For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
kl saigal
begum aKhtar
جب تک چلی چلے ۔ شیخ اِبراہیم ذوقؔ
۱
لائی حیات آئے قضا لے چلی چلے
اپنی خوشی نہ آئے نہ اپنی خوشی چلے
۲
ہو عمرِ خِضر بھی تو ہو معلوم وقت مرگ
ہم کیا رہے یہاں ابھی آئے ابھی چلے
۳
ہم سے بھی اِس بِساط پہ کم ہوں گے بد قِمار
جو چال ہم چلے سو نہایت بُری چلے
۴
بہتر تو ہے یہی کہ نہ دنیا سے دل لگے
پر کیا کریں جو کام نہ بے دل لگی چلے
۵
لیلیٰ کا ناقہ دشت میں تاثیرِ عشق سے
سن کر فغانِ قیس بجاے حُدی چلے
۶
نازاں نہ ہو خرد پہ جو ہونا ہے ہو وہی
دانِش تری نہ کچھ مِری دانِشوری چلے
۷
دنیا نے کس کا راہِ فنا میں دیا ہے ساتھ
تم بھی چلے چلو یوں ہی جب تک چلی چلے
۸
جاتے ہوائے شوق میں ہیں اِس چمن سے ذوقؔ
اپنی بلا سے بادِ صبا اب کبھی چلے
जब तक चली चले – शैख़ इब्राहीम ज़ौक़
१
लाई हयात आए क़ज़ा ले चली चले
अपनी ख़ुशी न आए न अपनी ख़ुशी चले
२
हो उम्र-ए ख़िज़्र भी तो हो मालूम वक़्त-ए मर्ग
हम क्या रहे यहाँ अभी आए अभी चले
३
हम से भी इस बिसात पे कम होंगे बद-क़िमार
जो चाल हम चले सो नेहा’एत बुरी चले
४
बेहतर तो है यही के न दुनिया से दिल लगे
पर क्या करें जो काम न बे-दिल-लगी चले
५
लैला का नाक़ा दश्त में तासीर-ए इश्क़ से
सुन कर फ़ुग़ान-ए क़ैस बजाए हुदी चले
६
नाज़ां न हो ख़िरद पे जो होना है हो वही
दानिश तेरी न कुछ मेरी दानिश-वरी चले
७
दुनिया ने किस का राह-ए फ़ना में दिया है साथ
तुम भी चले चलो युंही जब तक चली चले
८
जाते हवा-ए शौक़ में हैं इस चमन से ज़ौक़
अपनी बला से बाद-ए सबा अब कभी चले
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. shaiKh ibrahim zauq (1790-1854) was a master of urdu, arabi and faarsi. He was introduced to the court of akbar shah saani (second) and received recognition. He became mentor and ustad to bahadur shah zafar from during his crown prince days.
1
laa’ii hayaat1 aa’e qazaa2 le chalii chal’e
apnii Khushii na aa’e na apnii Khushii chal’e 1.life 2.death
The poet expresses utter helplessness in the matter of life and death. We are born without willing/desiring it and die when death calls without having any say in the matter. Neither do we come (into this world) with our consent/happiness nor do we leave with our consent.
2
ho umr-e Khizr1 bhii to ho ma’aluum2 vaqt-e marg3
ham kyaa rahe yahaaN abhii aa’e abhii chal’e 1.long life 2.know, feel 3.death
Khizr is a legendary old man mentioned in all the abrahamic texts. He wandered the earth, discovered the nectar of immortality and drank it. He is used as a symbol for long life, wisdom and guidance. umr-e Khizr is used to mean a very long life near immortality. Thus, even if we have a very long life, at the time of death, we will feel as if we have not been here for very long; that we just came and now we depart/die (both without our will/consent).
3
ham se bhii is bisaat1 pe kam hoNge bad-qimaar2
jo chaal3 ham chal’e so nehaa’et4 burii chal’e 1.board game, chess, chausar 2.bad gambler 3.move, play (as on a chess board) 4.extreme
Here bisaat the board where you have make some moves, take risks, gamble is symbolic of the game of life and the choices we have to make. The poet claims that he has made bad choices. Whatever move/choice he made turned out to be a very bad move.
4
behtar1 to hai yahii keh na duniyaa se dil lag’e2
par kyaa kareN jo kaam3 na be-dil-lagii4 chal’e 1.better 2.dil lagnaa-get attracted/attached to 3.kaam chalna-get something done, get along in life 4.dil-lagii is used here in two meanings – liking/getting attached to something or having fun
It is better that we not get attached to anything material in this world. But what we can do, we cannot get anywhere without liking/wanting something or without some pleasure.
5
lailaa kaa naaqa1 dasht2 meN taasiir3-e ishq se
sun kar fuGhaan4-e qais5 bajaae6 hudii7 chal’e 1.naaqa is used here to mean not just the camel, but the camel driver and laila herself in the mahmil 2.desert 3.effect 4.wail, lament 5.majnuN 6.bajaata hua, singing 7.camel driver’s song
majnuN/qais, the mad, passionate, distraught lover is wandering the desert wailing and lamenting, looking for his beloved laila. His lament has such an effect on the camel and driver, that they immediately get up, and go in the direction of the sound of the lament, singing hudii, the traditional song that is supposed to keep the camel going at a desired pace. Thus, laila and her party respond to the emotional call of majnuN.
6
naazaaN1 na ho Khirad2 pe jo honaa hai ho vahii
daanish3 terii na kuchh merii daanish-varii4 chal’e 1.proud 2.knowledge, intellect 3.wisdom 4.clever acts
Do not be proud of your wisdom because whatever is to happen will happen i.e., not matter what you do, whatever is written in your fate will happen. Neither your intelligence nor my wise tricks will change anything.
