For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the “Roman” or “Notes” tab.
Recitation
دُرّ نجف ۔ سنت درشن سنگھ درشن
۱
نجف کی سرزمین ہے بلند ہر مقام سے
قدم رکھو تو سوچ کر، چلو تو احترام سے
اِسی زمیں پہ ساقیِ حرم کا آستانہ ہے
جہاں کو جامِ سرمدی مِلا اِسی مقام سے
۲
بجھے نہ تشنگی اگر تو پی کے تم بھی دیکھ لو
بُجھی ہے تشنگی میری علی ولی کے نام سے
علی کا نام جب سُنا تو آنکھ ڈُبڈُبا اُٹھی
مجھے تو ایک عشق ہے علی ولی کے نام سے
۳
بتوں کی ظلمتوں سے تھا خدا کا گھر دھواں دھواں
حرم میں روشنی ہوئی، تجلّیِ اِمام سے
اگر چہ تھا شہہِ زماں، مگر نہ کی شہنشہی
تجھے تو خاص رابطہ تھا خدمتِ عوام سے
۴
اُٹھائی ظلم کے خلاف، تو نے تیغ عمر بھر
پھر آج کھینچ ذوالفقار حیدری نیام سے
کہ زندگی پہ چھا گئی ہے ظلم و جور کی گھٹا
جگا دے صبح کی خوشی، غمِ جہاں کی شام سے
۵
ہر ایک سمت آج پھر کھڑے ہوے ہیں خیبری
نکل نہیں رہی ہے تیغ، اب کسی کی نیام سے
اُٹھا کے ذوالفقار کو، نبی سے مانگ کر علم
پھر ایک بار رن میں آ، جلال و احتشام سے
۶
جدید خیبرِ سِتم کے در اُکھاڑ پھینک دے
کہ آدمی نجات پائے مرحبی نظام سے
یہ مرحبی نظام وہ نظامِ ظلم و جور ہے
جسے شدید دُشمنی ہے امنِ خاص و عام سے
جو چاہتا ہے یہ زمیں دشتِ کربلا بنے
صداقتوں کے خون سے، بشر کے قتلِ عام سے
۷
یہ آگ تیرے عزم نے تو بارہا بُجھائی ہے
گہِ سخن کے پھول سے، گاہ تیغِ بے نیام سے
تیرے عمل کی گود سے اُٹھی ہے موجِ دینِ حق
بشر ہوا ہے سُرخ رُو حسینِ تشنہ کام سے
۸
بہشت چاہئیے تمہیں تو عشقِ حیدری سے لو
وگرنہ یہ بہشت ہے، کہاں ملے گی دام سے
تمام عمر تو نے کی مدد اندھیری رات میں
سماج کو سحر ملی ہے تیرے فیضِ عام سے
۹
اِمام سینچتے رہے یہودیوں کے باغ کو
ہمیں عمل سے شرم ہے، ہمیں ہے عار کام سے
۱۰
دوبارہ جام درشنِؔ شکستہ دِل کو ہو عطا
یہ دیر کیسی ساقیا، خفا ہو کیوں غلام سے
दुर्र-ए नजफ़ – संत दर्शन सिंघ दर्शन
१
नजफ़ कि सरज़मीन है बलन्द हर मक़ाम से
क़दम रखो तो सोच कर, चलो तो एहतेराम से
इसी ज़मीं पे साक़ी-ए हरम का आस्ताना है
जहां को जाम-ए सरमदी मिला इसी मक़ाम से
२
बुझे न तिश्नगी अगर तो पी के तुम भी देख लो
बुझी है तिश्नगी मेरी अली वली के नाम से
अली का नाम जब सुना तो आँख डुबडुबा उठी
मुझे तो एक इश्क़ है अली वली के नाम से
३
बुतौं कि ज़ुल्मतों से था ख़ुदा का घर धुंआ धुंआ
हरम में रौशनी हुई तजल्ली-ए इमाम से
अगरचे था शह-ए ज़मां, मगर न कि शहंशही
तुझे तो ख़ास राबता था ख़िदमत-ए अवाम से
४
उठाई ज़ुल्म के ख़िलाफ़ तू ने तेग़ उम्र भर
फिर आज खैंच ज़ुल्फ़ेक़ार हैदरी नियाम से
के ज़िन्दगी पे छा गई है ज़ुल्म ओ जोर कि घटा
जगा दे सुबह कि ख़ुशी ग़म-ए जहां कि शाम से
५
हर एक सम्त आज फिर खड़े हुए हैं ख़ैबरी
निकल नहीं रही है तेग़ अब किसी कि नियाम से
उठा के ज़ुल्फ़ेक़ार को, नबी से मांग कर अलम
फिर एक बार रन में आ, जलाल ओ एह्तेशाम से
६
जदीद ख़ैबर-ए सितम के दर उखाड़ फेंक दे
के आदमी नजात पाए मरहबी निज़ाम से
