For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
جرأت رندانہ چاہیے ۔ جئے کرشن چودھری حبیبؔ
۱
اُلفت میں ایسی لغزشِ مستانہ چاہیے
در پر ترے گریں تو سنبھلنا نہ چاہیے
۲
ہے عالمِ شباب کسی کا نگاہ میں
میری نظر کو اور تماشا نہ چاہیے
۳
ساقی کی اک نگاہ پہ مدہوش بزم ہے
گردش میں اب تو ساغر و مینا نہ چاہیے
۴
چلمن کی تیلیوں سے رکی کب نگاہ شوق
اس پر کبھی بھی بندِشِ بے جا نہ چاہیے
۵
ساقی گری کی لاج رکھو، یہ تو اہتمام
کوئی بھی رند بزم میں پیاسا نہ چاہیے
۶
فرزانگی سے طے ہوئی کب منزلِ حیات
رختِ سفر میں اک دلِ دیوانہ چاہیے
۷
ہر ہر قدم پہ سوچ کے چلنا عجیب ہے
جینے کو کچھ تو جرأتِ رِندانہ چاہیے
۸
کم ہے حبیبؔ عمر تأسُف کے واسطے
دنیا کو بات بات پہ جھٹلانا چاہیے
जुर’अत-ए रिंदाना चाहिए – जय क्रिष्ण चौधरी हबीब
१
उल्फ़त में ऐसी लग़्ज़िश-ए मस्ताना चाहिए
दर पर तेरे गिरें तो सँभलना न चाहिए
२
है आलम-ए शबाब किसी का निगाह में
मेरी नज़र को और तमाशा न चाहिए
३
साक़ी की एक निगाह पे मदहोश बज़्म है
गर्दिश में अब तो साग़र-ओ-मीना न चाहिए
४
चिलमन की तीलियों से रुकी कब निगाह-ए शौक़
उस पर कभी भी बंदिश-ए बेजा न चाहिए
५
साक़ी-गरी की लाज रखो ये तो, एहतेमाम
कोई भी रिंद बज़्म में प्यासा न चाहिए
६
फ़र्ज़ानगी से तय हुई कब मंज़िल-ए हयात
रख़्त-ए सफ़र में एक दिल-ए दीवाना चाहिए
७
हर हर क़दम पे सोच के चलना अजीब है
जीने को कुछ तो जुर’अत-ए रिंदाना चाहिए
८
कम है हबीब उम्र त’अस्सुफ़ के वास्ते
दुनियाँ को बात बात पे झुटलाना चाहिए
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. jaikishan chaudhry habiib (1904-xxxx), born in Dera ismail KhaaN, in pakistan. Lived in jabalpur. He was a scholar of sanskrit, English, faarsi and urdu, and was an active participant in the independence struggle, most notably with Khaan abdul Ghaffaar KhaaN. MA from aligaRh and later LLB, law practice 1929. He migrated to India after the partition in 1947. IAS – Collector and later Education Secretary. Early retirement in 1960, but recalled later to serve three more years in jabalpur and retired there. In 1969 he served on Ghalib shataabdhi naagarik samiti which organized four ‘tarahi’ mushaa’era over that year and published a book. He composed several Ghazal in the zamin of Ghalib like this one linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’.
1
ulfat meN aisi laGhzish-e mastaana chaahiye
dar par tere’ gireN to sambhalna na chaahiye 1.love 2.stumble, imbalance 3.ecstatic, trance-like 4.door, threshold 5.recover balance
In love, such an ecstatic stumble is needed, that if one falls at your door, they shouldn’t recover. True love demands complete surrender and trance-like intoxication of spirit. The lover’s fall at the beloved’s door symbolizes devotion that refuses recovery, showcasing the depth of their love.
2
hai aalam-e shabaab kisi ka nigaah meN
meri nazar ko aur tamaasha na chaahiye 1.world, state, condition 2.youth 3.gaze 4.eyes 5.spectacle
That special someone’s gaze holds the entire world of youth and beauty, my eyes need no other spectacle. The beloved’s glance encapsulates all beauty, making the lover uninterested in any other worldly charms. It reflects the completeness of love.
3
saaqi1 ki ek nigaah2 pe mad’hosh3 bazm4 hai
gardish5 meN ab to saaGhar-o-miina6 na chaahiye 1.cupbearer, beloved 2.glance 3.intoxicated 4.gathering 5.circulation 6.cup and flask
The entire gathering is intoxicated by just one glance of the cupbearer, now, there is no need to pass around the cup and flask. The saaqi’s charm and her eyes is so overwhelming and intoxicating that traditional symbols of intoxication, wine cup and flask, lose their relevance.
4
chilman1 ki tiiliyoN2 se ruki kab nigaah3-e shauq4
us par kabhi bhi bandish5-e bejaa6 na chaahiye 1.bamboo curtain 2.bamboo strips 3.glance 4.love, desire 5.restriction 6.inappropriate
Has the gaze of longing ever been stopped by the slats of a curtain? There should never be unnecessary restrictions on it. Either the beloved is looking out from the bamboo curtain at the lover/admirer in the street or he is trying to peep through the curtain to see her. In either case, the poet syas that the gaze of true longing cannot be stopped by barriers. Love and desire transcend all restrictions and undue restrictions should not be placed on them.
5
saaqi-gari1 ki laaj2 rakho ye to, ehtemaam3
koi bhi rind4 bazm5 meN pyaasa na chaahiye 1.art of serving wine 2.dignity, respect 3.arrangement 4.wine-lover 5.gathering
Maintain the dignity of wine-serving, ensure this arrangement, that no wine-lover in the gathering should be thirsty. Being not thirsty, drinking wine symbolizes both defiance of cultural restrictions as well as universal love.
