For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
اپنی ملکۂ سخن سے ۔۱۷۔۲۴۔ جوشؔ ملیح آبادی
۱۷
نغمے پلے ہیں دولتِ گفتار سے تری
پایا ہے نطق چشمِ سخن بار سے تری
طاقت ہے دل میں نرگسِ بیمار سے تری
کیا کیا ملا ہے جوشؔ کو سرکار سے تری
بانکے خیال ہیں خَمِ گردن لئے ہوۓ
ہر شعر کی کلائی ہے کنگن لئے ہوۓ
۱۸
اے لیلیِ نہفتہ و اے حُسنِ شرمگیں
تجھ پر نثار دولتِ دنیا متاعِ دیں
منسوب مجھ سے ہے جو بہ اندازِ دل نشیں
تیری وہ شاعری ہے مری شاعری نہیں
آوازہ چرخ پر جو ہے اِس دردمند کا
گویا وہ عکس ہے تیرے قدّ بلند کا
۱۹
میرے بیاں میں یہ جو وفورِ سرور ہے
طاقِ سخن وری میں جو یہ شمعِ طور ہے
یہ جو میرے چراغ کی ضو دور دور ہے
سرکار کی ہی موجِ تبسُّم کا نور ہے
شعروں میں کروٹیں یہ نہیں سوز و ساز کی
لہریں ہیں یہ حضور کی زلفِ دراز کی
۲۰
مجھ رِندِ حسن کار کی مے خواریاں نہ پوچھ
اس خوابِ جاں فروز کی بیداریاں نہ پوچھ
کرتی ہے کیوں شراب خِرد باریاں نہ پوچھ
بے ہوشیوں میں کیوں ہیں یہ ہشیاریاں نہ پوچھ
پیتا ہوں وہ جو زُلف کی رنگیں گھٹاؤں میں
کھنچتی ہے اِن کُھلی ہوی پلکوں کی چھاؤں میں
۲۱
ہشیار اِس لئے ہوں کہ مے خوار ہوں ترا
صیّادِ شعر ہوں کہ گرفتار ہوں ترا
لہجہ ملیح ہے کہ نمک خوار ہوں ترا
صحت زبان میں ہے کہ بیمار ہوں ترا
تیرے کرم سے شعر و ادب کا اِمام ہوں
شاہوں پہ خندہ زن ہوں کہ تیرا غلام ہوں
۲۲
میں وہ ہوں جس کے غم نے ترے دل میں راہ کی
اک عمر جس کے عشق میں خود تو نے آہ کی
سویا ہے شوق سیج پہ تیری نگاہ کی
راتیں کٹی ہیں ساۓ میں چشمِ سیاہ کی
کیونکر نہ شاخِِ گُل کی لچک ہو بیان میں
تیری کمر کا لوچ ہے میری زبان میں
۲۳
ترشے ہوے لبوں کے بہکتے خطاب سے
زرتار کاکلوں کے مہکتے سحاب سے
سرشار انکھڑیوں کے دہکتے شباب سے
موجِِ نفس کے عطر سے مکھڑے کی آب سے
بارہ برس تپا کے زمانہ سہاگ کا
سینچا ہے تو نے باغ مرے دل کی آگ کا
۲۴
گرمی سے جس کی برف کا دیوتا ڈرے وہ آگ
شعلوں میں اوس کو جو مبدّل کرے وہ آگ
لو سے جو زمہریر کا دامن بھرے وہ آگ
حد ہے جو نام نارِ سقر پر دھرے وہ آگ
جِس کی لپٹ گلے میں جلاتی ہے راگ کو
پالا ہے قلبِ ناز میں تو نے وہ آگ کو
अपनी मलका-ए सुख़न से -१७-२४- जोश मलीहाबादी
१७
नग़्मे पले हैं दौलत-ए गुफ़्तार से तेरी
पाया है नुत्क़ चश्म-ए सुख़न बार से तेरी
ताक़त है दिल में नर्गिस-ए बीमार से तेरी
क्या क्या मिला है जोश को सरकार से तेरी
बांके ख़याल हैं ख़म-ए गर्दन लिए हुए
हर शेर की कलाई है कंगन लिए हुए
१८
अए लैली-ए नहफ़्ता ओ अए हुस्न-ए शर्मगीं
तुझ पर निसार दौलत-ए दुनिया मता-ए दीं
मन्सूब मुझ से है जो ब अंदाज़-ए दिल नशीं
तेरी वो शाएरी है, मेरी शाएरी नहीं
आवाज़ा चर्ख़ पर है जो इस दर्दमंद का
गोया वो अक्स है तेरे क़द्द-ए बलन्द का
१९
मेरे बयां से ये जो वफ़ूर-ए सुरूर है
ताक़-ए सुख़न वरी में जो ये शमा-ए तूर है
