For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
ashok lal
گھر واپسی ۔ اشوک لعل اشوکؔ
۱
ٹوپی، جنیوو، ٹیکہ مالا، چھاپ تِلک کی جھوٹی ہالا
ہیں یہ سب بازار کی چیزیں نقلی اور بے کار کی چیزیں
۲
تن من میں گر کوڑھ ہوا ہے کب اُس کو ریشم نے ڈھکا ہے
پھیکا ہے ہر ایک لباس دل میں اگر نہیں وشواس
۳
کالی سفید اگر ہیں نظریں، جیون پہ لگتی ہیں قیدیں
پھیکے پھیکے چاند ستارے، اِندر دھنُش کے رنگ بھی سارے
۴
ایسا ہے پر میرا گھر
جس میں نہیں دیوار یا در
۵
کِرنوں کا سایا پڑتا ہے
انساں بس انساں رہتا ہے
۶
میرا گھر ہے روح مری
رستہ منزل سبھی وہی
घर वापसी – अशोक लाल अशोक
१
टोपी, जनेऊ, टीका, माला, छाप तिलक की झूटी हाला
हैं ये सब बाज़ार की चीज़ें, नक़्ली और बेकार की चीज़ें
२
तन मन में गर कोढ़ हुआ है, कब उस को रेशम ने ढका है
फीका है हर एक लिबास, दिल में अगर नहीं विश्वास
३
काली सफ़ेद अगर हैं नज़रें, जीवन पे लगती हैं क़ैदें
फीके फीके चाँद सितारे, इन्द्र-धनुष के रंग भी सारे
४
ऐसा है पर मेरा घर
जिस में नहीं दीवार या दर
५
किरनों का साया पढता है
इन्साँ बस इन्साँ रहता है
६
मेरा घर है रूह मेरी
रस्ता मंज़िल सभी वही
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. ashok lal (xxxx-living) dehli. urdu poet, playwrite, screen writer, theatre director. His father, vinod lal taalib was an urdu poet and his mother was a hindi writer and poet. Their house had frequent gatherings of poetry recitation. Two of his older pramod lal yakta and subodh lal saaqi are poets also featured on urdushahkar. All three are committed secularists. They trace their heritage to Ghalib’s shaagird, munshi hargopal tufta. ashok lal’s collection of poems is titled ‘raushnaaii’.
1
Topi1, jane’u2, Tiika3, maala4, chhaap-tilak5 ki jhuuTi haalaa6
haiN ye sab baazaar ki chiizeN naqli7 aur bekaar8 ki chiizeN 1.muslim skull cap 2.hindu ceremonial thread 3.forehead ornament 4.prayer beads 5.vermillion prayer mark on forehead 6.halo, glow 7.fake 8.useless
All religious symbols – the muslim cap, the hindu ceremonial thread, a married woman’s head ornament, prayer beads, the halo associated with the vermillion mark – these are all fake and useless things.
2
tan-man1 meN gar koRh2 huaa hai kab us ko resham3 ne Dhakaa4 hai
phiikaa5 hai har ek libaas6 dil meN agar nahiiN vishvaas7 1.body and soul 2.leprosy, disease 3.silk 4.cover up, hide 5.pale 6.garment 7.faith, trust, confidence
If the body and soul are diseased, how can silk cover it up. Every garment will appear pale if there is no real faith.
3
kaali safed agar haiN nazreN1, jiivan2 pe lagti haiN qaideN3
phiike4 phiike chaaNd sitaare, indr-dhanush5 ke raNg bhi saare 1.gaze 2.life 3.restrictions 4.pale 5.rainbow
Black and white kaali-safed can be interpreted to mean bland/colourless or to mean sharp/intolerant distinction between right and wrong, allowed and forbidden. I prefer the second interpretation … if you gaze is intolerant, if there are restrictions on life, then the moon and the stars and pale as are the colours of the rainbow.
4
aisaa hai par1 meraa ghar2
jis meN nahiN diivaar yaa dar3 1.but 2.home, heart, soul 3.door
Such are things, but my heart/my home, which has no walls, no doors i.e., is wide open and welcoming to all …
5
kirnoN1 kaa saayaa paRtaa hai
insaaN2 bas insaaN rahtaa hai 1.rays of light 2.human
… my home/my soul is bathed in rays of light, it is where humans and humans with no distinction of race or religion.
6
meraa ghar hai ruuh1 merii
rasta2 manzil3 sabhii vahii4 1.soul 2.path 3.destination 4.same
My home is my soul; it is the path and it is the destination i.e., it is the essence of everything that is me.
ashok lal (xxxx-living) dehli. urdu poet, playwrite, screen writer, theatre director. His father, vinod lal taalib was an urdu poet and his mother was a hindi writer and poet. Their house had frequent gatherings of poetry recitation. Two of his older pramod lal yakta and subodh lal saaqi are poets also featured on urdushahkar. All three are committed secularists. They trace their heritage to Ghalib’s shaagird, munshi hargopal tufta. ashok lal’s collection of poems is titled ‘raushnaaii’.
1
Topi1, jane’u2, Tiika3, maala4, chhaap-tilak5 ki jhuuTi haalaa6
haiN ye sab baazaar ki chiizeN naqli7 aur bekaar8 ki chiizeN
1.muslim skull cap 2.hindu ceremonial thread 3.forehead ornament 4.prayer beads 5.vermillion prayer mark on forehead 6.halo, glow 7.fake 8.useless
All religious symbols – the muslim cap, the hindu ceremonial thread, a married woman’s head ornament, prayer beads, the halo associated with the vermillion mark – these are all fake and useless things.
2
tan-man1 meN gar koRh2 huaa hai kab us ko resham3 ne Dhakaa4 hai
phiikaa5 hai har ek libaas6 dil meN agar nahiiN vishvaas7
1.body and soul 2.leprosy, disease 3.silk 4.cover up, hide 5.pale 6.garment 7.faith, trust, confidence
If the body and soul are diseased, how can silk cover it up. Every garment will appear pale if there is no real faith.
3
kaali safed agar haiN nazreN1, jiivan2 pe lagti haiN qaideN3
phiike4 phiike chaaNd sitaare, indr-dhanush5 ke raNg bhi saare
1.gaze 2.life 3.restrictions 4.pale 5.rainbow
Black and white kaali-safed can be interpreted to mean bland/colourless or to mean sharp/intolerant distinction between right and wrong, allowed and forbidden. I prefer the second interpretation … if you gaze is intolerant, if there are restrictions on life, then the moon and the stars and pale as are the colours of the rainbow.
4
aisaa hai par1 meraa ghar2
jis meN nahiN diivaar yaa dar3
1.but 2.home, heart, soul 3.door
Such are things, but my heart/my home, which has no walls, no doors i.e., is wide open and welcoming to all …
5
kirnoN1 kaa saayaa paRtaa hai
insaaN2 bas insaaN rahtaa hai
1.rays of light 2.human
… my home/my soul is bathed in rays of light, it is where humans and humans with no distinction of race or religion.
6
meraa ghar hai ruuh1 merii
rasta2 manzil3 sabhii vahii4
1.soul 2.path 3.destination 4.same
My home is my soul; it is the path and it is the destination i.e., it is the essence of everything that is me.
