For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
منتخب رباعیات ۔ امیر چند بہارؔ
۱
عاشق اُردو کے بس مسلمان نہیں
مذہب تو قلمکار کی پہچان نہیں
اِک فرقے سے منسوب جو کرتے ہیں اِسے
تاریخ کا اُن لوگوں کو عرفان نہیں
۲
مذہب کا بلا وجہ اُٹھاتے ہو سوال
موہوم ہے، مزموم ہے یہ لغو خیال
مذہب کا زبان سے تعلق کیا ہے
مذہب کو بناتے ہو عبث جی کا وبال
۳
اُردو دراصل رابطہ کی ہے زباں
ہندو مسلم چھڑکتے ہیں اِس پر جاں
ہندی اُردو میں مطلقاً فرق نہیں
یہ ایک حقیقت ہے ارے او نادان
۴
نام اب لوں میں کِس کِس دیدہ ور کا
اُردو کے سفیروں کا بندھا ہے تانتا
چکبستؔ، فراقؔ، گرسرن لال ادیبؔ
محرومؔ، آزاد اور جسٹس مُلّا
۵
کس درجہ ہے شیرین و دلآویز و رواں
وہ حُسن کہیے جسے عظمت کا نشاں
گنجینۂ معنی ہے ادب اُردو کا
یہ غالبؔ و چکبستؔ و جگرؔ کی ہے زباں
۶
اخبار و رسائل کا نہیں کوئی شمار
پرتاب، ملاپ، ویر بھارت اخبار
جو لوگ مدیر اِن جرائد کے ہیں
اُردو کے ہیں بے گماں سب خدمت گار
۷
اُردو کا وطن تمام بولتا تھا طوطی
اُردو واحد زبان تھی ہم سب کی
آزاد ہوئے ہیں تو یہ عالم ہے اب
سوتن اُردو کی بن گئی ہے ہندی
۸
سیکولر سر بسر ہے اُردو کا مزاج
ہے اس کے ادب کا معترف سارا سماج
ہیں یوں تو ہزارہا زبانیں، لیکن
اُردو کُل بھاشاؤں کی ہے سرتاج
۹
بھارت میں نہیں ہے تو کہاں ہے اُردو
کیا مصر کی، ٹرکی کی زباں ہے اُردو
بھارت میں یہ پیدا ہوئی، پروان چڑھی
آپس کے ملاپ کا نشاں ہے اُردو
मुंतख़ब रुबाईयात – अमीर चंद बहार
१
आशेक़ उर्दू के बस मुसलमान नहीं
मज़्हब तो क़लमकार कि पहचान नहीं
एक फ़िर्क़े से मन्सूब जो करते हैं इसे
तारीख़ का उन लोगौं को इर्फ़ान नहीं
२
मज़्हब का बिला वजह उठाते हो सवाल
मौहूम है, मज़्मूम है ये लग़ो ख़याल
मज़्हब का ज़बान से ता’अलुक़ क्या है
मज़्हब को बनाते हो अबस जी का वबाल
३
उर्दू दर-अस्ल राबते कि है ज़बां
हिन्दु मुस्लिम छिढकते हैं इस पर जां
हिन्दी उर्दू में मुत्लक़न फ़र्क़ नहीं
ये एक है हक़ीक़त अरे ओ इन्सां
४
नाम अब लूं मैं किस किस दीदा-वर का
उर्दू के सफ़ीरौं का बंधा है तांता
चक्बस्त, फ़िराक़, गुरसरन लाल अदीब
महरूम, आज़ाद और जस्टिस मुल्ला
५
किस तरह है शीरीं ओ दिलआवेज़ ओ रवां
वो हुस्न कहिये जिसे अज़्मत का निशां
गंजीना-ए मु’आनी है अदब उर्दू का
ये ग़ालिब ओ चक्बस्त ओ जिगर कि है ज़बां
६
अख़्बार ओ रसा’एल का नहीं कोई शुमार
प्रताप, मिलाप, वीर भारत आख़्बार
जो लोग मदीर इन जरा’एद के हैं
उर्दू के हैं बेगुमां सब ख़िद्मत-गार
७
उर्दू का वतन तमाम बोलता था तूती
उर्दू वाहेद ज़बान थी हम सब की
आज़ाद हुए हैं जो ये आलम है अब
सौतन उर्दू कि बन गई है हिन्दी
८
सेक्युलर सर ब-सर है उर्दू का मिज़ाज
है इस के अदब का मो’तरफ़ सारा समाज
हैं यूं तो हज़ार-हा ज़बानें लैकिन
उर्दू कुल भाषओं कि है सरताज
९
भारत में नहीं है तो कहां है उर्दू
क्या मिस्र कि, टर्की की ज़बां है उर्दू
भारत में ये पैदा हुई परवान चढ़ी
आपस के मिलाप का निशां है उर्दू
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. ameer chand bahaar (1925-xxxx). In spite of his eight collections, it was very difficult to assemble any facts about his life. He appears to have taught, first at government college, ludhiana and later at rohtak. He translated several 26 English poems into urdu nazm format and published them as a collection. He did also compose Ghazal but his specialty seems to be the rubaaii. This collection of rubaaii in praise and defence of urdu. It is taken from two book of collections dated 2004 and 2007, but it appears that they were composed long before that.
