Recitation
josh malihabadi
منتخب رُباعیات ۔ جوش ملیح آبادی
۱
تسبیح و عمّامہ و عبا و خاتَم
تاج و اورنگ و قلع و چتر و علم
یہ جملہ عظیم قوّتیں ایک طرف
اور ایک طرف طاقتِ سرکارِ قلم
۲
یہ تا بہ زباں سخن کے لانے والے
یہ اپنے ہی خون میں نہانے والے
واللہ کہ ہیں چشم و چراغِ آفاق
یہ ‘فکر’ کو ‘آواز’ بنانے والے
۳
جودت کا گہر مہرِ مبیں سے بہتر
حکمت کی حلاوت انگبیں سے بہتر
عالِم کا دیا ہوا گمانِ بد بھی
جاہل کے عطا کردہ یقیں سے بہتر
۴
اِس دھُن میں کہ دِل عقل کے شیدا ہو جائیں
آفاق کے اَسرار ہویدا ہو جائیں
مُدّت سے گرا رہا ہوں تخمِ افکار
شاید کہ نئے درخت پیدا ہو جائیں
۵
خود بین و خود آگاہ کیا ہے کس نے
ایمان کا بدخواہ کیا ہے کِس نے
اِنسان کو شیطاں نے کیا ہے گمراہ
شیطان کو گمراہ کیا ہے کس نے
۶
سو بات کی ہے یہ بات، آؤ سو جائیں
بدمست ہے خود حیات آؤ سو جائیں
شبنم سے ہے چاندنی کا دامن نمناک
اب بھیگ چکی ہے رات آؤ سو جائیں
मुन्तख़ब रुबाईयात – जोश मलीहाबादी
१
तस्बीह ओ अमामा ओ अबा ओ ख़ातम
ताज ओ औरंग ओ क़ला ओ छत्र ओ अलम
ये जुमला अज़ीम क़ुव्वतें एक तरफ़
और एक तरफ़ ताक़त-ए सरकार-ए क़लम
२
ये ता-ब-ज़बां सुख़न के लाने वाले
ये अपने ही ख़ून में नहाने वाले
वल्लाह के हैं चश्म ओ चिराग़-ए आफ़ाक़
ये ‘फ़िक्र’ को ‘आवाज़’ बनाने वाले
३
जौदत का गोहर, महर-ए मुबीं से बेहतर
हिकमत कि हलावत, अंगबीं से बेहतर
आलिम का दिया हुआ गुमान-ए बद भी
जाहिल के अता करदा यक़ीं से बेहतर
४
इस धुन में के दिल अक़्ल के शैदा हो जाएँ
आफ़ाक़ के अस्रार हुवैदा हो जाएँ
मुद्दत से गिरा रहा हूं तुख़्म-ए अफ़्कार
शायद के दरख़्त पैदा हो जाएँ
५
ख़ुद-बीन ओ ख़ुद-आगाह किया है किस ने
ईमान का बद-ख्व़ाह किया है किस ने
इंसान को शैतां ने किया है गुमराह
शैतान को गुमराह किया है किस ने
६
सौ बात कि है ये बात, आओ सो जाएँ
बदमस्त है ख़ुद हयात आओ सो जाएँ
शब्नम से है चांदनी का दामन नमनाक
अब भीग चुकी है रात आओ सो जाएँ
muntaKhab rubaaiyaat – josh malihabadi
1
tasbeeh1 o ammaama2 o abaa3 o Khaatam4
taaj o auraNg5 o qal’a6 o chatr7 o alam8
ye jumla9 azeem10 quvvateN11 ek taraf
aur ek taraf taaqat12-e sarkaar13-e qalam14 1.rosary, prayer beads 2.turban/head gear of ‘holy’ men/preachers 3.robe, vestments 4.signet ring 5.throne 6.fort 7.(royal) umbrella 8.flag, banner 9.total 10.great 11.powers 12.strength/power 13.regime 14.pen
Rosary/prayer beads, preacher’s turban, holy vestments or signet ring; crown, throne, fort or flag – all these great (symbols of) power on one side and on the other side the power of the pen!
