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Recitation
suroor barabaNkvi
فکرِ منزل ۔ سرورؔ بارابنکوی
۱
نہ کسی کو فکرِ منزل نہ کہیں سُراغِ جادہ
یہ عجیب کارواں ہے جو رواں ہے بے اِرادہ
۲
یہی لوگ ہیں ازل سے جو فریب دے رہے ہیں
کبھی ڈال کر نقابیں کبھی اوڑھ کر لبادہ
۳
میرے روز و شب یہی ہیں کہ مجھی تک آ رہی ہیں
تیرے حُسْن کی ضیائیں کبھی کم کبھی زیادہ
۴
سَرِ انجمن تغافل کا صلہ بھی دے گئی ہے
وہ نگہ جو دَر حقیقت تھی نگاہ سے زیادہ
۵
ہو برائے شامِ ہجراں لبِ ناز سے فروزاں
کوئی ایک شمعِ پیماں کوئی اک چراغِ وعدہ
फ़िक्र-ए-मंज़िल – सुरूर बाराबंकवी
१
ना किसी को फ़िक्र-ए-मंज़िल ना कहीं सुराग़-ए-जादा
ये अजीब कारवाँ है जो रवाँ है बे-इरादा
२
यही लोग हैं अज़ल से जो फ़रेब दे रहे हैं
कभी डाल कर नक़ाबें कभी ओढ़ कर लबादा
३
मेरे रोज़-ओ-शब यही हैं के मुझी तक आ रही हैं
तेरे हुस्न की ज़ियाएं कभी कम कभी ज़ियादा
४
सर-ए-अंजुमन तग़ाफ़ुल का सिला भी दे गई है
वो निगह जो दर हक़ीक़त थी निगाह से ज़ियादा
५
हो बरा-ए-शाम-ए- हिज़्राँ लब-ए-नाज़ से फ़रोज़ां
कोई एक शाम-ए- पैमां कोई एक चराग़-ए-वादा
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. sa’eed-ur-rahman suroor barabaNkvi (1930-1980) was movie maker, script and song writer, a labour leader and political activist as well as a shaa’er for high quality. He has sometimes been called “sahir of pakistan”. In this Ghazal he bemoans what appears to him to be a lonely struggle against the establishment, which is lost, with out a goal.
1
na kisi ko fikr-e-manzil1 na kahiN suraGh-e-jaada2
ye ajeeb karvaaN hai jo ravaaN3 hai be-iraada4 1.concern of goal/destination 2.clue to the pathway 3.moving 4.without intent/plan
No one seems to be concerned about where we are headed. There is no clue of where the pathway is. This is a strange caravaan which wanders aimlessly.
2
yahi log haiN azal1 se jo fareb2 de rahe haiN
kabhi Daal kar naqaabeN3 kabhi oRh kar labaada4 1.begining, eternity 2.deception 3.veils/masks 3.apparel/cloak (religious)
These are the people (the leaders) who from the very beginning have been deceiving us sometimes putting on masks (or by hiding things behind a curtain/veil), sometimes wearing religious garb
3
mere roz-o-shab1 yahi haiN ke mujhi2 tak aa rahi haiN
tere husn ki ziyaaeN3 kabhi kam kabhi ziyada 1.day and night 2.only towards me 3.rays of light
The poet/revolutionary is the only one who is able to catch a glimpse of the new vision/socialist order. Those around him are still missing it. Thus – my day and night are spent like this … only to me reaches the beauty of your light/vision, sometimes blurred, sometimes clear.
4
sar-e-anjuman1 taGhaaful2 ka sila3 bhi de gaii hai
vo nigah jo dar haqiqat4 thi nigaah se ziyada 1.in assembly, openly 2.negligence 3.compensation 4.in reality
Once before the poet/revolutionary and his comrades had had a vision, which was really much more than a vision. It was a promise of a bright future. But they neglected it and it has given them compensation (punishment) for their negligence and is now gone.
5
ho ba-raaye1 shaam-e hijraaN2 lab-e naaz3 se farozaaN4
koi ek shama’ e-paimaaN5 koi ek charaaGh e-vaada6 1.for the sake of 2.night of separation 3.proud/fearless lips 4.brilliant 5.lamp of commitment/plans/determination 6.lamp/light of promise
The poet/revolutinary lives in unjust times. He calls it the “night of separation” because he is longing for union (with the socialist order). For the sake of this night of separation (similar to saying “by god”) … will someone please speak proudly/fearlessly and light a lamp of commitment, a lamp of promise (of the new social order).
sa’eed-ur-rahman suroor barabaNkvi (1930-1980) was movie maker, script and song writer, a labour leader and political activist as well as a shaa’er for high quality. He has sometimes been called “sahir of pakistan”. In this Ghazal he bemoans what appears to him to be a lonely struggle against the establishment, which is lost, with out a goal.
1
na kisi ko fikr-e-manzil1 na kahiN suraGh-e-jaada2
ye ajeeb karvaaN hai jo ravaaN3 hai be-iraada4
1.concern of goal/destination 2.clue to the pathway 3.moving 4.without intent/plan
No one seems to be concerned about where we are headed. There is no clue of where the pathway is. This is a strange caravaan which wanders aimlessly.
2
yahi log haiN azal1 se jo fareb2 de rahe haiN
kabhi Daal kar naqaabeN3 kabhi oRh kar labaada4
1.begining, eternity 2.deception 3.veils/masks 3.apparel/cloak (religious)
These are the people (the leaders) who from the very beginning have been deceiving us sometimes putting on masks (or by hiding things behind a curtain/veil), sometimes wearing religious garb.
3
mere roz-o-shab1 yahi haiN ke mujhi2 tak aa rahi haiN
tere husn ki ziyaaeN3 kabhi kam kabhi ziyada
1.day and night 2.only towards me 3.rays of light
The poet/revolutionary is the only one who is able to catch a glimpse of the new vision/socialist order. Those around him are still missing it. Thus – my day and night are spent like this … only to me reaches the beauty of your light/vision, sometimes blurred, sometimes clear.
4
sar-e-anjuman1 taGhaaful2 ka sila3 bhi de gaii hai
vo nigah jo dar haqiqat4 thi nigaah se ziyada
1.in assembly, openly 2.negligence 3.compensation 4.in reality
Once before the poet/revolutionary and his comrades had had a vision, which was really much more than a vision. It was a promise of a bright future. But they neglected it and it has given them compensation (punishment) for their negligence and is now gone.
5
ho ba-raaye1 shaam-e hijraaN2 lab-e naaz3 se farozaaN4
koi ek shama’ e-paimaaN5 koi ek charaaGh e-vaada6
1.for the sake of 2.night of separation 3.proud/fearless lips 4.brilliant 5.lamp of commitment/plans/determination 6.lamp/light of promise
The poet/revolutinary lives in unjust times. He calls it the “night of separation” because he is longing for union (with the socialist order). For the sake of this night of separation (similar to saying “by god”) … will someone please speak proudly/fearlessly and light a lamp of commitment, a lamp of promise (of the new social order).
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