For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
جوشِ سحر خیز ۔ جوشؔ ملیح آبادی
۱
شیخ اور خلشِ بندگی اور زحمتِ پرہیز
میں اور مئے دیرینہ و معشوقۂ نوخیز
۲
اللہ رے اُس دشمنِ راحت کا تلوّن
گل بانگِ اماں ہے تو کبھی شورشِ چنگیز
۳
کہسار میں تیشے کی صدا گونج رہی ہے
افسوس ہے اے زمزمۂ عشرتِ پرویز
۴
اللہ ری اُس فتنۂ دوراں کی جوانی
خوں ریز و شرر بیز و جنوں خیز و دلآویز
۵
اے گیسوئے شب رنگ وہی نکہتِ فردوس
اے نرگسِ مخمور وہی ساغرِ لبریز
۶
رقصاں رخِ محبوب میں ہے صبح کی خنکی
بیدار بھی ہو خواب سے اے جوشِ سحر خیز
जोश-ए सहर खेज़ – जोश मलीहाबादी
१
शैख़ और ख़लिश-ए बंदगी और ज़हमत-ए परहेज़
मैं और मय-ए देरीना ओ माशूक़ा-ए नौख़ैज़
२
अल्लाह रे उस दुश्मन-ए राहत का तलव्वुन
गुल बांग-ए अमां है तो कभी शोरिश-ए चंगेज़
३
कोहसार में तीशे की सदा गूंज रही है
अफ़्सोस है अए ज़मज़मा-ए इश्रत-ए परवेज़
४
अल्लाह रे उस फ़ित्ना-ए दौरां की जवानी
खूं-रेज़ ओ शरर बेज़ ओ जुनूं ख़ेज़ ओ दिलआवेज़
५
अए गैसु-ए शब-रंग वही निक्हत-ए फ़िर्दौस
अए नर्गिस-ए मख़्मूर वही साग़र-ए लबरेज़
६
रक़्सां रुख़-ए महबूब में है सुबह की ख़ुनकी
बेदार भी हो ख़्वाब से अए जोश-ए सहर ख़ेज़
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. josh malihabadi (1898-1982) is called shaa’er-e inqelaab, poet of change/revolution. He is very secular and nationalistic in his writings and rebels against orthodoxy. His range of language and vocabulary is simply amazing. He has written extensively about the beauty of dawn. His collection of nazm/Ghazal and rubaaii can be accessed both under the poet’s name and from the Theme Index, ‘jalva-e sahr’. This nazm/Ghazal is full of playfulness, exquisite turn of phrase and great musicality.
1
shaiKh aur Khalish1-e bandagi2 aur zahmat3-e parhez4
maiN aur mae5-e deriina6 maashooqa7-e nauKhez8 1.irritation 2.servitude, devotion 3.pain, inconvenience 4.abstinence 5.wine 6.old 7.beloved 8.newly blossomed, young
The shaiKh feels irritation and inconvenience at having to pray five times (or more) a day and remain abstinent – fasting and not drinking wine. Not only does this point to the hardship of ritualistic observance but it might also hint at hyporcrisy- the shaiKh does not want to do this; he is doing it by force for the world to see and to maintain his income. The shaiKh is being made fun of. And the poet- he is uninhibited, enjoys old wine and the company of a young beloved. Not only does this come naturally to him, it is also free of hypocrisy.
2
allah re uss dushman-e raahat1 ka talavvun2
gul-baaNg3-e amaaN4 hai to kabhi shorish5-e chaNgez6 1.rest, comfort 2.fickleness, changing 3.call, cry 4.protection, safety 5.tumult, agitation 6.tyrant, tyrannical power
‘dushman-e raahat’- the enemy of rest/comfort is the beloved. By god, the changing mood of the unpredictable beloved- one moment she calling for peace and another moment raising agitation like a tyrant.
3
kohsaar1 meN tiishe2 ki sadaa3 gooNj4 rahi hai
afsos5 hai aye zamzama6-e ishrat7-e parvez8 1.hills 2.pickaxe, chisel 3.sound 4.echoing 5.alas 6.music 7.luxury 8.king, husband of shirin
This has reference to the story of shiriN-farhaad. parvez was the king married to shirin. farhaad, a sculptor was hired to work in the palace. shiriN and farhaad fall in love with each other. farhaad pesters parvez to divorce her so she can marry him. parvez sets him an impossible task/condition, asking him to dig a channel through the mountain and bring a river to the palace for shiriN to bathe in. Like a madman, mad with passion, farhaad sets about his task, the sound of his pickaxe echoing in the hills. He is about to succeed. In the second misra the poet says-alas (as a warning to parvez), the musical opulent, pleasures of parvez i.e., not only are these going to end, but the contrast drawn between this opulence/laziness and the echoing sounds of the pickaxe is wonderful.
4
allah re uss fitna1-e dauraaN2 ki javaani
KhuN-rez3 o sharar-bez4 o junuuN-Khez5 o dilaavez6 1.mischief 2.times, present period 3.blood spattering 4.raining sparks 5.passion raising 6.heart ravishing
‘fitna-e dauraaN’ is the beloved. By god, the budding youth of that mischief of the times; that heart ravishing beauty which is shedding blood, raining sparks, raising passions.
