For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
شیخِ حرم نکلے ۔ رگھُبیر سرن دِواکر راہیؔ
۱
نگاہِ جستجو لے کر جدھر دُنیا میں ہم نکلے
کرم کے بھیس میں ہر گام پر جَور و سِتم نکلے
۲
اذاں سُن کر جو لرزا ہاتھ اور ساغر سے مے چھلکی
جنھیں سمجھا تھا ہم نے رِند وہ شیخِ حرم نکلے
۳
بہت سیدھا سا تھا دار و رسن کا راستہ لیکن
ہماری راہِ منزل میں ہزاروں پیچ و خم نکلے
۴
ہوئی بادہ پرستی آج تم پر فرض اے رندو
وہ دیکھو میکدے سے پی کے شیخِ محترم نکلے
۵
مری رُودادِ غم پر اور وہ یوں مسکرا دیتے
مگر کم بخت آنسو ہی مری آنکھوں سے کم نکلے
۶
ہر اِک غم میں خوشی ڈھونڈی تھی ہم نے دوستو لیکن
نشاطِ زندگی میں بھی نہاں اندوہ و غم نکلے
۷
نہ جانے داد دیتے ہیں نہ جانے طنز کرتے ہیں
جو کہتے ہیں کہ راہیؔ تم بڑے جادو قلم نکلے
शैख़-ए हरम निक्ले – रघुबीर सरन दिवाकर राही
१
निगाह-ए जुस्तजू ले कर जिधर दुनिया में हम निक्ले
करम के भेस में हर गाम पर जौर ओ सितम निक्ले
२
अज़’आं सुन कर जो लर्ज़ा हाथ और साग़र से मय छल्की
जिन्हें समझा था हम ने रिंद वो शैख़-ए हरम निक्ले
३
बहुत सीधा सा था दार ओ रसन का रास्ता लैकिन
हमारी राह-ए मंज़िल में हज़ारें पेच ओ ख़म निक्ले
४
हुई बादा-परस्ती आज तुम पर फ़र्ज़ अए रिंदो
वो देखो मयकदे से पी के शैख़-ए मोहतरम निक्ले
५
मेरी रूदाद-ए ग़म पर और वो यूं मुस्कुरा देते
मगर कम-बख़्त आंसू ही मेरी आंखौं से कम निक्ले
६
हर एक ग़म में ख़ुशी ढूंडी थी हम ने दोस्तो लैकिन
निशात-ए ज़िंदगी में भी नेहां अन्दोह ओ ग़म निक्ले
७
न जाने दाद देते हैं, न जाने तन्ज़ करते हैं
जो कहते हैं के राही तुम बड़े जादू क़लम निक्ले
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. raghubir saran divaakar raahi (1914-1968), rampur. Three Ghazal collection with hundreds of Ghazal in each. Born in amroha, learnt urdu and faarsi at school. BA, LLB from meeraTh. District Information Officer, UP. shaa’eri was on top of this ‘day job’. Posted to and retired in rampur, 1954 and started law practice. Editor of hindi magazines. Very secular and makes much fun of the shaiKh and brahman.
1
nigaah1-e justaju2 le kar jidhar duniya meN hum nikle
karam3 ke bhes4 meN har gaam5 par jaur-o-sitam6 nikle 1.eye 2.searching, discriminating 3.kindness 4.disguise 5.step 6.cruelty and oppression
Wherever in this world I turned to look with a discriminating eye, I found cruelty and oppression disguised as kindness.
2
az’aaN1 sun kar jo larza2 haath aur saaGhar3 se mai4 chhalki
jinheN samjha tha hum ne rind5 vo shaiKh-e haram6 nikle 1.call to namaaz 2.tremble 3.cup 4.wine 5.wine-lover 6.mosque
The poet is sitting in the maikada enjoying his wine next to what he thought was a fellow wine-lover. But at the sound of the az’aan, his hand trembled (guilt feeling) and wine spilled out of the cup. That was a clear give away. The poet surmised that this must be the shaiKh of the masjid.
3
bahut siidha sa tha daar-o-rasan1 ka raasta laikin
hamaari raah2-e manzil3 meN hazaaroN pech-o-Kham4 nikle 1.hangman’s platform and noose 2.path 3.destination 4.twists and turns
This is probably about the poet as a revolutionary/resistance fighter. In this struggle, he should have headed straight to the hangman’s platform, but there were many other necessities and distractions along the way. This could also be a reflection of how difficult it is follow the recommendations of the Progressive Writers’ Association – I should have been writing about the socialist struggle but there were many temptations along the way.
4
hui baada-parasti1 aaj tum par farz2 aye rindo3
vo dekho maikade4 se pii ke shaiKh-e mohtaram5 nikle 1.worshipping wine 2.duty, requirement 3.tavern patrons 4.tavern 5.respected
From now on, worshipping wine has become a requirement for you (like worshipping god), O, patrons of the tavern. See, from the tavern emerges the respected shaiKh after imbibing wine.