ये मरहबी निज़ाम वो, निज़ाम-ए ज़ुल्म ओ जोर है
जिसे शदीद दुश्मनी है अम्न-ए ख़ास ओ आम से
जो चाहता है ये ज़मीं दश्त-ए कर्बला बने
सदाक़तौं के ख़ून से, बशर के क़त्ल-ए आम से
७
ये आग तेरे अज़्म ने तो बार-हा बुझाई है
गह सुख़न के फूल से, गाह तेग़-ए बे-नियाम से
तेरे अमल कि गोद से उठी है मौज-ए दीन-ए हक़
बशर हुआ है सुर्ख़-रू हुसैन-ए तिश्ना काम से
८
बेहिश्त चाहिए तुम्हें तो इश्क़-ए हैदरी से लो
वगरना ये बेहिश्त है, कहां मिलेगी दाम से
तमाम उम्र तू ने कि मदद अँधेरी रात में
समाज को सहर मिली है तेरे फ़ैज़-ए आम से
९
इमाम सींचते रहे यहूदियों के बाग़ को
हमें अमल से शर्म है, हमें है आर काम से
१०
दुबारा जाम दर्शन-ए शिकस्ता दिल को हो अता
ये देर कैसी साक़िया ख़फ़ा हो क्यूं ग़ुलाम से
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. darshan singh duggal darshan (1921-1989) orthodox and observant sikh, grew up in lahore with a promising academic record headed for the sciences or engineering. But when his father took him to the priest/sant for blessings, the priest advised him to take faarsi, and English literature. He started composing verse in urdu in 1937. In spite of (or perhaps because of) his sikh upbringing he is accepting of all faiths and has written with much feeling about diverse religious personalities. It is a recognition of the role urdu has played in the history of the sub-continent and hindus, muslims, sikhs and Christians wrote odes to their respective religious figures in that language. The family migrated to India where he retired as deputy secretary of finance for the government of India. He took over from his father as president of the World Fellowship of Religions. In this nazm he offers profuse praise of ali and calls on a solution to the Palestinian problem. We have to be careful and keep Judaism as a religion separate from Zionism as an imperialist political movement. Also think of the Palestinian issue as an issue of forcibly displaced people, not as a religious issue.
1
najaf1 ki sar-zameen2 hai baland3 har maqaam4 se
qadam5 rakho to soch kar, chalo to ehteraam6 se
isi zamiN pe saaqi7-e haram8 ka aastaana9 hai
jahaaN10 ko jaam11-e sarmadi12 mila isi maqaam se 1.city where ali is buried 2.homeland 3.high, holy 4.place 5.step 6.respect 7.tavern keeper, wine server 8.k’aaba 9.home, palace 10.world 11.cup 12.eternal
The homeland of najaf is a holy place, think where you put your step, walk with respect. This is the land where the saaqi of the k’aaba has his home. This is the place where the world received the cup of wine of eternal (life/love).
