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Recitation
kaleem aajiz
لگتا ہے کہ تم ہو ۔ کلیم احمد عاجزؔ
۱
عاجزؔ یہ کسی اور کا چہرہ ہے کہ تم ہو
اب تم کو بھی کوئی نہیں کہتا ہے کہ تم ہو
۲
بھولی ہوئی، بسری ہوئی دنیا ہے کہ تم ہو
تم ہو بھی تو ایسا نہیں لگتا ہے کہ تم ہو
۳
آنکھیں تو نہیں کہتی ہیں، دل کہتا ہے کہ تم ہو
تم واقعی ہو یا ہمیں دھوکا ہے کہ تم ہو
۴
شہرِ دلِ برباد کا نقشہ ہے کہ تم ہو
خود میر ہیں یا میر کا وجرا ہے کہ تم ہو
۵
سیلاب میں بہتی ہوئی کشتی ہے کہ دِل ہے
اشکوں کا اُمنڈتا ہوا دریا ہے کہ تم ہو
۶
یہ سحر ہے، جادو ہے، فسوں ہے کہ غزل ہے
یا کوئی فسوں گر پسِ پردہ ہے کہ تم ہو
۷
یہ پچھلے پہر کس کے کہکنے کی صدا ہے
کوئل ہے، کبوتر ہے، پپیہا ہے کہ تم ہو
۸
بسمل کے لئیے تازہ نفس ہے کہ غزل ہے
جلّادوں کی بستی میں مسیحا ہے کہ تم ہو
۹
گوکل کی ہے یہ بانسری کوئی کہ غزل ہے
اُردو کا کوئی کِشن کنہیا ہے کہ تم ہو
۱۰
کچھ ہم نے بہت درد بھرے شعر سنے ہیں
اشعار کو سُن کر تو یہی لگتا ہے کہ تم ہو
लगता है के तुम हो – कलीम अहमद आजिज़
१
आजिज़ ये किसी और का चेहरा है के तुम हो
अब तुम को भी कोई नहीं कहता है के तुम हो
२
भूली हुई बिस्री हुई दुनिया है के तुम हो
तुम हो भी तो ऐसा नहीं लगता है के तुम हो
३
आंखें तो नहीं कहती हैं, दिल कहता है के तुम हो
तुम वाक़’ई हो या हमें धोका है के तुम हो
४
शहर-ए दिल-ए बरबाद का नक़्शा है के तुम हो
ख़ूद मीर हैं, या मीर का वज्रा है के तुम हो
५
सैलाब में बहती हुई किश्ती है के तुम हो
अश्कौं का उमंडता हुआ दरिया है के तुम हो
६
ये सहर है, जादू है, फ़ुसूं है के ग़ज़ल है
या कोई फ़ुसूंगर पस-ए परदा है के तुम हो
७
ये पिछले पहर किस के कुहुकने की सदा है
कोयल है, कबूतर है, पपीहा है के तुम हो
८
बिस्मिल के लिये ताज़ा नफ़स है के ग़ज़ल है
जल्लादौं कि बस्ती में मसीहा है के तुम हो
९
गोकुल है ये बांसुरी कोई के ग़ज़ल है
उर्दू का कोई किश्न कनहय्या है के तुम हो
१०
कुछ हम ने बहुत दर्द भरे शे’र हुए हैं
अश’आर को सुन कर तो यही लगता है के तुम हो
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. kaleem ahmed aajiz (1924-2015) writer, poet, academician, recipient of padma shri, taught urdu at paTna university. He writes in the style of mir taqi mir. He has written powerfully and with much feeling about communal harmony in India as well as other political themes. This nazm gives a new twist to the “lagta hai ke tum ho” series which is all linked in an icon of the same title under Theme Index.
1
aajiz ye kisi aur ka chehra hai ke tum ho
ab tum ko bhi koii nahiN kahta hai ke tum ho This appears to be the poet in his old age, looking at himself in the mirror and asking “is that really you”! O, aajiz, is this someone else’s image of is you. Now, nobody looking at you says that it is you (you have changed/aged so much).
2
bhooli hui, bisri hui duniya hai ke tum ho
tum ho bhi to aisa nahiN lagta hai ke tum ho Is this a forgotten world of days gone by or is it you. Even if it is you, it does not seem like it is you.
3
aaNkheN to nahiN kahti haiN, dil kahta hai ke tum ho
tum vaqa’ii1 ho ya humeN dhoka hai ke tum ho 1.in reality
My eyes don’t say/believe it, but my heart says that it must be you. Is this you really, or are we deceived that it is you.
4
shahr-e dil-e barbaad ka naqsha1 hai ke tum ho
Khud miir haiN ya miir ka vajra2 hai ke tum ho 1.map, picture 2.shaagird, student
Is this the picture of a desolate heart or is it you. Is this miir himself or miir’s shaagird, or is it you.
5
sailaab1 meN bahti hui kishti hai ke dil hai
ashkoN ka umanDta2 hua dariya hai ke tum ho 1.flood 2.rising, flowing
Is this a boat carried away in a flood or is it your heart. Is this a rising sea of tears or is it you, presumably referring to the emotion laden verse of the poet.
