For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
مجھے پھر سفر کی تلاش ہے ۔ جئے کرشن چودھری حبیبؔ
۱
وہ جو بے نیازِ جہاں کرے، مجھے اُس نظر کی تلاش ہے
جو تجھے بنا دے غم آشنا مجھے اُس اثر کی تلاش ہے
۲
نہ رہے جہاں پہ پہنچ کے پھر، کسی در پہ جانے کی آرزو
جہاں عشق کی بھی ہے آبرو، مجھے ایسے در کی تلاش ہے
۳
جہاں بکھری پیار کی داستاں، جہاں ذرّہ ذرّہ ہے آستاں
وہ مری زمیں مرا آسماں، اُسی رہ گزر کی تلاش ہے
۴
ہیں تجھی سے حسن کی شوخیاں، ہیں تجھی سے عشق کی گرمیاں
دلِ زندہ تیری تلاش ہی، مری عمر بھر کی تلاش ہے
۵
وہ بھی کیا مزے کی تھی زندگی، جو سفر سفر میں گزر گئی
نہیں منزلوں میں وہ دل کشی، مجھے پھر سفر کی تلاش ہے
۶
جہاں رقص میں ہو کِرن کِرن، جہاں غنچے چٹکیں چمن چمن
نظر آئے جس میں وہ سیم تن، مجھے اُس سحر کی تلاش ہے
۷
یہ تبسم ان کا تھا لٹ گیا، سرِ راہ دل کا یہ قافلہ
وہ جو بے خبر سا چلا گیا، اُسی بے خبر کی تلاش ہے
۸
جہاں درد و داغ کی جستجو، جہاں نت نئی نئی آرزو
کہ جسے تلاش سکوں نہیں، مجھے اُس جگر کی تلاش ہے
मुझे फिर सफ़र की तलाश है – जय क्रिष्ण चौधरी हबीब
१
वो जो बे-नियाज़-ए जहाँ करे, मुझे उस नज़र की तलाश है
जो तुझे बना दे ग़म-आश्ना, मुझे उस असर की तलाश है
२
न रहे जहाँ पे पहुँच के फिर, किसी दर पे जाने की आर्ज़ू
जहाँ इश्क़ की भी है आब्रू, मुझे ऐसे दर की तलाश है
३
जहाँ बिखरी प्यार की दास्ताँ, जहाँ ज़र्रा ज़र्रा है आस्ताँ
वो मेरी ज़मीं मेरा आसमाँ, उसी रहगुज़र की तलाश है
४
हैं तुझी से हुस्न की शूख़ियाँ, हैं तुझी से इश्क़ की गर्मियाँ
दिल-ए ज़िंदा तेरी तलाश ही, मेरी उम्र भर की तलाश है
५
वो भी क्या मज़े की थी ज़िंदगी, जो सफ़र सफ़र में गुज़र गई
नहीं मंज़िलों में वो दिल-कशी, मुझे फिर सफ़र की तलाश है
६
जहाँ रक़्स में हो किरन किरन, जहाँ ग़ुंचे चटकें चमन चमन
नज़र आए जिस में वो सीम-तन, मुझे उस सहर की तलाश है
७
ये तबस्सुम उन का था लुट गया, सर-ए राह दिल का ये क़ाफ़ेला
वो जो बे-ख़बर सा चला गया, उसी बे-ख़बर की तलाश है
८
जहाँ दर्द-ओ-दाग़ की जुस्तुजू, जहाँ नित नई नई आरज़ू
के जिसे तलाश-ए सुकूँ नहीं, मुझे उस जिगर की तलाश है
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. jaikishan chaudhry habiib (1904-xxxx), born in Dera ismail KhaaN, in pakistan. Lived in jabalpur. He was a scholar of sanskrit, English, faarsi and urdu, and was an active participant in the independence struggle, most notably with Khaan abdul Ghaffaar KhaaN. MA from aligaRh and later LLB, law practice 1929. He migrated to India after partition in 1947. IAS – Collector and later Education Secretary. Early retirement in 1960, but recalled later to serve three more years in jabalpur and retired there. In 1969 he served on Ghalib shataabdhi naagarik samiti which organized four ‘tarahi’ mushaa’era over that year and published a book. He composed several Ghazal in the style of Ghalib. This Ghazal with the radeef-refrain ‘ki talaash hai’ is linked to other ham-radeef Ghazal on the Refrain page.
1
vo jo be-niyaaz1-e jahaaN2 kare, mujhe us nazar3 ki talaash4 hai
jo tujhe bana de Gham-aashna5, mujhe us asar6 ki talaash4 hai 1.unmindful, oblivious to 2.world, materialism, reward 3.eye 4.search, seek 5.familiar with/sensitive to sorrow/pain (of others) 6.effect, feelings
That which is unmindful of material gain/rewards, I seek that selective vision. That which can make you (me) sensitive to the pain of others, I seek those feelings.
