Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. ali sardar jafri (1913-2000), balrampur, gonDa, U.P. Religious upbringing and education. MA luckhnow university. Started composing at 15. He soon turned to progressive, revolutionary nazm/Ghazal. Member Communist Party. Arrested in 1940. Plays, short stories, movies and TV serials gave him a career in mumbaii. Padma Shri in 1967. This Ghazal is linked to a series of Ghazal with the same radeef under the ‘radeef-refrain’ page.
1
faroGh¹-e diida²-o-dil laala³-e sahar⁴ ki tarah
ujaala⁵ ban ke raho sham’a⁶-e rahguzar⁷ ki tarah   1.brilliance, light 2.eyes 3.tulip, bloom 4.dawn 5.light, brightness 6.lamp 7.path
Brightness of the eyes and heart can be symbolic of love and joy and ‘laala-e sahar’ – tulip bloom of dawn is symbolic of hope of a new world order. Thus, be the symbol of love and hope of the dawn (of revolution). Become the brightness of the lamp of the path (to the destination).
2
payambaroN¹ ki tarah se jiyo zamaane² meN
payaam³-e shauq⁴ bano daulat⁵-e hunar⁶ ki tarah   1.messengers 2.times 3.message 4.love 5.wealth 6.skill, talent
Here, I interpret payambar/messenger to be a poet/revolutionary and hunar/skill to be the skill/beauty of poetry. Thus, live like messengers (of change) in these times. Become the message of hope like the treasure of skillful/beautiful verse.
3
ye zindagi bhi koi zindagi hai ham-nafaso¹
sitaara ban ke jale bujh gaye sharar² ki tarah   1.friends 2.spark
Is this the kind of life you want to live friends – like a distant dim star (without enough light or warmth) during the night and then put out like a fleeting spark (without starting a fire of change or spreading the light of knowledge).
4
Daraa saki na mujhe tiiragi¹ zamaane² ki
aNdheri raat se guzraa³ huN maiN qamar⁴ ki tarah   1.darkness 2.times 3.passed through 4.moon
The darkness of the times could not frighten me. I have passed through the dark night (of injustice and oppression) like the full moon (giving light and hope).
5
samandaroN ke talaatum¹ ne mujh ko paala hai
chamak rahaa huN isi vaaste gohar² ki tarah   1.storms 2.pearl
I have been nurtured by the storms of the sea. That is why I shine like a pearl.
6
tamaam¹ koh² o tal³ o bahr-o-bar⁴ haiN zer⁵-e nagiiN⁶
khulaa hua huN maiN shaahiN⁷ ke baal-o-par⁸ ki tarah   1.total, all 2.mountains 3.bottom layer, depths, valleys 4.land and sea 5.under 6.jewel 7.hawk, eagle 8.feathers and wings
Here nagiiN/jewel stands for the royal signet ring. Thus, to have something ‘zer-e nagiiN’ is to have it in your domain/kingdom. Also, the eagle, flying high has all the land and sees, mountains and valleys under its wing. Thus, the poet claims that all the mountains and valleys, land and ocean is under his domain like a high flying eagle. He can see it all and write about it.
7
tamaam¹ daulat²-e kaunain³ hai Khiraaj⁴ us ka
ye dil nahiN kisi luuTe hue nagar ki tarah   1.total, all 2.wealth, treasure 3.here and hereafter, two worlds 4.tribute
All the treasures of both worlds (here and hereafter) pay tribute to it. This heart is not ravaged, like a looted settlement.
8
guzar¹ ke Khaar² se Ghunche³ se gul⁴ se shabnam⁵ se
maiN shaaKh⁶-e vaqt meN aayaa huN ek samar⁷ ki tarah   1.passed through/beyond 2.thorn 3.unopened bud 4.blossomed flower 5.dew 6.bought 7.fruit
This probably reflects the message of the Progressive Writers’ Association that literature be used in the service of social betterment. Thus I, (poet) have passed beyond composing verse about conventional themes like thorns, buds, flowers and dew. On the tree/bough of time, I come bearing fruit (of change/justice).
9
maiN dil meN talKhi¹-e zahraab²-e Gham³ bhi rakhta huN
na misl⁴-e shahd⁵ huN shiriiN⁶ na maiN shakar ki tarah   1.bitterness 2.poison 3.sorrow 4.example, like 5.honey 6.honey
My heart also contains the bitterness of the poison of sorrow. I am not merely like the sweetness of honey or sugar i.e., I compose about poverty/injustice also, not merely about romance.
10
KhizaaN¹ ke dast²-e sitam³ ne mujhe chhua hai magar
tamaam⁴ sho’la⁵ o shabnam⁶ huN kaashmar⁷ ki tarah   1.autumn, dry season, scarcity 2.hand 3.cruelty, oppression 4.total, all 5.flame, heat, light, passion, pain 6.dew, cool softness, pleasure 7.kashmiir???
I have difficulty with this. He is probably using kashmir as a symbol of natural beauty. “sho’la o shabnam” are pain and pleasure. Even though I have been touched by the oppressive hand of scarcity, I still retain/feel the full range of sentiments – passion/pain, cool comfort/pleasure, like the beauty of kashmir.
11
meri navaa¹ meN hai lutf²-o-suroor³-e sub’h⁴-e nishaat⁵
har ek she’r hai rindoN⁶ ki shaam-e-tar⁷ ki tarah   1.sound, voice, call 2.pleasure 3.happiness 4.dawn 5.joy 6.wine drinkers 7.evening (of wetness) with wine flowing freely
He uses “sub’h nishaat” to mean the dawn of liberation and “rind” to mean unconventional, unorthodox, defiant people and “shaam-e tar” to mean an evening with wine flowing freely in anticipation of liberation. Thus, his voice is full of the joy and pleasure of dawn of revolution. Every she’r is like freely flowing wine for his defiant comrades.
12
ye faatehaana¹ Ghazal asr²-e nau³ ka hai aahaNg⁴
baland⁵ o past⁶ ko dekha hai diida-var⁷ ki tarah   1.triumphant, rebellious 2.times, age 3.new 4.melody 5.high 6.low 7.discerning eye
This rebellious Ghazal is the melody of the new times. It reflects the highs and lows that I have seen with a discerning eye.