For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
مخالف آسماں اپنا ۔ شنکر لال شنکرؔ
۱
مقدّر اپنا برگشتہ مخالف آسماں اپنا
وہ کیا روٹھا کہ دشمن ہو گیا سارا جہاں اپنا
۲
الٰہی ہو گیا بے وجہ دشمن باغباں اپنا
کہاں لے جائیں گلشن سے اٹھا کر آشیاں اپنا
۳
بگڑ جائے نہ گلچیں ہے زمانے کی ہوا بگڑی
بنایا تو ہے بلبل شاخ گل پر آشیاں اپنا
۴
فسانہ بن کے اپنا عشق دنیا کی زباں پر ہے
دیا تھا ہم نے دل تم کو سمجھ کر رازداں اپنا
۵
وفا کی قدر کیا ہوگی ستم کے ہو گئے خوگر
بنایا ان کو دشمن ہم نے دے کر امتحاں اپنا
۶
خدا کی ذات پر ہم کو تو اے شنکرؔ بھروسا ہے
بلا سے دشمنِ جاں ہو جو ہے سارا جہاں اپنا
मुख़ालफ़ आस्माँ अपना – शंकर लाल शंकर
१
मुक़द्दर अपना बरगश्ता मुख़ालफ़ आस्माँ अपना
वो क्या रूठा के दुश्मन हो गया सारा जहाँ अपना
२
इलाही हो गया बे-वजह दुश्मन बाग़्बाँ अपना
कहाँ ले जाएँ गुल्शन से उठा कर आशियाँ अपना
३
बिगड़ जाए न गुलचीं है ज़माने की हवा बिगड़ी
बनाया तो है बुल्बुल शाख़-ए-गुल पर आशियाँ अपना
४
फ़साना बन के अपना इश्क़ दुनिया की ज़बाँ पर है
दिया था हम ने दिल तुम को समझ कर राज़्दाँ अपना
५
वफ़ा की क़द्र क्या होगी सितम के हो गए ख़ूगर
बनाया उन को दुश्मन हम ने दे कर इम्तहाँ अपना
६
ख़ुदा की ज़ात पर हम को तो अए शंकर भरोसा है
बला से दुश्मन-ए-जाँ हो जो है सारा जहाँ अपना
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion.
shaNkar lal shaNkar (~1880-1954). Industrialist and an eminent shaa’er whose collection ‘dair o haram’ was published posthumously. His nephew murlidhar shaad was also a poet and died very young. shaNkar published his collection posthumously. His family had textile mills in lyalpur. Later, his brother, sri raam, of DCM created a foundation to run the ‘shanKar-shaad’ mushaa’era as a hind-pak gathering of shu’ara which has run since 1953 with a few interruptions. This is a Ghazal in the style of Ghalib’s ‘zikr us parivash ka aur phir bayaaN apna’.
1
muqaddar1 apna bargashta2 muKhaalif3 aasmaaN apna
vo kya rooThaa keh dushman ho gayaa saaraa jahaaN apna 1.destiny 2.angry 3.opposed
In urdu poetic tradition the sky/aasmaan is the all powerful fate that visits cruelty upon the poet. Thus, destiny and fate are opposed to me. Ever since the beloved took offence, the who world has become my enemy. The beloved could possibly also imply god.
2
ilaahi1 ho gayaa be-vaj’h2 dushman baaGhbaaN apna
kahaaN le jaa’eN gulshan3 se uThaa kar aashiyaaN4 apna 1.my god 2.without cause 3.garden 4.nest
In urdu poetic tradition the poet is a bird in a garden. The garden keeper and the flower picker are cruel characters. In this case the gardener has for no reason taken offence against the bird and is forcing it to take its nest elsewhere. O my god, where else can I go, is the poet/bird’s plaint.
3
bigaR jaa’e na gulchiN1 hai zamaane2 ki havaa3 bigRi
banaayaa to hai bulbul shaaKh-e gul4 par aashiyaaN5 apna 1.flower picker 2.times 3.mood 4.rose 5.nest
In urdu poetic tradition the bulbul and the rose are lovers. Either the bird catcher catches and cages the bulbul or the flower picker picks off the rose with tragic consequences for the lovers. The bulbul, has nested in the rose bush to be near its lover, the rose. The poet is afraid that the changing times might also affect the gulchiN/flower picker and he might pick off the rose.
