For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
بُتوں کا آستاں کیوں ہو ۔ پنڈت جگموہن رائینا شوقؔ
۱
لبِ فریاد وا کیوں ہو سرِ شور و فغاں کیوں ہو
زمیں پر حشر قبل از وقت زیرِ آسماں کیوں ہو
۲
کسی پر ہمنفس اظہارِ سوزِ جاں ستاں کیوں ہو
صدائے دردِ دل نکلے تو ہمرنگِ فغاں کیوں ہو
۳
اسی پر جب نیازِ بندگی کا حصر ٹھرا ہے
نہ میرے سجدۂ سر کو بُتوں کا آستاں کیوں ہو
۴
بنے گا کون خِضرِ راہ پھر صحرا نوردوں میں
ہمارا پائے وحشت زیرِ زنجیرِ گراں کیوں ہو
۵
تجھے معلوم ہو جائے جو حدّ جَورِ بے پایاں
زمیں سے تا فلک یہ شورِ الاماں کیوں ہو
۶
چھپی باتوں سے سوزِ عشق کی ہے دردِ دل واقف
پھر اس محرم کے ہوتے دشمنِ جاں رازداں کیوں ہو
बुतों का आस्तां क्यों हो – पंडित जगमोहन राएना शौक़
१
लब-ए फ़र्याद वा क्यूं हो, सर-ए शोर-ओ-फ़ुगाँ क्यूं हो
ज़मीं पर हश्र क़ब्ल-अज़-वक़्त ज़ेर-ए आसमाँ क्यूं हो
२
किसी पर हम-नफ़स इज़्हार-ए सोज़-ए जाँ सितां क्यूं हो
सदा-ए दर्द-ए दिल निकले तो हमरंग-ए फ़ुग़ां क्यूं हो
३
इसी पर जब नियाज़-ए बन्दगी का हसर ठहरा है
न मेरे सज्दा-ए सर को बुतों का आस्तां क्यूं हो
४
बनेगा कौन ख़िज़्र-ए राह फिर सहरा-नवरदों में
हमारा पा-ए वहशत ज़ेर-ए ज़ंजीरे गिरां क्यूं हो
५
तुझे मालूम हो जाए जो हद्द-ए जौर-ए बे पायां
ज़मीं से ता फ़लक ये शोर-ए अल-अमां क्यूं हो
६
छुपी बातों से सोज़-ए इश्क़ की है दर्द-ए दिल वाक़िफ़
फिर इस महरम के होते दुशमन-ए जाँ राज़्दां क्यूं हो
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. panDit jagmohan raina shauq (1863-1946?). He served as deputy collector in a district including agra. His ustaad was amir minaaii. He retired in 1920 and lived in allahabad. This Ghazal is one of two Ghazal, both of raina shauq, modeled after Ghalib’s ‘to phir muNh meN zabaaN kyuN ho’. Both Ghazal are linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
lab1-e faryaad2 vaa3 kyuN ho, sar4-e shor-o-fuGaaN5 kyuN ho
zamiiN par hashr6 qabl-az-vaqt7 zer-e-aasmaaN8 kyuN ho 1.lips 2.appeal, protest 3.open 4.head, source 5.crying and wailing 6.doomsday, judgment day, tumult 7.before its time 8.under the sky
Why should one have to open their mouth to appeal and protest, why should the mouth be the source of crying and wailing. Why should there be doomsday like tumult on earth, before its time, under this sky. The implication is that such things should not happen, but they do only because the beloved is so cruel.
2
kisi par ham-nafas1 izhaar2-e soz3-e jaaN-sitaaN4 kyuN ho
sadaa5-e dard6-e dil nikle to hamraNg7-e fuGhaaN8 kyuN ho 1.friend 2.revealing, showing 3.fire, pain, sorrow 4.life-sapping 5.sound, cry 6.pain 7.same character 8.sorrowful wailing
O my friend, why should one have to reveal their life sapping sorrow i.e., in spite of every effort to keep it hidden, it becomes so strong that it gets revealed. Why should this be? Why should every cry that emanates from the heart be like sorrowful wailing. The implication is that this is because of excessive cruelty of the beloved.
3
isi par jab niyaaz1-e bandagi2 ka hasar3 Thahra4 hai
na mere sajda5-e sar ko butoN6 ka aastaaN7 kyuN ho 1.offering 2.devotion 3.count 4.depends on 5.prostration 6.idols, beloved 7.threshold
When devotional offering depends on/is counted by the number of prostrations that you perform, then why should I not have access to the threshold of the beloved i.e., why should the door-keeper drive me away.
4
banega kaun Khizr-e-raah1 phir sahra-navardoN2 meN
hamaara paa3-e vahshat4 zer-e-zanjiir5-e garaaN6 kyuN ho 1.guide along the path 2.desert wanderers 3.step, leg 4.madness, passion 5.under the chain 6.heavy
Khizr is a legendary figure who has eternal life. He travels a lot and knows all the ways and byways. He is the patron saint of travelers and their guide. Lovers wander the desert (sahra-navard) just like majnuN in search of his laila. Who will now be the guide of these desert-wanderers. Why should my own ‘mad leg’ i.e., desert-wandering mad passion, be under the burden of heavy chains. I cannot be the guide, who will step forward now.
