For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
کفرِ عشق کو ایماں کئے ہوئے ۔ میکشؔ اکبرآبادی
۱
بیٹھے ہیں گیسوؤں کو پریشاں کئے ہوئے
میرے جنوں کو حسن کا عنواں کئے ہوئے
۲
جی چاہتا ہے کیجئے برہم مزاجِ حسن
مُدّت ہوئی ہے اُن کو نمایاں کئے ہوئے
۳
جرأت تو میری دیکھ کہ ہوں تیرے سامنے
ہستی سے اپنی تجھ کو نمایاں کئے ہوئے
۴
رکھتا ہوں سو معاملے تجھ سے بہ فیضِ دل
اپنی نظر سے بھی تجھے پنہاں کئے ہوئے
۵
ہے وہ نظر تواضعِ الفت سے مطمئن
مہماں کو نذرِ شوخیِ مژگاں کئے ہوئے
۶
یارب پھر ایک بار فقیروں پہ مرحمت
مُدّت ہوئی زیارتِ انساں کئے ہوئے
۷
گویا اُنہیں کی یاد میں ہے میکشِؔ خراب
خود اپنے کفرِ عشق کو ایماں کئے ہوئے
कुफ़्र-ए इश्क़ को इमां किये हुए – मयकश अक्बरआबादी
१
बैठे हैं गेसुऋं को परेशां किये हुए
मेरे जुनूं को हुस्न का उनवां किये हुए
२
जी चाहता है कीजिए बरहम मिज़ाज-ए हुस्न
मुद्दत हुई है उनको नुमायां किये हुए
३
जुर’अत तो मेरी देख के हूं तेरे सामने
हस्ती से अपनी तुझको नुमायां किये हुए
४
रखता हूं सौ मो’आमले तुझसे ब-फ़ैज़-ए दिल
अपनी नज़र से भी तुझे पिनहां किये हुए
५
है वो नज़र तवाज़ो-ए उल्फ़त से मुत्मा’इन
मेहमां को नज़्र-ए शूख़ि-ए मिज़्श्गां किये हुए
६
यारब फिर एक बार फ़क़ीरौं पे मरहमत
मुद्दत हुई ज़ियारत-ए इन्सां किये हुए
७
गोया उन्हीं की याद में है मयकश ख़राब-ए
ख़ुद अपने कुफ़्र-ए इश्क़ को ईमां किये हुए
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. syed mohammed ali shaah maikash akbarabadi (1902-1991). Born in agra in a family tracing its line to the sufi tradition. He learnt English and faarsi at home in traditional schooling and was awarded a degree/certificate in ‘nizaamat-admininstration’ from agra university in 1919. He has several collections of nazm and Ghazal as well as prose publications. This Ghazal is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
baiThe haiN gesuoN1 ko pareshaaN2 kiye hue
mere junooN3 ko husn4 ka unvaaN5 kiye hue 1.hair 2.scattered, untied, uncovered 3.passion, madness 4.beauty 5.theme
Untied, uncovered, disheveled hair are all indications of sorrow/distress. The beloved is sitting in such a position and her beauty even in this appearance seems to be a fitting accompaniment to the madness and passion of the poet/lover. We can only speculate on why the beloved is distressed. Perhaps I am stretching the imagery beyond what is meant but it appears to me that the poet/lover has died because of the intensity of his passion and the beloved is mourning and her appearance matches the lover’s passion.
2
jii1 chaahta hai kiijiye barham2 mizaaj3-e husn4
muddat5 hui hai un ko numaayaaN6 kiye hue 1.heart, desire 2.angry, displeased 3.attitude, mood 4.beauty, beloved 5.long time, ages 6.prominent, visible, publicly seen
The poet/lover’s heart desires to tease the beloved and get her into an angry/irritated mood. He expects that in such a mood she will come out in the open to express her anger, perhaps even with sword drawn. It has been ages since he was able to get her to come out in the open.
3
jur’at1 to meri dekh keh huN tere saamne
hasti2 se apni tujh ko numaayaaN3 kiye hue 1.daring, courage 2.existence 3.manifest, seen, visible
This appears to be addressed to god. The poet/devotee believes that through his own existence/being he makes the qualities of god manifest. Thus, he declares – look at my courage; I stand before you making your being manifest through my own being. This implies that there would be nothing/no one to know/feel the presence of god without humans.
4
rakhta huN sau mu’aamele1 tujh se ba-faiz2-e dil
apni nazar3 se bhi tujhe pinhaaN4 kiye hue 1.dealings, connections 2.because of the generosity/capabilities of 3.sight, eyes 4.hidden
Even though god is hidden from the eyes of the poet/devotee, he is able to maintain a hundred connections/relationships with god through the abilities of his heart – ‘I imagine, therefore you are’!
5
hai vo nazar1 tavaaz’o2-e ulfat3 se mutma’in4
mehmaaN5 ko nazr6-e shooKhi7-e mizshgaaN8 kiye hue 1.sight, eyes 2.hospitality, attention, fawning 3.love, lover 4.satisfied 5.guest 6.sacrificial offering 7.mischief 8.eyelashes
The imagery is that the poet/lover has been admitted to the presence of the beloved. Even though he is the guest he is merely a sacrificial offering to her sidelong glances – her eyelashes. He is so stricken with love that he fawns her and she appears to be satisfied with the attention she is getting.
