For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
گریۂ مسرّت ۔ جوش ملیح آبادی
آج تڑکے الحفیظ و الاماں
دوستو عثماں ساگر کا سماں
دیدنی تھی نرم پودوں کی لچک
بدلیاں چھائی ہوئی تھیں دور تک
ظلمتیں تھیں نور سے گرمِ ستیز
ولولوں پر تھی ہوائے تند و تیز
سامنے تھیں پتھروں کی حسرتیں
نرم و نازک جھاڑیوں کی شکل میں
جزر و مد میں تھی بفرطِ اِضطراب
ساغرِ عثمان ساگر کی شراب
روحِ طوفاں در بغل، کف در دہاں
لو سنو کس طرح تھیں موجیں رواں
جھاگ اُڑاتی بھاندتی اُڑتی ہوی
کپکپاتی لوٹتی اُڑتی ہوی
چلبلی اُبھری ہوی نکھری ہوئی
چیختی سر پھوڑتی بپھری ہوئی
بجلیاں دامن میں چمکاتی ہوئی
دم بہ دم آ تی ہوئی جاتی ہوئی
اِس طرف سے اُس طرف ہوتی ہوئی
پتھروں کو چھانٹتی دھوتی ہوئی
گرتی پڑتی مست سر دُھنتی ہوئی
مرتعش قالین سا بُنتی ہوئی
زیر و بم کا تار دِکھلاتی ہوئی
اُٹھ کے بڑھتی گِر کے چکراتی ہوئی
گنگناتی صف بہ صف آ تی ہوئی
لڑتی بھڑتی گونجتی گاتی ہوئی
مچھلیوں کو درسِ غم دیتی ہوئی
ہچکیوں پر ہچکیاں لیتی ہوئی
ساحلِ رنگیں سے ٹکراتی ہوئی
اینڈتی، اِٹھلاتی، بل کھاتی ہوئی
دم بہ دم ہنستی ہوئی روتی ہوئی
ملتی کتراتی جدا ہوتی ہوئی
جا بجا دلدل میں کاجل پارتی
چوکڑی بھرتی چھلانگیں مارتی
پئے بہ پئے غاروں کے اندر گھومتی
ناچتی حلقے بناتی جھومتی
بلبلاتی، بھاگتی، منہ موڑتی
مڑُ کے پھر ساحل پہ موتی توڑتی
گاتی، لہراتی، گرجتی، ہانپتی
دوڑتی، بڑھتی، سمٹتی، کانپتی
تو کہے دریا میں تھا غرقِ نمو
یار کی کڑیل جوانی کا لہو
یہ سماں تھا اور اک رنگیں پرند
روحِ شاعر کی طرح بے قید و بند
بے خودی کے جام چھلکاتا ہوا
گزرا میرے پاس سے گاتا ہوا
نغمہ سنُ کر اِس قدر جی خوش ہوا
ہچکیاں لے لے کے میں رونے لگا
गिरिया-ए मसर्रत – जोश मलीहाबादी
आज तड़के अल्हफ़ीज़ ओ अल अमां
दोस्तो उस्मान सागर का समां
दीदनी थी नर्म पौदों की लचक
बदलियाँ छाई हुई थीं दूर तक
ज़ुल्मतें थीं नूर से गर्म ए सतेज़
वल्वलों पर थी हवा ए तुन्द ओ तेज़
सामने थीं पत्थरों की हसरतें
नर्म ओ नाज़ुक झाड़ियों की शक्ल में
जज़्र ओ मद्द में थी बा फ़र्त-ए इज़्तेराब
साग़र ए उस्मान सागर की शराब
रूह ए तूफ़ां दर बग़ल, कफ़ दर दहां
लो सुनो किस तरह थीं मौजें रवां
झाग उड़ाती फांदती उड़ती हुई
कपकपाती, लोटती उड़ती हुई
चुलबुली उभरी हुई, निखरी हुई
चीख़ती, सर फोड़ती बफरि हुई
बिजलियाँ दामन में चमकाती हुई
दम ब दम आती हुई जाती हुई
इस तरफ़ से उस तरफ़ होती हुई
पत्थरों को छांटती धोती हुई
गिरती पड़ती, मस्त, सर धुनती हुई
मुरता’एश क़ालीन सा बुनती हुई
ज़ेर ओ बम का तार दिखलाती हुई
उठ के बढती गिर के चकराती हुई
गुनगुनाती, सफ़ ब सफ़ आती हुई
लड़ती भिड़ती गूंजती गाती हुई
मछलियों को दरस ए ग़म देती हुई
हिचकियों पर हिचकियाँ लेती हुई
साहिल ए रंगीं से टकराती हुई
ऐनडती, इठलाती, बल खाती हुई
दम ब दम हंसती हुई रोती हुई
मिलती कतराती, जुदा होती हुई
जा ब जा दलदल में काजल पारती
चौकड़ी भर्ती छलांगें मारती
पै ब पै ग़ारौं के अंदर घूमती
नाचती हल्क़े बनाती झूमती
बिलबिलाती, भागती, मुंह मोड़ती
मुड़ के फिर साहिल पे मोती तोड़ती
गाती, लहराती, गरजती, हांपती
दौड़ती, बढ़ती, सिमटती, कांपती
तू कहे दरया में था ग़र्क़ ए नमू
