For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the “English” or “Notes” tab.
KL Saigal singing
Recitation
Song
اندھیرا ہو گیا ۔ سیماب اکبر آبادی
۱
جلوہ گاہِ دل میں مرتے ہی اندھیرا ہو گیا
جس میں تھے جلوے ترے وہ آئنہ کیا ہو گیا
۲
پھر تصوّر نے بڑھا دی نالۂ موزوں کی لۓ
پھر فضائے درد میں اِک شعر پیدا ہو گیا
۳
برہمن کہتا تھا ‘انحد’ شیخ بول اُٹھا ‘احد’
نکتہ رس دونوں نہ تھے آپس میں جھگڑا ہو گیا
۴
نجد کے ہرنوں سے اعجازِ محبت پوچھئے
پڑ گئی جس پر نگاہِ قیس لیلیٰ ہو گیا
۵
جان دے دی میں نے تنگ آ کر وفورِ درد سے
آج منشائے جفائے دوست پورا ہو گیا
۶
اب کہاں مایوسیوں میں ضبط کی گنجائشیں
وہ بھی کیا دن تھے کہ تیرا غم گوارا ہو گیا
۷
دل کھنچا جتنا قفس میں آشیانے کی طرف
دور اُ تنا ہی قفس سے آشیانا ہو گیا
۸
رفتہ رفتہ ہو گئے جذب اُس میں جلوے سینکڑوں
دل مرا سیمابؔ تصویرِ سراپا ہو گیا
अँधेरा हो गया – सीमाब अकबराबादी
१
जल्वा-गाह-ए दिल में मरते ही अँधेरा हो गया
जिस में थे जल्वे तेरे वो आइना क्या हो गया
२
फिर तसव्वुर ने बढ़ा दी नाला-ए मौज़ूँ की लै
फिर फ़ज़ा-ए दर्द में एक शेर पैदा हो गया
३
बरहमन कहता था ‘अनहद’ शैख़ बोल उट्ठा ‘अहद’
नुक्ता-रस दोनों न थे आपस में झगड़ा हो गया
४
नज्द के हिरनों से एजाज़-ए मोहब्बत पूछिए
पड़ गई जिस पर निगाह-ए क़ैस लैला हो गया
५
जान दे दी मैं ने तंग आ कर वुफ़ूर-ए दर्द से
आज मंशा-ए जफ़ा-ए दोस्त पूरा हो गया
६
अब कहाँ मायूसियों में ज़ब्त की गुंजाएशें
वो भी क्या दिन थे के तेरा ग़म गवारा हो गया
७
दिल खिंचा जितना क़फ़स में आशियाने की तरफ़
दूर उतना ही क़फ़स से आशियाना हो गया
८
रफ़्ता रफ़्ता हो गए जज़्ब उस में जल्वे सैंकड़ों
दिल मेरा सीमाब तस्वीर-ए सरापा हो गया
andhera ho gaya – seemaab akbarabadi
Click on any she’r for word meanings and discussion.
1
jalva-gaah1-e dil meN marte hi aNdhera ho gaya
jis meN the jalve2 tere vo aa’ina3 kyaa ho gaya 1.place where images/manifestations are diplayed/reflected 2.reflections, manifestations 3.mirror, heart
The poet’s heart is where the image of the beloved/god is displayed. With his death, this “jalva-gaah” became dark. The poet bemoans, “Oh, whatever happened to the mirror of my heart”. To me this appears hanging half-way. I was expecting some thought of what happens after death. If you see more to it than I do, please let me know.
2
phir tasavvur1 ne baRhaa di naala2-e mauzooN3 ki lai4
phir fazaa5-e dard meN ek she’r6 paidaa ho gaya 1.imagination 2.cry 3.weighed, proportionate 4.melody 5.atmosphere, surroundings 6.couplet
The poet presumably is describing the process that leads to his writing asha’ar. Usually the melody of pain/wailing is measured/proportionate. But, once again, imagination increased the loudness of this melody and once again, a she’r appeared/manifested itself in the surroundings. Thus, the poet is inspired to write by the sorrow caused by what he sees around him.
3
barhaman kahta tha ‘anhad’1, shaiKh bol uTTha ‘ahad’2
nukta-ras3 donoN na the, aapas meN jhagRa ho gaya1.no limit, infinite 2.one, singular 3.quick to understand
This has sufi undertones … the poet suggests that the vedic concept of ‘anhad’ (infinite/all encompassing/unity of creator and created) is the same as that of ‘ahad’ – one god. It is that both the brahman and the shaiKh were not quick to understand and therefore tangled with each other.
4
najd1 ke hirnoN se e’jaaz2-e mohabbat poochhiye
paR gaii jis par nigaah3-e qais4, lailaa ho gaya 1.plateau, the desert of Arabia where legendary majnuN wandered looking for laila 2.miracle 3.glance 4.another name of majnuN
majnuN/qais wandered through the desert of najd in a passionate, frenzied trance looking for laila. In this trance he was so love-struck that when saw deer he imagined it to be her/or he saw her beauty in everything (including deer). Such is the miracle of love, that you can see the beloved/god in everything (sufi concept).
