For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
سانحہ ۔ گاندھی کا قتل ۔ اَسرارالحق مجاز
۱
درد و غمِ حیات کا درماں چلا گیا
وہ خضرِ عصر و عیسِیِ دوراں چلا گیا
ہندو چلا گیا نہ مسلماں چلا گیا
اِنساں کی جستجو میں اِک اِنساں چلا گیا
۲
رقصاں چلا گیا نہ غزل خواں چلا گیا
سوز و گداز و درد میں غلطاں چلا گیا
برہم ہے زلفِ کفر تو ایمان سرنگوں
وہ فخرِ کفر و نازشِ ایماں چلا گیا
۳
بیمار زندگی کی کرے کون دل دہی
نبّاض و چارہ سازِ مریضاں چلا گیا
کس کی نظر پڑے گی اب عصیاں پہ لطف کی
وہ محرمِ نزاکتِ عصیاں چلا گیا
۴
وہ راز دارِ محفلِ یاراں نہیں رہا
وہ غم گسارِ بزمِ عریفاں چلا گیا
اب کافری میں رسم و رہِ دلبری نہیں
ایماں کی بات یہ ہے کہ ایماں چلا گیا
۵
اک بے خودِ سرورِ دل و جاں نہیں رہا
اک عاشقِ صداقتِ پنہاں چلا گیا
با چشمِ نم ہے آج زلیخائے کائنات
زنداں شکن وہ یوسفِ زنداں چلا گیا
۶
اے آرزو وہ چشمۂ حیواں نہ کر تلاش
ظلمات سے وہ چشمۂ حیواں چلا گیا
اب سنگ و خِشت و خاک و خذف سر بلند ہیں
تاجِ وطن کا لعلِ درخشاں چلا گیا
۷
اب اہرمن کے ہاتھ میں ہے تیغِ خوں چکاں
خوش ہے کہ دست و بازوئے یزداں چلا گیا
دیوِ بدی سے معرکۂ سخت ہی سہی
یہ تو نہیں کہ زورِ جواناں چلا گیا
۸
کیا اہل دل میں جذبۂ غیرت نہیں رہا
کیا عزمِ سر فروشیٔ مرداں چلا گیا
کیا باغیوں کی آتشِ دل سرد ہو گئی
کیا سرکشوں کا جذبۂ پنہاں چلا گیا
۹
کیا وہ جنون و جذبۂ بیدار مر گیا
کیا وہ شبابِ حشر بداماں چلا گیا
خوش ہے بدی جو دام یہ نیکی پہ ڈال کے
رکھ دیں گے ہم بدی کا کلیجہ نکال کے
सानेहा – गांधी का क़त्ल – अस्रार-उल-हक़ मजाज़
१
दर्द-ओ-ग़म-ए हयात का दरमाँ चला गया
वो ख़िज़्र-ए अस्र-ओ-ईसा-ए दौराँ चला गया
हिन्दू चला गया न मुसलमाँ चला गया
इंसाँ की जुस्तुजू में एक इंसाँ चला गया
२
रक़्साँ चला गया न ग़ज़ल-ख़्वाँ चला गया
सोज़-ओ-गुदाज़ ओ दर्द में ग़लताँ चला गया
बरहम है ज़ुल्फ़-ए कुफ़्र तो ईमान सर-निगूँ
वो फ़ख़्र-ए कुफ़्र ओ नाज़िश-ए ईमाँ चला गया
३
बीमार ज़िंदगी की करे कौन दिल-दही
नब्बाज़ ओ चारासाज़-ए मरीज़ाँ चला गया
किस की नज़र पड़ेगी अब इस्याँ पे लुत्फ़ की
वो महरम-ए नज़ाकत-ए इस्याँ चला गया
४
वो राज़-दार-ए महफ़िल-ए याराँ नहीं रहा
वो ग़म-गुसार-ए बज़्म-ए अरीफ़ाँ चला गया
अब काफ़री में रस्म-ओ-रह-ए दिल्बरी नहीं
ईमाँ की बात ये है कि ईमाँ चला गया
५
एक बे-ख़ुद-ए सुरूर-ए दिल-ओ-जाँ नहीं रहा
एक आशिक़-ए सदाक़त-ए पिन्हाँ चला गया
बा-चश्म-ए नम है आज ज़ुलैख़ा-ए काएनात
ज़िंदाँ-शिकन वो यूसुफ़-ए ज़िंदाँ चला गया
६
अए आर्ज़ू-ए चश्मा-ए हैवाँ न कर तलाश
ज़ुल्मात से वो चश्मा-ए हैवाँ चला गया
अब संग-ओ-ख़िश्त ओ ख़ाक ओ ख़ज़फ़ सर-बुलंद हैं
ताज-ए वतन का लाल-ए दरख़्शाँ चला गया
७
अब अहरमन के हाथ में है तेग़-ए ख़ूँ-चकाँ
ख़ुश है के दस्त-ओ-बाज़ू-ए यज़्दाँ चला गया
देव-ए बदी से मारेका-ए सख़्त ही सही
ये तो नहीं के ज़ोर-ए जवानाँ चला गया
८
क्या अहल-ए दिल में जज़्बा-ए ग़ैरत नहीं रहा
क्या अज़्म-ए सर-फ़रोशी-ए मर्दां चला गया
क्या बाग़ियों की आतिश-ए दिल सर्द हो गई