2
na rahe jahaaN1 pe pahuNch2 ke phir, kisi dar3 pe jaane ki aarzu4
jahaaN1 ishq ki bhi hai aabru5, mujhe aise dar3 ki talaash hai 1.where 2.reach, arrive 3.door 4.desire 5.dignity
Conventionally, ‘going to a door’ implies going to a place where you ask for favours/benevolence, such as a door associated with divinity. In this case the poet/seeker is looking for a door where he finds once, he has no desire to go to another i.e., he finds what he is looking for. And what it that he is looking for? He seeks suche a door where there is dignity of universal love (not narrow orthodoxy).
3
jahaaN bikhri pyaar ki daastaaN1, jahaaN zarra-zarra2 hai aastaaN3
vo meri zamiN mera aasmaaN, usi rahguzar4 ki talaash hai 1.story 2.every particle/grain of sand 3.threshold (to bow in homage/reverence) 4.path
Where the story of love is scattered/spread all around. Where every grain of sand is a holy place to offer reverence. Such is my land. Such is my sky. That is the path which I seek.
4
haiN tujhi se husn1 ki shooKhiyaaN2, haiN tujhi se ishq ki garmiyaaN3
dil-e-zinda4 teri talaash hi, meri umr bhar ki talaash hai 1.beauty, beloved 2.playfulness 3.warmth 4.living/throbbing/feeling/dynamic heart
The ‘tujhi’ is the first misra is the feeling/loving heart. Thus, all the playfulness of the beloved, all the warmth of love of the lover, are because of a loving heart i.e., if there is no loving heart, then there is nothing. O loving heart, you are the object of life-long search.
5
vo bhi kya maze1 ki thi zindagi, jo safar2 safar meN guzar3 gaii
nahiN manziloN4 meN vo dil-kashi5, mujhe phir safar ki talaash hai 1.tasteful, enjoyable 2.journey, struggle 3.passed 4.destinations 5.attraction, pleasure
What an enjoyable life it was, that passed in journeying/searching/struggling. There is no such pleasure in destinations. I seek to journey/struggle again. No rest for me.
6
jahaaN raqs1 meN ho kiran-kiran2, jahaaN Ghunche3 chaTkeN4 chaman-chaman5
nazar6 aa’e jis meN vo siim-tan7, mujhe us sahar8 ki talaash hai 1.dance 2.every ray of light 3.unopened buds 4.gentle clicking sound while blooming and unfolding petals 5.every garden or all over the garden 6.visible, manifest 7.silver bodied, fair 8.dawn
Here ‘silver bodied’ or fair might be thought of as the beloved … but then in progressive urdu poetry the beloved is social justice and especially associated with dawn. Thus, where every ray of light dances (with the joy of anticipation), where unopened buds bloom all over the garden, where the fair beloved (social justice) can be seen, I seek that dawn.
7
ye tabassum1 un ka tha luT2 gaya, sar-e-raah3 dil ka ye qaafila4
vo jo be-Khabar5 sa chala gaya, usi be-Khabar ki talaash hai 1.smile 2.plundered, captured 3.along the journey/path 4.travel party, caravan 5.unaware
In the first misra, the ‘un’ refers to her i.e., the beloved. In urdu progressive poetry tradition, the beloved is social justice. Such was her brilliant smile, that the hearts of the party of seekers were immediately captivated. But then the beloved disappeared as if unaware of her seekers. I seek that unaware beloved (social justice).
8
jahaaN dard1-o-daaGh2 ki justuju3, jahaaN nit-naii-naii4 aarzu5
keh jise talaash-e sukooN6 nahiN, mujhe us jigar7 ki talaash hai 1.pain 2.wound 3.search, seek 4.fresh/new every moment 5.desire, yearning 6.comfort, rest 7.liver – the seat of courage/daring
That which seeks pain and hurt to confront and overcome rather than avoid, that which has a desire for fresh/new ideas every moment, that which does not want comfort and rest, I seek a courageous heart like that.
jaikishan chaudhry habiib (1904-xxxx), born in Dera ismail KhaaN, in pakistan. Lived in jabalpur. He was a scholar of sanskrit, English, faarsi and urdu, and was an active participant in the independence struggle, most notably with Khaan abdul Ghaffaar KhaaN. MA from aligaRh and later LLB, law practice 1929. He migrated to India after partition in 1947. IAS – Collector and later Education Secretary. Early retirement in 1960, but recalled later to serve three more years in jabalpur and retired there. In 1969 he served on Ghalib shataabdhi naagarik samiti which organized four ‘tarahi’ mushaa’era over that year and published a book. He composed several Ghazal in the style of Ghalib. This Ghazal with the radeef-refrain ‘ki talaash hai’ is linked to other ham-radeef Ghazal on the Refrain page.