1
aashiq urdu ke bas musalmaan nahiN
mazhab to qalamkaar1 ki pahchaan2 nahiN
ek firqe3 se mansoob4 jo karte haiN ise
taariiKh5 ka un logoN ko irfaan6 nahiN 1.writer 2.identify, label 3.community 4.associated 5.history 6.knowledge
It is not just muslims who are lovers of urdu. You cannot identify/label a writer with his religion. Those who associate urdu with one religion have no knowledge of history.
2
mazhab ka bila-vajah1 uThaate ho savaal2
mauhoom3 hai, mazmoom4 hai ye laGho5 Khayaal
mazhab ka zabaan6 se ta’aluq7 kya hai
mazhab to banaate ho abas8 jii ka vabaal9 1.for no reason 2.question 3.imaginary, deceptive 4.condemnable 5.absurd 6.language 7.relationship 8.useless 9.nuisance
They raise the question of religion unnecessarily. This absurd thought is diversionary and condemnable. What relationship does a language have with religion. Why do they make religions an useless nuisance (regarding this issue).
3
urdu dar-asl1 raabte2 ki hai zabaaN
hindu muslim chhiRakte haiN is par jaaN
hindi urdu meN mutlaq3 farq4 nahiN
ye aek haqiiqat5 hai arey o insaaN 1.in truth 2.relationship, association, joining 3.absolutely 4.difference 5.truth
In truth, urdu is a language that binds us. Hindus and muslims alike give their life for it. There is absolutely no difference between urdu and hindi. This is the truth. Editorial comment – linguists and historians write that they were a single language with two scripts. British census and the work on Fort William College, kolkata, forcefully separated them. Later, faarsi and sanskrit vocabulary addition reinforced the separation.
4
naam ab luN maiN kis kis diida-var1 ka
urdu ke safiiroN2 ka bandha hai taaNta3
chakbast4, firaaq5, gursaran laal adeeb6
mahroom7, aazaad8 aur justice mulla9 1.visionary 2.ambassadors, representatives 3.crowd, long line 4.panDit brij narain chakbast (1822-1926) 5.raghupati sahay firaaq gorakhpuri (1896-1982) 6.gursaran laal adeeb (1902-1998) also published rubaii 7.tilok chand mahroom (1887-1966) 8.jagan nath aazaad (1918-2004) 9.panDit anand narain mulla (1901-1997)
How many visionaries can I name. There is a long line of spokesmen for urdu – panDit brij narain chakbast, raghupati sahay firaaq gorakhpuri, tilok chand mahroom, jagan nath aazaad (son of mahroom) and panDit anand narain mulla who retired as a high court judge of UP.
5
kis tarah hai shiiriiN1 o dilaavez2 o ravaaN3
vo husn4 kahiye jise azmat5 ka nishaaN6
ganjiina7-e mu’aani8 hai adab9 urdu ka
ye Ghalib10 o chakbast11 o jigar12 ki hai zabaaN13 1.sweet 2.heart pleasing 3.flowing, musical 4.beauty 5.greatness 6.mark 7.treasure 8.meaning 9.literature 10.mirza Ghalib (1797-1869) 11.panDit brij narain chakbast (1822-1926) 12.jigar muradabai (1890-1961) 13.language
How can I describe how sweet, pleasing and musical it is, the beauty that is a mark of greatness. urdu literature is a treasure house of meaning. It is the language of Ghalib, chakbast and jigar muraadabaadi.
6
aKhbaar1 o rasaa’el2 ka nahiN koii shumaar3
prataap4, milaap4, viir bharat4 aKhbaar
jo log madiir5 in jaraa’ed6 ke haiN
urdu ke haiN begumaaN7 Khidmat-gaar8 1.newspaper 2.magazines 3.enumeration 4.names of weekly or monthly magazines published in urdu even until the 1950s 5.editor/publisher 6.publications 7.undoubtedly 8.doing a service
There were/are so many newspapers and magazines that I cannot enumerate them. Among them prataap, milaap and viir bharat. Those that were editors/publishers of these publications, sure served urdu fully. Editorial comment – in fact there were many many more – sanaatan dharm pracharak, tej, aarya veer, veer India, arya Gazette, bande maataram, jain sansaar, sher-e hind, raajput Gazette and even agarwal hiteshi that were published in urdu. All had editors and contributors who were hindu (at least by name) and surely were published for an urdu reading audience.
