For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the “Roman” or “Notes” tab.
Recitation
اسدِ کِردگار ۔ درشن سنگھ درشنؔ
۱
اندیشۂ خزاں ہے، نہ فِکرِ بہار ہے
عشقِ علی سے اپنا جگر لالہ زار ہے
جِس کو نِگاہ ڈھونڈ رہی ہے چمن چمن
آغوشِ مصطفےٰ میں وہ جانِ بہار ہے
۲
حق بین و حق شناس سے مخفی نہیں یہ بات
کعبہ علی کے حُسن کا آئینہ دار ہے
اِک فاتحانہ صبح کا جلوہ ہے آشکار
شب جا رہی ہے کشمکشِ نُور و نار ہے
سنسار دیکھ پائے گا کیا منزلِ علی
سنسار کی نظر تو سرِ رہ گزار ہے
۳
بدر و حنین، خیبر و خندق ہو یا اُحد
جو معرکہ علی کا ہے وہ یادگار ہے
خیبر و خندق، دُشمنِ ظُلمت، فسوں شِکن
ہر وہم، ہر جنوں کی دوا ذوالفقار ہے
۴
تیغِ علی سمُوم ہے کُفّار کے لئے
اور مومنوں کے حق میں نسیمِ بہار ہے
مقصد یہ ہے کہ خاک کو معراج ہو نصیب
توحید و اِرتقا کا علم ذوالفقار ہے
۵
دُنیا جو ڈھونڈتے ہیں کسی اور در پہ جائیں
دِل کے بھکاریوں کے لئے تیرا دوار ہے
رُتبہ میں تیرے حلقہ نشینوں کا کیا کہوں
در کا تیرے فقیر بھی اِک تاجدار ہے
۶
اِک بار پھر دیارِ عرب میں سحر ہوئی
عہدِ علی خزاں نہیں، عہدِ بہار ہے
وہ سرزمینِ ہند ہو یا خِطۂ عرب
مُشکل کُشا کی آج بھی ہر سُو پکار ہے
۷
کیا دِل ہے مرتضیٰ کا، کہ جس دِل میں دوستو
اپنا تو غم نہیں ہے، غمِ روزگار ہے
سیتے ہیں اپنے ہاتھ سے کفشِ رسولِ پاک
کیا اوج، کیا جمال ہے، کیا اِنکسار ہے
۸
دُنیا کی کیا مجال کہ یہ رِشتہ توڑ دے
حیدر سے میرا عہدِ وفا اُستوار ہے
فرشِ نبی پہ، چھاؤں میں شمشیر و تیغ کی
خوابیدہ مطمئن اسدِ کِردگار ہے
مزدور ہے اِمام، مگر ہم کو دیکھئے
کسبِ حلال کے لئے محنت سے عار ہے
۹
اے مرتضیٰ، جمالِ الہیٰ کے جلوہ دار
درشنؔ نِگاہِ لطف کا اُمّیدوار ہے
اے حاضرینِ بزم رہیں آپ سب گواہ
مولا علی کے نام پہ درشنؔ نِثار ہے
असद-ए किर्दगार – दर्शन सिंघ दर्शन
१
अंदेशा-ए ख़िज़ां है न फ़िक्र-ए बहार है
इश्क़-ए अली से अपना जिगर लाला-ज़ार है
जिस को निगाह ढूंड रही है चमन चमन
आग़ोश-ए मुस्तफ़ा में वो जान-ए बहार है
२
हक़-बीन ओ हक़-शिनास से मख़्फ़ी नहीं ये बात
काबा अली के हुस्न का आईना-दार है
एक फ़ातहाना सुबह का जल्वा है आश्कार
शब जा रही है, कश्मकश-ए नूर ओ नार है
संसार देख पाएगा क्या मंज़िल-ए अली
संसार की नज़र तो सर-ए रहगुज़ार है
३
बद्र ओ हुनैन, ख़ैबर ओ ख़ंदक़ हो या उहद
जो मारेका अली का है वो यादगार है
बहर-ए उलूम ओ दुश्मन-ए ज़ुल्मत, फ़ुसूं शिकन
हर वहम, हर जुनूं कि दवा ज़ुल्फ़क़ार है
४
तेग़-ए अली सुमूम है कुफ़्फ़ार के लिए
और मोमिनौं के हक़ में नसीम-ए बहार है
मक़्सद ये है के ख़ाक को मेराज हो नसीब
तौहीद ओ इर्तक़ा का अलम ज़ुल्फ़क़ार है
५
दुनीया जो ढूंडते हैं किसी और दर पे जाएं
दिल के भिकारियौं के लिए तेरा द्वार है
रुत्बा मैं तेरे हल्क़ा-नशीनौं का क्या कहूं
दर का तेरे फ़क़ीर भि एक ताजदार है
६
एक बार फिर दयार-ए अरब में सहर हुई
अहद-ए अली ख़िज़ां नहीं अहद-ए बहार है
वो सरज़मीन-ए हिन्द हो या ख़ित्ता-ए अरब
मुश्किल कुशा कि आज भी हर सू पुकार है
७
क्या दिल है मुर्तज़ा का, के जिस दिल में दोस्तो
अपना तो ग़म नहीं है, ग़म-ए रोज़्गार है
सीते हैं अपने हाथ से कफ़्श-ए रसूल-ए पाक
क्या औज, क्या जमाल है, क्या इन्केसार है
८
दुनिया की क्या मजाल के ये रिश्ता तोड़ दे
हैदर से मेरा अहद-ए वफ़ा उस्तवार है
फ़र्श-ए नबी पे, छाऊं में शम्शीर ओ तेग़ की
ख़्वाबीदा मुत्मइन असद-ए किर्दगार है
मज़्दूर है इमाम, मगर हम को देखिये
कस्ब-ए हलाल के लिये महनत से आ’र है
९
