For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
عملِ فِکر ۔۱۔۱۱۔ جوشؔ ملیح آبادی
۱
جبیں جب زانوئے اندیشہ پر دہکائی جاتی ہے
مسائل کی سہانی چاندنی چِھٹکائی جاتی ہے
۲
ٹپکتا ہے بوقتِ فکر جو پیہم رگِ جاں سے
شرابِ آگہی اُس خون سے کھنچوائی جاتی ہے
۳
ہزاروں دَورِ پیشیں کے چراغاں جھوم اٹھتے ہیں
بجھی شمعوں کی لَو جب اک ذرا اُکسائی جاتی ہے
۴
کبھی گلبرگ سے قلعوں کے گنبد ڈھائے جاتے ہیں
کبھی جو سے پہاڑوں کی کمر تڑوائی جاتی ہے
۵
کبھی ناقوس بجواتے ہیں کعبے کے فقیہوں سے
کبھی اہلِ کلیسا سے اذاں دِلوائی جاتی ہے
۶
کبھی طوفاں، نفس کے ساز پر نچوائے جاتے ہیں
کبھی آندھی لَوؤں کی تال پر تِھرکائی جاتی ہے
۷
کمانِ رنگ ہی الفاظ کی سُمرن نہیں بنتی
زبانِ سنگ بھی آواز میں ڈھلوائی جاتی ہے
۸
ہر اک لَے میں بھری جاتی ہے صدیوں کی نوا کاری
ہر اک لمحے کو کِرنوں کی رِدا اُڑھوائی جاتی ہے
۹
پئے ترتیبِ گیسوئے جہاں، زُلفِ الوہیت
پریشاں زندگی کے دوش پر بکھرائی جاتی ہے
۱۰
یہاں گلزار سے ممنوع ہے دریوزۂ خوشبو
خود اپنے ہی نفس سے زندگی مہکائی جاتی ہے
۱۱
شُعُورِ جاں گُسِل کی سوزنِ چاکِ گریباں سے
عروسِ زندگی کی اوڑھنی سِلوائی جاتی ہے
अमल-ए फ़िक्र -१-११- जोश मलीहाबादी
१
जबीं जब ज़ानू-ए अंदेशा पर दहकाई जाती है
मसा’एल की सुहानी चांदनी छिटकाई जाती है
२
टपकता है ब-वक़्त-ए फ़िक्र जो पैहम रग-ए जां से
शराब-ए आगही उस ख़ून से खिंचाई जाती है
३
हज़ारों दौर-ए पेशीं के चराग़ाँ झूम उठते हैं
बुझी शम’औं की लौ जब एक ज़रा उक्साई जाती है
४
कभी गुलबर्ग से क़िल’ओं के गुम्बद ढाए जाते हैं
कभी जू से पहाढौं की कमर तुढवाई जाती है
५
कभी नाक़ूस बज्वाते हैं काबे के फ़क़ीहों से
कभी अहल-ए कलीसा से अज़ां दिलवाई जाती है
६
कभी तूफ़ां नफ़स के साज़ पर नच्वाए जाते हैं
कभी आँधी लौ’औं की ताल पर थिर्काई जाती है
७
कमान-ए रंग ही अल्फ़ाज़ की सुमरन नहीं बनती
ज़बान-ए संग भी आवाज़ में ढलवाई जाती है
८
हर एक लय में भरी जाती है सदियों की नवाकारी
हर एक लम्हे को किरनों की रिदा उढ़वाई जाती है
९
पए-तरतीब-ए गेसू-ए जहां, ज़ुल्फ़-ए उलूहिय्यत
परेशां ज़िंदगी के दोश पर बिख्राई जाती है
१०
यहां गुल्ज़ार से ममनू’अ है दर्यूज़ा-ए ख़ुशबू
ख़ुद अपने ही नफ़स से ज़िंदगी महकाई जाती है
११
शुऊर-ए जां-गुसिल की सोज़न-ए चाक-ए गरेबां से
उरूस-ए ज़िंदगी की ओढ़नी सिलवाई जाती है
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. josh malihabadi (1898-1982) is called shaa’er-e inqelaab, poet of change/revolution. He is very secular and nationalistic in his writings and rebels against orthodoxy. His range of language and vocabulary is simply amazing. He has written extensively about the beauty of dawn. His collection of nazm/Ghazal and rubaaii about the beauty of dawn can be accessed both under the poet’s name and from the Theme Index, ‘jalva-e sahr’. This nazm/Ghazal is a celebration of thinking/reasoning, defying traditions and an ode to thinkers.