क्या सरकशों का जज़्बा-ए पिनहां चला गया
९
क्या वो जुनून-ओ-जज़्बा-ए बेदार मर गया
क्या वो शबाब-ए हश्र-बदामाँ चला गया
ख़ुश है बदी जो दाम ये नेकी पे डाल के
रख देंगे हम बदी का कलेजा निकाल के
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. asrar-ul haq majaz (1911-1955) was progressive as well as romantic poet, a heartthrob. He received his BA from aligaRh after interruptions in earlier schooling. He developed close relationships with progressives and was a major force in the Progressive Writers’ Association. He lived in aligaRh, dehli and lucknow working for radio stations, editing magazines on and off but with no steady income. He met with a rather tragic end at the young age of 44. Here, he writes with much feeling about gandhi’s assassination.
1
dard-o-Gham-e hayaat1 ka darmaaN2 chala gaya
vo Khizr3-e asr4 o eesa5-e dauraaN6 chala gaya
hindu chala gaya na musalmaaN chala gaya
insaaN ki justuju7 meN ek insaaN chala gaya 1.life 2.cure, remedy 3.legendary old man 4.age, times 5.Jesus, healer 6.times, era 7.search, try
Khizr is a legendary qur’aanic and Biblical figure. He is used as a metaphor for a wise old man and a guide. eesa/Jesus is used as a symbol of healing. Thus, with gandhi’s assassination the remedy of the aches and pains of life is lost. The guide and healer of the times is gone. It is not as if this is a loss for hindus or muslims, it is as if a human being who tried to establish the supremacy of human love is gone.
2
raqsaaN1 chala gaya na Ghazal-KhwaaN2 chala gaya
soz3 o gudaaz4 o dard meN GhaltaaN5 chala gaya
barham6 hai zulf7-e kufr8 to imaan9 sar-niguN10
vo faKhr11-e kufr7 o naazish12-e imaaN9 chala gaya 1.dancing 2.singing 3.pain 4.sorrow 5.drowned in 6.scattered, disheveled 7.hair 8.non-belief, used here to mean hindu 9.faith, used here to mean muslim 10.bowed head 11.pride 12.pride
He did not depart in joy with song and dance but overwhelmed by pain and sorrow. The hindu pulls his hair in sorrow and the muslim’s head is bowed in grief. The pride of hindus and the joy of muslims is gone.
3
bimaar zindagi ki kare kaun dil-dahi1
nabbaaz2 o chaarasaaz3-e marizaaN4 chala gaya
kis ki nazar5 paRegi ab isyaaN6 pe lutf7 ki
vo mahram8-e nazaakat9-e isyaaN6 chala gaya 1.comfort 2.pulse taker 3.healer 4.sick 5.glance 6.sin, transgression 7.subtlety, kindness, understanding 8.intimate, familiar 9.fragility, tenderness
Who will now comfort this sorrowful life. Who can take the pulse and heal the pain of humanity. Who will cast a kind eye on transgressors. Who is familiar with the subtle and thin line/boundary of transgression, forgiving of the sinner.