अए मुर्तज़ा, जमाल-ए इलाही के जल्वा-दार
दर्शन नीगाह-ए लुत्फ़ का उम्मीदवार है
अए हाज़रीन-ए बज़्म रहें आप सब गवाह
मौलो अली के नाम पे दर्शन निसार है
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. darshan singh duggal darshan (1921-1989) orthodox and observant sikh, grew up in lahore with a promising academic record headed for the sciences or engineering. But when his father took him to the priest/sant for blessings, the priest advised him to take faarsi, and English literature. He started composing verse in urdu in 1937. In spite of (or perhaps because of) his sikh upbringing he is accepting of all faiths and has written with much feeling about diverse religious personalities. It is a recognition of the role urdu has played in the history of the sub-continent and hindus, muslims, sikhs and Christians wrote odes to their respective religious figures in that language. The family migrated to India where he retired as deputy secretary of finance for the government of India. He took over from his father as president of the World Fellowship of Religions. He has composed odes to religious figures across the board. This one is to ali ibn-e abi taalib.
1
andesha1-e KhizaaN2 hai na fikr3-e bahaar4 hai
ishq-e ali se apna jigar5 laala-zaar6 hai
jis ko nigaah7 DhoonD rahi hai chaman chaman
aaGhosh8-e mustafa9 meN vo jaan-e bahaar4 hai 1.fear 2.autumn, dry season resulting in shortage of food 3.concern 4.spring, harvest 5.liver/heart 6.bed of red tulips, happy 7.eyes 8.lap 9.another name of mohammed
I am not fearful of shortage, nor concerned/eager for a plentiful harvest. My heart is satiated/happy with the love of ali. My eyes which search for him in every garden, that life/soul of spring/happiness is in the lap of mohammed. This draws upon the story common among muslims that ali was close to, and loved by mohammed right from his birth.
2
haq-biin1 o haq-shinaas2 se maKhfi3 nahiN ye baat
k’aaba ali ke husn4 ka aaiina-daar5 hai
ek faatehaana6 sub’h ka jalva7 hai aashkaar8
shab9 jaa rahi hai, kashmakash10-e noor11 o naar12 hai
sansaar13 dekh paayega kya manzil14-e ali
sansaar ki nazar to sar-e-rahguzaar15 hai 1.those who can see the truth 2.those familiar with truth 3.hidden 4.beauty 5.reflecting 6.victorious 7.image, picture 8.manifest, visible 9.night 10.struggle 11.light, virtue 12.hellfire, vice 13.world 14.used here to mean ‘status/greatness’ 15.beginning of the path
Here “sub’h and noor” are used truth and virtue and “shab and naar” for falsehood, evil. That the k’aaba reflects the glory of ali is not hidden from those who can see and understand Truth. This reflects the commonly believed story that ali was born inside the k’aaba. With his birth it was as if the picture of victorious truth emerged and the dark night was departing/fleeing from the struggle between evil and good. How can the world see/understand the status of ali, all it can see is the beginning of the path (to get to his greatness).
