Recitation
آ تو رہا ہے ۔ مخدوم محی الدین
کچھ پھول سرِ صحنِ چمن کھل تو رہے ہیں
اِک نور سرِ طور نظر آ تو رہا ہے
صدیوں سے صدف بند، گہر بند، نظر بند
وہ جانِ صدف، جانِ گہر، آ تو رہا ہے
لب سرد، نظر سرد، بدن سرد، ہے دل سرد
وہ جان مسیحا نفساں آ تو رہا ہے
آنکھوں میں حیا، لب پہ ہنسی آ تو رہی ہے
آغوشِ سحر میں کوئی شرما تو رہا ہے
आ तो रहा है – मख़दूम मोहिउद्दीन
कुच्छ फूल सर ए सह्न ए चमन खिल तो रहे हैं
एक नूर सर ए तूर नज़र आ तो रहा है
सदियों से सदफ़ बंद, गोहर बंद, नज़र बंद
वो जान ए सदफ़, जान ए गोहर, आ तो रहा है
लब सर्द, नज़र सर्द, बदन सर्द, है दिल सर्द
वो जान ए मसीहा नफ़सां आ तो रहा है
आँखों में हया, लब पे हंसी आ तो रही है
आग़ोश ए सहर में कोई शरमा तो रहा है
aa to raha hai – maKhdoom mohiuddin
Click here for overall comments and on any passage for meanings and discussion.Makhdoom, like Faiz is hoping for the coming socialist order. Emerging signs of hope, coming of the beloved, miraculous cures – are all related to the coming of socialist awakening. This is heavily laden with metaphors with “beloved” being used for the “socialist order”.
kuchh phool sar-e sahn-e chaman1 khil to rahe haiN
ek noor sar-e toor2 nazar aa to raha hai
sadiyoN3 se sadaf4 band, gohar5 band, nazar band
vo jaan-e sadaf, jaan-e gohar, aa to raha hai1. at the head of the garden 2. peak of Mt. Toor (where Moses saw a manifestation of god) 3. centuries 4. shell (pearl making) 5. pearl Some flowers at least have begun to blossom in the garden. Some hope at least can now be seen – “noor sar-e toor nazar aana” is to see light at the top of Toor (Mt. Sinai), where Moses is believed to have seen the light (manifestation) of god. It is used here to mean “to see some signs of divinity or hope”.
For long now, the shell has been clasped tight with no pearls and no hope, but now at least that beloved of shell and pearl is approaching.
lab sard6, nazar sard7, badan sard8, hai dil sard9
vo jaan-e maseeha nafasaaN10 aa to raha hai
aankhoN meN haya, lab pe haNsi aa to rahi hai
aaGhosh11-e sahr12 meN koi sharma to raha hai6. cold/sealed lips 7. cold/blocked vision 8. cold/bound body 9. cold heart/muzzled desire 10. people with curative breath (like Jesus) 11. lap 12. dawn
Lips sealed, eyes closed, no way forward, no hope in the heart – “lab” (lips) and “nazar” (sight, vision) are cold i.e. speaking is forbidden and vision of the future is blocked. “badan” (body), “dil” (heart) are cold – i.e. there is no desire left and no action. But now, the beloved like a breath of hope, approaches – “maseeha nafasaaN” means people whose breath has the quality of the breath of Jesus. Christian/Islamic popular belief is that Jesus could cure people (or raise them from the dead) by his breath (blowing on them). It is used here as a metaphor for raising hope from utter hopelessness. “jaan e maseeha nafasaaN” meaning the life of or the leader of people with curative (hope raising) powers is coming. Eyes downcast, a faint smile playing on her lips, at last she comes in the lap of the approaching dawn.
Overall Comments
Makhdoom, like Faiz is hoping for the coming socialist order. Emerging signs of hope, coming of the beloved, miraculous cures – are all related to the coming of socialist awakening. This is heavily laden with metaphors with “beloved” being used for the “socialist order”.
kuchh phool sar-e sahn-e chaman1 khil to rahe haiN
ek noor sar-e toor2 nazar aa to raha hai
sadiyoN3 se sadaf4 band, gohar5 band, nazar band
vo jaan-e sadaf, jaan-e gohar, aa to raha hai
1. at the head of the garden 2. peak of Mt. Toor (where Moses saw a manifestation of god) 3. centuries 4. shell (pearl making) 5. pearl
Some flowers at least have begun to blossom in the garden. Some hope at least can now be seen – “noor sar-e toor nazar aana” is to see light at the top of Toor (Mt. Sinai), where Moses is believed to have seen the light (manifestation) of god. It is used here to mean “to see some signs of divinity or hope”. For long now, the shell has been clasped tight with no pearls and no hope, but now at least that beloved of shell and pearl is approaching.
lab sard6, nazar sard7, badan sard8, hai dil sard9
vo jaan-e maseeha nafasaaN10 aa to raha hai
aankhoN meN haya, lab pe haNsi aa to rahi hai
aaGhosh11-e sahr12 meN koi sharma to raha hai
6. cold/sealed lips 7. cold/blocked vision 8. cold/bound body 9. cold heart/muzzled desire 10. people with curative breath (like Jesus) 11. lap
12. dawn
Lips sealed, eyes closed, no way forward, no hope in the heart – “lab” (lips) and “nazar” (sight, vision) are cold i.e. speaking is forbidden and vision of the future is blocked. “badan” (body), “dil” (heart) are cold – i.e. there is no desire left and no action. But now, the beloved like a breath of hope, approaches – “maseeha nafasaaN” means people whose breath has the quality of the breath of Jesus. Christian/Islamic popular belief is that Jesus could cure people (or raise them from the dead) by his breath (blowing on them). It is used here as a metaphor for raising hope from utter hopelessness. “jaan e maseeha nafasaaN” meaning the life of or the leader of people with curative (hope raising) powers is coming. Eyes downcast, a faint smile playing on her lips, at last she comes in the lap of the approaching dawn.
