khelti hogi – seemab akbarabadi

For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the “English” or “Notes” tab.
viTThal rao singing

کھیلتی ہو گی ۔ سیماب اکبر آبادی

 

۱

نسیمِ صبح گلشن میں گلوں سے کھیلتی ہوگی

کسی کی آخری ہچکی کسی کی دِل لگی ہوگی

۲

تجھے دانستہ محفل میں جو دیکھا ہو تو مجرم ہوں

نظر آخر نظر ہے بے اِرادہ اُٹھ گئی ہوگی

۳

محبّت میں خودی حدِّ جہانِ بے خودی ہوگی

وہ عالم دوسرا ہوگا، وہ دُنیا دوسری ہوگی

۴

بڑی دِلچسپیوں سے صبحِ شامِ زِندگی ہوگی

میں دیکھوں گا اُنہیں اور ساری دُنیا دیکھتی ہوگی

۵

فضائے دِل میں نشتر ہے تڑپ دردِ تمنّا کی

بس اتنی کوندتی ہوگی جو بجلی کوندتی ہوگی

۶

یہی عالم رہا پردہ نشینی کا تو ظاہر ہے

خدائی آپ سے ہوگی نہ ہم سے بندگی ہوگی

۷

ادا یوں تیرے کوچے میں نمازِ بے خودی ہوگی

کہ اِک دُنیا کی دُنیا تجھ کو سجدے کر رہی ہوگی

۸

نہ مرتا زندگی پر میں اگر پہلے سمجھ لیتا

کہ صبح حشر کا عنوان شامِ زندگی ہوگی

۹

کچھ ایسے درد سے فرقت میں میں نے ہاتھ اُٹھائے ہیں

دعا بھی کامیابی کی دعائیں مانگتی ہوگی

۱۰

چلے جائیں گے پی کر میکدے سے سب خِرد والے

ہماری رات تو ساقی کے قدموں میں بسر ہوگی
۱۱

سرِ محشر حجاب و شوق کا اِک معرکہ ہوگا

اُنھیں اپنی پڑی ہوگی، مجھے اپنی پڑی ہوگی

۱۲

مزا آ جائے گا کچھ حشر میں سننے سنانے کا

زباں ہوگی ہماری اور کہانی آپ کی ہوگی

۱۳

شرابِ آرزو پی کر نہ اُٹّھیں گے قیامت تک

ہمیں جب بے خودی ہوگی تو ایسی بے خودی ہوگی

۱۴

نہ کرتے حشر کو رُسوا کبھی دِن کے اُجالے میں

خبر کیا تھی تیری فرقت کی رات اِتنی بڑی ہوگی

۱۵

تعجب کیا لگی جو آگ اے سیمابؔ سینے میں

ہزاروں دل میں انگارے بھرے تھے لگ گئی ہوگی

खेलती होगी – सीमाब अकबराबादी

 