3
badr1 o hunayn1, Khyber1 of Khandaq1 ho ya uhad1
jo maa’reka2 ali ka hai vo yaadgaar3 hai
Khyber1 o Khandaq1, dushman-e zulmat4, fusooN-shikan5
har vahm6, har junooN7 ki dava zulfiqaar8 hai 1.these are all famous battles/battlegrounds in which ali’s valour was the main cause of victory 2.conflict, war 3.memorable 4.ocean 5.fields of knowledge 6.darkness, ignorance 7.illusion-breaking 8.superstition, untruth 9.madness 10.ali’s sword
Be it badr, hunayn, Khyber, Khandaq or uhad, whatever battle there was is a memorial to ali and his valour. He was an ocean of knowledge, the enemy of darkness/ignorance and destroyer of illusions. And the zulifqaar was raised to defeat falsehood and madness.
4
teGh1-e ali sumoom2 hai kuffaar3 ke liye
aur mominoN4 ke haq5 meN nasiim6-e bahaar7 hai
maqsad8 ye hai ke Khaak9 ko me’raaj10 ho naseeb11
tauheed12 o irteqa13 ka alam14 zulfiqaar15 hai 1.sword 2.hot, pestilential desert wind 3.evil doers 4.virtuous 5.for the sake of, a right of 6.cool breeze 7.spring 8.purpose 9.dust, clay, human being 10.ascension to heaven 11.granted, gifted 12.one-ness (of god) 13.progress 14.banner 15.name of ali’s sword
The sword of ali was like a fiery wind for evil doers and like a cool spring breeze for the virtuous. His purpose was that the low human be granted ascension to heaven. The zulfiqaar was like a banner declaring the one-ness of god and creating a path of progress.
5
duniya1 jo DhoonDte haiN kisi aur dar2 pe jaayeN
dil ke bhikaariyoN ke liye tera dvaar3 hai
rutba4 maiN tere halqa-nashiinoN5 ka kya kahuN
dar ka tere faqiir6 bhi ek taajdaar7 hai 1.material world 2.door 3.door 4.status 5.circle of followers 6.beggar 7.crowned king
Those who are looking for material possessions should go to a different place. Your door (O, ali) is for mendicants of love. How can I describe the status of your followers. Even a beggar of your door is like crowned king.
6
ek baar phir dayaar1-e arab meN sahar2 hui
ahd3-e ali KhizaaN4 nahiN, ahd3-e bahaar5 hai
vo sarzamin6-e hind ho ya Khitta7-e arab
mushkil-kusha8 ki aaj bhi har suu9 pukaar hai 1.region 2.dawn 3.period, age 4.drought, deprivation 5.spring, plenty 6.homeland 7.region 8.one who solves difficulties/problems 9.direction
Once again it is dawn in arabia. The age of ali is not an age of deprivation, it is a time of spring/renewal/re-awakening. Be it the homeland of hindustan or the region of arabia, everywhere they cry for ali, the solver of problems.
7
kya dil hai murtaza1 ka, keh jis dil meN dosto
apna to Gham nahiN hai, Gham-e rozgaar2 hai
seete haiN apne haath se kafsh3-e rasool-e-paak4
kya auj5, kya jamaal6 hai, kya inkesaar7 hai 1.another name of ali 2.world, everyone else 3.shoes 4.noble prophet 5.height, status 6.glory 7.humility
Look at the self-denial and generosity of ali-e murtaza. He cares for others more than he does for himself. He bends down to repair the shoes of the noble prophet. Look at his humility in spite of his high status and glory.
8
duniya ki kya majaal1 ke ye rishta2 toR de
haidar3 se mera ahd-e-vafa4 ustuvaar5 hai
farsh6-e nabi7 pe chhaauN meN shamshiir-o-teGh8 ki
Khwabiida9 mutamain10 asad-e-kirdegaar11 hai
mazdoor hai imaam12, magar hum ko dekhiye
kasb13-e halaal ke liye mehnat se aa’r hai 1.courage, daring 2.relationship 3.another name of ali 4.commitment of faith 5.strong, unbreakable 6.floor, bed 7.prophet 8.sword and dagger 9.sleeping 10.peacefully, fearlessly 11.lion of god – an honorific moniker of ali 12.leader, ali 13.acquire, earn 14.honest 15.shame, discomfort
How dare the world try to break this relationship. My promise of fidelity towards ali is unbreakable. This has reference to the story that makkans, threatened by the teachings of mohammed, conspired to kill him. A member of each tribe was supposed to strike him simultaneously with a sword or dagger while he slept so that mohammed’s tribe would not be able to seek restitution/revenge against the combination. mohammed left ali sleeping in his bed as a decoy, reasoning that they would not kill him, and fled to madinah. Thus, the lion of god slept peacefully and fearlessly in the bed of mohammed, in the shadow of swords and daggers. It is also believed that when ali was the Khalifa/ruler, he did not live in luxury and continued to work as a labourer to earn his living. Thus, he was the ruler and remained a labourer, but look at us. We look down upon labour to earn an honest living.
