For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
بکھرے ہوئے گیسو بھی دیکھ ۔ جوشؔ ملیح آبادی
ا
پا چکا طاعت کی لذّت درد کے پہلو بھی دیکھ
شیخ! محراب سے باہر خمِ ابرو بھی دیکھ
۲
کافرِ نعمت! ادا کر کچھ تو حقِ چشم و گوش
نغمۂ مطرب بھی سُن، حُسنِ رخِ نیکو بھی دیکھ
۳
تا کجا طمبورۂ یزداں فریبِ خانقاہ
آ کسی دن میکدے کا رقصِ ہا ؤ ہُو بھی دیکھ
۴
سر جھکانے کو ہی سمجھا ہے مآلِ زندگی
جن سے دل جھکتا ہے حق جوئی کے وہ پہلو بھی دیکھ
۵
چونک! او دیوانۂ گُل گشتِ حورانِ بہشت
دو گھڑی میداں میں آ کر رمِ آہو بھی دیکھ
۶
ضربتِ تیغِ مجاہد کے ثنا خوانِ قدیم
بے سُتُوں پر کوہ کن کی قُوّتِ بازو بھی دیکھ
۷
فرشِ مسجد سے اُٹھا بھی خاک آلودہ جبیں
رکھ کے زیرِ سر کسی معشوق کا زانو بھی دیکھ
۸
عشقِ مولا کے لیے ہے عشقِ انساں نا گزیر
سازِ بے رنگی کے طالب! سوزِ رنگ و بُو بھی دیکھ
۹
گیسوئے طاعت میں پیدا کر خمِ سوز و گداز
دانۂ تسبیح پر بہتے ہوئے آنسو بھی دیکھ
۱۰
اے ہلالِ عید کی رویت کے مشتاقِ کہن
خنجرِ بُرّاں کو شرماتے ہوئے ابرو بھی دیکھ
۱۱
موشگافی تا کجا واللیل کی تفسیر میں
مہ وشوں کے دوش پر بکھرے ہوئے گیسو بھی دیکھ
۱۲
سحرِ اوراد و وظائف ہاں مُسَلَّم ہے مگر
نرگسِ مستانہ کا چلتا ہوا جادو بھی دیکھ
۱۳
حسن ذرّوں سے اُبلتا ہے کبھی تو جام اُٹھا
دیکھتی ہیں جوشؔ کی آنکھیں جو عالم تو بھی دیکھ
बिख्रे हुए गेसू भी देख – जोश मलीहाबादी
१
पा चुका ता’अत की लज़्ज़त दर्द के पहलू भी देख
शेख़! मेहराब से बाहर ख़म-ए अब्रू भी देख
२
काफ़ेर-ए ने’मत! अदा कर कुछ तो हक़्क़-ए चश्म ओ गोश
नग़्मा-ए मुत्रिब भी सुन, हुस्न-ए रुख़-ए नेको भी देख
३
ता कुजा तम्बूरा-ए यज़्दां फ़रेब-ए ख़ानक़ाह
आ किसी दिन मैकदे का रक़्स-ए हा-ओ-हू भी देख
४
सर झुकाने को ही समझा है म’आल-ए ज़िन्दगी
जिन से दिल झुकता है हक़-जूई के वो पहलू भी देख
५
चौंक! ओ दीवाना-ए गुल गश्त-ए हूरान-ए बेहिश्त
दो घढी मैदान में आ कर रम-ए आहू भी देख
६
ज़र्बत-ए तेग़-ए मुजाहिद के सना-ख़्वान-ए क़दीम
बेसुतूं पर कोहकन की क़ुव्वत-ए बाज़ू भी देख
७
फ़र्श-ए मस्जिद से उठा भी ख़ाक-आलूदा जबीं
रख के ज़ेर-ए सर किसी मा’शूक़ का ज़ानू भी देख
८
इश्क़-ए मौला के लिये है इश्क़-ए इंसां ना-गुज़ेर
साज़-ए बे रंगी के तालेब! सोज़-ए रंग-ओ-बू भी देख
९
गेसू-ए ता’अत में पैदा कर ख़म-ए सोज़ ओ गुदाज़
दाना-ए तसब्बीह पर बहते हुए आंसू भी देख
१०
अए हिलाल-ए ईद की रूयत के मुश्ताक़-ए कोहन
ख़ंजर-ए बुर्रां को शर्माते हुए अब्रू भी देख
११
मूशिगाफ़ी ता-कुजा वल-लैल की तफ़्सीर में
महवशों के दोश पर बिख्रे हुए गेसू भी देख
१२
सहर-ए औराद ओ वज़ा’एफ़ हां मुसल्लम है मगर
नर्गिस-ए मस्ताना का चलता हुआ जादू भी देख
१३
हुस्न ज़र्रों से उबलता है कभी तो जाम उठा
देखती हैं जोश की आंखें जो आलम तू भी देख
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. In this nazm/Ghazal he sarcastically makes fun of orthodoxy and invites the shaiKh to come out of the ivory tower and experience and pain and pleasure of the real world.
