding and asphyxiation. I was reminded of this nazm of Josh Malihabadi. Josh lived in Hyderabad for 10 years. It was customary that whenever the entourage of Osman Ali Khan went out, all traffic was stopped. During one of these incidents a person in need of medical attention got stuck and died. Josh wrote this to mark the tragedy (and partly because of this was declared persona non-grata in Hyderabad State and ordered to leave within a few days).

parey jamaaey¹ adab se² khaRe hue haiN savaar³saRak⁴ pe ro’ab⁵ hai, jumbish⁶ meN haiN dar o deevaar⁷chale to kaise chale nabz⁸-e koocha⁹ o bazaar
ubal¹⁰ raha hai tahakkum¹¹, baras raha hai viqar¹²zamiN pe charKh¹³ se tanveer¹⁴-e maah¹⁵ aati hai
haTo, bacho ke savaari-e shaah aati hai1. standing firm 2. respectfully 3. horsemen 4. road, people on the street 5. awestruck 6. shivering (with fear) 7. doors and walls, buildings 8. pulse 9. street 10. overflowing 11. command 12. respect, grandeur 13. sky 14. brilliance 15. moon
The scene is one of horsemen and soldiers stopping the throbbing pulse of the city, the populace terror struck waiting for the “royal” entourage to pass. Overflowing command structure, raining grandeur, the brilliance of the moon descending on earth – all used in sarcasm asking one and all to step aside to make way.

saRak hai band, paRa hai ruka hua har kaam
na jaane kitne gharauN meN bapa¹⁶ hai ek kohraam¹⁷haTa rahe haiN GharibauN ko saltanat ke Ghulaam¹⁸baras rahe haiN jo koRe to gir rahe haiN avaam¹⁹savaari-e shah-e garduN²⁰ viqaar²¹ aati hai
naveed²²-e rahmat²³-e parvardigaar²⁴ aati hai16. happening 17. tumult, lamentation 18. slaves (employees) of the kingdom 19. public 20. skies, heavens 21. respect, grandeur 22. tidings 23. blessings 24. god
Traffic halted, all work stopped not knowing/caring what problems this causes to people. The (blindly obedient) employees of the kingdom pushing around poor and helpless public as if the entourage like the grandeur of heavens brings blessings of god.

are, ye moR pe tyora²⁵ ke kaun shaKhs²⁶ gira
huzoor! saaTh²⁷ baras ki mareez²⁸ ek buRhiya
is haTaao yahaaN se, ye hai shagoon²⁹ bura
labauN pe jaan hai, chalta hai saaNs ka Dora
isey haTaao ke is ka asar³⁰ bura hoga
jabeen³¹-e shaah pe bal³² paR gaye to kya hoga25. anguish 26. person 27. sixty 28. ill 29. shagun, omen 30. effect 31. brow 32. wrinkles
This is a conversation between a soldier and commander – Who is this falling down in anguish. A sixty year old sick woman, Sir. Remove her, this is a bad omen. But, Sir, she is on her last breath. Take her away. This can have a bad result. What if the royal brow gets wrinkled (in annoyance).

safeed ho gaiiN aaNkheN akaR³³ chala hai badan
gale meN saaNs hai Dhalne³⁴ hi par hai ab gardan
halaal Khor³⁵, hai kya apni jaan ka dushman³⁶isey ghaseeT ke ghoore³⁷ pe Daal de fauran³⁸jahaaN panaah³⁹ Ghazabnaak⁴⁰ ho na jaaeN kahiN
nigaaheN⁴¹ shaah ki napaak⁴² ho na jaaeN kahiN33. stiff 34. going limp 35. a sarcastic way of saying the opposite “haraam Khor” 36. do you want to lose your life (get a death sentence) 37. trash pile 38. immediately 39. protector of the world 40. furious 41. eyes 42. defiled
The soldier appears to continue to protest. Her eyes are losing their luster, the body is stiff and the neck is about to slump over. He gets scolded – haraam Khor, do you want to be hanged? Drag her over to the trashpile, lest she defile the royal sight.