1
jabiiN1 jab zaanu2-e andesha3 par dahkaa’ii4 jaati hai
masaa’el5 kii suhaani6 chaandni chhiTkaayi7 jaati hai 1.forehead 2.knee, thigh, lap 3.apprehension, fear 4.shine, glow 5.problems, mysteries 6.pleasant 7.sprinkle
josh is describing the effect of deep contemplation (as opposed to blind belief). Visualize and person sitting on the floor, knees folded up and chin resting on the knee. This is considered a posture of contemplation similar to Rodin’s ‘Thinker’. When a person thinks deeply, then the light of reason shines brightly on fears and superstitions. A gentle moonlight is sprinkled on mysteries.
2
Tapakta1 hai ba-vaqt2-e fikr3 jo paiham4 rag-e-jaaN5 se
sharaab-e aagahii6 uss Khoon se Khinchvaa’ii7 jaati hai 1.drip 2.at the time of 3.thinking, contemplation 4.again and again 5.vein of life, jugular vein 6.knowledge, awareness 7.filtering, drawing, pulling
The act of contemplation is not painless. At the time of reasoning/contemplating, blood drips from the jugular vein. The wine of knowledge is filtered/pulled from this blood.
3
hazaaaroN daur1-e peshiiN2 ke charaaGhaaN jhoom uThte haiN
bujhi sham’oN ki lau3 jab ek zaraa uksaa’ii4 jaati hai 1.era, age, times 2.past 3.flame 4.encourage, motivate
‘bujhi sham’eN’ of past ages represent forgotten knowledge. Thus, when we contemplate and reason, thousands of lamps (knowledge) of past ages swing into action with joy. All it needs is a little encouragement, motivation for the extinguished lamps to light up into a bright flame.
4
kabhi gulbarg1 se qil’oN2 ke gumbad3 Dhaa’e4 jaate haiN
kabhi juu5 se pahaaRoN ki kamar tuRvaa’ii jaati hai 1.rose petal 2.fortresses, castles 3.domes 4.breaking, destroying 5.river
Breaking of domes of castles is symbolic of disproving hitherto highly respected ideas. This is accomplished by using rose petals – fine ideas and logic. Breaking the back of mountains represents defiance of established traditions. This is done by the incessant flow of rivers – constant effort over a long period of time.
5
kabhi naaqoos1 bajvaate haiN k’aabe ke faqiihoN2 se
kabhi ahl3-e kaleesa4 se azaaN5 dilvaa’ii jaati hai 1.conch shell 2.religious jurist 3.people of 4.church, temple 5.muslim call to prayer
Sometimes the islamic religious scholar/jurist is called upon to blow the conch-shell. Blowing the conch shell is symbolic of a hindu religious ritual. At other times, people of the church/temple are asked to give the muslim call to prayer. Thus, contemplation and reasoning expose us to other traditions and bodies of belief.
6
kabhi toofaaN, nafas1 ke saaz2 par nachvaa’e jaate haiN
kabhi aaNdhi3 lau’oN4 ki taal5 par thirkaa’ii6 jaati hai 1.breath 2.musical instrument 3.storm 4.flame 5.musical beat 6.dance, sway
In urdu poetic tradition, blowing storms always extinguish lamps … and those that are not put out are symbols of defiance. Thus, stormy winds, which are much stronger than breathing/blowing are made to dance to the music of breath and storms are made to sway to the beat of candle flames i.e., strongly established ideas are forced to submit to new thinking.
7
kamaan-e-raNg1 hii alfaaz2 ki sumran3 nahiN banti
zubaan-e-saNg4 bhi aavaaz meN Dhalvaa’ii5 jaati hai 1.arch of colours, rainbow 2.words 3.chant 4.tongue of rocks 5.cast into, moulded
It is not the colourful rainbow along that recite chants. Even the tongues of rocks are moulded into sound. Thus, knowledge (in words) is extracted from the skies and from the earth.
8
har ek la’e1 meN bhari jaati hai sadiyoN2 ki navaa-kaari3
har ek lamhe4 ko kirnoN5 ki ridaa6 uRvaa’ii7 jaati hai 1.harmony, rhythm 2.centuries 3.artistry of song 4.moment 5.rays of light 6.shawl, sheet 6.draped/covered in
Centuries of artistry is filled in every rhythm (symbolic of cultural heritage). Every moment is draped in a sheet of light (of knowledge distilled from the past).