1
paa chuka taa’at1 ki lazzat2 dard ke pahlu3 bhi dekh
shaiKh! mehraab4 se baahir Kham5-e abruu6 bhi dekh 1.obedience, namaaz-prayer 2.pleasure 3.facets, angles 4.prayer nook/arch 5.curve 6.eyebrows
In urdu poetic tradition, the arch of the beloved’s eyebrows is favourably compared with the arch of the mehraab – the central prayer niche in a mosque. O shaiKh, you have derived enough pleasure out of ritual namaaz/prayer. Now come out into the real world and look at the many facets of pain that people undergo. Come out of your prayer niche and enjoy the beauty of the arch of the beloved’s eyebrows.
2
kaafir1-e ne’mat2! ada3 kar kuch to haqq4-e chashm-o-gosh5
naGhma6-e mutrib7 bhi sun, husn8-e ruKh9-e neko10 bhi dekh 1.denier 2.blessing 3.pay 4.rights, dues 5.eyes and ears 6.song 7.singer 8.beauty 9.face 10.beautiful, elegant
Sight and hearing are also a blessing. Not using them fully is like denying this divine blessing and not paying the debt that is due to eyes and ears. The shaiKh, who shuns music, and would not look at a beautiful woman, is invited to listen to the song of the mutrib and see/enjoy the beauty of the beloved.
3
taa-kuja1 tambura2-e yazdaaN3 fareb4-e Khaanqah5
aa kisi din maikade6 ka raqs7-e haa-o-huu8 bhi dekh 1.how long 2.drone (musical) 3.god 4.(self) deception 5.sufi/darvesh monastery/retreat 6.tavern 7.dance 8.celebration and acclaim
How long will you keep droning about god. How long will you deceive yourselves with retreating into the monastery and dance of trance. Some day, come to the tavern and look at the celebratory dance and acclaim of the revelers.
4
sar jhukaane1 ko hi samjha hai m’aal2-e zindagi
jin se dil jhukta hai haq-juui3 ke wo pahlu4 bhi dekh 1.bowing down 2.net result, here it means ‘essence’ 3.search for truth 4.facets, angles
You think that the essence of life is bowing your head down in devotion. Come look at the facets of the search for truth that make the heart bow down. This could be the facets of the trials and tribulations of life, the facet of unrequited love or something else.
5
chauNk1! o divaana-e gul-gasht2-e hooraan3-e behisht4
do ghaRi5 maidaan6 meN aa kar ram7-e aahu8 bhi dekh 1.wake up 2.saunter/walk in the garden 3.virgin, fairy, nymph 4.heaven 5.moments 6.open field 7.leaping/running 8.deer
‘ram-e aahu’ the leaping/running of a startled deer is considered very graceful. Take a few minutes, come out in the open (in the real world) and enjoy the graceful leap of a deer instead of being stuck on the imagined beauty of angels in heaven.
