For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
انسان – قتیل شفائی
۱
اک جنم جنم کا روگی اپناروگ دِکھانے آیا – داتا
جنم جنم دُکھ پایا
دین کی اوٹ سے تیرے کھوٹ مٹانے آیا – داتا
یہ کیا بھیس بنایا
۲
تیرے دروازے دھنوانوں کے وارے نیارے دیکھے
تیرے چرنوں میں نِردھن پر چلتے آرے دیکھے
تیرے بھوکے پریم پجاری گور کنارے دیکھے
تیری اندھی شردّھا نے کیا کیا اندھیر مچایا – داتا
تجھ کو دھیان نہ آیا
۳
تُو نے کالے پیلے بچھو نگر نگر میں پالے
بول یہ کیا انیاۓ ہے او سانپوں کے رکھوالے
امرت نردیؤں میں بانٹے مجھ کو زہر کے پیالے
کیااِس کارن ہی میں نے تجھ کو بھگوان بنایا -داتا
کیا مانگا کیا پایا
۴
میں تیری اندیکھی صورت اپنے دھیان میں لاوں
پربت کاٹ کے پتھر چاٹ کے اپنا دِل بہلاوں
آپ بناؤں تیری مورت آپ ہی پھول چڑھاوں
میں نے ا پنی بھول سے جگ جگ تیرا ڈھونگ رچایا- داتا
اپنا آپ لٹایا
۵
آج میں تیرے اونچے شیش محل کو ڈھانے آیا – داتا
بات چکانے آیا
इन्सान – क़तील शिफ़ाई
१
एक जनम जनम का रोगी अपना रोग दिखाने आया … दाता
जनम जनम दुख पाया
दीन धरम की ओट से तेरी खोट मिटाने आया … दाता
ये क्या भेस बनाया
२
तेरे दरवाज़े धनवानौं के वारे न्यारे देखे
तेरे चरनों में निर्धन पर चलते आरे देखे
तेरे भूके प्रेम पुजारी गोर किनारे देखे
तेरी अंधी श्रद्धा ने क्या क्या अंधेर मचाया …. दाता
तुझ को ध्यान न आया
३
तू ने काले पीले बिच्छू नगर नगर में पाले
बोल ये क्या अन्याय है ओ सांपों के रखवाले
अमृत न्रद्दियों में बांटे मुझ को ज़हर के प्याले
क्या इस कारन ही मैं ने तुझ को भगवान बनाया … दाता
क्या माँगा क्या पाया
४
मैं तेरी अनदेखी सूरत अपने ध्यान में लाऊँ
परबत काट के पत्थर चाट के अपना दिल बहलाऊँ
आप बनाऊं तेरी मूरत आप हि फूल चढ़ाऊँ
मैं ने अपनी भूल से जग जग तेरा ढोंग रचाया …. दाता
अपना आप लुटाया
५
आज मैं तेरे ऊंचे शीश महल को ढाने आया …. दाता
बात चुकाने आया
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. auraNgzeb KhaaN qateel shifaai (1919-2001), haripur (in current pakistan) joined lahore film industry as a lyricist. His first ustaad yahya shifa Khanpuri is the source of poetic surname. He is unique in having worked for the film industry on both sides of the border well after independence/partition. This protest against orthodoxy/divinity was probably composed as a song for a movie.
1
ek janam janam1 ka rogi2 apna rog dikhaane aaya – daata3
janam janam dukh paaya
deen dharam ki oaT4 se tere khoT5 miTaane aaya – daata
ye kya bhes6 banaaya 1.birth and re-birth, life long 2.diseased, leper 3.lord 4.hiding behind 5.defects, lies 6.disguise, deception
I, a lifelong leper, have come to show you my disease, lord. I have borne sorrow all my life. I have come to expose the lies behind the façade of faith, lord. Such deception you have created.
2
tere darvaaze dhanvaanauN1 ke vaare-nyaare2 dekhe
tere charnauN3 meN nirdhan4 par chalte aare5 dekhe
tere bhooke prem pujaari gor6 kinaare dekhe
teri andhi shraddha7 ne kya kya andher machaaya – daata
tujh ko dhyaan8 na aaya 1.rich 2.paying homage to, cater to 3.feet 4.poor 5.cutting saw 6.grave, death 7.devotion 8.thought
Strange, that I see your doors open wide to the rich. I see the poor cut up at your feet. I see your starving devotees near death. This blind devotion to you has spread such misery – lord and you don’t spare a thought.
