For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
خوابِ آشیاں اپنا ۔ بہزادؔ لکھنوی
۱
کیا خبر حقیقت ہے یا یہ ہے گماں اپنا
جیسے ہو گیا پورا خوابِ آشیاں اپنا
۲
اُس طرف ہے خوش کامی، اِس طرف ہے ناکامی
ہائے رے جہاں اُن کا، ہائے رے جہاں اپنا
۳
اِنقلابِ عالم ہے، اور اُس کو کیا کہئیے
بجلیوں کا ضامن ہے اب تو آشیاں اپنا
۴
منزلوں سے ناواقف راستوں سے بیگانہ
جا رہا ہے اِک جانب خود ہی کارواں اپنا
۵
جذبۂ محبّت کو بیخودی کی حاجت ہے
ہو چلا ہے ہر سجدہ سوئے آستاں اپنا
۶
منزلِ محبّت میں لے چلا ہے کس جانب
اک قدم یقیں اپنا، اک قدم گماں اپنا
۷
میں گزر گیا حد سے سادگی کے عالم میں
کام آ گیا بہزادؔ، ضبطِ ناگہاں اپنا
ख़्वाब-ए आशियां अपना – बहज़ाद लखनवी
१
क्या ख़बर हक़ीक़त है, या ये है गुमां अपना
जैसे हो गया पूरा ख़्वाब-ए आशियां अपना
२
उस तरफ़ है ख़ुश कामी, इस तरफ़ है नाकामी
हाए रे जहां अन का, हाए रे जहां अपना
३
इन्क़ेलाब-ए आलम है, और उस को क्या कहिये
बिज्लियौं का ज़ामिन है, अब तो आशियां अपना
४
मंज़िलौं से ना-वाक़फ़, रास्तौं से बेगाना
जा रहा है एक जानिब, ख़ुद हि कारवां अपना
५
जज़्बा-ए मोहब्बत को बेख़ुदी की हाजत है
हो चला है हर सज्दा सू-ए आस्तां अपना
६
मंज़िल-ए मोहब्बत में ले चला है किस जानिब
एक क़दम यक़ीं अपना, एक क़दम गुमां अपना
७
मैं गुज़र गया हद से सादगी के आलम में
काम आ गया बहज़ाद, ज़ब्त-ए नागहां अपना
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. sardar ahmad KhaaN bahzaad lakhnavi (1900-1974) wrote sufiyaana and aashiqaana Ghazal as well folk songs and lyrics. He was a devout, observant muslim and wrote geet/bhajan to ram and krishn as well. This Ghazal composed in the style of Ghalib’s ‘zikr us parivash ka aur phir bayaaN apna’ appears to be highly political. A number of shu’ara were highly disillusioned after migrating to pakistan (nasir kazimi, josh malihabadi among them). To me this appears as an expression of that disappointment.
1
kya Khabar1 haqiiqat2 hai, ya ye hai gumaaN3 apna
jaise ho gaya poora, Khwaab4-e aashiyaaN5 apna 1.awareness, knowledge 2.truth, reality 3.illusion 4.dream 5.nest, home
The poet/migrant dreamt of a home, of well being and security. He is not sure if he has gotten it. Is this real or is it merely an illusion, a mirage.
2
us taraf1 hai Khush-kaami2, is taraf hai naakaami3
haa’e re jahaaN4 un ka, haa’e re jahaaN apna 1.side 2.success, fruitful endeavour 3.failure, fruitless work 4.world, life
The ‘is taraf’ and ‘us taraf’ could be maldistribution of wealth or the politically powerful class against the powerless, or both. On that side are all the rewards and on this side, fruitless labour. Alas, that is their world, this is ours.
3
inqelaab1-e aalam2 hai, aur us ko kya kahiye
bijliyauN3 ka zaamin4 hai, ab to aashiyaaN5 apna 1.turned around 2.world, workings of the world 3.lightning 4.guarantor 5.nest
In conventions of urdu poetry lightning always strikes the nest of the poet and burns it up. That is the way the world works. But it turns out that the way of the world has turned up side down or turned around. The ‘aashiyaaN’ is now called upon to guarantee the well-being of lightning. Could this mean that the poor and dispossessed are being asked to support the wealthy and priveleged.
4
manziloN1 se naa-vaaqif2, raastoN3 se begaana4
jaa raha hai ek jaanib5, Khud hi kaarvaaN6 apna 1.destination, goal 2.not knowing, unaware 3.path 4.unfamiliar 5.direction 6.group of travelers
Unaware of its destination, unfamiliar with how to get there, our caravan just keeps moving in an arbitrary direction.
