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Recitation
فکرِ غزل میں کرتا ہوں ۔ رگھوپتی سہائے فراقؔ گورکھپوری
۱
وہ عالم ہوتا ہے مجھ پر جب فکرِ غزل میں کرتا ہوں
خود اپنے خیالوں کو ہمدم میں ہاتھ لگانے ڈرتا ہوں
۲
بے جان لکیریں بول اُٹھتی ہیں، نقطے لَو دے اُٹھتے ہیں
اِس نقش و نگارِ ہستی میں، وہ رنگِ محبّت بھرتا ہوں
۳
افسردہ، تیرہ فضاؤں میں گرمیِ پرِ جبریل ہوں میں
سوتے سنسار کے سینے میں، لے کر آیات اُترتا ہوں
۴
جب سازِ غزل کو چھوتا ہوں، راتیں لَو دینے لگتی ہیں
ظلمات کے سینے میں ہمدم، میں جشنِ چراغاں کرتا ہوں
۵
یہ میری نوائے نیم شبی، اشکِ انجم میں نہائی ہوئی
اُڑ جاتی ہیں نیندیں صدیوں کی، کیا جانے میں کیا کرتا ہوں
۶
دل جِن کے فلک سے اٹکے ہیں دھرتی کی وہ عظمت کیا جانیں
میں اُس کے قدم پر کنگرۂ افلاک کو بھی خم کرتا ہوں
۷
ہوں آفتابِ داغِ ہجراں یہ شانِ طلوع دیدنی ہے
میں اپنے لہو سے سنورتا ہوں، میں سوزِ دروں سے نکھرتا ہوں
۸
آتی ہے یہاں میری باری اِک مرتبہ عہد بہ عہد فراقؔ
تقدیرِ زمیں و زماں ہوں میں، بطنِ گیتی سے اُبھرتا ہوں
फ़िक्र-ए ग़ज़ल मैं करता हुं – रघुपति सहाय फ़िराक़ गोरखपूरी
१
वो आलम होता है मुझ पर जब फ़िक्र-ए ग़ज़ल मैं करता हुं
ख़ुद अपने ख़यालौं को हमदम मैं हाथ लगाने डरता हुं
२
बेजान लकीरें बोल उठती हैं, नुक़्ते लौ दे उठते हैं
इस नक़्श ओ निगार-ए हस्ती में, वो रंग-ए मोहब्बत भरता हुं
३
अफ़्सुर्दा तीरा फ़ज़ाऔं में, गरमी-ए पर-ए जिब्रील हुं मैं
सोते संसार के सीने में, ले कर आयात उतरता हुं
४
जब साज़-ए ग़ज़ल को छूता हूं, रातें लौ देने लगती हैं
ज़ुल्मात के सीने में हमदम, मैं जश्न-ए चराग़ां करता हुं
५
ये मेरी नवा-ए नीम-शबी, अश्क-ए अजुंम में नहाई हुई
उढ जाती हैं नीन्दें सदियौं कि, क्या जाने मैं क्या करता हुं
६
दिल जिन के फ़लक से अटके हैं, धर्ती की वो अज़्मत क्या जानें
मैं उस के क़दम पर कंगरा-ए अफ़्लाक को भी ख़म करता है
७
हूं आफ़्ताब-ए दाग़-ए हिज्रां, ये शान-ए तुलू दीदनी है
मैं अपने लहू से संवरता हूं, मैं सोज़-ए दरूं से निखरता हूं
८
आती है यहां मेरी बारी एक मर्तबा अहद ब अहद फ़िराक़
तक़्दीर-ए ज़मीं ओ ज़मां हुं मैं, बत्न-ए गेता से उभर्ता हुं
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. This is a part of series on “suKhanvar o suKhanvari” on the theme of what various shu’ara say about themselves, their verse, their mission and their place in history. Here firaq describes in very islamic terms, divine inspiration he receives to write verse.
