dair o haram-daya shankar nasim

For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the “English” or “Notes” tab.

دو طرف ۔ دیا شنکر نسیم
۱

دل بہ دل آئینہ ہے دیر و حرم

حق جو پوچھو ایک در ہے دو طرف

۲

خواہ کعبہ خواہ بت خانہ کو جا

دشت دل کا رہ گزر ہے دو طرف

۳

کفر و ایماں دونوں جانب کی سنے

اس لئے گوش بشر ہے دو طرف

۴

رخنہ اندازوں کی کب چھپتی ہے آنکھ

چشم روزن کی نظر ہے دو طرف

۵

ضبط آہِ بے اثر ہے خوب ہے

حربۂ ناقص کا ڈر ہے دو طرف

۶

باغ ہو یا دشت ہو قسمت نسیمؔ

کوچ کی اپنے خبر ہے دو طرف

दो तरफ़ – दया शंकर नसीम

दिल-ब-दिल आईना है दैर ओ हरम

हक़ जो पूछो एक दर है दो तरफ़

ख़्वाह काबा ख़्वाह बुत-ख़ाना को जा

दश्त-ए-दिल का रहगुज़र है दो तरफ़

कुफ़्र ओ ईमाँ दोनों जानिब की सुने

इस लिए गोश-ए-बशर है दो तरफ़

रख़्ना-अंदाज़ों की कब छुपती है आँख

चश्म-ए-रौज़न की नज़र है दो तरफ़

ज़ब्त-ए आह-ए बे-असर है, ख़ूब है

हरबा-ए नाक़िस का डर है दो तरफ़

बाग़ हो या दश्त हो क़िस्मत ‘नसीम’

कूच की अपने ख़बर है दो तरफ़

Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. panDit daya shankar kaul nasim (1811-1845), is better known for his masnavi, gulzar-e nasim. A masnavi is a long/epic, narrative, romantic/sufiyaana poem of thousands of couplets. ‘gulzar-e nasim’ was considered so good that critics decided that it could not have been written by a non-muslim. daya shankar nasim died at a very early age and it was left to panDit brij mohan chakbast to conclusively show that nasim was indeed the real author/poet.
1
dil-ba-dil aaina1 hai dair2 o haram3
haq4 jo poochho ek dar5 hai do taraf6   
1.mirror, conscience 2.temple 3.mosque 4.truth 5.door 6.side, direction
Mirror is used here in the sense of looking at oneself in the mirror to see one’s own faults … like conscience. Thus, temple and mosque serve as a conscience in every heart. If you ask the truth, it is the same door (to righteousness) on both sides.

2
Khwaah1 kaaba Khwaah but-Khaane2 ko ja
dasht3-e dil ka rahguzar4 hai do taraf  

1.whether 2.temple 3.wilderness 4.pathway
Whether you go to the kaaba or to the temple, there is no difference. The pathway to the wilderness that the heart has to travel (in search of Truth/Love) is on both sides.

3
kufr1 o eemaaN2 donoN jaanib3 ki sune
is liye gosh4-e bashar5 hai do taraf
1.untruth, forbidden, sin 2.faith, virtue 3.directions 4.ears 5.human
So that they may hear about evil and virtue from both directions, humans have ears on each side.

4
raKhna-andaazauN1 ki kab chhupti hai aaNkh
chashm2-e rauzan3 ki nazar4 hai do taraf  
1.detractors, obstructionists 2.eye 3.peep hole, narrow window 4.sight
Critics/detractors cannot be stopped. They will always look for things to make remarks about. Their eyes look towards both sides (temple and mosque, to criticise one or the other or both) just like you can look in two directions through a peep hole. Thus, the call is to ignore detractors and look for goodness in both.

5
zabt1-e aah2-e be-asar3 hai, Khoob4 hai
harba5-e naaqis6 ka Dar hai do taraf 
1.control 2.sigh, moan 3.no result, without effect 4.good 5.attack 6.defective, incomplete
It is good that the sigh is under control, because it does not produce any results. On both sides (mosque and temple) there is fear that the sigh/prayer may be ineffective.

6
baaGh ho ya dasht1 ho qismat nasim
kooch2 ki apne Khabar3 hai do taraf  
1.wilderness 2.departure, death 3.news, rumours
It is not known whether you have a garden (heaven) or wilderness (hell) in your fate, O nasim. But there are rumours floating all around about your departure (from this world).

panDit daya shankar kaul nasim (1811-1845), is better known for his masnavi, gulzar-e nasim.  A masnavi is a long/epic, narrative, romantic/sufiyaana poem of thousands of couplets.  ‘gulzar-e nasim’ was considered so good that critics decided that it could not have been written by a non-muslim.  daya shankar nasim died at a very early age and it was left to panDit brij mohan chakbast to conclusively show that nasim was indeed the real author/poet.
1
dil-ba-dil aaina1 hai dair2 o haram3
haq4 jo poochho ek dar5 hai do taraf6

1.mirror, conscience 2.temple 3.mosque 4.truth 5.door 6.side, direction

Mirror is used here in the sense of looking at oneself in the mirror to see one’s own faults … like conscience. Thus, temple and mosque serve as a conscience in every heart.  If you ask the truth, it is the same door (to righteousness) on both sides.
2
Khwaah1 kaaba Khwaah but-Khaane2 ko ja
dasht3-e dil ka rahguzar4 hai do taraf

1.whether 2.temple 3.wilderness 4.pathway

Whether you go to the kaaba or to the temple, there is no difference.  The pathway to the wilderness that the heart has to travel (in search of Truth/Love) is on both sides.
3
kufr1 o eemaaN2 donoN jaanib3 ki sune
is liye gosh4-e bashar5 hai do taraf

1.untruth, forbidden, sin 2.faith, virtue 3.directions 4.ears 5.human

So that they may hear about evil and virtue from both directions, humans have ears on each side.
4
raKhna-andaazauN1 ki kab chhupti hai aaNkh
chashm2-e rauzan3 ki nazar4 hai do taraf

1.detractors, obstructionists 2.eye 3.peep hole, narrow window 4.sight

Critics/detractors cannot be stopped.  They will always look for things to make remarks about.  Their eyes look towards both sides (temple and mosque, to criticise one or the other or both) just like you can look in two directions through a peep hole.  Thus, the call is to ignore detractors and look for goodness in both.
5
zabt1-e aah2-e be-asar3 hai, Khoob4 hai
harba5-e naaqis6 ka Dar hai do taraf

1.control 2.sigh, moan 3.no result, without effect 4.good 5.attack 6.defective, incomplete

It is good that the sigh is under control, because it does not produce any results.  On both sides (mosque and temple) there is fear that the sigh/prayer may be ineffective.
6
baaGh ho ya dasht1 ho qismat nasim
kooch2 ki apne Khabar3 hai do taraf

1.wilderness 2.departure, death 3.news, rumours

It is not known whether you have a garden (heaven) or wilderness (hell) in your fate, O nasim.  But there are rumours floating all around about your departure (from this world).

Key Search Words: