For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
نئے سال کی آمد پر ۔ آلِ احمد سرورؔ
۱
ذرّہ ذرّہ شیشۂ ساعت سے کم ہوتی ہے ریت
قطرہ قطرہ جذب ہوتا ہے بیاباں میں لہو
ریت کم ہو پھر بھی ہے اُس پر کرم خورشید کا
قطرہ کھو جائے مگر بجھتی تو ہے صحرا کی پیاس
الاماں سئیٔ مسلسل، آفریں وضعِ جنوں
ہر حقیقت سے سہانا اس کے خوابوں کا فسوں
۲
وقت کے دریا میں موجوں کا نہیں کوئی شمار
کوئی نغمہ، کوئی نالہ، کوئی طوفاں، کوئی آگ
سب فنا انجام لیکن کچھ بقا آموز بھی
سب سکوں کی جستجو میں کچھ مگر محشر بدوش
دیکھنا یہ ہے کہ ہے کِس موج سے دریا کی لاج
کس کی شورش سے نگوں سر ہوگیا ساحل کا آج
۳
کوئی شعلہ جب وفورِ شوق میں کرتا ہے رقص
اُس کا جوہر آزماتے ہیں خس و خاشاک بھی
آندھیاں آتی ہیں اکثر پرسشِ احوال کو
تیر بارش کے کیا کرتے ہیں اکثر چھیڑ چھاڑ
پھر بھی یہ شعلہ چراغِ محفلِ ہستی تو ہے
بے دلی کے کہر میں آئینۂ ہستی تو ہے
नये साल की आमद पर – आल-ए अहमद सुरूर
१
ज़र्रा ज़र्रा शीशा-ए सा’अत से कम होती है रेत
क़तरा क़तरा जज़्ब होता है बियाबां में लहू
रेत कम हो फिर है उस पर है करम ख़ुर्शीद का
क़तरा खो जाये मगर बुझती तो है सहरा की प्यास
अल’अमां सई-ए मुसलसल आफ़्रीं वज़’-ए जुनूं
हर हक़ीक़त से सुहाना इसके ख़्वाबों का फ़ुसूं
२
वक़्त के दर्या में मौजौं का नहीं कोई शुमार
कोई नग़्मा, कोई नाला, कोई तूफ़ां, कोई आग
शुभ फ़ना-अंजाम लेकिन कुछ बक़ा आमोज़ भी
सब सुकूं की जुस्तजू में कुछ मगर महशर ब-दोश
देखना ये है के है किस मौज से दर्या की लाज
किस की शोरिश से निगूं-सर हो गया साहिल का आज
३
कोई शो’ला जब वुफ़ूर-ए शौक़ में करता है रक़्स
उस का जौहर आज़्माते हैं ख़स ओ ख़ाशाक भी
आंधियां आती हैं अक्सर पुर्सिश-ए अहवाल को
तीर बारिश के किया करते हैं अक्सर छेढछाढ
फिर भी ये शो’ला चराग़-ए महफ़िल-ए हस्ती तो है
बे दिली के कोहर में आईना-ए हस्ती तो है
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. aal-e ahmad suroor (1911-2002) academic, critic, writer, editor and poet. MA in English and urdu literature. He taught at aligaRh and lakhnau universities, serving as head of the department of urdu at aligaRh. He was associated with, if not an active member of the Progressive Writers’ Association. His poetic compositions tend to be thoughtful and philosophical. Here, upon the occasion of the New Year he is taking stock of his own life and its impact.
