For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
دعوتِ اِلحاد ابھی ۔ اقبال احمد سہیلؔ
۱
مجھ سے پوچھو نہ مزاجِ دلِ برباد ابھی
میرے نغموں میں ہے کچھ تلخیِ فریاد ابھی
۲
ہے عنادل کو وہی درسِ کہن یاد ابھی
کہیں بیٹھا تو نہیں گھات میں صیّاد ابھی
۳
خود کہیں کی نہ رہی توڑ کے شیرازۂ گل
اور کیا چاہتی ہے نکہتِ برباد ابھی
۴
فرشِ خاکی پہ گرا کُنگُرۂ عرش سے دل
اُس کی قسمت میں ہے کچھ اور بھی اُفتاد ابھی
۵
بجلیاں آئیں جو باہر سے وہ رخصت بھی ہوئیں
شعلہ افگن ہے مگر برقِ چمن زاد ابھی
۶
لُوٹئیے خاک اِس آزادیِ گلشن کی بہار
ہے ہمارے لئے یہ جنّتِ شدّاد ابھی
۷
ابھی کچھ اور ذرا کشمکشِ دیر و حرم
کہ بہت عام نہیں دعوتِ اِلحاد ابھی
۸
نخوتِ حسن کے ماتھے پہ شکن دوڑ گئی
عشق نے وا نہ کئے تھے لبِ فریاد ابھی
۹
فکرِ تعمیرِ نشیمن ہو یہاں کس کو سہیلؔ
ہوش گم کردہ ہیں مرغانِ نو آزاد ابھی
दा’वत-ए इल्हाद अभी-एक़्बाल अहमद सोहैल
१
मुझ से पूछो न मिज़ाज-ए दिल-ए बरबाद अभी
मेरे नग़्मौं में है कुछ तल्ख़ी-ए फ़र्याद अभी
२
है अनादिल को वही दर्स-ए कोहन याद अभी
कहीं बैठा तो नहीं घात में सय्याद अभी
३
ख़ुद कहीं कि न रही तोढ के शीराज़ा-ए गुल
और क्या चाहती है निक्हत-ए बरबाद अभी
४
फ़र्श-ए ख़ाकी पे गिरा कुंगुरा-ए अर्श से दिल
उस की क़िस्मत में है कुछ और भी उफ़्ताद अभी
५
बिज्लियां आईं जो बाहर से वो रुख़्सत भी हुईं
शो’ला अफ़्गन है मगर बर्क़-ए चमन-ज़ाद अभी
६
लूटिये ख़ाक इस आज़ादि-ए गुल्शन कि बहार
है हमारे लिये ये जन्नत-ए शद्दाद अभी
७
अभी कुछ और ज़रा कशमकश-ए दैर ओ हरम
के बहुत आ’म नहीं दावत-ए इल्हाद अभी
८
नख़्वत-ए हुस्न के माथे पे शीकन दौढ़ गई
इश्क़ ने वा न किये थे लब-ए फ़र्याद अभी
९
फ़िक्र-ए ता’मीर-ए नशेमन हो यहां किस को सोहैल
होश गुम-कर्दा हैं मुर्ग़ान-ए नौ-आज़ाद अभी
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. iqbal ahmed sohail (1884-1955), aazamgaRh, UP, freedom fighter, legislator and poet. His early education was traditional – learning faarsi and arabi from a tutor. He then joined a college to complete a BA and LLB. Later, when he started composing, he became a shaagird of shibli n’omaani, in 1898. He practiced law in aligaRh and was active in the freedom movement. This nazm, observing all the rules of a Ghazal is a poignant expression of extreme disappointment and distress at the continued communal discord in the country in 1948.
1
mujh se poochho na mizaaj1-e dil-e barbaad2 abhi
mere naGhmoN3 meN hai kuchh talKhi4-e faryaad5 abhi 1.condition, well-being 2.destroyed, broken 3.songs, Ghazal 4.bitterness 5.protest
Reading between the lines, it appears that the poet (or poets) is (are) being asked to write new Ghazal. Don’t ask me about the condition of my broken heart. There still lingers the bitterness of protest in my song/Ghazal i.e., don’t expect me to be able to write pleasant, happy songs.
2
hai anaadil1 ko vahi dars2-e kohan3 yaad abhi
kahiiN baiTha to nahiN ghaat4 meN sayyaad5 abhi 1.plural of andaleeb, bulbul, nightingale 2.lesson 3.old 4.ambush, snare 5.bird catcher
The bulbul is often used as an analogy for the singer/Ghazal writer/poet. They have been caught before by the birdcatcher and still remember the old lesson. They are fearful that the birdcatcher might be waiting to ambush them. This could be a reference to having been jailed in the past for protesting against government policies.
