For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
خوابِ اِرم دیکھتے ہیں ۔ رگھوبیر سرن دواکر راہیؔ
۱
جو تیرے نشانِ قدم دیکھتے ہیں
وہ کب سوئے دیر و حرم دیکھتے ہیں
۲
جو کعبہ میں روئے سنم دیکھتے ہیں
تجھے ہی وہ تیری قسم دیکھتے ہیں
۳
کوئی تشنہ لب کوئی مدہوش ساقی
یہ کیا تیری محفل میں ہم دیکھتے ہیں
۴
میسّر نہیں جن کو صہبا و ساقی
وہی لوگ خوابِ اِرم دیکھتے ہیں
۵
مآلِ ستم کو کسی طور راہیؔ
نہ وہ دیکھتے ہیں نہ ہم دیکھتے ہیں
ख़्वाब-ए इरम देखते हैं-रघुबीर सरन दिवाकर राही
१
जो तेरे निशान-ए क़दम देखते हैं
वो कब सू-ए दैर ओ हरम देखते हैं
२
जो काबे में रू-ए सनम देखते हैं
तुझे ही वो तेरी क़सम देखते हैं
३
कोई तिश्ना-लब कोई मदहोश साक़ी
ये क्या तेरी महफ़िल में हम देखते हैं
४
मयस्सर नहीं जिन को सहबा ओ साक़ी
वही लोग ख़्वाब-ए इरम देखते हैं
५
म’आल-ए सितम को किसी तौर राही
न वो देखते हैं न हम देखते हैं
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. raghubir saran divaakar raahi (1914-1968), rampur. Three Ghazal collections with hundreds of Ghazal in each. Born in amroha, learnt urdu and faarsi at school. BA, LLB from meeraTh. District Information Officer, UP. shaa’eri was in addition to his ‘day job’. Posted to and retired in rampur, 1954 and started law practice. Editor of hindi magazines. Very secular and makes much fun of the shaiKh and brahman. This Ghazal, satirizing the political system and orthodoxy, is composed in the zamin of Ghalib’s ‘jahaaN tera naqsh-e qadam dekhte haiN’ and is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
jo tere nishaan1-e qadam2 dekhte haiN
vo kab soo3-e dair4 o haram5 dekhte haiN 1.signs 2.feet, footprints 3.towards 4.temple 5.mosque
The poet points towards the universality of the divine spirit over and above the conventional orthodoxy of temple and mosque. Thus, those who see signs of your footsteps, when do they ever look towards the temple or mosque.
2
jo k’aabe meN ruu1-e sanam2 dekhte haiN
tujhe hi vo teri qasam, dekhte haiN 1.face, image 2.idol
The k’aaba is known as the house of god. It does not have any idols, and the concept is that of a formless god. But once again, the poet points to the universal spirit behind even idols. Thus, those who see the image of and idol in the k’aaba, I swear by god, they see god.
3
koii tishna-lab1 koii mad’hosh2 saaqi
ye kya teri mahfil3 meN ham dekhte haiN 1.thirsty lips 2.exhilarated, inebriated, drunk 3.gathering
This has political overtones, talking about inequality in society. Thus, what is this that we see in your gatherings O saaqi. Some come away thirsty and there are those who are stone-drunk.
4
mayassar1 nahiN jin ko sahba2 o saaqi
vahi log Khwaab-e iram3 dekhte haiN 1.available 2.flask 3.paradise
Those who do not have flask (of wine) available to them, or a saaqi to give it, dream of (put their hopes in) paradise. This could be a simple observation of what the poet sees but it could also be a sacrastic observation of how orthodoxy deceives those that are deprived the ordinary comforts of life.
5
m’aal1-e sitam2 ko kisi taur3 raahi4
na vo dekhte haiN na ham dekhte haiN 1.result 2.cruelty, oppression 3.way, method 4.pen-name of the poet
There is no way in which either I or they can foresee the results of oppression. At a conventional level the ‘vo/they’ could be the beloved. But at a political level the ‘vo’ and the ‘ham’ could be the haves and have-nots. Neither is capable to foresee the results of exploitation but something is going to give.
raghubir saran divaakar raahi (1914-1968), rampur. Three Ghazal collections with hundreds of Ghazal in each. Born in amroha, learnt urdu and faarsi at school. BA, LLB from meeraTh. District Information Officer, UP. shaa’eri was in addition to his ‘day job’. Posted to and retired in rampur, 1954 and started law practice. Editor of hindi magazines. Very secular and makes much fun of the shaiKh and brahman. This Ghazal, satirizing the political system and orthodoxy, is composed in the zamin of Ghalib’s ‘jahaaN tera naqsh-e qadam dekhte haiN’ and is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
jo tere nishaan1-e qadam2 dekhte haiN
vo kab soo3-e dair4 o haram5 dekhte haiN
1.signs 2.feet, footprints 3.towards 4.temple 5.mosque
The poet points towards the universality of the divine spirit over and above the conventional orthodoxy of temple and mosque. Thus, those who see signs of your footsteps, when do they ever look towards the temple or mosque.
2
jo k’aabe meN ruu1-e sanam2 dekhte haiN
tujhe hi vo teri qasam, dekhte haiN
1.face, image 2.idol
The k’aaba is known as the house of god. It does not have any idols, and the concept is that of a formless god. But once again, the poet points to the universal spirit behind even idols. Thus, those who see the image of and idol in the k’aaba, I swear by god, they see god.
3
koii tishna-lab1 koii mad’hosh2 saaqi
ye kya teri mahfil3 meN ham dekhte haiN
1.thirsty lips 2.exhilarated, inebriated, drunk 3.gathering
This has political overtones, talking about inequality in society. Thus, what is this that we see in your gatherings O saaqi. Some come away thirsty and there are those who are stone-drunk.
4
mayassar1 nahiN jin ko sahba2 o saaqi
vahi log Khwaab-e iram3 dekhte haiN
1.available 2.flask 3.paradise
Those who do not have flask (of wine) available to them, or a saaqi to give it, dream of (put their hopes in) paradise. This could be a simple observation of what the poet sees but it could also be a sacrastic observation of how orthodoxy deceives those that are deprived the ordinary comforts of life.
5
m’aal1-e sitam2 ko kisi taur3 raahi4
na vo dekhte haiN na ham dekhte haiN
1.result 2.cruelty, oppression 3.way, method 4.pen-name of the poet
There is no way in which either I or they can foresee the results of oppression. At a conventional level the ‘vo/they’ could be the beloved. But at a political level the ‘vo’ and the ‘ham’ could be the haves and have-nots. Neither is capable to foresee the results of exploitation but something is going to give.
