For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
خطائے باغِ جناں سے پہلے ۔ پنڈت آنند نرائن مُلّا
۱
حیات اِک سازِ بے صدا تھی، سُرُودِ عمرِ رواں سے پہلے
بشر کی تقدیر سو رہی تھی، خطائے باغِ جناں سے پہلے
۲
نظر نے کی نذرِ روح و دل پیش، لب پہ شورِ فغاں سے پہلے
ادا ہوا سجدۂ محبت، خروشِ بانگِ اذاں سے پہلے
۳
بدل گیا عشق کا زمانہ، کہاں سے پہنچا کہاں فسانہ
اُنہیں بھی مجھ پر زبان آئی، وہی جو تھے بے زباں سے پہلے
۴
کسے خبر تھی کہ بن کے برق، غضب گرے گا یہی چمن پر
وہ حسن جو مسکرا رہا تھا، نقابِ ابرِ رواں سے پہلے
۵
ستم تو شاید میں بھول جاتا، اگر یہ نشتر چبھا نہ ہوتا
وہ اِک نگاہِ کرم جو کی تھی، نگاہِ نا مہرباں سے پہلے
۶
نظر ہے ویراں مری تو کیا غم، نظر کے جلوے تو ہیں سلامت
نہ تھے تم اتنے حسین میری، محبّتِ رائیگاں سے پہلے
۷
تری طرف پھر نظر کروں گا، نشاطِ ہستیٔ جاودانی
خرید لوں لذّتِ الم کچھ، متاع عمرِ رواں سے پہلے
۸
بچھڑ گئے راہِ زیست میں ہم، تمہیں بھی اِس کا اگر ہے کچھ غم
چلیں وہیں سے پھر آؤ باہم، چلے تھے ہم تم جہاں سے پہلے
۹
قفس کی لوہے کی تیلیاں اب، اُنہیں کی ضربوں سے خونچکاں ہیں
یہی جو تھے منتشر سے تِنکے، تصوُّرِ آشیاں سے پہلے
۱۰
چمن میں ہنسنے سے پھر نہ روکوں گا غنچۂ سادہ لوح تجھ کو
مگر ذرا آشنا تو ہو جا طبیعتِ باغباں سے پہلے
۱۱
نظر کے شعلے دلوں میں اک آگ ہر دو جانب لگا چکے ہیں
بس اب تو یہ رہ گیا ہے باقی، کہ لَو اٹھے گی کہاں سے پہلے
۱۲
نہ ڈھونڈو ملاؔ کو کارواں میں پھرے گا صحرا میں وہ اکیلا
کسی سبب سے جو تا بہ منزل نہ آ سکا کارواں سے پہلے
ख़ता-ए बाग़-ए जिनाँ से पहले – पंडित आनंद नरायन मुल्ला
१
हयात एक साज़-ए बे-सदा थी सुरूद-ए उम्र-ए रवाँ से पहले
बशर की तक़्दीर सो रही थी ख़ता-ए बाग़-ए जिनाँ से पहले
२
नज़र ने की नज़र-ए रूह-ओ-दिल पेश लब पे शोर-ए फ़ुग़ाँ से पहले
अदा हुआ सज्दा-ए मोहब्बत ख़रोश-ए बांग-ए अज़ाँ से पहले
३
बदल गया इश्क़ का ज़माना कहाँ से पहुँचा कहाँ फ़साना
उन्हें भी मुझ पर ज़बान आई वही जो थे बे-ज़बाँ से पहले
४
किसे ख़बर थी के बन के बर्क़-ए ग़ज़ब गिरेगा यही चमन पर
वो हुस्न जो मुस्कुरा रहा था नक़ाब-ए अबर-ए रवाँ से पहले
५
सितम तो शा’एद मैं भूल जाता अगर ये नश्तर चुभा न होता
वो एक निगाह-ए करम जो की थी निगाह-ए ना-मेहरबाँ से पहले
६
नज़र है वीराँ मेरी तो क्या ग़म नज़र के जल्वे तो हैं सलामत
न थे तुम इतने हसीन मेरी मोहब्बत-ए राएगाँ से पहले
७
तेरी तरफ़ फिर नज़र करूँगा निशात-ए हस्ती-ए जावेदानी
ख़रीद लूँ लज़्ज़त-ए अलम कुछ मता-ए उम्र-ए रवाँ से पहले
८
बिछढ गए राह-ए ज़ीस्त में हम तुम्हें भी इस का अगर है कुछ ग़म
चलें वहीं से फिर आओ बाहम चले थे हम तुम जहाँ से पहले
९
क़फ़स की लोहे की तीलियाँ अब उन्हीं की ज़र्बों से ख़ूँ-चकाँ हैं
यही जो थे मुंतशिर से तिनके तसव्वुर-ए आशियाँ से पहले
१०
चमन में हँसने से फिर न रोकूँगा गुंचा-ए सादा-लौह तुझ को
मगर ज़रा आश्ना तो हो जा तबी’अत-ए बाग़बाँ से पहले
११
नज़र के शो’ले दिलों में एक आग हर दो जानिब लगा चुके हैं
