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Recitation
آسمان والے ۔ آنند نارائن مُلّا
۱
تری ہستی سے مُنکر ہوتے جاتے ہیں جہاں والے
سنبھال اپنی خدائی کو ارے او آسماں والے
۲
اِک احساسِ فضیلت، برتری کی دِل میں اِک خواہش
قفس کو تیلیاں دیتے ہیں شاخِ آشیاں والے
۳
نہ ڈھونڈو اپنے شیداؤں میں تم فرہاد و مجنوں کو
زمانے میں نہیں ملتے یہ عاشق داستاں والے
۴
رہِ ہستی یقینِ بے بصر کو اِک مہم ہوگی
سفر کا لطف لوٖٹیں گے تو وہ وہم و گماں والے
۵
ترے کوچے میں سب مشتاق اِک جلوہ کے بیٹھے ہیں
نظر والے، جگر والے، قلم والے، زباں والے
۶
وہی ذوقِ تجسُّس ہے، وہی جوشِ تقاضا ہے
ابھی آدم کے تیور ہیں وہی باغِ جناں والے
۷
اُنہیں نادانیِ رہبر سے میں نے کیوں کیا واقف
خفا اِس بات پر مجھ سے ہیں میرے کارواں والے
आसमां वाले – आनंद नारायन मुल्ला
१
तेरी हस्ती से मुन्किर होते जाते हैं जहां वाले
संभाल अपनी ख़ुदाई को अरे ओ आसमां वाले
२
एक एहसास-ए फ़ज़ीलत, बरतरी कि दिल में एक ख़्वाहिश
क़फ़स को तीलियाँ देते हैं शाख़-ए आशियां वाले
३
न ढूँढो अपने शैदाओं में तुम फ़रहाद ओ मज्नूँ को
ज़माने में नहीं मिलते ये आशेक़ दास्ताँ वाले
४
रह-ए हस्ती यक़ीन-ए बे-बसर को एक मोहिम होगी
सफ़र का लुत्फ़ लूटेंगे तो वो वहम ओ गुमां वाले
५
तेरे कूचे में सब मुश्ताक़ एक जल्वे के बैठे हैं
नज़र वाले, जिगर वाले, क़लम वाले, ज़बां वाले
६
वही ज़ौक़-ए तजस्सुस है, वही जोश-ए तक़ाज़ा है
अभी आदम के तैवर हैं वही बाग़-ए जिनां वाले
७
उन्हें नादानी-ए रहबर से मैं ने क्यूं किया वाक़ेफ़
ख़फ़ा इस बात पर मुझ से हैं मेरे कारवाँ वाले
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. anand narain mulla (1901-1997) was a progressive thinker. A judge and later a member of the lok sabha and then the rajya sabha. He has written with much feeling about the status of urdu, about communal hatred and about blind faith. This Ghazal is more explicity than usual about rationalism. This was written sometime between 1927-1935.
1
teri hasti1 se munkir2 hote jaate haiN jahaaN3 vaale
sanbhaal4 apni Khudaaii5 ko arey o aasmaaN vaale 1.person, existence 2.deny, refuse 3.world 4.take care of 5.creation, divinity, reign
The people of this world are increasingly becoming deniers of your existence. You, of the skies/heavens, be mindful of your reign. You might wish to see my own ‘talaash-e haq’, under shahed-shuru’aat.
2
ek ehsaas1-e fazeelat2, bartari3 ki dil meN ek Khwaahish4
qafas5 ko teeliyaaN6 dete haiN shaaKh7-e aashiyaaN8 vaale 1.feeling of 2.superiority, exclusivity 3.superiority 4.wish 5.cage 6.bars (of a cage) 7.branch of 8.nest
They have a (nice/secure) nest on a branch of a tree (in the garden). Yet these people are (pulling out the nesting material and) making bars for a cage. The cage will imprison them. Metaphorically the feeling of exclusivity and sense of superiority (caused by faith) are like prison/cage bars.
3
na DhoonDo1 apne shaidaauN2 meN tum3 farhaad4 o majnuN5 ko
zamaane6 meN nahiN milte ye aashiq7 daastaaN8 vaale 1.search 2.admirers 3.you, god 4.mad lover of shiriN-farhaad story 5.mad lover of laila-majnuN legend 6.present times 7.lovers 8.legends
Mad lovers who sacrifice themselves are only stuff of legend. Do not look for them among your admirers/lovers, O god, in these (modern) times.
4
rah1-e hasti2 yaqeen3-e be-basar4 ko ek mohim5 hogi
safar6 ka lutf7 looTeNge vo vahm8 o gumaaN9 vaale 1.pathway of 2.life 3.certainty/faith 4.sightless, blind 5.adventure, challenge 6.journey 7.pleasure 8.suspicion 9.doubt
Blind faith is going to be a challenge of the path of (rational) life. Those who question and doubt, those who are skeptical, will enjoy the (struggle of the) journey. You might wish to see my own ‘tashkeek’, under shahed-shuru’aat.
5
tere kooche1 meN sub mushtaaq2 ek jalve3 ke baiThe haiN
nazar4 vaale, jigar5 vaale, qalam6 vaale, zabaaN7 vaale 1.street/world 2.eager, expectant 3.manifestation 4.sight 5.liver/courage 6.pen/writers 7.tongue/voice/poets
In your world people of vision and courage, writers and poets are all waiting eagerly for a manifestation. In the light of the rest of the Ghazal this can be interpreted as a caution/warning that they are going to be disappointed and turn away from blind faith.