5
tujhe ma’aloom1 ho jaaye jo hadd2-e jaur3-e be-paayaaN4
zamiiN se taa5 falak6 ye shor7-e al-amaaN8 kyuN ho 1.know, learn 2.limits of 3.cruelty, oppression 4.unlimited 5.until 6.skies 7.cry 8.peace, protection, god help me
If you (the beloved) learn the limits of your hitherto unlimited cruely to your lovers, then why would there be the cry of ‘god protect me’ going from the earth to the sky?
6
chhupi baatoN se soz1-e ishq ki hai dard-e dil vaaqif2
phir is mahram3 ke hote dushman-e-jaaN4 razdaaaN5 kyuN ho 1.fire, passion, pain sorrow 2.familiar, knowledgeable 3.intimate, close friend 4.enemy of life, blood-thirsty 5.secret-sharer, confidant
The pain of the heart is familiar with the hidden affairs of the passion of love. Thus, ‘pain of the heart’ is his intimate friend – confidant. Now that he has this ‘mahram’ – intimate friend, why does he need another confidant – a raazdaaN because the raazdaaN might turn out to be a raqeeb – a dushman-e jaaN as in Ghalib’s …
zikr us parivash ka aur phir bayaaN apna
ban gaya raqeeb aaKhir thaa jo raazdaaN apna
panDit jagmohan raina shauq (1863-1946?). He served as deputy collector in a district including agra. His ustaad was amir minaaii. He retired in 1920 and lived in allahabad. This Ghazal is one of two Ghazal, both of raina shauq, modeled after Ghalib’s ‘to phir muNh meN zabaaN kyuN ho’. Both Ghazal are linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
lab1-e faryaad2 vaa3 kyuN ho, sar4-e shor-o-fuGaaN5 kyuN ho
zamiiN par hashr6 qabl-az-vaqt7 zer-e-aasmaaN8 kyuN ho
1.lips 2.appeal, protest 3.open 4.head, source 5.crying and wailing 6.doomsday, judgment day, tumult 7.before its time 8.under the sky
Why should one have to open their mouth to appeal and protest, why should the mouth be the source of crying and wailing. Why should there be doomsday like tumult on earth, before its time, under this sky. The implication is that such things should not happen, but they do only because the beloved is so cruel.
2
kisi par ham-nafas1 izhaar2-e soz3-e jaaN-sitaaN4 kyuN ho
sadaa5-e dard6-e dil nikle to hamraNg7-e fuGhaaN8 kyuN ho
1.friend 2.revealing, showing 3.fire, pain, sorrow 4.life-sapping 5.sound, cry 6.pain 7.same character 8.sorrowful wailing
O my friend, why should one have to reveal their life sapping sorrow i.e., in spite of every effort to keep it hidden, it becomes so strong that it gets revealed. Why should this be? Why should every cry that emanates from the heart be like sorrowful wailing. The implication is that this is because of excessive cruelty of the beloved.
3
isi par jab niyaaz1-e bandagi2 ka hasar3 Thahra4 hai
na mere sajda5-e sar ko butoN6 ka aastaaN7 kyuN ho
1.offering 2.devotion 3.count 4.depends on 5.prostration 6.idols, beloved 7.threshold
When devotional offering depends on/is counted by the number of prostrations that you perform, then why should I not have access to the threshold of the beloved i.e., why should the door-keeper drive me away.
4
banega kaun Khizr-e-raah1 phir sahra-navardoN2 meN
hamaara paa3-e vahshat4 zer-e-zanjiir5-e garaaN6 kyuN ho
1.guide along the path 2.desert wanderers 3.step, leg 4.madness, passion 5.under the chain 6.heavy
Khizr is a legendary figure who has eternal life. He travels a lot and knows all the ways and byways. He is the patron saint of travelers and their guide. Lovers wander the desert (sahra-navard) just like majnuN in search of his laila. Who will now be the guide of these desert-wanderers. Why should my own ‘mad leg’ i.e., desert-wandering mad passion, be under the burden of heavy chains. I cannot be the guide, who will step forward now.
5
tujhe ma’aloom1 ho jaaye jo hadd2-e jaur3-e be-paayaaN4
zamiiN se taa5 falak6 ye shor7-e al-amaaN8 kyuN ho
1.know, learn 2.limits of 3.cruelty, oppression 4.unlimited 5.until 6.skies 7.cry 8.peace, protection, god help me
If you (the beloved) learn the limits of your hitherto unlimited cruely to your lovers, then why would there be the cry of ‘god protect me’ going from the earth to the sky?
6
chhupi baatoN se soz1-e ishq ki hai dard-e dil vaaqif2
phir is mahram3 ke hote dushman-e-jaaN4 razdaaaN5 kyuN ho
1.fire, passion, pain sorrow 2.familiar, knowledgeable 3.intimate, close friend 4.enemy of life, blood-thirsty 5.secret-sharer, confidant
The pain of the heart is familiar with the hidden affairs of the passion of love. Thus, ‘pain of the heart’ is his intimate friend – confidant. Now that he has this ‘mahram’ – intimate friend, why does he need another confidant – a raazdaaN because the raazdaaN might turn out to be a raqeeb – a dushman-e jaaN as in Ghalib’s …
zikr us parivash ka aur phir bayaaN apna
ban gaya raqeeb aaKhir thaa jo raazdaaN apna
