For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
اِنسان کا اِنساں ہونا ۔ رگھوپتی سہائے فراقؔ گورکھپوری
۱
ہے ابھی جوہرِ ہستی کو نمایا ں ہونا
ابھی فِطرت کو ہے آئینۂ اِنساں ہونا
۲
سازِ بے سوز ہے اے عشق یہ افسردہ حیات
دل کے پردوں کو سکھا شعلہ بداماں ہونا
۳
دیکھ آشفتگیِ دہر نہ دیکھا ہو اگر
گیسوئے شاہدِ رعنا کا پریشاں ہونا
۴
ہم ترے حور و پری ہونے سے مسرور نہیں
ہمیں درکار ہے اِنسان کا اِنساں ہونا
۵
کس طرح عشق کی مشکل کو کوئی سہل کرے
جس کے آساں کو بھی آیا نہیں آساں ہونا
۶
اور عالم ہے میری وادیٔ وحشت کا فراقؔ
اِسے زنداں نہ بیاباں نہ گلستاں ہونا
इंसान का इंसां होना – रघुपती सहाय फ़िराक़ गोरखपूरी
१
है अभी जौहर-ए हस्ती को नुमायां होना
अभी फ़ित्रत को है आईना-ए इंसां होना
२
साज़-ए बे-सोज़ है अए इश्क़ ये अफ़्सुर्दा हयात
दिल के परदौं को सिखा शो’ला ब-दामां होना
३
देख आशुफ़्तगी-ए दहर न देखा हो अगर
गेसु-ए शाहद-ए रा’ना का परेशां होना
४
हम तेरे हूर ओ परी होने से मस्रूर नहीं
हमें दरकार है इंसान का इंसां होना
५
किस तरह इश्क़ की मुश्किल को कोई सहल करे
जिस के आसां को भी आया नहीं आसां होना
६
और आलम है मेरी वादी-ए वहशत का फ़िराक़
इसे ज़िंदां, न बियाबां, न गुलिस्तां होना
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. raghupati sahay firaq gorakhpuri (1896-1982) pre-eminent urdu shaa’er, scholar of farsi and sanskrit. Was nominated to Indian Civil Service but chose to participate in the freedom movement. After independence he chose an academic career, teaching English at Allahabad University. firaq composed four Ghazal (already posted on urdushahkar) in the style of mir taqi mir and five in the style of Ghalib. He composed one Ghazal specially for a dedicated ‘Ghalib Number’, Feb 1969 issue of ‘aaj kal’, a monthly magazine. There are at least three others in the same style in his collection ‘Ghazalistan’. This Ghazal is one of them. They are all dated 1943, so I have linked them to 1947-Birth +150 years. Also, firaq lifted many ash’aar from his earlier Ghazals and wove them into his 1969, Ghalib number publication. I have left them out to avoid duplication.
1
hai abhi jauhar1-e hasti2 ko numaayaaN3 hona
abhi fitrat4 ko hai aaiina5-e insaaN hona 1.capabilities, merit, talent 2.life 3.visible, manifest 4.nature 5.mirror, reflection
The full capabilites/merits of life have still to manifest themselves. (Human) nature is yet to reflect (high/noble) human qualities.
2
saaz1-e be-soz2 hai aye ishq ye afsurda3 hayaat4
dil ke pardoN5 ko sikha sho’la6 ba-daamaaN7 hona 1.(musical) instrument, harp 2.without fire/pain/passion 3.melancholy, dejected 4.life 5.curtains, sheets (of music) 6.flames 7.gathered in the hem of the robe
Gather flames of passion in the folds of your robe and invest the music in your heart with this flaming passion. Without this, O, Love, this melancholy life is like a harp without music.
3
dekh aashuftagi1-e dahr2 na dekha ho agar3
gesu4-e shaahed-e-r’aana5 ka pareshaaN6 hona 1.madness, infatuation 2.world 3.if 4.hair 5.glorious/exquisite beauty, beloved 5.scattered, spread out
If you have not yet seen it, look at the mad infatuation of the world. It is like the spreading out of the beloved’s hair. This could mean that the world is mad/lustful about the beauty of beauty of the beloved. It could also be an implication that it is time to get beyond the madness about the beloved and turn your attention to the problems of society.
4
hum tere hoor1 o pari2 hone se masroor3 nahiN
hameN darkaar4 hai insaan ka insaaN hona 1.angel 2.fairy 3.happy, elated 4.require, want
This is addressed to god. We are not happy with your angels and fairies (this could easily be a dig at the stories of hoor available in heaven for men). What we want/need is that man should become human.