2
bujhe na tishnagi1 agar to pii ke tum bhi dekh lo
bujhi hai tishnagi meri ali vali2 ke naam se
ali ka naam jab suna to aaNkh DubDuba uThi
mujhe to ek ishq3 hai, ali vali ke naam se 1.thirst 2.successor 3.love
If you thirst is not slaked, try this and see for yourself. My thirst has been slaked with the name of ali. Whenever the name of ali comes up, my eyes begin to water, because I am devoted so much to the name to ali.
3
butauN ki zulmatauN1 se tha, Khuda ka ghar dhuaaN dhuaaN2
haram3 meN raushni hui tajalli4-e imaam5 se
agarche6 tha shah-e-zamaaN7, magar8 na ki shanshahi9
tujhe to Khaas10 raabta11, tha Khidmat12-e avaam13 se 1.darkness 2.smoky, foggy 3.k’aaba 4.brilliance 5.leader, (here) ali 6.even though 7.king of the times 8.but 9.monarchy 10.special 11.connection, association 12.service 13.public
The house of god (k’aaba) was draped in fog, because of the darkness/ignorance about idols. Light shone in k’aaba because of the brilliance of ali. Even though your were the king of the times, you did not act like a monarch. You had a special place in your heart about serving the people. Traditional belief is that ali denied himself all comforts/luxuries and focused on serving the poor.
4
uThaaii zulm1 ke Khilaaf2 tu ne teGh3 umr bhar
phir aaj khaiNch zulfeqaar4 hydari5 niyaam6 se
ke zindagi pe chhaa gaii hai zulm-o-jor7 ki ghaTa8
jaga9 de subah ki Khushi, Gham10-e jahaaN11 ki shaam12 se 1.oppression 2.against 3.sword 4.name of ali’s sword 5.of hyder – another name of ali 6.scabbard, sheath 7.oppression and cruelty 8.clouds 9.awaken 10.sorrow 11.world 12.evening, night
All your life, you raised your sword against oppression. Today, again, draw the zulfiqar out of your scabbard because clouds of injustice have gathered above. Bring forth the happiness of dawn out of the night of sorrow.
5
har ek samt1 aaj phir, khaRe hue haiN Khaibari2
nikal nahiN rahi hai teGh3 ab kisi ki niyaam4 se
uTha ke zulfeqaar5 ko, nabi6 se maaNg kar alam7
phir ek baar run8 meN aa, jalaal9 o ehteshaam10 se 1.direction 2.people of Khaibar (see below) 3.sword 4.scabbard 5.name of the sword of ali 6.prophet, mohammad 7.flag 8.(field of) war/conflict 9.grandeur 10.pomp
Upon arrival in madina, mohammed was able to broker a peace treaty among many local warring tribes. All of them signed the treaty and for a time observed it. After a while, the tribe of Khaibar (a fortress on the outskirts of madina) began to cheat and break the agreement. mohammed and the other tribes declared war against them and ali was the commander of the forces that attacked the treaty breakers. This is a reference to Zionist forces who have repeatedly violated peace agreements with the Palestinians. Zionist forces, breaking peace agreements, have come out all around us. Nobody is willing to pull their sword out of the scabbard to fight. Raising the zulfeqar, taking the flag with mohammed’s permission, come again into the field of conflict with pomp and glory.
6
jadeed1 Khaibar-e-sitam2 ke dar3 ukhaaR phaiNk de
ke aadmi najaat4 paaye marhabi-nizaam5 se
ye marhabi-nizaam vo, nizaam-e zulm-o-jor6 hai
jise shadeed7 dushmani hai amn8-e Khaas-o-aam9 se
jo chaahta hai ye zamiN, dasht10-e karbala bane
sadaaqatauN11 ke Khoon se, bashar12 ke qatl-e-aam13 se 1.modern 2.Khaibar of oppression 3.doors 4.deliverance 5.reign of marhab (see below) 6.cruelty and oppression 7.extreme, intense 8.peace 9.privileged and common, everyone 10.wilderness, slaughterhouse 11.truth 12.human 13.mass murder
In the original battle of Khaibar, ali is believed to have broken through the gates/doors of the fortress. He was also victorious in the one on one battle against the renowned fighter marhab . Pull out the doors of the fortress of the modern/present Khaibar of oppression (Zionism) so that people may be delivered of the oppressive reign of marhab. The reign of marhab that is a reign of cruelty and oppression, that intensely hates peace for one and all, that wants to convert this earth into the slaughterhouse of karbala with the blood of Truth and with mass murder.