ये जो मेरे चिराग़ की ज़ौ दूर दूर है
सरकार की ही मौज-ए तबस्सुम का नूर है
शेरों में करवटें ये नहीं सोज़ ओ साज़ की
लहरें हैं ये हुज़ूर की ज़ुल्फ़-ए दराज़ की
२०
मुझ रिन्द-ए हुस्न कार की मै ख़्वारियां न पूछ
इस ख़्वाब-ए जां फ़रोज़ कि बेदारियां न पूछ
करती है क्यों शराब ख़िरदबारियां न पूछ
बेहोशियों में क्यों हैं ये हुशियारियां न पूछ
पीता हूं वो जो ज़ुल्फ़ की रंगीं घटाओं में
खिंचती है इन घनी हुई पलकौं की छाऊँ में
२१
हुशिआर इस लिए हूँ के मैख़्वार हूँ तेरा
सय्याद-ए शेर हूं के गिरफ़्तार हूँ तेरा
लहजा मलीह है के नमक ख़्वार हूँ तेरा
सेहत ज़बान में है के बीमार हूँ तेरा
तेरे करम से शेर ओ अदब का इमाम हूँ
शाहों पे ख़न्दा ज़न हूँ के तेरा ग़ुलाम हूँ
२२
मैं वो हूँ जिसके ग़म ने तेरे दिल में राह की
एक उम्र जिसके इश्क़ में ख़ुद तू ने आह की
सोया है शौक़ सेज पे तेरी निगाह की
रातें कटी हैं साए में चश्म-ए सियाह की
क्यूंकर न शाख़-ए गुल की लचक हो बयान में
तेरी कमर का लोच है मेरी ज़बान में
२३
तरशे हुए लबों के बहकते ख़िताब से
ज़रतार काकुलौं के महकते सहाब से
सरशार अंखड़ियों के दहकते शबाब से
मौज-ए नफ़स के इत्र से मुखड़े की आब से
बारा बरस बिता के ज़माना सोहाग का
सींचा है तू ने बाग़ मेरे दिल के आग का
२४
गर्मी से जिस की बर्फ़ का देवता डरे वो आग
शोलौं में ओस को जो मुबददिल करे वो आग
लौ से जो ज़महरीर का दामन भरे वो आग
हद है जो नाम नार-ए सक़र पर धरे वो आग
जिस की लपट गले में जलाती है राग को
पाल है क़ल्ब-ए नाज़ में तू ने उस आग को
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’. In this musaddas, josh is ostensibly addressing the “queen of his verse – urdu” and lavishes great praise on her. In the process he has equal if not more (certainly well deserved) praise for his own verse rather than just urdu.
17
naGhme pal’e haiN daulat-e guftaar1 se teri
paaya hai nutq2, chashm-e suKhan baar3 se teri
taaqat hai dil meN nargis-e beemar4 se teri
kya kya mila hai josh ko sarkaar se teri
baaNke5 Khayaal haiN Kham-e gardan6 liye hue
har she’r ki kalaai hai kaNgan liye hue 1.wealth of conversation 2.voice 3.eye dripping with verse 4.half-closed eye, intoxication 5.spirited, lively 6.curve of the neck i.e.neck bent in humility
My songs have been nurtured by the strength of your words. Your verse-scattering looks grant me voice. My heart gets strength from your intoxicating glance. O, look at what Josh has received from your bounty. My spirited thoughts are tinged with just the right humility, with their heads bowed. Every verse wearing a beautiful bracelet on its wrist.