Recall Ghalib’s she’r …
kahaaN mai-Khaane kaa darvaazah Ghalib aur kahaaN vaae’z
par itnaa jaante haiN kal vuh jaataa thaa kih ham nikle
5
meri ruudaad1-e Gham par aur vo muskura dete
magar kam-baKht2 aaNsu hi meri aaNkhoN se kam nikle 1.story 2.misfortune, bad-luck
Normally, if the poet/lover gets a chance to relate the story of his love/pain, the beloved might smile at him indulgently. If his story were to be accompanied by a profusion of tears, the might have gotten a more generous smile. But it was his misfortune that there were not many tears in his eyes.
6
har ek Gham meN Khushi DhoonDi thi ham ne dosto laikin
nishaat1-e zindagi meN bhi nihaaN2 andoh3 o Gham nikle 1.comfort, pleasure 2.hidden 3.grief, sorrow
O, friends, I always looked for some angle of happiness in sorrow. But even in the comforts/luxuries of life are also hidden much grief and sorrow.
7
na jaane daad1 dete haiN, na jaane tanz2 karte haiN
jo kahte haiN keh raahi3 tum baRe jaadu-qalam4 nikle 1.praise 2.sarcasm 3.pen-name of poet 4.magical/enchanting pen
I am not sure if this is sincere praise or sarcasm, when they say, O, raahi, your pen is magical/enchanting.
raghubir saran divaakar raahi (1914-1968), rampur. Three Ghazal collection with hundreds of Ghazal in each. Born in amroha, learnt urdu and faarsi at school. BA, LLB from meeraTh. District Information Officer, UP. shaa’eri was on top of this ‘day job’. Posted to and retired in rampur, 1954 and started law practice. Editor of hindi magazines. Very secular and makes much fun of the shaiKh and brahman.
1
nigaah1-e justaju2 le kar jidhar duniya meN hum nikle
karam3 ke bhes4 meN har gaam5 par jaur-o-sitam6 nikle
1.eye 2.searching, discriminating 3.kindness 4.disguise 5.step 6.cruelty and oppression
Wherever in this world I turned to look with a discriminating eye, I found cruelty and oppression disguised as kindness.
2
az’aaN1 sun kar jo larza2 haath aur saaGhar3 se mai4 chhalki
jinheN samjha tha hum ne rind5 vo shaiKh-e haram6 nikle
1.call to namaaz 2.tremble 3.cup 4.wine 5.wine-lover 6.mosque
The poet is sitting in the maikada enjoying his wine next to what he thought was a fellow wine-lover. But at the sound of the az’aan, his hand trembled (guilt feeling) and wine spilled out of the cup. That was a clear give away. The poet surmised that this must be the shaiKh of the masjid.
3
bahut siidha sa tha daar-o-rasan1 ka raasta laikin
hamaari raah2-e manzil3 meN hazaaroN pech-o-Kham4 nikle
1.hangman’s platform and noose 2.path 3.destination 4.twists and turns
This is probably about the poet as a revolutionary/resistance fighter. In this struggle, he should have headed straight to the hangman’s platform, but there were many other necessities and distractions along the way. This could also be a reflection of how difficult it is follow the recommendations of the Progressive Writers’ Association – I should have been writing about the socialist struggle but there were many temptations along the way.
4
hui baada-parasti1 aaj tum par farz2 aye rindo3
vo dekho maikade4 se pii ke shaiKh-e mohtaram5 nikle
1.worshipping wine 2.duty, requirement 3.tavern patrons 4.tavern 5.respected
From now on, worshipping wine has become a requirement for you (like worshipping god), O, patrons of the tavern. See, from the tavern emerges the respected shaiKh after imbibing wine. Recall Ghalib’s she’r …
kahaaN mai-Khaane kaa darvaazah Ghalib aur kahaaN vaae’z
par itnaa jaante haiN kal vuh jaataa thaa kih ham nikle
5
meri ruudaad1-e Gham par aur vo muskura dete
magar kam-baKht2 aaNsu hi meri aaNkhoN se kam nikle
1.story 2.misfortune, bad-luck
Normally, if the poet/lover gets a chance to relate the story of his love/pain, the beloved might smile at him indulgently. If his story were to be accompanied by a profusion of tears, the might have gotten a more generous smile. But it was his misfortune that there were not many tears in his eyes.
6
har ek Gham meN Khushi DhoonDi thi ham ne dosto laikin
nishaat1-e zindagi meN bhi nihaaN2 andoh3 o Gham nikle
1.comfort, pleasure 2.hidden 3.grief, sorrow
O, friends, I always looked for some angle of happiness in sorrow. But even in the comforts/luxuries of life are also hidden much grief and sorrow.
7
na jaane daad1 dete haiN, na jaane tanz2 karte haiN
jo kahte haiN keh raahi3 tum baRe jaadu-qalam4 nikle
1.praise 2.sarcasm 3.pen-name of poet 4.magical/enchanting pen
I am not sure if this is sincere praise or sarcasm, when they say, O, raahi, your pen is magical/enchanting.