6
zarbat1-e teGh2-e mujaahid3 ke sana-Khwaan4-e qadiim5
be-sutuuN6 par kohkan7 ki quvvat8-e baazu9 bhi dekh 1.strike 2.sword 3.warrior 4.admirer, praise-singer 5.long time, ancient 6.name of a mountain in iran 7.stone mason, another name of farhaad 8.power 9.arm
This uses the background of the legend of shiriiN-farhaad. The two are said to have fallen in love with each other and farhaad pestered the king (shiriin’s husband) to divorce her and let him marry her. Tired of his pestering the king set an impossible task as a condition. He asked farhaad to carve a channel through the mountain be-sutuun and make a river flow to the palace. The strength of the arm of farhaad is held up as the ideal of the manifestation of the strength of true love. Thus, the shaiKh, who has for long been singing praises of the warrior’s sword, is invited to see the strength of love.
7
farsh1-e masjid se uTha bhi Khaak-aaluda2 jabiiN3
rakh ke zer4-e sar kisi m’aashuq5 ka zaanu6 bhi dekh 1.floor 2.soiled by dust 3.forehead 4.under 5.beloved 6.lap
Pick your dust-laden forehead off the floor of the mosque and place it in the lap of the beloved and see.
8
ishq-e maula1 ke liye hai ishq-e insaaN na-guziir2
saaz3-e be-raNgi ke taalib4! soz5-e raNg-o-buu6 bhi dekh 1.lord 2.inescapable, unavoidable 3.musical instrument, harmony 4.demander, seeker 5.passion, fire, pain 6.colour and fragrance, senses – touch and feel
It is impossible to separate love of the divine from love of humanity. You, who seek colourless/bland harmony, try and experience the pain of the love of the real world. Thus, the ritual love of the divine is characterized as bland/meaningless without love of humanity.
9
gesu1-e taa’at2 meN paida3 kar Kham4-e soz-o-gudaaz5
daana6-e tasbiih7 par bahte8 hue aaNsu9 bhi dekh 1.hair 2.ritual prayer 3.cause to be born, create, make 4.curls 5.burning and melting, passion and pain 6.bead 7.rosary, prayer beads 8.flowing, dripping 9.tears
Ritual prayer is personified as a damsel with long hair. The poet invites the shaiKh to create some curls in the hair of ritual prayer, where these are the curls of real world pain and suffering. Thus, ritual prayer is bland, isolated in the ivory tower, but the pain and passion are real world. Real world tears flow on the beads of the rosary. It is more important to consider the meaning of those tears than the ritual of repeating chants on rosary beads.
10
aye hilaal1-e eid ki ruuyat2 ke mushtaaq3-e kohan4
Khanjar5-e burraaN6 ko sharmaate7 hue abruu8 bhi dekh 1.crescent moon 2.sighting 3.seeker, desirous of 4.ancient, long time 5.dagger 6.shining, sharp 7.put to shame 8.eyebrow
The arched eyebrow of the beloved is considered more beautiful and brighter than a shining dagger. The arch of the eyebrow puts a dagger to shame. Thus, O shaiKh, you always seek to see the crescent moon. Sometime, look at the beauty of the eyebrow that can put it to shame.
11
muu-shigaafi1 taa-kuja2 val-lail3 ki tafsiir4 meN
mah-vashoN5 ke dosh6 par bikhre hu’e gesu7 bhi dekh 1.hair splitting 2.how long 3.fragment of phrase of the qur’aan here representing all orthodox edicts 4.commentary 5.moon-faced 6.shoulders 7.hair
The shaiKh is characterized as splitting hair, sermonizing about meaningless wordsmithing of orthodox edicts. He is invited instead of splitting those hair to look at the beautiful hair of the beloved spread on her shoulders.
12
sahar1-e auraad-o-vazaaif2 haaN musallam3 hai magar4
nargis5-e mastaana6 ka chalta hua jaadu bhi dekh 1.magic 2.chants and prayers 3.accepted, credible 4.but 5.narcissus, analogy of beautiful eyes 6.intoxicating
The magical effect of chants and prayers is accepted and credible but look at the enchatment/magic of the intoxicating eyes of the beloved.
