Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. anand mohan gulzar dehlavi (1926-2020), a kashmiri panDit, a scholar and lover of urdu and totally committed to communal harmony. Over his long and fruitful life has written with much love and admiration about many illustrious figures – political, religious and literary. This is a nazm welcoming pakistani shau’ara to a mushaa’era in dehli.
1
is tarah voh chaman meN aa’e haiN
jaise apne vatan¹ meN aa’e haiN 1.homeland
The shaa’er warmly welcomes the pakistani shu’araa, saying their arrival feels as if they have come to their own homeland, reflecting the shared cultural and linguistic heritage, emphasizing a sense of belonging and unity.
2
le ke paiGhaam¹-e kausar² o tasneem²
arz³-e gaNg-o-jaman⁴ meN aa’e haiN 1.message 2.names of rivers in paradise 3.land of 4.Ganges and Jamuna
The rivers of heaven and the rivers of the Indo-Gangetic plain hold similar reverence between islamic and hindu cultures. Thus, the delegation brings messages (of love) from one land of rivers to another, once again highlighting commonality.
3
KhooN roti hai jis tarah aaNkheN
laal¹ aise yaman² meN aa’e haiN    1.rubies 2.Aden
The rubies of yaman/adan/Aden are considered particularly valuable because of the reputed deep red colour. Thus, the arriving guests are valuable and unique like the rubies of yaman. ‘Khoon rona’ evokes both the redness of the colour but also the pain of partition.
4
dil pareshaan¹ leke uTTheNge
aap ki anjuman² meN aa’e haiN 1.agitated 2.assembly, gathering, presence
The poet speaks on behalf of himself, poets of India and the audience. He says that the hearts of the audience will rise in agitation because of the guest poets’ presence in the gathering (anjuman). This is about the emotional impact of their poetry as well as their presence which reminds them of earlier harmonious times.
5
phal bhi allaah unka behtar¹ ho
phool shaaKh²-e chaman meN aa’e haiN 1.better 2.branch
Perhaps the poet refers the subcontinent as one garden and pakistan and India as branches of the same garden. May their fruit be also better, the flowers of one branch have come to the other branch.
6
ulTi¹ bahti hai aaj kal gaNga
mushk² naaf³-e Khutan⁴ meN aa’e haiN 1.ulTi gaNga-a phrase that means trends opposite to normal 2.musk 3.navel 4.Tartary
It is thought that the deer of the hills of Tartary carry a gland in their navel that is very fragrant. gulzar considers urdu language to be that fragrance and the Indo-Gangetic plain to be its homeland. Thus, the normal should be that musk and musk fragrance should come from the navel of the deer of Tartary, as the fragrance urdu should come from the Indo-Gangetic plain. But, these days, the trend is opposite to normal and the fragrance of urdu is coming to India.
7
jis qadar¹ raNg haiN gulistaaN meN
paikar²-e gul-badan³ meN aa’e haiN 1.so much 2.form, body 3.flower bodies
Guest poets are characterized as ‘gul-badan’ – flower bodied, fragrant. There is as much colour in the bodies of the guests as there is variety and richness of colour in the whole garden.
8
jumla¹ atvaar² gul-fashaani³ ke
ek Ghuncha-dahan⁴ meN aa’e haiN 1.total, all 2.styles, traditions 3.scattering roses/petals 4.mouths like rose-buds
Reciting poetry is like ‘gul-fashaani’ – scattering roses/petals. This is done from the mouths of the guest poets, hence their mouths are described as ‘Ghuncha-dahan’ – like rose buds. What they recite is the whole range of styles and traditions of poetry praising their eloquence and the richness of their poetic expression.
9
jis qadar¹ haiN uyuub² duniya ke
mere ahl-e-vatan³ meN aa’e haiN 1.as many as 2.flaws 3.people of the homeland
As many flaws as there are in the world are also reflected fellow countrymen (ahl-e watan). This is a not so subtle acknowledgement of the differences between the two countries and perhaps asking for a recognition and acceptance of human frailties.
10
laal¹ ugle² zameen ne kya kya
fard³ kaise zaman⁴ meN aa’e haiN 1.rubies 2.produced, brought up 3.individuals 4.times, age, world
How did the earth manage to produce such rubies, as if each poet (fard) has emerged as a unique gem. How did such individuality and brilliance come together in these times.
11
shaiKh sunn kar azaan¹-e ulfat² ki
mahfil³-e barhaman⁴ meN aa’e haiN 1.call to prayer 2.love 3.gathering 4.brahman
This is a poetic characterization of the guests as shaiKhs/muslims and the host himself as a brahman non-muslim. He has read out the azaan – call to prayer, except this is a prayer of love; the universal appeal of poetry and love, transcending religious and national boundaries.
12
raNg qaus-e-quz’h¹ ke chun-chun² kar
aap ke pairahan³ meN aa’e haiN 1.rainbow 2.selected/picked carefully 3.garment, clothing
The attire of the delegation contains carefully picked colours of the whole range of colours of the rainbow, perhaps reflecting the range of poetic styles and traditions.
13
hum bhi gulzaar¹ dehlavi ke tufail²
aap ki anjuman³ meN aa’e haiN 1.pen-name 2.in the name of, through, facilitated by 3.gathering
Here probably ‘hum’ stands of the audience at large and ‘aap’ for the guest poets. The poet, gulzaar, himself is probably the convener/host. Thus through his work, the audience is also able to come into the presence of the guests’ gathering.