For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
نور جہاں کے مزار پہ – ساحر لدھیانوی
۱
پہلوِ شاہ میں یہ دخترِ جمہور کی قبر
کتنے گم گشتہ فسانوں کا پتہ دیتی ہے
کتنے خونریز حقائق سے اُٹھاتی ہے نقاب
کتنی کچلی ہوئی جانوں کا پتہ دیتی ہے
۲
کیسے مغرور شہنشاہوں کی تسکیں کے لئے
سال ہا سال حسینائوں کے بازار لگے
کیسے بہکی ہوئی نظروں کے تعیش کے لئے
سرخ محلوں میں جواں جسموں کے انبار لگے
۳
کیسے ہر شاخ سے منہہ بند مہکتی کلیاں
نوچ لی جاتی تھیں تزمینِ حرم کی خاطر
اور مرجھا کے بھی آزاد نہ ہو سکتی تھیں
ظلِ سبحان کی اُلفت کے بھرم کی خاطر
۴
کیسے اک فرد کے ہونٹوں کی ذرا سی جنبش
سرد کر سکتی تھی بے لوث وفاؤں کے چراغ
لُوٹ سکتی تھی دمکتے ہوئے ہاتھوں کا سہاگ
توڑ سکتی تھی مئے عشق سے لبریز ایاغ
۵
سہمی سہمی سی فضاوں میں یہ ویراں مرقد
ا تنا خاموش ہے فریاد کناں ہو جیسے
سرد شاخوں میں ہوا چیخ رہی ہے ایسے
روحِ تقدیس و وفا مرثیہ خواں ہو جیسے
۶
تو مری جان، مجھے حیرت و حسرت سے نہ دیکھ
ہم میں کوئی بھی جہاں نور و جہانگیر نہیں
تو مجھے چھوڑ کے ٹھکرا کے بھی جاسکتی ہے
تیرے ہاتھوں میں مرے ہاتھ ہیں زنجیر نہیں
नूर जहां के मज़ार पर – साहिर लुधियानवी
१
पहलू ए शाह में ये दुख़्तर ए जम्हूर की क़ब्र
कितने गुम गश्ता फ़सानों का पता देती है
कितने ख़ूंरेज़ हक़ाएक़ से उठाती है नक़ाब
कितनी कुचली हुई जानों का पता देती है
२
कैसे मग़रूर शंशाहों की तस्कीं के लिए
साल हा साल हसीनाओं के बाज़ार लगे
कैसे बहकी हुई नज़रों की तय्युश के लिए
सुर्ख़ महलों में जवां जिस्मों के अंबार लगे
३
कैसे हर शाख़ से मुंह बंद महकती कलियाँ
नोच ली जाती थीं तज़्मीन ए हरम की ख़ातिर
और मुरझा के भी आज़ाद न हो सकती थीं
ज़िल्ल ए सुभान की उल्फ़त के भरम की ख़ातिर
४
कैसे एक फ़र्द के होंटों की ज़रा सी जुम्बिश
सर्द कर सकती थी बे लौस वफ़ाओं के चिराग़
लूट सकती थी दमकते हुए हाथों से सुहाग
तोड़ सकती थी मै ए इश्क़ से लबरेज़ अयाग़
५
सहमी सहमी सी फिज़ाओं में ये वीरां मर्क़द
इतना ख़ामोश है फ़र्याद कुनां हो जैसे
सर्द शाख़ों में हवा चीख़ रही है ऐसे
रूह ए तक़दीस ओ वफ़ा मर्सिया ख़्वां हो जैसे
६
तू मेरी जान मुझे हैरत ओ हसरत से न देख
हम में कोई भी जहाँ नूर ओ जहाँ गीर नहीं
तू मुझे छोड़ के ठुकरा के भी जा सकती है
तेरे हाथों में मेरे हाथ हैं, ज़ंजीर नहीं
Click here for overall comments and on any passage for meanings and translation. sahir ludhianavi (1921-1980) progressive poet writing in chaste yet relatively easily understood urdu. He brought the quality of urdu nazm to movie songs and raised the standards to a high level. Supported labour movements. Strong participant in the Progressive Writers’ Association. Winner of Lenin Peace Prize and padma shri, and several movie industry awards. noor jahaaN, before becoming wife of Emperor jahangir was married to a low/medium level officer in jahangir’s army. Jahangir had his eye on her and got her husband killed/murdered in an ambush. Sahir in this nazm protests against absolute power and exploitation of women making noor jahaaN a symbol of exploitation.