18
aye laili1-e nahafta2 O aye husn-e sharmgeeN3
tujh par nisaar4 daulat-e duniya5 mataa-e deeN6
mansoob7 mujh se hai jo ba-andaaz-e dil nashiN8
teri vo shaa’eri hai, meri shaa’eri nahiN
aavaaza9 charKh10 par hai jo is dardmand11 ka
goya12 vo aks13 hai tere qadd-e baland14 ka 1.Laila, damsel 2.hidden 3.coy beauty 4.sacrifice, forsake 5.worldly possessions 6.wealth of faith 7.associated 8.with heart pleasing style 9.sound, cry 10.wheel, sky 11.pain feeling, poor wretch 12.as if 13.reflection 14.tall stature
O, beautiful Laila, shy and secluded for you I forsake all worldly wealth and rewards of the hereafter. That which is associated with me/credited to me in this heart warming style, is your versification, not mine. The cry of this wretch reaches heavens only because it is a reflection of your high stature.
19
mere bayaaN1 me ye jo vafoor-e suroor2 hai
taaq3-e suKhan-vari4 meN ye jo sham’a-e toor5 hai
ye jo mere chiraaGh ki zau6 duur duur hai
sarkaar hi ki mauj-e tabassum7 ka noor8 hai
she’rauN meN karvaTeN9 ye nahiN soz-o-saaz10 ki
lahreN11 haiN ye huzoor ki zulf-e daraaz12 ki 1.speech, recitation 2.excess of happiness 3.alcove 4.poetry recitation 5.divine light 6.light 7.wave/onslaught of smiles 8.brilliance 9.layers 10.melancholy — song and music 11.waves, layers 12.long hair
My verse which overflows with pleasure, and shines lik divine light in the alcove of recitation, and my light shining far and wide is nothing but the brilliance of Her Majesty’s (urdu is ‘maleka’ – queen) smile. The layers of rhyme and rhythm in my verse are nothing but layers of your long, curly tresses.
20
mujh rind1-e husn kaar2 ki mai KhwaariyaaN3 na poochh
is Khwaab-e jaaN faroz4 ki bedaariyaaN5 na poochh
karti hai kyuN sharaab KhiradbaariyaaN6 na poochh
behoshiyauN7 meN kyuN haiN ye hushiyaariyaaN8 na poochh
peeta huN vo jo zulf9 ki raNgeeN ghaTaaoN10 meN
khinchti11 hai in ghani12 hui palkauN13 ki chhaauN meN 1.reveler, imbiber (of wine) 2.beauty creating, artist 3.wine drinking 4.life giving dream/drunken-ness 5.wakefulness, knowing 6.knowledge showering 7.drunken-ness, senseless 8.cleverness, sensible 9.hair, tresses 10.clouds 11.filtered 12.dense 13.eyelashes
Do not ask about the wine drinking of this creative artist. Do not ask about this awareness enhancing drunken-ness. Do not ask how wine (of love or wine of versificiation) increases wisdom. Do not ask how senselessness makes for sensible verse. That which I drink in the shadow of your tresses is filtered through your own thick eyelashes.
21
hushiyaar is liye huN ke maiKhwaar1 huN tera
sayyaad-e she’r2 huN ke giraftaar3 huN tera
lahja4 maleeh5 hai ke namak-Khwaar6 huN tera
sehat7 zabaan meN hai ke beemaar8 huN tera
tere karam9 se she’r-o-adab10 ka imaam11 huN
shaahauN pe Khanda-zan12 huN ke tera Ghulam huN 1.wine drinker 2.hunter/captor of verse 3.captive 4.accent 5.savoury 6.’eaten your salt’-beholden to you 7.health, strength 8.sick, love-sick, lover 9.benevolence 10.poetry and prose 11.leader 12.sneer, laugh at
My senses are sharp for I am drunk senseless with your wine. I can capture verse because I am your captive. My accent is savoury, because I have ‘eaten your salt’. My tongue gets its strength from being sick with love of you. Because of your benevolence, I am a leader in she’r o adab. I can sneer at the powerful because I am your slave. Note the beautiful play on words – the juxtaposition of opposites and likes as in hoshiyar and behosh; captor and captive; savoury accent and namak Khwar; sehat and beemar; Khanda zan and Ghulam. And of course there is ‘maleeh lahja’ and ‘malihabadi’.