7
urdu ka vatan tamaam1 bolta tha tuuti2
urdu vaahid3 zabaan4 thi ham sub ki
aazaad hue haiN jo ye aalam5 hai ab
sautan6 urdu ki ban gaii hai hindi 1.all 2.tooti bolna is an expression equivalent to – sing praise 3.only 4.language 5.condition 6.rival wife, figurativel – vindictive, jealous
All the country used to sing praises of urdu. urdu was the only common language between us. But ever since independence hindi has become a jealous rival of urdu. In the constituent assembly there was a long debate about what should be the national language. Just as a compromise was reached not to call it hindi or urdu, but hindustaani, pakistan declared urdu to be their national language. Tables turned and hindi was declared the national language. See panDit anand narain mulla …
ye saaneha saal e chahl o nau meN hua
hindi ki chhuri thi aur urdu ka galaa
urdu ke rafeeqauN meN jo maqtool hua
mulla naami suna hai shaaer bhi tha
8
secular sar-ba-sar1 hai urdu ka mizaaj2
hai is ke adab3 ki mo’taraf4 saara samaaj5
haiN yuN to hazaar-ha zabaaneN6 laikin
urdu kul7 bhaashaaoN8 ki hai sartaaj9 1.head to toe 2.character, temperament 3.literature 4.convinced 5.society 6.languages 7.all 8.languages 9.reigning, queen
urdu’s temperament/character is an embodiment of secularism. All society is convinced of the goodness of its literature. There are thousands of languages but, urdu is the queen of all.
9
bhaarat meN nahiN hai to kahaaN hai urdu
kya misr1 ki, Turkey ki zabaaN2 hai urdu
bhaarat meN ye paida hui parvaan-chaRhi3
aapas4 ke milaap ka nishaaN5 hai urdu 1.Egypt 2.language 3.grow, prosper 4.mutual 5.mark, sign, proof
If urdu is not of India where else is it from. Is it the language of Egypt or Turkey. It was born, grew up and prospered in India. It is a proof of mutual mingling (among people and languages).
ameer chand bahaar (1925-xxxx). In spite of his eight collections, it was very difficult to assemble any facts about his life. He appears to have taught, first at government college, ludhiana and later at rohtak. He translated several 26 English poems into urdu nazm format and published them as a collection. He did also compose Ghazal but his specialty seems to be the rubaaii. This collection of rubaaii in praise and defence of urdu. It is taken from two book of collections dated 2004 and 2007, but it appears that they were composed long before that.
1
aashiq urdu ke bas musalmaan nahiN
mazhab to qalamkaar1 ki pahchaan2 nahiN
ek firqe3 se mansoob4 jo karte haiN ise
taariiKh5 ka un logoN ko irfaan6 nahiN
1.writer 2.identify, label 3.community 4.associated 5.history 6.knowledge
It is not just muslims who are lovers of urdu. You cannot identify/label a writer with his religion. Those who associate urdu with one religion have no knowledge of history.
2
mazhab ka bila-vajah1 uThaate ho savaal2
mauhoom3 hai, mazmoom4 hai ye laGho5 Khayaal
mazhab ka zabaan6 se ta’aluq7 kya hai
mazhab to banaate ho abas8 jii ka vabaal9
1.for no reason 2.question 3.imaginary, deceptive 4.condemnable 5.absurd 6.language 7.relationship 8.useless 9.nuisance
They raise the question of religion unnecessarily. This absurd thought is diversionary and condemnable. What relationship does a language have with religion. Why do they make religions an useless nuisance (regarding this issue).
3
urdu dar-asl1 raabte2 ki hai zabaaN
hindu muslim chhiRakte haiN is par jaaN
hindi urdu meN mutlaq3 farq4 nahiN
ye aek haqiiqat5 hai arey o insaaN
1.in truth 2.relationship, association, joining 3.absolutely 4.difference 5.truth
In truth, urdu is a language that binds us. Hindus and muslims alike give their life for it. There is absolutely no difference between urdu and hindi. This is the truth. Editorial comment – linguists and historians write that they were a single language with two scripts. British census and the work on Fort William College, kolkata, forcefully separated them. Later, faarsi and sanskrit vocabulary addition reinforced the separation.
