Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. josh malihabadi (1898-1982) is known as – shaa’er-e inqelaab – poet of revolution. His nazm are fiery, passionate and full of energy. His Ghazal and rubaaii are equally good. He was a secular humanist writing sharply and irreverently against colonialism, abuse of power, injustice and orthodoxy. Typically, josh’s compositions throb and overflow with energy and ‘josh/passion’. Here, he unabashedly celebrates reason over blind faith.
1
kya sar pe rahe fikr¹ ka Khurshiid²-e mubiiN³ aur?
Dhal⁴ jaa’e keh kuchh dhuup chaRhe⁵ aur? nahiiN aur?     1.thinking, reasoning 2.sun 3.clear 4.set, sink 5.rise, increase
In the first misra and most of the second, the poet asks questions. Do you want the clear sun of reason to hover over your heads some more? Do you want it to sink? or rise some more? The answer comes back … no, no, we want more, a clear preference for reason (even if it is painful).
2
mastii¹ meN kuchh aamezish²-e pastii³ hai abhii tak
ek ishva⁴-e turkaana⁵ mer’e zohra-jabiiN⁶ aur    1.intoxication, obsession 2.mixture 3.backwardness, inferiority 4.wink, sidelong glance 5.Turkish, Mongolian 6.forehead like Mars, bright forehead, beloved
Here zohra-jabiiN is the beloved and the beloved symbolizes intellect, reason carried over from the previous she’r. Also, in classical urdu poetic tradition slanted eyes turkaana are considered beautiful. Thus, intellect is symbolized as the beloved with beautiful eyes and bright forehead. The poet would like to be fully intoxicated/obsessed with the beloved but feels that there is some backwardness still mixed in with this infatuation. He calls upon the beloved/intellect to wink at him some more so as to arouse feelings of love.
3
haaN kaa’ba¹-e asraar² ke jhalke³ vo miinaare⁴
dam-bhar⁵ abhi aye aql⁶-e rasaa⁷ barsar⁸-e ziiN⁹ aur    1.focus of devotion 2.mysteries 3.shimmer, appear 4.minarets 5.for a moment 6.mind, intellect 7.far reaching 8.on top of 9.saddle, horse
The intellect is riding towards the focus of mysteries … to solve the mysteries of the universe. Out in the distance the towers of the ‘focus of mysteries’ shimmer/appear. He calls upon the intellect to stay the course, keep riding for a while yet.
4
vo dekh dil-e arsh¹-e bariiN² kaaNp³ rahaa hai
ek karvaT⁴ usii naaz⁵ se aye farsh⁶-e mubiiN⁷ aur    1.sky, heaven 2.highest, divine throne 3.shiver, tremble 4.turn on the side 5.coquetry 6.floor, earth 7.clear, bright
Here farsh-e mubiiN – clear bright floor symbolizes the earth, which in turn symbolizes humanity. Its brightness symbolizes its knowledge and intelligence. Thus, the highest heaven can see the earth and its brilliance and fears that it is up to something- it is about to clear up the mystery of heaven and change human thinking. It is trembling in fear. The poet calls upon the coquettish beloved (farsh-e mubiiN) to turn on its side and show more of its mischief.
5
jumbish¹ meN haiN mai-Khaana²-e asraar³ ke parde⁴
ek naara⁵-e mastaana⁶ Kharaabaat-nashiiN⁷ aur     1.movement, stirring 2.tavern 3.mysteries 4.curtains 5.call,clarion 6.intoxicating 7.residents of the tavern
Here the focus of asraar – mysteries of the universe is the mai-Khaana and not the kaa’ba as in the earlier she’r. These mysteries are behind a curtain that needs to be pulled and mysteries uncovered/understood. There is a stir in the curtains as if they are getting ready to be drawn. The poet calls upon the residents of the tavern (the thinkers) to give a clarion call naara-e mastaana announcing the great event.
6
naaqaabil-e-bardaasht¹ hai ye Khwaab² ki duniyaa
le chal mujh’e aye diidaa³-e bedaar⁴ kahiiN aur    1.intolerable 2.sleeping, unthinking 3.eye 4.awake, alert
This unthinking/sleeping world is intolerable. O alert eye, take me away somewhere.