1
vo aalam1 hota hai mujh par jab fikr2-e Ghazal maiN karta huN
Khud apne KhayaaloN ko hamdam3, maiN haath lagaane Darta huN 1.condition 2.thought 3.friend
A strange condition descends on me when I think of writing Ghazal. My friend I tremble and fear to touch my own thoughts.
2
be-jaan1 lakiireN bol uThti haiN, nuqte2 lau3 de uThte haiN
is naqsh-o-nigaar4-e hasti5 meN, vo raNg-e mohabbat bharta huN 1.lifeless 2.points 3.flame 4.embellishments 5.life
Lifeless lines begin to speak. Points burst into flame. Such is the colour of love with which I paint the embellishments of life.
3
afsurda1, teera2 fazaaoN3 meN, garmi4-e par-e-jibriil5 huN maiN
sote6 sansaar ke seene meN, le kar aayaat7 utarta huN 1.wilted, sad, hopeless 2.dark 3.winds, atmosphere 4.warmth, hope 5.wings of Gabriel/jibriil 6.sleeping 7.verses of the qur’aan
Islamic tradition is that archangel Gabriel/jibreel descended with flapping wings and delivered divine messages to mohammed. firaq is delivering divine messages through his own verses/ash’aar. I am the hope of the wings of jibriil in this sad, hopeless and dark world. I descend (from heaven?) on this sleeping (unaware, ignorant) world with to bring verse/aayaat to its bosom.
4
jab saaz1-e Ghazal ko chhoota huN, raateN lau2 dene lagti haiN
zulmaat3 ke seene meN hamdam4, maiN jashn5-e charaaGhaaN6 karta huN 1.lute, harp 2.flame 3.darkness 4.friend 5.celebration 6.lights
Whenever I touch the harp of Ghazal, nights/darkness (evil) bursts into flame/brightness (virtue). O friend, in the bosom of darkness, I celebrate festival of lights.
5
ye meri navaa1-e neem-shabi2, ashk3-e anjum4 meN nahaaii hui
uR jaati haiN neendeN sadiyoN5 ki, kya jaane maiN kya karta huN 1.sound, cry 2.mid-night 3.tears 4.stars 5.centuries
My midnight cries, bathed in the tears of stars (soft starlight) is so enchanting, I don’t know what I fill them (my cries) with centuries of sleep is lost (so enchanted, that they cannot fall asleep).
6
dil jin ke falak1 se aTke haiN, dharti ki vo azmat2 kya jaaneN
maiN us ke qadam3 par kaNgara4-e aflaak1 ko bhi Kham5 karta huN 1.skies, heavens 2.greatness 3.feet 4.bangle, circle, sphere 5.bend, bow
They, whose hearts are stuck on heavens, what do they know of the greatness of the earth. I make the sphere of the skies bow at the feet of the earth. He wants to talk about life and its vigour rather than stale after-life.
7
huN aaftaab1-e daaGh-e-hijraaN2, ye shaan-e-tulu3 diidni4 hai
maiN apne lahu5 se saNvarta6 huN, maiN soz-e-daruN7 se nikharta8 huN 1.sun, herald, harbinger 2.scar/wound of separation (from the beloved) 3.glory of emergence (sunrise) 4.worth seeing 5.blood 6.adorned 7.internal fire/sorrow/passion 8.become fresh, rejuvenate
I am the sun of the wound of separation i.e. I write about the pain of yearning, trying. The glory of this sunrise (or yearning) is worth seeing. I adorn myself with my own blood (proud of my failures). I am rejuvenated by the fire/passion inside me.
8
aati hai yahaaN meri baari ek martaba1 ahd2 ba ahd firaq
taqdir3-e zamiN o aasmaaN huN maiN, batn-e-geti4 se ubharta5 huN 1.once 2.age, period, era 3.(good) fortune 4.womb of the earth 5.rise
My turn to appear on earth comes but once in an era, O, firaq. I am the good fortune of the earth and sky, risen from the womb of the earth.
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. This is a part of series on “suKhanvar o suKhanvari” on the theme of what various shu’ara say about themselves, their verse, their mission and their place in history. Here firaq describes in very islamic terms, divine inspiration he receives to write verse.
