For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
مہاتما گاندھی ۔ لبھو رام جوشؔ ملسیانی
۱
رہنما اس دیس میں آنے کو آئے سیکڑوں
اپنے میٹھے بول دنیا کو سُنائے سیکڑوں
۲
روحِ اِنساں ہی پہ لیکن بحث فرماتے رہے
زندگی بھر ایک اِسی نکتے کو سمجھاتے رہے
۳
سامنے اُن کے تھا آزادی کا پہلو ایک ہی
راحتِ تسکینِ دل کی تھی ترازو ایک ہی
۴
شیخ بھی ہم کو یہی اَسرار سمجھاتا رہا
گیت مندر میں برہمن بھی یہی گاتا رہا
۵
روح کو آزاد کرنا ہی رہا پیشِ نظر
جسم پر چھریاں چلیں اس کا نہ تھا دل پر اثر
۶
تھی اہنسا بھی فقط راہِ حقیقت کے لئے
آج تک برتا نہ تھا اُس کو سیاست کے لئے
۷
وہ فقط گاندھی تھا یہ اعجاز جس نے کر دیا
روح کے ہر نقش میں رنگِ سیاست بھر دیا
۸
روح کی تنہارَوی بھی اس نے یکسر چھوڑ دی
جسم کی بھی اُس نے زنجیرِ غلامی توڑ دی
महातमा गांधी – लभु राम जोश मल्सियानी
१
रहनुमा इस देस में आने को आए सैंक्ड़ों
अपने मीठे बोल दुनिया को सुनाए सैंक्ड़ों
२
रूह-ए इंसां पर हि लैकिन बहस फ़र्माते रहे
ज़िंदगी भर एक इसी नुक्ते को समझाते रहे
३
सामने उनके था आज़ादी का पहलू एक ही
राहत-ए तस्कीन-ए दिल की थी तराज़ू एक ही
४
शैख़ भी हम को यही अस्रार समझाता रहा
गीत मंदिर में बरहमन भी यही गाता रहा
५
रूह को आज़ाद करना ही रहा पेश-ए नज़र
जिस्म पर छुरियां चलीं उस का न था दिल पर असर
६
थी अहिंसा भी फ़क़त राह-ए हक़ीक़त के लिये
आज तक बर्ता न था उस को सियासत के लिये
७
वो फ़क़त गांधी था ये एजाज़ जिस ने कर दिया
रूह के हर नक़्श में रंग-ए सियासत भर दिया
८
रूह की तन्हा-रवी भी उस ने यक्सर छोढ दी
जिस्म की भी उस ने ज़ंजीर-ए ग़ुलामी तोढ दी
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. panDit labhuram josh malsiani (1884-1976) from malsian in the now pakistani side of punjab, migrated to India a little before partition/independence. He has written with great feeling about communal harmony and about the loss of his homeland – pakistan. His son, baalmukund arsh malsiani was also a well recognized poet. This tribute to gandhi is linked to the icon on the Theme page.
1
rahnuma1 is des meN aane ko aaye saiNkRoN
apne meeThe bol duniya ko sunaaye saiNkRoN 1.guide, leader
It is right say that thousands of leaders/guides came to this land and spoke sweet words.
2
rooh1-e insaaN par hi laikin bahas2 farmaate3 rahe
zindagi bhar ek isi nukte4 ko samjhaate rahe 1.soul 2.discourse 3.offer 4.point of view
But the only discourse they offered was about the human soul. This is the only point they tried to explain all life long.
3
saamne unke tha aazaadi1 ka pahlu2 ek hi
raahat3-e taskiiin4-e dil ki thi taraazu5 ek hi 1.freedom 2.point of view, angle 3.comfort 4.tranquility 5.balance, measure
For them the only point of view of freedom was this (freedom of the soul). This was their only measure of comfort and tranquility of the heart.
4
shaiKh bhi ham ko yahi asraar1 samjhaata raha
geet mandir meN barhaman bhi yahi gaata raha 1.mysteries
The muslim preacher too explained only these mysteries. The brahman also sang these hymns in the temple.