2
ye taa-ba-zabaaN1 suKhan2 ke laane vaale
ye apne hi Khoon meN nahaane3 vaale
vallaah4 ke haiN chashm5 o chiraaGh6-e aafaaq7
ye ‘fikr’8 ko ‘aavaaz’ banaane vaale1.up to the tongue 2.voice/words/verse 3.bathing in their own blood – sacrificing themselves 4.by god 5.eye – metaphor for highly valued/loved 6.lamp – metaphor for spreading light/knowledge 7.horizon, skies/heavens 8.thought/reason/principles
Those who bring words/verse to their lips (poets who dare to speak out); they who bathe in their own blood (sacrifice themselves), by god they are the beloved of the heavens, spreading their light, giving voice to reason.
3
jaudat1 ka guhar2, mahr3-e mubiN4 se behtar5
hikmat6 ki halaavat7, aNgabiN8 se behtar
aalim9 ka diya-hua10 gumaan11-e bad12 bhi
jaahil13 ke ata-karda14 yaqiN15 se behtar1.speed of comprehension, intelligence 2.pearl 3.sun 4.clear/bright 5.better 6.wisdom 7.sweetness 8.honey 9.scholar, wise one 10.given by 11.doubt, probability 12.bad/useless 13.ignorant one 14.granted by 15.certainty
Pearls of intelligence shine brighter than the clear sun. The sweetness of wisdom is better than honey. Even an incorrect probability/supposition of Wisdom is better than a certainty of Ignorance. Also see josh’s taqleed o tahqeeq in which he writes ..
hat-ta ke sahebaan e rivaayat ke deen se
paakeeza tar haiN ahl e daraayat ke kufriyaat
4
is dhun1 meN ke dil aql2 ke shaida3 ho jaayeN
aafaaq4 ke asraar5 huvaida6 ho jaayeN
muddat7 se gira raha huN tuKhm8-e afkaar9
shaayed10 ke naye daraKht11 paida ho jaayeN1.obsession 2.intelligence/reason 3.admirer 4.horizons, skies, universe 5.secrets 6.revealed, manifest 7.for long 8.seeds 9.thought/reason 10.perhaps (in the hope that) 11.trees
In the obsession that their (youth) hearts may become admirers/seekers of intelligence/reason; in the hope that this may reveal/show/teach the secrets of the universe – for long have I been scattering/spreading seeds of thought/reason in the hope that some may sprout into new trees.
5
Khud-been1 o Khud-aagaah2 kiya hai kis ne
eemaan3 ka badKhwaah4 kiya hai kis ne
insaan ko shaitaaN ne kiya hai gumraah5
shaitaan ko gumraah kiya hai kis ne1.self-regarding, self-examining 2.self-aware, consiousness 3.certainty, belief 4.to wish ill for someone with malicious intent 5.wayward/lost/on the wrong path
Who has made (man) aware of his own existence (intelligent, self-aware, with a will). Who has (on the other hand) wished him ill giving him blind faith. May be, it is Satan who has misled man. But who was it who made Satan evil and wayward. The implication of course is that god has given Satan the power to mislead man. Recall Ghalib (see muntaKhab – shooKhiyaana be-ehteraami) …
neki tamaam tujh se hai kya Khwahish-e-jaza
aur iski zid bhi kaam tera, inteqaam kya
6
sau baat ki hai ye baat aao so jaayeN
badmast1 hai Khud hayaat2 aao so jaayeN
shabnam3 se hai chaandni ka daaman4 namnaak5
ab bheeg chuki hai raat aao so jaayeN1.inebriated, drunk 2.life 3.dew 4.hem of the robe 5.damp
It is late night and the audience is asking for more. josh wants to end the mushaa’era. I am not sure that he composed this extemporaneously, but hearing him, it sounds like that. This word/suggestion is worth a hundred thoughts, Life itself is drunk and can no longer be steady. The picture of late night is dew/mist making the hem of moonlight damp. ‘raat bheegna’ is a sign of late night … thus, it is late night now, let us go to sleep.
muntaKhab rubaaiyaat – josh malihabadi
1
tasbeeh1 o ammaama2 o abaa3 o Khaatam4
taaj o auraNg5 o qal’a6 o chatr7 o alam8
ye jumla9 azeem10 quvvateN11 ek taraf
aur ek taraf taaqat12-e sarkaar13-e qalam14
1.rosary, prayer beads 2.turban/head gear of ‘holy’ men/preachers 3.robe, vestments 4.signet ring 5.throne 6.fort 7.(royal) umbrella 8.flag, banner 9.total 10.great 11.powers 12.strength/power 13.regime 14.pen
Rosary/prayer beads, preacher’s turban, holy vestments or signet ring; crown, throne, fort or flag – all these great (symbols of) power on one side and on the other side the power of the pen!