7
duniyaa ne kis kaa raah1-e fanaa2 meN diyaa hai saath3
tum bhii chal’e chalo yuNhii jab tak chalii chal’e 1.path 2.non-being, used here for death
raah-e fanaa the path towards non-being/death is the journey of life. Thus, in this life, who in the world has walked with you (supported you). You too, walk the path, as long as you can go. The spirit of the she’r is accept whatever comes to you and somehow finish your life.
8
jaat’e havaa-e-shauq1 meN haiN is chaman2 se zauq3
apnii balaa4 se baad5-e sabaa6 ab kabhii chal’e 1.wind/breeze of desire 2.garden 3.pen-name 4.apnii balaa se is an expression meaning-no curse to me, I don’t care, it doesn’t affect me 5.breeze 6.morning
Here chaman is this world and zauq the poet, is getting ready to depart on the wind of desire – desire for his next life. He does not care if the pleasant morning breeze blows after him or not. There is no thought for others who are still in this world. I find this thought rather distasteful. It basically says, I don’t care what happens to the world after I am gone. This is what osman ali KhaaN also said but in even more cruel terms …
mujh ko kya faa’eda gar koii raha mere b’aad
saari maKhlooq balaa se ho fanaa mere b’aad
Where is the thought of leaving the world a little better for the next generation!
shaiKh ibrahim zauq (1790-1854) was a master of urdu, arabi and faarsi. He was introduced to the court of akbar shah saani (second) and received recognition. He became mentor and ustad to bahadur shah zafar from during his crown prince days.
1
laa’ii hayaat1 aa’e qazaa2 le chalii chal’e
apnii Khushii na aa’e na apnii Khushii chal’e
1.life 2.death
The poet expresses utter helplessness in the matter of life and death. We are born without willing/desiring it and die when death calls without having any say in the matter. Neither do we come (into this world) with our consent/happiness nor do we leave with our consent.
2
ho umr-e Khizr1 bhii to ho ma’aluum2 vaqt-e marg3
ham kyaa rahe yahaaN abhii aa’e abhii chal’e
1.long life 2.know, feel 3.death
Khizr is a legendary old man mentioned in all the abrahamic texts. He wandered the earth, discovered the nectar of immortality and drank it. He is used as a symbol for long life, wisdom and guidance. umr-e Khizr is used to mean a very long life near immortality. Thus, even if we have a very long life, at the time of death, we will feel as if we have not been here for very long; that we just came and now we depart/die (both without our will/consent).
3
ham se bhii is bisaat1 pe kam hoNge bad-qimaar2
jo chaal3 ham chal’e so nehaa’et4 burii chal’e
1.board game, chess, chausar 2.bad gambler 3.move, play (as on a chess board) 4.extreme
Here bisaat the board where you have make some moves, take risks, gamble is symbolic of the game of life and the choices we have to make. The poet claims that he has made bad choices. Whatever move/choice he made turned out to be a very bad move.
4
behtar1 to hai yahii keh na duniyaa se dil lag’e2
par kyaa kareN jo kaam3 na be-dil-lagii4 chal’e
1.better 2.dil lagnaa-get attracted/attached to 3.kaam chalna-get something done, get along in life 4.dil-lagii is used here in two meanings – liking/getting attached to something or having fun
It is better that we not get attached to anything material in this world. But what we can do, we cannot get anywhere without liking/wanting something or without some pleasure.
5
lailaa kaa naaqa1 dasht2 meN taasiir3-e ishq se
sun kar fuGhaan4-e qais5 bajaae6 hudii7 chal’e
1.naaqa is used here to mean not just the camel, but the camel driver and laila herself in the mahmil 2.desert 3.effect 4.wail, lament 5.majnuN 6.bajaata hua, singing 7.camel driver’s song
majnuN/qais, the mad, passionate, distraught lover is wandering the desert wailing and lamenting, looking for his beloved laila. His lament has such an effect on the camel and driver, that they immediately get up, and go in the direction of the sound of the lament, singing hudii, the traditional song that is supposed to keep the camel going at a desired pace. Thus, laila and her party respond to the emotional call of majnuN.
6
naazaaN1 na ho Khirad2 pe jo honaa hai ho vahii
daanish3 terii na kuchh merii daanish-varii4 chal’e
1.proud 2.knowledge, intellect 3.wisdom 4.clever acts
Do not be proud of your wisdom because whatever is to happen will happen i.e., not matter what you do, whatever is written in your fate will happen. Neither your intelligence nor my wise tricks will change anything.
7
duniyaa ne kis kaa raah1-e fanaa2 meN diyaa hai saath3
tum bhii chal’e chalo yuNhii jab tak chalii chal’e
1.path 2.non-being, used here for death
raah-e fanaa the path towards non-being/death is the journey of life. Thus, in this life, who in the world has walked with you (supported you). You too, walk the path, as long as you can go. The spirit of the she’r is accept whatever comes to you and somehow finish your life.
8
jaat’e havaa-e-shauq1 meN haiN is chaman2 se zauq3
apnii balaa4 se baad5-e sabaa6 ab kabhii chal’e
1.wind/breeze of desire 2.garden 3.pen-name 4.apnii balaa se is an expression meaning-no curse to me, I don’t care, it doesn’t affect me 5.breeze 6.morning
Here chaman is this world and zauq the poet, is getting ready to depart on the wind of desire – desire for his next life. He does not care if the pleasant morning breeze blows after him or not. There is no thought for others who are still in this world. I find this thought rather distasteful. It basically says, I don’t care what happens to the world after I am gone. This is what osman ali KhaaN also said but in even more cruel terms …
mujh ko kya faa’eda gar koii raha mere b’aad
saari maKhlooq balaa se ho fanaa mere b’aad
Where is the thought of leaving the world a little better for the next generation!
