For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
بارِ صلیب تھا ۔ رام سنگھ شررؔ فتح پوری
۱
ہونے کو آستانِ حرم بھی قریب تھا
ہم دار تک گئے یہ ہمارا نصیب تھا
۲
میرے ہی حُسنِ شوق نے رسوا کیا مجھے
میرا جنونِ عشق ہی میرا رقیب تھا
۳
اب تک ہے جان و دل پہ مصیبت بنی ہوئی
وہ حادثۂ زیست بھی کتنا عجیب تھا
۴
اوروں کو بارِ غم سے سبکدوش کر گیا
وہ جس کے دوشِ عزم پہ بارِ صلیب تھا
۵
سب کو متاعِ عیش و طرب بانٹتا گیا
ہر چند دل ہمارا نہایت غریب تھا
बार-ए-सलीब था । राम सिंह शरर फतह पुरी
१
होने को आस्तान-ए-हरम भी क़रीब था
हम दार तक गए ये हमारा नसीब था
२
मेरे ही हुस्न-ए-शौक़ ने रुस्वा किया मुझे
मेरा जुनून-ए-इश्क़ ही मेरा रक़ीब था
३
अब तक है जान-ओ-दिल पे मुसीबत बनी हुई
वो हादसा-ए-ज़ीस्त भी कितना अजीब था
४
औरों को बार-ए-ग़म से सबकदूश कर गया
वो जिस के दोश-ए-अज़्म पे बार-ए-सलीब था
५
सब को मता-ए-ऐश-ओ-तरब बांटता गया
हर चंद दिल हमारा निहायत ग़रीब था
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. ram siNgh sharar fatehpuri (1928-1992), fatehpur, haryaana. MA (urdu) and MEd, from aligaRh. He worked in the Department of Education, haryaana. Progressive Writers’ Association, Communist Party of India, awardee of the saahitya akademi of haryaana and uttar pradesh. Soviet Land’s Nehru Award. He composed a large body of protest nazm.
1
hone ko aastaan1-e haram2 bhi qariib3 tha
ham daar4 tak ga’e ye hamaara nasiib5 tha 1.threshold 2.k’aaba 3.nearby 4.gallows, hanging platform 5.fate
The threshold of the sanctuary of k’aaba was close at hand. But it was our fate that we went (or were taken to) the gallows. Is the poet bemoaning his fate. Considering his association with the Communist Party and the Progressive Writers’ Association I interpret this as a rebellious declaration. He chose to go to the gallows rather than to the sanctuary. He considers his ‘nasiib’ to be good fortune.
2
mere hi husn1-e shauq2 ne rusva3 kiya mujhe
mera junoon4-e ishq hi mera raqiib5 tha 1.beauty, skill, elegance, excellence 2.desire, love 3.shamed, insulted, disgraced 4.passion, madness 5.rival
It was the excellence/elegance of my own desire that disgraced me. My own passionate love turned out to be my rival. Desire for what; love for the beloved; is the beloved social justice, the passionate demand for which is taking him to the gallows or causing him to be disgraced.
3
ab tak hai jaan-o-dil pe musiibat1 bani hui
voh haad’sa2-e ziist3 bhi kitna ajiib4 tha 1.problem, burden 2.incident, occurance, accident 3.life, existence 4.strange
To this day, my heart and soul remain burdened by distress, that incident of life was indeed so strange. What incident? We are left to find for ourselves. Was it an encounter with the beloved that changed him. Was it the reading of a book on socialism, a discussion with fellow socialists; or is it an inner spiritual awakening. We can read our own inclinations into the meaning. But the ‘ajiib’ makes a high impact occurance that changed things for the poet.