9
aye murtaza1, jamaal2-e ilaahi3 ke jalva-daar4
darshan5 nigaah6-e lutf7 ka ummeedvaar8 hai
aye haazereen9-e bazm10 raheN aap sub gavaah11
maula ali ke naam pe darshan5 nisaar12 hai 1.another name of ali 2.beauty, grace 3.divine 4.exponent, reflection 5.name and pen-name of poet 6.glance 7.kindness, benevolence 8.hopeful 9.those present 10.gathering 11.witness, testify 12.devotional offering
O, ali-e murtaza, exponent of divine grace, darshan too is hopeful of receiving your benevolent glance. O, those present in the gathering, bear witness that darshn is a devotee of lord ali.
darshan singh duggal darshan (1921-1989) orthodox and observant sikh, grew up in lahore with a promising academic record headed for the sciences or engineering. But when his father took him to the priest/sant for blessings, the priest advised him to take faarsi, and English literature. He started composing verse in urdu in 1937. In spite of (or perhaps because of) his sikh upbringing he is accepting of all faiths and has written with much feeling about diverse religious personalities. It is a recognition of the role urdu has played in the history of the sub-continent and hindus, muslims, sikhs and Christians wrote odes to their respective religious figures in that language. The family migrated to India where he retired as deputy secretary of finance for the government of India. He took over from his father as president of the World Fellowship of Religions. He has composed odes to religious figures across the board. This one is to ali ibn-e abi taalib.
1
andesha1-e KhizaaN2 hai na fikr3-e bahaar4 hai
ishq-e ali se apna jigar5 laala-zaar6 hai
jis ko nigaah7 DhoonD rahi hai chaman chaman
aaGhosh8-e mustafa9 meN vo jaan-e bahaar4 hai
1.fear 2.autumn, dry season resulting in shortage of food 3.concern 4.spring, harvest 5.liver/heart 6.bed of red tulips, happy 7.eyes 8.lap 9.another name of mohammed
I am not fearful of shortage, nor concerned/eager for a plentiful harvest. My heart is satiated/happy with the love of ali. My eyes which search for him in every garden, that life/soul of spring/happiness is in the lap of mohammed. This draws upon the story common among muslims that ali was close to, and loved by mohammed right from his birth.
2
haq-biin1 o haq-shinaas2 se maKhfi3 nahiN ye baat
k’aaba ali ke husn4 ka aaiina-daar5 hai
ek faatehaana6 sub’h ka jalva7 hai aashkaar8
shab9 jaa rahi hai, kashmakash10-e noor11 o naar12 hai
sansaar13 dekh paayega kya manzil14-e ali
sansaar ki nazar to sar-e-rahguzaar15 hai
1.those who can see the truth 2.those familiar with truth 3.hidden 4.beauty 5.reflecting 6.victorious 7.image, picture 8.manifest, visible 9.night 10.struggle 11.light, virtue 12.hellfire, vice 13.world 14.used here to mean ‘status/greatness’ 15.beginning of the path
Here “sub’h and noor” are used truth and virtue and “shab and naar” for falsehood, evil. That the k’aaba reflects the glory of ali is not hidden from those who can see and understand Truth. This reflects the commonly believed story that ali was born inside the k’aaba. With his birth it was as if the picture of victorious truth emerged and the dark night was departing/fleeing from the struggle between evil and good. How can the world see/understand the status of ali, all it can see is the beginning of the path (to get to his greatness).
3
badr1 o hunayn1, Khyber1 of Khandaq1 ho ya uhad1
jo maa’reka2 ali ka hai vo yaadgaar3 hai
bahr4-e uloom5 o dushman-e zulmat6, fusooN-shikan7
har vahm8, har junooN9 ki dava zulfiqaar10 hai
1.these are all famous battles/battlegrounds in which ali’s valour was the main cause of victory 2.conflict, war 3.memorable 4.ocean 5.fields of knowledge 6.darkness, ignorance 7.illusion-breaking 8.superstition, untruth 9.madness 10.ali’s sword
Be it badr, hunayn, Khyber, Khandaq or uhad, whatever battle there was is a memorial to ali and his valour. He was an ocean of knowledge, the enemy of darkness/ignorance and destroyer of illusions. And the zulifqaar was raised to defeat falsehood and madness.