बस अब तो ये रह गया है बाक़ी के लौ उठेगी कहाँ से पहले
१२
न ढूँडो मुल्ला को कारवाँ में फिरेगा सहरा में वो अकेला
किसी सबब से जो ता-ब-मंज़िल न आ सका कारवाँ से पहले
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. panDit anand narain mulla (1901-1997), lukhnow, thoughtful and thoughtprovoking shaa’er. MA English Literature. Learnt urdu and faarsi at home. First venture into poetry translation of parts of iqbal’s ‘payaam-e mashriq’ into English. First urdu nazm published 1925. Ardent urdu lover as a language of the people. High court justice, parliamentarian and strong secularist and rationalist/atheist. Written in February, 1945, this has strong political undertones, with communal disharmony as an obstacle to freedom.
1
hayaat1 ek saaz2-e be-sada3 thi suruud4-e umr-e-ravaaN5 se pahle
bashar6 ki taqdiir7 so rahi thi Khataa8-e baaGh-e jinaaN9 se pahle 1.life, existence 2.musical instrument 3.soundless 4.music, harmony 5.life flowing with time 6.human 7.fate 8.sin, transgression 9.heaven
The imagery is that Adam and Eve lived in heaven. Everything was static, life was not ‘flowing with time’. Thus, it was a meaningless existence like a soundless musical instrument. Then they disobeyed god’s orders and expelled to earth. The poet says that before this, the fate of humans was sleeping- there was nothing going on. The implication is that life on earth is/can be meaningful, there is some movement. shahed writes, using a she’r of harichand aKhtar …
pahuNcha jo swarg meN to ye aKhtar ko dikhi soorat
“sukoon-e-mustaqil, dil be-tamanna, shaiKh ki sohbat
agar jannat yahi hai to is jannat se dozaKh kya bura hoga”
agar kal bhi vahi guzri jo guzri aaj, phir kya maza hoga
Also Ghalib …
havas ko hai nishaat-e kaar kya kya
na ho marnaa to jiine ka mazaa kya
2
nazar1 ne ki nazr2-e rooh3-o-dil pesh4 lab5 pe shor6-e fuGhaaN7 se pahle
ada8 hua sajda9-e mohabbat Kharosh10-e baaNg11-e azaaN12 se pahle 1.eyes, gaze 2.devotional offering 3.soul 4.offered, presented 5.lips 6.noise 7.wailing, begging 8.pay, perform, offer 9.prostration 10.clamour 11.call 12.call for namaaz
Here ‘fuGhaaN’ is described as ‘shor-noise’ and ‘baaNg-e azaaN-the call to namaaz’ is characterised as ‘Kharosh-clamour’. Both words – shor and Kharosh are dismissive if not derogatory. Thus, formal rituals are derided. Even before humans were circumscribed/bound by such formalities their gaze could look at the grandeur of the cosmos and offer its heart and soul and prostration of love. Thus, sincere emotional and spiritual offerings are elevated above formal, decreed rituals.