1
vo aalam1 hota hai mujh par jab fikr2-e Ghazal maiN karta huN
Khud apne KhayaaloN ko hamdam3, maiN haath lagaane Darta huN
1.condition 2.thought 3.friend
A strange condition descends on me when I think of writing Ghazal. My friend I tremble and fear to touch my own thoughts.
2
be-jaan1 lakiireN bol uThti haiN, nuqte2 lau3 de uThte haiN
is naqsh-o-nigaar4-e hasti5 meN, vo raNg-e mohabbat bharta huN
1.lifeless 2.points 3.flame 4.embellishments 5.life
Lifeless lines begin to speak. Points burst into flame. Such is the colour of love with which I paint the embellishments of life.
3
afsurda1, teera2 fazaaoN3 meN, garmi4-e par-e-jibriil5 huN maiN
sote6 sansaar ke seene meN, le kar aayaat7 utarta huN
1.wilted, sad, hopeless 2.dark 3.winds, atmosphere 4.warmth, hope 5.wings of Gabriel/jibriil 6.sleeping 7.verses of the qur’aan
Islamic tradition is that archangel Gabriel/jibreel descended with flapping wings and delivered divine messages to mohammed. firaq is delivering divine messages through his own verses/ash’aar. I am the hope of the wings of jibriil in this sad, hopeless and dark world. I descend (from heaven?) on this sleeping (unaware, ignorant) world with to bring verse/aayaat to its bosom.
4
jab saaz1-e Ghazal ko chhoota huN, raateN lau2 dene lagti haiN
zulmaat3 ke seene meN hamdam4, maiN jashn5-e charaaGhaaN6 karta huN
1.lute, harp 2.flame 3.darkness 4.friend 5.celebration 6.lights
Whenever I touch the harp of Ghazal, nights/darkness (evil) bursts into flame/brightness (virtue). O friend, in the bosom of darkness, I celebrate festival of lights.
5
ye meri navaa1-e neem-shabi2, ashk3-e anjum4 meN nahaaii hui
uR jaati haiN neendeN sadiyoN5 ki, kya jaane maiN kya karta huN
1.sound, cry 2.mid-night 3.tears 4.stars 5.centuries
My midnight cries, bathed in the tears of stars (soft starlight) is so enchanting, I don’t know what I fill them (my cries) with centuries of sleep is lost (so enchanted, that they cannot fall asleep).
6
dil jin ke falak1 se aTke haiN, dharti ki vo azmat2 kya jaaneN
maiN us ke qadam3 par kaNgara4-e aflaak1 ko bhi Kham5 karta huN
1.skies, heavens 2.greatness 3.feet 4.bangle, circle, sphere 5.bend, bow
They, whose hearts are stuck on heavens, what do they know of the greatness of the earth. I make the sphere of the skies bow at the feet of the earth. He wants to talk about life and its vigour rather than stale after-life.
7
huN aaftaab1-e daaGh-e-hijraaN2, ye shaan-e-tulu3 diidni4 hai
maiN apne lahu5 se saNvarta6 huN, maiN soz-e-daruN7 se nikharta8 huN
1.sun, herald, harbinger 2.scar/wound of separation (from the beloved) 3.glory of emergence (sunrise) 4.worth seeing 5.blood 6.adorned 7.internal fire/sorrow/passion 8.become fresh, rejuvenate
I am the sun of the wound of separation i.e. I write about the pain of yearning, trying. The glory of this sunrise (or yearning) is worth seeing. I adorn myself with my own blood (proud of my failures). I am rejuvenated by the fire/passion inside me.
8
aati hai yahaaN meri baari ek martaba1 ahd2 ba ahd firaq
taqdir3-e zamiN o aasmaaN huN maiN, batn-e-geti4 se ubharta5 huN
1.once 2.age, period, era 3.(good) fortune 4.womb of the earth 5.rise
My turn to appear on earth comes but once in an era, O, firaq. I am the good fortune of the earth and sky, risen from the womb of the earth.
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