7
iss rishta¹-e farsuuda² meN baaqii³ nahiiN ab jaa⁴
aye fikr⁵-e bashar⁶ dhuunDh koii habl-e-matiiN⁷ aur     1.relationship, thread 2.obsolete, outdated 3.remaining 4.place 5.reason, intellect 6.human 7.strong tie/connection-metaphorically-sacred text
Thus, in the obsolete thread of thoughts there is no more room (for fresh thinking). O human intellect search for another sacred text-another theory.
8
arbaab¹-e tajassus² kii baGhaavat³ hai ibaadat⁴
jaat’e haiN bahut duur keh aa jaa’eN qariiN⁵ aur     1.lords, owners 2.seeking 3.rebellion 4.prayer 5.near, close
The ritual of prayer of seekers arbaab-e tajassus is rebellion i.e., they rebel against given thinking/knowledge. They seek new answers. They go far in order to get closer i.e., they think beyond the boundaries of knowledge so they may get closer to the truth.
9
le maiN to chalaa jaanib¹-e iqliim²-e tafakkur³
aye saNg⁴-e dar⁵-e vasvasa⁶ ab dhuunD jabiiN⁷ aur     1.towards 2.domain 3.reasoning 4.rock 5.door 6.superstition, fantasy 7.forehead
The poet suggests that most thinking of the day is based on superstition. People prostrate at, bow their head at the doorsill of vasvasa. He declares that he is no longer one of them. The doorsill of vasvasa will have to look for other foreheads-other devotees. The poet himself is off to the realm of reason.
10
lab m’aariz¹-e jumbish² meN haiN laila-e gumaaN³ ke
taqriir⁴ na farmaa’eN⁵ arbaab⁶-e yaqiiN⁷ aur     1.place, field 2.movement 3.speculation, doubt, skepticism 4.speech, lecture 5.deliver, present, put forward 6.lords, owners 7.certainty, faith
arbaab-e yaqiiN are the lords/purveyors of received faith without critical thinking. There are those who have begun to doubt this given yaqiiN – certainty. They are symbolized as laila-e gumaaN, the laila-beloved personified as gumaaN-doubting, questioning. The lips of laila-e gumaaN have come into the field of movement/action i.e., people are beginning to talk about and question received faith. So the lords of faith arbaan-e yaqiiN should refrain from delivering lectures.
11
shukriya¹-e sulaimaan², Khuda haafiz³ o naasir⁴
darkaar⁵ hai ab Khaatim⁶-e Khaatir⁷ ko nagiiN⁸ aur    1.thanks 2.Solomon 3.protector 4.helper 5.required 6.signet ring, seal 7.mind, soul 8.jewel
Legend has it that Solomon was all knowing and wise. His signet ring stamped on judgments is symbolic of all wisdom. The first misra is sarcasm about this old ‘wisdom’ … may god protect it and help it (because it is on its way out). The thanks offered to it is in a sarcastic sense saying … thank you but no thank you … we have enough of you, it is now time for you to leave. The signet ring of the mind now requires another/different jewel-different from the ancient jewel of Solomon.
12
adyaan¹-e kuhan-saal² ko ye muzshda³ sunaao
tadviin⁴ kii manzil⁵ meN hai ek mushif⁶-e diiN⁷ aur     1.plural of diin, faiths 2.ancient 3.news, tidings 4.collating, editing 5.stage 6.book 7.faith
The new book of faith is the ‘book of knowledge’. It is the final stages of being collated and edited. Give these tidings to all ancient faiths.
13
vo saajid¹-e zarraat² ye masjuud³-e kavaakib⁴
mulla⁵ ki jabiiN⁶ aur mufakkir⁷ ki jabiiN⁶ aur     1.one who prostrates/bows to 2.dust particles 3.one before whom others prostrate/bow down 4.celestial bodies, stars and planets 5.preacher 6.forehead 7.thinker, philosopher, scientist
The jabiin-forehead of the mulla prostrates before zarraat – dust particles symbolizing trivialities. But the forehead of the thinker is something else … it is held up high and celestial bodies bow down to him.