4
teGh1-e ali sumoom2 hai kuffaar3 ke liye
aur mominoN4 ke haq5 meN nasiim6-e bahaar7 hai
maqsad8 ye hai ke Khaak9 ko me’raaj10 ho naseeb11
tauheed12 o irteqa13 ka alam14 zulfiqaar15 hai
1.sword 2.hot, pestilential desert wind 3.evil doers 4.virtuous 5.for the sake of, a right of 6.cool breeze 7.spring 8.purpose 9.dust, clay, human being 10.ascension to heaven 11.granted, gifted 12.one-ness (of god) 13.progress 14.banner 15.name of ali’s sword
The sword of ali was like a fiery wind for evil doers and like a cool spring breeze for the virtuous. His purpose was that the low human be granted ascension to heaven. The zulfiqaar was like a banner declaring the one-ness of god and creating a path of progress.
5
duniya1 jo DhoonDte haiN kisi aur dar2 pe jaayeN
dil ke bhikaariyoN ke liye tera dvaar3 hai
rutba4 maiN tere halqa-nashiinoN5 ka kya kahuN
dar ka tere faqiir6 bhi ek taajdaar7 hai
1.material world 2.door 3.door 4.status 5.circle of followers 6.beggar 7.crowned king
Those who are looking for material possessions should go to a different place. Your door (O, ali) is for mendicants of love. How can I describe the status of your followers. Even a beggar of your door is like crowned king.
6
ek baar phir dayaar1-e arab meN sahar2 hui
ahd3-e ali KhizaaN4 nahiN, ahd3-e bahaar5 hai
vo sarzamin6-e hind ho ya Khitta7-e arab
mushkil-kusha8 ki aaj bhi har suu9 pukaar hai
1.region 2.dawn 3.period, age 4.drought, deprivation 5.spring, plenty 6.homeland 7.region 8.one who solves difficulties/problems 9.direction
Once again it is dawn in arabia. The age of ali is not an age of deprivation, it is a time of spring/renewal/re-awakening. Be it the homeland of hindustan or the region of arabia, everywhere they cry for ali, the solver of problems.
7
kya dil hai murtaza1 ka, keh jis dil meN dosto
apna to Gham nahiN hai, Gham-e rozgaar2 hai
seete haiN apne haath se kafsh3-e rasool-e-paak4
kya auj5, kya jamaal6 hai, kya inkesaar7 hai
1.another name of ali 2.world, everyone else 3.shoes 4.noble prophet 5.height, status 6.glory 7.humility
Look at the self-denial and generosity of ali-e murtaza. He cares for others more than he does for himself. He bends down to repair the shoes of the noble prophet. Look at his humility in spite of his high status and glory.
8
duniya ki kya majaal1 ke ye rishta2 toR de
haidar3 se mera ahd-e-vafa4 ustuvaar5 hai
farsh6-e nabi7 pe chhaauN meN shamshiir-o-teGh8 ki
Khwabiida9 mutamain10 asad-e-kirdegaar11 hai
mazdoor hai imaam12, magar hum ko dekhiye
kasb13-e halaal ke liye mehnat se aa’r hai
1.courage, daring 2.relationship 3.another name of ali 4.commitment of faith 5.strong, unbreakable 6.floor, bed 7.prophet 8.sword and dagger 9.sleeping 10.peacefully, fearlessly 11.lion of god – an honorific moniker of ali 12.leader, ali 13.acquire, earn 14.honest 15.shame, discomfort
How dare the world try to break this relationship. My promise of fidelity towards ali is unbreakable. This has reference to the story that makkans, threatened by the teachings of mohammed, conspired to kill him. A member of each tribe was supposed to strike him simultaneously with a sword or dagger while he slept so that mohammed’s tribe would not be able to seek restitution/revenge against the combination. mohammed left ali sleeping in his bed as a decoy, reasoning that they would not kill him, and fled to madinah. Thus, the lion of god slept peacefully and fearlessly in the bed of mohammed, in the shadow of swords and daggers. It is also believed that when ali was the Khalifa/ruler, he did not live in luxury and continued to work as a labourer to earn his living. Thus, he was the ruler and remained a labourer, but look at us. We look down upon labour to earn an honest living.
9
aye murtaza1, jamaal2-e ilaahi3 ke jalva-daar4
darshan5 nigaah6-e lutf7 ka ummeedvaar8 hai
aye haazereen9-e bazm10 raheN aap sub gavaah11
maula ali ke naam pe darshan5 nisaar12 hai
1.another name of ali 2.beauty, grace 3.divine 4.exponent, reflection 5.name and pen-name of poet 6.glance 7.kindness, benevolence 8.hopeful 9.those present 10.gathering 11.witness, testify 12.devotional offering
O, ali-e murtaza, exponent of divine grace, darshan too is hopeful of receiving your benevolent glance. O, those present in the gathering, bear witness that darshn is a devotee of lord ali.