2
ye taa-ba-zabaaN1 suKhan2 ke laane vaale
ye apne hi Khoon meN nahaane3 vaale
vallaah4 ke haiN chashm5 o chiraaGh6-e aafaaq7
ye ‘fikr’8 ko ‘aavaaz’ banaane vaale
1.up to the tongue 2.voice/words/verse 3.bathing in their own blood – sacrificing themselves 4.by god 5.eye – metaphor for highly valued/loved 6.lamp – metaphor for spreading light/knowledge 7.horizon, skies/heavens 8.thought/reason/principles
Those who bring words/verse to their lips (poets who dare to speak out); they who bathe in their own blood (sacrifice themselves), by god they are the beloved of the heavens, spreading their light, giving voice to reason.
3
jaudat1 ka guhar2, mahr3-e mubiN4 se behtar5
hikmat6 ki halaavat7, aNgabiN8 se behtar
aalim9 ka diya-hua10 gumaan11-e bad12 bhi
jaahil13 ke ata-karda14 yaqiN15 se behtar
1.speed of comprehension, intelligence 2.pearl 3.sun 4.clear/bright 5.better 6.wisdom 7.sweetness 8.honey 9.scholar, wise one 10.given by 11.doubt, probability 12.bad/useless 13.ignorant one 14.granted by 15.certainty
Pearls of intelligence shine brighter than the clear sun. The sweetness of wisdom is better than honey. Even an incorrect probability/supposition of Wisdom is better than a certainty of Ignorance. Also see josh’s taqleed o tahqeeq in which he writes ..
hat-ta ke sahebaan e rivaayat ke deen se
paakeeza tar haiN ahl e daraayat ke kufriyaat
4
is dhun1 meN ke dil aql2 ke shaida3 ho jaayeN
aafaaq4 ke asraar5 huvaida6 ho jaayeN
muddat7 se gira raha huN tuKhm8-e afkaar9
shaayed10 ke naye daraKht11 paida ho jaayeN
1.obsession 2.intelligence/reason 3.admirer 4.horizons, skies, universe 5.secrets 6.revealed, manifest 7.for long 8.seeds 9.thought/reason 10.perhaps (in the hope that) 11.trees
In the obsession that their (youth) hearts may become admirers/seekers of intelligence/reason; in the hope that this may reveal/show/teach the secrets of the universe – for long have I been scattering/spreading seeds of thought/reason in the hope that some may sprout into new trees.
5
Khud-been1 o Khud-aagaah2 kiya hai kis ne
eemaan3 ka badKhwaah4 kiya hai kis ne
insaan ko shaitaaN ne kiya hai gumraah5
shaitaan ko gumraah kiya hai kis ne
1.self-regarding, self-examining 2.self-aware, consiousness 3.certainty, belief 4.to wish ill for someone with malicious intent 5.wayward/lost/on the wrong path
Who has made (man) aware of his own existence (intelligent, self-aware, with a will). Who has (on the other hand) wished him ill giving him blind faith. May be, it is Satan who has misled man. But who was it who made Satan evil and wayward. The implication of course is that god has given Satan the power to mislead man. Recall Ghalib (see muntaKhab – shooKhiyaana be-ehteraami) …
neki tamaam tujh se hai kya Khwahish-e-jaza
aur iski zid bhi kaam tera, inteqaam kya
6
sau baat ki hai ye baat aao so jaayeN
badmast1 hai Khud hayaat2 aao so jaayeN
shabnam3 se hai chaandni ka daaman4 namnaak5
ab bheeg chuki hai raat aao so jaayeN
1.inebriated, drunk 2.life 3.dew 4.hem of the robe 5.damp
It is late night and the audience is asking for more. josh wants to end the mushaa’era. I am not sure that he composed this extemporaneously, but hearing him, it sounds like that. This word/suggestion is worth a hundred thoughts, Life itself is drunk and can no longer be steady. The picture of late night is dew/mist making the hem of moonlight damp. ‘raat bheegna’ is a sign of late night … thus, it is late night now, let us go to sleep.
Key Search Words: rubaaii poet’s own voice resistance rationality rationalism