6
ye sahr1 hai, jadoo hai, fusooN2 hai ke Ghazal hai
ya koii fusooN-gar3 pas-e-parda4 hai ke tum ho 1.illusion 2.magic 3.magician 4.behind the curtain
Is this a fascinating illusion, or is it magic or is this a Ghazal. Is it some magician behind the curtain or is it you.
7
ye pichhle-pahar1 kis ke kuhakne2 ki sadaa hai
ko’el hai, kabootar hai, papiiha hai ke tum ho 1.late night, early morning 2.bird song
What bird is this singing into the late night. Is it a ko’el, a kabootar or a papiiha or is it you.
8
bismil1 ke liye taaza-nafas2 hai ke Ghazal hai
jallaadoN3 ki basti meN maseeha4 hai ke tum ho 1.sacrificial/slaughtered animal (or person) 2.fresh breath, new life 3.executioner, killer 4.healer, also Jesus Christ who brought the dead back to life
Is this a fresh breath/new life for the victim of sacrifice or is it a (life giving) Ghazal. Is this a healer in the village of executioners, or is it you.
9
gokul ki hai ye baaNsuri koii ke Ghazal hai
urdu ka koii kishn kanhaiyya hai ke tum ho Is this music of the flute of gokul (krishna’s village) or is it a Ghazal. Is this a kishan kanhaiyya of urdu or is it you.
10
kuchh hum ne bahut dard1 bhare she’r sune haiN
ash’aar ko sun kar to yahi lagta hai ke tum ho 1.pain, sorrow
We have heard some sorrowful couplets. Listening to the couplets, it seems that it must be you.
kaleem ahmed aajiz (1924-2015) writer, poet, academician, recipient of padma shri, taught urdu at paTna university. He has written powerfully and with much feeling about communal harmony in India as well as other political themes. This nazm gives a new twist to the “lagta hai ke tum ho” series which is all linked in an icon of the same title under Theme Index.
1
aajiz ye kisi aur ka chehra hai ke tum ho
ab tum ko bhi koii nahiN kahta hai ke tum ho
This appears to be the poet in his old age, looking at himself in the mirror and asking “is that really you”! O, aajiz, is this someone else’s image of is you. Now, nobody looking at you says that it is you (you have changed/aged so much).
2
bhooli hui, bisri hui duniya hai ke tum ho
tum ho bhi to aisa nahiN lagta hai ke tum ho
Is this a forgotten world of days gone by or is it you. Even if it is you, it does not seem like it is you.
3
aaNkheN to nahiN kahti haiN, dil kahta hai ke tum ho
tum vaqa’ii1 ho ya humeN dhoka hai ke tum ho
1.in reality
My eyes don’t say/believe it, but my heart says that it must be you. Is this you really, or are we deceived that it is you.
4
shahr-e dil-e barbaad ka naqsha1 hai ke tum ho
Khud miir haiN ya miir ka vajra2 hai ke tum ho
1.map, picture 2.shaagird, student
Is this the picture of a desolate heart or is it you. Is this miir himself or miir’s shaagird, or is it you.
5
sailaab1 meN bahti hui kishti hai ke dil hai
ashkoN ka umanDta2 hua dariya hai ke tum ho
1.flood 2.rising, flowing
Is this a boat carried away in a flood or is it your heart. Is this a rising sea of tears or is it you, presumably referring to the emotion laden verse of the poet.
6
ye sahr1 hai, jadoo hai, fusooN2 hai ke Ghazal hai
ya koii fusooN-gar3 pas-e-parda4 hai ke tum ho
1.illusion 2.magic 3.magician 4.behind the curtain
Is this a fascinating illusion, or is it magic or is this a Ghazal. Is it some magician behind the curtain or is it you.
7
ye pichhle-pahar1 kis ke kuhakne2 ki sadaa hai
ko’el hai, kabootar hai, papiiha hai ke tum ho
1.late night, early morning 2.bird song
What bird is this singing into the late night. Is it a ko’el, a kabootar or a papiiha or is it you.
8
bismil1 ke liye taaza-nafas2 hai ke Ghazal hai
jallaadoN3 ki basti meN maseeha4 hai ke tum ho
1.sacrificial/slaughtered animal (or person) 2.fresh breath, new life 3.executioner, killer 4.healer, also Jesus Christ who brought the dead back to life
Is this a fresh breath/new life for the victim of sacrifice or is it a (life giving) Ghazal. Is this a healer in the village of executioners, or is it you.
9
gokul ki hai ye baaNsuri koii ke Ghazal hai
urdu ka koii kishn kanhaiyya hai ke tum ho
Is this music of the flute of gokul (krishna’s village) or is it a Ghazal. Is this a kishan kanhaiyya of urdu or is it you.
10
kuchh hum ne bahut dard1 bhare she’r sune haiN
ash’aar ko sun kar to yahi lagta hai ke tum ho
1.pain, sorrow
We have heard some sorrowful couplets. Listening to the couplets, it seems that it must be you.