3
badal gaya ishq ka zamaana1 kahaaN se pahuNcha kahaaN fasaana2
unheN bhi mujh par zabaan aaii3, vahi jo the be-zabaaN4 se5 pahle 1.times, age 2.story 3.zabaan aana-to criticize 4.tongueless, silent 5.short for jaise-like
The age of love has changed. Look where the story (of love) has reached i.e., how much it has been distorted. Even those who used to be silent, now say harsh things to/about me. mulla was keenly politically conscious and active. This could be a reflection of the changing nature of communal harmony – from a relationship of love and acceptance to a relationship circumscribed by formal rituals.
4
kise Khabar1 thi ke ban ke barq2-e Ghazab3 girega yahi chaman par
voh husn4 jo muskura5 raha tha naqaab6-e abr-e-ravaaN7 se8 pahle 1.awareness, knowledge 2.lightning strike 3.fury, calamity 4.beauty, love 5.smile 6.veil 7.floating cloud 8.from, as in ‘vahaaN se’- from there
Imagine a beautiful, gentle cloud floating in the sky and beauty/love shining benevolenty at the world below. Who knew that this peaceful picture would change like this … the beauty/love that was smiling from behind the gently floating cloud, would strike the garden as lightning and thunder.
5
sitam1 to shaa’ed2 maiN bhuul3 jaata agar4 ye nashtar5 chubha6 na hota
voh ek nigaah7-e karam8 jo ki thi nigaah7-e naa-mehrbaaN9 se pahle 1.cruelty, ill-treatment 2.perhaps 3.forget, ignore 4.if 5.dagger, knife 6.prick, cut 7.glance, gaze 8.kindness 9.unkind, hateful
The narrative that there has been such a big change hurts more than if things had been bad from the beginning. I might have ignored the ill-feelings if this knife had not cut so painfully. There was a gaze of kindness/love before these unkind looks.
6
nazar1 hai viraaN2 meri to kya Gham nazar1 ke jalve3 to haiN salaamat4
na the tum itne hasiin5 meri mohabbat-e raa’egaaN6 se pahle 1.eyes, sight 2.desolate 3.images 4.preserved 5.beautiful 6.ineffective
The poet switches to an imagery of romantic love, where the beloved spurns the love offered by the lover. This may not be an exact parallel and may not apply rigorously but carries the same spirit. Why be so sad if what I see before me is desolate- void of love. At least, I have the old images/memories preserved in my mind. You, O beloved, were not so beautiful before I offered my now ineffective love. If I try to interpret it a little more closely, I get lost. Who is the beloved. If he is still talking about communal harmony, then who is spurning his offer of love, leaving only memories in his mind. Perhaps he has all communities in mind. Perhaps we should not seek an exact interpretation.
7
teri taraf1 phir nazar2 karuuNga nishaat3-e hasti4-e jaavedaani5
Khariid luN lazzat6-e alam7 kuchh mataa8-e umr-e-ravaaN9 se pahle 1.towards 2.gaze 3.pleasure 4.existence 5.everlasting, eternal 6.pleasure 7.pain, sorrow 8.wealth, treasure 9.flowing/passing life
He is content for now, dealing with his passing life and will turn his gaze/wish towards longer lasting life later. First he wants to seek and obtain the pleasure of the pain of love from the wealth offered by passing life. This ‘pain of love’ is universal love and he finds it comforting, more so than long life.
8
bichhaR1 ga’e raah2-e ziist3 meN ham tumheN bhi is ka agar4 hai kuchh Gham
chaleN vahiiN se phir aao baaham5 chale the ham tum jahaaN6 se7 pahle 1.separated 2.path 3.life 4.if 5.together 6.where 7.from
We have been separated from each other in the path of life. If you too, feel this pain, let us start together again from where we had started. He wants to re-create the old communal harmony that he has in his mind.