1
pahlu e shah1 meN ye duKhtar e jamhoor2 ki qabr3
kitne gum gashta4 fasanoN5 ka pata deti hai
kitne KhuNrez6 haqaiq7 se uThati hai naqab8
kitni kuchli9 hui janoN10 ka pata deti hai1.by the side of the king 2.daughter of democracy 3.grave 4.lost, hidden 5.stories 6.blood raising 7.facts 8.veil 9.trampled 10.lives
By the emperor’s side, this tomb of the daughter of the people, O, how many long lost stories does it reveal. How many blood curdling facts does it unveil. How many trampled lives does it point to.
2
kaise maGhroor11 shanshahoN ki taskiN12 ke liye
saal ha saal13 hasinaaoN ke bazaar lage
kaise bahki hui nazroN14 ki tayyush15 ke liye
surKh mahloN16 meN javaN jismoN ke anbaar17 lage11.proud, full of hubris 12.pleasure 13.year after year 14.wandering (lustful) eye 15.luxury, lust 16.red palace, pleasure house 17.heaps
How for the pleasure of proud absolute monarchs, year after year, bazars of beautiful damsels were assembled. How, to satisfy the lust of wandering eyes, heaps of young bodies piled in fleshpot palaces
3
kaise har shaaKh18 se muNh band mahakti kaliyaN19
noch li jati thiN tazmin20 e haram21 ki Khatir
aur murjha ke bhi azad na ho sakti theeN
zill e subhan22 ki ulfat23 ke bharam24 ki Khatir18.branch (family) 19.unopened fragrant buds i.e.virgins 20.adornment 21.palace 22.shadow of god (emperor) 23.love 24.deception, show
How from any bough fragrant virgin buds were plucked for the adornment of the royal harem, never to be free again even after wilting, only to maintain the facade of the emperor’s love.
4
kaise ek fard ke hoNtoN ki zara si jumbish25
sard kar26 sakti thi be laus27 vafaaoN28 ke chiraaGh
loot sakti thi damakte hue haathoN se sohag
toR sakti thi mai-e ishq29 se labrez30 ayaaGh31 25.movement 26.to make cold (to kill) 27.unadulterated 28. faith, love 29.wine of love 30.brimming 31.flask
How even a glance or word of one man could extinguish the lamp of pure love (presumably Noor JahaN was happily married – hence extinguishing of pure love). How it could snatch “sohaag” from beautiful hands. How flasks brimming with the wine of love were smashed.
5
sahmi32 sahmi si fizaoN33 meN ye viraN34 marqad35
itna Khamosh hai faryad kunaN36 ho jaise
sard shaKhoN meN hava CheeKh rahi hai aise
rooh e taqdis o vafa37 marsia KhwaaN38 ho jaise32.frightened, scared 33.breeze 34.desolate 35.tomb 36.lamenting 37.spirit of sanctity and love 38.mourning
This desolate tomb this moaning breeze. The tomb whose very silence is a loud lament as if the wind is screaming among leafless branches and the spirit of sanctity and love is mourning.
6
tu meri jan mujhe hairat o hasrat39 se na dekh
ham meN koi bhi jahaaN noor40o jahaaN giir41 nahiN
tu mujhe chhoR ke Thukra ke bhi ja sakti hai
tere haathoN meN mere haath haiN, zanjir nahiN39.astonishment and longing, apprehension 40.light of the world 41.conqueror of the world
O, my beloved, don’t look at me with such apprehension. Neither one of us is Noor Jahan nor Jahangir. You can leave me any time you please. Your hands are held in mine, not bound in a chain.
sahir ludhianavi (1921-1980) progressive poet writing in chaste yet relatively easily understood urdu. He brought the quality of urdu nazm to movie songs and raised the standards to a high level. Supported labour movements. Strong participant in the Progressive Writers’ Association. Winner of Lenin Peace Prize and padma shri, and several movie industry awards. noor jahaaN, before becoming wife of Emperor jahangir was married to a low/medium level officer in jahangir’s army. Jahangir had his eye on her and got her husband killed/murdered in an ambush. Sahir in this nazm protests against absolute power and exploitation of women making noor jahaaN a symbol of exploitation.