4
naam ab luN maiN kis kis diida-var1 ka
urdu ke safiiroN2 ka bandha hai taaNta3
chakbast4, firaaq5, gursaran laal adeeb6
mahroom7, aazaad8 aur justice mulla9
1.visionary 2.ambassadors, representatives 3.crowd, long line 4.panDit brij narain chakbast (1822-1926) 5.raghupati sahay firaaq gorakhpuri (1896-1982) 6.gursaran laal adeeb (1902-1998) also published rubaii 7.tilok chand mahroom (1887-1966) 8.jagan nath aazaad (1918-2004) 9.panDit anand narain mulla (1901-1997)
How many visionaries can I name. There is a long line of spokesmen for urdu – panDit brij narain chakbast, raghupati sahay firaaq gorakhpuri, tilok chand mahroom, jagan nath aazaad (son of mahroom) and panDit anand narain mulla who retired as a high court judge of UP.
5
kis tarah hai shiiriiN1 o dilaavez2 o ravaaN3
vo husn4 kahiye jise azmat5 ka nishaaN6
ganjiina7-e mu’aani8 hai adab9 urdu ka
ye Ghalib10 o chakbast11 o jigar12 ki hai zabaaN13
1.sweet 2.heart pleasing 3.flowing, musical 4.beauty 5.greatness 6.mark 7.treasure 8.meaning 9.literature 10.mirza Ghalib (1797-1869) 11.panDit brij narain chakbast (1822-1926) 12.jigar muradabai (1890-1961) 13.language
How can I describe how sweet, pleasing and musical it is, the beauty that is a mark of greatness. urdu literature is a treasure house of meaning. It is the language of Ghalib, chakbast and jigar muraadabaadi.
6
aKhbaar1 o rasaa’el2 ka nahiN koii shumaar3
prataap4, milaap4, viir bharat4 aKhbaar
jo log madiir5 in jaraa’ed6 ke haiN
urdu ke haiN begumaaN7 Khidmat-gaar8
1.newspaper 2.magazines 3.enumeration 4.names of weekly or monthly magazines published in urdu even until the 1950s 5.editor/publisher 6.publications 7.undoubtedly 8.doing a service
There were/are so many newspapers and magazines that I cannot enumerate them. Among them prataap, milaap and viir bharat. Those that were editors/publishers of these publications, sure served urdu fully. Editorial comment – in fact there were many many more – sanaatan dharm pracharak, tej, aarya veer, veer India, arya Gazette, bande maataram, jain sansaar, sher-e hind, raajput Gazette and even agarwal hiteshi that were published in urdu. All had editors and contributors who were hindu (at least by name) and surely were published for an urdu reading audience.
7
urdu ka vatan tamaam1 bolta tha tuuti2
urdu vaahid3 zabaan4 thi ham sub ki
aazaad hue haiN jo ye aalam5 hai ab
sautan6 urdu ki ban gaii hai hindi
1.all 2.tooti bolna is an expression equivalent to – sing praise 3.only 4.language 5.condition 6.rival wife, figurativel – vindictive, jealous
All the country used to sing praises of urdu. urdu was the only common language between us. But ever since independence hindi has become a jealous rival of urdu. In the constituent assembly there was a long debate about what should be the national language. Just as a compromise was reached not to call it hindi or urdu, but hindustaani, pakistan declared urdu to be their national language. Tables turned and hindi was declared the national language. See panDit anand narain mulla …
ye saaneha saal e chahl o nau meN hua
hindi ki chhuri thi aur urdu ka galaa
urdu ke rafeeqauN meN jo maqtool hua
mulla naami suna hai shaaer bhi tha
8
secular sar-ba-sar1 hai urdu ka mizaaj2
hai is ke adab3 ki mo’taraf4 saara samaaj5
haiN yuN to hazaar-ha zabaaneN6 laikin
urdu kul7 bhaashaaoN8 ki hai sartaaj9
1.head to toe 2.character, temperament 3.literature 4.convinced 5.society 6.languages 7.all 8.languages 9.reigning, queen
urdu’s temperament/character is an embodiment of secularism. All society is convinced of the goodness of its literature. There are thousands of languages but, urdu is the queen of all.
9
bhaarat meN nahiN hai to kahaaN hai urdu
kya misr1 ki, Turkey ki zabaaN2 hai urdu
bhaarat meN ye paida hui parvaan-chaRhi3
aapas4 ke milaap ka nishaaN5 hai urdu
1.Egypt 2.language 3.grow, prosper 4.mutual 5.mark, sign, proof
If urdu is not of India where else is it from. Is it the language of Egypt or Turkey. It was born, grew up and prospered in India. It is a proof of mutual mingling (among people and languages).