9
qafas1 ki lohe2 ki tiiliyaaN3 ab unhiiN ki zarboN4 se KhuuN-chakaaN5 haiN
yahi jo the muntashir6 se tinke7 tasavvur8-e aashiyaaN9 se pahle 1.cage, prison 2.iron 3.bars 4.blows 5.blood dripping 6.scattered 7.straws 8.imagination, memories 9.nest, home
Both the poet and his interlocuter are imagined as birds who are caged, like in a prison with iron bars. They are banging their heads against the iron bars in the hope of breaking out into freedom. The imagery of a few scattered straws reminds them of their nests in the garden and a free and happy life. He reminds himself and the interlocutor that they have the same common oppressor and same common dreams.
10
chaman meN haNsne se phir na rokuuNga Ghuncha1-e saada-lauh2 tujh ko
magar3 zara4 aashna5 to ho ja tabii’at6-e baaGhbaaN7 se pahle 1.unopened buds 2.simpleton 3.but 4.a little 5.familiar 6.nature, character 7.gardener
In urdu poetic tradition, the gardener is also the flower-picker (and sometimes the birdcatcher). He goes around snipping freshly blooming buds to sell them in the market. Here, ‘haNsna’ is used to mean laugh/bloom. The unopened buds are simple-minded, they do not understand what awaits them at the hands of the gardener/flower-picker. He says, I will not stop you from blooming, after this … but first understand/become familiar with the nature/character of the gardener. The gardener is the British colonizer.
11
nazar1 ke sho’le2 diloN meN ek aag3 har-do-jaanib4 laga chuke haiN
bas ab to ye rah gaya hai baaqi5 keh lau6 uThegi kahaaN se pahle 1.eyes, gaze 2.flames 3.fire, anger, hatred 4.in every direction, everywhere 5.remaining 6.flare, shooting flame
It is the colonizers gaze that has planted flames and lit the fire of hatred in every direction (in all communities). All that remains is to see where flames will flare up first.
12
na DhuuNDo1 mulla2 ko kaarvaaN3 meN phirega4 sahra5 meN vo akela6
kisi sabab7 se jo taa-ba-manzil8 na aa saka kaarvaaN se pahle 1.search, look for 2.pen-name of the poet 3.caravan, traveling/seeking group 4.wander, walk 5.desert, wilderness 6.alone 7.basis, reason 8.until the destination
Do not look for mulla in the traveling group – he is different, his goal and path are different from the group. The implication is that communal harmony, well-being and justice are more important to him than freedom at the cost of communal rife. Thus, for some reason he has not been able to make it to the place that you consider to be the destination.
panDit anand narain mulla (1901-1997), lukhnow, thoughtful and thoughtprovoking shaa’er. MA English Literature. Learnt urdu and faarsi at home. First venture into poetry translation of parts of iqbal’s ‘payaam-e mashriq’ into English. First urdu nazm published 1925. Ardent urdu lover as a language of the people. High court justice, parliamentarian and strong secularist and rationalist/atheist. Written in February, 1945, this has strong political undertones, with communal disharmony as an obstacle to freedom.
