For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
Tennyson
عشق و موت ۔ مُنشی نوبت رائے نظرؔ لکھنوی
آلفرڈ لارڈ ٹِنّسن کی نظم کا ترجمہ
اک سہانی رات کو چھٹکی ہوئی تھی چاندنی
ماہِ کامل دے رہا تھا اپنی پوری روشنی
خلد کے صحنِ معطّر میں خراماں عشق تھا
دیکھتا تھا ہر طرف پڑتی تھیں نظریں جابجا
سامنے ہی صحن میں تھا اک درختِ پُر بہار
جس کے نیچے موت تنہا پھر رہی تھی بے قرار
اور یہ کہتی تھی پیہم ‘عشق’ سے کر کے خطاب
جا یہاں سے یاں ترا کیا کام او خانہ خراب
یہ جگہ ہے دو گھڑی میرے ٹہلنے کے لئیے
لطف اُٹھنے کے لئیے اور جی بہلنے کے لئیے
‘عشق’ نے پھیلائے پر اُڑنے کو اور پھر یہ کہا
اب تو ہے تیرا زمانہ جو کہے وہ ہے بجا
تیری ہستی اس طرح ہے جس طرح سے اک شجر
ڈالتا ہے دھوپ کے وقت اپنا سایہ خاک پر
بس یوں اِس غیر فانی روشنی میں عمر بھی
اک شجر ہے اور تُو ہے اِس کا سایہ واقعی
لیکن اِس سایے کو کب ممکن ہے دنیا میں بقا
جب شجر گرتا ہے ہو جاتا ہے سایہ بھی فنا
تو فنا ہو جائے گی، مجھ کو بقا ہے بے گماں
تا ابد ہر چیز پر یوں ہی رہوں گا حکم راں
इश्क़ ओ मौत – मुंशी नौबत राए नज़र लखनवी
एल्फ़्रेड लॉर्ड टेन्निसन की नज़्म का तर्जुमा
एक सुहानी रात को छिटकी हुई थी चांदनी
माह-ए कामिल दे रहा था अपनी पूरी रौशनी
ख़ुल्द के सहन-ए मु’अत्तर में ख़रामां इश्क़ था
देखता था हर तरफ़ पढती थीं नज़्रें जा-ब-जा
सामने हि सहन में था एक दरख़्त-ए पुर बहार
जिस के नीचे मौत तन्हा फिर रही थी बेक़रार
और ये कहती थी पैहम ‘इश्क़’ से कर के ख़िताब
जा यहां से यां तेरा क्या काम ओ ख़ाना-ख़राब
ये जगह है दो घढी मेरे टहलने के लिये
लुत्फ़ उठने के लिये और जी बहलने के लिये
‘इश्क़’ ने फैलाए पर उढने को और फिर ये कहा
अब तो है तेरा ज़माना जो कहे वो है बजा
तेरी हस्ती इस तरह से है जिस तरह से एक शजर
डालता है घूप के वक़्त अपना साया ख़ाक पर
बस युं इस ग़ैर फ़ानी रौश्नी में उम्र भी
एक शजर है और तू है इस का साया वाक़’ई
लैकिन इस साए को कब मुमकिन है दुनिया में बक़ा
जब शजर गिरता है हो जाता है साया भी फ़ना
तू फ़ना हो जाएगी, मुझ को बक़ा है बे-गुमां
ता अबद हर चीज़ पर यूं हि रहूंगा हुक्मरां
ek suhaani1 raat ko chhiTki2 hui thi chaandni
maah-e-kaamil3 de raha tha apni poori raushni4
Khuld5 ke sahn6-e mu’attar7 meN KhiraamaaN8 ishq tha
dekhta tha har taraf9, paRhti thiiN nazreN10 jaa-ba-jaa11
saamne hi sahn6 meN tha ek daraKht12-e pur-bahaar13
jis ke neeche maut tanha14 phir rahi thi beqaraar15
aur ye kahti thi paiham16 ishq se kar ke Khitaab17
jaa yahaaN se yaaN tera kya kaam o Khaana-Kharaab18
ye jagah hai do ghaRi19 mere Tahalne20 ke liye
lutf21 uThne ke liye aur jii bahalne22 ke liye 1.pleasant 2.sprinkled, strewed 3.full moon 4.brilliance 5.paradise 6.courtyard 7.fragrant 8.walking 9.direction 10.eyes, glance 11.here and there, everywhere 12.tree 13.in full bloom 14.alone 15.restless 16.repeatedly 17.addressing, talking to 18.home-wrecker, spoil-sport 19.moments 20.saunter, walk 21.pleasure 22.relax, enjoy
It was a pleasant night, moonlight sprinkled all round. The full moon shining its brilliance on everything. In a fragrant courtyard of paradise, Love was taking a walk, casting its glances everywhere, when he saw in front of him under a tree in full bloom, Death, all by itself, going around, agitated. Turning around, she said to Love again and again, begone, you have no rights here O spoil-sport. This is my place, to saunter, relax and enjoy and saunter for a few minutes.
