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Recitation
اِرتقا ۔ پنڈت آنند نرائن مُلّا
۱
اہلِ دل بڑھتے رہے اور تیر چلتے ہی رہے
طور جلتے ہی رہے موسیٰ نکلتے ہی رہے
۲
آہنی پنجہ سِتم کا منہ دباتا ہی رہا
سینۂ اِنساں میں کچھ نغمے مچلتے ہی رہے
۳
باغ پر ٹوٹا ہی کیں گھِر گھِر کے کالی آندھیاں
چھپ کے پھولوں میں دئیے شبنم کے جلتے ہی رہے
۴
زندگی دیتی رہی گو ہر نفس پیغامِ مرگ
پھر بھی کچھ شوریدہ سر خوابوں پہ پلتے ہی رہے
۵
اوپر اوپر سِل پہ سِل رکھتے گئے حُکّامِ جبر
تہہ بہ تہہ سوتے بغاوت کے اُبلتے ہی رہے
۶
دیر تک رہتی نہیں اک جام میں صہبائے زیست
اس میں وہ تندی ہے پیمانے پگھلتے ہی رہے
۷
شاخِ گُل کے زخم بھرتا ہی رہا جوشِ نمو
اور گلچیں توڑ کر کلیاں مسلتے ہی رہے
۸
لاکھ چاہا اہلِ طاقت نے کہ جم جائیں قدم
زندگی کے ڈھال پر لیکن پھسلتے ہی رہے
۹
تیرگی بڑھ بڑھ کے تاروں کو بجھاتی ہی رہی
تیرگی کو چیر کر تارے نکلتے ہی رہے
۱۰
حرفِ آخر بن کے اُترا ہر نیا آئینِ دہر
پھر بھی بابِ زیست کے عنواں بدلتے ہی رہے
۱۱
اِرتقا کی راہ میں رکنا ہی ہے اِنساں کی موت
ہیں وہی زندہ جو اس رستے پہ چلتے ہی رہے
۱۲
مل سکی جن کو نہ اس دنیا میں جا مُلّا وہ خواب
اشک بن کر دیدۂ شاعر میں ڈھلتے ہی رہے
इर्तेक़ा – पँडित आनँद नरायन मुल्ला
१
अहल-ए दिल बढ़ते रहे और तीर चलते ही रहे
तूर जलते ही रहे मूसा निकलते ही रहे
२
आहनी पँजा सितम का मुँह दबाता ही रहा
सीना-ए इन्साँ में कुछ नग़्मे मचलते ही रहे
३
बाग़ पर टूटा ही कीँ घिर घिर के काली आन्धियाँ
छुप के फूलौँ में दिये शबनम के जलते ही रहे
४
ज़िंदगी देती रही गो हर नफ़स पैग़ाम-ए मर्ग
फिर भी कुच्छ शोरीदा सर ख़्वाबौँ पे पलते ही रहे
५
ऊपर ऊपर सिल पे सिल रखते गए हुक्काम-ए जब्र
तह बा तह सोते बग़ावत के उबलते ही रहे
६
देर तक रहती नहिँ एक जाम में सहबा-ए ज़ीस्त
इस में वो तुन्दी है पैमाने पिघलते ही रहे
७
शाख़-ए गुल के ज़ख़्म भरता ही रहा जोश-ए नुमू
और गुल्चीँ तोड़ कर कलियाँ मसलते ही रहे
८
लाख चाहा अहल-ए ताक़त ने के जम जाएँ क़दम
ज़िंदगी के ढाल पर लैकिन फिसलते ही रहे
९
तीरगी बढ़ बढ़ के तारौँ को बुझाती ही रही
तीरगी को चीर कर तारे निकलते ही रहे
१०
हर्फ़-ए आख़ेर बन के उतरा हर नया आईन-ए दहर
फिर भी बाब-ए ज़ीस्त के उन्वाँ बदलते ही रहे
११
इर्तेक़ा की राह में रुकना ही है इन्साँ कि मौत
हैँ वही ज़िंदा जो इस रस्ते पे चलते ही रहे
१२
मिल सकी जिन को ना इस दुनिया में जा मुल्ला वो ख़्वाब
अश्क बन कर दीदा-ए शा’एर में ढलते ही रहे
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. anand narain mulla (1901-1997), a kashmiri panDit from lukhnow, a high court judge, member of lok sabha and then of the rajya sabha was a liberal thinker reaching across communal lines with a strong love of urdu. This Ghazal, an ode to the irrepressible human spirit has echoes of majaz’s ‘Khwaab-e sahr’. majaz (1911-1955) was a comtemporary but it is likely that both Ghazal were written completely independently.