1
zarra-zarra1 shiisha-e-saa’at2 se kam hoti hai ret3
qatra-qatra4 jazb5 hota hai biyabaaN6 meN lahu7
ret3 kam ho phir bhi hai us par karam8 Khurshiid9 ka
qatra kho jaaye magar bujhti to hai sahra10 ki pyaas
al-amaaN11 saii12-e musalsal13, aafriiN14 vaza’15-e junooN16
har haqiiqat17 se sohaana18, is ke KhwaaboN ka fusooN19 1.grain by grain 2.hourglass 3.sand 4.drop by drop 5.absorbed 6.wilderness 7.blood 8.benevolence 9.sun 10.desert 11.may god help 12.effort 13.constant 14.bravo 15.style 16.passion 17.truth, reality 18.pleasant 19.illusion
The sand in the hourglass drains away grain by grain. Drop by drop blood gets absorbed into the sands. Even if the grain of sand is a lowly thing, it has the blessing of the sun (it does not get dried up like a dew drop, it even shines in the reflected glory of the sun). Even if the drop (of blood) is lost, at least the thirst of the desert is quenched a little. May god help this constant effort, bravo this way of passion. The illusion of its vision is even more pleasant than reality. A beautiful reflection on life draining away but quenching the thirst of the desert and an admiration of constant struggle and passion. Reminds of sahir ludhianavi …
go ham se bhaagti rahi ye tez-gaam umr
KhwaaboN ke aasre pe kaTi hai tamaam umr
2
vaqt ke darya1 meN maujoN2 ka nahiN koii shumaar3
koii naGhma4, koii naala5, koii tuufaaN6, koi aag7
sub fanaa-anjaam8 laikin kuchh baqaa-aamoz9 bhi
sub sukooN10 ki justaju11 meN kuchh magar mahshar12 ba-dosh13
dekhna ye hai keh hai kis mauj se darya ki laaj14
kis ki shorish15 se niguN-sar16 ho gaya saahil17 ka aaj 1.river 2.waves 3.count 4.song 5.wailing 6.storm 7.fire 8.resulting in non-existence 9.lessons of immortality 10.tranquility, comfort 11.seeking 12.tumult, change 13.bearing on shoulders 14.dignity 15.disruption, agitation 16.head bowed 17.shore
There is no counting the waves in the river of time. Every wave brings joyous song, sorrowful wail, storm, or fire – but all are fleeting/mortal. But there are some that give the lesson of immortality. All seek comfort, but some carry change on their shoulders. It remains to be seen which wave brings dignity to the river, which wave makes the shoreline bow its head today. In the river of time/life numerous waves – ideas, movements, people rise and crash on the shore to disappear. But there are some that make change and those carry the flood of change beyond the confinement of the shore.
3
koii sho’la1 jab vufoor2-e shauq3 meN karta hai raqs4
us ka jauhar5 aazmaate6 haiN Khas-o-Khaashaak7 bhi
aandhiyaaN aati haiN aksar7 pursish-e-ahvaal8 ko
tiir baarish ke kiya karte haiN aksar7 chheR-chhaaR
phir bhi ye sho’la1 charaaGh-e mahfil-e-hasti9 to hai
be-dili10 ke kohr11 meN aiina12-e hasti13 to hai 1.flame 2.excess, unlimited 3.desire, passion 4.dance 5.capabilities 6.put to test 7.straw and twigs 7.often 8.asking about well-being 9.assembly of existence, the world 10.disinterest, indifference 11.fog 12.reflection, image 13.life
Whenever a flame dances in overflowing passion, even straw and twigs test its capabilities, storms come to ask about it, rain falls like arrows to tease it. Flame dancing is a revolutionary wanting change or a poet raising uncomfortable questions. Even ‘riff-raff’ in the power structure question them and the more powerful try to blow the flame out or to quench it. In spite of that the flame remains the lamp that lights the world and in the fog of indifference, it becomes a mirror reflecting the true nature of the world.
aal-e ahmad suroor (1911-2002) academic, critic, writer, editor and poet. MA in English and urdu literature. He taught at aligaRh and lakhnau universities, serving as head of the department of urdu at aligaRh. He was associated with, if not an active member of the Progressive Writers’ Association. His poetic compositions tend to be thoughtful and philosophical. Here, upon the occasion of the New Year he is taking stock of his own life and its impact.
