For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the “Roman” or “Notes” tab.
Recitation
حقیقتِ تلخ ۔ بالمکند عرشؔ ملسیانی
۱
صنم کدہ ہو کلیسہ ہو دیر ہو کہ کُنِشت
نہ ‘خوب’ رحم پہ اُن کے، نہ اُن کے بس میں ہے زِشت
۲
یہ لافِ برہمن و شیخ زادگی کیسی
کوئی غرورِ نسب سے نہیں ہے نیک سرشت
۳
خیالِ حور و قصور و مئے طہور نہ کر
اگر تُو غور سے دیکھے تو زندگی ہے بہشت
۴
ہیں ایک دِل ہی میں تسکین و اِضطراب نہاں
اُسی کا نام ہے دوزخ اُسی کا نام بہشت
۵
یہ مسجد اور یہ مندر، خدا کے گھر، توبہ
اور اِن میں آ کے تو کرتا ہے آرزوئے بہشت
۶
ترے فریب و ریا کے ہیں مقبرے گویا
یہ رکھ دئے ہیں جو چن چن کے تُو نے سنگ اور خشت
۷
مجھے خطر ہے کہیں مات کھا نہ جائے تُو
بساط دہر میں ہر ہر قدم پہ تجھ کو ہے گشت
हक़ीक़त-ए तल्ख़ – बालमुकुंद अर्श मल्सियानी
१
सनम कदा हो कलीसा हो दैर हो के कुनिश्त
न ‘ख़ूब’ रहम पे उन के, न उन के बस में है ‘ज़िश्त’
२
ये लाफ़-ए बरहमन ओ शैख़-ज़ादगी कैसी
कोई ग़ुरूर-ए नसब से नहीं है नेक सरिश्त
३
ख़याल-ए हूर ओ क़सूर ओ मै-ए तहूर न कर
अगर तु ग़ौर से देखे तो ज़िन्दगी है बहिश्त
४
हैं एक दिल में हि तस्कीन ओ इज़्तेराब नेहां
उसी का नाम है दोज़ख़ उसी का नाम बहिश्त
५
ये मस्जिद और ये मंदिर, ख़ुदा के घर, तौबा
और इन में आ के तु करता है आर्ज़ू-ए बहिश्त
६
तेरे फ़रेब ओ रिया के हैं मक़्बरे गोया
ये रख दिए हैं जो चुन चुन के तू ने संग ओ ख़िश्त
७
मुझे ख़तर है कहीं मात खा न जाए तू
बीसात-ए दहर में हर हर क़दम पे तुझ को है गश्त
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. baalmukund arsh malsiyaani (1908-1979), son of josh malsiyaani, both renowned shu’ara of progresssive views, from malsiyaan, punjab. They moved to dehli in the 1930s. arsh malsiyaani was assistant editor of Govt of India urdu publication ‘aaj kal’ under josh malihabadi and took over as editor after josh left for pakistan.
1
sanam-kada1 ho, kaleesa2 ho, dair3 ho ke kunisht4
na ‘Khoob’5 rahm6 pe un ke, na un ke bas7 meN hai ‘zisht’8 1.idol house, temple 2.church 3.temple 4.any house of worship 5.goodness, virtue 6.kindness 7.control 8.ugliness, vice
Be it temple, church or mosque, neither is virtue dependent on their kindness nor is vice under their control.
2
ye laaf1-e barhaman o shaiKh-zaadagi2 kaisi
koii Ghuroor3-e nasab4 se nahiN hai nek-sarisht5 1.boasting 2.lineage (by birth) of shaiKh 3.pride 4.heritage 5.virtuous nature
What is the use of the brahmin’s boasting or the shaiKh’s claims of a noble lineage. No one gets a virtuous nature by pride of heredity.
3
Khayaal-e hoor1 o qasoor2 o mai3-e tahoor4 na kar
agar tu Ghaur5 se dekhe to zindagi hai behisht6 1.heavenly angels 2.palaces 3.wine 4.sanctified, permitted 5.carefully 6.heaven
Forget thoughts of hoor in heaven, palaces and sanctified rivers of wine. If you look carefully, your life itself is heaven.