4
fasaana1 ban ke apna ishq duniyaa ki zabaaN par hai
diyaa thaa ham ne dil tum ko samajh kar raaz-daaN2 apna 1.legend 2.confidant, friend
It is not clear if the poet is talking to the beloved or the beloved to the poet. In either case the story of their love has become the stuff of legend and everyone is talking about it. The protagonist seems to be at least mildly offended they had given their heart thinking that their secret would be kept. Now their confidence has been violated. It would be very unusual for the poet/lover to be thus offended. More likely, the beloved.
5
vafaa1 ki qadar2 kyaa hogi sitam3 ke ho ga’e Khoogar4
banaayaa un ko dushman ham ne de kar imtehaaN5 apna 1.fidelity 2.value, respect 3.cruelty 5.habituated 6.test
The beloved always tests the poet/lover for his ability to withstand cruelty. He has stood up to these tests and she has become habituated to being cruel so much so that she cannot value/respect his fidelity anymore.
6
Khuda ki zaat1 par ham ko to aye shaNkar bharosaa2 hai
balaa3 se dushman-e jaaN ho jo hai saaraa jahaaN apna 1.person, being, attributes 2.trust 3.equivalent to – I don’t care
I place my trust in god O shaNkar. I do not care if the whole world holds a grudge against me (as long as I have god).
shaNkar lal shaNkar (~1880-1954). Industrialist and an eminent shaa’er whose collection ‘dair o haram’ was published posthumously. His nephew murlidhar shaad was also a poet and died very young. shaNkar published his collection posthumously. His family had textile mills in lyalpur. Later, his brother, sri raam, of DCM created a foundation to run the ‘shanKar-shaad’ mushaa’era as a hind-pak gathering of shu’ara which has run since 1953 with a few interruptions. This is a Ghazal in the style of Ghalib’s ‘zikr us parivash ka aur phir bayaaN apna’.
1
muqaddar1 apna bargashta2 muKhaalif3 aasmaaN apna
vo kya rooThaa keh dushman ho gayaa saaraa jahaaN apna
1.destiny 2.angry 3.opposed
In urdu poetic tradition the sky/aasmaan is the all powerful fate that visits cruelty upon the poet. Thus, destiny and fate are opposed to me. Ever since the beloved took offence, the who world has become my enemy. The beloved could possibly also imply god.
2
ilaahi1 ho gayaa be-vaj’h2 dushman baaGhbaaN apna
kahaaN le jaa’eN gulshan3 se uThaa kar aashiyaaN4 apna
1.my god 2.without cause 3.garden 4.nest
In urdu poetic tradition the poet is a bird in a garden. The garden keeper and the flower picker are cruel characters. In this case the gardener has for no reason taken offence against the bird and is forcing it to take its nest elsewhere. O my god, where else can I go, is the poet/bird’s plaint.
3
bigaR jaa’e na gulchiN1 hai zamaane2 ki havaa3 bigRi
banaayaa to hai bulbul shaaKh-e gul4 par aashiyaaN5 apna
1.flower picker 2.times 3.mood 4.rose 5.nest
In urdu poetic tradition the bulbul and the rose are lovers. Either the bird catcher catches and cages the bulbul or the flower picker picks off the rose with tragic consequences for the lovers. The bulbul, has nested in the rose bush to be near its lover, the rose. The poet is afraid that the changing times might also affect the gulchiN/flower picker and he might pick off the rose.
4
fasaana1 ban ke apna ishq duniyaa ki zabaaN par hai
diyaa thaa ham ne dil tum ko samajh kar raaz-daaN2 apna
1.legend 2.confidant, friend
It is not clear if the poet is talking to the beloved or the beloved to the poet. In either case the story of their love has become the stuff of legend and everyone is talking about it. The protagonist seems to be at least mildly offended they had given their heart thinking that their secret would be kept. Now their confidence has been violated. It would be very unusual for the poet/lover to be thus offended. More likely, the beloved.
5
vafaa1 ki qadar2 kyaa hogi sitam3 ke ho ga’e Khoogar4
banaayaa un ko dushman ham ne de kar imtehaaN5 apna
1.fidelity 2.value, respect 3.cruelty 5.habituated 6.test
The beloved always tests the poet/lover for his ability to withstand cruelty. He has stood up to these tests and she has become habituated to being cruel so much so that she cannot value/respect his fidelity anymore.
6
Khuda ki zaat1 par ham ko to aye shaNkar bharosaa2 hai
balaa3 se dushman-e jaaN ho jo hai saaraa jahaaN apna
1.person, being, attributes 2.trust 3.equivalent to – I don’t care
I place my trust in god O shaNkar. I do not care if the whole world holds a grudge against me (as long as I have god).
