For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
abida parveen
حاصلِ ایماں نہیں دیکھا ۔ اصغرؔ گونڈوی
۱
مستی میں فروغِ رخِ جاناں نہیں دیکھا
سنتے ہیں بہار آئی گلستاں نہیں دیکھا
۲
زاہد نے مرا حاصلِ ایماں نہیں دیکھا
رخ پر تری زلفوں کو پریشاں نہیں دیکھا
۳
آئے تھے سبھی طرح کے جلوے مرے آگے
میں نے مگر اے دیدۂ حیراں نہیں دیکھا
۴
اس طرح زمانہ کبھی ہوتا نہ پر آشوب
فتنوں نے ترا گوشۂ داماں نہیں دیکھا
۵
ہر حال میں بس پیش نظر ہے وہی صورت
میں نے کبھی روئے شب ہجراں نہیں دیکھا
۶
کچھ دعوئ تمکیں میں ہے معذور بھی زاہد
مستی میں تجھے چاک گریباں نہیں دیکھا
۷
روداد چمن سنتا ہوں اس طرح قفس میں
جیسے کبھی آنکھوں سے گلستاں نہیں دیکھا
۸
مجھ خستہ و مہجور کی آنکھیں ہیں ترستی
کب سے تجھے اے سرو خراماں نہیں دیکھا
۹
کیا کیا ہوا ہنگام جنون یہ نہیں معلوم
کچھ ہوش جو آیا تو گریباں نہیں دیکھا
۱۰
شائستۂ صحبت کوئی اُن میں نہیں اصغرؔ
کافر نہیں دیکھے کہ مسلماں نہیں دیکھا
हासिल-ए ईमाँ नहीं देखा – अस्ग़र गोंडवी
१
मस्ती में फ़रोग़-ए रुख़-ए जानाँ नहीं देखा
सुनते हैं बहार आई गुलिस्ताँ नहीं देखा
२
ज़ाहद ने मेरा हासिल-ए ईमाँ नहीं देखा
रुख़ पर तेरी ज़ुल्फ़ौं को परेशाँ नहीं देखा
३
आए थे सभी तरह के जल्वे मेरे आगे
मैं ने मगर अए दीदा-ए-हैराँ नहीं देखा
४
इस तरह ज़माना कभी होता न पुर-आशोब
फ़ित्नों ने तेरा गोशा-ए-दामाँ नहीं देखा
५
हर हाल में बस पेश-ए नज़र है वही सूरत
मैं ने कभी रू-ए शब-ए हिज्राँ नहीं देखा
६
कुछ दावा-ए तमकीं में है माज़ूर भी ज़ाहद
मस्ती में तुझे चाक-गरेबाँ नहीं देखा
७
रूदाद-ए चमन सुनता हूँ इस तरह क़फ़स में
जैसे कभी आँखौं से गुलिस्ताँ नहीं देखा
८
मुझ ख़स्ता ओ महजूर की आँखें हैं तरस्ती
कब से तुझे ऐ सर्व-ख़िरामाँ नहीं देखा
९
क्या क्या हुआ हंगाम-ए जुनून ये नहीं मालूम
कुछ होश जो आया तो गरेबाँ नहीं देखा
१०
शा’एस्ता-ए सोहबत कोई उन में नहीं अस्ग़र
काफ़र नहीं देखे के मुसलमाँ नहीं देखा
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. asGhar husain asGhar gonDvi (1884-1936) from a family of limited means in gorakhpur, he learnt urdu, arabi, faarsi and English through personal effort. He has a philosophical sufiyaana bent.
1
masti1 meN faroGh2-e ruKh3-e jaanaaN4 nahiN dekha
sunte haiN bahaar5 aaii gulistaaN6 nahiN dekha 1.intoxication, intense focus 2.brilliance 3.face 4.beloved/god 5.spring 6.garden
In my intoxication (of the concept of the beloved) I could not even see the brilliance of the beloved (god). I hear that spring has arrived but I did not even see the garden, I was immersed in the thought of the beloved/god.
2
zaahid1 ne mera haasil2-e imaaN3 nahiN dekha
ruKh4 par teri zulfoN5 ko pareshaaN6 nahiN dekha 1.preacher 2.net result, essence 3.belief, faith 4.face 5.hair 6.scattered
The preacher/admonisher is criticising me because he does not understand (is incapable of seeing/understanding) the essence of my faith. He does not understand that the beauty of the beloved is covered by the locks of her hair. The beloved is god and ‘locks of hair’ are his/her attributes or manifestations. The preacher is stuck on these manifestations and is annoyed with me because I see beyond them at the essence, the real beauty.