यार की कड़ियल जवानी का लहू
ये समां था और एक रंगीं परिन्द
रूह ए शा’एर की तरह बे क़ैद ओ बंद
बे ख़ुदी के जाम छलकाता हुआ
गुज़रा मेरे पास से गाता हुआ
नग़मा सुन कर इस क़दर जी ख़ुश हुआ
हिचकियाँ ले ले के मैं रोने लगा
Click here for overall comments and on any stanza for meanings and discussion. josh malihabadi (1898-1982) is known as – shaa’er-e inqelaab – poet of revolution. His nazm are fiery, passionate, and full of energy. His Ghazal and rubaaii are equally good. He was a secular humanist writing sharply and irreverently against colonialism, abuse of power, injustice and orthodoxy. josh spent 10 years in Hyderabad. Osman Sagar, a tank formed by damming river Musi just at the outskirts of city must have been a beautiful sight in those days. In this rather simple but long nazm Josh’s focus is on the playfulness of the waves on the shore. I have never seen waves like this in Osman Sagar, but this was written in 1932.
aaj taRke1 alhafiz o alamaN2
dosto Osman sagar ka samaaN
deedni3 thi narm paudoN ki lachak4
badliyaaN chhaii hui theeN duur tak1.dawn 2. may god save/protect us/praise be to god” 3. worth seeing 4. suppleness
Early this morning, praise be to god, the scene at Osman Sagar was, my friends, worth seeing, with supple fresh green boughs and clouds floating as far as the eye could see.
zulmateN1 theeN noor2 se garm e satez3
valvaloN4 par thi hava e tund o tez5
saamne theeN pathharoN ki hasrateN6
narm o nazuk jhaaRiyoN ki shakl meN1.darkness 2. light 3. in heated conflict 4. zeal, enthusiasm 5. spirited and brisk 6. desire, longing
Rays of light in heated conflict with darkness, the breeze, spirited and brisk. The heartfelt desire of rocks manifesting itself as tender and supple bush.
jazr o madd1 meN thi ba fart e izterab2
saaGhar3 e osman sagar ki sharaab
rooh-e toofaaN4 dar baGhal5, kaf dar dahaaN6
lo suno kis tarah theeN maujeN ravaaN7 1.ebb and flow of waves, ripples 2. with excess of restlessness 3. flask (of wine) 4. the spirit of the storm 5. under its arm, in control 6. hand over mouth (in of amazement) 7. flowing
Surfeit of restlessness, causing great ripples, the flask of the wine of Osman Sagar imbued with a stormy spirit, watch in amazement and listen as I tell you how the waves danced.
jhaag1 uRaati phaandti2 uRti hui
kapakapaati3, loTti uRti hui
chulbuli4 ubhri5 hui, nikhri6 hui
cheeKhti, sar phoRti bapharti7 hui1.foam 2. leaping, jumping over 3. shivering 4. mischievous, playful 5. rising to the surface 6. fresh, clean 7. roaring The waves of stormy spirit are blowing foam, leaping, flying, shivering, tumbling, playful, rising, fresh and clean, screaming, banging their head and roaring.
