For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
تلخ بیاں اور ۔ سید محمّد شاہدؔ
۱
کہتے ہیں یقیں کر، کہ قوی تر ہو ایماں اور
اندھے کنوے میں بیٹھا، جائے گا کہاں اور
۲
جس گھر میں ہوا پیدا ہوتا نہ اگر واں تو
تیرے لئے پھر ہوتا، اِک اندھا کنواں اور
۳
کیوں سب یہ سمجھتے ہیں کہ جنّت ہے فقط اُن کی
خود فریبی میں ہے جو لذّت، تردُّد میں کہاں اور
۴
اے کاش تُو سمجھتا، وہ کرب آگہی کا
اپنی سمجھ پہ جب میں، کرتا ہوں گماں اور
۵
یہ کربِ آگہی جو، ہے علم کا اثاثہ
اِس سے ہی تو ہوتے ہیں، خیالات جواں اور
۶
ہر شعبہ اِرتقا اور، ہر عِلم میں ترقّی
کامل ہے تو سمجھتا، گیتا و قرآں اور
۷
لذّت جو اِنکشاف میں، تردید میں وہی ہے
کیا فکر جو بڑھتا ہے، منزل کا دھواں اور
۸
ہو عرش سے اُدھر یا، ستاروں سے اور آگے
ہے بیکراں جو وسعت، بنا لے تو مکاں اور
۹
روشن نہیں ہے جِن پر، تشکُّک کا کرب میرے
سمجھے ہیں کہ شاہدؔ کا ہے تلخ بیاں اور
۱۰
اب بس بھی کر تو شاہدؔ، خاموش اب تو ہو جا
ہو جائے نہ اِس سے بھی، تری طول زباں اور
तल्ख़ बयां और – सय्यद मोहम्मद शाहेद
१
कहते हैं यक़ीं कर, के क़वी तर हो इमां और
अंधे कुंए में बैठा, जाएगा कहां और
२
जिस घर में हुआ पैदा, होता न अगर वां तू
तेरे लिये फिर होता, एक अंधा कुंवां और
३
क्यूं सब ये समझते हैं, के जन्नत है फ़क़त उन की
ख़ुद फ़रेबी में है जो लज़्ज़त, तरद्दुद में कहां और
४
अए काश तू समझता, वो कर्ब आगही का
अपनी समझ पे जब मैं करता हूं गुमां और
५
ये कर्ब-ए आगही जो, है इल्म का असासा
इस से हि तो होते हैं ख़यालात जवां और
६
हर शो’बा इर्तेक़ा और, हर इल्म में तरक़्क़ी
कामिल है तू समझता, गीता ओ क़ुर’आं और
७
लज़्ज़त जो इन्कशाफ़ में तर्दीद में वही है
क्या फ़िक्र जो बढता है, मंज़िल का धुआं और
८
हो अर्श से उधर या, सितारौं से और आगे
है बेकरां जो वुस’अत, बना ले तू मकां और
९
रौशन नहीं है जिन पर, तशक्कुक का कर्ब मेरे
समझे हैं के शाहेद का है तल्ख़ बयां और
१०
अब बस भी कर तु शाहेद, ख़ामोश अब तु हो जा
हो जाए न इस से भी, तेरी तूल ज़बां और
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. syed mohammed shahed (1944-living) came to urdu late in life, but early to skepticism, inquiry and unbelief. Irreverent and rebellious, he enjoys retirement in sunny southern California, learning urdu and growing exotic fruit. This Ghazal, styled after Ghalib’s “andaaz-e bayaaN aur” is his latest transgression.
1
kahte haiN yaqiN1 kar, keh qavi-tar2 ho imaaN3 aur
andhe kueN meN baiTha, jaayega kahaaN aur 1.believe 2.stronger 3.faith
They say, ‘believe this’, so that your faith may become stronger. But if you are already in a deep/blind well, where else can you go (trapped like a frog in deep well).
2
jis ghar meN hua paida, hota na agar vaaN1 tu
tere liye phir hota, ek andha kuaaN aur 1.short for vahaaN, there
The home in which you were born, had you not been born there, then there would have been another deep/blind well for you i.e. everyone is trapped in their respective deep wells.
