For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
بڑے پیچ و تاب میں ۔ س و بھجن طالبؔ شاہ آبادی
۱
دل کو سکوں ملا ہے دعا کے جواب میں
ورنہ گزرتی عمر بڑے اِضطراب میں
۲
خونِ مسیح ڈال کے جامِ شراب میں
پیتے ہیں سر جھکا کے شبِ ماہ تاب میں
۳
اِمشب ہوا ہے شکلِ مسیحہ میں جلوہ گر
وہ نور جو ازل سے چھپا تھا حجاب میں
۴
اُترا کلام ہو کے مُجسّم زمین پر
تاریخ، رنگ بھرنے تیرے انقلاب میں
۵
رحمت نے ان کو خونِ مسیحہ سے دھو دیا
میری خطائیں آ نہ سکیں جب حساب میں
۶
دنیا میں گو الٰہی نوشتے ہیں بے شمار
اِنجیلِ پاک آئی میرے انتخاب میں
۷
درسِ وفا کا دار سے آغاز ہو گیا
اہلِ جفا ہیں آج بڑے پیچ و تاب میں
۸
طالبؔ ہمیں ہے رحمتِ مُنجی کا آسرا
دوزخ کے گرچہ کام کیے ہیں شباب میں
बढे पेज ओ तब में – स व भजन तालेब शाह आबादी
१
दिल को सुकूं मिला है दुआ के जवाब में
वरना गुज़रती उम्र बढे इज़्तराब में
२
ख़ून-ए मसीह डाल के जाम-ए शराब में
पीते हैं सर झुका के शब-ए माहताब में
३
इमशब हुआ है शक्ल-ए मसीहा में जल्वा गर
वो नूर जो अज़ल से छुपा था हिजाब में
४
उतरा कलाम हो के मुजस्सम ज़मीन पर
तारीख़, रंग भरने तेरे इन्ख़लाब में
५
रहमत ने उनको ख़ून-ए मसीहा से धो दिया
मेरी ख़ताएं आ न सकीं जब हिसाब में
६
दुनिया में गो इलाही नविश्ते हैं बेशुमार
इंजील-ए पाक आइ मेरे इंतख़ाब में
७
दर्स-ए वफ़ा का दार से आग़ाज़ हो गया
अहल-ए जफ़ा हैं आज बढे पेच ओ ताब में
८
तालेब हमें है रहमत-ए मुनज्जी का आस्रा
दोज़ख़ के गरचे काम किये हैं शबाब में
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. sv bhajan taalib shaahabaadi (1924-xxxx) MA, MOL, PhD. PhD from tehraan university, research on chishtia order. Served as pastor in lukhnau, dehli and hyderabad. Grandfather had converted to Christianity. Worked in hyderabad for many years d running the Henry Martyn Institute of Islamic Studies and translating the Bible into urdu. Family origins in multan, sialkoT and lahore. This Ghazal is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam under saaqi ne kuchh mila na diya ho sharaab meN.
1
dil ko sukooN1 mila hai dua kay javaab2 meN
varna3 guzarti umr baRay izteraab4 meN 1.peace 2.answer 3.otherwise 4.restlessness, agitation
My heart is at peace in answer to my prayers, otherwise life would have been spent in great agitation.
2
Khoon-e maseeh1 Daal kay jaam2-e sharaab meN
peetay haiN sar jhuka kay shab3-e mahtaab4 meN 1.healer, Jesus 2.cup 3.night of 4.full moon
Conventional wine lovers like to celebrate the full moon by drinking wine. In this case a devout Christian … pouring the blood of Christ in a cup of wine, I drink with head bowed in respect/prayer, on full moon nights. In the second misra the only reason to use ‘shab-e maahtaab’ is for the qaafiya, otherwise there is no significant relationship between the two misra, which makes it a weak she’r.
3
imshab1 hua hai shakl2-e masiiha3 meN jalva-gar4
vo noor5 jo azal6 se chhupa tha hijaab7 meN 1.this night 2.form, shape, face 3.healer, Jesus 4.glory manifesting 5.light 6.eternity, beginning 7.veil
This has reference either to the birth or the resurrection of Jesus. Tonight it shows its glory in the form of Jesus … the eternal light that has been behind a veil since eternity.
4
utra kalaam1 ho kay mujassam2 zameen par
tareeKh3, raNg bharnay teray inqelaab4 meN 1.word 2.embodied, personified 3.history 4.revolution, change
This implies that the poet believes that there was a revolutionary change in history with the birth of Christ. O history, he descended on earth as the word (of god) in the person of Christ, to add colour to the picture of your revolution.
5
rahmat1 ne un ko Khoon-e masiiha2 se dho diya
meri Khataa’en3 aa na sakiiN jab hisaab4 meN 1.divine benevolence 2.healer, Christ 3.sins 4.reckoning
This is an expression of the Christian belief that Christ died for the sins of humanity. Divine benevolence washed away with the blood of Christ, my sins that could not be enumerated.