4
vo raaz-daar1-e mahfil2-e yaaraaN3 nahiN raha
vo Gham-gusaar4-e bazm5-e arifaaN6 chala gaya
ab kaafiri7 meN rasm-o-rah8-e dilbari9 nahiN
imaaN10 ki baat ye hai ke imaaN11 chala gaya 1.confidant 2.society 3.friends 4.sympathiser 5.gathering 6.mystics 7.non-believers, hindus 8.traditions and ways 9.friendship 10.truth 11.faith, muslim
The confidant of the society of friends (across communities) is no more. The sympathiser of mystics/humanists is gone. hindus no longerr have the tradition and ways of friendship and to tell you the truth, muslims have lost their faith too.
5
ek be-Khud1-e suroor2-e dil-o-jaaN3 nahiN rahaa
ek aashiq4-e sadaaqat5-e pinhaaN6 chala gaya
baa-chashm-e-nam7 hai aaj zulaiKhaa8-e kaa’enaat9
zindaaN-shikan10 vo yusuf11-e zindaaN chala gaya 1.trance, oblivious 2.ecstacy 3.heart and soul 4.lover 5.truth 6.hidden 7.with teary eyes 8.see note below 9.cosmos 10.triumphant over prison 11.see note
Joseph/yusuf is reported to have been extremely handsome, bought as a slave by an Egyptian merchant, whose wife zulaiKha fell madly in love with him. In poetic tradition this legend is used as a metaphor for beauty and pining for the lover. In the first misra ‘be-Khud’ can be interpreted either as a sufiyaana trance or as indifference or being oblivious. Thus the misra can be interpreted to mean that gandhi’s life was a trance of ecstacy about love – heart and soul. The shaa’er may also have meant that he was oblivious to the pleasures of his own heart and soul and concentrated on helping others. He was a lover of the hidden/real truth. The whole world, like zulaiKha is pining of love for him. The man of beauty who overcame imprisonment, is gone.
6
aye aarzu1-e chashma-e-haivaaN2 na kar talaash3
zulmaat4 se vo chashma-e-haivaaN2 chala gaya
ab saNg-o-Khisht5 o Khaak-o-Khazaf6 sar-buland7 haiN
taaj-e vatan ka l’aal8-e daraKhshaaN9 chala gaya 1.longing 2.spring/river of the water of immortality 3.search 4.darkness 5.bricks and rocks 6.straw and dust, trash 7.head held high 8.ruby 9.brilliant
There is a common legent that somewhere in the dark reaches of the earth there is a spring flowing with water/nectar of immortality. People search for it in hopes of living forever. Here majaz likens gandhi’s life/message to immortality. O, desire for immortality, stop looking for it. The spring of immortality has disappeared. Now brickbats and trash hold their heads up high. The brilliant ruby in the crown of the homeland has disappeared.
7
ab ahrman1 ke haath meN hai teGh2-e KhuN-chakaN3
Khush hai ke dast-o-baazu4-e yazdaaN5 chala gaya
dev6-e badi7 se maareka8-e saKht9 hi sahi
ye to nahiN ke zor-e javaanaaN chala gaya 1.satan, evil 2.sword 3.blood dripping 4.hands and arms 5.god, virtue 6.demon 7.evil 8.struggle, conflict 9.hard, difficult
Evil holds a blood dripping sword in its hand. It is happy that the arms and hands (helper) of god/virtue is gone. majaz now turns to striking a more resolute tone. It is all right, let it be, that we face a touch struggle against the demon of evil. It is not as if the resolve of the youth of the nation is gone.
8
kya ahl1-e dil2 meN jazba3-e Ghairat4 nahiN raha
kya azm5-e sar-faroshi6-e mardaaN7 chala gaya
kya baaGhiyoN8 ki aatish9-e dil sard10 ho gaii
kya sarkashoN11 ka jazba3-e pinhaaN12 chala gaya 1.people of 2.heart, love 3.feelings 4.dignity 5.resolve, determination 6.offering head, sacrifice 7.brave 8.rebels 9.fire 10.cold, extinguished 11.offering head, ready to die, rebels 12.hidden, internal
majaz continues with his hopeful tone. gandhi is gone but it is not as if people of love have lost their dignity. Have the brave lost their resolve to sacrifice themselves. Has the fire in the heart of rebels gone cold. Have rebels lost their inner feelings. The implication is, no, we will carry on.