3
kyuN sub ye samajhte haiN keh jannat1 faqat2 hai un ki
Khud-farebi3 meN hai jo lazzat4, taraddud5 meN kahaaN aur 1.heaven 2.only 3.self-deception 4.comfort, pleasure 5.denial, suspense, anxiety
Why does everyone think that heaven (or heavenly rewards) are only for them (their faith). The pleasure that self-deception gives, how can you find it in uncertainty/anxiety.
4
aye kaash1 tu samajhta, vo karb2 aagahi3 ka
apni samajh pe jab maiN, karta huN gumaaN4 aur 1.I wish 2.pain, restlessness 3.knowledge 4.doubt
Oh, how I wish you could understand the restlessness for knowledge (as opposed to the certainty of faith) that I feel when I doubt my own understanding.
5
ye karb1-e aagahi2 jo, hai ilm3 ka asaasa4
is se hi to hote haiN, Khayaalaat5 javaaN6 aur 1.restlessness 2.knowledge 3.knowledge, learning 4.assets, means, basis 5.thoughts, ideas 6.young, fresh
This restlessness for knowledge that is the basis of learning. This is what keeps ideas fresh.
6
har sho’ba1 irteqa2 aur, har ilm3 meN taraqqi4
kaamil5 haiN tu samjhta, geeta-o-qur’aaN6 aur 1.department, field 2.development, evolution 3.knowledge, discipline 4.progress 5.complete, perfect, flawless 6.bhagwat geeta and qur’aan used for all books for faith
There has been evolution and change in every field of knowledge, progress in every discipline. Why then do you think that books of faith are perfect and there can be no change.
7
lazzat1 jo inkeshaaf2 meN, tardeed3 meN vahi hai
kya fikr4 jo baRhta hai, manzil5 ka dhuaaN6 aur 1.pleasure 2.discovery 3.rebuttal, being proven wrong 4.worry 5.destination 6.smoke, fog, vagueness, uncertainty
The pleasure that there is in discovery is also in being proven wrong. Why worry then, if the destination appears vague.
8
ho arsh1 se udhar ya, sitaaroN se aur aage
hai bekaraaN4 jo vus’at5, bana le tu makaaN6 aur 1.sky 2.limitless, infinite 3.expanse 4.station, point of view
This has reference to two ash’aar, one of Ghalib and another of iqbal, both on urdushahkar.
Ghalib …
manzar ek balandi par aur hum banaa lete
arsh se udhar hota kaash ke makaaN apna
iqbal …
sitaarauN se aage jahaaN aur bhi haiN
abhi ishq ke imtehaaN aur bhi haiN
Whether beyond the sky or further than the stars, make a station for yourselves to look at the infinite expanse beyond.
9
raushan1 nahiN hai jin par, tashakkuk2 ka karb3 tere
samjhe haiN ke shahed4 ka, hai talKh5 bayaaN6 aur 1.bright, awareness 2.doubt, skepticism, uncertainty 3.pain, restlessness 4.name and pen-name of the ‘poet’ 5.hard, impolite, impertinent 6.speech, words
Those who do not have awareness of the pain of skepticism/uncertainty that you feel, O, shahed, they think that your words are impertinent (blasphemous??).
10
ab bas bhi kar tu shahed, Khaamosh ab to ho ja
ho jaaye na is se bhi, teri tuul1 zabaaN aur 1.long, a long tongue is considered impertinent, speaking beyond your understanding
Better stop now, shahed. It is best to be quiet, otherwise your tongue will get even longer i.e. you will become even more impertinent.
syed mohammed shahed (1944-living) came to urdu late in life, but early to skepticism, inquiry and unbelief. Irreverent and rebellious, he enjoys retirement in sunny southern California, learning urdu and growing exotic fruit. This Ghazal, styled after Ghalib’s “andaaz-e bayaaN aur” is his latest transgression.