1
ahl-e-dil1 baRhte rahe aur tiir chalte hi rahe
tuur2 jaltay hi rahe moosa nikalte hi rahe 1.people of heart, brave 2.mount tuur of the tale of Moses
The brave kept stepping forward even as arrows kept flying. Mountains like tuur kept getting destroyed and new Moses kept emerging. The story is that Moses went up mount tuur asking to see god. Lightning struck and destroyed the mountain and moosa fainted. Thus, even though that attempt failed, other moosa stepped forward asking to see god.
2
aahani1 panja2 sitam3 ka muNh dabaata hi raha
seena-e insaaN meN kuchh naGhme4 machalte hi rahe 1.iron 2.hand, fist 3.oppression 4.songs
The iron hand of oppression kept shutting mouths (that spoke). But new songs formed restlessly in the human bosom.
3
baaGh par TooTa hi keeN ghir ghir ke kaali aandhiyaN
chhup ke phooloN meN diye shabnam1 ke jalte hi rahe 1.dew
Even though dark clouds loomed and storms burst upon the garden, sparkling dew drops shone like lamps among flowers.
4
zindagi deti rahi go har nafas1 paiGhaam2-e marg3
phir bhi kuchh shorida-sar4 KhwaaboN pe palte hi rahe 1.breath 2.message 3.death 4.mad, passionate
With every breath Life delivered the message of Death but still some mad/passionate people kept surviving on their dreams.
5
oopar oopar sil1 pe sil rakhtay gaye hukkaam2-e jabr3
teh4 ba teh sotay5 baGhaawat6 ke ubalte hi rahe 1.slabs 2.commanders, oppressors 3.oppression 4.layer 5.spring, river 6.rebellion, resistance
The oppressors kept laying down rock slabs over rock slabs but still, layer by layer fountain heads of resistance kept bubbling up.
6
der tak rahti nahiN ek jaam1 meN sahba-e-zeest2
is meN vo tundi3 hai paimaane4 pighalte5 hi rahe 1.goblet 2.wine of life 3.strength 4.cups 5.melting, dissolving
The wine of life does not stay put for long in its goblet. It is so strong that cup after cup gets dissolved.
7
shaaKh-e gul ke zaKhm bharta hi raha josh1-e numoo2
aur gulchiN3 toR kar kaliyaaN masalte hi rahe 1.passion 2.manifestation, re-juvenation 3.flower picker
The passion for re-juvenation kept healing the wounds of the flower branch even as the flower picker kept picking and crushing flower buds.
8
laakh chaaha ahl-e-taaqat1 ne ke jam jaayeN qadam
zindagi ke Dhaal2 par laikin phisalte hi rahe 1.people of power 2.slope
Powerful people tried thousands of times to get a steady foothold on power but they kept slipping on the slope of life.
9
teeragi1 baRh baRh ke taaroN ko bujhaati hi rahi
teeragi ko chiir kar taare nikalte hi rahe 1.darkness
Darkness rose again and again to hide/cover stars, but stars kept tearing through the sheet of darkness to shine.
10
harf-e-aaKhir1 ban ke utra har naya aaiin-e-dahr2
phir bhi baab-e-zeest3 ke unvaaN4 badalte hi rahe 1.last word 2.world order, system, philosophy 3.chapter/book of life 4.subject
Every new philosophy (faith) descended as the final word. Even then the subject/content of the book of life kept changing/evolving.
11
irteqa1 ki raah meN rukna hi hai insaaN ki maut
haiN vahi zinda jo is raste pe chalte hi rahe 1.progress, evolution
Standing still on the pathway of evolution/progress is the death of humanity. Only they live who keep moving on this path.