9
kya vo junoon1 o jazba2-e bedaar3 mar gayaa
kya vo shabaab4-e hashr-badaamaaN5 chala gaya
Khush hai badi6 jo daam7 ye neki8 pe Daal ke
rakh deNge ham badi6 ka kaleja9 nikaal ke
1.passion 2.feelings 3.awakening 4.youth 5.carrying/accompanying doomsday 6.evil 7.net, trap 8.virtue 9.liver/heart
Have we lost that passion, that feeling of awakening/realization of freedom. Has that youthfulness which challenged doom gone. Evil may be happy that it has thrown a net on virtue, but we will pull the heart of evil.
asrar-ul haq majaz (1911-1955) was progressive as well as romantic poet, a heartthrob. He received his BA from aligaRh after interruptions in earlier schooling. He developed close relationships with progressives and was a major force in the Progressive Writers’ Association. He lived in aligaRh, dehli and lucknow working for radio stations, editing magazines on and off but with no steady income. He met with a rather tragic end at the young age of 44. Here, he writes with much feeling about gandhi’s assassination.
1
dard-o-Gham-e hayaat1 ka darmaaN2 chala gaya
vo Khizr3-e asr4 o eesa5-e dauraaN6 chala gaya
hindu chala gaya na musalmaaN chala gaya
insaaN ki justuju7 meN ek insaaN chala gaya
1.life 2.cure, remedy 3.legendary old man 4.age, times 5.Jesus, healer 6.times, era 7.search, try
Khizr is a legendary qur’aanic and Biblical figure. He is used as a metaphor for a wise old man and a guide. eesa/Jesus is used as a symbol of healing. Thus, with gandhi’s assassination the remedy of the aches and pains of life is lost. The guide and healer of the times is gone. It is not as if this is a loss for hindus or muslims, it is as if a human being who tried to establish the supremacy of human love is gone.
2
raqsaaN1 chala gaya na Ghazal-KhwaaN2 chala gaya
soz3 o gudaaz4 o dard meN GhaltaaN5 chala gaya
barham6 hai zulf7-e kufr8 to imaan9 sar-niguN10
vo faKhr11-e kufr7 o naazish12-e imaaN9 chala gaya
1.dancing 2.singing 3.pain 4.sorrow 5.drowned in 6.scattered, disheveled 7.hair 8.non-belief, used here to mean hindu 9.faith, used here to mean muslim 10.bowed head 11.pride 12.pride
He did not depart in joy with song and dance but overwhelmed by pain and sorrow. The hindu pulls his hair in sorrow and the muslim’s head is bowed in grief. The pride of hindus and the joy of muslims is gone.
3
bimaar zindagi ki kare kaun dil-dahi1
nabbaaz2 o chaarasaaz3-e marizaaN4 chala gaya
kis ki nazar5 paRegi ab isyaaN6 pe lutf7 ki
vo mahram8-e nazaakat9-e isyaaN6 chala gaya
1.comfort 2.pulse taker 3.healer 4.sick 5.glance 6.sin, transgression 7.subtlety, kindness, understanding 8.intimate, familiar 9.fragility, tenderness
Who will now comfort this sorrowful life. Who can take the pulse and heal the pain of humanity. Who will cast a kind eye on transgressors. Who is familiar with the subtle and thin line/boundary of transgression, forgiving of the sinner.
4
vo raaz-daar1-e mahfil2-e yaaraaN3 nahiN raha
vo Gham-gusaar4-e bazm5-e arifaaN6 chala gaya
ab kaafiri7 meN rasm-o-rah8-e dilbari9 nahiN
imaaN10 ki baat ye hai ke imaaN11 chala gaya
1.confidant 2.society 3.friends 4.sympathiser 5.gathering 6.mystics 7.non-believers, hindus 8.traditions and ways 9.friendship 10.truth 11.faith, muslim
The confidant of the society of friends (across communities) is no more. The sympathiser of mystics/humanists is gone. hindus no longerr have the tradition and ways of friendship and to tell you the truth, muslims have lost their faith too.