3
Khud kahiiN ki na rahi toR ke shiiraaza1-e gul2
aur kya chaahti hai nik’hat3-e barbaad4 abhi 1.binding, holding together, glue 2.rose 3.fragrance 4.destroyed, broken
This is a beautiful expression of a rose blooming, fragrance spreading and petals falling off. ‘shiiraaza-bandi’ is usually used for book-binding but here it is used for rose petals being held together. After fragrance spread, the rose lost its ‘binding’ of petals. What more do you want, O fragrance. Thus the desire for independence spread like fragrance. But once the fragrance spread, the petals fell apart … the communities did not hold together.
4
farsh1-e Khaaki2 pe gira kuNgura3-e arsh4 se dil
us ki qismat meN hai kuchh aur bhi uftaad5 abhi 1.floor 2.clay, earth 3.ornamental plume 4.sky 5.falling
The heart crashed from the ornamental heights of the sky to the floor of the earth. It is its fate to fall even further. The falling heart could be an analogy for losing hope. High hopes associated with the independence movement came crashing down.
5
bijliaaN1 aaiiN jo baahir se vo ruKhsat2 bhi huiiN
sho’la-afgan3 hai magar4 barq5-e chaman-zaad6 abhi 1.lightning 2.depart 3.flame throwing 4.but 5.lightning 6.born of the garden
Foreign lightning strikes have departed … i.e., the British colonizers have left. But lightning born and grown locally in the garden is still throwing flames, setting fires. Colonial power has departed but locally grown communal hatred is setting fires.
6
looTiye1 Khaak2 is aazaadi-e gulshan3 ki bahaar1
hai hamaare liye ye jannat4-e shaddaad5 abhi 1.bahaar looTna is an expression meaning enjoying the bountiful spring 2.kya Khaak looTeNge is an expression meaning how can you possibly be able to do this 3.garden 4.heaven 5.legendary despotic king who claimed divinity
There is supposed to be spring in the garden and you are supposed to be able to enjoy its bounties. But how can you possibly do this with the garden for us like ‘jannat-e shaddaad’. ‘shaddaad’ is reputed to have been an ancient despotic ruler who claimed that he was god. He got a city constructed and settled and declared that it was heaven and he had divine rule over it. The city burnt down and everyone in it died. The poet compares the state of the country to this imaginary heaven that is burning down.
7
abhi kuchh aur zara kashmakash1-e dair2 o haram3
keh bahut aa’m4 nahiN daa’vat5-e ilhaad6 abhi 1.struggle, rivalry 2.temple 3.mosque 4.common, popular 5.invitation 6.atheism, secularism
The rivalry between temple and mosque continues, because the invitation to secularism is not yet popular.
8
naKhwat1-e husn2 ke maathe3 pe shikan4 dauR5 gaii
ishq ne vaa6 na kiye the lab7-e faryaad8 abhi 1.arrogance, hubris 2.beauty 3.forehead, brow 4.wrinkle 5.run across 6.open 7.lips 8.appeal
A furrow/wrinkle (of anger) runs across the brow of arrogant beauty. (Universal) love has not had a chance to open its lips to make an appeal yet i.e., even befor communal harmony could appeal to everyone and take hold, anger and hatred are spreading.
9
fikr1-e taa’miir2-e nasheman3 ho yahaaN kis ko sohail4
hosh5 gum-karda6 haiN murGhaan7-e nau-aazaad8 abhi 1.concerned, think about 2.constructing, building 3.nest, home 4.pen-name of the poet 5.senses 6.having lost 7.birds 8.newly free
O sohail, newly free birds of the garden have lost their senses. Who can even think about building a nest here.
iqbal ahmed sohail (1884-1955), aazamgaRh, UP, freedom fighter, legislator and poet. His early education was traditional – learning faarsi and arabi from a tutor. He then joined a college to complete a BA and LLB. Later, when he started composing, he became a shaagird of shibli n’omaani, in 1898. He practiced law in aligaRh and was active in the freedom movement. This nazm, observing all the rules of a Ghazal is a poignant expression of extreme disappointment and distress at the continued communal discord in the country in 1948.
