Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. kishan bihari noor (1926 – 2003), was born and grew up in lucknow. In a lot of his work he gracefully reaches across communal lines both in the social/political and religious fields. He also was a great lover of urdu. This is one of several posts linked to ‘karbal katha’ under the page ‘kaaba-kaashi’ which contains several other cross religious categories.
1
bane jo harf-e-aaKhir¹ vo nubuvvat² aur hi kuchh hai
nubuvvat² jis ko choome³ vo imaamat⁴ aur hi kuchh hai   1.final word 2.prophethood, nabi=prophet 3.kiss 4.leadership, imaam=leader (successor to nabi)
This she’r has reference to the claims of islam that mohammed is the last nabi/prophet and the qur’aan is the final word of god. It is also believed that mohammed loved his grandchildren a lot and kissed them. Thus, husain, who is considered imaam (leader/successor) in the shia tradition was kissed by his grandfather. Thus, the prophethood that is the final word is something else (above and beyond) and the imaamat that was kissed by the prophet is something else!
2
diloN ko fatah¹ kar lene ki azmat² aur hi kuchh hai
jo bin³ maaNge hi haasil⁴ ho, vo bai’at⁵ aur hi kuchh hai    1.conquer 2.greatness 3.without 4.obtain 5.allegiance
There was conflicting claim by yazid to the Khilaafat. While husain refused to offer allegiance, he also did not want to cause a major conflict in the still young muslim community, so did not actively seek allegiance. But people offered such allegiance without being asked. Thus, the greatness that conquers hearts is something else. The allegiance that is obtained without asking is something else.
3
vuzuu¹ kar ke lahu² se sijda³-e Khaaliq⁴ ada⁵ karna
Khuda ke Khaas⁶ bandoN⁷ ki ibaadat⁸ aur hi kuchh hai     1.ablutions before namaaz 2.blood 3.prostration in prayer 4.creator 5.pay, offer 6.special 7.slaves, devotees 8.prayer, namaaz
Ablutions are normally performed by washing with water. But husain’s access to water was cut off and he was injured and bleeding in battle. And yet, when it was the prescribed time, he broke battle and offered namaaz, even though drenched in blood. Thus, to offer/perform namaaz, prostrate before the creator, after ablutions in blood is something else – done by special devotees of god.
4
bhala aavaaz-e maatam¹ ko daba paayegi kya duniya
majaaz² ek duusri shai³ hai, haqiiqat⁴ aur hi kuchh hai     1.ritual mourning and beating of the chest 2.material, of this world 3.thing 4.used here in the sense of genuine/spiritual
The shaa’er is making a distinction between the material and spiritual and declares that mourning for the martyrdom of husain is a spiritual act of love. Thus, the world will not be able to suppress the sound of ‘maatam’ because it is one thing to suppress the material and something else to try to suppress the spiritual.
5
maiN duniya ki Khushi ko chhoR kar aaNsu bahaata huN
magar jo Gham ne baKhsi¹ vo masarrat² aur hi kuchh hai     1.granted 2.joy
The shaa’er is giving up the comforts of the world and weeping, offering his tears. But in this act of expression of sorrow he has been granted a (spiritual) joy which is something else – above and beyond normal pleasures.
6
ye duniya maal-o-zar¹ de kar bhi ek qatra² na paayegi
Gham³-e shabbir⁴ ke ashkoN⁵ ki qiimat⁶ aur hi kuchh hai    1.property and gold, wealth 2.drop 3.sorrow 4.another name of husain 5.tears 6.value, price
The world will not be able to get a drop by offering wealth, the value of tears shed in the sorrow of husain’s martyrdom is something else i.e. this has to be felt in spirit and cannot be bought.