1
hayaat1 ek saaz2-e be-sada3 thi suruud4-e umr-e-ravaaN5 se pahle
bashar6 ki taqdiir7 so rahi thi Khataa8-e baaGh-e jinaaN9 se pahle
1.life, existence 2.musical instrument 3.soundless 4.music, harmony 5.life flowing with time 6.human 7.fate 8.sin, transgression 9.heaven
The imagery is that Adam and Eve lived in heaven. Everything was static, life was not ‘flowing with time’. Thus, it was a meaningless existence like a soundless musical instrument. Then they disobeyed god’s orders and expelled to earth. The poet says that before this, the fate of humans was sleeping- there was nothing going on. The implication is that life on earth is/can be meaningful, there is some movement. shahed writes, using a she’r of harichand aKhtar …
pahuNcha jo swarg meN to ye aKhtar ko dikhi soorat
“sukoon-e-mustaqil, dil be-tamanna, shaiKh ki sohbat
agar jannat yahi hai to is jannat se dozaKh kya bura hoga”
agar kal bhi vahi guzri jo guzri aaj, phir kya maza hoga
Also Ghalib …
havas ko hai nishaat-e kaar kya kya
na ho marnaa to jiine ka mazaa kya
2
nazar1 ne ki nazr2-e rooh3-o-dil pesh4 lab5 pe shor6-e fuGhaaN7 se pahle
ada8 hua sajda9-e mohabbat Kharosh10-e baaNg11-e azaaN12 se pahle
1.eyes, gaze 2.devotional offering 3.soul 4.offered, presented 5.lips 6.noise 7.wailing, begging 8.pay, perform, offer 9.prostration 10.clamour 11.call 12.call for namaaz
Here ‘fuGhaaN’ is described as ‘shor-noise’ and ‘baaNg-e azaaN-the call to namaaz’ is characterised as ‘Kharosh-clamour’. Both words – shor and Kharosh are dismissive if not derogatory. Thus, formal rituals are derided. Even before humans were circumscribed/bound by such formalities their gaze could look at the grandeur of the cosmos and offer its heart and soul and prostration of love. Thus, sincere emotional and spiritual offerings are elevated above formal, decreed rituals.
3
badal gaya ishq ka zamaana1 kahaaN se pahuNcha kahaaN fasaana2
unheN bhi mujh par zabaan aaii3, vahi jo the be-zabaaN4 se5 pahle
1.times, age 2.story 3.zabaan aana-to criticize 4.tongueless, silent 5.short for jaise-like
The age of love has changed. Look where the story (of love) has reached i.e., how much it has been distorted. Even those who used to be silent, now say harsh things to/about me. mulla was keenly politically conscious and active. This could be a reflection of the changing nature of communal harmony – from a relationship of love and acceptance to a relationship circumscribed by formal rituals.
4
kise Khabar1 thi ke ban ke barq2-e Ghazab3 girega yahi chaman par
voh husn4 jo muskura5 raha tha naqaab6-e abr-e-ravaaN7 se8 pahle
1.awareness, knowledge 2.lightning strike 3.fury, calamity 4.beauty, love 5.smile 6.veil 7.floating cloud 8.from, as in ‘vahaaN se’- from there
Imagine a beautiful, gentle cloud floating in the sky and beauty/love shining benevolenty at the world below. Who knew that this peaceful picture would change like this … the beauty/love that was smiling from behind the gently floating cloud, would strike the garden as lightning and thunder.
5
sitam1 to shaa’ed2 maiN bhuul3 jaata agar4 ye nashtar5 chubha6 na hota
voh ek nigaah7-e karam8 jo ki thi nigaah7-e naa-mehrbaaN9 se pahle
1.cruelty, ill-treatment 2.perhaps 3.forget, ignore 4.if 5.dagger, knife 6.prick, cut 7.glance, gaze 8.kindness 9.unkind, hateful
The narrative that there has been such a big change hurts more than if things had been bad from the beginning. I might have ignored the ill-feelings if this knife had not cut so painfully. There was a gaze of kindness/love before these unkind looks.
6
nazar1 hai viraaN2 meri to kya Gham nazar1 ke jalve3 to haiN salaamat4
na the tum itne hasiin5 meri mohabbat-e raa’egaaN6 se pahle
1.eyes, sight 2.desolate 3.images 4.preserved 5.beautiful 6.ineffective
The poet switches to an imagery of romantic love, where the beloved spurns the love offered by the lover. This may not be an exact parallel and may not apply rigorously but carries the same spirit. Why be so sad if what I see before me is desolate- void of love. At least, I have the old images/memories preserved in my mind. You, O beloved, were not so beautiful before I offered my now ineffective love. If I try to interpret it a little more closely, I get lost. Who is the beloved. If he is still talking about communal harmony, then who is spurning his offer of love, leaving only memories in his mind. Perhaps he has all communities in mind. Perhaps we should not seek an exact interpretation.
