auj-e risaalat – hari chand aKhtar

For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the “English” or “Notes” tab.

اوجِ رِسالت ۔ ہری چند اختر

۱

کِس نے قطروں کو ملایا اور دریا کر دیا

کِس نے ذرّوں کو اُٹھایا اور صحرا کر دیا

۲

شوکتِ مغرور کا کِس شخص نے توڑا طلسم

مُنہدم کِس نے الہیٰ قصرِ کسریٰ کر دیا

۳

کِس کی حکمت نے یتیموں کو کیا دُرّ یتیم

اور غلاموں کو زمانے بھر کا مولا کر دیا

۴

زندہ ہو جاتے ہیں جو مرتے ہیں حق کے نام پر

اللہ اللہ موت کو کِس نے مسیحا کر دیا

۵

کہہ دیا لا تقنطو اختر کسی نے کان میں

اور دِل کو سربسر محوِ تمنّا کر دیا

۶

سات پردوں میں چھُپا بیٹھا تھا حسنِ کائنات

اب کِسی نے اُس کو عالم آشکارہ کر دیا

۷

آدمیّت کا غرض ساماں مہیّا کر دیا

اِک عرب نے آدمی کا بول بالا کر دیا

औज-ए रिसालत – हरी चन्द अख़्तर

किस ने क़त्रों को मिलाया और दर्या कर दिया

किस ने ज़र्रों को उठाया और सहरा कर दिया

शौकत-ए मग़्रूर का किस शख़्स ने तोड़ा तिलस्म

मुन्हादिम किस ने इलाही क़स्र-ए कसरा कर दिया

किस कि हिकमत ने यतीमों को किया दुर्र-ए यतीम

और ग़ुलामों को ज़माने भर का मौला कर दिया

ज़िन्दा हो जाते हैं जो मरते हैं हक़ के नाम पर

अल्लाह अल्लाह मौत को किस ने मसीहा कर दिया

कह दिया ला-तक़्नतु अख़्तर किसी ने कान में

और दिल को सर बा सर महव-ए तमन्ना कर दिया

सात पर्दों मे छुपा बैठा था हुस्न-ए का’एनात

अब किसी ने उस को आलम-आश्कारा कर दिया

आद्मिय्यत का ग़रज़ सामां मोहय्या कर दिया

एक अरब ने आदमी का बोल बाला कर दिया

 

Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. hari chand aKhtar (1901-1958) might well have been a conventional observant hindu, but he shows a distinct tendency towards irreverence in his compositions. He also writes with great feeling about communal harmony and makes fun of orthodoxy. In this Ghazal he shows much reverence and admiration and writes in praise of mohammed.
1
kis ne qatrauN1 ko milaaya aur darya2 kar diya
kis ne zarroN3 ko uThaaya aur sahra4 kar diya
1.drops 2.ocean 3.sights 4.desert, vastness
There are two possible interpretations of the first misra. Drops were brought together to form an ocean … people were brought together to form a large community of islam. Another interpretation … disparate ideas like drops were combined to form an ocean, a coherent and deep philosophy. In the spirit of the second interpretation, eyes were raised to see the vastness and beyond the vastness of the desert. The poet asks rhetorically, ‘who did this’, implying, mohammed.

2
shaukat1-e maGhroor2 ka kis shaKhs3 ne toRa tilasm4
munhadim5 kis ne ilaahi6 qasr7-e kasra8 kar diya
1.pomp 2.proud 3.person 4.magic, magical grip 5.destroy 6.O god 7.castle, palace 8.Chosroes, ancient Persian monarch, used here as a symbol of monarchy
Who was it that broke the grip of pomp of pride (of wealth and power). Who was it that brought down the palace of monarchy. The poet alludes to equality and dignity that islam is considered to have brought to all.

3
kis ki hikmat1 ne yateemauN2 ko kiya durr-e-yatim3
aur GhulaamauN4 ko zamaane5 bhar ka maula6 kar diya   
1.wisdom 2.orphans 3.unique/valuable pearl, when a single large pearl is found in the oyster shell it is called durr-e yatim and is considered more valuable 4.slaves 5.times, period 6.lord
Whose wisdom is it that changed the status of orphans to highly valued pearls and made slaves lords of the times. Once again, the poet alludes to changes brought about by mohammed – calling for care and compassion for orphans and defining/improving the rights of slaves.

4
zinda ho jaate haiN jo marte haiN haq1 ke naam par
allah, allah maut ko kis ne maseeha2 kar diya   
1.Truth, god 2.healer
Who was it that taught that those who give their lives in the cause of righteousness, insisting on Truth, live forever, thus making Death a healer. Also see josh malihabadi’s ‘zindagi aur maut’ in which he makes the same point in a beautiful long marsia.