13
husn zarroN1 se ubalta2 hai kabhi to jaam3 uTha
dekhti haiN josh4 ki aaNkheN jo aalam5 tu bhi dekh 1.particles/grains of clay 2.boiling, overflowing 3.cup (of wine) 4.pen-name of the poet 5.condition, scene
I assume that this is a cup of wine made with clay. Every particle/grain of clays oozed beauty, causint it to overflow. Pick up that cup of wine and look at the scene that the eyes of josh can see.
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. In this nazm/Ghazal he sarcastically makes fun of orthodoxy and invites the shaiKh to come out of the ivory tower and experience and pain and pleasure of the real world.
1
paa chuka taa’at1 ki lazzat2 dard ke pahlu3 bhi dekh
shaiKh! mehraab4 se baahir Kham5-e abruu6 bhi dekh
1.obedience, namaaz-prayer 2.pleasure 3.facets, angles 4.prayer nook/arch 5.curve 6.eyebrows
In urdu poetic tradition, the arch of the beloved’s eyebrows is favourably compared with the arch of the mehraab – the central prayer niche in a mosque. O shaiKh, you have derived enough pleasure out of ritual namaaz/prayer. Now come out into the real world and look at the many facets of pain that people undergo. Come out of your prayer niche and enjoy the beauty of the arch of the beloved’s eyebrows.
2
kaafir1-e ne’mat2! ada3 kar kuch to haqq4-e chashm-o-gosh5
naGhma6-e mutrib7 bhi sun, husn8-e ruKh9-e neko10 bhi dekh
1.denier 2.blessing 3.pay 4.rights, dues 5.eyes and ears 6.song 7.singer 8.beauty 9.face 10.beautiful, elegant
Sight and hearing are also a blessing. Not using them fully is like denying this divine blessing and not paying the debt that is due to eyes and ears. The shaiKh, who shuns music, and would not look at a beautiful woman, is invited to listen to the song of the mutrib and see/enjoy the beauty of the beloved.
3
taa-kuja1 tambura2-e yazdaaN3 fareb4-e Khaanqah5
aa kisi din maikade6 ka raqs7-e haa-o-huu8 bhi dekh
1.how long 2.drone (musical) 3.god 4.(self) deception 5.sufi/darvesh monastery/retreat 6.tavern 7.dance 8.celebration and acclaim
How long will you keep droning about god. How long will you deceive yourselves with retreating into the monastery and dance of trance. Some day, come to the tavern and look at the celebratory dance and acclaim of the revelers.
4
sar jhukaane1 ko hi samjha hai m’aal2-e zindagi
jin se dil jhukta hai haq-juui3 ke wo pahlu4 bhi dekh
1.bowing down 2.net result, here it means ‘essence’ 3.search for truth 4.facets, angles
You think that the essence of life is bowing your head down in devotion. Come look at the facets of the search for truth that make the heart bow down. This could be the facets of the trials and tribulations of life, the facet of unrequited love or something else.
5
chauNk1! o divaana-e gul-gasht2-e hooraan3-e behisht4
do ghaRi5 maidaan6 meN aa kar ram7-e aahu8 bhi dekh
1.wake up 2.saunter/walk in the garden 3.virgin, fairy, nymph 4.heaven 5.moments 6.open field 7.leaping/running 8.deer
‘ram-e aahu’ the leaping/running of a startled deer is considered very graceful. Take a few minutes, come out in the open (in the real world) and enjoy the graceful leap of a deer instead of being stuck on the imagined beauty of angels in heaven.
6
zarbat1-e teGh2-e mujaahid3 ke sana-Khwaan4-e qadiim5
be-sutuuN6 par kohkan7 ki quvvat8-e baazu9 bhi dekh
1.strike 2.sword 3.warrior 4.admirer, praise-singer 5.long time, ancient 6.name of a mountain in iran 7.stone mason, another name of farhaad 8.power 9.arm
This uses the background of the legend of shiriiN-farhaad. The two are said to have fallen in love with each other and farhaad pestered the king (shiriin’s husband) to divorce her and let him marry her. Tired of his pestering the king set an impossible task as a condition. He asked farhaad to carve a channel through the mountain be-sutuun and make a river flow to the palace. The strength of the arm of farhaad is held up as the ideal of the manifestation of the strength of true love. Thus, the shaiKh, who has for long been singing praises of the warrior’s sword, is invited to see the strength of love.
