For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
فطرت کے ساز کا ۔ سادھو رام آرزوؔ سہارنپوری
۱
ملنے لگا سُراغ مقاماتِ راز کا
احسان مند ہوں غمِ ہستی گداز کا
۲
عکسِ تمام حسنِ حقیقت طراز کا
کُشتہ ہوں برقِ جلوۂ عرشِ مجاز کا
۳
عالم نہ پوچھیے نگہِ اِمتیاز کا
مرکز بنا ہوا ہوں تماشائے راز کا
۴
کونین کی حقیقتیں کُھل جائیں گی تمام
اک تار دیکھ چھیڑ کے فِطرت کے ساز کا
۵
سطحِ دماغِ دہر پہ ہوں سِرّ کائنات
افسانۂ تمام ہوں عنوانِ راز کا
۶
یہ مرگ، یہ حیات، یہ تعمیرِ کائنات
صدقہ ہے میری فطرتِ کونین ساز کا
۷
دیکھو تو چشمِ غور سے اے آرزوؔ کبھی
ہر ذرّہ اِتّصال ہے ناز و نیاز کا
फ़ितरत के साज़ का – साधु राम आर्ज़ू सहारनपूरी
१
मिलने लगा सुराग़ मक़ामात-ए राज़ का
एहसान-मंद हूं ग़म-ए हस्ती-गुदाज़ का
२
अक्स-ए तमाम हुस्न-ए हक़ीक़त तराज़ का
कुश्ता हुं बर्क़-ए जलवा-ए अर्श-ए मजाज़ का
३
आलम न पूछिये निगह-ए इम्तियाज़ का
मरकज़ बना हुआ हूं तमाशा-ए राज़ का
४
कौनैन की हकीक़तें खुल जाऐंगी तमाम
एक तार देख छेढ के फ़ितरत के साज़ का
५
सतह-ए दिमाग़-ए दहर पे हों सिर्र-ए का’एनात
अफ़्साना-ए तमाम हों उन्वान-ए राज़ का
६
ये मर्ग, ये हयात, ये ता’मीर-ए काएनात
सदक़ा है मेरी फ़ितरत-ए कौनैन-साज़ का
७
देखो तो चश्म-ए-ग़ौर से अए आर्ज़ू कभी
हर ज़र्रा इत्तेसाल है नाज़ ओ नियाज़ का
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. saadhu ram aarzu saharanpuri (1901-1983) saharanpur and kolkata. He was a shaagird of faani badayuni. There are at least two collections of Ghazal and nazm. There is precious little by way of biographical information but it seems that he was associated with teaching (perhaps urdu) in some college in kolkata. This Ghazal is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam, ‘navaa-haa-e raaz ka’.
1
milnay lagaa suraaGh1 maqaamaat2-e raaz3 ka
ehsaan-mand4 huN Gham-e hasti-gudaaz5 ka 1.clue 2.places, stages 3.secrets, mysteries 4.grateful 5.life melting/burning
In urdu poetic tradition pain of love is highly valued. It is also intense – life-burning. The poet is grateful to this intense sorrow because it gives him clues to the mysteries of the life/universe.
2
aks1-e tamaam2 husn3-e haqiiqat-taraaz4 ka
kushta5 huN barq6-e jalva7-e arsh8-e majaaz9 ka 1.image, reflection 2.all, whole 3.beauty 4.truth adorning 5.killed by, prey of 6.lightning 7.appearance, glory 8.sky, heaven 9.illusion
The cosmos is a reflection of the creator. Its image reflects the beauty of ‘haqiiqat-taraaz’, the adorner of truth/reality i.e., god. But the human is striken by the lightning of the image of sky of the material world i.e., humans are not thinking of the spiritual-haqiiqi but are tempted by the worldly-majaazi.
3
aalam1 na poochhiye nigah2-e imtiyaaz3 ka
markaz4 banaa hua huN tamaasha5-e raaz6 ka 1.condition 2.eye 3.discerning 4.centre, focus 5.display, scene 6.mystery
Do not ask about the condition of the discerning eye. It is the focus of scene of the mysteries of the universe. By implication – the non-discerning, material eye does not appreciate these divine mysteries.
4
kaunain1 ki haqiiqateN2 khul3 jaa’eNgi tamaam4
ek taar5 dekh chheR ke fitrat6 ke saaz7 ka 1.two worlds, here and hereafter 2.truths 3.revealed 4.all, total 5.string, chord 6.nature, world 7.musical instrument
The world is like a musical instrument – say, a harp. Pluck a string of the harp and you will get such music that you will understand all the truth/mystery of creation.
5
sat’h1-e dimaaGh2-e dahr3 peh hoN sirr4-e kaa’enaat5
afsaana6-e tamaam7 hoN unvaan8-e raaz9 ka 1.surface 2.mind 3.world 4.secret 5.universe 6.story 7.all 8.theme 9.mystery
By sat’h-e dimaaGh – surface of the mind is probably not equal to the English expression ‘shallow-minded’ but used here to mean ‘at the top of the mind’, the most important. The thoughts of secrets/mysteries of the universe should be on top of the minds of the whole world. All their stories should have the theme of these mysteries.
