For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
مرا سوزِ شاعرانہ – معین احسن جذبیؔ
۱
ملے مجھ کو غم سے فرصت تو سناؤں وہ فسانہ
کہ ٹپک پڑے نظر سے مئے عشرتِ شبانہ
۲
یہی زندگی مصیبت یہی زندگی مسرّت
یہی زندگی حقیقت یہی زندگی فسانہ
۳
کبھی درد کی تمنّا کبھی کوششِ مداوا
کبھی بجلیوں کی خواہش کبھی فکرِ آشیانہ
۴
مرے قہقہوں کی زد پر کبھی گردشیں جہاں کی
مرے آنسووں کی رو میں کبھی تلخیِ زمانہ
۵
مری رفعتوں سے لرزاں کبھی مہر و ماہ و انجم
مری پستیوں سے خائف کبھی اوجِ خسروانہ
۶
کبھی میں ہوں تجھ سے نالاں کبھی مجھ سے تو پریشاں
کبھی میں ترا ہدف ہوں کبھی تو مرا نشانہ
۷
جسے پا سکا نہ زاہد جسے چھو سکا نہ صوفی
وہی تار چھیڑتا ہے مرا سوزِ شاعرانہ
मेरा सोज़-ए शा’एराना – मोईन एहसन जज़्बी
१
मिले मुझ को ग़म से फ़ुर्सत, तो सुनाऊं वो फ़साना
के टपक पढे नज़र से मै-ए इश्रत-ए शबाना
२
यही ज़िंदगी मुसीबत, यही ज़िंदगी मसर्रत
यही ज़िंदगी हक़ीक़त, यही ज़िंदगी फ़साना
३
कभी दर्द की तमन्ना, कभी कोशिश-ए मदावा
कभी बिज्लियौं की ख़्वाहिश, कभी फ़िक्र-ए आशियाना
४
मेरे क़ह्क़हौं की ज़द पर, कभी गर्दिशें जहां की
मेरे आंसुओं की रौ में कभी तल्ख़ी-ए ज़माना
५
मेरी रफ़’अतौं से लरज़ाँ, कभी महर ओ माह ओ अंजुम
मेरी पस्तियौं से ख़ाएफ़ कभी औज-ए ख़ुस्रवाना
६
कभी मैं हुं तुझ से नालां, कभी मुझ से तू परेशां
कभी मैं तेरा हदफ़ हुं, कभी तू मेरा निशाना
७
जिसे पा सका ना ज़ाहिद, जिसे छू सका ना सूफ़ी
वही तार छेड़ता है मेरा सोज़-ए शा’एराना
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. moin ehsan jazbi (1912-2005) born in aazamgaRh and educated, taught and lived in aligaRh. Member of the Progressive Writers’ Association. He worked as an assistant editor of ‘aajkal’ of which josh malihabadi was also the chief editor. I am not sure if they overlapped but he was close to majaz, faani, sardar jafri and sibt-e hasan. He did his MA from aligaRh and later joined the faculty teaching there until his retirement. He also completed his PhD while teaching and published several collections of poetry. In this Ghazal jazbi describes in beautiful ways the ups and down, joys and sorrows, triumphs and frustrations, recognition and neglect and the contradictions of Life. This Ghazal is linked to the icon ‘zindagi kya hai’ on the Theme page.
1
mile mujh ko Gham se fursat1, to sunaauN vo fasaana2
ke Tapak paRe nazar se mai3-e ishrat3-e shabaana3 1.liesure, time 2.story 3.wine of the pleasures of the night
If only I could get some relief from sorrow I would tell such a tale that “the scales will drop from eyes” i.e., that which you thought was valuable will appear to you as if of no value compared to what I am showing i.e., the tale that I could relate would be so much better than the wine of the pleasures of the night.
2
yahi zindagi museebat, yahi zindagi masarrat1
yahi zindagi haqeeqat2, yahi zindagi fasaana3 1.pleasure 2.truth, reality 3.fable, illusion
It is the same Life which is sometimes a pain, at others a pleasure, sometimes hard reality at others a pleasant illusion.
3
kabhi dard ki tamanna1, kabhi koshish-e madaava2
kabhi bijliyauN ki Khwaahish, kabhi fikr3-e aashiyaana4 1.desire 2.cure 3.worry 4.nest
In urdu poetic tradition the nest is struck by lightning and burnt up. There is always a worry that lightning is in search of the poet/lover’s ‘nest’. The contradictions of life continue – sometimes the desire for pain, at other times the search for a cure, sometimes wishing to face lightning (courage), at other times worried about the nest.
4
mere qahqahauN1 ki zad2 par, kabhi gardisheN3 jahaaN ki
mere aaNsuauN ki rau4 meN kabhi talKhi-e zamaana5 1.laughter 2.bounds, regime 3.movements, happenings, calamities 4.flow
5.hardness/cruelty of the times
Sometimes I am able to laugh away the calamities that befall me, at other times the cruelty of the world flows through my tears.