नसीम-ए-सुब्ह गुलशन में गुलों से खेलती होगी

किसी की आख़िरी हिचकी किसी की दिल-लगी होगी

तुझे दानिस्ता महफ़िल में जो देखा हो तो मुजरिम हूँ

नज़र आख़िर नज़र है बे-इरादा उठ गई होगी

मोहब्बत में ख़ुदी हद्द-ए जहान-ए बेख़ुदी होगी

वो आलम दूसरा होगा, वो दुनिया दूसरी होगी

बड़ी दिलचस्पियौं से सुबह-ए शाम-ए ज़िन्दगी होगी

मैं देखूंगा उन्हें और सारी दुनिया देखती होगी

फ़िज़ा-ए दिल में नश्तर है तड़प दर्द-ए तमन्ना कि

बस इतनी कौन्दती होगी, जो बिजली कौन्दती होगी

यही आलम रहा परदा-नशीनी का तो ज़ाहेर है

ख़ुदाई आप से होगी न हम से बन्दगी होगी

अदा यूँ तेरे कूचे में नमाज़-ए बेख़ुदी होगी

के एक दुनिया कि दुनिया तुझ को सिज्दे कर रही होगी

न मरता ज़िन्दगी पर अगर मैं पहले समझ लेता

के सुबह हश्र का उन्वान शाम-ए ज़िन्दगी होगी

कुछ ऐसे दर्द से फुरक़त में मैं ने हाथ उठाए थे

दुआ भी कामियाबी कि दुआएं मांगती होगी

१०

चले जाएंगे पी कर मैकदे से सब ख़िरद वाले

हमारी रात तो साक़ी के क़दमौं में बसर होगी
११

सर-ए महशर हिजाब ओ शौक़ का एक मारेका होगा

उन्हें अपनी पड़ी होगी, मुझे अपनी पड़ी होगी

१२

मज़ा आ जाएगा कुछ हश्र में सुन्ने सुनाने का

ज़बाँ होगी हमारी और कहानी आप की होगी

१३

शराब-ए आरज़ू पी कर न उट्ठेंगे क़यामत तक

हमें जब बेख़ुदी होगी तो ऐसी बेख़ुदी होगी

१४

न करते हश्र को रुस्वा कभी दिन के उजाले में

ख़बर क्या थी तेरी फुरक़त कि रात इतनी बड़ी होगी

१५

त’अज्जुब क्या लगी जो आग अए सीमाब सीने में

हज़ारों दिल में अंगारे भरे थे लग गई होगी

khelti hogi – seemaab abkarabadi
Click on any she’r for word meanings and explanatory discussion.

1
nasim-e-subah1 gulshan meN gulauN se khelti hogi
kisi ki aaKhiri2 hichki3 kisi ki dil-lagi4 hogi
1.morning breeze 2.last 3.hiccup, gasp, (last) breath 4.mischief
In urdu poetry the image of dawn often painted is that of buds sleeping all night long. Along comes the mischievous morning breeze and wakes them up … they blossom into flowers. See for example josh malihabadi’s kaliyauN ki bedaari
lapeTe muNh so rahin theeN kaliyaaN, saba ne aa kar jo gudgudaaya
sarak gaye haiN saroN se aaNchal, tamaam gulshan mahak raha hai
seemab akbarabadi adds a different touch. It is mere playfulness for the breeze but the last gasp (death) for buds, because soon after they bloom they die.

2
tujhe daanista1 mahfil2 meN jo dekha ho to mujrim3 huN
nazar4 aaKhir nazar hai be-iraada5 uTh gaii hogi
1.intentionally 2.gathering 3.guilty, culpable 4.sight 5.unintentional, helpless
The poet/lover is discreet in company and does not so much as look directly at the beloved for fear of maligning her name. Thus, if I have so much as intentionally looked at you in the gathering, then I am culpable/guilty. But then, he (his eyes) cannot help it, after all eyes are eyes, they have been raised unintentionally.

3
mohabbat meN Khudi1 hadd2-e jahaan-e-be-Khudi3 hogi
vo aalam4 doosra hoga, vo duniya doosri hogi
1.ego 2.limit, boundary 3.world of self-forgetfulness/total submission 4.state of mind
In sufi tradition one has to lose one’s identity and merge with the identity/spirit of god (whatever that means). The epitome of love (of god) is when ego is banished beyond the boundaries of the world of ‘self-forgetfulness’. It will be a different feeling, a different world.

4
baRi dilchaspiyauN1 se subah-shaam2-e zindagi hogi
maiN dekhuN ga unheN aur saari duniya dekhti hogi
1.interesting 2.day and night
The passing of the days and nights of life would be very interesting if I could look at her and the whole world could see (instead of looking at her furtively, when nobody is looking).

