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Recitation
خدا اور ہی تھا ۔ امیتا پرسورام میتاؔ
۱
زندگی اپنا سفر طے تو کرے گی لیکن
ہم سفر آپ جو ہوتے تو مزا اور ہی تھا
۲
کعبہ و دیر میں اب ڈھونڈ رہی ہے دنیا
جو دل و جان میں بستا تھا خدا اور ہی تھا
۳
اب یہ عالم ہے کہ دولت کا نشہ طاری ہے
جو کبھی عشق نے بخشا تھا نشہ اور ہی تھا
۴
دور سے یوں ہی لگا تھا کہ بہت دوری ہے
جب قریب آئے تو جانا کہ گلا اور ہی تھا
۵
میرے دل نے تو تجھے اور ہی دستک دی تھی
تو نے اے جان جو سمجھا جو سنا اور ہی تھا
ख़ुदा और ही था – अमीता परसुराम मीता
१
ज़िंदगी अपना सफ़र तय तो करेगी लैकिन
हम-सफ़र आप जो होते तो मज़ा और ही था
२
काबा ओ दैर में अब ढूँड रही है दुनिया
जो दिल ओ जान में बस्ता था ख़ुदा और ही था
३
अब ये आलम है के दौलत का नशा तारी है
जो कभी इश्क़ ने बख़्शा था नशा और ही था
४
दूर से यूँही लगा था कि बहुत दूरी है
जब क़रीब आए तो जाना के गिला और ही था
५
मेरे दिल ने तो तुझे और ही दस्तक दी थी
तू ने अए जान जो समझा जो सुना और ही था
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. ameeta parasuram (1955-living) a psychologist by profession involved in teaching, training and therapy in naii dehli. She writes in the classical style with an interest in understanding human relationships, especially from a woman’s perspective. How did meeta come to urdu? Her response ‘I grew up in a family where the spoken languages were Urdu and Panjabi. My father was a genius with exceptional command over Urdu. So conversational Urdu was part of the routine. He also initiated me into poetry by often quoting couplets, discussing poetry with me, teaching life through the medium of Urdu couplets. It grew on me. Later after my Masters in psychology I joined DU Urdu department to learn the script and I have always loved reading works of the poets’.
1
zindagi apna safar1 tai2 to karegi laikin
ham-safar3 aap jo hote to maza aur hi tha 1.journey 2.pass, go through 3.companion
I will pass through life’s journey one way or another, but if you were my companion, the pleasure will be something else.
2
k’aaba1 o dair2 meN ab DhuuND rahi hai duniya
jo dil o jaan meN basta3 tha Khuda aur hi tha 1.in addition to k’aaba itself it can mean mosque 2.temple 3.resides
The world looks for him/her is mosque and temple, but the god that lived/lives in the heart and soul was something else.
3
ab ye aalam1 hai ke daulat2 ka nasha taari3 hai
jo kabhi ishq ne baKhsha4 tha nasha aur hi tha 1.condition 2.wealth 3.taking a hold, overpowering 4.bestowed
The condition now is that the intoxication of wealth has taken hold. At one time, the intoxication of love that was bestowed on us was something else.
4
duur se yuuNhi laga tha ke bahut duuri hai
jab qarib1 aaye to jaana2 ke gila3 aur hi tha 1.near 2.learnt 3.complaint, problem
At first she was looking at him from afar and thinking of something, but when they came closer/became more familiar, she learnt that the problem was something else. She leaves it to the reader/audience to decide what the problems were from far and near.
5
mere dil ne to tujhe aur hi dastak1 di thi
tu ne aye jaan jo samjha jo suna aur hi tha 1.knock at the door, sending a message
The message that my heart sent to you was something else. What you heard or understood, my dear, was something else. Once again the poet leaves the reader/audience to fill in the gaps.
ameeta parasuram (1955-living) a psychologist by profession involved in teaching, training and therapy in naii dehli. She writes in the classical style with an interest in understanding human relationships, especially from a woman’s perspective. How did meeta come to urdu? Her response ‘I grew up in a family where the spoken languages were Urdu and Panjabi. My father was a genius with exceptional command over Urdu. So conversational Urdu was part of the routine. He also initiated me into poetry by often quoting couplets, discussing poetry with me, teaching life through the medium of Urdu couplets. It grew on me. Later after my Masters in psychology I joined DU Urdu department to learn the script and I have always loved reading works of the poets’.
1
zindagi apna safar1 tai2 to karegi laikin
ham-safar3 aap jo hote to maza aur hi tha
1.journey 2.pass, go through 3.companion
I will pass through life’s journey one way or another, but if you were my companion, the pleasure will be something else.
2
k’aaba1 o dair2 meN ab DhuuND rahi hai duniya
jo dil o jaan meN basta3 tha Khuda aur hi tha
1.in addition to k’aaba itself it can mean mosque 2.temple 3.resides
The world looks for him/her is mosque and temple, but the god that lived/lives in the heart and soul was something else.
3
ab ye aalam1 hai ke daulat2 ka nasha taari3 hai
jo kabhi ishq ne baKhsha4 tha nasha aur hi tha
1.condition 2.wealth 3.taking a hold, overpowering 4.bestowed
The condition now is that the intoxication of wealth has taken hold. At one time, the intoxication of love that was bestowed on us was something else.
4
duur se yuuNhi laga tha ke bahut duuri hai
jab qarib1 aaye to jaana2 ke gila3 aur hi tha
1.near 2.learnt 3.complaint, problem
At first she was looking at him from afar and thinking of something, but when they came closer/became more familiar, she learnt that the problem was something else. She leaves it to the reader/audience to decide what the problems were from far and near.
5
mere dil ne to tujhe aur hi dastak1 di thi
tu ne aye jaan jo samjha jo suna aur hi tha
1.knock at the door, sending a message
The message that my heart sent to you was something else. What you heard or understood, my dear, was something else. Once again the poet leaves the reader/audience to fill in the gaps.
