For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
کون سا قصہ لکھوں ۔ رام سنگھ شررؔ فتح پوری
۱
اپنی روداد کہوں یا غمِ دنیا لکھوں
کون سی بات کہوں کون سا قصہ لکھوں
۲
بابِ تحریر میں ہے لوح و قلم پر تعزیر
برگِ سادہ ہی پہ اب حرفِ تمنا لکھوں
۳
شام تو شام تھی اب صبح کا منظر دیکھو
کس کی میں ہجو کہوں کس کا قصیدہ لکھوں
۴
اس ستم پیشہ کا اعجازِ ستم ہی ہوگا
دستِ قاتل کو اگر دستِ مسیحا لکھوں
۵
اتنی بے ربط ہے تفصیلِ غمِ زیست شررؔ
خود سمجھنے کے لیے اُس کا خلاصہ لکھوں
कौन सा क़िस्सा लिक्खूँ – राम सिंघ शरर फ़तहपूरी
१
अपनी रूदाद कहूँ या ग़म-ए दुनिया लिक्खूँ
कौन सी बात कहूँ कौन सा क़िस्सा लिक्खूँ
२
बाब-ए तहरीर में है लौह-ओ-क़लम पर ताज़ीर
बर्ग-ए सादा ही पे अब हर्फ़-ए तमन्ना लिक्खूँ
३
शाम तो शाम थी अब सुब्ह का मंज़र देखो
किस की मैं हज्व कहूँ किस का क़सीदा लिक्खूँ
४
उस सितम पेशा का ए’जाज़-ए सितम ही होगा
दस्त-ए क़ातिल को अगर दस्त-ए मसीहा लिक्खूँ
५
इतनी बे-रब्त है तफ़्सील-ए ग़म-ए ज़ीस्त शरर
ख़ुद समझने के लिये उस का ख़ुलासा लिक्खूँ
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. ram siNgh sharar fatehpuri (1928-1992), fatehpur, haryaana. MA (urdu) and MEd, from aligaRh. He worked in the Department of Education, haryaana. Progressive Writers’ Association, Communist Party of India, awardee of the saahitya akademi of haryaana and uttar pradesh. Soviet Land’s Nehru Award. He composed a large body of protest nazm.
1
apni roodaad1 kahuN ya Gham-e duniya likkhuN
kaun si baat kahuN kaun sa qissa2 likkhuN 1.narrative, story 2.tale, story
The Progressive Writers’ Association debated and settled that poets should write more about the sorrows of the world rather than about their own romantic sorrows. This she’r is a reflection of that debate. Should I write my own story or the story of the sorrows of this world. Which narrative should I write and which tale should I tell.
2
baab1-e tahriir2 meN hai lauh-o-qalam3 par taa’ziir4
barg5-e saada6 hi pe ab harf7-e tamanna8 likkhuN .chapter, theme, domain 2.writing 3.paper and pen 4.punishment 5.leaf, petal 6.plain, clean 7.word 8.desire, wish
In the domain of writing with pen and paper, there is punishment (censorship imposed by the powers). Perhaps I should write words of desire (goals of social justice) on plain leaves or petals. He is searching for different ways of expressing protest at injustice.
3
shaam to shaam thi ab sub’h ka manzar1 dekho
kis ki maiN hajv2 kahuN kis ka qasiida3 likkhuN 1.scene 2.satire, critique 3.ode, praise
The evening/night is a symbol of darkness/injustice and the dawn is a symbol of social justice. The night of injustice was after all unjust but look at this scene of dawn. It is supposed to bring justice, but it has not. What do I write a satire about what do I sing praises of – the night or the dawn. This is said in the same spirit as faiz’s ‘chale chalo keh vo manzil abhi nahiN aaii’.
4
us sitam-pesha1 ka e’jaaz2-e sitam hi hoga
dast3-e qaatil4 ko agar dast-e masiiha5 likkhuN 1.professional oppressor 2.miracle 3.hand 4.killer 5.healer
If I write about the hand of the killer as if it were the hand of the healer, then indeed it would be miracle of the oppression of that professional oppressor i.e., if I write this, it means that they have been successful in forcing me to write this.
5
itni be-rabt1 hai tafsiil2-e Gham-e ziist3 sharar4
Khud samajhne ke liye us ka Khulaasa5 likkhuN 1.incoherent 2.details 3.life 4.pen-name of the poet 5.summary, brief
O sharar, the details of the story of the sorrow of life are so incoherent that I have to write a brief summary of it to understand it myself.
ram siNgh sharar fatehpuri (1928-1992), fatehpur, haryaana. MA (urdu) and MEd, from aligaRh. He worked in the Department of Education, haryaana. Progressive Writers’ Association, Communist Party of India, awardee of the saahitya akademi of haryaana and uttar pradesh. Soviet Land’s Nehru Award. He composed a large body of protest nazm.
1
apni roodaad1 kahuN ya Gham-e duniya likkhuN
kaun si baat kahuN kaun sa qissa2 likkhuN
1.narrative, story 2.tale, story
The Progressive Writers’ Association debated and settled that poets should write more about the sorrows of the world rather than about their own romantic sorrows. This she’r is a reflection of that debate. Should I write my own story or the story of the sorrows of this world. Which narrative should I write and which tale should I tell.
2
baab1-e tahriir2 meN hai lauh-o-qalam3 par taa’ziir4
barg5-e saada6 hi pe ab harf7-e tamanna8 likkhuN
1.chapter, theme, domain 2.writing 3.paper and pen 4.punishment 5.leaf, petal 6.plain, clean 7.word 8.desire, wish
In the domain of writing with pen and paper, there is punishment (censorship imposed by the powers). Perhaps I should write words of desire (goals of social justice) on plain leaves or petals. He is searching for different ways of expressing protest at injustice.
3
shaam to shaam thi ab sub’h ka manzar1 dekho
kis ki maiN hajv2 kahuN kis ka qasiida3 likkhuN
1.scene 2.satire, critique 3.ode, praise
The evening/night is a symbol of darkness/injustice and the dawn is a symbol of social justice. The night of injustice was after all unjust but look at this scene of dawn. It is supposed to bring justice, but it has not. What do I write a satire about what do I sing praises of – the night or the dawn. This is said in the same spirit as faiz’s ‘chale chalo keh vo manzil abhi nahiN aaii’.
4
us sitam-pesha1 ka e’jaaz2-e sitam hi hoga
dast3-e qaatil4 ko agar dast-e masiiha5 likkhuN
1.professional oppressor 2.miracle 3.hand 4.killer 5.healer
If I write about the hand of the killer as if it were the hand of the healer, then indeed it would be miracle of the oppression of that professional oppressor i.e., if I write this, it means that they have been successful in forcing me to write this.
5
itni be-rabt1 hai tafsiil2-e Gham-e ziist3 sharar4
Khud samajhne ke liye us ka Khulaasa5 likkhuN
1.incoherent 2.details 3.life 4.pen-name of the poet 5.summary, brief
O sharar, the details of the story of the sorrow of life are so incoherent that I have to write a brief summary of it to understand it myself.
