For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
گردِ کارواں معلوم ہوتی ہے ۔ سکند علی وجدؔ
۱
ترے آتے ہی سب دنیا جواں معلوم ہوتی ہے
خزاں رشکِ بہارِ جاواداں معلوم ہوتی ہے
۲
جنونِ سجدہ ریزی کا یہ عالم ہے معاذاللہ
ہر اک چوکھٹ ترا ہی آستاں معلوم ہوتی ہے
۳
اسے ہر اہلِ دل پہروں مزے لے لے کے سنتا ہے
مری بِپتا حدیثِ دلبراں معلوم ہوتی ہے
۴
کٹے ہیں دن بلاؤں کے سہارے جن اسیروں کے
اُنھیں بجلی بھی شاخِ آشیاں معلوم ہوتی ہے
۵
مآلِ زندگانی کی حقیقت کھل گئی جب سے
کسک دل کی متاعِ دو جہاں معلوم ہوتی ہے
۶
خدا شاہد ہے میرے بھولنے والے بجز تیرے
مجھے تخلیقِ عالم رائیگاں معلوم ہوتی ہے
۷
کِسی کی جستجو میں وجدؔ اُس منزل پہ پہنچا ہوں
جہاں منزل بھی گردِ کارواں معلوم ہوتی ہے
गर्द-ए कारवां मालूम होती है – सिदकंदर अली वज्द
१
तेरे आते हि सब दुनिया जवां मालूम होती है
ख़िज़ां रश्क-ए बहार-ए जावदां मालूम होती है
२
जुनून-ए सज्दा-रेज़ी का ये आ’लम है मा’अज़ल्लाह
हर एक चौखट तेरा ही आस्तां मालूम होती है
३
इसे हर अहल-ए दिल पहरौं मज़े ले ले के सुनता है
मेरी बिपता हदीस-ए दिल्बरां मालूम होती हैं
४
कटे हैं दिन बलाऔं के सहारे जिन असीरौं के
उन्हें बिजली भी शाख़-ए आशियां मालूम होती है
५
मा’आल-ए ज़िंदगानी की हक़ीक़त खुल गई जब से
कसक दिल की मत’आ-ए दो जहां मालूम होती है
६
ख़ुदा शाहेद है मेरे भूलने वाले बजुज़ तेरे
मुझे तख़्लीक़-ए आ’लम रा’एगां मालूम होती है
७
किसी की जुस्तजू में वज्द उस मंज़िल पे पहुंचा हुं
जहां मंज़िल भी गर्द-ए कारवां मालूम होती है
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. sikandar ali vajd (1914-1983) was a progressive, thoughtful poet from hyderabad, and a contemporary of maKhdoom. He qualified for the Hyderabad Civil Service and served as munsif magistrate and later as sessions judge. He got absorbed into the maharashTra state service when auraNgabad was split away from the erstwhile hyderabad state into maharashTra. He was elected to the rajya sabha and awarded padma shri. Unlike my previous impression which was based on a reading of his political compositions, I have come to realize that there is a healthy sufiyaana content in vajd’s composition.
1
tere aate hi sub duniya javaaN maaloom hoti hai
KhizaaN1 rashk2-e bahaar3-e jaavedaaN4 maaloom hoti hai 1.dry season, autumn 2.envy of 3.spring 4.eternal
In the context of urdu poetry and perhaps the climatic conditions of the subcontinent, the prominent contrast is between dry and rainy seasons. The rainy season/spring is a time of celebration, love, song and dance. KhizaaN – patjhaR is the dry season where leaves wilt and fall off. With your coming the world appears young, rejuvenated. Even the dry season appears to be the envy of eternal spring.