7
farsh1-e masjid se uTha bhi Khaak-aaluda2 jabiiN3
rakh ke zer4-e sar kisi m’aashuq5 ka zaanu6 bhi dekh
1.floor 2.soiled by dust 3.forehead 4.under 5.beloved 6.lap
Pick your dust-laden forehead off the floor of the mosque and place it in the lap of the beloved and see.
8
ishq-e maula1 ke liye hai ishq-e insaaN na-guziir2
saaz3-e be-raNgi ke taalib4! soz5-e raNg-o-buu6 bhi dekh
1.lord 2.inescapable, unavoidable 3.musical instrument, harmony 4.demander, seeker 5.passion, fire, pain 6.colour and fragrance, senses – touch and feel
It is impossible to separate love of the divine from love of humanity. You, who seek colourless/bland harmony, try and experience the pain of the love of the real world. Thus, the ritual love of the divine is characterized as bland/meaningless without love of humanity.
9
gesu1-e taa’at2 meN paida3 kar Kham4-e soz-o-gudaaz5
daana6-e tasbiih7 par bahte8 hue aaNsu9 bhi dekh
1.hair 2.ritual prayer 3.cause to be born, create, make 4.curls 5.burning and melting, passion and pain 6.bead 7.rosary, prayer beads 8.flowing, dripping 9.tears
Ritual prayer is personified as a damsel with long hair. The poet invites the shaiKh to create some curls in the hair of ritual prayer, where these are the curls of real world pain and suffering. Thus, ritual prayer is bland, isolated in the ivory tower, but the pain and passion are real world. Real world tears flow on the beads of the rosary. It is more important to consider the meaning of those tears than the ritual of repeating chants on rosary beads.
10
aye hilaal1-e eid ki ruuyat2 ke mushtaaq3-e kohan4
Khanjar5-e burraaN6 ko sharmaate7 hue abruu8 bhi dekh
1.crescent moon 2.sighting 3.seeker, desirous of 4.ancient, long time 5.dagger 6.shining, sharp 7.put to shame 8.eyebrow
The arched eyebrow of the beloved is considered more beautiful and brighter than a shining dagger. The arch of the eyebrow puts a dagger to shame. Thus, O shaiKh, you always seek to see the crescent moon. Sometime, look at the beauty of the eyebrow that can put it to shame.
11
muu-shigaafi1 taa-kuja2 val-lail3 ki tafsiir4 meN
mah-vashoN5 ke dosh6 par bikhre hu’e gesu7 bhi dekh
1.hair splitting 2.how long 3.fragment of phrase of the qur’aan here representing all orthodox edicts 4.commentary 5.moon-faced 6.shoulders 7.hair
The shaiKh is characterized as splitting hair, sermonizing about meaningless wordsmithing of orthodox edicts. He is invited instead of splitting those hair to look at the beautiful hair of the beloved spread on her shoulders.
12
sahar1-e auraad-o-vazaaif2 haaN musallam3 hai magar4
nargis5-e mastaana6 ka chalta hua jaadu bhi dekh
1.magic 2.chants and prayers 3.accepted, credible 4.but 5.narcissus, analogy of beautiful eyes 6.intoxicating
The magical effect of chants and prayers is accepted and credible but look at the enchatment/magic of the intoxicating eyes of the beloved.
13
husn zarroN1 se ubalta2 hai kabhi to jaam3 uTha
dekhti haiN josh4 ki aaNkheN jo aalam5 tu bhi dekh
1.particles/grains of clay 2.boiling, overflowing 3.cup (of wine) 4.pen-name of the poet 5.condition, scene
I assume that this is a cup of wine made with clay. Every particle/grain of clays oozed beauty, causint it to overflow. Pick up that cup of wine and look at the scene that the eyes of josh can see.