7
ye aag tere azm1 ne to baar-ha2 bujhaaii hai
gah3 suKhan4 ke phool se, gaah5 teGh-e-be-niyaam6 se
tere amal7 ki goad8 se uThi hai mauj9-e deen10-e haq11
bashar12 hua hai surKh-roo13, husain-e tishna-kaam14 se 1.determination 2.many times 3.sometime 4.conversation, talk 5.sometime 6.unsheathed sword 7.actions 8.lap 9.wave 10.faith 11.truth, justice 12.human being, humanity 13.glowing countenance 14.thirsty throat
Your determination (O, ali) has put out such fires, many times in the past. Sometimes with peaceful talk, at other times with an unsheathed sword. The wave of faith in Truth/Justice has risen from/has been nurtured in the lap of your actions. Humanity has gained a glowing countenance, because of the sacrifice of thirsty husain. The last misra has a reference to the battle of karbala in which husain stood steadfast against injustice in the face of certain death and was killed even as he was denied access to water.
8
behisht1 chaahiye tumheN to ishq2-e haidari3 se lo
vagarna4 ye behisht hai kahaaN milegi daam5 se
tamaam umr tu ne ki, madad andheri raat meN
samaaj ko sahr6 mili hai tere faiz-e-aam7 se 1.paradise 2.love of 3.another name of ali 4.otherwise 5.price, purchase 6.dawn/justice/knowledge 7.benevolence for all
If you want heaven, seek it in the love of ali, otherwise, know that this is heaven and cannot be purchased with money. You, (O, ali), all your life, have helped through the dark night (ignorance/injustice). Light (knowledge/justice) has dawned on the world because of your benevolence.
9
imaam1 seeNchte2 rahe, yahoodiyauN3 ke baaGh ko
hameN amal4 se sharm hai, hameN hai ‘aar5 kaam se 1.leaders 2.watering, nurturing 3.jews/Zionists 4.actions 5.disown, distance oneself
I am very shaky on this interpretation because I do not know the background in which this was written/recited. For my interpretation I assume that the word “imaam” is used in a generic sense for religious leaders … probably from neighbouring arab states and the word “yahoodi” is used for Zionists not for Jews. Thus, many imaam from the area are supporting Zionist settlement. We are ashamed of it and distance ourselves from their actions.
10
dubaara1 jaam2 darshan3-e shikasta-dil4 ko ho ata5
ye der kaisi saaqiya6, Khafa7 ho kyuN Ghulaam8 se 1.again 2.cup (of wine of love) 3.pen name of the poet 4.broken hearted, sorrowful 5.grant 6.tavern keeper, (here) ali 7.offended, angry 8.slave/devotee
Once again grant a cup of the wine of love to sorrowful darshan, O saaqi. Why this delay, why are you displeased with your slave.
darshan singh duggal darshan (1921-1989) orthodox and observant sikh, grew up in lahore with a promising academic record headed for the sciences or engineering. But when his father took him to the priest/sant for blessings, the priest advised him to take faarsi, and English literature. He started composing verse in urdu in 1937. In spite of (or perhaps because of) his sikh upbringing he is accepting of all faiths and has written with much feeling about diverse religious personalities. It is a recognition of the role urdu has played in the history of the sub-continent and hindus, muslims, sikhs and Christians wrote odes to their respective religious figures in that language. The family migrated to India where he retired as deputy secretary of finance for the government of India. He took over from his father as president of the World Fellowship of Religions. In this nazm he offers profuse praise of ali and calls on a solution to the Palestinian problem. We have to be careful and keep Judaism as a religion separate from Zionism as an imperialist political movement. Also think of the Palestinian issue as an issue of forcibly displaced people, not as a religious issue.