1
pahlu e shah1 meN ye duKhtar e jamhoor2 ki qabr3
kitne gum gashta4 fasanoN5 ka pata deti hai
kitne KhuNrez6 haqaiq7 se uThati hai naqab8
kitni kuchli9 hui janoN10 ka pata deti hai
1.by the side of the king 2.daughter of democracy 3.grave 4.lost, hidden 5.stories 6.blood raising 7.facts 8.veil 9.trampled 10.lives
By the emperor’s side, this tomb of the daughter of the people, O, how many long lost stories does it reveal. How many blood curdling facts does it unveil. How many trampled lives does it point to.
2
kaise maGhroor11 shanshahoN ki taskiN12 ke liye
saal ha saal13 hasinaaoN ke bazaar lage
kaise bahki hui nazroN14 ki tayyush15 ke liye
surKh mahloN16 meN javaN jismoN ke anbaar17 lage
11.proud, full of hubris 12.pleasure 13.year after year 14.wandering (lustful) eye 15.luxury, lust 16.red palace, pleasure house 17.heaps
How for the pleasure of proud absolute monarchs, year after year, bazars of beautiful damsels were assembled. How, to satisfy the lust of wandering eyes, heaps of young bodies piled in fleshpot palaces
3
kaise har shaaKh18 se muNh band mahakti kaliyaN19
noch li jati thiN tazmin20 e haram21 ki Khatir
aur murjha ke bhi azad na ho sakti theeN
zill e subhan22 ki ulfat23 ke bharam24 ki Khatir
18.branch (family) 19.unopened fragrant buds i.e.virgins 20.adornment 21.palace 22.shadow of god (emperor) 23.love 24.deception, show
How from any bough fragrant virgin buds were plucked for the adornment of the royal harem, never to be free again even after wilting, only to maintain the facade of the emperor’s love.
4
kaise ek fard ke hoNtoN ki zara si jumbish25
sard kar26 sakti thi be laus27 vafaaoN28 ke chiraaGh
loot sakti thi damakte hue haathoN se sohag
toR sakti thi mai-e ishq29 se labrez30 ayaaGh31
25.movement 26.to make cold (to kill) 27.unadulterated 28. faith, love 29.wine of love 30.brimming 31.flask
How even a glance or word of one man could extinguish the lamp of pure love (presumably Noor JahaN was happily married – hence extinguishing of pure love). How it could snatch “sohaag” from beautiful hands. How flasks brimming with the wine of love were smashed.
5
sahmi32 sahmi si fizaoN33 meN ye viraN34 marqad35
itna Khamosh hai faryad kunaN36 ho jaise
sard shaKhoN meN hava CheeKh rahi hai aise
rooh e taqdis o vafa37 marsia KhwaaN38 ho jaise
32.frightened, scared 33.breeze 34.desolate 35.tomb 36.lamenting 37.spirit of sanctity and love 38.mourning
This desolate tomb this moaning breeze. The tomb whose very silence is a loud lament as if the wind is screaming among leafless branches and the spirit of sanctity and love is mourning.
6
tu meri jan mujhe hairat o hasrat39 se na dekh
ham meN koi bhi jahaaN noor40o jahaaN giir41 nahiN
tu mujhe chhoR ke Thukra ke bhi ja sakti hai
tere haathoN meN mere haath haiN, zanjir nahiN
39.astonishment and longing, apprehension 40.light of the world 41.conqueror of the world
O, my beloved, don’t look at me with such apprehension. Neither one of us is Noor Jahan nor Jahangir. You can leave me any time you please. Your hands are held in mine, not bound in a chain.
