aashna-e parda-e raaz-raghubiir saran divaakar raahi

For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.

آشنائے  پردۂ  راز  ۔  رگھوبیر  سرن  دِواکر  راہیؔ

۱

جس  کو  کہتے  ہو  روح  کی  پرواز

اِک  نئی  زندگی  کا  ہے  آغاز

۲

آگہی  کا  یہ  دیکھئیے  اعجاز

خود  ہی  بندہ  ہوں  خود  ہی  بندہ  نواز

۳

فطرتِ  قلب  ہے  سکون  پسند

اور  تمنّا  ہے  وجہ  سوز  و  گداز

۴

میرے  مسلک  میں  سب  برابر  ہیں

کوئی  محمود  ہے  نہ  کوئی  ایاز

۵

لاکھ  دعویٰ  کوئی  کرے  راہیؔ

کون  ہے  آشنائے  پردۂ  راز

आश्ना-ए पर्दा-ए राज़-रघुबीर सरन दिवाकर राही

जिस को कहते हो रूह की परवाज़

एक नई ज़िंदगी का है आग़ाज़

आगही का ये देखिये एजाज़

ख़ुद हि बंदा हूं, ख़ुद हि बंदा-नवाज़

फ़ित्रत-ए क़ल्ब है सुकून पसंद

और तमन्ना है वजह सोज़ ओ गुदाज़

मेरे मस्लक में सब बराबर हैं

कोई महमूद है न कोई अयाज़

लाख दावा कोई करे राही

कौन होता है आश्ना-ए पर्दा-ए राज़

 

Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. raghubir saran divaakar raahi (1914-1968), rampur. Three Ghazal collections 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 in addition to his ‘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. This Ghazal is one of many modeled after Ghalib’s Ghair muraddaf Ghazal “maiN huN apne shikast ki aavaaz” and is linked to it under ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’.
1
jis ko kahte ho rooh1 ki parvaaz2
ek naii zindagi ka hai aaGhaaz3    
1.soul 2.flight 3.beginning
That which you call the flight of the soul is in reality the beginning of a new life. Said Ghalib …
maut ek maandagi ka vaqfa hai
yaani aage chaleNge dam le kar
It is not clear whether raahi means the hindu tradition of rebirth or otherwise. It is good to remember that he was an unorthodox non-believer.

2
aagahi1 ka ye dekhiye ejaaz2
Khud hi banda3 huN, Khud hi banda-navaaz4    
1.awareness, knowledge 2.miracle 3.slave, devotee 4.patron/benefactor of the devotee
Look at the miracle of awareness (of the self). By understanding myself, I realized that I am both the devotee and the object of devotion i.e., god is within me.

3
fitrat1-e qalb2 hai sukoon-pasand3
aur tamanna4 hai vaj’h5 soz6 o gudaaz7   
1.nature 2.heart 3.comfort loving 4.desire 5.cause 6.fire, pain 7.melting, distress
The nature of the heart loves comfort and desire (for material goods or lust) is the cause of pain and distress. This is conventional Indian thinking about abstinence/asceticism.

4
mere maslak1 meN sub baraabar haiN
koii mahmood2 hai na koii ayaaz3   
1.way, belief 2.mahmood Ghazni 3.slave of mahmood
mahmood and ayaaz are symbolic of master and slave (they also had an intimate relationship with each other). On my path, in my belief, everyone is equal, there is no lord, no slave.

5
laakh daava1 koii kare raahi2
kaun hota hai aashna3-e parda-e-raaz4    
1.claim 2.pen-name of the poet 3.knowledgable, intimate 4.veil of mystery
O raahi, however much anyone might claim, how can it be that they are intimate with the “veil of mystery” i.e., the nature of god.

raghubir saran divaakar raahi (1914-1968), rampur.  Three Ghazal collections 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 in addition to his ‘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.  This Ghazal is one of many modeled after Ghalib’s Ghair muraddaf Ghazal “maiN huN apne shikast ki aavaaz” and is linked to it under ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’.
1
jis ko kahte ho rooh1 ki parvaaz2
ek naii zindagi ka hai aaGhaaz3

1.soul 2.flight 3.beginning

That which you call the flight of the soul is in reality the beginning of a new life.  Said Ghalib …
maut ek maandagi ka vaqfa hai
yaani aage chaleNge dam le kar
It is not clear whether raahi means the hindu tradition of rebirth or otherwise.  It is good to remember that he was an unorthodox non-believer.
2
aagahi1 ka ye dekhiye ejaaz2
Khud hi banda3 huN, Khud hi banda-navaaz4

1.awareness, knowledge 2.miracle 3.slave, devotee 4.patron/benefactor of the devotee

Look at the miracle of awareness (of the self).  By understanding myself, I realized that I am both the devotee and the object of devotion i.e., god is within me.
3
fitrat1-e qalb2 hai sukoon-pasand3
aur tamanna4 hai vaj’h5 soz6 o gudaaz7

1.nature 2.heart 3.comfort loving 4.desire 5.cause 6.fire, pain 7.melting, distress

The nature of the heart loves comfort and desire (for material goods or lust) is the cause of pain and distress.  This is conventional Indian thinking about abstinence/asceticism.
4
mere maslak1 meN sub baraabar haiN
koii mahmood2 hai na koii ayaaz3

1.way, belief 2.mahmood Ghazni 3.slave of mahmood

mahmood and ayaaz are symbolic of master and slave (they also had an intimate relationship with each other).  On my path, in my belief, everyone is equal, there is no lord, no slave.
5
laakh daava1 koii kare raahi2
kaun hota hai aashna3-e parda-e-raaz4

1.claim 2.pen-name of the poet 3.knowledgable, intimate 4.veil of mystery

O raahi, however much anyone might claim, how can it be that they are intimate with the “veil of mystery” i.e., the nature of god.

One comment:

  1. Try not to emphasize or repeat the alleged intimacy between Mahmood and Ayaz. It is mere hearsay. Furthermore, who fucked whom, is not relevant to this poem.

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