For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
Elizabeth Kurian mona
عاشقی رفتہ رفتہ ۔ الِزبت کرین موناؔ
۱
بنی دل لگی عاشقی رفتہ رفتہ
بڑھی ایسے دل کی لگی رفتہ رفتہ
۲
نہیں کر سکی جو بیاں میں زباں سے
کہے گی مری خاموشی رفتہ رفتہ
۳
بہے آنکھ سے دل کے ارمان سارے
مٹی دل کی یوں تشنگی رفتہ رفتہ
۴
ملیں گے کئی آشنا زندگی میں
بڑھے گی مگر دوستی رفتہ رفتہ
۵
نہاں ہے یہ تاریکیوں کی جگر میں
عیاں ہوتی ہے روشنی رفتہ رفتہ
۶
لگانا نہ دل بے وفا سے یوں بے حد
کیوں کرتے ہو تم خودکشی رفتہ رفتہ
۷
جو آرائشوں سے چھڑایا ہے دامن
لبھانے لگی سادگی رفتہ رفتہ
۸
وہ تھے خود غرض یوں نکلتے ہی مطلب
نبھانے لگے دشمنی رفتہ رفتہ
۹
دبے پاؤں موناؔ یہ چلتی ہے اکثر
گزر جاتی ہے زندگی رفتہ رفتہ
आशक़ी रफ़्ता रफ़्ता – एलिज़बेत कुरियन मोना
१
बनी दिल लगी आशक़ी रफ़्ता रफ़्ता
बढ़ी ऐसे दिल की लगी रफ़्ता रफ़्ता
२
नहीं कर सकी जो बयां मैं ज़बां से
कहेगी मेरी ख़ामोशी रफ़्ता रफ़्ता
३
बहे आंख से दिल के अरमान सारे
मिटी दिल की यूं तिश्नगी रफ़्ता रफ़्ता
४
मिलेंगे कई आश्ना ज़िंदगी में
बढ़ेगी मगर दोस्ती रफ़्ता रफ़्ता
५
नहां है ये तारीकियौं की जिगर में
अयां होती है रौश्नी रफ़्ता रफ़्ता
६
लगाना न दिल बेवफ़ा से यूं बेहद
क्युं करते हो तुम ख़ुदकशी रफ़्ता रफ़्ता
७
जो आरा’एशौं से छुढाया है दामन
लुभाने लगी सादगी रफ़्ता रफ़्ता
८
वो थे ख़ुद-ग़रज़ यूं निकलते ही मत्लब
निभाने लगे दुश्मनी रफ़्ता रफ़्ता
९
दबे पाऊं मोना ये चलती है अक्सर
गुज़र जाती है ज़िंदगी रफ़्ता रफ़्ता
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion.
Elizabeth Kurian ‘Mona’ (1949-living) is a poet in many languages – urdu, English, hindi, and her mother tongue malayalam, with published books in each. A true blue hyderabadi, she is a late comer to urdu, but apparently good at it as well as in love with it. She learnt urdu through a correspondence course offered by jaami’a-e millia islamia, dehli. She has written four urdu books of Ghazal/nazms. She took early retirement from a management position in Reserve Bank of India and now pursues her passion in poetry.
1
bani dil-lagi1 aashiqi2 rafta rafta
baRhi aise dil ki lagi3 rafta rafta 1.mischief, casual liking, infatuation 2.romance 3.affect/attachment of the heart
This has a beautiful play of words. ‘dil-lagi’ and ‘dil ki lagi’ – the former is a casual liking and the latter is a deep and lasting attachment of the heart. Thus, that which started as a casual attraction slowly became romance. That is how the attachment of the heart increased, gradually.
2
nahiN kar saki jo bayaaN1 maiN zabaaN se
kahegi meri Khaamoshi rafta rafta 1.narrate, describe
That which I could not describe in words, my silence will speak, slowly i.e. her real feeling will become apparent on their own without her having to say anything.
3
bahe aaNkh se dil ke armaan1 saare
miTi dil ki yuN tishnagi2 rafta rafta 1.desires, longing 2.thirst
This has implications of an unrequited love or perhaps abandonment. The way her thirst/sorrow was slaked/comforted gradually was by the flowing of her longings in the shape of tears.
4
mileNge kayii aashna1 zindagi meN
baRhegi magar dosti rafta rafta 1.acquaintance
You will meet many acquaintances, but friendship can develop only gradually.
5
nehaaN1 hai ye taariikiyoN2 ki jigar3 meN
ayaaN4 hoti hai raushni5 rafta rafta 1.hidden 2.darknesses 3.used here to mean heart 4.revealed, seen 5.used here for truth
Truth is hidden in the deep recesses of the heart. It is revealed only gradually.