2
junoon1-e sajda-rezi3 ki ye aa’lam4 hai maa’zallah5
har ek chaukhaT6 tera hi aastaaN7 maaloom hoti hai 1.passion, madness 2.performing sajda-ritual bowing/prostrating towards god 3.condition 4.condition, status 5.god forbid 6.door-sill 7.dwelling, palace, abode
My passion for performing sajda i.e., showing love to god has reached such a condition that (god forbid) that every doorway appears to be your dwelling i.e., the house of god. Said Ghalib (faarsi) …
maqsood-e maa ze dair o haram juz habiin niist
har jaa kuniim sajda bad’an aastaaN rasad
urdu translation shahed …
sajda hai bas habiib ka, ho dair ya haram
jaata us aastaaN pe hai chaahe kar jahaaN
3
ise har ahl-e-dil1 pahroN2 maze le le ke sunta hai
meri bipta3 hadiis4-e dilbaraaN5 maaloom hoti hai 1.person of heart, lover 2.hours 3.befallen calamity 4.narrative, story 5.lovers
Every lover takes great pleasure in listening to it for hours at a time. The story of my misfortune appears to the same story as that of all lovers.
4
kaTe haiN din balaa’oN1 ke sahaare2 jin asiiroN3 ke
unheN bijli4 bhi shaaKh5-e aashiyaaN6 maaloom hoti hai 1.calamities, misfortunes 2.on the basis of, depending on 3.captives 4.lightning 5.branch 6.nest
In poetic tradition the poet is a bird that is sometimes captured and caged. At other times when it makes a nest, invariably lightning strikes and burns the it. These are the calamities that constantly befall him. His whole life has been spent based on these calamities. Thus, for such unfortunate people, even lightning bolt can appear like a branch on which a nest can be built. Either he is getting brave or so used to misfortune that even calamities appear like opportunities.
5
ma’aal1-e zindagaani2 ki haqiiqat3 khul gaii jab se
kasak4 dil ki mat’aa5-e do-jahaaN6 maaloom hoti hai 1.result, end 2.life 3.truth, reality 4.pain, prick, sting 5.possessions, treasure 6.two worlds
In poetic tradition, pain is valued and treasured. When the reality/truth about the end of life became clear, the pain in the heart appeared to be more valuable than both worlds. What is this pain in the heart that is so valued and treasured. It is the longing for union with the beloved/divine. And what is the result/end of life – ma’aal-e zindagaani? In sufiyaana thought, it is ‘fanaa’ – losing one’s identity by merging into the divine.
6
Khuda shaahed hai mere bhoolne vaale bajuz tere
mujhe taKhliiq-e aa’lam raa’egaaN maaloom hoti hai 1.witness 2.except for 3.creation of 4.world, cosmos 5.useless
Who is this bhoolne vaala – one who forgets/ignores. It could be the earthly beloved or the divine beloved. Neither one is supposed to need a lover. They can be totally oblivious of the presence of lovers. Thus, god is my witness that except for you, the whole cosmic creation appears useless to me. This could be an exaggerated expression of love for the earthly beloved or a sufiyaana expression of abjuring/renouncing all creation in preference to the creator.
7
kisi ki justajuu1 meN vajd2 us manzil3 pe pahuNcha4 huN
jahaaN5 manzil6 bhi gard7-e kaarvaaN maaloom hoti hai 1.search 2.pen-name of the poet 3.stage of journey 4.reached 5.where 6.destination 7.dust
‘gard-e kaarvaaN’ is an imagery often used for a caravan that is traveling towards its goal, leaving dust behind in its path. Those who see ‘gard-e kaarvaaN’ are even further behind, so their goal is even further away. Thus, the poet/seeker is searching for that special someone. Who? Earthly or divine beloved. In this search, he has reached a stage where his destination appears like ‘gard-e kaarvaaN’ – a foggy, dusty cloud way out in the distance. This is a never ending search.
sikandar ali vajd (1914-1983) was a progressive, thoughtful poet from hyderabad, and a contemporary of maKhdoom. He qualified for the Hyderabad Civil Service and served as munsif magistrate and later as sessions judge. He got absorbed into the maharashTra state service when auraNgabad was split away from the erstwhile hyderabad state into maharashTra. He was elected to the rajya sabha and awarded padma shri. Unlike my previous impression which was based on a reading of his political compositions, I have come to realize that there is a healthy sufiyaana content in vajd’s composition.
1
tere aate hi sub duniya javaaN maaloom hoti hai
KhizaaN1 rashk2-e bahaar3-e jaavedaaN4 maaloom hoti hai
1.dry season, autumn 2.envy of 3.spring 4.eternal
In the context of urdu poetry and perhaps the climatic conditions of the subcontinent, the prominent contrast is between dry and rainy seasons. The rainy season/spring is a time of celebration, love, song and dance. KhizaaN – patjhaR is the dry season where leaves wilt and fall off. With your coming the world appears young, rejuvenated. Even the dry season appears to be the envy of eternal spring.
