Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. josh malihabadi (1898-1982) is known as – shaa’er-e inqelaab – poet of revolution. His nazm are fiery, passionate, and full of energy. His Ghazal and rubaaii are equally good. He was a secular humanist writing sharply and irreverently against colonialism, abuse of power, injustice and orthodoxy. This long nazm, in praise of the fingers of the poet, their pen and their words, is posted in 5 parts for easy reading/listening. All the 5 parts are linked to ‘suKhanvar o suKhavari’ in the Theme Index page.
45
is tamanna²⁰ meN keh seekheN²¹ baat karne ke usoool²²
in ke darvaazoN ko aakar khaTkhaTaate haiN rasool²³    20.desire 21.learn 22.rules, ways 23.messengers (of god)
With the desire to learn how to deliver their message, prophets come knocking at their door.
46
aur uTh jaate haiN jab duniya se ye shaahaan-e raaz¹
devta aate haiN paRhne ko janaaze-ki-namaaz² 1.kings of secrets (words) 2.ritual burial prayer
And when these masters of words are gone from this world, gods come to offer homage at their funeral.
47
nau-e insaani³ kabhi in ko bhula sakti nahiN
maut ki aandhi charaaGh inka bujha sakti nahiN 3.human species, humanity
Humanity can never forget them. Even the storm of death cannot blow off the light of their words.
48
hum nasheeN⁴! taareeKh⁵ shahed⁶ hai ke aqtaab-e suKhan⁷
sar pe sehra baandhte haiN jab pahente haiN kafan⁸    4.friend 5.history 6.bear witness 7.axis of speech (poets) 8.burial shroud
My friends, history bears witness that these axes of wisdom are celebrated even in their death.
49
naaqidaan⁹ e Khaama¹⁰ parvar¹¹, muftiyaan¹² e zi hasham¹³
in ke aivaanoN¹⁴ meN nazar aate haiN marfoo’-ul-qalam¹⁵    9.critics 10.pen 11.nurturing 12.jurist 13.respectable 14.halls 15.elevated in name only, fools
Noted critics and respected jurists look like fools before them.
50
kaun aae zahn¹ ke taaj o alam² ke saamne
kaaNpti³ hai teGh-e chaNgezi⁴ qalam ke saamne 1.intellect, wisdom 2.banner 3.trembles 4.sword of tyranny
Who can stand tall before the standard and crown of wisdom. Even the sword of tyrants trembles before the pen.
51
naGhma⁵ e paainda⁶ e geeta o qura’aN ki qasam
jal uThe ek baar to bujhti nahiN shama⁷ e qalam 5.song 6.eternal 7.lamp, light
By the eternal song of the Geeta and the Qura’an, once lit up, the light of the pen can never be put out.
52
taa abad⁸ rahti hai qasr-e shaa’eri⁹ ki aab-o-taab¹⁰
chuGhad¹¹ naubat-mi-zanad¹² bar gunbad¹³ e afraasiyaab¹⁴ 8.until eternity 9.palace of poetry 10.brilliance and grandeur 11.owl 12.sing songs, hoot 13.dome, tomb 14.legendary Persian king
The grandeur of the mansion of verse is eternal. The tomb of Afraasiyaab echoes hollow with the hoots of owls but poetry lasts forever.
53
turrah¹⁵ e tarf-e kulaah¹⁶ par muskuraata hai adab¹⁷
larzish-e mizhgaaN¹⁸ se taaroN ko bujhaata hai adab 15.crest 16.side of the cap 17.literature, poetry 18.blinking of eyelids
Poetry smiles with disdain at the crest of the crown. With the mere blinking of the eye it can command the very constellations.
54
avval avval¹ aandhiyoN meN sunsanaata² hai qalam
phir unheN apne chiraaGhoN par nachaata hai qalam 1.first 2.tremble
At first the pen trembles when faced with storms, but then it forces storms to dance on the tips of its flames.
55
kishwar³ e vaqt-e jahaaN⁴ ko fatah⁵ karte haiN huroof⁶
qabr⁷ meN shaa’er utarta hai ubharte⁸ haiN huroof 3.domain 4.epoch/times of the world 5.conquer 6.words 7.grave 8.emerge
In Urdu poetry storm and lamp/flame are traditional metaphors for the powerful and the weak. Here Josh makes the pen and its flame more powerful than the storm by making it dance. Words conquer the domains of all epochs of this world. The poet may be dead but his words rise and live forever.
56
naaz⁹ kar ae dil ke aah¹⁰ o arGhunuN¹¹ ke darmiyaaN¹²
likh rahi haiN, likh rahi haiN, likh rahi haiN uNgliaaN 9.be proud 10.sighs 11.organ music, celebration 12.between
O heart, be proud that all through sorrow and joy, they write, they write, the poet’s fingers keep writing.