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Recitation
bharati viswanathan
خم نہیں ہے ۔ اسرار الحق مجازؔ
۱
جنونِ شوق اب بھی کم نہیں ہے
مگر وہ آج بھی برہم نہیں ہے
۲
بہت مشکل ہے دنیا کا سنورنا
تری زلفوں کا پیچ و خم نہیں ہے
۳
بہت کچھ اور بھی ہے اس جہاں میں
یہ دنیا محض غم ہی غم نہیں ہے
۴
تقاضے کیوں کروں پیہم نہ ساقی
کسے یاں فکر بیش و کم نہیں ہے
۵
ادھر مشکوک ہے میری صداقت
ادھر بھی بد گمانی کم نہیں ہے
۶
مری بربادیوں کا ہم نشینو
تمہیں کیا، خود مجھے بھی غم نہیں ہے
۷
ابھی بزمِ طرب سے کیا اٹھوں میں
ابھی تو آنکھ بھی پُر نم نہیں ہے
۸
بہ ایں سیلِ غم و سیلِ حوادث
مرا سر ہے کہ اب بھی خم نہیں ہے
۹
مجازؔ اِک بادہ کش تو ہے یقیناً
جو ہم سنتے تھے وہ عالم نہیں ہے
ख़म नहीं है – अस्रार-उल-हक़ मजाज़
१
जुनून-ए शौक़ अब भी कम नहीं है
मगर वो आज भी बरहम नहीं है
२
बहुत मुश्किल है दुनिया का सँवरना
तेरी ज़ुल्फ़ों का पेच-ओ-ख़म नहीं है
३
बहुत कुछ और भी है इस जहाँ में
ये दुनिया महज़ ग़म ही ग़म नहीं है
४
तक़ाज़े क्यूँ करूँ पैहम न साक़ी
किसे याँ फ़िक्र बेश-ओ-कम नहीं है
५
उधर मश्कूक है मेरी सदाक़त
इधर भी बद-गुमानी कम नहीं है
६
मेरी बरबादियों का हम-नशीनो
तुम्हें क्या, ख़ुद मुझे भी ग़म नहीं है
७
अभी बज़्म-ए तरब से क्या उठूँ मैं
अभी तो आँख भी पुर-नम नहीं है
८
ब-ईं सैल-ए ग़म ओ सैल-ए हवादिस
मेरा सर है के अब भी ख़म नहीं है
९
मजाज़ एक बादा-कश तो है यक़ीनन
जो हम सुनते थे वो आलम नहीं है
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. asrar-ul haq majaz (1911-1955) was progressive as well as romantic poet, a heartthrob. He received his BA from aligaRh after interruptions in earlier schooling. He developed close relationships with progressives and was a major force in the Progressive Writers’ Association. He lived in aligaRh, dehli and lucknow working for radio stations, editing magazines on and off but with no steady income. He met with a rather tragic end at the young age of 44. This Ghazal has ash’aar reflecting romance, defiance and some reference to the position of the Progressive Writers’ Association when they asked poets to abandon conventional romance themes and write about injustice and deprivation.
1
junoon1-e shauq2 ab bhi kam nahiN hai
magar3 vo aaj bhi barham4 nahiN hai 1.madness, intensity 2.passion 3.but 4.topsy turvy, confused, angry
In view of the following ash’aar, this can be interpreted to mean that his old intensity of romantic passion is not reduced but he is able to see the pain of the world and is able to balance the competing demands of ‘Gham-e jaanaaN’ and ‘Gham-e dauraaN’. In the second ‘misra’, the ‘vo’ can be taken to mean ‘junoon-e shauq’. It is not confused. It can deal with both demands.
2
bahut mushkil1 hai duniya ka saNvarna2
teri zulfoN3 ka pech-o-Kham4 nahiN hai 1.difficult 2.getting smoothed out/straightened 3.hair 4.twists and turns, tangles, curls
The curls of the beloved’s hair are easy to untangle and arranged properly. The affairs of the world (injustice, cruelty etc) are much more difficult to deal with.
3
bahut kuchh aur bhi hai is jahaaN1 meN
ye duniya mahz2 Gham3 hi Gham nahiN hai 1.world 2.only 3.sorrow/pain (of unrequited love)
There is much more to life. The world is not limited to the pain of romantic love.
4
taqaaze1 kyuN karuN paiham2 na saaqi
kise yaaN fikr3 besh-o-kam4 nahiN hai 1.demands 2.again and again 3.worries 4.more or less, something or the other
O saaqi, how can I not make demands (for wine) again and again. Who does not have worries of this or that in this world. The implication is that he is trying to drown his worries in wine by demanding more and more from the saaqi.
5
udhar mashkook1 hai meri sadaaqat2
idhar bhi bad-gumaani3 kam nahiN hai 1.suspected 2.truthfulness, authenticity 3.disbelief, suspicion
It is not clear who is meant by ‘udhar’ and ‘idhar’. There are three possibilities that I see (a) poet/lover and beloved (b) poet and fellow progressive or (c) beloved and fellow progressives. In the first two possibilities both parties are suspicious of each other. But it is difficult to imagine the poet being suspicious of either party. It is more likely the third possibility – because of his attempt to balance his romantic tendencies with societal demands, both the beloved and the progressives are suspicious of the poet. Neither is satsified.
6
meri barbaadiyoN1 ka ham-nashino2
tumheN kya, Khud mujhe bhi Gham3 nahiN hai 1.destruction, downfall 2.friends 3.concern, worry
O friends, not just you, even I am not worried about my downfall.