1
zarra-zarra1 shiisha-e-saa’at2 se kam hoti hai ret3
qatra-qatra4 jazb5 hota hai biyabaaN6 meN lahu7
ret3 kam ho phir bhi hai us par karam8 Khurshiid9 ka
qatra kho jaaye magar bujhti to hai sahra10 ki pyaas
al-amaaN11 saii12-e musalsal13, aafriiN14 vaza’15-e junooN16
har haqiiqat17 se sohaana18, is ke KhwaaboN ka fusooN19
1.grain by grain 2.hourglass 3.sand 4.drop by drop 5.absorbed 6.wilderness 7.blood 8.benevolence 9.sun 10.desert 11.may god help 12.effort 13.constant 14.bravo 15.style 16.passion 17.truth, reality 18.pleasant 19.illusion
The sand in the hourglass drains away grain by grain. Drop by drop blood gets absorbed into the sands. Even if the grain of sand is a lowly thing, it has the blessing of the sun (it does not get dried up like a dew drop, it even shines in the reflected glory of the sun). Even if the drop (of blood) is lost, at least the thirst of the desert is quenched a little. May god help this constant effort, bravo this way of passion. The illusion of its vision is even more pleasant than reality. A beautiful reflection on life draining away but quenching the thirst of the desert and an admiration of constant struggle and passion. Reminds of sahir ludhianavi …
go ham se bhaagti rahi ye tez-gaam umr
KhwaaboN ke aasre pe kaTi hai tamaam umr
2
vaqt ke darya1 meN maujoN2 ka nahiN koii shumaar3
koii naGhma4, koii naala5, koii tuufaaN6, koi aag7
sub fanaa-anjaam8 laikin kuchh baqaa-aamoz9 bhi
sub sukooN10 ki justaju11 meN kuchh magar mahshar12 ba-dosh13
dekhna ye hai keh hai kis mauj se darya ki laaj14
kis ki shorish15 se niguN-sar16 ho gaya saahil17 ka aaj
1.river 2.waves 3.count 4.song 5.wailing 6.storm 7.fire 8.resulting in non-existence 9.lessons of immortality 10.tranquility, comfort 11.seeking 12.tumult, change 13.bearing on shoulders 14.dignity 15.disruption, agitation 16.head bowed 17.shore
There is no counting the waves in the river of time. Every wave brings joyous song, sorrowful wail, storm, or fire – but all are fleeting/mortal. But there are some that give the lesson of immortality. All seek comfort, but some carry change on their shoulders. It remains to be seen which wave brings dignity to the river, which wave makes the shoreline bow its head today. In the river of time/life numerous waves – ideas, movements, people rise and crash on the shore to disappear. But there are some that make change and those carry the flood of change beyond the confinement of the shore.
3
koii sho’la1 jab vufoor2-e shauq3 meN karta hai raqs4
us ka jauhar5 aazmaate6 haiN Khas-o-Khaashaak7 bhi
aandhiyaaN aati haiN aksar7 pursish-e-ahvaal8 ko
tiir baarish ke kiya karte haiN aksar7 chheR-chhaaR
phir bhi ye sho’la1 charaaGh-e mahfil-e-hasti9 to hai
be-dili10 ke kohr11 meN aiina12-e hasti13 to hai
1.flame 2.excess, unlimited 3.desire, passion 4.dance 5.capabilities 6.put to test 7.straw and twigs 7.often 8.asking about well-being 9.assembly of existence, the world 10.disinterest, indifference 11.fog 12.reflection, image 13.life
Whenever a flame dances in overflowing passion, even straw and twigs test its capabilities, storms come to ask about it, rain falls like arrows to tease it. Flame dancing is a revolutionary wanting change or a poet raising uncomfortable questions. Even ‘riff-raff’ in the power structure question them and the more powerful try to blow the flame out or to quench it. In spite of that the flame remains the lamp that lights the world and in the fog of indifference, it becomes a mirror reflecting the true nature of the world.