5
kis tarah1 ishq ki mushkil2 ko koii sahl3 kare
jis ke aasaaN4 ko bhi aaya nahiN aasaaN hona 1.method, way 2.difficulty, problem 3.easy 4.easy
Love (especially universal love) is not an easy thing. What methods/ways can anyone use to make this task easy. It is a task where even the easy part of it could not become easy. Ghalib’s Ghazal starts with ‘baskih dushvaar hai har cheez at aasaaN hona’.
6
aur aalam1 hai meri vaadi2-e vahshat3 ka firaq4
ise zindaaN5, na biyaabaaN6, na gulistaaN7 hona 1.state, condition 2.valley 3.frenzy, passion 4.pen-name of poet 5.prison 6.wilderness 7.garden
The classical picture of the mad/passionate lover is that of majnuN. My own valley of passion (in which I wander looking for my beloved) is different O, firaq. It is not like a prison, wilderness or a garden (these are places in which conventional lovers may be found). Implied is that the poet is squarely planted in society and his universal love finds him wandering among in it rather than in the wilderness.
raghupati sahay firaq gorakhpuri (1896-1982) pre-eminent urdu shaa’er, scholar of farsi and sanskrit. Was nominated to Indian Civil Service but chose to participate in the freedom movement. After independence he chose an academic career, teaching English at Allahabad University. firaq composed four Ghazal (already posted on urdushahkar) in the style of mir taqi mir and five in the style of Ghalib. He composed one Ghazal specially for a dedicated ‘Ghalib Number’, Feb 1969 issue of ‘aaj kal’, a monthly magazine. There are at least three others in the same style in his collection ‘Ghazalistan’. This Ghazal is one of them. They are all dated 1943, so I have linked them to 1947-Birth +150 years. Also, firaq lifted many ash’aar from his earlier Ghazals and wove them into his 1969, Ghalib number publication. I have left them out to avoid duplication.
1
hai abhi jauhar1-e hasti2 ko numaayaaN3 hona
abhi fitrat4 ko hai aaiina5-e insaaN hona
1.capabilities, merit, talent 2.life 3.visible, manifest 4.nature 5.mirror, reflection
The full capabilites/merits of life have still to manifest themselves. (Human) nature is yet to reflect (high/noble) human qualities.
2
saaz1-e be-soz2 hai aye ishq ye afsurda3 hayaat4
dil ke pardoN5 ko sikha sho’la6 ba-daamaaN7 hona
1.(musical) instrument, harp 2.without fire/pain/passion 3.melancholy, dejected 4.life 5.curtains, sheets (of music) 6.flames 7.gathered in the hem of the robe
Gather flames of passion in the folds of your robe and invest the music in your heart with this flaming passion. Without this, O, Love, this melancholy life is like a harp without music.
3
dekh aashuftagi1-e dahr2 na dekha ho agar3
gesu4-e shaahed-e-r’aana5 ka pareshaaN6 hona
1.madness, infatuation 2.world 3.if 4.hair 5.glorious/exquisite beauty, beloved 5.scattered, spread out
If you have not yet seen it, look at the mad infatuation of the world. It is like the spreading out of the beloved’s hair. This could mean that the world is mad/lustful about the beauty of beauty of the beloved. It could also be an implication that it is time to get beyond the madness about the beloved and turn your attention to the problems of society.
4
hum tere hoor1 o pari2 hone se masroor3 nahiN
hameN darkaar4 hai insaan ka insaaN hona
1.angel 2.fairy 3.happy, elated 4.require, want
This is addressed to god. We are not happy with your angels and fairies (this could easily be a dig at the stories of hoor available in heaven for men). What we want/need is that man should become human.
5
kis tarah1 ishq ki mushkil2 ko koii sahl3 kare
jis ke aasaaN4 ko bhi aaya nahiN aasaaN hona
1.method, way 2.difficulty, problem 3.easy 4.easy
Love (especially universal love) is not an easy thing. What methods/ways can anyone use to make this task easy. It is a task where even the easy part of it could not become easy. Ghalib’s Ghazal starts with ‘baskih dushvaar hai har cheez at aasaaN hona’.
6
aur aalam1 hai meri vaadi2-e vahshat3 ka firaq4
ise zindaaN5, na biyaabaaN6, na gulistaaN7 hona
1.state, condition 2.valley 3.frenzy, passion 4.pen-name of poet 5.prison 6.wilderness 7.garden
The classical picture of the mad/passionate lover is that of majnuN. My own valley of passion (in which I wander looking for my beloved) is different O, firaq. It is not like a prison, wilderness or a garden (these are places in which conventional lovers may be found). Implied is that the poet is squarely planted in society and his universal love finds him wandering among in it rather than in the wilderness.
