For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
اندازِ بیاں دیکھا ہے ۔ رگھوبیر سرن دِواکر راہیؔ
۱
شیخ کو ہم نے کہیں وقتِ اذاں دیکھا ہے
یہ مگر ہم سے نہ پوچھو کہ کہاں دیکھا ہے
۲
مشعلِ راہِ جہاں عزمِ جواں دیکھا ہے
ہر قدم پر وہاں منزل کا نشاں دیکھا ہے
۳
خندہ لب جس نے تجھے دیکھا ہے اے جانِ بہار
اُس نے رنگین بہاروں کا سماں دیکھا ہے
۴
محفلِ حسن میں آدابِ نظارہ کی قسم
ہم نے آنکھوں کو بھی مصروفِ بیاں دیکھا ہے
۵
اک عجب کیفیتِ دل ہے کہ جب سے ہم نے
تجھ کو مائل بہ کرم دشمنِ جاں! دیکھا ہے
۶
شیخ میخانے میں کردار کی پستی دیکھیں
ہم نے اِنسان کی عظمت کو وہاں دیکھا ہے
۷
اور بھی گزرے ہیں دنیا میں سخنور لیکن
ہم نے راہیؔ ترا اندازِ بیاں دیکھا ہے
अंदाज़-ए बयां देखा है – रघुबीर सरन दिवाकर राहि
१
शेख़ को हमने कहीं वक़्त-ए अज़ां देखा है
ये मगर हम से न पूछो के कहां देखा है
२
मश’अल-ए राह-ए जहां अज़्म-ए जवां देखा है
हर क़दम पर वहां मंज़िल का निशां देखा है
३
ख़ंदा-लब जिस ने तुझे देखा है अए जान-ए बहार
उस ने रंगीन बहारों का समां देखा है
४
महफ़िल-ए हुस्न में आदाब-ए नज़ारा की क़सम
हम ने आंखों को भी मस्रूफ़-ए बयां देखा है
५
एक अजब कैफ़ियत-ए दिल है के जब से हम ने
तुझ को मा’एल-ब-करम दुश्मन-ए जां! देखा है
६
शेख़ मैख़ाने में किरदार की पस्ती देखें
हम ने इंसान की अज़्मत को वहां देखा है
७
और भी गुज़रे हैं दुनिया में सुख़नवर लेकिन
हम ने राहि तेरा अंदाज़-ए बयां देखा है
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 not in the zamin of Ghalib but the last she’r – the maqta – is an obvious take on Ghalib and I have linked it to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam, andaaz-e bayaaN aur.
1
shaiKh ko hum ne kahiN vaqt1-e azaaN2 dekha hai
ye magar hum se na poochho keh kahaaN dekha hai 1.time of 2.the call for prayer
The poet has seen the shaiKh ‘somewhere’ at the time of the call for prayer. But he does not want to be asked ‘where’. We are supposed to guess … of course, the most obvious candidate is the tavern. Why does the poet not want to be asked … (a) he does not want to embarrass the shaiKh (b) he does not want to be embarrassed himself because he was also at the tavern or (c) he was too drunk to remember. It also reminds me of Ghalib’s …
kahaaN mai-Khaane ka darvaaza Ghalib aur kahaaN vaa’ez
par itna jaante haiN kal vo jaata tha keh ham nikle
2
mash’al1-e raah2-e jahaaN3 azm-e-javaaN4 dekha hai
har qadam5 par vahaaN manzil6 ka nishaaN7 dekha hai 1.torch, guiding light 2.path 3.world 4.firm resolve 5.step 6.destination 7.sign, pointer
Strong/firm/youthful resolve is the guiding light through this world. When you have such resolved you can see pointers to the destination at every step. But he does not say that it has to be the ‘right’ resolve and how to know what ‘right’ is. The only way to interpret this is that the resolve is to keep traveling/seeking/trying.
3
Khanda-lab1 jis ne tujhe dekha hai aye jaaN2-e bahaar3
us ne rangiin4 bahaaroN5 ka samaaN6 dekha hai 1.smiling lips 2.soul 3.spring 4.colourful 5.blooming flowers 6.scene, image
Here ‘jaan-e bahaar’ – the soul of spring is the beloved. Whoever has seen her smiling lips has seen an image of colourful blooming flowers.
4
mahfil1-e husn2 meN aadaab3-e nazaara4 ki qasam5
hum ne aaNkhoN ko bhi masroof6-e bayaaN7 dekha hai 1.gathering 2.beauty, beloved 3.etiquette, refined behaviour 4.gazing, looking at 5.swearing in the name of 6.busy/engaged in 7.express, say, speak
I swear by the refined etiquette of behaviour in the gathering of the beloved that I have seen her eyes engaged in speaking i.e., the refined/sophisticated beloved’s eyes are expressive and eloquent without actually saying anything.
5
ek ajab1 kaifiyat2-e dil hai keh jab se hum ne
tujh ko maa’el3-ba-karam4 dushman-e-jaaN5! dekha hai 1.puzzling, bewildering 2.condition, state 3.inclined towards 4.favours, kindness 5.enemy of life- often used to describe the beloved
Ever since I have seen the beloved inclined towards kindness, my heart has been in an bewildered/puzzled/stunned state at the unexpected pleasure.