1
najaf1 ki sar-zameen2 hai baland3 har maqaam4 se
qadam5 rakho to soch kar, chalo to ehteraam6 se
isi zamiN pe saaqi7-e haram8 ka aastaana9 hai
jahaaN10 ko jaam11-e sarmadi12 mila isi maqaam se
1.city where ali is buried 2.homeland 3.high, holy 4.place 5.step 6.respect 7.tavern keeper, wine server 8.k’aaba 9.home, palace 10.world 11.cup 12.eternal
The homeland of najaf is a holy place, think where you put your step, walk with respect. This is the land where the saaqi of the k’aaba has his home. This is the place where the world received the cup of wine of eternal (life/love).
2
bujhe na tishnagi1 agar to pii ke tum bhi dekh lo
bujhi hai tishnagi meri ali vali2 ke naam se
ali ka naam jab suna to aaNkh DubDuba uThi
mujhe to ek ishq3 hai, ali vali ke naam se
1.thirst 2.successor 3.love
If you thirst is not slaked, try this and see for yourself. My thirst has been slaked with the name of ali. Whenever the name of ali comes up, my eyes begin to water, because I am devoted so much to the name to ali.
3
butauN ki zulmatauN1 se tha, Khuda ka ghar dhuaaN dhuaaN2
haram3 meN raushni hui tajalli4-e imaam5 se
agarche6 tha shah-e-zamaaN7, magar8 na ki shanshahi9
tujhe to Khaas10 raabta11, tha Khidmat12-e avaam13 se
1.darkness 2.smoky, foggy 3.k’aaba 4.brilliance 5.leader, (here) ali 6.even though 7.king of the times 8.but 9.monarchy 10.special 11.connection, association 12.service 13.public
The house of god (k’aaba) was draped in fog, because of the darkness/ignorance about idols. Light shone in k’aaba because of the brilliance of ali. Even though your were the king of the times, you did not act like a monarch. You had a special place in your heart about serving the people. Traditional belief is that ali denied himself all comforts/luxuries and focused on serving the poor.
4
uThaaii zulm1 ke Khilaaf2 tu ne teGh3 umr bhar
phir aaj khaiNch zulfeqaar4 hydari5 niyaam6 se
ke zindagi pe chhaa gaii hai zulm-o-jor7 ki ghaTa8
jaga9 de subah ki Khushi, Gham10-e jahaaN11 ki shaam12 se
1.oppression 2.against 3.sword 4.name of ali’s sword 5.of hyder – another name of ali 6.scabbard, sheath 7.oppression and cruelty 8.clouds 9.awaken 10.sorrow 11.world 12.evening, night
All your life, you raised your sword against oppression. Today, again, draw the zulfiqar out of your scabbard because clouds of injustice have gathered above. Bring forth the happiness of dawn out of the night of sorrow.
5
har ek samt1 aaj phir, khaRe hue haiN Khaibari2
nikal nahiN rahi hai teGh3 ab kisi ki niyaam4 se
uTha ke zulfeqaar5 ko, nabi6 se maaNg kar alam7
phir ek baar run8 meN aa, jalaal9 o ehteshaam10 se
1.direction 2.people of Khaibar (see below) 3.sword 4.scabbard 5.name of the sword of ali 6.prophet, mohammad 7.flag 8.(field of) war/conflict 9.grandeur 10.pomp
Upon arrival in madina, mohammed was able to broker a peace treaty among many local warring tribes. All of them signed the treaty and for a time observed it. After a while, the tribe of Khaibar (a fortress on the outskirts of madina) began to cheat and break the agreement. mohammed and the other tribes declared war against them and ali was the commander of the forces that attacked the treaty breakers. This is a reference to Zionist forces who have repeatedly violated peace agreements with the Palestinians. Zionist forces, breaking peace agreements, have come out all around us. Nobody is willing to pull their sword out of the scabbard to fight. Raising the zulfeqar, taking the flag with mohammed’s permission, come again into the field of conflict with pomp and glory.
