For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
divaakar meena
rajesh reDDi
زبان باقی ہے ۔ راجیش ریڈّی
۱
جانے کتنی اُڑان باقی ہے
اِس پرندے میں جان باقی ہے
۲
جتنی بٹنی تھی بٹ چکی یہ زمیں
اب تو بس آسمان باقی ہے
۳
اب وہ دنیا عجیب لگتی ہے
جس میں امن و امان باقی ہے
۴
امتحاں سے گزر کے کیا دیکھا
اک نیا امتحان باقی ہے
۵
سر قلم ہوں گے کل یہاں اُن کے
جِن کے منہ میں زبان باقی ہے
ज़बान बाक़ी है – राजेश रेड्डी
१
जाने कितनी उढान बाक़ी है
इस परिंदे में जान बाक़ी है
२
जितनी बटनी थी बट चुकी ये ज़मीं
अब तो बस आसमान बाक़ी है
३
अब वो दुनिया अजीब लगती है
जिस में अम्न-ओ-अमान बाक़ी है
४
इम्तेहाँ से गुज़र के क्या देखा
एक नया इम्तेहान बाक़ी है
५
सर क़लम होंगे कल यहाँ उन के
जिन के मुँह में ज़बान बाक़ी है
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. rajesh reDDii (1952-living), was born in nagpur and lives in mumbai. All I could get from radio interview recording is that he fell in love with urdu and particularly Ghazal during his college days. He worked for All India Radio and retired from there. He has published three collections of his verse. He writes politically astute Ghazal.
1
jaane1 kitni uRaan2 baaqi3 hai
is parinde4 meN jaan baaqi hai 1.who knows 2.flight, strength to fly 3.remaining 4.bird
In urdu poetic tradition poets often refer to themselves as a captive bird singing in pain of homesickness or a bird/nightingale singing love songs to its lover, the rose. Here, the poet may be (I am not sure) presenting himself as a bird singing songs of protest. The authorities have tried to silence him, perhaps threatening him. He declares that he is not fearful; there is still some life left in this bird; who know how much strength it has left to fly.
2
jitni baTni1 thi baT2 chuki yeh zamiiN
ab to bas3 aasmaan baaqi4 hai 1.to be divided 2.already divided 3.only 4.remaining
This can apply to national, political or communal divides depending on how liberally you interpret the worl ‘zamiin’ and ‘aasmaan’. The earth is already divided up among those who contend for ‘their’ portion. Only the sky is left now.
3
ab voh duniyaa ajiib1 lagtii hai
jis meN amn-o-amaan2 baaqi hai 1.strange, unusual 2.peace and well-being
Perhaps this is a reflection of changing times, worsening conditions between and within nations. That world (of memories) seems strange and unusual now; the world in which there was peace, tranquility and well-being.
4
imtehaaN1 se guzar ke kyaa dekhaa
ek nayaa imtehaan baaqi hai 1.test
This a reflection that life is a continuous struggle, trial after trial. There is no explicit suggestion that this either good or bad, to be welcomed or (more conventionally) to be shunned in preference to the ‘next’ life. Thus, having gone through one test, what do we see; that there is a new test remaining. More explicit on the desirability of continuous strussgle is jaikrishn chaudhray habiib –
voh bhi kya maz’e ki thi zindagi, jo safar safar meN guzar gaii
nahiN manziloN meN vo dil-kashi, mujhe phir safar ki talaash hai
5
sar qalam1 hoNge kal yahaaN unn ke
jin ke muNh meN zabaan baaqi hai 1.cut off, chopped
Their heads will be chopped off; those that still have a tongue in their mouth i.e., those who still dare to speak out will be eliminated, a rather pointed reflection of what is going on in India right now. Elsewhere the poet writes …
un ki koshish hai kaleja ho mera patthar ka
un ki koshish hai maiN jazbaat na likhne paa’uN
rajesh reDDii (1952-living), was born in nagpur and lives in mumbai. All I could get from radio interview recording is that he fell in love with urdu and particularly Ghazal during his college days. He worked for All India Radio and retired from there. He has published three collections of his verse. He writes politically astute Ghazal.
1
jaane1 kitni uRaan2 baaqi3 hai
is parinde4 meN jaan baaqi hai
1.who knows 2.flight, strength to fly 3.remaining 4.bird
In urdu poetic tradition poets often refer to themselves as a captive bird singing in pain of homesickness or a bird/nightingale singing love songs to its lover, the rose. Here, the poet may be (I am not sure) presenting himself as a bird singing songs of protest. The authorities have tried to silence him, perhaps threatening him. He declares that he is not fearful; there is still some life left in this bird; who know how much strength it has left to fly.
2
jitni baTni1 thi baT2 chuki yeh zamiiN
ab to bas3 aasmaan baaqi4 hai
1.to be divided 2.already divided 3.only 4.remaining
This can apply to national, political or communal divides depending on how liberally you interpret the worl ‘zamiin’ and ‘aasmaan’. The earth is already divided up among those who contend for ‘their’ portion. Only the sky is left now.
3
ab voh duniyaa ajiib1 lagtii hai
jis meN amn-o-amaan2 baaqi hai
1.strange, unusual 2.peace and well-being
Perhaps this is a reflection of changing times, worsening conditions between and within nations. That world (of memories) seems strange and unusual now; the world in which there was peace, tranquility and well-being.
4
imtehaaN1 se guzar ke kyaa dekhaa
ek nayaa imtehaan baaqi hai
1.test
This a reflection that life is a continuous struggle, trial after trial. There is no explicit suggestion that this either good or bad, to be welcomed or (more conventionally) to be shunned in preference to the ‘next’ life. Thus, having gone through one test, what do we see; that there is a new test remaining. More explicit on the desirability of continuous strussgle is jaikrishn chaudhray habiib –
voh bhi kya maz’e ki thi zindagi, jo safar safar meN guzar gaii
nahiN manziloN meN vo dil-kashi, mujhe phir safar ki talaash hai
5
sar qalam1 hoNge kal yahaaN unn ke
jin ke muNh meN zabaan baaqi hai
1.cut off, chopped
Their heads will be chopped off; those that still have a tongue in their mouth i.e., those who still dare to speak out will be eliminated, a rather pointed reflection of what is going on in India right now. Elsewhere the poet writes …
un ki koshish hai kaleja ho mera patthar ka
un ki koshish hai maiN jazbaat na likhne paa’uN