4
haiN ek dil meN hi taskeen1 o izteraab2 nehaaN3
usi ka naam hai dozaKh4 usi ka naam behisht5 1.peace, comfort 2.restlessness, pain 3.hidden 4.hell 5.heaven
Both pleasure and pain are hidden in the same heart. That is what is called heaven and hell.
5
ye masjid aur ye mandir, Khuda ke ghar, tauba1
aur in meN aa ke tu karta hai aarzu2-e behisht3 1.may I be forgiven 2.desire 3.heaven
This mosque and temple, you call them house of god! Heaven forbid. And you come here to pray to get to heaven!
6
tere fareb1 o riya2 ke haiN maqbere3 goya4
ye rakh diye haiN jo chun chun ke tu ne saNg5 o Khisht6 1.deception 2.lies 3.tombs 4.as if 5.stone 6.brick
The mosque and temple which you have constructed of selected stone and brick are like memorials of lies and deceit.
7
mujhe Khatar1 hai kahiN maat2 kha na jaaye tu
bisaat3-e dahr4 meN har har qadam5 pe tujh ko hai gisht6 1.danger, fear 2.defeat, failure 3.floor, spread 4.world 5.step 6. gasht should be pronounced as gisht for consistency of radeef, this is allowed, going round and round
I fear that you will face failure in this world. At every step you will get the run around.
baalmukund arsh malsiyaani (1908-1979), son of josh malsiyaani, both renowned shu’ara of progresssive views, from malsiyaan, punjab. They moved to dehli in the 1930s. arsh malsiyaani was assistant editor of Govt of India urdu publication ‘aaj kal’ under josh malihabadi and took over as editor after josh left for pakistan.
1
sanam-kada1 ho, kaleesa2 ho, dair3 ho ke kunisht4
na ‘Khoob’5 rahm6 pe un ke, na un ke bas7 meN hai ‘zisht’8
1.idol house, temple 2.church 3.temple 4.any house of worship 5.goodness, virtue 6.kindness 7.control 8.ugliness, vice
Be it temple, church or mosque, neither is virtue dependent on their kindness nor is vice under their control.
2
ye laaf1-e barhaman o shaiKh-zaadagi2 kaisi
koii Ghuroor3-e nasab4 se nahiN hai nek-sarisht5
1.boasting 2.lineage (by birth) of shaiKh 3.pride 4.heritage 5.virtuous nature
What is the use of the brahmin’s boasting or the shaiKh’s claims of a noble lineage. No one gets a virtuous nature by pride of heredity.
3
Khayaal-e hoor1 o qasoor2 o mai3-e tahoor4 na kar
agar tu Ghaur5 se dekhe to zindagi hai behisht6
1.heavenly angels 2.palaces 3.wine 4.sanctified, permitted 5.carefully 6.heaven
Forget thoughts of hoor in heaven, palaces and sanctified rivers of wine. If you look carefully, your life itself is heaven.
4
haiN ek dil meN hi taskeen1 o izteraab2 nehaaN3
usi ka naam hai dozaKh4 usi ka naam behisht5
1.peace, comfort 2.restlessness, pain 3.hidden 4.hell 5.heaven
Both pleasure and pain are hidden in the same heart. That is what is called heaven and hell.
5
ye masjid aur ye mandir, Khuda ke ghar, tauba1
aur in meN aa ke tu karta hai aarzu2-e behisht3
1.may I be forgiven 2.desire 3.heaven
This mosque and temple, you call them house of god! Heaven forbid. And you come here to pray to get to heaven!
6
tere fareb1 o riya2 ke haiN maqbere3 goya4
ye rakh diye haiN jo chun chun ke tu ne saNg5 o Khisht6
1.deception 2.lies 3.tombs 4.as if 5.stone 6.brick
The mosque and temple which you have constructed of selected stone and brick are like memorials of lies and deceit.
7
mujhe Khatar1 hai kahiN maat2 kha na jaaye tu
bisaat3-e dahr4 meN har har qadam5 pe tujh ko hai gisht6
1.danger, fear 2.defeat, failure 3.floor, spread 4.world 5.step 6.gasht should be pronounced as gisht for consistency of radeef, this is allowed, going round and round
I fear that you will face failure in this world. At every step you will get the run around.