5
jazba1-e mohabbat ko be-Khudi2 ki haajit3 hai
ho chala hai har sajda4, suu5-e aastaaN6 apna 1.sentiment, feeling 2.trance, unaware of self, unselfish 3.need 4.prayerful prostration 5.towards 6.threshold, doorsill
I need to interpret ‘jazba-e mohabbat’ as the idealistic passion and ‘be-Khudi’ – losing one’s own identity as making oneself subservient to the greater good. That is what is needed. Instead we seem to pray towards the aastaaN – I also have to interpret ‘aastaaN’ to mean the threshold of wealth and power.
6
manzil1-e mohabbat meN, le chala hai kis jaanib2
ek qadam3 yaqiiN4 apna, ek qadam gumaaN5 apna 1.destination, goal 2.direction 3.step 4.certainty, confidence 5.doubt, confusion
For our destination of love, what direction are we going in. One step with certainty/confidence, the next in confusion.
7
maiN guzar1 gaya had2 se, saadagi3 ke aalam4 meN
kaam5 aa gaya bahzaad6, zabt7-e naagahaaN8 apna
1.passed beyond 2.limits 3.simplicity 4.condition 5.useful 6.pen-name of the poet 7.self-control 8.unexpected
O bahzaad, I have already gone beyond the limits (of convention or of the politically allowable). But I stop just in time, my unexpected self-control has come into good use.
sardar ahmad KhaaN bahzaad lakhnavi (1900-1974) wrote sufiyaana and aashiqaana Ghazal as well folk songs and lyrics. He was a devout, observant muslim and wrote geet/bhajan to ram and krishn as well. This Ghazal composed in the style of Ghalib’s ‘zikr us parivash ka aur phir bayaaN apna’ appears to be highly political. A number of shu’ara were highly disillusioned after migrating to pakistan (nasir kazimi, josh malihabadi among them). To me this appears as an expression of that disappointment.
1
kya Khabar1 haqiiqat2 hai, ya ye hai gumaaN3 apna
jaise ho gaya poora, Khwaab4-e aashiyaaN5 apna
1.awareness, knowledge 2.truth, reality 3.illusion 4.dream 5.nest, home
The poet/migrant dreamt of a home, of well being and security. He is not sure if he has gotten it. Is this real or is it merely an illusion, a mirage.
2
us taraf1 hai Khush-kaami2, is taraf hai naakaami3
haa’e re jahaaN4 un ka, haa’e re jahaaN apna
1.side 2.success, fruitful endeavour 3.failure, fruitless work 4.world, life
The ‘is taraf’ and ‘us taraf’ could be maldistribution of wealth or the politically powerful class against the powerless, or both. On that side are all the rewards and on this side, fruitless labour. Alas, that is their world, this is ours.
3
inqelaab1-e aalam2 hai, aur us ko kya kahiye
bijliyauN3 ka zaamin4 hai, ab to aashiyaaN5 apna
1.turned around 2.world, workings of the world 3.lightning 4.guarantor 5.nest
In conventions of urdu poetry lightning always strikes the nest of the poet and burns it up. That is the way the world works. But it turns out that the way of the world has turned up side down or turned around. The ‘aashiyaaN’ is now called upon to guarantee the well-being of lightning. Could this mean that the poor and dispossessed are being asked to support the wealthy and priveleged.
4
manziloN1 se naa-vaaqif2, raastoN3 se begaana4
jaa raha hai ek jaanib5, Khud hi kaarvaaN6 apna
1.destination, goal 2.not knowing, unaware 3.path 4.unfamiliar 5.direction 6.group of travelers
Unaware of its destination, unfamiliar with how to get there, our caravan just keeps moving in an arbitrary direction.
5
jazba1-e mohabbat ko be-Khudi2 ki haajit3 hai
ho chala hai har sajda4, suu5-e aastaaN6 apna
1.sentiment, feeling 2.trance, unaware of self, unselfish 3.need 4.prayerful prostration 5.towards 6.threshold, doorsill
I need to interpret ‘jazba-e mohabbat’ as the idealistic passion and ‘be-Khudi’ – losing one’s own identity as making oneself subservient to the greater good. That is what is needed. Instead we seem to pray towards the aastaaN – I also have to interpret ‘aastaaN’ to mean the threshold of wealth and power.
6
manzil1-e mohabbat meN, le chala hai kis jaanib2
ek qadam3 yaqiiN4 apna, ek qadam gumaaN5 apna
1.destination, goal 2.direction 3.step 4.certainty, confidence 5.doubt, confusion
For our destination of love, what direction are we going in. One step with certainty/confidence, the next in confusion.
7
maiN guzar1 gaya had2 se, saadagi3 ke aalam4 meN
kaam5 aa gaya bahzaad6, zabt7-e naagahaaN8 apna
1.passed beyond 2.limits 3.simplicity 4.condition 5.useful 6.pen-name of the poet 7.self-control 8.unexpected
O bahzaad, I have already gone beyond the limits (of convention or of the politically allowable). But I stop just in time, my unexpected self-control has come into good use.