1
kahte haiN yaqiN1 kar, keh qavi-tar2 ho imaaN3 aur
andhe kueN meN baiTha, jaayega kahaaN aur
1.believe 2.stronger 3.faith
They say, ‘believe this’, so that your faith may become stronger. But if you are already in a deep/blind well, where else can you go (trapped like a frog in deep well).
2
jis ghar meN hua paida, hota na agar vaaN1 tu
tere liye phir hota, ek andha kuaaN aur
1.short for vahaaN, there
The home in which you were born, had you not been born there, then there would have been another deep/blind well for you i.e. everyone is trapped in their respective deep wells.
3
kyuN sub ye samajhte haiN keh jannat1 faqat2 hai un ki
Khud-farebi3 meN hai jo lazzat4, taraddud5 meN kahaaN aur
1.heaven 2.only 3.self-deception 4.comfort, pleasure 5.denial, suspense, anxiety
Why does everyone think that heaven (or heavenly rewards) are only for them (their faith). The pleasure that self-deception gives, how can you find it in uncertainty/anxiety.
4
aye kaash1 tu samajhta, vo karb2 aagahi3 ka
apni samajh pe jab maiN, karta huN gumaaN4 aur
1.I wish 2.pain, restlessness 3.knowledge 4.doubt
Oh, how I wish you could understand the restlessness for knowledge (as opposed to the certainty of faith) that I feel when I doubt my own understanding.
5
ye karb1-e aagahi2 jo, hai ilm3 ka asaasa4
is se hi to hote haiN, Khayaalaat5 javaaN6 aur
1.restlessness 2.knowledge 3.knowledge, learning 4.assets, means, basis 5.thoughts, ideas 6.young, fresh
This restlessness for knowledge that is the basis of learning. This is what keeps ideas fresh.
6
har sho’ba1 irteqa2 aur, har ilm3 meN taraqqi4
kaamil5 haiN tu samjhta, geeta-o-qur’aaN6 aur
1.department, field 2.development, evolution 3.knowledge, discipline 4.progress 5.complete, perfect, flawless 6.bhagwat geeta and qur’aan used for all books for faith
There has been evolution and change in every field of knowledge, progress in every discipline. Why then do you think that books of faith are perfect and there can be no change.
7
lazzat1 jo inkeshaaf2 meN, tardeed3 meN vahi hai
kya fikr4 jo baRhta hai, manzil5 ka dhuaaN6 aur
1.pleasure 2.discovery 3.rebuttal, being proven wrong 4.worry 5.destination 6.smoke, fog, vagueness, uncertainty
The pleasure that there is in discovery is also in being proven wrong. Why worry then, if the destination appears vague.
8
ho arsh1 se udhar ya, sitaaroN se aur aage
hai bekaraaN4 jo vus’at5, bana le tu makaaN6 aur
1.sky 2.limitless, infinite 3.expanse 4.station, point of view
This has reference to two ash’aar, one of Ghalib and another of iqbal, both on urdushahkar.
Ghalib …
manzar ek balandi par aur hum banaa lete
arsh se udhar hota kaash ke makaaN apna
iqbal …
sitaarauN se aage jahaaN aur bhi haiN
abhi ishq ke imtehaaN aur bhi haiN
Whether beyond the sky or further than the stars, make a station for yourselves to look at the infinite expanse beyond.
9
raushan1 nahiN hai jin par, tashakkuk2 ka karb3 tere
samjhe haiN ke shahed4 ka, hai talKh5 bayaaN6 aur
1.bright, awareness 2.doubt, skepticism, uncertainty 3.pain, restlessness 4.name and pen-name of the ‘poet’ 5.hard, impolite, impertinent 6.speech, words
Those who do not have awareness of the pain of skepticism/uncertainty that you feel, O, shahed, they think that your words are impertinent (blasphemous??).
10
ab bas bhi kar tu shahed, Khaamosh ab to ho ja
ho jaaye na is se bhi, teri tuul1 zabaaN aur
1.long, a long tongue is considered impertinent, speaking beyond your understanding
Better stop now, shahed. It is best to be quiet, otherwise your tongue will get even longer i.e. you will become even more impertinent.
