For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
نہیں جانتے خدا کیا ہے ۔ رگھوبیر سرن دواکر راہیؔ
۱
کہہ تو سکتا ہوں مُدّعا کیا ہے
سوچتا ہوں کہ فائدا کیا ہے
۲
سب خدا کی دہائی دیتے ہیں
اور نہیں جانتے خدا کیا ہے
۳
تیری باتوں کو سُن کے اے واعظ
سوچتا ہوں تجھے ہوا کیا ہے
۴
دیکھ لی گھر کی ویرانی
اب کہو فیضِ اِرتقا کیا ہے
۵
سوچتا ہوں کہ کوئی دیوانہ
سوچتا ہے تو سوچتا کیا ہے
۶
میں ہوں دیوانہ ٹھیک ہے لیکن
ہنسنے والو تمہیں ہوا کیا ہے
۷
کس کا جلوہ ہے ذرّے ذرّے میں
یہ ستاروں کا سلسلا کیا ہے
۸
اور کیا دوں ثبوتِ حق راہیؔ
دل دھڑکنے کی یہ صدا کیا ہے
۹
چشمِ بینا اگر ہو اے راہیؔ
راہزن کیا ہے رہنما کیا ہے
नहीं जान्ते ख़ुदा क्या है – रघुबीर सरन राही
१
कह तो सकता हू मुद्दोआ क्या है
सोचता हूं के फ़ा’एदा क्या है
२
सब ख़ुदा की दोहाई देते हैं
और नहीं जान्ते ख़ुदा क्या है
३
तेरी बातौं को सुन के अए वा’एज़
सोचता हूं तुझे हुआ क्या है
४
देख ली घर की वीरानी
अब कहो फ़ैज़-ए इर्तेक़ा क्या है
५
सोचता हूं के कोई दीवाना
सोचता है तो सोचता क्या है
६
मैं हुं दीवाना ठीक है लैकिन
हंस्ने वालो तुम्हें हुआ क्या है
७
किस का जल्वा है ज़र्रे ज़र्रे में
ये सितारौं का सिल्सिला क्या है
८
और क्या दूं सुबूत-ए हक़ राही
दिल धढकने की ये सदा क्या है
९
चश्म-ए बीना अगर हो अए राही
राहज़न क्या है, रहनुमा क्या है
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. raghubir saran divaakar raahi (1914-1968), rampur. Three Ghazal collection with hundreds of Ghazal in each. Born in amroha, learnt urdu and faarsi at school. BA, LLB from meeraTh. District Information Officer, UP. shaa’eri was in addition to this ‘day job’. Posted to and retired in rampur, 1954 and started law practice. Editor of hindi magazines. Very secular and makes much fun of the shaiKh and brahman. This is one of a series of Ghazal linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’ and in particular to the refrain, ‘dil-e naadaaN tujhe hua kya hai’. I found two slightly different versions of this Ghazal in two separate publications and combined them into one.
1
kah to sakta huN mudduaa1 kya hai
sochta huN keh faa’eda2 kya hai 1.desire, wish 2.use
This is addressed to the beloved, who perhaps is asking the poet/lover to tell her what he wishes. I can of course tell you what I want, but what is the use. You are not going to grant me my wish. Said Ghalib …
maiN bhi muNh meN zabaan rakhta huN
kaash poochho keh mudduaa kya hai
2
sub Khuda ki duhaaii1 dete haiN
aur nahiN jaante Khuda kya hai 1.calling upon god’s mercy, suggesting that god is the protector
Everyone calls upon god to help them (or offers reassurance to someone in need that god will help them). But they don’t know/understand god.
3
teri baatoN ko sun ke aye vaa’ez1
sochta huN tujhe hua kya hai 1.preacher
Listening to what you have to say (your sermonizing), O preacher, I begin to wonder what’s wrong with you i.e., I begin to suspect that you must be out of your mind. Said jigar muradabadi …
teri baatoN se aaj to vaa’ez
vo jo thi Khwaahish-e najaat gaii
4
dekh lii ghar1 ki viiraani2
ab kaho faiz3-e irteqaa4 kya hai 1.home, also used to mean the heart 2.desolation 3.benevolence, benefit 4.progress
This is probably a sarcasm about the “material progress” of the times. This progress had left the heart/spirit in desolation. The “dekh lii” probably is said in the spirit of … “don’t you see, didn’t I tell you”.
5
sochta huN keh koii diivaana
sochta hai to sochta kya hai At one level this could simply be a curiosity statement – what’s going on in the mind of a mad person. But if the mad person is mad/passionate in the love of the divine, the question can also be one of admiring amazement (or of derision).