6
yeh marg1, yeh hayaat2, yeh taa’miir3-e kaa’enaat4
sadqa5 hai meri fitrat6-e kaunain-saaz7 ka 1.death 2.life 3.making, building 4.universe 5.grant, gift, favour 6.nature 7.maker/builder of the here and hereafter, god
This life and death, and the whole universe is the benevolent gift of my maker.
7
dekho to chashm1-e Ghaur2 se aye aarzu3 kabhi
har zarra4 ittesaal5 hai naaz6 o niyaaz7 ka 1.eye 2.careful, attentive 3.pen-name of the poet 4.particle, grain of dust 5.union, one-ness 6.pride, aloofness 7.offering devotion
Like many other ash’aar of this Ghazal this is also sufiyaana. By naaz o niyaaz is meant god and human. The she’r also expounds the sufi principle of vahdat-ul-vujood or ittesaal-ul-vujuud meaning one-ness of the creator and created. Thus, if you look with an attentive eye, O aarzu, you will find that every grain/particle reflects the one-ness of the creator and created.
saadhu ram aarzu saharanpuri (1901-1983) saharanpur and kolkata. He was a shaagird of faani badayuni. There are at least two collections of Ghazal and nazm. There is precious little by way of biographical information but it seems that he was associated with teaching (perhaps urdu) in some college in kolkata. This Ghazal is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam, ‘navaa-haa-e raaz ka’.
1
milnay lagaa suraaGh1 maqaamaat2-e raaz3 ka
ehsaan-mand4 huN Gham-e hasti-gudaaz5 ka
1.clue 2.places, stages 3.secrets, mysteries 4.grateful 5.life melting/burning
In urdu poetic tradition pain of love is highly valued. It is also intense – life-burning. The poet is grateful to this intense sorrow because it gives him clues to the mysteries of the life/universe.
2
aks1-e tamaam2 husn3-e haqiiqat-taraaz4 ka
kushta5 huN barq6-e jalva7-e arsh8-e majaaz9 ka
1.image, reflection 2.all, whole 3.beauty 4.truth adorning 5.killed by, prey of 6.lightning 7.appearance, glory 8.sky, heaven 9.illusion
The cosmos is a reflection of the creator. Its image reflects the beauty of ‘haqiiqat-taraaz’, the adorner of truth/reality i.e., god. But the human is striken by the lightning of the image of sky of the material world i.e., humans are not thinking of the spiritual-haqiiqi but are tempted by the worldly-majaazi.
3
aalam1 na poochhiye nigah2-e imtiyaaz3 ka
markaz4 banaa hua huN tamaasha5-e raaz6 ka
1.condition 2.eye 3.discerning 4.centre, focus 5.display, scene 6.mystery
Do not ask about the condition of the discerning eye. It is the focus of scene of the mysteries of the universe. By implication – the non-discerning, material eye does not appreciate these divine mysteries.
4
kaunain1 ki haqiiqateN2 khul3 jaa’eNgi tamaam4
ek taar5 dekh chheR ke fitrat6 ke saaz7 ka
1.two worlds, here and hereafter 2.truths 3.revealed 4.all, total 5.string, chord 6.nature, world 7.musical instrument
The world is like a musical instrument – say, a harp. Pluck a string of the harp and you will get such music that you will understand all the truth/mystery of creation.
5
sat’h1-e dimaaGh2-e dahr3 peh hoN sirr4-e kaa’enaat5
afsaana6-e tamaam7 hoN unvaan8-e raaz9 ka
1.surface 2.mind 3.world 4.secret 5.universe 6.story 7.all 8.theme 9.mystery
By sat’h-e dimaaGh – surface of the mind is probably not equal to the English expression ‘shallow-minded’ but used here to mean ‘at the top of the mind’, the most important. The thoughts of secrets/mysteries of the universe should be on top of the minds of the whole world. All their stories should have the theme of these mysteries.
6
yeh marg1, yeh hayaat2, yeh taa’miir3-e kaa’enaat4
sadqa5 hai meri fitrat6-e kaunain-saaz7 ka
1.death 2.life 3.making, building 4.universe 5.grant, gift, favour 6.nature 7.maker/builder of the here and hereafter, god
This life and death, and the whole universe is the benevolent gift of my maker.
7
dekho to chashm1-e Ghaur2 se aye aarzu3 kabhi
har zarra4 ittesaal5 hai naaz6 o niyaaz7 ka
1.eye 2.careful, attentive 3.pen-name of the poet 4.particle, grain of dust 5.union, one-ness 6.pride, aloofness 7.offering devotion
Like many other ash’aar of this Ghazal this is also sufiyaana. By naaz o niyaaz is meant god and human. The she’r also expounds the sufi principle of vahdat-ul-vujood or ittesaal-ul-vujuud meaning one-ness of the creator and created. Thus, if you look with an attentive eye, O aarzu, you will find that every grain/particle reflects the one-ness of the creator and created.