bigul baja, vo savaari-e shahryaar⁴³ aaii
KhizaaN⁴⁴ ki raat gaii, subah nau bahaar⁴⁵ aaii
Khuda ka shukr ke phir baad⁴⁶-e mushkbaar⁴⁷ aaii
“adab ke saath⁴⁸” ki aavaz baar baar aaii
falak⁴⁹ ne jaan liya, aur zamin maan gaii
kisi ki aaii savaari, kisi ki jaan gaii43. entourage of the king 44. autumn 45. spring 46. breeze 47. bearing the fragrance of musk 48. with due respect – a call warning people to be respectful at the arrival of the king 49. heavens
The bugle sounds, the royal entourage arrives. The barren autumn is over verdant spring has arrived. A breeze bearing the fragrance of musk blows in. Beware, be respectful – the call is repeated. Heavens now know, the earth is convinced – someone’s entourage arrives, someone’s life departs.

badshah ki savaari – josh malihabadi

Overall Comments
During the 2015 hajj thousands of haajis (pilgrims) died due to asphyxiation and crushing. There are eyewitness and newspaper reports (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Mina_stampede) that one of the members of the Saudi ruling family was performing hajj and his escort/soldiers stopped a flow of pilgrims, diverting them to join another stream, causing overcrowding and asphyxiation. I was reminded of this nazm of Josh Malihabadi. Josh lived in Hyderabad for 10 years. It was customary that whenever the entourage of Osman Ali Khan went out, all traffic was stopped. During one of these incidents a person in need of medical attention got stuck and died. Josh wrote this to mark the tragedy (and partly because of this was declared persona non-grata in Hyderabad State and ordered to leave within a few days).

1. standing firm 2. respectfully 3. horsemen 4. road, people on the street 5. awestruck 6. shivering (with fear) 7. doors and walls, buildings 8. pulse 9. street 10. overflowing 11. command 12. respect, grandeur 13. sky 14. brilliance 15. moon
The scene is one of horsemen and soldiers stopping the throbbing pulse of the city, the populace terror struck waiting for the “royal” entourage to pass. Overflowing command structure, raining grandeur, the brilliance of the moon descending on earth – all used in sarcasm asking one and all to step aside to make way.

16. happening 17. tumult, lamentation 18. slaves (employees) of the kingdom 19. public 20. skies, heavens 21. respect, grandeur 22. tidings 23. blessings 24. god
Traffic halted, all work stopped not knowing/caring what problems this causes to people. The (blindly obedient) employees of the kingdom pushing around poor and helpless public as if the entourage like the grandeur of heavens brings blessings of god.

25. anguish 26. person 27. sixty 28. ill 29. shagun, omen 30. effect 31. brow 32. wrinkles
This is a conversation between a soldier and commander – Who is this falling down in anguish. A sixty year old sick woman, Sir. Remove her, this is a bad omen. But, Sir, she is on her last breath. Take her away. This can have a bad result. What if the royal brow gets wrinkled (in annoyance).

33. stiff 34. going limp 35. a sarcastic way of saying the opposite “haraam Khor” 36. do you want to lose your life (get a death sentence) 37. trash pile 38. immediately 39. protector of the world 40. furious 41. eyes 42. defiled
The soldier appears to continue to protest. Her eyes are losing their luster, the body is stiff and the neck is about to slump over. He gets scolded – haraam Khor, do you want to be hanged? Drag her over to the trashpile, lest she defile the royal sight.

43. entourage of the king 44. autumn 45. spring 46. breeze 47. bearing the fragrance of musk 48. with due respect – a call warning people to be respectful at the arrival of the king 49. heavens
The bugle sounds, the royal entourage arrives. The barren autumn is over verdant spring has arrived. A breeze bearing the fragrance of musk blows in. Beware, be respectful – the call is repeated. Heavens now know, the earth is convinced – someone’s entourage arrives, someone’s life departs.