5
aye gesu1-e shab-raNg2 vahi nik’hat3-e firdaus4
aye nargis5-e maKhmoor6 vahi saaGhar7-e labrez8 1.hair 2.colour of the night, dark 3.fragrance 4.heaven 5.narcissus- analogue for beautiful eyes 6.intoxicating 7.cup 8.brimming
These are just exquisitely musical phrases strung together in effusive praise of the beloved’s beauty. Dark hair, heavenly fragrance, intoxicating eyes and brimming cup of wine (which can also be symbolic of intoxicating eyes).
6
raqsaaN1 ruKh2-e mahboob3 meN hai sub’h ki Khunki4
bedaar5 bhi ho Khwaab6 se aye josh7-e sahar-Khez8 1.dancing 2.face, looks 3.beloved 4.dampness, dew 5.wake up 6.sleep 7.pen-name of the poet 8.one who rises at dawn
Here the mahboob is the dawn whose face is emerging in the early light. This face shimmers and dances in the damp dew. josh, known to be an early riser, who went on long morning walks, calls upon himself to rise from his sleep and witness this beauty.
josh malihabadi (1898-1982) is called shaa’er-e inqelaab, poet of change/revolution. He is very secular and nationalistic in his writings and rebels against orthodoxy. His range of language and vocabulary is simply amazing. He has written extensively about the beauty of dawn. His collection of nazm/Ghazal and rubaaii can be accessed both under the poet’s name and from the Theme Index, ‘jalva-e sahr’. This nazm/Ghazal is full of playfulness, exquisite turn of phrase and great musicality.
1
shaiKh aur Khalish1-e bandagi2 aur zahmat3-e parhez4
maiN aur mae5-e deriina6 maashooqa7-e nauKhez8
1.irritation 2.servitude, devotion 3.pain, inconvenience 4.abstinence 5.wine 6.old 7.beloved 8.newly blossomed, young
The shaiKh feels irritation and inconvenience at having to pray five times (or more) a day and remain abstinent – fasting and not drinking wine. Not only does this point to the hardship of ritualistic observance but it might also hint at hyporcrisy- the shaiKh does not want to do this; he is doing it by force for the world to see and to maintain his income. The shaiKh is being made fun of. And the poet- he is uninhibited, enjoys old wine and the company of a young beloved. Not only does this come naturally to him, it is also free of hypocrisy.
2
allah re uss dushman-e raahat1 ka talavvun2
gul-baaNg3-e amaaN4 hai to kabhi shorish5-e chaNgez6
1.rest, comfort 2.fickleness, changing 3.call, cry 4.protection, safety 5.tumult, agitation 6.tyrant, tyrannical power
‘dushman-e raahat’- the enemy of rest/comfort is the beloved. By god, the changing mood of the unpredictable beloved- one moment she calling for peace and another moment raising agitation like a tyrant.
3
kohsaar1 meN tiishe2 ki sadaa3 gooNj4 rahi hai
afsos5 hai aye zamzama6-e ishrat7-e parvez8
1.hills 2.pickaxe, chisel 3.sound 4.echoing 5.alas 6.music 7.luxury 8.king, husband of shirin
This has reference to the story of shiriN-farhaad. parvez was the king married to shirin. farhaad, a sculptor was hired to work in the palace. shiriN and farhaad fall in love with each other. farhaad pesters parvez to divorce her so she can marry him. parvez sets him an impossible task/condition, asking him to dig a channel through the mountain and bring a river to the palace for shiriN to bathe in. Like a madman, mad with passion, farhaad sets about his task, the sound of his pickaxe echoing in the hills. He is about to succeed. In the second misra the poet says-alas (as a warning to parvez), the musical opulent, pleasures of parvez i.e., not only are these going to end, but the contrast drawn between this opulence/laziness and the echoing sounds of the pickaxe is wonderful.
4
allah re uss fitna1-e dauraaN2 ki javaani
KhuN-rez3 o sharar-bez4 o junuuN-Khez5 o dilaavez6
1.mischief 2.times, present period 3.blood spattering 4.raining sparks 5.passion raising 6.heart ravishing
‘fitna-e dauraaN’ is the beloved. By god, the budding youth of that mischief of the times; that heart ravishing beauty which is shedding blood, raining sparks, raising passions.
5
aye gesu1-e shab-raNg2 vahi nik’hat3-e firdaus4
aye nargis5-e maKhmoor6 vahi saaGhar7-e labrez8
1.hair 2.colour of the night, dark 3.fragrance 4.heaven 5.narcissus- analogue for beautiful eyes 6.intoxicating 7.cup 8.brimming
These are just exquisitely musical phrases strung together in effusive praise of the beloved’s beauty. Dark hair, heavenly fragrance, intoxicating eyes and brimming cup of wine (which can also be symbolic of intoxicating eyes).
6
raqsaaN1 ruKh2-e mahboob3 meN hai sub’h ki Khunki4
bedaar5 bhi ho Khwaab6 se aye josh7-e sahar-Khez8
1.dancing 2.face, looks 3.beloved 4.dampness, dew 5.wake up 6.sleep 7.pen-name of the poet 8.one who rises at dawn
Here the mahboob is the dawn whose face is emerging in the early light. This face shimmers and dances in the damp dew. josh, known to be an early riser, who went on long morning walks, calls upon himself to rise from his sleep and witness this beauty.