22
maiN vo huN jis ke Gham ne tere dil meN raah1 ki
ek umr jis ke ishq meN Khud tu ne aah2 ki
soya hai shauq3 sej4 pe teri nigaah5 ki
raateN kaTi haiN saa’e meN chashm-e siyaah6 ki
kyuNkar na shaaKh-e gul7 ki lachak8 ho bayaan9 meN
teri kamar ka loch10 hai meri zabaan meN 1.way, place, home 2.sigh 3.desire, ambition 4.bridal bed 5.vision 6.dark, beautiful eyes 7.flower laden bough 8.suppleness, curve 9.recitation, verse 10.curve, wave, suppleness
I am the one whose desire made a home in your heart..All life long it was you who loved me too. On your vision did my desire make a bridal bed. My nights have been spent in the shadow of your beautiful, dark eyes. Why should there not be a lilt in my verse after all my tongue has the suppleness of your waist.
23
tarsh’e1 hue labauN ke bahakt’e2 Khitaab3 se
zartaar4 kaakulauN5 ke mahakt’e6 sahaab7 se
sarshaar8 aNkhRiyauN ke dahakt’e9 shabaab10 se
mauj-e-nafas11 ke itr12 se mukhRe ki aab13 se
baarah baras tapa ke zamaana suhaag ka
seeNcha14 hai tu ne baaGh mer’e dil ki aag ka 1.carved, shaped 2.drunken 3.recitation 4.golden thread 5.forelocks, tresses 6.fragrant 7.cloud 8.satiated, drunk 9.glowing 10.youth 11.wave of breath 12.fragrance 13.brilliance 14.irrigate, nurture
With beautifully shaped lips and intoxicating speech, with gold threaded locks of your fragrant hair, with the glowing youthfulness of your satiated eyes, with fragrant breath and brilliant visage, twelve long years you kept me waiting. Thus did you nurture the garden of heart’s desire. The twelve year wait is probably a reference to the onset of puberty. That is how long Josh had to wait for his beloved. Alternatively, his autobiography mentions that he was forbidden by his very strict father from writing verse during his boyhood. His father even burnt his papers in a fit of anger. It was much later that he relented and allowed him to write.
24
garmi se jis ki barf ka devta Darey vo aag
sholauN1 meN oas2 ko jo mubaddil3 kare vo aag
lau4 se jo zamhareer5 ka daaman6 bhare vo aag
hadd7 hai jo naam naar-e saqar8 par dhare9 vo aag
jis ki lapaT10 galey meN jalaati hai raag ko
paala hai qalb-e-naaz11 meN tu ne vo aag ko 1.flames 2.dew 3.change 4.flame, fire 5.intense cold 6.apron 7.limit, excess 8.hell fire 9.to lay – naam dharna – call names, deprecate 10.fold, embrace 11.proud heart
The fire which frightens the god of ice, which converts flames into cool mist, which fills the lap of intense cold with flame, which sneers even at the heat of hell, the embrace of which lights up a melody in my throat, you have nurtured that fire/passion in my loving heart.
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’. In this musaddas, josh is ostensibly addressing the “queen of his verse – urdu” and lavishes great praise on her. In the process he has equal if not more (certainly well deserved) praise for his own verse rather than just urdu.