5
fiza-e-dil1 meN nashtar2 hai taRap dard-e-tamanna3 ki
bas itni kaundti4 hogi, jo bijli5 kaundti hogi
1.atmosphere/domain of the heart 2.dagger 3.pain of longing 4.strike 5.lightning
In the domain of the heart, pain of longing is like a dagger. It cuts through the heart like intense, quick and repeated strikes of lightning.

6
yahi aalam1 raha parda-nashini2 ka to zaahir3 hai
Khudaaii4 aap se hogi na ham se bandagi5 hogi
1.conditions 2.observing pardah/veil 3.apparent, plain 4.god-like 5.slave-like
The poet/lover considers the beloved to be like god and himself to be her slave – much like a conventional god-creature relationship. But then, he also wants to see his god and she is hidden from him because she is behind a pardah. Thus, it is plain that if the observance of pardah continues then you cannot be god-like and I cannot be slave-like.

7
adaa1 yuN tere kooche2 meN namaaz3-e be-Khudi4 hogi
ke ek duniya ki duniya tujh ko sijde5 kar rahi hogi
1.performed, offered, paid 2.street 3.prayer, tribute, homage 4.trance, self-forgetfulness 5.prostration, bowing down in homage
This can be applied to god as well as to the beloved. All lovers will be in a trance, forgetting themselves. Homage of total submission will be offered in your street where the whole world will prostrate before you.

8
na marta zindagi par maiN agar pahle samajh leta
ke subah hashr1 ka unvaan shaam-e-zindagi2 hogi
1.doomsday, day of judgement 2.evening of life, used here to mean accounting of the deeds of life
There is a very interesting word play in this she’r. “not have died for” is an expression used to mean “yearn for” … thus, I would not have yearned for life, if I had understood ahead of time that on the day of judgement I would have to give a reckoning of my deeds.

9
kuchh aise dard se furqat1 meN maiN ne haath uThaaye haiN
dua bhi kaamiyaabi2 ki duaa’eN maaNgti hogi
1.separation (from the beloved) 2.sucess
The poet/lover/sufi is separated from the beloved/god. He raises his hands in prayer with such intensity/pain/sincerity that Prayer itself is praying for his success.

10
chale jaa’eNge pii kar maikade1 se sub Khirad2 vaale
hamaari raat to saaqi ke qadmauN3 meN basar4 hogi
1.tavern 2.(implied worldly/material) knowledge, wisdom, reason 3.feet 4.spend
In the sufi tradition god cannot be understood through material knowledge and reason. He has to be felt through divine love. Thus, those who partake of ‘worldly wine’ will depart from the tavern but the poet/sufi will spend all night at the feet of the saaqi.

11

sar-e-mahshar1 hijaab2 o shauq3 ka ek maareka4 hoga
unheN apni paRi hog, mujhe apni paRi hogi
1.beginning of the day of judgement 2.veil, used here for the beloved because she is veiled 3.desire, used here for the poet/lover 4.conflict
All life long the beloved has stayed away and thus tortured the poet/lover. They are now face to face in the presence of god on the day of judgement and each will have to give an account of their actions. This will lead to a conflict, because each will have to be truthful.

12
maza aa jaayega kuchh hashr1 meN sun-ne sunaane kaa
zabaaN hogi hamaari aur kahaani aap ki hogi
1.day of judgement
Popular Islamic belief is that on the day of judgement everyone will have to speak out publicly and give an account of their actions. The poet/lover has suffered grievously at the hands of the beloved and kept quiet all his life. But then he will have to speak out on the day of judgement and it will make for a very interesting story.

13
sharaab-e-aarzu1 pii kar na uTTheNge qayaamat2 tak
hameN jab be-Khudi3 hogi, to aisi be-Khudi hogi
1.wine of desire/love (of god) 2.doomsday 3.trance, intoxication, forgetting oneself
In the sufi tradition the poet/sufi drinks the wine of love and gets intoxicated (with love of god). They will get so ‘drunk’ that they will wake up from their trance only judgement day.