9
pa’e1 tartiib2-e gesu3-e jahaaN4, zulf-e-uluuhiyyat5
pareshaaN6 zindagi ke dosh7 par bikhraa’ii8 jaati hai 1.with the intention of 2.arranging 3.hair 4.world 5.hair of divinity 6.disheveled, scattered 7.shoulders 8.spread
If hair are taken as symbolic of strands of thought and if they are all tangled up because we don’t always think clearly then … with the intents of arranging the hair of the world, the hair of divinity are spread on the dishevled shoulders of life. It should be remembered that divine/sublime thoughts are not necessarily super-natural. The whole thread of the nazm is about human thinking and reasoning not about divine revelations.
10
yahaaN gulzaar1 se mamnoo’2 hai daryuuza3-e Khushboo4
Khud apne hi nafas5 se zindagi mehkaa’ii6 jaati hai 1.garden, flowers 2.forbidden 3.begging 4.fragrance 5.breath 6.making fragrant
‘yahaaN-here’ refers to the gathering of thinkers. Thus, in the gathering of thinkers, begging for fragrance from the flowers of the garden is forbidden. What they do is create fragrance with their own breath. If we take fragrance to mean knowledge, universal love or whatever values that we want to use, they have to be thought through and agreed upon, rather than borrowed from elsewhere.
11
shu’oor1-e jaaN-gusil2 ki sozan3-e chaak4-e garebaaN5 se
‘uruus6-e zindagi ki oRhni7 silvaa’ii8 jaati hai 1.knowledge, wisdom 2.life-sapping, killing 3.sewing 4.torn 5.collar 6.bride 7.head covering, scarf 8.stitched
‘chaak garebaaN’ – torn collar is a sign of distress or of mad passion. Thinkers are passionate in the search of their beloved – knowledge. Their passion is represented by their torn collars. Wisdom is considered life-sapping … first because you have to work hard to get it, second because you have to defy conventions of state and society and third because it might be internally challenging to accept and absorb new thinking. Thus, life-sapping wisdom is used to sew their torn collars. Life is presented as a bride, and the bride needs a beautiful, adorned head covering. The same wisdom is used to stitch/embroider/adorn the covering of life/bride.
josh malihabadi (1898-1982) is called shaa’er-e inqelaab, poet of change/revolution. He is very secular and nationalistic in his writings and rebels against orthodoxy. His range of language and vocabulary is simply amazing. He has written extensively about the beauty of dawn. His collection of nazm/Ghazal and rubaaii about the beauty of dawn can be accessed both under the poet’s name and from the Theme Index, ‘jalva-e sahr’. This nazm/Ghazal is a celebration of thinking/reasoning, defying traditions and an ode to thinkers.
1
jabiiN1 jab zaanu2-e andesha3 par dahkaa’ii4 jaati hai
masaa’el5 kii suhaani6 chaandni chhiTkaayi7 jaati hai
1.forehead 2.knee, thigh, lap 3.apprehension, fear 4.shine, glow 5.problems, mysteries 6.pleasant 7.sprinkle
josh is describing the effect of deep contemplation (as opposed to blind belief). Visualize and person sitting on the floor, knees folded up and chin resting on the knee. This is considered a posture of contemplation similar to Rodin’s ‘Thinker’. When a person thinks deeply, then the light of reason shines brightly on fears and superstitions. A gentle moonlight is sprinkled on mysteries.
2
Tapakta1 hai ba-vaqt2-e fikr3 jo paiham4 rag-e-jaaN5 se
sharaab-e aagahii6 uss Khoon se Khinchvaa’ii7 jaati hai
1.drip 2.at the time of 3.thinking, contemplation 4.again and again 5.vein of life, jugular vein 6.knowledge, awareness 7.filtering, drawing, pulling
The act of contemplation is not painless. At the time of reasoning/contemplating, blood drips from the jugular vein. The wine of knowledge is filtered/pulled from this blood.
3
hazaaaroN daur1-e peshiiN2 ke charaaGhaaN jhoom uThte haiN
bujhi sham’oN ki lau3 jab ek zaraa uksaa’ii4 jaati hai
1.era, age, times 2.past 3.flame 4.encourage, motivate
‘bujhi sham’eN’ of past ages represent forgotten knowledge. Thus, when we contemplate and reason, thousands of lamps (knowledge) of past ages swing into action with joy. All it needs is a little encouragement, motivation for the extinguished lamps to light up into a bright flame.
4
kabhi gulbarg1 se qil’oN2 ke gumbad3 Dhaa’e4 jaate haiN
kabhi juu5 se pahaaRoN ki kamar tuRvaa’ii jaati hai
1.rose petal 2.fortresses, castles 3.domes 4.breaking, destroying 5.river
Breaking of domes of castles is symbolic of disproving hitherto highly respected ideas. This is accomplished by using rose petals – fine ideas and logic. Breaking the back of mountains represents defiance of established traditions. This is done by the incessant flow of rivers – constant effort over a long period of time.