5
ek be-Khud1-e suroor2-e dil-o-jaaN3 nahiN rahaa
ek aashiq4-e sadaaqat5-e pinhaaN6 chala gaya
baa-chashm-e-nam7 hai aaj zulaiKhaa8-e kaa’enaat9
zindaaN-shikan10 vo yusuf11-e zindaaN chala gaya
1.trance, oblivious 2.ecstacy 3.heart and soul 4.lover 5.truth 6.hidden 7.with teary eyes 8.see note below 9.cosmos 10.triumphant over prison 11.see note
Joseph/yusuf is reported to have been extremely handsome, bought as a slave by an Egyptian merchant, whose wife zulaiKha fell madly in love with him. In poetic tradition this legend is used as a metaphor for beauty and pining for the lover. In the first misra ‘be-Khud’ can be interpreted either as a sufiyaana trance or as indifference or being oblivious. Thus the misra can be interpreted to mean that gandhi’s life was a trance of ecstacy about love – heart and soul. The shaa’er may also have meant that he was oblivious to the pleasures of his own heart and soul and concentrated on helping others. He was a lover of the hidden/real truth. The whole world, like zulaiKha is pining of love for him. The man of beauty who overcame imprisonment, is gone.
6
aye aarzu1-e chashma-e-haivaaN2 na kar talaash3
zulmaat4 se vo chashma-e-haivaaN2 chala gaya
ab saNg-o-Khisht5 o Khaak-o-Khazaf6 sar-buland7 haiN
taaj-e vatan ka l’aal8-e daraKhshaaN9 chala gaya
1.longing 2.spring/river of the water of immortality 3.search 4.darkness 5.bricks and rocks 6.straw and dust, trash 7.head held high 8.ruby 9.brilliant
There is a common legent that somewhere in the dark reaches of the earth there is a spring flowing with water/nectar of immortality. People search for it in hopes of living forever. Here majaz likens gandhi’s life/message to immortality. O, desire for immortality, stop looking for it. The spring of immortality has disappeared. Now brickbats and trash hold their heads up high. The brilliant ruby in the crown of the homeland has disappeared.
7
ab ahrman1 ke haath meN hai teGh2-e KhuN-chakaN3
Khush hai ke dast-o-baazu4-e yazdaaN5 chala gaya
dev6-e badi7 se maareka8-e saKht9 hi sahi
ye to nahiN ke zor-e javaanaaN chala gaya
1.satan, evil 2.sword 3.blood dripping 4.hands and arms 5.god, virtue 6.demon 7.evil 8.struggle, conflict 9.hard, difficult
Evil holds a blood dripping sword in its hand. It is happy that the arms and hands (helper) of god/virtue is gone. majaz now turns to striking a more resolute tone. It is all right, let it be, that we face a touch struggle against the demon of evil. It is not as if the resolve of the youth of the nation is gone.
8
kya ahl1-e dil2 meN jazba3-e Ghairat4 nahiN raha
kya azm5-e sar-faroshi6-e mardaaN7 chala gaya
kya baaGhiyoN8 ki aatish9-e dil sard10 ho gaii
kya sarkashoN11 ka jazba3-e pinhaaN12 chala gaya
1.people of 2.heart, love 3.feelings 4.dignity 5.resolve, determination 6.offering head, sacrifice 7.brave 8.rebels 9.fire 10.cold, extinguished 11.offering head, ready to die, rebels 12.hidden, internal
majaz continues with his hopeful tone. gandhi is gone but it is not as if people of love have lost their dignity. Have the brave lost their resolve to sacrifice themselves. Has the fire in the heart of rebels gone cold. Have rebels lost their inner feelings. The implication is, no, we will carry on.
9
kya vo junoon1 o jazba2-e bedaar3 mar gayaa
kya vo shabaab4-e hashr-badaamaaN5 chala gaya
Khush hai badi6 jo daam7 ye neki8 pe Daal ke
rakh deNge ham badi6 ka kaleja9 nikaal ke
1.passion 2.feelings 3.awakening 4.youth 5.carrying/accompanying doomsday 6.evil 7.net, trap 8.virtue 9.liver/heart
Have we lost that passion, that feeling of awakening/realization of freedom. Has that youthfulness which challenged doom gone. Evil may be happy that it has thrown a net on virtue, but we will pull the heart of evil.