6
farzaangi1 se tai2 hui kab manzil3-e hayaat4
raKht5-e safar6 meN ek dil-e divaana chaahiye 1.worldly knowledge, prudence 2.traveled, completed 3.destination 4.life 5.provisions 6.journey
Has the destination of life ever been reached through wisdom/prudence; for this journey, one needs a mad/passionate heart. The poet values passion and madness over caution and pragmatism for truly living life and achieving meaningful goals.
7
har har qadam1 pe soch ke chalna ajiib2 hai
jiine ko kuchh to jur’at3-e rindaana4 chaahiye 1.step 2.strange 3.courage, daring 4.like a wine-lover/free thinker/libertine
Traversing the journey of life with excessive caution at every step is strange. For truly living, some daring of a libertine is needed. This borders on the classical debate between reason and passion.
8
kam hai habiib1 umr ta’assuf2 ke vaaste3
duniya ko baat-baat4 pe jhuTlaana5 chaahiye 1.pen-name 2.repentence, regret 3.for the sake of 4.every step 5.refute, defy
O habiib, life is too short for regrets/repentence. The world should be refuted/defied at every turn. The poet dismisses repentence and encourages challenging societal norms and expectations. Life’s brevity calls for bold defiance and independence.
jaikishan chaudhry habiib (1904-xxxx), born in Dera ismail KhaaN, in pakistan. Lived in jabalpur. He was a scholar of sanskrit, English, faarsi and urdu, and was an active participant in the independence struggle, most notably with Khaan abdul Ghaffaar KhaaN. MA from aligaRh and later LLB, law practice 1929. He migrated to India after the partition in 1947. IAS – Collector and later Education Secretary. Early retirement in 1960, but recalled later to serve three more years in jabalpur and retired there. In 1969 he served on Ghalib shataabdhi naagarik samiti which organized four ‘tarahi’ mushaa’era over that year and published a book. He composed several Ghazal in the zamin of Ghalib like this one linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’.
1
ulfat meN aisi laGhzish-e mastaana chaahiye
dar par tere’ gireN to sambhalna na chaahiye
1.love 2.stumble, imbalance 3.ecstatic, trance-like 4.door, threshold 5.recover balance
In love, such an ecstatic stumble is needed, that if one falls at your door, they shouldn’t recover. True love demands complete surrender and trance-like intoxication of spirit. The lover’s fall at the beloved’s door symbolizes devotion that refuses recovery, showcasing the depth of their love.
2
hai aalam-e shabaab kisi ka nigaah meN
meri nazar ko aur tamaasha na chaahiye
1.world, state, condition 2.youth 3.gaze 4.eyes 5.spectacle
That special someone’s gaze holds the entire world of youth and beauty, my eyes need no other spectacle. The beloved’s glance encapsulates all beauty, making the lover uninterested in any other worldly charms. It reflects the completeness of love.
3
saaqi1 ki ek nigaah2 pe mad’hosh3 bazm4 hai
gardish5 meN ab to saaGhar-o-miina6 na chaahiye
1.cupbearer, beloved 2.glance 3.intoxicated 4.gathering 5.circulation 6.cup and flask
The entire gathering is intoxicated by just one glance of the cupbearer, now, there is no need to pass around the cup and flask. The saaqi’s charm and her eyes is so overwhelming and intoxicating that traditional symbols of intoxication, wine cup and flask, lose their relevance.
4
chilman1 ki tiiliyoN2 se ruki kab nigaah3-e shauq4
us par kabhi bhi bandish5-e bejaa6 na chaahiye
1.bamboo curtain 2.bamboo strips 3.glance 4.love, desire 5.restriction 6.inappropriate
Has the gaze of longing ever been stopped by the slats of a curtain? There should never be unnecessary restrictions on it. Either the beloved is looking out from the bamboo curtain at the lover/admirer in the street or he is trying to peep through the curtain to see her. In either case, the poet syas that the gaze of true longing cannot be stopped by barriers. Love and desire transcend all restrictions and undue restrictions should not be placed on them.
5
saaqi-gari1 ki laaj2 rakho ye to, ehtemaam3
koi bhi rind4 bazm5 meN pyaasa na chaahiye
1.art of serving wine 2.dignity, respect 3.arrangement 4.wine-lover 5.gathering
Maintain the dignity of wine-serving, ensure this arrangement, that no wine-lover in the gathering should be thirsty. Being not thirsty, drinking wine symbolizes both defiance of cultural restrictions as well as universal love.
6
farzaangi1 se tai2 hui kab manzil3-e hayaat4
raKht5-e safar6 meN ek dil-e divaana chaahiye
1.worldly knowledge, prudence 2.traveled, completed 3.destination 4.life 5.provisions 6.journey
Has the destination of life ever been reached through wisdom/prudence; for this journey, one needs a mad/passionate heart. The poet values passion and madness over caution and pragmatism for truly living life and achieving meaningful goals.
7
har har qadam1 pe soch ke chalna ajiib2 hai
jiine ko kuchh to jur’at3-e rindaana4 chaahiye
1.step 2.strange 3.courage, daring 4.like a wine-lover/free thinker/libertine
Traversing the journey of life with excessive caution at every step is strange. For truly living, some daring of a libertine is needed. This borders on the classical debate between reason and passion.
8
kam hai habiib1 umr ta’assuf2 ke vaaste3
duniya ko baat-baat4 pe jhuTlaana5 chaahiye
1.pen-name 2.repentence, regret 3.for the sake of 4.every step 5.refute, defy
O habiib, life is too short for regrets/repentence. The world should be refuted/defied at every turn. The poet dismisses repentence and encourages challenging societal norms and expectations. Life’s brevity calls for bold defiance and independence.
