For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the “Roman” or “Notes” tab.
Recitation
خونِ جگر کافی نہیں ۔ پنڈت آنند نرائن مُلّا
۱
شب کی تاریکی تو ہاں کم ہے مگر کافی نہیں
ہر کرن دھندلی سی ہے نُورِ سحر کافی نہیں
۲
اِس تمنّہ ہی کا شاید بڑھ کے حسرت نام ہے
جس تمنّا کے لئے خونِ جگر کافی نہیں
۳
مشعلِ دل بھی تو سینے میں فروزاں چاہئے
راہِ منزل میں چراغِ رہ گزر کافی نہیں
۴
عارضی سی اِک تڑپ محفل کو کیا دے گی فروغ
نور بننا ہے تو اے دل! رقصِ شرر کافی نہیں
۵
اشک بن کر آئی ہیں وہ اِلتجائیں چشم تک
جن کے کہنے کے لئے حرف و نظر کافی نہیں
۶
اِس فضا میں تجھ کو جینا ہے تو اے طائر ذرا
تیز رکھ منقار و ناخن، بال و پر کافی نہیں
۷
دن سے گرمی چھینی ہے رات سے تاریکیاں
اِس غمستاں میں ابھی شام و سحر کافی نہیں
۸
ضبطِ دل بھی چاہئے تہذیبِ دل بھی چاہئے
جلوہ گاہِ حسن میں ذوقِ نظر کافی نہیں
۹
کیوں کسی ایماں سے مانگوں شمع راہِ زندگی
کیا بشر کے واسطے حُبّ بشر کافی نہیں
۱۰
اپنے شعروں کو ابھی کچھ اور دے دل کا لہو
ہے تو اِن میں زندگی مُلّا، مگر کافی نہیں
ख़ून-ए जिगर काफ़ी नहीं – पंडित आनंद नरायन मुल्ला
१
शब कि तारीकि तो हां कम है मगर काफ़ी नहीं
हर किरन धुंद्ली सि है नूर-ए सहर काफ़ी नहीं
२
इस तमन्ना ही का शाएद बढ के हस्रत नाम है
जिस तमन्ना के लिए ख़ून-ए जिगर काफ़ी नहीं
३
मशअल-ए दिल भी तो सीने में फ़रोज़ां चाहिए
राह-ए मंज़िल में चराग़-ए रहगुज़र काफ़ी नहीं
४
आरज़ी सी एक तढप महफ़िल को क्या देगी फ़रोग़
नूर बन्ना है तो अए दिल! रक़्स-ए शरर काफ़ी नहीं
५
अश्क बन कर आई हैं वो इल्तजाएं चश्म तक
जिन के कहने के लिए हर्फ़ ओ नज़र काफ़ी नहीं
६
इस फ़िज़ा में तुझ को जीना है तो अए ताएर ज़रा
तेज़ रख मिन्क़ार ओ नाख़ुन, बाल ओ पर काफ़ी नहीं
७
दिन से गर्मी छीनि है रात से तारीकियां
इस ग़मिस्तां में अभी शाम ओ सहर काफ़ी नहीं
८
ज़ब्त-ए दिल भी चाहिए तहज़ीब-ए दिल भी चाहिए
जल्वा-गाह-ए हुस्न में ज़ौक़-ए नज़र काफ़ी नहीं
९
क्यूं किसी ईमां से मांगूं शमअ-ए राह-ए ज़िंदगी
क्या बशर के वास्ते हुब्ब-ए बशर काफ़ी नहीं
१०
अपने शेरौं को अभी कुछ और दे दिल का लहू
है तो इन में ज़िंदगी मुल्ला, मगर काफ़ी नहीं
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. This is a powerful statement saying that yes, there has been increase in knowledge, but not enough. We need to keep going and we need intense passion.
1
shab1 ki tareeki2 to haaN kam hai magar kaafi3 nahiN
har kiran dhundli si hai noor-e sahr4 kaafi nahiN 1.night 2.darkness 3.enough 4.dawn, day
Yes, the darkness of the night is reduced a little, but not enough. Every ray of light is a little dull, the brilliance (knowledge) of dawn is not yet enough.
2
is tamanna1 hi ka shaa’ed2 baRh ke hasrat3 naam hai
jis tamanna ke liye Khoon-e-jigar4 kaafi nahiN 1.wish 2.perhaps 3.longing 4.blood of liver, daring, courage
Perhaps that wish becomes longing when it increases, which does not have enough courage, has not taken enough risk, has not tried hard enough to achieve its goal. Or … inspite of Khoon-e jigar, inspite of major effort you did not succeed, and that desire expresses itself as ‘longing’.
3
mash’al1-e dil bhi to seene meN farozaaN2 chaahiye
raah-e-manzil3 meN chiraaGh-e-rahguzar4 kaafi nahiN 1.torch 2.refulgent, shining 3.pathway to the destination 4.roadway lamp
The torch of the heart also has to be brightly lit (there needs to be passion in the heart). On the way to the destination, just roadside lamps are not enough.
4
aarizi1 si ek taRap2 mahfil3 ko kya degi faroGh4
noor ban’na hai to aye dil! raqs-e-sharar5 kaafi nahiN 1.temporary, passing 2.restlessness 3.gathering 4.brilliance 5.dancing spark
How can a passing restlessness light up the world. O, heart, if you want to shine, a dancing spark is not enough (you need to burn intensely and steadily).
5
ashk1 ban kar aaii haiN vo iltejaa’eN2 chashm3 tak
jin ke kahne ke liye harf4 o nazar5 kaafi nahiN 1.tears 2.pleading 3.eye 4.word 5.looks
Those yearnings/desires that are so strong that to express which words or looks are not enough, rise as tears in the eyes.