6
shaiKh1 maiKhaaNe2 meN kirdaar3 ki pasti4 dekheN
hum ne insaan ki azmat5 ko vahaaN dekha hai 1.preacher 2.tavern 3.character, morality 4.decline, lowness 5.greatness
The tavern is a welcoming and open place for all. Above all, it symbolizes a place that is above hypocrisy and is not judgmental, where everyone is equal in their humanity. Thus, the orthodox look at the gathering in the tavern and pass a judgment on them … as people of declining character. The poet looks at his fellow revelers and sees human greatness in them.
7
aur bhi guzre1 haiN duniya meN suKhanvar2 laikin3
hum ne raahi4 tera andaaz5-e bayaaN6 dekha hai 1.passed, have been 2.poets, versifiers 3.but 4.pen-name of the poet 5.style 6.speaking, reciting, composing, writing
There have been many poets in the world, O raahi, but we have seen your style as different and unique. Of course this brings to mind Ghalib’s …
haiN aur bhi duniya meN suKhanvar bahut achchhe
kahte haiN keh Ghalib ka hai andaaz-e bayaaN aur
Based on this, I have linked this Ghazal to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
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 not in the zamin of Ghalib but the last she’r – the maqta – is an obvious take on Ghalib and I have linked it to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam, andaaz-e bayaaN aur.
1
shaiKh ko hum ne kahiN vaqt1-e azaaN2 dekha hai
ye magar hum se na poochho keh kahaaN dekha hai
1.time of 2.the call for prayer
The poet has seen the shaiKh ‘somewhere’ at the time of the call for prayer. But he does not want to be asked ‘where’. We are supposed to guess … of course, the most obvious candidate is the tavern. Why does the poet not want to be asked … (a) he does not want to embarrass the shaiKh (b) he does not want to be embarrassed himself because he was also at the tavern or (c) he was too drunk to remember. It also reminds me of Ghalib’s …
kahaaN mai-Khaane ka darvaaza Ghalib aur kahaaN vaa’ez
par itna jaante haiN kal vo jaata tha keh ham nikle
2
mash’al1-e raah2-e jahaaN3 azm-e-javaaN4 dekha hai
har qadam5 par vahaaN manzil6 ka nishaaN7 dekha hai
1.torch, guiding light 2.path 3.world 4.firm resolve 5.step 6.destination 7.sign, pointer
Strong/firm/youthful resolve is the guiding light through this world. When you have such resolved you can see pointers to the destination at every step. But he does not say that it has to be the ‘right’ resolve and how to know what ‘right’ is. The only way to interpret this is that the resolve is to keep traveling/seeking/trying.
3
Khanda-lab1 jis ne tujhe dekha hai aye jaaN2-e bahaar3
us ne rangiin4 bahaaroN5 ka samaaN6 dekha hai
1.smiling lips 2.soul 3.spring 4.colourful 5.blooming flowers 6.scene, image
Here ‘jaan-e bahaar’ – the soul of spring is the beloved. Whoever has seen her smiling lips has seen an image of colourful blooming flowers.
4
mahfil1-e husn2 meN aadaab3-e nazaara4 ki qasam5
hum ne aaNkhoN ko bhi masroof6-e bayaaN7 dekha hai
1.gathering 2.beauty, beloved 3.etiquette, refined behaviour 4.gazing, looking at 5.swearing in the name of 6.busy/engaged in 7.express, say, speak
I swear by the refined etiquette of behaviour in the gathering of the beloved that I have seen her eyes engaged in speaking i.e., the refined/sophisticated beloved’s eyes are expressive and eloquent without actually saying anything.
5
ek ajab1 kaifiyat2-e dil hai keh jab se hum ne
tujh ko maa’el3-ba-karam4 dushman-e-jaaN5! dekha hai
1.puzzling, bewildering 2.condition, state 3.inclined towards 4.favours, kindness 5.enemy of life- often used to describe the beloved
Ever since I have seen the beloved inclined towards kindness, my heart has been in an bewildered/puzzled/stunned state at the unexpected pleasure.
6
shaiKh1 maiKhaaNe2 meN kirdaar3 ki pasti4 dekheN
hum ne insaan ki azmat5 ko vahaaN dekha hai
1.preacher 2.tavern 3.character, morality 4.decline, lowness 5.greatness
The tavern is a welcoming and open place for all. Above all, it symbolizes a place that is above hypocrisy and is not judgmental, where everyone is equal in their humanity. Thus, the orthodox look at the gathering in the tavern and pass a judgment on them … as people of declining character. The poet looks at his fellow revelers and sees human greatness in them.
7
aur bhi guzre1 haiN duniya meN suKhanvar2 laikin3
hum ne raahi4 tera andaaz5-e bayaaN6 dekha hai
1.passed, have been 2.poets, versifiers 3.but 4.pen-name of the poet 5.style 6.speaking, reciting, composing, writing
There have been many poets in the world, O raahi, but we have seen your style as different and unique. Of course this brings to mind Ghalib’s …
haiN aur bhi duniya meN suKhanvar bahut achchhe
kahte haiN keh Ghalib ka hai andaaz-e bayaaN aur
Based on this, I have linked this Ghazal to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