6
yaarab1 phir ek baar faqiiroN2 pe marhamat3
muddat4 hui ziyaarat5-e insaaN kiye hue 1.O lord, god 2.beggar, mendicant, sufi 3.kindness, benevolence 4.long time, ages 5.seeing, witnessing
The poet/sufi considers himself a faqir – a mendicant who has given up the material for a life of spiritual contemplation. He protests that it has been ages since he has encountered a person with qualities of human-ness. Thus, he prays – show some kindness to the mendicant; send someone who has some human qualities about him.
7
goya1 unhiiN ki yaad meN hai maikash2-e Kharaab3
Khud apne kufr4-e ishq ko iimaaN5 kiye hue 1.as if 2.pen-name of the poet, also means wine lover 3.drunk, trance 4.transgression 5.faith, virtue
It is as if maikash is in a trance in memory of the beloved. He has transformed his transgression of love into a virtue of faith. This could apply both to the worldly as well as the divine beloved. In the latter case, it is praising the sufi/bhakti tradition.
syed mohammed ali shaah maikash akbarabadi (1902-1991). Born in agra in a family tracing its line to the sufi tradition. He learnt English and faarsi at home in traditional schooling and was awarded a degree/certificate in ‘nizaamat-admininstration’ from agra university in 1919. He has several collections of nazm and Ghazal as well as prose publications. This Ghazal is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
baiThe haiN gesuoN1 ko pareshaaN2 kiye hue
mere junooN3 ko husn4 ka unvaaN5 kiye hue
1.hair 2.scattered, untied, uncovered 3.passion, madness 4.beauty 5.theme
Untied, uncovered, disheveled hair are all indications of sorrow/distress. The beloved is sitting in such a position and her beauty even in this appearance seems to be a fitting accompaniment to the madness and passion of the poet/lover. We can only speculate on why the beloved is distressed. Perhaps I am stretching the imagery beyond what is meant but it appears to me that the poet/lover has died because of the intensity of his passion and the beloved is mourning and her appearance matches the lover’s passion.
2
jii1 chaahta hai kiijiye barham2 mizaaj3-e husn4
muddat5 hui hai un ko numaayaaN6 kiye hue
1.heart, desire 2.angry, displeased 3.attitude, mood 4.beauty, beloved 5.long time, ages 6.prominent, visible, publicly seen
The poet/lover’s heart desires to tease the beloved and get her into an angry/irritated mood. He expects that in such a mood she will come out in the open to express her anger, perhaps even with sword drawn. It has been ages since he was able to get her to come out in the open.
3
jur’at1 to meri dekh keh huN tere saamne
hasti2 se apni tujh ko numaayaaN3 kiye hue
1.daring, courage 2.existence 3.manifest, seen, visible
This appears to be addressed to god. The poet/devotee believes that through his own existence/being he makes the qualities of god manifest. Thus, he declares – look at my courage; I stand before you making your being manifest through my own being. This implies that there would be nothing/no one to know/feel the presence of god without humans.
4
rakhta huN sau mu’aamele1 tujh se ba-faiz2-e dil
apni nazar3 se bhi tujhe pinhaaN4 kiye hue
1.dealings, connections 2.because of the generosity/capabilities of 3.sight, eyes 4.hidden
Even though god is hidden from the eyes of the poet/devotee, he is able to maintain a hundred connections/relationships with god through the abilities of his heart – ‘I imagine, therefore you are’!
5
hai vo nazar1 tavaaz’o2-e ulfat3 se mutma’in4
mehmaaN5 ko nazr6-e shooKhi7-e mizshgaaN8 kiye hue
1.sight, eyes 2.hospitality, attention, fawning 3.love, lover 4.satisfied 5.guest 6.sacrificial offering 7.mischief 8.eyelashes
The imagery is that the poet/lover has been admitted to the presence of the beloved. Even though he is the guest he is merely a sacrificial offering to her sidelong glances – her eyelashes. He is so stricken with love that he fawns her and she appears to be satisfied with the attention she is getting.
6
yaarab1 phir ek baar faqiiroN2 pe marhamat3
muddat4 hui ziyaarat5-e insaaN kiye hue
1.O lord, god 2.beggar, mendicant, sufi 3.kindness, benevolence 4.long time, ages 5.seeing, witnessing
The poet/sufi considers himself a faqir – a mendicant who has given up the material for a life of spiritual contemplation. He protests that it has been ages since he has encountered a person with qualities of human-ness. Thus, he prays – show some kindness to the mendicant; send someone who has some human qualities about him.
7
goya1 unhiiN ki yaad meN hai maikash2-e Kharaab3
Khud apne kufr4-e ishq ko iimaaN5 kiye hue
1.as if 2.pen-name of the poet, also means wine lover 3.drunk, trance 4.transgression 5.faith, virtue
It is as if maikash is in a trance in memory of the beloved. He has transformed his transgression of love into a virtue of faith. This could apply both to the worldly as well as the divine beloved. In the latter case, it is praising the sufi/bhakti tradition.