17
naGhme pal’e haiN daulat-e guftaar1 se teri
paaya hai nutq2, chashm-e suKhan baar3 se teri
taaqat hai dil meN nargis-e beemar4 se teri
kya kya mila hai josh ko sarkaar se teri
baaNke5 Khayaal haiN Kham-e gardan6 liye hue
har she’r ki kalaai hai kaNgan liye hue
1.wealth of conversation 2.voice 3.eye dripping with verse 4.half-closed eye, intoxication 5.spirited, lively 6.curve of the neck i.e.neck bent in humility
My songs have been nurtured by the strength of your words. Your verse-scattering looks grant me voice. My heart gets strength from your intoxicating glance. O, look at what Josh has received from your bounty. My spirited thoughts are tinged with just the right humility, with their heads bowed. Every verse wearing a beautiful bracelet on its wrist.
18
aye laili1-e nahafta2 O aye husn-e sharmgeeN3
tujh par nisaar4 daulat-e duniya5 mataa-e deeN6
mansoob7 mujh se hai jo ba-andaaz-e dil nashiN8
teri vo shaa’eri hai, meri shaa’eri nahiN
aavaaza9 charKh10 par hai jo is dardmand11 ka
goya12 vo aks13 hai tere qadd-e baland14 ka
1.Laila, damsel 2.hidden 3.coy beauty 4.sacrifice, forsake 5.worldly possessions 6.wealth of faith 7.associated 8.with heart pleasing style 9.sound, cry 10.wheel, sky 11.pain feeling, poor wretch 12.as if 13.reflection 14.tall stature
O, beautiful Laila, shy and secluded for you I forsake all worldly wealth and rewards of the hereafter. That which is associated with me/credited to me in this heart warming style, is your versification, not mine. The cry of this wretch reaches heavens only because it is a reflection of your high stature.
19
mere bayaaN1 me ye jo vafoor-e suroor2 hai
taaq3-e suKhan-vari4 meN ye jo sham’a-e toor5 hai
ye jo mere chiraaGh ki zau6 duur duur hai
sarkaar hi ki mauj-e tabassum7 ka noor8 hai
she’rauN meN karvaTeN9 ye nahiN soz-o-saaz10 ki
lahreN11 haiN ye huzoor ki zulf-e daraaz12 ki
1.speech, recitation 2.excess of happiness 3.alcove 4.poetry recitation 5.divine light 6.light 7.wave/onslaught of smiles 8.brilliance 9.layers 10.melancholy — song and music 11.waves, layers 12.long hair
My verse which overflows with pleasure, and shines lik divine light in the alcove of recitation, and my light shining far and wide is nothing but the brilliance of Her Majesty’s (urdu is ‘maleka’ – queen) smile. The layers of rhyme and rhythm in my verse are nothing but layers of your long, curly tresses.
20
mujh rind1-e husn kaar2 ki mai KhwaariyaaN3 na poochh
is Khwaab-e jaaN faroz4 ki bedaariyaaN5 na poochh
karti hai kyuN sharaab KhiradbaariyaaN6 na poochh
behoshiyauN7 meN kyuN haiN ye hushiyaariyaaN8 na poochh
peeta huN vo jo zulf9 ki raNgeeN ghaTaaoN10 meN
khinchti11 hai in ghani12 hui palkauN13 ki chhaauN meN
1.reveler, imbiber (of wine) 2.beauty creating, artist 3.wine drinking 4.life giving dream/drunken-ness 5.wakefulness, knowing 6.knowledge showering 7.drunken-ness, senseless 8.cleverness, sensible 9.hair, tresses 10.clouds 11.filtered 12.dense 13.eyelashes
Do not ask about the wine drinking of this creative artist. Do not ask about this awareness enhancing drunken-ness. Do not ask how wine (of love or wine of versificiation) increases wisdom. Do not ask how senselessness makes for sensible verse. That which I drink in the shadow of your tresses is filtered through your own thick eyelashes.
