Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. josh malihabadi (1898-1982) is called shaa’er-e inqelaab, poet of change/revolution. He is very secular and nationalistic in his writings and rebels against orthodoxy. His range of language and vocabulary is simply amazing. josh writes in lavish praise of the beloved’s beauty and anticipation of her arrival. The final she’r had an insult to royalty, even though it did not actually name osman ali KhaaN, in whose court josh was serving at the time. He had to tender a written apology to save his job.
1
aa, fasl-e-gul¹ hai Gharq²-e tamanna³ tere liye
Dooba⁴ hua hai raNg meN sahra⁵ tere liye 1.season of flowers, spring 2.drown 3.desire 4.submerged 5.desert
This addressed to the ‘beloved’ but the ‘beloved’ could easily be a symbol for his own love of suKhan-poetry. He is looking for inspiration to compose because all the surroundings are prepared, eagerly waiting for the beloved. Thus, spring is drowning in desire for the beloved. Even the desert, normally a stretch of sand, is submerged in colors for her.
2
saahil¹ peh sarv²-e naaz³ ko de zahmat⁴-e Khiraam⁵
bal⁶ khaa raha hai Khaak⁷ peh dariya⁸ tere liye    1.shore 2.cypress 3.elegance 4.botheration, trouble 5.gentle gait, graceful walk 6.twisting and turning, restless 7.sand 8.sea
The cypress is a tall and slender tree. It sways gently in the breeze. Its slender stature and gentle sway is often used as a metaphor for the beloved’s figure and grace. Thus, he says to the beloved, take the trouble to come and walk gracefully by the shore. The sea is restless and beating its head on the sand waiting for you. Thus, the waves of the sea become a metaphor for restlessness.
3
iifaa¹-e ahd² kar, keh hai muddat³ se be-qaraar⁴
rooh⁵-e vafaa⁶-e vaa’da⁷-e farda⁸ tere liye    1.fulfill, faithful 2.promise 3.long time 4.eager, restless 5.spirit 6.fidelity 7.promise 8.future, tomorrow
The beloved is notorious for making promises of coming the next day, but never does. Thus, he implores – fulfill your promise, the spirit of fidelity (truthfulness) of the promise of tomorrow has been restless for long.
4
shaanoN¹ peh ab to kaakul²-e shab-raNg³ khol de
bikhri⁴ hui hai zulf⁵-e tamanna⁶ tere liye     1.shoulder 2.curls 3.colour of the night, dark 4.spread 5.hair 6.desire
As a phrase, ‘zulf bikharna’ can be a sign of distress. Thus, ‘tamanna ki zulf bikhri hui hai’ means the desire (personified) is distressed and sorrowful. It is a nice juxtaposition that to cure the bikhre hue zulf, he is asking the beloved to spread her curls on her shoulders. Of course, this implies unveiling and taking her head cover off.
5
uTh chashm¹-e jaavedaana²-e saaGhar-farosh³ uTh
machli⁴ hui hai larzish⁵-e sahba⁶ tere liye     1.eye 2.eternal, enduring 3.offering cup (of wine) 4.eager 5.trembling 6.flask of wine
The shaa’er implores the beloved to raise her eyes. Her eyes are an enduring offer of a cup of wine i.e., lovers get intoxicated looking into her eyes, they don’t need conventional wine. The flask trembles in anticipation that the intoxicating eye of the beloved will offer cups of wine to her admirers.
6
aye aaftaab¹-e jalvah²-e janaaN³ buland⁴ ho
khoya hua hai matla⁵-e duniya tere liye    1.sun 2.glory 3.beloved 4.rise 5.horizon
Oh, sun of the glory of the beloved, rise high, the horizon of the world is lost/aimless without you.
7
mauj¹-e shamiim²-e sunbul³ o rehaaN⁴ ke darmiyaaN⁵
vaa⁶ hai musahibat⁷ ka daricha⁸ tere liye    1.wave, gust 2.breeze 3.fragrant plant 4.basil (also fragrant) 5.between, among 6.wide open 7.companionship 8.window
Between the waves of fragrances of jasmine and basil, the window of companionship is wide open waiting for you.
8
aa aur daad¹ de keh ba-iin² chashm³-e haq-nigar⁴
khaaye huye huN zeest⁵ ka dhoka tere liye    1.appreciation 2.inspite of 3.eye 4.truth seeing, discerning 5.life, existence
Without the beloved the poet/lover does not have a real life, but he keeps living in an illusion and deceives himself that one day she will come. He does this inspite of his truth discerning eye/perception. He pleads come and show appreciation for this.
9
sabze¹ ka farsh², abr³ ka Khaima⁴, guloN ka itr⁵
gulshan⁶ meN ehtemaam⁷ hai kya kya tere liye    1.greenery 2.floor, carpet 3.clouds 4.tent, shelter 5.fragrance 6.garden 7.preparations
A carpet of greenery, a tent/covering of clouds, and fragrance of roses; O, how many different preparations there are in the garden for you.
10
tuGhiaan¹-e gul² shabaab³ peh, bulbul Kharosh⁴ meN
ek hashr⁵ sa hai baaGh meN barpa⁶ tere liye    1.flood, abundance 2.roses 3.youthful vigour 4.full throated song 5.tumult, enthusiasm 6.happening, taking place
The flood of roses at its peak vigour, the bulbul in full-throated song; O what a tumult is going on in the garden for you.
11
josh¹ aur naNg²-e Khidmat³-e sultaan⁴ o paas⁵-e hosh⁶
yeh bhi kiye huay hai gavaara⁷ tere liye    1.pen-name of the poet 2.shame, insult, disgrace 3.service 4.king 5.mindful, consider 6.sobriety 7.tolerate, bear
josh and bear the disgrace of serving the sultan and being mindful of sobriety/awareness (conventionally, he should be in a trance considering the beauty of the beloved). These too have I endured for you. josh recited this at a private gathering while he was still in the service of osman ali KhaaN, the nizam of hyderabad. Someone reported it to the court and he was about to be terminated. He had to tender a written apology, based on which he was retained in service. Later, he wrote another rebellious nazm and was banished from the domain of the nizam.