For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
میکدہ بیہوش ہے ۔ بالمُکُند عرشؔ ملسیانی
۱
خوب تاثیرِ مےِ سرجوش ہے
میکدے کا میکدہ بیہوش ہے
۲
کون تھا، کس کا تھا جلوہ، کیا خبر
ہوش گُم تھے مجھ کو اِتنا ہوش ہے
۳
اور اے ساقی پلا، تھوڑی سی اور
ہاں ابھی تھوڑا سا مجھ کو ہوش ہے
۴
کون پروانے پہ ہوگا اشکبار
شمع بھی اے صبح، اب خاموش ہے
۵
کس نے لیں یہ باغ میں انگڑائیاں
گریۂ شبنم تبسّم کوش ہے
۶
بیخودی اور اُس پہ زعمِ آگہی
زندگی کیا ہے، فریبِ ہوش ہے
۷
شاعری اُس کے لئے ہے گھر کی بات
عرشؔ فرزندِ جنابِ جوشؔ ہے
मयकदा बेहोश है – बालमुकुंद आर्श मल्सियानी
१
ख़ूब तासीर-ए मय-ए सर-जोश है
मयकदे का मयकदा बेहोश है
२
कौन था, किस का था जल्वा, क्या ख़बर
होश गुम थे, मुझ को इतना होश है
३
और अए साक़ी पिला, थोढी सि और
हां अभी थोढा सा मुझ को होश है
४
कौन परवाने पे होगा अश्कबार
शम’अ भी अए सुब्ह, अब ख़ामोश है
५
किस ने लीं ये बाग़ में अंग्ढाईयां
गिर्या-ए शब्नम तबस्सुम-कोश है
६
बेख़ुदी और उस पे ज़ो’म-ए आगही
ज़िंदगी क्या है, फ़रेब-ए होश है
७
शा’एरी उस के लिये है घर की बात
अर्श फ़र्ज़ंद-ए जनाब-ए जोश है
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. baalmukund arsh malsiaani (1908-1979), son of josh malsiaani, both renowned shu’ara of progresssive views, from malsiaan, punjab. They moved to dehli in the 1930s. arsh malsiaani was assistant editor of Govt of India urdu publication ‘aaj kal’ under josh malihabadi and took over as editor after josh left for pakistan. He wrote a book dedicated to Ghalib “faizaan-e Ghalib” about his influence on his many shaagird. This Ghazal is in the zamin of Ghalib’s ‘navaa-e sarosh hai’.
1
Khoob1 taasiir2-e mai3-e sar-josh4 hai
maikade5 ka maikada be-hosh6 hai 1.good, strong 2.effect 3.wine 4.intense passion 5.tavern 6.drunk, in a trance
The effect of the wine of intense passion is strong. All those present in the tavern are in a trance/intoxicated. This could well be because of the presence of the saaqi/beloved.
2
kaun tha, kis ka tha jalva1, kya Khabar2
hosh3 gum4 the, mujh ko itna hosh5 hai 1.appearance, manifestation 2.knowledge 3.senses 4.lost 5.awareness
Who was it, whose image was it that appeared, who knows. I had lost my senses, of this much, I am aware.
3
aur aye saaqi pila, thoRi si aur
haaN abhi thoRa sa mujh ko hosh1 hai 1.senses
Give me some more wine to drink, O saaqi, a little more. I am still a little bit in control of my senses. He wants to get stone drunk.
4
kaun parvaane1 pe hoga ashkbaar2
sham’a3 bhi aye sub’h, ab Khaamosh4 hai 1.moth 2.shedding tears 3.candle 4.silent, put out, extinguished
Poetic conventions says that the moth is in intense love with the candle and circles it to the point of getting burnt to death. As this happens, the candle sheds tears (dripping wax). But now it is near dawn and the candle is burnt out and no longer dripping tears. Who will now shed tears for the moth, O dawn.
5
kis ne liiN ye baaGh meN aNgRaaiyaaN1
giriya2-e shabnam3 tabassum-kosh4 hai 1.stretch, yawn 2.crying, shedding tears 3.dew 4.seeking smiles
It is near dawn and dewdrops are collected on the unopened bud. But near dawn, the bud should bloom into a flower. Thus, dew drops are likened to tear drops. Someone is crying, yearning for the smile of the beloved – blooming of the flower. And the yearning became intense because someone stretched and yawned i.e., at dawn it was time to wake up and the beloved stretched.