14
na karte hashr1 ko rusva2 kabhi din ke ujaale3 meN
Khabar4 kya thi teri furqat5 ki raat itni badi hogi
1.day of judgement 2.embarrass 3.light, brightness 4.knowledge, awareness 5.separation (from the beloved)
We would never have embarrassed you in broad daylight, on the day of judgement, but we did not know that the night of separation would be so long and painful that it would force us to speak out.

15
ta’ajjub1 kyaa lagi jo aag aye simaab siine meN
hazaaroN dil meN aNgaare bhare the lag gaii hogi
1.surprise
The poet/lover nurses many grievances/insults in his heart. These are like (thousands of) glowing embers. Why should we be surprised then, if his bosom/heart catches fire.

khelti hogi – seemaab abkarabadi

1
nasim-e-subah1 gulshan meN gulauN se khelti hogi
kisi ki aaKhiri2 hichki3 kisi ki dil-lagi4 hogi

1.morning breeze 2.last 3.hiccup, gasp, (last) breath 4.mischief

In urdu poetry the image of dawn often painted is that of buds sleeping all night long.  Along comes the mischievous morning breeze and wakes them up … they blossom into flowers.  See for example josh malihabadi’s kaliyauN ki bedaari
lapeTe muNh so rahin theeN kaliyaaN, saba ne aa kar jo gudgudaaya
sarak gaye haiN saroN se aaNchal, tamaam gulshan mahak raha hai
seemab akbarabadi adds a different touch.  It is mere playfulness for the breeze but the last gasp (death) for buds, because soon after they bloom they die.

2
tujhe daanista1 mahfil2 meN jo dekha ho to mujrim3 huN
nazar4 aaKhir nazar hai be-iraada5 uTh gaii hogi

1.intentionally 2.gathering 3.guilty, culpable 4.sight 5.unintentional, helpless

The poet/lover is discreet in company and does not so much as look directly at the beloved for fear of maligning her name.  Thus, if I have so much as intentionally looked at you in the gathering, then I am culpable/guilty.  But then, he (his eyes) cannot help it, after all eyes are eyes, they have been raised unintentionally.

3
mohabbat meN Khudi1 hadd2-e jahaan-e-be-Khudi3 hogi
vo aalam4 doosra hoga, vo duniya doosri hogi

1.ego 2.limit, boundary 3.world of self-forgetfulness/total submission 4.state of mind

In sufi tradition one has to lose one’s identity and merge with the identity/spirit of god (whatever that means).  The epitome of love (of god) is when ego is banished beyond the boundaries of the world of ‘self-forgetfulness’.  It will be a different feeling, a different world.

4
baRi dilchaspiyauN1 se subah-shaam2-e zindagi hogi
maiN dekhuN ga unheN aur saari duniya dekhti hogi

1.interesting 2.day and night

The passing of the days and nights of life would be very interesting if I could look at her and the whole world could see (instead of looking at her furtively, when nobody is looking).

5
fiza-e-dil1 meN nashtar2 hai taRap dard-e-tamanna3 ki
bas itni kaundti4 hogi, jo bijli5 kaundti hogi

1.atmosphere/domain of the heart 2.dagger 3.pain of longing 4.strike 5.lightning

In the domain of the heart, pain of longing is like a dagger. It cuts through the heart like intense, quick and repeated strikes of lightning.

6
yahi aalam1 raha parda-nashini2 ka to zaahir3 hai
Khudaaii4 aap se hogi na ham se bandagi5 hogi

1.conditions  2.observing pardah/veil  3.apparent, plain 4.god-like 5.slave-like

The poet/lover considers the beloved to be like god and himself to be her slave – much like a conventional god-creature relationship.  But then, he also wants to see his god and she is hidden from him because she is behind a pardah.  Thus, it is plain that if the observance of pardah continues then you cannot be god-like and I cannot be slave-like.