This was written in 1932. It is just possible that Osman Sagar at that time was a substantial body of water, with waves under stormy conditions that might be described as Josh is doing, along with a heavy dose of poetic license.
bijliaaN1 daaman2 meN chamkaati hui
dam ba dam3 aati hui jaati hui
is taraf se us taraf hoti hui
patharoN ko chhanTti4 dhoti hui1.lightning bolts 2. apron, valley 3. minute by minute 4. sort, separate
(Waves are) reflecting flashes of lightning at the valley. Coming one moment, going another. Going from here to there, sorting rocks, washing them clean.
girti paRti, mast, sar dhunti hui
murta’esh1 qaaleen2 sa bunti hui
zer o bam3 ka taar dikhlaati hui
uTh ke baRhti gir ke chakraati hui1.shimmering, shining 2. rug 3. ups and downs, ripples
(Waves are) staggering, drunk, lost in thought. Weaving a shimmering rug, showing off its string of ripples. Getting up, taking a few steps, falling dizzy. Josh is coming back to using the metaphor of wine for the water of Osman Sagar and the metaphor of flask for the lake itself.
gungunaati, saf ba saf1 aati hui
laRti bhiRti goonjti gaati hui
machhliyauN ko dars e Gham2 deti hui
hichkiyoN par hichkiyaN3 leti hui1.line by line, file by file 2. lesson of grief 3. sobbing
Humming a tune, advancing line after line of waves. Quarrelling, echoeing, singing, giving fish a lesson of grief and sobbing hard. I don’t get “lesson of grief” except possibly that waves throwing drops of water would be like shedding tears. If anyone has any other interpreations I would appreciate knowing.
sahil1 e rangiN se Takraati hui
ayenDti2, iThlaati, bal khaati3 hui
dam ba dam4 hansti hui roti hui
milti katraati, juda hoti hui1.shore 2. withdrawing, aloof 3. the sensuous waving movement of the loin 4. moment by moment
Crashing on the colourful shore. Aloof one moment, skip and dance the next, gliding. Laughing one moment, crying the next. Embracing, withdrawing, going away. Josh is piling on a lot of sensuous adjectives as if describing the movements and the moods of a young girl. What a wonderful imagination, for him to stand there and see that water was doing all these things to him.
ja ba ja daldal1 meN kaajal paarti
chaukRi bharti2 chhalaangeN maarti
pae ba pae3 GhaaroN4 ke andar ghoomti
naachti halqe banati5 jhoomti1.swamp 2. run with all four feet off the ground, galloping 3. moment by moment 4. caves 5. making circles/whirlpools
When waves strike the shore they leave an eyebrow shaped dark deposit, only to be washed off by the next wave and redeposited elsewhere. Josh likens this to “kaajal”. Forming eyebrows on the mud flats here and there, galloping, leaping, circling through caves on and off, making whirlpools.
bilbilaati1, bhaagti, muNh moRti
muR ke phir sahil pe moti toRti2
gaati, lehraati, garajti, kaaNpti
dauRti, baRhti, simaTti, kaaNpti1.sobbing 2. literally, breaking pearls, metaphorically – droplets of water breaking off the waves as they crash on the shore
Josh continues his beautiful description of the waves on the lake shore with memorable metaphors and imagery. “Turning away”, “breaking pearls” add to the long list of metaphors. With Josh’s help you can readily imagine waves of water doing all these things. Sobbing, running, turning away in anger, turning back again towards the shore, scattering pearls. Singing, swaying, thundering and shivering. Running, advancing, withdrawing, trembling.