12
mil saki jin ko na is duniya meN jaa1 mulla vo Khwaab
ashk2 ban kar deeda3-e shaa’er meN Dhalte hi rahe 1.place 2.tear 3.eyes
The dreams/desires that could not find a place in this world (of reality) kept forming as tears in the eyes of the poet, O, mulla.
anand narain mulla (1901-1997), a kashmiri panDit from lukhnow, a high court judge, member of lok sabha and then of the rajya sabha was a liberal thinker reaching across communal lines with a strong love of urdu. This Ghazal, an ode to the irrepressible human spirit has echoes of majaz’s ‘Khwaab-e sahr’. majaz (1911-1955) was a comtemporary but it is likely that both Ghazal were written completely independently.
1
ahl-e-dil1 baRhte rahe aur tiir chalte hi rahe
tuur2 jaltay hi rahe moosa nikalte hi rahe
1.people of heart, brave 2.mount tuur of the tale of Moses
The brave kept stepping forward even as arrows kept flying. Mountains like tuur kept getting destroyed and new Moses kept emerging. The story is that Moses went up mount tuur asking to see god. Lightning struck and destroyed the mountain and moosa fainted. Thus, even though that attempt failed, other moosa stepped forward asking to see god.
2
aahani1 panja2 sitam3 ka muNh dabaata hi raha
seena-e insaaN meN kuchh naGhme4 machalte hi rahe
1.iron 2.hand, fist 3.oppression 4.songs
The iron hand of oppression kept shutting mouths (that spoke). But new songs formed restlessly in the human bosom.
3
baaGh par TooTa hi keeN ghir ghir ke kaali aandhiyaN
chhup ke phooloN meN diye shabnam1 ke jalte hi rahe
1.dew
Even though dark clouds loomed and storms burst upon the garden, sparkling dew drops shone like lamps among flowers.
4
zindagi deti rahi go har nafas1 paiGhaam2-e marg3
phir bhi kuchh shorida-sar4 KhwaaboN pe palte hi rahe
1.breath 2.message 3.death 4.mad, passionate
With every breath Life delivered the message of Death but still some mad/passionate people kept surviving on their dreams.
5
oopar oopar sil1 pe sil rakhtay gaye hukkaam2-e jabr3
teh4 ba teh sotay5 baGhaawat6 ke ubalte hi rahe
1.slabs 2.commanders, oppressors 3.oppression 4.layer 5.spring, river 6.rebellion, resistance
The oppressors kept laying down rock slabs over rock slabs but still, layer by layer fountain heads of resistance kept bubbling up.
6
der tak rahti nahiN ek jaam1 meN sahba-e-zeest2
is meN vo tundi3 hai paimaane4 pighalte5 hi rahe
1.goblet 2.wine of life 3.strength 4.cups 5.melting, dissolving
The wine of life does not stay put for long in its goblet. It is so strong that cup after cup gets dissolved.
7
shaaKh-e gul ke zaKhm bharta hi raha josh1-e numoo2
aur gulchiN3 toR kar kaliyaaN masalte hi rahe
1.passion 2.manifestation, re-juvenation 3.flower picker
The passion for re-juvenation kept healing the wounds of the flower branch even as the flower picker kept picking and crushing flower buds.
8
laakh chaaha ahl-e-taaqat1 ne ke jam jaayeN qadam
zindagi ke Dhaal2 par laikin phisalte hi rahe
1.people of power 2.slope
Powerful people tried thousands of times to get a steady foothold on power but they kept slipping on the slope of life.
9
teeragi1 baRh baRh ke taaroN ko bujhaati hi rahi
teeragi ko chiir kar taare nikalte hi rahe
1.darkness
Darkness rose again and again to hide/cover stars, but stars kept tearing through the sheet of darkness to shine.
10
harf-e-aaKhir1 ban ke utra har naya aaiin-e-dahr2
phir bhi baab-e-zeest3 ke unvaaN4 badalte hi rahe
1.last word 2.world order, system, philosophy 3.chapter/book of life 4.subject
Every new philosophy (faith) descended as the final word. Even then the subject/content of the book of life kept changing/evolving.
11
irteqa1 ki raah meN rukna hi hai insaaN ki maut
haiN vahi zinda jo is raste pe chalte hi rahe
1.progress, evolution
Standing still on the pathway of evolution/progress is the death of humanity. Only they live who keep moving on this path.
12
mil saki jin ko na is duniya meN jaa1 mulla vo Khwaab
ashk2 ban kar deeda3-e shaa’er meN Dhalte hi rahe
1.place 2.tear 3.eyes
The dreams/desires that could not find a place in this world (of reality) kept forming as tears in the eyes of the poet, O, mulla.
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