1
mujh se poochho na mizaaj1-e dil-e barbaad2 abhi
mere naGhmoN3 meN hai kuchh talKhi4-e faryaad5 abhi
1.condition, well-being 2.destroyed, broken 3.songs, Ghazal 4.bitterness 5.protest
Reading between the lines, it appears that the poet (or poets) is (are) being asked to write new Ghazal. Don’t ask me about the condition of my broken heart. There still lingers the bitterness of protest in my song/Ghazal i.e., don’t expect me to be able to write pleasant, happy songs.
2
hai anaadil1 ko vahi dars2-e kohan3 yaad abhi
kahiiN baiTha to nahiN ghaat4 meN sayyaad5 abhi
1.plural of andaleeb, bulbul, nightingale 2.lesson 3.old 4.ambush, snare 5.bird catcher
The bulbul is often used as an analogy for the singer/Ghazal writer/poet. They have been caught before by the birdcatcher and still remember the old lesson. They are fearful that the birdcatcher might be waiting to ambush them. This could be a reference to having been jailed in the past for protesting against government policies.
3
Khud kahiiN ki na rahi toR ke shiiraaza1-e gul2
aur kya chaahti hai nik’hat3-e barbaad4 abhi
1.binding, holding together, glue 2.rose 3.fragrance 4.destroyed, broken
This is a beautiful expression of a rose blooming, fragrance spreading and petals falling off. ‘shiiraaza-bandi’ is usually used for book-binding but here it is used for rose petals being held together. After fragrance spread, the rose lost its ‘binding’ of petals. What more do you want, O fragrance. Thus the desire for independence spread like fragrance. But once the fragrance spread, the petals fell apart … the communities did not hold together.
4
farsh1-e Khaaki2 pe gira kuNgura3-e arsh4 se dil
us ki qismat meN hai kuchh aur bhi uftaad5 abhi
1.floor 2.clay, earth 3.ornamental plume 4.sky 5.falling
The heart crashed from the ornamental heights of the sky to the floor of the earth. It is its fate to fall even further. The falling heart could be an analogy for losing hope. High hopes associated with the independence movement came crashing down.
5
bijliaaN1 aaiiN jo baahir se vo ruKhsat2 bhi huiiN
sho’la-afgan3 hai magar4 barq5-e chaman-zaad6 abhi
1.lightning 2.depart 3.flame throwing 4.but 5.lightning 6.born of the garden
Foreign lightning strikes have departed … i.e., the British colonizers have left. But lightning born and grown locally in the garden is still throwing flames, setting fires. Colonial power has departed but locally grown communal hatred is setting fires.
6
looTiye1 Khaak2 is aazaadi-e gulshan3 ki bahaar1
hai hamaare liye ye jannat4-e shaddaad5 abhi
1.bahaar looTna is an expression meaning enjoying the bountiful spring 2.kya Khaak looTeNge is an expression meaning how can you possibly be able to do this 3.garden 4.heaven 5.legendary despotic king who claimed divinity
There is supposed to be spring in the garden and you are supposed to be able to enjoy its bounties. But how can you possibly do this with the garden for us like ‘jannat-e shaddaad’. ‘shaddaad’ is reputed to have been an ancient despotic ruler who claimed that he was god. He got a city constructed and settled and declared that it was heaven and he had divine rule over it. The city burnt down and everyone in it died. The poet compares the state of the country to this imaginary heaven that is burning down.
7
abhi kuchh aur zara kashmakash1-e dair2 o haram3
keh bahut aa’m4 nahiN daa’vat5-e ilhaad6 abhi
1.struggle, rivalry 2.temple 3.mosque 4.common, popular 5.invitation 6.atheism, secularism
The rivalry between temple and mosque continues, because the invitation to secularism is not yet popular.
8
naKhwat1-e husn2 ke maathe3 pe shikan4 dauR5 gaii
ishq ne vaa6 na kiye the lab7-e faryaad8 abhi
1.arrogance, hubris 2.beauty 3.forehead, brow 4.wrinkle 5.run across 6.open 7.lips 8.appeal
A furrow/wrinkle (of anger) runs across the brow of arrogant beauty. (Universal) love has not had a chance to open its lips to make an appeal yet i.e., even befor communal harmony could appeal to everyone and take hold, anger and hatred are spreading.
9
fikr1-e taa’miir2-e nasheman3 ho yahaaN kis ko sohail4
hosh5 gum-karda6 haiN murGhaan7-e nau-aazaad8 abhi
1.concerned, think about 2.constructing, building 3.nest, home 4.pen-name of the poet 5.senses 6.having lost 7.birds 8.newly free
O sohail, newly free birds of the garden have lost their senses. Who can even think about building a nest here.