6
lagaana na dil be-vafa1 se yuN be-hadd2
kyuN karte ho tum Khudkushi3 rafta rafta 1.unfaithful 2.without limits/reservation/hesitation 3.suicide
It is better not to give your heart without reservations to an unfaithful beloved. Why are you killing yourselves. Every day of sorrow is like a slow death.
7
jo aaraa’eshoN1 se chhuRaaya hai daaman2
lubhaane3 lagi saadagi4 rafta rafta 1.adornment 2.skirt, daaman chhuRaana literally pulling back the hem of the skirt means giving up 3.attract 4.plain-ness, simplicity
After I gave up adorning myself, simple/plain looks became attractive/acceptable gradually.
8
vo the Khud-Gharaz1 yuN nikalte hi matlab2
nibhaane3 lage dushmani rafta rafta 1.selfish 2.get your wish 3.fulfilling commitment
He was so selfish that as soon as he got his wish, he began to began to show enmity/antagonism/dislike.
9
dabe paauN mona ye chalti hai aksar1
guzar2 jaati hai zindagi rafta rafta 1.often 2.passes
“dabe paauN” means walking softly, going unnoticed. O, mona, if often passes unnoticed. Life gets spent gradually i.e. you don’t notice how precious time is lost.
Elizabeth Kurian ‘Mona’ (1949-living) is a poet in many languages – urdu, English, hindi, and her mother tongue malayalam, with published books in each. A true blue hyderabadi, she is a late comer to urdu, but apparently good at it as well as in love with it. She learnt urdu through a correspondence course offered by jaami’a-e millia islamia, dehli. She has written four urdu books of Ghazal/nazms. She took early retirement from a management position in Reserve Bank of India and now pursues her passion in poetry.
1
bani dil-lagi1 aashiqi2 rafta rafta
baRhi aise dil ki lagi3 rafta rafta
1.mischief, casual liking, infatuation 2.romance 3.affect/attachment of the heart
This has a beautiful play of words. ‘dil-lagi’ and ‘dil ki lagi’ – the former is a casual liking and the latter is a deep and lasting attachment of the heart. Thus, that which started as a casual attraction slowly became romance. That is how the attachment of the heart increased, gradually.
2
nahiN kar saki jo bayaaN1 maiN zabaaN se
kahegi meri Khaamoshi rafta rafta
1.narrate, describe
That which I could not describe in words, my silence will speak, slowly i.e. her real feeling will become apparent on their own without her having to say anything.
3
bahe aaNkh se dil ke armaan1 saare
miTi dil ki yuN tishnagi2 rafta rafta
1.desires, longing 2.thirst
This has implications of an unrequited love or perhaps abandonment. The way her thirst/sorrow was slaked/comforted gradually was by the flowing of her longings in the shape of tears.
4
mileNge kayii aashna1 zindagi meN
baRhegi magar dosti rafta rafta
1.acquaintance
You will meet many acquaintances, but friendship can develop only gradually.
5
nehaaN1 hai ye taariikiyoN2 ki jigar3 meN
ayaaN4 hoti hai raushni5 rafta rafta
1.hidden 2.darknesses 3.used here to mean heart 4.revealed, seen 5.used here for truth
Truth is hidden in the deep recesses of the heart. It is revealed only gradually.
6
lagaana na dil be-vafa1 se yuN be-hadd2
kyuN karte ho tum Khudkushi3 rafta rafta
1.unfaithful 2.without limits/reservation/hesitation 3.suicide
It is better not to give your heart without reservations to an unfaithful beloved. Why are you killing yourselves. Every day of sorrow is like a slow death.
7
jo aaraa’eshoN1 se chhuRaaya hai daaman2
lubhaane3 lagi saadagi4 rafta rafta
1.adornment 2.skirt, daaman chhuRaana literally pulling back the hem of the skirt means giving up 3.attract 4.plain-ness, simplicity
After I gave up adorning myself, simple/plain looks became attractive/acceptable gradually.
8
vo the Khud-Gharaz1 yuN nikalte hi matlab2
nibhaane3 lage dushmani rafta rafta
1.selfish 2.get your wish 3.fulfilling commitment
He was so selfish that as soon as he got his wish, he began to began to show enmity/antagonism/dislike.
9
dabe paauN mona ye chalti hai aksar1
guzar2 jaati hai zindagi rafta rafta
1.often 2.passes
“dabe paauN” means walking softly, going unnoticed. O, mona, if often passes unnoticed. Life gets spent gradually i.e. you don’t notice how precious time is lost.