21
hushiyaar is liye huN ke maiKhwaar1 huN tera
sayyaad-e she’r2 huN ke giraftaar3 huN tera
lahja4 maleeh5 hai ke namak-Khwaar6 huN tera
sehat7 zabaan meN hai ke beemaar8 huN tera
tere karam9 se she’r-o-adab10 ka imaam11 huN
shaahauN pe Khanda-zan12 huN ke tera Ghulam huN
1.wine drinker 2.hunter/captor of verse 3.captive 4.accent 5.savoury 6.’eaten your salt’-beholden to you 7.health, strength 8.sick, love-sick, lover 9.benevolence 10.poetry and prose 11.leader 12.sneer, laugh at
My senses are sharp for I am drunk senseless with your wine. I can capture verse because I am your captive. My accent is savoury, because I have ‘eaten your salt’. My tongue gets its strength from being sick with love of you. Because of your benevolence, I am a leader in she’r o adab. I can sneer at the powerful because I am your slave. Note the beautiful play on words – the juxtaposition of opposites and likes as in hoshiyar and behosh; captor and captive; savoury accent and namak Khwar; sehat and beemar; Khanda zan and Ghulam. And of course there is ‘maleeh lahja’ and ‘malihabadi’.
22
maiN vo huN jis ke Gham ne tere dil meN raah1 ki
ek umr jis ke ishq meN Khud tu ne aah2 ki
soya hai shauq3 sej4 pe teri nigaah5 ki
raateN kaTi haiN saa’e meN chashm-e siyaah6 ki
kyuNkar na shaaKh-e gul7 ki lachak8 ho bayaan9 meN
teri kamar ka loch10 hai meri zabaan meN
1.way, place, home 2.sigh 3.desire, ambition 4.bridal bed 5.vision 6.dark, beautiful eyes 7.flower laden bough 8.suppleness, curve 9.recitation, verse 10.curve, wave, suppleness
I am the one whose desire made a home in your heart..All life long it was you who loved me too. On your vision did my desire make a bridal bed. My nights have been spent in the shadow of your beautiful, dark eyes. Why should there not be a lilt in my verse after all my tongue has the suppleness of your waist.
23
tarsh’e1 hue labauN ke bahakt’e2 Khitaab3 se
zartaar4 kaakulauN5 ke mahakt’e6 sahaab7 se
sarshaar8 aNkhRiyauN ke dahakt’e9 shabaab10 se
mauj-e-nafas11 ke itr12 se mukhRe ki aab13 se
baarah baras tapa ke zamaana suhaag ka
seeNcha14 hai tu ne baaGh mer’e dil ki aag ka
1.carved, shaped 2.drunken 3.recitation 4.golden thread 5.forelocks, tresses 6.fragrant 7.cloud 8.satiated, drunk 9.glowing 10.youth 11.wave of breath 12.fragrance 13.brilliance 14.irrigate, nurture
With beautifully shaped lips and intoxicating speech, with gold threaded locks of your fragrant hair, with the glowing youthfulness of your satiated eyes, with fragrant breath and brilliant visage, twelve long years you kept me waiting. Thus did you nurture the garden of heart’s desire. The twelve year wait is probably a reference to the onset of puberty. That is how long Josh had to wait for his beloved. Alternatively, his autobiography mentions that he was forbidden by his very strict father from writing verse during his boyhood. His father even burnt his papers in a fit of anger. It was much later that he relented and allowed him to write.
24
garmi se jis ki barf ka devta Darey vo aag
sholauN1 meN oas2 ko jo mubaddil3 kare vo aag
lau4 se jo zamhareer5 ka daaman6 bhare vo aag
hadd7 hai jo naam naar-e saqar8 par dhare9 vo aag
jis ki lapaT10 galey meN jalaati hai raag ko
paala hai qalb-e-naaz11 meN tu ne vo aag ko
1.flames 2.dew 3.change 4.flame, fire 5.intense cold 6.apron 7.limit, excess 8.hell fire 9.to lay – naam dharna – call names, deprecate 10.fold, embrace 11.proud heart
The fire which frightens the god of ice, which converts flames into cool mist, which fills the lap of intense cold with flame, which sneers even at the heat of hell, the embrace of which lights up a melody in my throat, you have nurtured that fire/passion in my loving heart.