7
adaa1 yuN tere kooche2 meN namaaz3-e be-Khudi4 hogi
ke ek duniya ki duniya tujh ko sijde5 kar rahi hogi

1.performed, offered, paid 2.street 3.prayer, tribute, homage 4.trance, self-forgetfulness 5.prostration, bowing down in homage

This can be applied to god as well as to the beloved.  All lovers will be in a trance, forgetting themselves.  Homage of total submission will be offered in your street where the whole world will prostrate before you.

8
na marta zindagi par maiN agar pahle samajh leta
ke subah hashr1 ka unvaan shaam-e-zindagi2 hogi

1.doomsday, day of judgement 2.evening of life, used here to mean accounting of the deeds of life

There is a very interesting word play in this she’r.  “not have died for” is an expression used to mean “yearn for” … thus, I would not have yearned for life, if I had understood ahead of time that on the day of judgement I would have to give a reckoning of my deeds.

9
kuchh aise dard se furqat1 meN maiN ne haath uThaaye haiN
dua bhi kaamiyaabi2 ki duaa’eN maaNgti hogi

1.separation (from the beloved) 2.sucess

The poet/lover/sufi is separated from the beloved/god.  He raises his hands in prayer with such intensity/pain/sincerity that Prayer itself is praying for his success.

10
chale jaa’eNge pii kar maikade1 se sub Khirad2 vaale
hamaari raat to saaqi ke qadmauN3 meN basar4 hogi

1.tavern 2.(implied worldly/material) knowledge, wisdom, reason 3.feet 4.spend

In the sufi tradition god cannot be understood through material knowledge and reason.  He has to be felt through divine love.  Thus, those who partake of ‘worldly wine’ will depart from the tavern but the poet/sufi will spend all night at the feet of the saaqi.

11

sar-e-mahshar1 hijaab2 o shauq3 ka ek maareka4 hoga
unheN apni paRi hog, mujhe apni paRi hogi

1.beginning of the day of judgement 2.veil, used here for the beloved because she is veiled 3.desire, used here for the poet/lover 4.conflict

All life long the beloved has stayed away and thus tortured the poet/lover.  They are now face to face in the presence of god on the day of judgement and each will have to give an account of their actions.  This will lead to a conflict, because each will have to be truthful.

12
maza aa jaayega kuchh hashr1 meN sun-ne sunaane kaa
zabaaN hogi hamaari aur kahaani aap ki hogi

1.day of judgement

Popular Islamic belief is that on the day of judgement everyone will have to speak out publicly and give an account of their actions.  The poet/lover has suffered grievously at the hands of the beloved and kept quiet all his life.  But then he will have to speak out on the day of judgement and it will make for a very interesting story.

13
sharaab-e-aarzu1 pii kar na uTTheNge qayaamat2 tak
hameN jab be-Khudi3 hogi, to aisi be-Khudi hogi

1.wine of desire/love (of god) 2.doomsday 3.trance, intoxication, forgetting oneself

In the sufi tradition the poet/sufi drinks the wine of love and gets intoxicated (with love of god).  They will get so ‘drunk’ that they will wake up from their trance only judgement day.

14
na karte hashr1 ko rusva2 kabhi din ke ujaale3 meN
Khabar4 kya thi teri furqat5 ki raat itni badi hogi

1.day of judgement 2.embarrass 3.light, brightness 4.knowledge, awareness 5.separation (from the beloved)

We would never have embarrassed you in broad daylight, on the day of judgement, but we did not know that the night of separation would be so long and painful that it would force us to speak out.

15
ta’ajjub1 kyaa lagi jo aag aye simaab siine meN
hazaaroN dil meN aNgaare bhare the lag gaii hogi

1.surprise

The poet/lover nurses many grievances/insults in his heart.  These are like (thousands of) glowing embers.  Why should we be surprised then, if his bosom/heart catches fire.

Key Search Words:  sufi allegory, romance, universal love