6
be-Khudi1 aur us pe zo’m2-e aagahi3
zindagi kya hai, fareb4-e hosh5 hai 1.drunkenness, being unaware/lost 2.hubris 3.knowledge 4.deception, illusion 5.senses
Human beings do not really understand the spiritual i.e., they are in a state of ‘be-Khudi’ – lost. Yet their hubris makes them claim that they know. Thus, what is life, except for an illusion of knowledge.
7
text=” shaa’eri1 us ke liye hai ghar ki baat
arsh2 farzand3-e janaab4-e josh5 hai 1.versification 2.pen-name of the poet 3.son of 4.honorific – respected 5.pen-name of labhuram malsiani, father of baalmukund malsiani
‘ghar ki baat’ implies naturally/organically acquired at home. Thus, arsh learnt, acquired a talent/taste for versification while growing up at home because he is the son the respected poet josh malsiani.
baalmukund arsh malsiaani (1908-1979), son of josh malsiaani, both renowned shu’ara of progresssive views, from malsiaan, punjab. They moved to dehli in the 1930s. arsh malsiaani was assistant editor of Govt of India urdu publication ‘aaj kal’ under josh malihabadi and took over as editor after josh left for pakistan. He wrote a book dedicated to Ghalib “faizaan-e Ghalib” about his influence on his many shaagird. This Ghazal is in the zamin of Ghalib’s ‘navaa-e sarosh hai’.
1
Khoob1 taasiir2-e mai3-e sar-josh4 hai
maikade5 ka maikada be-hosh6 hai
1.good, strong 2.effect 3.wine 4.intense passion 5.tavern 6.drunk, in a trance
The effect of the wine of intense passion is strong. All those present in the tavern are in a trance/intoxicated. This could well be because of the presence of the saaqi/beloved.
2
kaun tha, kis ka tha jalva1, kya Khabar2
hosh3 gum4 the, mujh ko itna hosh5 hai
1.appearance, manifestation 2.knowledge 3.senses 4.lost 5.awareness
Who was it, whose image was it that appeared, who knows. I had lost my senses, of this much, I am aware.
3
aur aye saaqi pila, thoRi si aur
haaN abhi thoRa sa mujh ko hosh1 hai
1.senses
Give me some more wine to drink, O saaqi, a little more. I am still a little bit in control of my senses. He wants to get stone drunk.
4
kaun parvaane1 pe hoga ashkbaar2
sham’a3 bhi aye sub’h, ab Khaamosh4 hai
1.moth 2.shedding tears 3.candle 4.silent, put out, extinguished
Poetic conventions says that the moth is in intense love with the candle and circles it to the point of getting burnt to death. As this happens, the candle sheds tears (dripping wax). But now it is near dawn and the candle is burnt out and no longer dripping tears. Who will now shed tears for the moth, O dawn.
5
kis ne liiN ye baaGh meN aNgRaaiyaaN1
giriya2-e shabnam3 tabassum-kosh4 hai
1.stretch, yawn 2.crying, shedding tears 3.dew 4.seeking smiles
It is near dawn and dewdrops are collected on the unopened bud. But near dawn, the bud should bloom into a flower. Thus, dew drops are likened to tear drops. Someone is crying, yearning for the smile of the beloved – blooming of the flower. And the yearning became intense because someone stretched and yawned i.e., at dawn it was time to wake up and the beloved stretched.
6
be-Khudi1 aur us pe zo’m2-e aagahi3
zindagi kya hai, fareb4-e hosh5 hai
1.drunkenness, being unaware/lost 2.hubris 3.knowledge 4.deception, illusion 5.senses
Human beings do not really understand the spiritual i.e., they are in a state of ‘be-Khudi’ – lost. Yet their hubris makes them claim that they know. Thus, what is life, except for an illusion of knowledge.
7
shaa’eri1 us ke liye hai ghar ki baat
arsh2 farzand3-e janaab4-e josh5 hai
1.versification 2.pen-name of the poet 3.son of 4.honorific – respected 5.pen-name of labhuram malsiani, father of baalmukund malsiani
‘ghar ki baat’ implies naturally/organically acquired at home. Thus, arsh learnt, acquired a talent/taste for versification while growing up at home because he is the son the respected poet josh malsiani.