2
junoon1-e sajda-rezi3 ki ye aa’lam4 hai maa’zallah5
har ek chaukhaT6 tera hi aastaaN7 maaloom hoti hai
1.passion, madness 2.performing sajda-ritual bowing/prostrating towards god 3.condition 4.condition, status 5.god forbid 6.door-sill 7.dwelling, palace, abode
My passion for performing sajda i.e., showing love to god has reached such a condition that (god forbid) that every doorway appears to be your dwelling i.e., the house of god. Said Ghalib (faarsi) …
maqsood-e maa ze dair o haram juz habiin niist
har jaa kuniim sajda bad’an aastaaN rasad
urdu translation shahed …
sajda hai bas habiib ka, ho dair ya haram
jaata us aastaaN pe hai chaahe kar jahaaN
3
ise har ahl-e-dil1 pahroN2 maze le le ke sunta hai
meri bipta3 hadiis4-e dilbaraaN5 maaloom hoti hai
1.person of heart, lover 2.hours 3.befallen calamity 4.narrative, story 5.lovers
Every lover takes great pleasure in listening to it for hours at a time. The story of my misfortune appears to the same story as that of all lovers.
4
kaTe haiN din balaa’oN1 ke sahaare2 jin asiiroN3 ke
unheN bijli4 bhi shaaKh5-e aashiyaaN6 maaloom hoti hai
1.calamities, misfortunes 2.on the basis of, depending on 3.captives 4.lightning 5.branch 6.nest
In poetic tradition the poet is a bird that is sometimes captured and caged. At other times when it makes a nest, invariably lightning strikes and burns the it. These are the calamities that constantly befall him. His whole life has been spent based on these calamities. Thus, for such unfortunate people, even lightning bolt can appear like a branch on which a nest can be built. Either he is getting brave or so used to misfortune that even calamities appear like opportunities.
5
ma’aal1-e zindagaani2 ki haqiiqat3 khul gaii jab se
kasak4 dil ki mat’aa5-e do-jahaaN6 maaloom hoti hai
1.result, end 2.life 3.truth, reality 4.pain, prick, sting 5.possessions, treasure 6.two worlds
In poetic tradition, pain is valued and treasured. When the reality/truth about the end of life became clear, the pain in the heart appeared to be more valuable than both worlds. What is this pain in the heart that is so valued and treasured. It is the longing for union with the beloved/divine. And what is the result/end of life – ma’aal-e zindagaani? In sufiyaana thought, it is ‘fanaa’ – losing one’s identity by merging into the divine.
6
Khuda shaahed hai mere bhoolne vaale bajuz tere
mujhe taKhliiq-e aa’lam raa’egaaN maaloom hoti hai
1.witness 2.except for 3.creation of 4.world, cosmos 5.useless
Who is this bhoolne vaala – one who forgets/ignores. It could be the earthly beloved or the divine beloved. Neither one is supposed to need a lover. They can be totally oblivious of the presence of lovers. Thus, god is my witness that except for you, the whole cosmic creation appears useless to me. This could be an exaggerated expression of love for the earthly beloved or a sufiyaana expression of abjuring/renouncing all creation in preference to the creator.
7
kisi ki justajuu1 meN vajd2 us manzil3 pe pahuNcha4 huN
jahaaN5 manzil6 bhi gard7-e kaarvaaN maaloom hoti hai
1.search 2.pen-name of the poet 3.stage of journey 4.reached 5.where 6.destination 7.dust
‘gard-e kaarvaaN’ is an imagery often used for a caravan that is traveling towards its goal, leaving dust behind in its path. Those who see ‘gard-e kaarvaaN’ are even further behind, so their goal is even further away. Thus, the poet/seeker is searching for that special someone. Who? Earthly or divine beloved. In this search, he has reached a stage where his destination appears like ‘gard-e kaarvaaN’ – a foggy, dusty cloud way out in the distance. This is a never ending search.