tu kahe darya meN tha Gharq1 e numoo2
yaar ki kaRiyal javaani3 ka lahu
ye samaN tha aur ek rangiN parind4
rooh-e shaa’er5 ki tarah be qaid o band6 1.immersed, drowned 2. manifestation, appearance 3. vigour of youth 4. parind=bird 5. spirit of the poet 6. without restrictions or limits
You (could) say the lake was filled with the manifestation of the beloved’s vigorous youth. This was the scene when a colorful bird, free and unrestrained like the spirit of the poet.
beKhudi1 ke jaam2 chhalkaata hua
guzra mere paas se gaata hua
naGhma sun kar jee is qadr Khush hua
hichkiyaN le le ke maiN rone laga1.losing awareness of oneself, drunk, elated, happy 2. cup
The colourful bird that passed Josh, singing its song (just like the poet) pouring liberally from its cup of happiness, flew over me singing its melodious song. Hearing the song I became so happy that I cried hard sobbing all the way.
josh malihabadi (1898-1982) is known as – shaa’er-e inqelaab – poet of revolution. His nazm are fiery, passionate, and full of energy. His Ghazal and rubaaii are equally good. He was a secular humanist writing sharply and irreverently against colonialism, abuse of power, injustice and orthodoxy. josh spent 10 years in Hyderabad. Osman Sagar, a tank formed by damming river Musi just at the outskirts of city must have been a beautiful sight in those days. In this rather simple but long nazm Josh’s focus is on the playfulness of the waves on the shore. I have never seen waves like this in Osman Sagar, but this was written in 1932.
aaj taRke1 alhafiz o alamaN2
dosto Osman sagar ka samaaN
deedni3 thi narm paudoN ki lachak4
badliyaaN chhaii hui theeN duur tak
1.dawn 2. may god save/protect us/praise be to god” 3. worth seeing 4. suppleness
Early this morning, praise be to god, the scene at Osman Sagar was, my friends, worth seeing, with supple fresh green boughs and clouds floating as far as the eye could see.
zulmateN1 theeN noor2 se garm e satez3
valvaloN4 par thi hava e tund o tez5
saamne theeN pathharoN ki hasrateN6
narm o nazuk jhaaRiyoN ki shakl meN
1.darkness 2. light 3. in heated conflict 4. zeal, enthusiasm 5. spirited and brisk 6. desire, longing
Rays of light in heated conflict with darkness, the breeze, spirited and brisk. The heartfelt desire of rocks manifesting itself as tender and supple bush.
jazr o madd1 meN thi ba fart e izterab2
saaGhar3 e osman sagar ki sharaab
rooh-e toofaaN4 dar baGhal5, kaf dar dahaaN6
lo suno kis tarah theeN maujeN ravaaN7
1.ebb and flow of waves, ripples 2. with excess of restlessness 3. flask (of wine) 4. the spirit of the storm 5. under its arm, in control 6. hand over mouth (in of amazement) 7. flowing
Surfeit of restlessness, causing great ripples, the flask of the wine of Osman Sagar imbued with a stormy spirit, watch in amazement and listen as I tell you how the waves danced.
jhaag1 uRaati phaandti2 uRti hui
kapakapaati3, loTti uRti hui
chulbuli4 ubhri5 hui, nikhri6 hui
cheeKhti, sar phoRti bapharti7 hui
1.foam 2. leaping, jumping over 3. shivering 4. mischievous, playful 5. rising to the surface 6. fresh, clean 7. roaring
The waves of stormy spirit are blowing foam, leaping, flying, shivering, tumbling, playful, rising, fresh and clean, screaming, banging their head and roaring. This was written in 1932. It is just possible that Osman Sagar at that time was a substantial body of water, with waves under stormy conditions that might be described as Josh is doing, along with a heavy dose of poetic license.
bijliaaN1 daaman2 meN chamkaati hui
dam ba dam3 aati hui jaati hui
is taraf se us taraf hoti hui
patharoN ko chhanTti4 dhoti hui
1.lightning bolts 2. apron, valley 3. minute by minute 4. sort, separate
(Waves are) reflecting flashes of lightning at the valley. Coming one moment, going another. Going from here to there, sorting rocks, washing them clean.