6
jadeed1 Khaibar-e-sitam2 ke dar3 ukhaaR phaiNk de
ke aadmi najaat4 paaye marhabi-nizaam5 se
ye marhabi-nizaam vo, nizaam-e zulm-o-jor6 hai
jise shadeed7 dushmani hai amn8-e Khaas-o-aam9 se
jo chaahta hai ye zamiN, dasht10-e karbala bane
sadaaqatauN11 ke Khoon se, bashar12 ke qatl-e-aam13 se
1.modern 2.Khaibar of oppression 3.doors 4.deliverance 5.reign of marhab (see below) 6.cruelty and oppression 7.extreme, intense 8.peace 9.privileged and common, everyone 10.wilderness, slaughterhouse 11.truth 12.human 13.mass murder
In the original battle of Khaibar, ali is believed to have broken through the gates/doors of the fortress. He was also victorious in the one on one battle against the renowned fighter marhab . Pull out the doors of the fortress of the modern/present Khaibar of oppression (Zionism) so that people may be delivered of the oppressive reign of marhab. The reign of marhab that is a reign of cruelty and oppression, that intensely hates peace for one and all, that wants to convert this earth into the slaughterhouse of karbala with the blood of Truth and with mass murder.
7
ye aag tere azm1 ne to baar-ha2 bujhaaii hai
gah3 suKhan4 ke phool se, gaah5 teGh-e-be-niyaam6 se
tere amal7 ki goad8 se uThi hai mauj9-e deen10-e haq11
bashar12 hua hai surKh-roo13, husain-e tishna-kaam14 se
1.determination 2.many times 3.sometime 4.conversation, talk 5.sometime 6.unsheathed sword 7.actions 8.lap 9.wave 10.faith 11.truth, justice 12.human being, humanity 13.glowing countenance 14.thirsty throat
Your determination (O, ali) has put out such fires, many times in the past. Sometimes with peaceful talk, at other times with an unsheathed sword. The wave of faith in Truth/Justice has risen from/has been nurtured in the lap of your actions. Humanity has gained a glowing countenance, because of the sacrifice of thirsty husain. The last misra has a reference to the battle of karbala in which husain stood steadfast against injustice in the face of certain death and was killed even as he was denied access to water.
8
behisht1 chaahiye tumheN to ishq2-e haidari3 se lo
vagarna4 ye behisht hai kahaaN milegi daam5 se
tamaam umr tu ne ki, madad andheri raat meN
samaaj ko sahr6 mili hai tere faiz-e-aam7 se
1.paradise 2.love of 3.another name of ali 4.otherwise 5.price, purchase 6.dawn/justice/knowledge 7.benevolence for all
If you want heaven, seek it in the love of ali, otherwise, know that this is heaven and cannot be purchased with money. You, (O, ali), all your life, have helped through the dark night (ignorance/injustice). Light (knowledge/justice) has dawned on the world because of your benevolence.
9
imaam1 seeNchte2 rahe, yahoodiyauN3 ke baaGh ko
hameN amal4 se sharm hai, hameN hai ‘aar5 kaam se
1.leaders 2.watering, nurturing 3.jews/Zionists 4.actions 5.disown, distance oneself
I am very shaky on this interpretation because I do not know the background in which this was written/recited. For my interpretation I assume that the word “imaam” is used in a generic sense for religious leaders … probably from neighbouring arab states and the word “yahoodi” is used for Zionists not for Jews. Thus, many imaam from the area are supporting Zionist settlement. We are ashamed of it and distance ourselves from their actions.
10
dubaara1 jaam2 darshan3-e shikasta-dil4 ko ho ata5
ye der kaisi saaqiya6, Khafa7 ho kyuN Ghulaam8 se
1.again 2.cup (of wine of love) 3.pen name of the poet 4.broken hearted, sorrowful 5.grant 6.tavern keeper, (here) ali 7.offended, angry 8.slave/devotee
Once again grant a cup of the wine of love to sorrowful darshan, O saaqi. Why this delay, why are you displeased with your slave.
Key Search Words: cross-religious, cross religious, kaaba kaashi, k’aaba-kaashi, k’aaba kaashi, ishq-e ali