5
kah diya la-tuqnatu1 aKhtar2 kisi ne kaan meN
aur dil ko sar-ba-sar3 mahv4-e tamanna5 kar diya   
1.do not lose hope (in the benevolence of god) 2.pen-name of the poet 3.from this end to that, head to head, end to end 4.engrossed in 5.desire/hope/optimism
Someone whispered the message of hope in my ear, O, aKhtar and turned my heart into an embodiment of optimism.

6
saat pardauN meN chhupa biaTha tha husn1-e kaa’enaat2
ab kisi ne us ko aalam-aashkaara3 kar diya   
1.beauty of 2.universe, cosmos 3.revealed to the world
Cosmic Beauty was hidden behind seven veils. Someone has revealed it to the whole world.

7
aadmiyyat1 ka Gharaz2 saamaaN3 mohayya4 kar diya
ek arab ne aadmi ka bol-baala5 kar diya  
1.the best quality of being human, humanism 2.all said and done 3.means 4.made available 5.improved status/reputation
All said and done, (he) had made available to us the means/ways of humanism. He (an arab) has enhanced the status of humanity.

hari chand aKhtar (1901-1958) might well have been a conventional observant hindu, but he shows a distinct tendency towards irreverence in his compositions.  He also writes with great feeling about communal harmony and makes fun of orthodoxy.  In this Ghazal he shows much reverence and admiration and writes in praise of mohammed.
1
kis ne qatrauN1 ko milaaya aur darya2 kar diya
kis ne zarroN3 ko uThaaya aur sahra4 kar diya

1.drops 2.ocean 3.sights 4.desert, vastness

There are two possible interpretations of the first misra.  Drops were brought together to form an ocean … people were brought together to form a large community of islam.  Another interpretation … disparate ideas like drops were combined to form an ocean, a coherent and deep philosophy.  In the spirit of the second interpretation, eyes were raised to see the vastness and beyond the vastness of the desert.  The poet asks rhetorically, ‘who did this’, implying, mohammed.
2
shaukat1-e maGhroor2 ka kis shaKhs3 ne toRa tilasm4
munhadim5 kis ne ilaahi6 qasr7-e kasra8 kar diya

1.pomp 2.proud 3.person 4.magic, magical grip 5.destroy 6.O god 7.castle, palace 8.Chosroes, ancient Persian monarch, used here as a symbol of monarchy

Who was it that broke the grip of pomp of pride (of wealth and power).  Who was it that brought down the palace of monarchy.  The poet alludes to equality and dignity that islam is considered to have brought to all.
3
kis ki hikmat1 ne yateemauN2 ko kiya durr-e-yatim3
aur GhulaamauN4 ko zamaane5 bhar ka maula6 kar diya

1.wisdom 2.orphans 3.unique/valuable pearl, when a single large pearl is found in the oyster shell it is called durr-e yatim and is considered more valuable 4.slaves 5.times, period 6.lord

Whose wisdom is it that changed the status of orphans to highly valued pearls and made slaves lords of the times.  Once again, the poet alludes to changes brought about by mohammed – calling for care and compassion for orphans and defining/improving the rights of slaves.
4
zinda ho jaate haiN jo marte haiN haq1 ke naam par
allah, allah maut ko kis ne maseeha2 kar diya

1.Truth, god 2.healer

Who was it that taught that those who give their lives in the cause of righteousness, insisting on Truth, live forever, thus making Death a healer.  Also see josh malihabadi’s ‘zindagi aur maut’ in which he makes the same point in a beautiful long marsia.
5
kah diya la-tuqnatu1 aKhtar2 kisi ne kaan meN
aur dil ko sar-ba-sar3 mahv4-e tamanna5 kar diya

1.do not lose hope (in the benevolence of god) 2.pen-name of the poet 3.from this end to that, head to head, end to end 4.engrossed in 5.desire/hope/optimism

Someone whispered the message of hope in my ear, O, aKhtar and turned my heart into an embodiment of optimism.
6
saat pardauN meN chhupa biaTha tha husn1-e kaa’enaat2
ab kisi ne us ko aalam-aashkaara3 kar diya

1.beauty of 2.universe, cosmos 3.revealed to the world

Cosmic Beauty was hidden behind seven veils.  Someone has revealed it to the whole world.
7
aadmiyyat1 ka Gharaz2 saamaaN3 mohayya4 kar diya
ek arab ne aadmi ka bol-baala5 kar diya

1.the best quality of being human, humanism 2.all said and done 3.means 4.made available 5.improved status/reputation

All said and done, (he) had made available to us the means/ways of humanism.  He (an arab) has enhanced the status of humanity.

Key Search Words:  cross-religious, cross religious, kaaba kaashi, k’aaba-kaashi, k’aaba kaashi, n’aat-e mohammadi, naat-e mohammadi