5
rooh1 ko aazaad2 karna hi raha pesh3-e nazar4
jism5 par chhuriyaaN chaliiN us ka na tha dil par asar6 1.soul 2.free 3.in front of, before 4.eyes, sight 5.body 6.effect
The only concern before them was the freedom of the soul. The body wounded and cut up with knives was of no concern to them.
6
thi ahimsa1 bhi faqat2 raah3-e haqiiqat4 ke liye
aaj tak barta5 na tha us ko siyaasat6 ke liye 1.non-violence, penance 2.only 3.path 4.truth 5.used 6.politics, public policy
Even penance was used only in the path (search for) of truth. To this day no one had used it for public policy. I interpret this to mean bringing ethics and morality to politics.
7
vo faqat1 gandhi tha ye e’jaaz2 jis ne kar diya
rooh3 ke har naqsh4 meN raNg-e siyaasat5 bhar diya 1.only 2.miracle 3.soul 4.sign, marker 5.politics
It was gandhi’s miracle exclusively that he brought every angle of the soul to colour all aspects of politics i.e., it was gandhi who made ethics the basis of public policy.
8
rooh1 ki tanha-ravi2 bhi us ne yaksar3 chhoR di
jism4 ki bhi us ne zanjiir-e Ghulaami toR di 1.soul 2.lonely path, walking alone 3.completely 4.body
He completely gave up/rejected the isolation of the domain of the soul (from politics) and broke the chain of slavery.
panDit labhuram josh malsiani (1884-1976) from malsian in the now pakistani side of punjab, migrated to India a little before partition/independence. He has written with great feeling about communal harmony and about the loss of his homeland – pakistan. His son, baalmukund arsh malsiani was also a well recognized poet. This tribute to gandhi is linked to the icon on the Theme page.
1
rahnuma1 is des meN aane ko aaye saiNkRoN
apne meeThe bol duniya ko sunaaye saiNkRoN
1.guide, leader
It is right say that thousands of leaders/guides came to this land and spoke sweet words.
2
rooh1-e insaaN par hi laikin bahas2 farmaate3 rahe
zindagi bhar ek isi nukte4 ko samjhaate rahe
1.soul 2.discourse 3.offer 4.point of view
But the only discourse they offered was about the human soul. This is the only point they tried to explain all life long.
3
saamne unke tha aazaadi1 ka pahlu2 ek hi
raahat3-e taskiiin4-e dil ki thi taraazu5 ek hi
1.freedom 2.point of view, angle 3.comfort 4.tranquility 5.balance, measure
For them the only point of view of freedom was this (freedom of the soul). This was their only measure of comfort and tranquility of the heart.
4
shaiKh bhi ham ko yahi asraar1 samjhaata raha
geet mandir meN barhaman bhi yahi gaata raha
1.mysteries
The muslim preacher too explained only these mysteries. The brahman also sang these hymns in the temple.
5
rooh1 ko aazaad2 karna hi raha pesh3-e nazar4
jism5 par chhuriyaaN chaliiN us ka na tha dil par asar6
1.soul 2.free 3.in front of, before 4.eyes, sight 5.body 6.effect
The only concern before them was the freedom of the soul. The body wounded and cut up with knives was of no concern to them.
6
thi ahimsa1 bhi faqat2 raah3-e haqiiqat4 ke liye
aaj tak barta5 na tha us ko siyaasat6 ke liye
1.non-violence, penance 2.only 3.path 4.truth 5.used 6.politics, public policy
Even penance was used only in the path (search for) of truth. To this day no one had used it for public policy. I interpret this to mean bringing ethics and morality to politics.
7
vo faqat1 gandhi tha ye e’jaaz2 jis ne kar diya
rooh3 ke har naqsh4 meN raNg-e siyaasat5 bhar diya
1.only 2.miracle 3.soul 4.sign, marker 5.politics
It was gandhi’s miracle exclusively that he brought every angle of the soul to colour all aspects of politics i.e., it was gandhi who made ethics the basis of public policy.
8
rooh1 ki tanha-ravi2 bhi us ne yaksar3 chhoR di
jism4 ki bhi us ne zanjiir-e Ghulaami toR di
1.soul 2.lonely path, walking alone 3.completely 4.body
He completely gave up/rejected the isolation of the domain of the soul (from politics) and broke the chain of slavery.