6
duniya meN go ilaahi1 navishte2 haiN be-shumaar3
injeel4-e paak5 aayi meray intekhaab6 meN 1.god 2.writings, books 3.numerous, countless 4.Bible 5.pure, sacred 6.selection, choice
O god, though there are countless books, it was the holy Bible that I chose.
7
dars1-e vafa2 ka daar3 se aaGhaaz4 ho gaya
ahl5-e jafa6 haiN aaj baRay pech-o-taab7 meN 1.lesson 2.faith 3.hanging platform, cross 4.beginning 5.people of 6.cruelty 7.confusion
The perpetrators of cruely are perplexed because the lesson of faith (in god) started from the cross i.e., Christ taught his followers even from the cross.
8
taalib1 hameN hai rahmat2-e munajji3 ka aasra4
dozaKh5 kay garche6 kaam kiye haiN shabaab7 meN 1.pen-name of the poet 2.benevolence 3.redeemer, saviour 4.support 5.hell 6.even though 7.youth
O taalib, we have the benevolence of the saviour, even though we committed acts deserving of hell during our youth.
sv bhajan taalib shaahabaadi (1924-xxxx) MA, MOL, PhD. PhD from tehraan university, research on chishtia order. Served as pastor in lukhnau, dehli and hyderabad. Grandfather had converted to Christianity. Worked in hyderabad for many years d running the Henry Martyn Institute of Islamic Studies and translating the Bible into urdu. Family origins in multan, sialkoT and lahore. This Ghazal is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam under saaqi ne kuchh mila na diya ho sharaab meN.
1
dil ko sukooN1 mila hai dua kay javaab2 meN
varna3 guzarti umr baRay izteraab4 meN
1.peace 2.answer 3.otherwise 4.restlessness, agitation
My heart is at peace in answer to my prayers, otherwise life would have been spent in great agitation.
2
Khoon-e maseeh1 Daal kay jaam2-e sharaab meN
peetay haiN sar jhuka kay shab3-e mahtaab4 meN
1.healer, Jesus 2.cup 3.night of 4.full moon
Conventional wine lovers like to celebrate the full moon by drinking wine. In this case a devout Christian … pouring the blood of Christ in a cup of wine, I drink with head bowed in respect/prayer, on full moon nights. In the second misra the only reason to use ‘shab-e maahtaab’ is for the qaafiya, otherwise there is no significant relationship between the two misra, which makes it a weak she’r.
3
imshab1 hua hai shakl2-e masiiha3 meN jalva-gar4
vo noor5 jo azal6 se chhupa tha hijaab7 meN
1.this night 2.form, shape, face 3.healer, Jesus 4.glory manifesting 5.light 6.eternity, beginning 7.veil
This has reference either to the birth or the resurrection of Jesus. Tonight it shows its glory in the form of Jesus … the eternal light that has been behind a veil since eternity.
4
utra kalaam1 ho kay mujassam2 zameen par
tareeKh3, raNg bharnay teray inqelaab4 meN
1.word 2.embodied, personified 3.history 4.revolution, change
This implies that the poet believes that there was a revolutionary change in history with the birth of Christ. O history, he descended on earth as the word (of god) in the person of Christ, to add colour to the picture of your revolution.
5
rahmat1 ne un ko Khoon-e masiiha2 se dho diya
meri Khataa’en3 aa na sakiiN jab hisaab4 meN
1.divine benevolence 2.healer, Christ 3.sins 4.reckoning
This is an expression of the Christian belief that Christ died for the sins of humanity. Divine benevolence washed away with the blood of Christ, my sins that could not be enumerated.
6
duniya meN go ilaahi1 navishte2 haiN be-shumaar3
injeel4-e paak5 aayi meray intekhaab6 meN
1.god 2.writings, books 3.numerous, countless 4.Bible 5.pure, sacred 6.selection, choice
O god, though there are countless books, it was the holy Bible that I chose.
7
dars1-e vafa2 ka daar3 se aaGhaaz4 ho gaya
ahl5-e jafa6 haiN aaj baRay pech-o-taab7 meN
1.lesson 2.faith 3.hanging platform, cross 4.beginning 5.people of 6.cruelty 7.confusion
The perpetrators of cruely are perplexed because the lesson of faith (in god) started from the cross i.e., Christ taught his followers even from the cross.
8
taalib1 hameN hai rahmat2-e munajji3 ka aasra4
dozaKh5 kay garche6 kaam kiye haiN shabaab7 meN
1.pen-name of the poet 2.benevolence 3.redeemer, saviour 4.support 5.hell 6.even though 7.youth
O taalib, we have the benevolence of the saviour, even though we committed acts deserving of hell during our youth.