3
aaye the sabhi tarah ke jalve1 mere aage
maiN ne magar2 aye dida3-e hairaaN4 nahiN dekha 1.images, manifestations 2.but 3.eye 4.bewildered
All kinds of manifestations appeared before me but my bewildered eyes failed to see them. This depicts a different state of the sufiyaana lover – before he was immersed in the love of god.
4
is tarah1 zamaana2 kabhi hota na pur-aashob3
fitnoN4 ne tera gosha5-e daamaaN6 nahiN dekha 1.like this 2.times, the world 3.disturbed, fearful 4.mischief, distractions 5.corner 6.lap, hem of the robe
gosha-e daamaaN is the corner of the lap/hem of the robe of the beloved/god which gives us refuge. ‘fitna’ is used here as to mean distractions. Because of these distractions I could not see the refuge offered by the corner of the daaman of the beloved.
5
har haal1 meN bas pesh2-e nazar3 hai vahi soorat
maiN ne kabhi ruu4-e shab5-e hijraaN6 nahiN dekha 1.in every condition 2.front 3.eyes, sight 4.face 5.night 6.separation
In all conditions/states the face of the beloved is right before me. Because of this I never experienced the night of separation. I was always with the beloved/god.
6
kuchh daava1-e tamkiN2 meN hai maazuur3 bhi zaahid4
masti5 meN tujhe chaak-garebaaN6 nahiN dekha 1.claim 2.peace, tranquility 3.disabled, disadvantaged 4.preacher 5.intoxication (of divine love) 6.torn collar, distressed
The preacher claims to be at peace/tranquility. Because of this mistaken claim even he is at a disadvantage, he cannot see the poet/sufi with his rent collar i.e., does not see the passion of the poet/sufi. Yet another interpretation – the preacher is inhibited, has a limited vision because of his confinement in conventions and rituals. He has never seen the beloved/god with a rent collar and in a trance. In this picture god himself is in a state of trance – the poet/sufi claims that god is also just like him.
7
ruudaad1-e chaman sunta huuN is tarah2 qafas3 meN
jaise kabhi aaNkhoN se gulistaaN4 nahiN dekha 1.story 2.like this 3.cage/prison 4.garden
I hear the story of the garden in my cage in such a way as if my eyes have never seen the garden. The garden here could be the bliss of union with the divine beloved and qafas the confines of the body/material world. He eagerly hears the story of union, as if he had never heard it before, never seen/experienced it.
8
mujh Khasta1 o mahjoor2 ki aaNkheN haiN tarasti
kab se tujhe aye sarv-KhiraamaaN3 nahiN dekha 1.broken 2.separated, exiled 3.graceful gait
The cypress (sarv) is used as a symbol of tall, graceful stature. The beloved has such a graceful gait. The beauty of the worldly beloved can be used to imply the divine beloved too, even though a “graceful gait” itself cannot be attributed to the divine. The poet/sufi is broken/sad because he has been separated from and has not seen/experienced the divine beloved for a long time.
9
kya kya hua haNgaam1-e junuuN2 ye nahiN maa’loom3
kuchh hosh4 jo aaya to garebaaN5 nahiN dekha 1.time, occasion 2.passionate frenzy 3.know 4.sobriety, awareness 5.collar
The poet/sufi is in a passionate frenzy of divine love. In this frenzy has torn off his collar (as majnuN had done) without even realizing it. When he calmed down a little, became sober, then he found that he had no collar.
10
shaa’esta1-e sohbat2 koi un meN nahiN asGhar3
kaafir4 nahiN dekhe keh musalmaaN nahiN dekha 1.polite, courteous, cultured, suitable 2.company 3.pen-name of the poet 4.non-believer
In all the people that I encounter, none is deserving of my company. They are all conventional observers/followers of ritual, be it either believers or non-believers. None of them understands the essence of universal love.
asGhar husain asGhar gonDvi (1884-1936) from a family of limited means in gorakhpur, he learnt urdu, arabi, faarsi and English through personal effort. He has a philosophical sufiyaana bent.
1
masti1 meN faroGh2-e ruKh3-e jaanaaN4 nahiN dekha
sunte haiN bahaar5 aaii gulistaaN6 nahiN dekha
1.intoxication, intense focus 2.brilliance 3.face 4.beloved/god 5.spring 6.garden
In my intoxication (of the concept of the beloved) I could not even see the brilliance of the beloved (god). I hear that spring has arrived but I did not even see the garden, I was immersed in the thought of the beloved/god.