3
tu ne kaale peele bichhu nagar nagar meN paale
bol ye kya anyaay1 hai o saaNpauN ke rakhwaale
amrit2 nardiyauN3 meN baaNTe mujh ko zahr ke pyaale
kya is kaaran4 hi maiN ne tujh ko bhagwaan banaaya – daata
kya maaNga kya paaya 1.injustice 2.nectar 3.throw of the dice, turn, fate 4.reason
You nurture blood sucking creatures everywhere. What injustice is this, pray tell me, O protector of snakes. For my turn at a sip of nectar, you gave me a cup of poison. Is this why I made you god – lord. See what I asked for and what I got.
4
maiN teri andekhi1 soorat apne dhyaan2 meN laauN
parbat kaaT3 ke patthar chaaT4 ke apna dil bahlaauN5
aap banaauN teri moorat6 aap hi phool chaRhaauN
maiN ne apni bhool se jag jag7 tera DhoNg8 rachaaya – daata
apna aap luTaaya9 1.unseen 2.thought, imagination 3.carving mountains 4.polishing stone 5.console myself 6.idol 7.world over 8.deception 9.gave away
I recreated your unseen form in my imagination. I carved mountains, polished stone, deceived myself. It was I who made your idol and I was the one offering flowers. My mistake, that all the world over, I celebrated your illusion – lord. Willingly did I get robbed.
5
aaj maiN tere ooNche sheesh mahal1 ko Dhaane2 aaya – daata
baat chukaane3 aaya 1.glass/crystal palace 2.destroy, shatter 3.settle (accounts), get even
I have come today to destroy your high crystal palace – lord! I come to get even
auraNgzeb KhaaN qateel shifaai (1919-2001), haripur (in current pakistan) joined lahore film industry as a lyricist. His first ustaad yahya shifa Khanpuri is the source of poetic surname. He is unique in having worked for the film industry on both sides of the border well after independence/partition. This protest against orthodoxy/divinity was probably composed as a song for a movie.
1
ek janam janam1 ka rogi2 apna rog dikhaane aaya – daata3
janam janam dukh paaya
deen dharam ki oaT4 se tere khoT5 miTaane aaya – daata
ye kya bhes6 banaaya
1.birth and re-birth, life long 2.diseased, leper 3.lord 4.hiding behind 5.defects, lies 6.disguise, deception
I, a lifelong leper, have come to show you my disease, lord. I have borne sorrow all my life. I have come to expose the lies behind the façade of faith, lord. Such deception you have created.
2
tere darvaaze dhanvaanauN1 ke vaare-nyaare2 dekhe
tere charnauN3 meN nirdhan4 par chalte aare5 dekhe
tere bhooke prem pujaari gor6 kinaare dekhe
teri andhi shraddha7 ne kya kya andher machaaya – daata
tujh ko dhyaan8 na aaya
1.rich 2.paying homage to, cater to 3.feet 4.poor 5.cutting saw 6.grave, death 7.devotion 8.thought
Strange, that I see your doors open wide to the rich. I see the poor cut up at your feet. I see your starving devotees near death. This blind devotion to you has spread such misery – lord and you don’t spare a thought.
3
tu ne kaale peele bichhu nagar nagar meN paale
bol ye kya anyaay1 hai o saaNpauN ke rakhwaale
amrit2 nardiyauN3 meN baaNTe mujh ko zahr ke pyaale
kya is kaaran4 hi maiN ne tujh ko bhagwaan banaaya – daata
kya maaNga kya paaya
1.injustice 2.nectar 3.throw of the dice, turn, fate 4.reason
You nurture blood sucking creatures everywhere. What injustice is this, pray tell me, O protector of snakes. For my turn at a sip of nectar, you gave me a cup of poison. Is this why I made you god – lord. See what I asked for and what I got.
4
maiN teri andekhi1 soorat apne dhyaan2 meN laauN
parbat kaaT3 ke patthar chaaT4 ke apna dil bahlaauN5
aap banaauN teri moorat6 aap hi phool chaRhaauN
maiN ne apni bhool se jag jag7 tera DhoNg8 rachaaya – daata
apna aap luTaaya9
1.unseen 2.thought, imagination 3.carving mountains 4.polishing stone 5.console myself 6.idol 7.world over 8.deception 9.gave away
I recreated your unseen form in my imagination. I carved mountains, polished stone, deceived myself. It was I who made your idol and I was the one offering flowers. My mistake, that all the world over, I celebrated your illusion – lord. Willingly did I get robbed.
5
aaj maiN tere ooNche sheesh mahal1 ko Dhaane2 aaya – daata
baat chukaane3 aaya
1.glass/crystal palace 2.destroy, shatter 3.settle (accounts), get even
I have come today to destroy your high crystal palace – lord! I come to get even