7
teri taraf1 phir nazar2 karuuNga nishaat3-e hasti4-e jaavedaani5
Khariid luN lazzat6-e alam7 kuchh mataa8-e umr-e-ravaaN9 se pahle
1.towards 2.gaze 3.pleasure 4.existence 5.everlasting, eternal 6.pleasure 7.pain, sorrow 8.wealth, treasure 9.flowing/passing life
He is content for now, dealing with his passing life and will turn his gaze/wish towards longer lasting life later. First he wants to seek and obtain the pleasure of the pain of love from the wealth offered by passing life. This ‘pain of love’ is universal love and he finds it comforting, more so than long life.
8
bichhaR1 ga’e raah2-e ziist3 meN ham tumheN bhi is ka agar4 hai kuchh Gham
chaleN vahiiN se phir aao baaham5 chale the ham tum jahaaN6 se7 pahle
1.separated 2.path 3.life 4.if 5.together 6.where 7.from
We have been separated from each other in the path of life. If you too, feel this pain, let us start together again from where we had started. He wants to re-create the old communal harmony that he has in his mind.
9
qafas1 ki lohe2 ki tiiliyaaN3 ab unhiiN ki zarboN4 se KhuuN-chakaaN5 haiN
yahi jo the muntashir6 se tinke7 tasavvur8-e aashiyaaN9 se pahle
1.cage, prison 2.iron 3.bars 4.blows 5.blood dripping 6.scattered 7.straws 8.imagination, memories 9.nest, home
Both the poet and his interlocuter are imagined as birds who are caged, like in a prison with iron bars. They are banging their heads against the iron bars in the hope of breaking out into freedom. The imagery of a few scattered straws reminds them of their nests in the garden and a free and happy life. He reminds himself and the interlocutor that they have the same common oppressor and same common dreams.
10
chaman meN haNsne se phir na rokuuNga Ghuncha1-e saada-lauh2 tujh ko
magar3 zara4 aashna5 to ho ja tabii’at6-e baaGhbaaN7 se pahle
1.unopened buds 2.simpleton 3.but 4.a little 5.familiar 6.nature, character 7.gardener
In urdu poetic tradition, the gardener is also the flower-picker (and sometimes the birdcatcher). He goes around snipping freshly blooming buds to sell them in the market. Here, ‘haNsna’ is used to mean laugh/bloom. The unopened buds are simple-minded, they do not understand what awaits them at the hands of the gardener/flower-picker. He says, I will not stop you from blooming, after this … but first understand/become familiar with the nature/character of the gardener. The gardener is the British colonizer.
11
nazar1 ke sho’le2 diloN meN ek aag3 har-do-jaanib4 laga chuke haiN
bas ab to ye rah gaya hai baaqi5 keh lau6 uThegi kahaaN se pahle
1.eyes, gaze 2.flames 3.fire, anger, hatred 4.in every direction, everywhere 5.remaining 6.flare, shooting flame
It is the colonizers gaze that has planted flames and lit the fire of hatred in every direction (in all communities). All that remains is to see where flames will flare up first.
12
na DhuuNDo1 mulla2 ko kaarvaaN3 meN phirega4 sahra5 meN vo akela6
kisi sabab7 se jo taa-ba-manzil8 na aa saka kaarvaaN se pahle
1.search, look for 2.pen-name of the poet 3.caravan, traveling/seeking group 4.wander, walk 5.desert, wilderness 6.alone 7.basis, reason 8.until the destination
Do not look for mulla in the traveling group – he is different, his goal and path are different from the group. The implication is that communal harmony, well-being and justice are more important to him than freedom at the cost of communal rife. Thus, for some reason he has not been able to make it to the place that you consider to be the destination.
Subhanallah