5
meri raf’atauN1 se larzaaN2, kabhi mahr3 o maah4 o anjum5
meri pastiyauN6 se Khaa’ef7 kabhi auj-e Khusravaana8 1.heights, achievements, glory 2.tremble 3.sun 4.moon 5.stars 6.low points 7.fearful 8.peak (glory) of Khusro
Khusro, a legendary Persian king is often used as a metaphor for absolute power, pomp and show and hubris. At times, even the sun, moon and stars are envious of the heights of glory that I achieve. At other times even the peak of Glory looks upon my lowly state and feels fearful for itself (that it may one day fall as low as I).
6
kabhi maiN huN tujh se nalaaN, kabhi mujh se tu pareshaaN
kabhi maiN tera hadaf2 huN, kabhi tu mera nishaana3 1.sorrowful 2.target 3.aim
The ‘tu’ (you) in this she’r could be anybody – the whole society/world or the beloved. Sometimes you are annoyed with me, at other times I am bothered by you, sometimes I am your target at others I take aim at you.
7
jise paa saka na zaahid1, jise chhoo saka na sufi
vahi taar2 chheRta hai mera soz3-e shaa’erana 1.chaste and religious, preacher 2.string (musical) 3.sorrow
My verse creates such mournful music the heights of which neither the orthodox preacher nor the liberal sufi/mystic could reach.
moin ehsan jazbi (1912-2005) born in aazamgaRh and educated, taught and lived in aligaRh. Member of the Progressive Writers’ Association. He worked as an assistant editor of ‘aajkal’ of which josh malihabadi was also the chief editor. I am not sure if they overlapped but he was close to majaz, faani, sardar jafri and sibt-e hasan. He did his MA from aligaRh and later joined the faculty teaching there until his retirement. He also completed his PhD while teaching and published several collections of poetry. In this Ghazal jazbi describes in beautiful ways the ups and down, joys and sorrows, triumphs and frustrations, recognition and neglect and the contradictions of Life. This Ghazal is linked to the icon ‘zindagi kya hai’ on the Theme page.
1
mile mujh ko Gham se fursat1, to sunaauN vo fasaana2
ke Tapak paRe nazar se mai3-e ishrat3-e shabaana3
1.liesure, time 2.story 3.wine of the pleasures of the night
If only I could get some relief from sorrow I would tell such a tale that “the scales will drop from eyes” i.e., that which you thought was valuable will appear to you as if of no value compared to what I am showing i.e., the tale that I could relate would be so much better than the wine of the pleasures of the night.
2
yahi zindagi museebat, yahi zindagi masarrat1
yahi zindagi haqeeqat2, yahi zindagi fasaana3
1.pleasure 2.truth, reality 3.fable, illusion
It is the same Life which is sometimes a pain, at others a pleasure, sometimes hard reality at others a pleasant illusion.
3
kabhi dard ki tamanna1, kabhi koshish-e madaava2
kabhi bijliyauN ki Khwaahish, kabhi fikr3-e aashiyaana4
1.desire 2.cure 3.worry 4.nest
In urdu poetic tradition the nest is struck by lightning and burnt up. There is always a worry that lightning is in search of the poet/lover’s ‘nest’. The contradictions of life continue – sometimes the desire for pain, at other times the search for a cure, sometimes wishing to face lightning (courage), at other times worried about the nest.
4
mere qahqahauN1 ki zad2 par, kabhi gardisheN3 jahaaN ki
mere aaNsuauN ki rau4 meN kabhi talKhi-e zamaana5
1.laughter 2.bounds, regime 3.movements, happenings, calamities 4.flow
5.hardness/cruelty of the times
Sometimes I am able to laugh away the calamities that befall me, at other times the cruelty of the world flows through my tears.
5
meri raf’atauN1 se larzaaN2, kabhi mahr3 o maah4 o anjum5
meri pastiyauN6 se Khaa’ef7 kabhi auj-e Khusravaana8
1.heights, achievements, glory 2.tremble 3.sun 4.moon 5.stars 6.low points 7.fearful 8.peak (glory) of Khusro
Khusro, a legendary Persian king is often used as a metaphor for absolute power, pomp and show and hubris. At times, even the sun, moon and stars are envious of the heights of glory that I achieve. At other times even the peak of Glory looks upon my lowly state and feels fearful for itself (that it may one day fall as low as I).
6
kabhi maiN huN tujh se nalaaN, kabhi mujh se tu pareshaaN
kabhi maiN tera hadaf2 huN, kabhi tu mera nishaana3
1.sorrowful 2.target 3.aim
The “tu” (you) in this she’r could be anybody – the whole society/world or the beloved. Sometimes you are annoyed with me, at other times I am bothered by you, sometimes I am your target at others I take aim at you.
7
jise paa saka na zaahid1, jise chhoo saka na sufi
vahi taar2 chheRta hai mera soz3-e shaa’erana
1.chaste and religious, preacher 2.string (musical) 3.sorrow
My verse creates such mournful music the heights of which neither the orthodox preacher nor the liberal sufi/mystic could reach.
This is Professor Jazbi’s famous ghazal. Perhaps it needs the correction of the word Mudaawa. This word is written with a colon, meem, space, daal, alif, space, wa, choteyay, on whose top is a small alif.
Thank you very much for your interest and taking the time to suggest a correction. I went to print copies of several publications of jazbi and found
مداوا
in all of them. I am not sure I understand your suggestion fully. Please feel free to call me 310-480-7825 if you can. I would greatly appreciate the learning opportunity.