‘ishq’ ne phailaa’e par uRne ko aur phir ye kaha
ab to hai tera zamaana1 jo kahe vo hai baja2
teri hasti3 is tarah4 se hai jis tarah se ek shajar5
Daalta hai dhoop ke vaqt saaya Khaak6 par
bas yuNhi is Ghair-faani7 raushni meN umr8 bhi
ek shajar5 aur tuu hai is ka saaya vaq’ii9
laikin is saaye ko kab mumkin10 hai duniya meN baqaa11
jab shajar5 girta hai ho jaata hai saaya bhi fanaa12
tuu fanaa12 ho jaayegi, mujh ko baqaa11 hai be-gumaaN13
taa14 abad15 har chiiz par yuN hi rahuuNga hukmraan16 1.times, domain 2.correct, appropriate 3.existence 4.like, similar to 5.tree 6.ground 7.eternal 8.life 9.in truth 10.possible 11.permanence 12.destroyed, annihilated 13.undoubtedly 14.until 15.end of time 16.reign
Love, spread its wings to fly away and departing, said – these are your times and whatever you say is right, but your existence is like the shadow cast on the ground by this tree. Just like this, life too, under this eternal light is like a tree and you, in truth merely its shadow. When the tree falls, the shadow disappears. You too, will be destroyed, but I will survive, reigning over all until the end of time.
munshi naubat rai nazar lakhnavi (1864-1923), lukhnow. Well recognized poet with a published diivaan and the editor of several literary magazines including adeeb. He has several Ghazal modeled after Ghalib. This nazm is an urdu re-composition of Tennyson’s ‘Love and Death’ and is linked to ‘English-urdu re-compositions’ on the Theme page. It is interesting to see that mohammed iqbal also did an urdu re-composition of the same nazm.
ek suhaani1 raat ko chhiTki2 hui thi chaandni
maah-e-kaamil3 de raha tha apni poori raushni4
Khuld5 ke sahn6-e mu’attar7 meN KhiraamaaN8 ishq tha
dekhta tha har taraf9, paRhti thiiN nazreN10 jaa-ba-jaa11
saamne hi sahn6 meN tha ek daraKht12-e pur-bahaar13
jis ke neeche maut tanha14 phir rahi thi beqaraar15
aur ye kahti thi paiham16 ishq se kar ke Khitaab17
jaa yahaaN se yaaN tera kya kaam o Khaana-Kharaab18
ye jagah hai do ghaRi19 mere Tahalne20 ke liye
lutf21 uThne ke liye aur jii bahalne22 ke liye
1.pleasant 2.sprinkled, strewed 3.full moon 4.brilliance 5.paradise 6.courtyard 7.fragrant 8.walking 9.direction 10.eyes, glance 11.here and there, everywhere 12.tree 13.in full bloom 14.alone 15.restless 16.repeatedly 17.addressing, talking to 18.home-wrecker, spoil-sport 19.moments 20.saunter, walk 21.pleasure 22.relax, enjoy
It was a pleasant night, moonlight sprinkled all round. The full moon shining its brilliance on everything. In a fragrant courtyard of paradise, Love was taking a walk, casting its glances everywhere, when he saw in front of him under a tree in full bloom, Death, all by itself, going around, agitated. Turning around, she said to Love again and again, begone, you have no rights here O spoil-sport. This is my place, to saunter, relax and enjoy and saunter for a few minutes.
‘ishq’ ne phailaa’e par uRne ko aur phir ye kaha
ab to hai tera zamaana1 jo kahe vo hai baja2
teri hasti3 is tarah4 se hai jis tarah se ek shajar5
Daalta hai dhoop ke vaqt saaya Khaak6 par
bas yuNhi is Ghair-faani7 raushni meN umr8 bhi
ek shajar5 aur tuu hai is ka saaya vaq’ii9
laikin is saaye ko kab mumkin10 hai duniya meN baqaa11
jab shajar5 girta hai ho jaata hai saaya bhi fanaa12
tuu fanaa12 ho jaayegi, mujh ko baqaa11 hai be-gumaaN13
taa14 abad15 har chiiz par yuN hi rahuuNga hukmraan16
1.times, domain 2.correct, appropriate 3.existence 4.like, similar to 5.tree 6.ground 7.eternal 8.life 9.in truth 10.possible 11.permanence 12.destroyed, annihilated 13.undoubtedly 14.until 15.end of time 16.reign
Love, spread its wings to fly away and departing, said – these are your times and whatever you say is right, but your existence is like the shadow cast on the ground by this tree. Just like this, life too, under this eternal light is like a tree and you, in truth merely its shadow. When the tree falls, the shadow disappears. You too, will be destroyed, but I will survive, reigning over all until the end of time.
Love and Death – Alfred Lord Tennyson
What time the mighty moon was gathering light
Love paced the thymy plots of Paradise,
And all about him roll’d his lustrous eyes;
When, turning round a cassia, full in view
Death, walking all alone beneath a yew,
And talking to himself, first met his sight:
“You must begone,” said Death, “these walks are mine”.
Love wept and spread his sheeny vans for flight;
Yet ere he parted said, “This hour is thine;
Thou art the shadow of life, and as the tree
Stands in the sun and shadows all beneath,
So in the light of great eternity
Life eminent creates the shade of death;
The shadow passeth when the tree shall fall,
But I shall reign for ever over all.