1
vo jo be-niyaaz1-e jahaaN2 kare, mujhe us nazar3 ki talaash4 hai
jo tujhe bana de Gham-aashna5, mujhe us asar6 ki talaash4 hai
1.unmindful, oblivious to 2.world, materialism, reward 3.eye 4.search, seek 5.familiar with/sensitive to sorrow/pain (of others) 6.effect, feelings
That which is unmindful of material gain/rewards, I seek that selective vision. That which can make you (me) sensitive to the pain of others, I seek those feelings.
2
na rahe jahaaN1 pe pahuNch2 ke phir, kisi dar3 pe jaane ki aarzu4
jahaaN1 ishq ki bhi hai aabru5, mujhe aise dar3 ki talaash hai
1.where 2.reach, arrive 3.door 4.desire 5.dignity
Conventionally, ‘going to a door’ implies going to a place where you ask for favours/benevolence, such as a door associated with divinity. In this case the poet/seeker is looking for a door where he finds once, he has no desire to go to another i.e., he finds what he is looking for. And what it that he is looking for? He seeks suche a door where there is dignity of universal love (not narrow orthodoxy).
3
jahaaN bikhri pyaar ki daastaaN1, jahaaN zarra-zarra2 hai aastaaN3
vo meri zamiN mera aasmaaN, usi rahguzar4 ki talaash hai
1.story 2.every particle/grain of sand 3.threshold (to bow in homage/reverence) 4.path
Where the story of love is scattered/spread all around. Where every grain of sand is a holy place to offer reverence. Such is my land. Such is my sky. That is the path which I seek.
4
haiN tujhi se husn1 ki shooKhiyaaN2, haiN tujhi se ishq ki garmiyaaN3
dil-e-zinda4 teri talaash hi, meri umr bhar ki talaash hai
1.beauty, beloved 2.playfulness 3.warmth 4.living/throbbing/feeling/dynamic heart
The ‘tujhi’ is the first misra is the feeling/loving heart. Thus, all the playfulness of the beloved, all the warmth of love of the lover, are because of a loving heart i.e., if there is no loving heart, then there is nothing. O loving heart, you are the object of life-long search.
5
vo bhi kya maze1 ki thi zindagi, jo safar2 safar meN guzar3 gaii
nahiN manziloN4 meN vo dil-kashi5, mujhe phir safar ki talaash hai
1.tasteful, enjoyable 2.journey, struggle 3.passed 4.destinations 5.attraction, pleasure
What an enjoyable life it was, that passed in journeying/searching/struggling. There is no such pleasure in destinations. I seek to journey/struggle again. No rest for me.
6
jahaaN raqs1 meN ho kiran-kiran2, jahaaN Ghunche3 chaTkeN4 chaman-chaman5
nazar6 aa’e jis meN vo siim-tan7, mujhe us sahar8 ki talaash hai
1.dance 2.every ray of light 3.unopened buds 4.gentle clicking sound while blooming and unfolding petals 5.every garden or all over the garden 6.visible, manifest 7.silver bodied, fair 8.dawn
Here ‘silver bodied’ or fair might be thought of as the beloved … but then in progressive urdu poetry the beloved is social justice and especially associated with dawn. Thus, where every ray of light dances (with the joy of anticipation), where unopened buds bloom all over the garden, where the fair beloved (social justice) can be seen, I seek that dawn.
7
ye tabassum1 un ka tha luT2 gaya, sar-e-raah3 dil ka ye qaafila4
vo jo be-Khabar5 sa chala gaya, usi be-Khabar ki talaash hai
1.smile 2.plundered, captured 3.along the journey/path 4.travel party, caravan 5.unaware
In the first misra, the ‘un’ refers to her i.e., the beloved. In urdu progressive poetry tradition, the beloved is social justice. Such was her brilliant smile, that the hearts of the party of seekers were immediately captivated. But then the beloved disappeared as if unaware of her seekers. I seek that unaware beloved (social justice).
8
jahaaN dard1-o-daaGh2 ki justuju3, jahaaN nit-naii-naii4 aarzu5
keh jise talaash-e sukooN6 nahiN, mujhe us jigar7 ki talaash hai
1.pain 2.wound 3.search, seek 4.fresh/new every moment 5.desire, yearning 6.comfort, rest 7.liver – the seat of courage/daring
That which seeks pain and hurt to confront and overcome rather than avoid, that which has a desire for fresh/new ideas every moment, that which does not want comfort and rest, I seek a courageous heart like that.