girti paRti, mast, sar dhunti hui
murta’esh1 qaaleen2 sa bunti hui
zer o bam3 ka taar dikhlaati hui
uTh ke baRhti gir ke chakraati hui
1.shimmering, shining 2. rug 3. ups and downs, ripples
(Waves are) staggering, drunk, lost in thought. Weaving a shimmering rug, showing off its string of ripples. Getting up, taking a few steps, falling dizzy. Josh is coming back to using the metaphor of wine for the water of Osman Sagar and the metaphor of flask for the lake itself.
gungunaati, saf ba saf1 aati hui
laRti bhiRti goonjti gaati hui
machhliyauN ko dars e Gham2 deti hui
hichkiyoN par hichkiyaN3 leti hui
1.line by line, file by file 2. lesson of grief 3. sobbing
Humming a tune, advancing line after line of waves. Quarrelling, echoeing, singing, giving fish a lesson of grief and sobbing hard. I don’t get “lesson of grief” except possibly that waves throwing drops of water would be like shedding tears. If anyone has any other interpreations I would appreciate knowing.
sahil1 e rangiN se Takraati hui
ayenDti2, iThlaati, bal khaati3 hui
dam ba dam4 hansti hui roti hui
milti katraati, juda hoti hui
1.shore 2. withdrawing, aloof 3. the sensuous waving movement of the loin 4. moment by moment
Crashing on the colourful shore. Aloof one moment, skip and dance the next, gliding. Laughing one moment, crying the next. Embracing, withdrawing, going away. Josh is piling on a lot of sensuous adjectives as if describing the movements and the moods of a young girl. What a wonderful imagination, for him to stand there and see that water was doing all these things to him.
ja ba ja daldal1 meN kaajal paarti
chaukRi bharti2 chhalaangeN maarti
pae ba pae3 GhaaroN4 ke andar ghoomti
naachti halqe banati5 jhoomti
1.swamp 2. run with all four feet off the ground, galloping 3. moment by moment 4. caves 5. making circles/whirlpools
When waves strike the shore they leave an eyebrow shaped dark deposit, only to be washed off by the next wave and redeposited elsewhere. Josh likens this to “kaajal”. Forming eyebrows on the mud flats here and there, galloping, leaping, circling through caves on and off, making whirlpools.
bilbilaati1, bhaagti, muNh moRti
muR ke phir sahil pe moti toRti2
gaati, lehraati, garajti, kaaNpti
dauRti, baRhti, simaTti, kaaNpti
1.sobbing 2. literally, breaking pearls, metaphorically – droplets of water breaking off the waves as they crash on the shore
Josh continues his beautiful description of the waves on the lake shore with memorable metaphors and imagery. “Turning away”, “breaking pearls” add to the long list of metaphors. With Josh’s help you can readily imagine waves of water doing all these things. Sobbing, running, turning away in anger, turning back again towards the shore, scattering pearls. Singing, swaying, thundering and shivering. Running, advancing, withdrawing, trembling.
tu kahe darya meN tha Gharq1 e numoo2
yaar ki kaRiyal javaani3 ka lahu
ye samaN tha aur ek rangiN parind4
rooh-e shaa’er5 ki tarah be qaid o band6
1.immersed, drowned 2. manifestation, appearance 3. vigour of youth 4. parind=bird 5. spirit of the poet 6. without restrictions or limits
You (could) say the lake was filled with the manifestation of the beloved’s vigorous youth. This was the scene when a colorful bird, free and unrestrained like the spirit of the poet.
beKhudi1 ke jaam2 chhalkaata hua
guzra mere paas se gaata hua
naGhma sun kar jee is qadr Khush hua
hichkiyaN le le ke maiN rone laga
1.losing awareness of oneself, drunk, elated, happy 2. cup
The colourful bird that passed Josh, singing its song (just like the poet) pouring liberally from its cup of happiness, flew over me singing its melodious song. Hearing the song I became so happy that I cried hard sobbing all the way.