6
is fiza1 meN tujh ko jeena hai to aye taa’er2 zara
tez3 rakh minqaar4 o naaKhun5, baal6 o par7 kaafi nahiN 1.atmosphere, conditions 2.bird 3.sharp 4.beak 5.claws 6.feathers 7.wings
O, bird, if you want to survive in these conditions, keep your beak and claws sharp, just feathers and wings are not enough. He is calling for fighting back rather than just flying away. Given the date (~1970s), I am not sure who is fighting whom.
7
din se garmi chheeni hai, raat se tareekiyaN1
is GhamistaaN2 meN abhi shaam o sahr kaafi nahiN 1.darkness 2.abode of sorrow, world
Humanity has wrested warmth from the day, darkness from the night but what it has done so far is not enough. This ‘night and day’, this life/achievement is not enough … have to continue to try.
8
zabt1-e dil bhi chaahiye tahzeeb2-e dil bhi chaahiye
jalva-gaah3-e husn4 meN zauq-e-nazar5 kaafi nahiN 1.control of 2.culture, manners 3.place of manifestation/display 4.beauty 5.desire to see/appreciate
You need both a refined culture and control over your heart. Just the desire to see/appreciate beauty is not enough.
9
kyuN kisi eemaaN se maaNguN sham’a-e raah-e zindagi
kya bashar1 ke vaaste hubb-e-bashar2 kaafi nahiN 1.human 2.love of fellow human
Why should I look for a lamp of any faith to light up the pathway of life. Is love of fellow human beings not enough for humans.
10
apne she’roN ko abhi kuchh aur de dil ka lahu1
hai to in meN zindagi mulla2, magar kaafi nahiN 1.blood, passion 2.pen name of the poet
Give your verse some more passion of your heart, O mulla. They do have some ‘life’, but not enough.
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. This is a powerful statement saying that yes, there has been increase in knowledge, but not enough. We need to keep going and we need intense passion.
1
shab1 ki tareeki2 to haaN kam hai magar kaafi3 nahiN
har kiran dhundli si hai noor-e sahr4 kaafi nahiN
1.night 2.darkness 3.enough 4.dawn, day
Yes, the darkness of the night is reduced a little, but not enough. Every ray of light is a little dull, the brilliance (knowledge) of dawn is not yet enough.
2
is tamanna1 hi ka shaa’ed2 baRh ke hasrat3 naam hai
jis tamanna ke liye Khoon-e-jigar4 kaafi nahiN
1.wish 2.perhaps 3.longing 4.blood of liver, daring, courage
Perhaps that wish becomes longing when it increases, which does not have enough courage, has not taken enough risk, has not tried hard enough to achieve its goal. Or … inspite of Khoon-e jigar, inspite of major effort you did not succeed, and that desire expresses itself as ‘longing’.
3
mash’al1-e dil bhi to seene meN farozaaN2 chaahiye
raah-e-manzil3 meN chiraaGh-e-rahguzar4 kaafi nahiN
1.torch 2.refulgent, shining 3.pathway to the destination 4.roadway lamp
The torch of the heart also has to be brightly lit (there needs to be passion in the heart). On the way to the destination, just roadside lamps are not enough.
4
aarizi1 si ek taRap2 mahfil3 ko kya degi faroGh4
noor ban’na hai to aye dil! raqs-e-sharar5 kaafi nahiN
1.temporary, passing 2.restlessness 3.gathering 4.brilliance 5.dancing spark
How can a passing restlessness light up the world. O, heart, if you want to shine, a dancing spark is not enough (you need to burn intensely and steadily).
5
ashk1 ban kar aaii haiN vo iltejaa’eN2 chashm3 tak
jin ke kahne ke liye harf4 o nazar5 kaafi nahiN
1.tears 2.pleading 3.eye 4.word 5.looks
Those yearnings/desires that are so strong that to express which words or looks are not enough, rise as tears in the eyes.
6
is fiza1 meN tujh ko jeena hai to aye taa’er2 zara
tez3 rakh minqaar4 o naaKhun5, baal6 o par7 kaafi nahiN
1.atmosphere, conditions 2.bird 3.sharp 4.beak 5.claws 6.feathers 7.wings
O, bird, if you want to survive in these conditions, keep your beak and claws sharp, just feathers and wings are not enough. He is calling for fighting back rather than just flying away. Given the date (~1970s), I am not sure who is fighting whom.
7
din se garmi chheeni hai, raat se tareekiyaN1
is GhamistaaN2 meN abhi shaam o sahr3 kaafi nahiN
1.darkness 2.abode of sorrow, world 3.dawn
Humanity has wrested warmth from the day, darkness from the night but what it has done so far is not enough. This ‘night and day’, this life/achievement is not enough … have to continue to try.
8
zabt1-e dil bhi chaahiye tahzeeb2-e dil bhi chaahiye
jalva-gaah3-e husn4 meN zauq-e-nazar5 kaafi nahiN
1.control of 2.culture, manners 3.place of manifestation/display 4.beauty 5.desire to see/appreciate
You need both a refined culture and control over your heart. Just the desire to see/appreciate beauty is not enough.
9
kyuN kisi eemaaN se maaNguN sham’a-e raah-e zindagi
kya bashar1 ke vaaste hubb-e-bashar2 kaafi nahiN
1.human 2.love of fellow human
Why should I look for a lamp of any faith to light up the pathway of life. Is love of fellow human beings not enough for humans.
10
apne she’roN ko abhi kuchh aur de dil ka lahu1
hai to in meN zindagi mulla2, magar kaafi nahiN
1.blood, passion 2.pen name of the poet
Give your verse some more passion of your heart, O mulla. They do have some ‘life’, but not enough.