2
zaahid1 ne mera haasil2-e imaaN3 nahiN dekha
ruKh4 par teri zulfoN5 ko pareshaaN6 nahiN dekha
1.preacher 2.net result, essence 3.belief, faith 4.face 5.hair 6.scattered
The preacher/admonisher is criticising me because he does not understand (is incapable of seeing/understanding) the essence of my faith. He does not understand that the beauty of the beloved is covered by the locks of her hair. The beloved is god and ‘locks of hair’ are his/her attributes or manifestations. The preacher is stuck on these manifestations and is annoyed with me because I see beyond them at the essence, the real beauty.
3
aaye the sabhi tarah ke jalve1 mere aage
maiN ne magar2 aye dida3-e hairaaN4 nahiN dekha
1.images, manifestations 2.but 3.eye 4.bewildered
All kinds of manifestations appeared before me but my bewildered eyes failed to see them. This depicts a different state of the sufiyaana lover – before he was immersed in the love of god.
4
is tarah1 zamaana2 kabhi hota na pur-aashob3
fitnoN4 ne tera gosha5-e daamaaN6 nahiN dekha
1.like this 2.times, the world 3.disturbed, fearful 4.mischief, distractions 5.corner 6.lap, hem of the robe
gosha-e daamaaN is the corner of the lap/hem of the robe of the beloved/god which gives us refuge. ‘fitna’ is used here as to mean distractions. Because of these distractions I could not see the refuge offered by the corner of the daaman of the beloved.
5
har haal1 meN bas pesh2-e nazar3 hai vahi soorat
maiN ne kabhi ruu4-e shab5-e hijraaN6 nahiN dekha
1.in every condition 2.front 3.eyes, sight 4.face 5.night 6.separation
In all conditions/states the face of the beloved is right before me. Because of this I never experienced the night of separation. I was always with the beloved/god.
6
kuchh daava1-e tamkiN2 meN hai maazuur3 bhi zaahid4
masti5 meN tujhe chaak-garebaaN6 nahiN dekha
1.claim 2.peace, tranquility 3.disabled, disadvantaged 4.preacher 5.intoxication (of divine love) 6.torn collar, distressed
The preacher claims to be at peace/tranquility. Because of this mistaken claim even he is at a disadvantage, he cannot see the poet/sufi with his rent collar i.e., does not see the passion of the poet/sufi. Yet another interpretation – the preacher is inhibited, has a limited vision because of his confinement in conventions and rituals. He has never seen the beloved/god with a rent collar and in a trance. In this picture god himself is in a state of trance – the poet/sufi claims that god is also just like him.
7
ruudaad1-e chaman sunta huuN is tarah2 qafas3 meN
jaise kabhi aaNkhoN se gulistaaN4 nahiN dekha
1.story 2.like this 3.cage/prison 4.garden
I hear the story of the garden in my cage in such a way as if my eyes have never seen the garden. The garden here could be the bliss of union with the divine beloved and qafas the confines of the body/material world. He eagerly hears the story of union, as if he had never heard it before, never seen/experienced it.
8
mujh Khasta1 o mahjoor2 ki aaNkheN haiN tarasti
kab se tujhe aye sarv-KhiraamaaN3 nahiN dekha
1.broken 2.separated, exiled 3.graceful gait
The cypress (sarv) is used as a symbol of tall, graceful stature. The beloved has such a graceful gait. The beauty of the worldly beloved can be used to imply the divine beloved too, even though a “graceful gait” itself cannot be attributed to the divine. The poet/sufi is broken/sad because he has been separated from and has not seen/experienced the divine beloved for a long time.
9
kya kya hua haNgaam1-e junuuN2 ye nahiN maa’loom3
kuchh hosh4 jo aaya to garebaaN5 nahiN dekha
1.time, occasion 2.passionate frenzy 3.know 4.sobriety, awareness 5.collar
The poet/sufi is in a passionate frenzy of divine love. In this frenzy has torn off his collar (as majnuN had done) without even realizing it. When he calmed down a little, became sober, then he found that he had no collar.
10
shaa’esta1-e sohbat2 koi un meN nahiN asGhar3
kaafir4 nahiN dekhe keh musalmaaN nahiN dekha
1.polite, courteous, cultured, suitable 2.company 3.pen-name of the poet 4.non-believer
In all the people that I encounter, none is deserving of my company. They are all conventional observers/followers of ritual, be it either believers or non-believers. None of them understands the essence of universal love.