5
kabhi naaqoos1 bajvaate haiN k’aabe ke faqiihoN2 se
kabhi ahl3-e kaleesa4 se azaaN5 dilvaa’ii jaati hai
1.conch shell 2.religious jurist 3.people of 4.church, temple 5.muslim call to prayer
Sometimes the islamic religious scholar/jurist is called upon to blow the conch-shell. Blowing the conch shell is symbolic of a hindu religious ritual. At other times, people of the church/temple are asked to give the muslim call to prayer. Thus, contemplation and reasoning expose us to other traditions and bodies of belief.
6
kabhi toofaaN, nafas1 ke saaz2 par nachvaa’e jaate haiN
kabhi aaNdhi3 lau’oN4 ki taal5 par thirkaa’ii6 jaati hai
1.breath 2.musical instrument 3.storm 4.flame 5.musical beat 6.dance, sway
In urdu poetic tradition, blowing storms always extinguish lamps … and those that are not put out are symbols of defiance. Thus, stormy winds, which are much stronger than breathing/blowing are made to dance to the music of breath and storms are made to sway to the beat of candle flames i.e., strongly established ideas are forced to submit to new thinking.
7
kamaan-e-raNg1 hii alfaaz2 ki sumran3 nahiN banti
zubaan-e-saNg4 bhi aavaaz meN Dhalvaa’ii5 jaati hai
1.arch of colours, rainbow 2.words 3.chant 4.tongue of rocks 5.cast into, moulded
It is not the colourful rainbow along that recite chants. Even the tongues of rocks are moulded into sound. Thus, knowledge (in words) is extracted from the skies and from the earth.
8
har ek la’e1 meN bhari jaati hai sadiyoN2 ki navaa-kaari3
har ek lamhe4 ko kirnoN5 ki ridaa6 uRvaa’ii7 jaati hai
1.harmony, rhythm 2.centuries 3.artistry of song 4.moment 5.rays of light 6.shawl, sheet 6.draped/covered in
Centuries of artistry is filled in every rhythm (symbolic of cultural heritage). Every moment is draped in a sheet of light (of knowledge distilled from the past).
9
pa’e1 tartiib2-e gesu3-e jahaaN4, zulf-e-uluuhiyyat5
pareshaaN6 zindagi ke dosh7 par bikhraa’ii8 jaati hai
1.with the intention of 2.arranging 3.hair 4.world 5.hair of divinity 6.disheveled, scattered 7.shoulders 8.spread
If hair are taken as symbolic of strands of thought and if they are all tangled up because we don’t always think clearly then … with the intents of arranging the hair of the world, the hair of divinity are spread on the dishevled shoulders of life. It should be remembered that divine/sublime thoughts are not necessarily super-natural. The whole thread of the nazm is about human thinking and reasoning not about divine revelations.
10
yahaaN gulzaar1 se mamnoo’2 hai daryuuza3-e Khushboo4
Khud apne hi nafas5 se zindagi mehkaa’ii6 jaati hai
1.garden, flowers 2.forbidden 3.begging 4.fragrance 5.breath 6.making fragrant
‘yahaaN-here’ refers to the gathering of thinkers. Thus, in the gathering of thinkers, begging for fragrance from the flowers of the garden is forbidden. What they do is create fragrance with their own breath. If we take fragrance to mean knowledge, universal love or whatever values that we want to use, they have to be thought through and agreed upon, rather than borrowed from elsewhere.
11
shu’oor1-e jaaN-gusil2 ki sozan3-e chaak4-e garebaaN5 se
‘uruus6-e zindagi ki oRhni7 silvaa’ii8 jaati hai
1.knowledge, wisdom 2.life-sapping, killing 3.sewing 4.torn 5.collar 6.bride 7.head covering, scarf 8.stitched
‘chaak garebaaN’ – torn collar is a sign of distress or of mad passion. Thinkers are passionate in the search of their beloved – knowledge. Their passion is represented by their torn collars. Wisdom is considered life-sapping … first because you have to work hard to get it, second because you have to defy conventions of state and society and third because it might be internally challenging to accept and absorb new thinking. Thus, life-sapping wisdom is used to sew their torn collars. Life is presented as a bride, and the bride needs a beautiful, adorned head covering. The same wisdom is used to stitch/embroider/adorn the covering of life/bride.