5
jaan de di maiN ne taNg1 aa kar vufoor2-e dard se
aaj manshaa3-e jafaa4-e dost5 puura ho gaya 1.getting tired/disgusted of 2.excess of 3.intention, plan 4.pain, oppression, cruelty 5.friend, beloved
urdu poetic convention is that the beloved is cruel to the lover. But the pain of this cruelty increased so much that it became unbearable and the poet/lover gave up his life (of course he continues to write about his own death). It was the intention of the beloved all along to kill him. Thus, with his death that intention/plan is fulfilled.
6
ab kahaaN maayusiyoN1 meN zabt2 ki gunjaa’esheN3
vo bhi kyaa din the ke tera Gham gavaara4 ho gaya 1.disappointments 2.self-control, restraint 3.capacity, capability 4.bear
There was a time with the poet/lover had the capability to bear with fortitude the pain given to him by the beloved. Now he does not have the capability to bear any disappointments (without crying out loud).
7
dil khiNchaa1 jitna qafas2 meN aashiyane3 ki taraf
duur utnaa hi qafas se aashiyana ho gaya 1.pulled towards, attracted to 2.cage 3.nest, home
The poet/lover is like a bird in a cage. It longs for its nest. The more it longs for it, the further away it gets. Perhaps the sufi concept of giving up all material attachments and only seek the love of the universal spirit.
8
rafta-rafta1 ho gaye jazb2 us meN jalve3 saiNkRoN
dil mera seemab tasveer-e saraapa4 ho gaya 1.gradually 2.absorbed 3.images, memories 4.head to toe, personification
Gradually, over his life-time there were so many images/memories of the beloved that etched themselves on his heart that it became a a personfication of those images.
andhera ho gaya – seemaab akbarabadi
1
jalva-gaah1-e dil meN marte hi aNdhera ho gaya
jis meN the jalve2 tere vo aa’ina3 kyaa ho gaya
1.place where images/manifestations are diplayed/reflected 2.reflections, manifestations 3.mirror, heart
The poet’s heart is where the image of the beloved/god is displayed. With his death, this “jalva-gaah” became dark. The poet bemoans, “Oh, whatever happened to the mirror of my heart”. To me this appears hanging half-way. I was expecting some thought of what happens after death. If you see more to it than I do, please let me know.
2
phir tasavvur1 ne baRhaa di naala2-e mauzooN3 ki lai4
phir fazaa5-e dard meN ek she’r6 paidaa ho gaya
1.imagination 2.cry 3.weighed, proportionate 4.melody 5.atmosphere, surroundings 6.couplet
The poet presumably is describing the process that leads to his writing asha’ar. Usually the melody of pain/wailing is measured/proportionate. But, once again, imagination increased the loudness of this melody and once again, a she’r appeared/manifested itself in the surroundings. Thus, the poet is inspired to write by the sorrow caused by what he sees around him.
3
barhaman kahta tha ‘anhad’1, shaiKh bol uTTha ‘ahad’2
nukta-ras3 donoN na the, aapas meN jhagRa ho gaya
1.no limit, infinite 2.one, singular 3.quick to understand
This has sufi undertones … the poet suggests that the vedic concept of ‘anhad’ (infinite/all encompassing/unity of creator and created) is the same as that of ‘ahad’ – one god. It is that both the brahman and the shaiKh were not quick to understand and therefore tangled with each other.
4
najd1 ke hirnoN se e’jaaz2-e mohabbat poochhiye
paR gaii jis par nigaah3-e qais4, lailaa ho gaya
1.plateau, the desert of Arabia where legendary majnuN wandered looking for laila 2.miracle 3.glance 4.another name of majnuN
majnuN/qais wandered through the desert of najd in a passionate, frenzied trance looking for laila. In this trance he was so love-struck that when saw deer he imagined it to be her/or he saw her beauty in everything (including deer). Such is the miracle of love, that you can see the beloved/god in everything (sufi concept).
5
jaan de di maiN ne taNg1 aa kar vufoor2-e dard se
aaj manshaa3-e jafaa4-e dost5 puura ho gaya
1.getting tired/disgusted of 2.excess of 3.intention, plan 4.pain, oppression, cruelty 5.friend, beloved
urdu poetic convention is that the beloved is cruel to the lover. But the pain of this cruelty increased so much that it became unbearable and the poet/lover gave up his life (of course he continues to write about his own death). It was the intention of the beloved all along to kill him. Thus, with his death that intention/plan is fulfilled.
6
ab kahaaN maayusiyoN1 meN zabt2 ki gunjaa’esheN3
vo bhi kyaa din the ke tera Gham gavaara4 ho gaya
1.disappointments 2.self-control, restraint 3.capacity, capability 4.bear
There was a time with the poet/lover had the capability to bear with fortitude the pain given to him by the beloved. Now he does not have the capability to bear any disappointments (without crying out loud).
7
dil khiNchaa1 jitna qafas2 meN aashiyane3 ki taraf
duur utnaa hi qafas se aashiyana ho gaya
1.pulled towards, attracted to 2.cage 3.nest, home
The poet/lover is like a bird in a cage. It longs for its nest. The more it longs for it, the further away it gets. Perhaps the sufi concept of giving up all material attachments and only seek the love of the universal spirit.
8
rafta-rafta1 ho gaye jazb2 us meN jalve3 saiNkRoN
dil mera seemab tasveer-e saraapa4 ho gaya
1.gradually 2.absorbed 3.images, memories 4.head to toe, personification
Gradually, over his life-time there were so many images/memories of the beloved that etched themselves on his heart that it became a a personfication of those images.
Key Search Words: sufi, sufiyaana