7
abhi bazm1-e tarab2 se kya uThuuN maiN
abhi to aaNkh bhi pur-nam3 nahiN hai 1.gathering 2.pleasure, celebration 3.moist, tearful
How can I get up (to leave) from this celebratory gathering. They eyes are still not tearful. Whose eyes? One possibility is that poet/lover has been reciting his Ghazal relating his tale of woe. He expects the whole audience or perhaps the beloved to get tearful upon hearing it. This has not happened yet. How can he stop. This could also imply the eyes of the poet himself. He is still in control of his emotions and will leave the gathering if he loses control and starts crying.
8
ba-iiN1 sail2-e Gham3 o sail2-e havaadis4
mera sar hai keh ab bhi Kham5 nahiN hai 1.in spite of 2.flood 3.sorrows, pain 4.accidents, mishaps, misfortunes 5.bowed
This is clearly a statement of defiance. Against whom? Against fate or against power and orthodoxy. In spite of a flood of sorrows and misfortunes my head is still not bowed.
9
majaz1 ek baada-kash2 to hai yaqiinan3
jo hum sunte the vo aalam4 nahiN hai 1.pen-name of the poet 2.wine drinker, stricken by wine 3.certainly 4.condition
There is no doubt that majaz is stricken with wine drinking. But his condition is not as bad as we had feared.
asrar-ul haq majaz (1911-1955) was progressive as well as romantic poet, a heartthrob. He received his BA from aligaRh after interruptions in earlier schooling. He developed close relationships with progressives and was a major force in the Progressive Writers’ Association. He lived in aligaRh, dehli and lucknow working for radio stations, editing magazines on and off but with no steady income. He met with a rather tragic end at the young age of 44. This Ghazal has ash’aar reflecting romance, defiance and some reference to the position of the Progressive Writers’ Association when they asked poets to abandon conventional romance themes and write about injustice and deprivation.
1
junoon1-e shauq2 ab bhi kam nahiN hai
magar3 vo aaj bhi barham4 nahiN hai
1.madness, intensity 2.passion 3.but 4.topsy turvy, confused, angry
In view of the following ash’aar, this can be interpreted to mean that his old intensity of romantic passion is not reduced but he is able to see the pain of the world and is able to balance the competing demands of ‘Gham-e jaanaaN’ and ‘Gham-e dauraaN’. In the second ‘misra’, the ‘vo’ can be taken to mean ‘junoon-e shauq’. It is not confused. It can deal with both demands.
2
bahut mushkil1 hai duniya ka saNvarna2
teri zulfoN3 ka pech-o-Kham4 nahiN hai
1.difficult 2.getting smoothed out/straightened 3.hair 4.twists and turns, tangles, curls
The curls of the beloved’s hair are easy to untangle and arranged properly. The affairs of the world (injustice, cruelty etc) are much more difficult to deal with.
3
bahut kuchh aur bhi hai is jahaaN1 meN
ye duniya mahz2 Gham3 hi Gham nahiN hai
1.world 2.only 3.sorrow/pain (of unrequited love)
There is much more to life. The world is not limited to the pain of romantic love.
4
taqaaze1 kyuN karuN paiham2 na saaqi
kise yaaN fikr3 besh-o-kam4 nahiN hai
1.demands 2.again and again 3.worries 4.more or less, something or the other
O saaqi, how can I not make demands (for wine) again and again. Who does not have worries of this or that in this world. The implication is that he is trying to drown his worries in wine by demanding more and more from the saaqi.
5
udhar mashkook1 hai meri sadaaqat2
idhar bhi bad-gumaani3 kam nahiN hai
1.suspected 2.truthfulness, authenticity 3.disbelief, suspicion
It is not clear who is meant by ‘udhar’ and ‘idhar’. There are three possibilities that I see (a) poet/lover and beloved (b) poet and fellow progressive or (c) beloved and fellow progressives. In the first two possibilities both parties are suspicious of each other. But it is difficult to imagine the poet being suspicious of either party. It is more likely the third possibility – because of his attempt to balance his romantic tendencies with societal demands, both the beloved and the progressives are suspicious of the poet. Neither is satsified.
6
meri barbaadiyoN1 ka ham-nashino2
tumheN kya, Khud mujhe bhi Gham3 nahiN hai
1.destruction, downfall 2.friends 3.concern, worry
O friends, not just you, even I am not worried about my downfall.
7
abhi bazm1-e tarab2 se kya uThuuN maiN
abhi to aaNkh bhi pur-nam3 nahiN hai
1.gathering 2.pleasure, celebration 3.moist, tearful
How can I get up (to leave) from this celebratory gathering. They eyes are still not tearful. Whose eyes? One possibility is that poet/lover has been reciting his Ghazal relating his tale of woe. He expects the whole audience or perhaps the beloved to get tearful upon hearing it. This has not happened yet. How can he stop. This could also imply the eyes of the poet himself. He is still in control of his emotions and will leave the gathering if he loses control and starts crying.
8
ba-iiN1 sail2-e Gham3 o sail2-e havaadis4
mera sar hai keh ab bhi Kham5 nahiN hai
1.in spite of 2.flood 3.sorrows, pain 4.accidents, mishaps, misfortunes 5.bowed
This is clearly a statement of defiance. Against whom? Against fate or against power and orthodoxy. In spite of a flood of sorrows and misfortunes my head is still not bowed.
9
majaz1 ek baada-kash2 to hai yaqiinan3
jo hum sunte the vo aalam4 nahiN hai
1.pen-name of the poet 2.wine drinker, stricken by wine 3.certainly 4.condition
There is no doubt that majaz is stricken with wine drinking. But his condition is not as bad as we had feared.