6
vahi zauq1-e tajassus2 hai, vahi josh3-e taqaaza4 hai
abhi aadam5 ke taivar6 haiN vahi baaGh-e jinaaN7 vaale 1.taste 2.search, seeking 3.enthusiasm 4.demand (for knowledge) 5.Adam, human being 6.attitude 7.heaven
Legend is that Adam was expelled from heaven because he ate the forbidden fruit (fruit of the tree of knowledge). The attitude of humans is still the same. They still seek knowledge, have the taste to search, the enthusiasm to demand (answers). Once again, this suggests a caution that this taste/enthusiasm will lead humanity to reject blind faith.
7
unheN naadani1-e rahbar2 se maiN ne kyuN kiya vaaqif3
Khafa4 is baat par mujh se haiN mere kaarvaaN vaale 1.ignorance 2.guide (shaiKh and priest) 3.aware 4.annoyed
My fellow travelers (on the path of life/learning) are annoyed with me because I have shown to them that their guides are ignorant. Possibly, this implies that many people would rather have the comfort of blind belief than the insecurity of uncertainty.
anand narain mulla (1901-1997) was a progressive thinker. A judge and later a member of the lok sabha and then the rajya sabha. He has written with much feeling about the status of urdu, about communal hatred and about blind faith. This Ghazal is more explicity than usual about rationalism. This was written sometime between 1927-1935.
1
teri hasti1 se munkir2 hote jaate haiN jahaaN3 vaale
sanbhaal4 apni Khudaaii5 ko arey o aasmaaN vaale
1.person, existence 2.deny, refuse 3.world 4.take care of 5.creation, divinity, reign
The people of this world are increasingly becoming deniers of your existence. You, of the skies/heavens, be mindful of your reign. You might wish to see my own ‘talaash-e haq’, under shahed-shuru’aat.
2
ek ehsaas1-e fazeelat2, bartari3 ki dil meN ek Khwaahish4
qafas5 ko teeliyaaN6 dete haiN shaaKh7-e aashiyaaN8 vaale
1.feeling of 2.superiority, exclusivity 3.superiority 4.wish 5.cage 6.bars (of a cage) 7.branch of 8.nest
They have a (nice/secure) nest on a branch of a tree (in the garden). Yet these people are (pulling out the nesting material and) making bars for a cage. The cage will imprison them. Metaphorically the feeling of exclusivity and sense of superiority (caused by faith) are like prison/cage bars.
3
na DhoonDo1 apne shaidaauN2 meN tum3 farhaad4 o majnuN5 ko
zamaane6 meN nahiN milte ye aashiq7 daastaaN8 vaale
1.search 2.admirers 3.you, god 4.mad lover of shiriN-farhaad story 5.mad lover of laila-majnuN legend 6.present times 7.lovers 8.legends
Mad lovers who sacrifice themselves are only stuff of legend. Do not look for them among your admirers/lovers, O god, in these (modern) times.
4
rah1-e hasti2 yaqeen3-e be-basar4 ko ek mohim5 hogi
safar6 ka lutf7 looTeNge vo vahm8 o gumaaN9 vaale
1.pathway of 2.life 3.certainty/faith 4.sightless, blind 5.adventure, challenge 6.journey 7.pleasure 8.suspicion 9.doubt
Blind faith is going to be a challenge of the path of (rational) life. Those who question and doubt, those who are skeptical, will enjoy the (struggle of the) journey. You might wish to see my own ‘tashkeek’, under shahed-shuru’aat.
5
tere kooche1 meN sub mushtaaq2 ek jalve3 ke baiThe haiN
nazar4 vaale, jigar5 vaale, qalam6 vaale, zabaaN7 vaale
1.street/world 2.eager, expectant 3.manifestation 4.sight 5.liver/courage 6.pen/writers 7.tongue/voice/poets
In your world people of vision and courage, writers and poets are all waiting eagerly for a manifestation. In the light of the rest of the Ghazal this can be interpreted as a caution/warning that they are going to be disappointed and turn away from blind faith.
6
vahi zauq1-e tajassus2 hai, vahi josh3-e taqaaza4 hai
abhi aadam5 ke taivar6 haiN vahi baaGh-e jinaaN7 vaale
1.taste 2.search, seeking 3.enthusiasm 4.demand (for knowledge) 5.Adam, human being 6.attitude 7.heaven
Legend is that Adam was expelled from heaven because he ate the forbidden fruit (fruit of the tree of knowledge). The attitude of humans is still the same. They still seek knowledge, have the taste to search, the enthusiasm to demand (answers). Once again, this suggests a caution that this taste/enthusiasm will lead humanity to reject blind faith.
7
unheN naadani1-e rahbar2 se maiN ne kyuN kiya vaaqif3
Khafa4 is baat par mujh se haiN mere kaarvaaN vaale
1.ignorance 2.guide (shaiKh and priest) 3.aware 4.annoyed
My fellow travelers (on the path of life/learning) are annoyed with me because I have shown to them that their guides are ignorant. Possibly, this implies that many people would rather have the comfort of blind belief than the insecurity of uncertainty.
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