4
auroN1 ko baar2-e Gham3 se subukdosh4 kar gaya
voh jis ke dosh5-e azm6 pe baar2-e saliib7 tha 1.others 2.weight, burden 3.sorrow 4.relieved 5.back 6.determination, resolve 7.cross
He relieved others of the burden of sorrow, the one who bore the weight of the cross on his resolute shoulders. Who is the ‘he’ the poet is referring to. Considering the cross he bore, I might be tempted to consider that he is talking about Jesus. But the poet was an avowed atheist. This could well be talking about a Communist Party figure or a freedom fighter. Or, if we transport the implication from the next she’r, he could be talking about his own heart. Suffice it to say, the reader is free to give it his/her own colour.
5
sab ko mataa1-e aish-o-tarab2 baaNT’ta3 gaya
harchand4 dil hamaara nehaa’et5 Ghariib6 tha 1.wealth, treasure 2.pleasure and joy, luxury and merriment 3.distribute 4.even though 5.very much 6.poor, destitute
It went about distributing wealth and treasure to everyone; even though my heart was quite destitute. This could well be about distributing/giving away the pleasure of his own poetry.
ram siNgh sharar fatehpuri (1928-1992), fatehpur, haryaana. MA (urdu) and MEd, from aligaRh. He worked in the Department of Education, haryaana. Progressive Writers’ Association, Communist Party of India, awardee of the saahitya akademi of haryaana and uttar pradesh. Soviet Land’s Nehru Award. He composed a large body of protest nazm.
1
hone ko aastaan1-e haram2 bhi qariib3 tha
ham daar4 tak ga’e ye hamaara nasiib5 tha
1.threshold 2.k’aaba 3.nearby 4.gallows, hanging platform 5.fate
The threshold of the sanctuary of k’aaba was close at hand. But it was our fate that we went (or were taken to) the gallows. Is the poet bemoaning his fate. Considering his association with the Communist Party and the Progressive Writers’ Association I interpret this as a rebellious declaration. He chose to go to the gallows rather than to the sanctuary. He considers his ‘nasiib’ to be good fortune.
2
mere hi husn1-e shauq2 ne rusva3 kiya mujhe
mera junoon4-e ishq hi mera raqiib5 tha
1.beauty, skill, elegance, excellence 2.desire, love 3.shamed, insulted, disgraced 4.passion, madness 5.rival
It was the excellence/elegance of my own desire that disgraced me. My own passionate love turned out to be my rival. Desire for what; love for the beloved; is the beloved social justice, the passionate demand for which is taking him to the gallows or causing him to be disgraced.
3
ab tak hai jaan-o-dil pe musiibat1 bani hui
voh haad’sa2-e ziist3 bhi kitna ajiib4 tha
1.problem, burden 2.incident, occurance, accident 3.life, existence 4.strange
To this day, my heart and soul remain burdened by distress, that incident of life was indeed so strange. What incident? We are left to find for ourselves. Was it an encounter with the beloved that changed him. Was it the reading of a book on socialism, a discussion with fellow socialists; or is it an inner spiritual awakening. We can read our own inclinations into the meaning. But the ‘ajiib’ makes a high impact occurance that changed things for the poet.
4
auroN1 ko baar2-e Gham3 se subukdosh4 kar gaya
voh jis ke dosh5-e azm6 pe baar2-e saliib7 tha
1.others 2.weight, burden 3.sorrow 4.relieved 5.back 6.determination, resolve 7.cross
He relieved others of the burden of sorrow, the one who bore the weight of the cross on his resolute shoulders. Who is the ‘he’ the poet is referring to. Considering the cross he bore, I might be tempted to consider that he is talking about Jesus. But the poet was an avowed atheist. This could well be talking about a Communist Party figure or a freedom fighter. Or, if we transport the implication from the next she’r, he could be talking about his own heart. Suffice it to say, the reader is free to give it his/her own colour.
5
sab ko mataa1-e aish-o-tarab2 baaNT’ta3 gaya
harchand4 dil hamaara nehaa’et5 Ghariib6 tha
1.wealth, treasure 2.pleasure and joy, luxury and merriment 3.distribute 4.even though 5.very much 6.poor, destitute
It went about distributing wealth and treasure to everyone; even though my heart was quite destitute. This could well be about distributing/giving away the pleasure of his own poetry.