6
maiN huN diivaana Theek hai laikin
haNsne vaalo tumheN hua kya hai Society is unkind and makes fun of/laughs at the mentally challenged – but also at mad/passionate lovers. The picture this evokes is that of majnun being teased in the streets by ‘playful’ urchins. Said Ghalib ….
maiN ne majnuN pe laRakpan meN asad
saNg uThaaya the keh sar yaad aaya
7
kis ka jalva1 hai zarre2 zarre meN
ye sitaaroN ka silsila3 kya hai 1.appearance, manifestation, reflection 2.grain (of sand) 3.continuity, series
Who is it that is reflected/manifested in every grain of sand. What is this continuity of countless stars. Said Ghalib …
sabza o gul kahaaN se aaye haiN
abr kya cheez hai havaa kya hai
8
aur kya duuN subuut1-e haq2 raahi3
dil dhaRakne4 ki ye sadaa5 kya hai 1.proof 2.truth, god 3.pen-name of the poet, traveler, seeker 4.throbbing 5.sound
What more proof (of the existence) of god can I give, O raahi. Is the sound of this throbbing heart not enough. Said josh malihabadi …
hum aise ahl-e nazar ko suboot-e haq ke liye
agar rasool na hote to sub’h kaafi thi
Said shahed (that’s me) …
hai teri zaat bhi keh nahiN jaanta nahiN
jaane baGhair kar luN yaqiiN maanta nahiN
9
chashm-e-biina1 agar2 ho aye raahi3
raahzan4 kya hai, rahnuma5 kya hai 1.seeing/discerning eye 2.if 3.pen-name of poet 4.bandit, highwayman 5.guide
In poetic tradition the ‘rahnuma’ guides you along the right path as you seek the truth and the ‘raahzan’ robs you and/or leads you astray. Here the poet calls you to rely on yourselves … if you have a discerning eye you don’t need a guide nor do you need to fear any bandit.
raghubir saran divaakar raahi (1914-1968), rampur. Three Ghazal collection with hundreds of Ghazal in each. Born in amroha, learnt urdu and faarsi at school. BA, LLB from meeraTh. District Information Officer, UP. shaa’eri was in addition to this ‘day job’. Posted to and retired in rampur, 1954 and started law practice. Editor of hindi magazines. Very secular and makes much fun of the shaiKh and brahman. This is one of a series of Ghazal linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’ and in particular to the refrain, ‘dil-e naadaaN tujhe hua kya hai’. I found two slightly different versions of this Ghazal in two separate publications and combined them into one.
1
kah to sakta huN mudduaa1 kya hai
sochta huN keh faa’eda2 kya hai
1.desire, wish 2.use
This is addressed to the beloved, who perhaps is asking the poet/lover to tell her what he wishes. I can of course tell you what I want, but what is the use. You are not going to grant me my wish. Said Ghalib …
maiN bhi muNh meN zabaan rakhta huN
kaash poochho keh mudduaa kya hai
2
sub Khuda ki duhaaii1 dete haiN
aur nahiN jaante Khuda kya hai
1.calling upon god’s mercy, suggesting that god is the protector
Everyone calls upon god to help them (or offers reassurance to someone in need that god will help them). But they don’t know/understand god.
3
teri baatoN ko sun ke aye vaa’ez1
sochta huN tujhe hua kya hai
1.preacher
Listening to what you have to say (your sermonizing), O preacher, I begin to wonder what’s wrong with you i.e., I begin to suspect that you must be out of your mind. Said jigar muradabadi …
teri baatoN se aaj to vaa’ez
vo jo thi Khwaahish-e najaat gaii
4
dekh lii ghar1 ki viiraani2
ab kaho faiz3-e irteqaa4 kya hai
1.home, also used to mean the heart 2.desolation 3.benevolence, benefit 4.progress
This is probably a sarcasm about the “material progress” of the times. This progress had left the heart/spirit in desolation. The “dekh lii” probably is said in the spirit of … “don’t you see, didn’t I tell you”.
5
sochta huN keh koii diivaana
sochta hai to sochta kya hai
At one level this could simply be a curiosity statement – what’s going on in the mind of a mad person. But if the mad person is mad/passionate in the love of the divine, the question can also be one of admiring amazement (or of derision).
6
maiN huN diivaana Theek hai laikin
haNsne vaalo tumheN hua kya hai
Society is unkind and makes fun of/laughs at the mentally challenged – but also at mad/passionate lovers. The picture this evokes is that of majnun being teased in the streets by ‘playful’ urchins. Said Ghalib ….
maiN ne majnuN pe laRakpan meN asad
saNg uThaaya the keh sar yaad aaya
7
kis ka jalva1 hai zarre2 zarre meN
ye sitaaroN ka silsila3 kya hai
1.appearance, manifestation, reflection 2.grain (of sand) 3.continuity, series
Who is it that is reflected/manifested in every grain of sand. What is this continuity of countless stars. Said Ghalib …
sabza o gul kahaaN se aaye haiN
abr kya cheez hai havaa kya hai
8
aur kya duuN subuut1-e haq2 raahi3
dil dhaRakne4 ki ye sadaa5 kya hai
1.proof 2.truth, god 3.pen-name of the poet, traveler, seeker 4.throbbing 5.sound
What more proof (of the existence) of god can I give, O raahi. Is the sound of this throbbing heart not enough. Said josh malihabadi …
hum aise ahl-e nazar ko suboot-e haq ke liye
agar rasool na hote to sub’h kaafi thi
Said shahed (that’s me) …
hai teri zaat bhi keh nahiN jaanta nahiN
jaane baGhair kar luN yaqiiN maanta nahiN
9
chashm-e-biina1 agar2 ho aye raahi3
raahzan4 kya hai, rahnuma5 kya hai
1.seeing/discerning eye 2.if 3.pen-name of poet 4.bandit, highwayman 5.guide
In poetic tradition the ‘rahnuma’ guides you along the right path as you seek the truth and the ‘raahzan’ robs you and/or leads you astray. Here the poet calls you to rely on yourselves … if you have a discerning eye you don’t need a guide nor do you need to fear any bandit.
