paakiiza-tar tyohaar hai-nazeer akbarabadi

For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.

دِوالی  ۔  نظیر  اکبر  آبادی

۱

دوستو  کیا  کیا  دِوالی  میں  نشاط  و  عیش  ہے

سب  مہیا  ہے  جو  اس  ہنگام  کے  شایان  ہے

۲

اس  طرح  ہیں  کوچہ  و  بازار  پر  نقش  و  نگار

ہو  عیاں  حسن  نگارستاں  کی  جن  سے  خوب  رے

۳

گرم  جوشی  اپنی  با  جامِ  چراغاں  لطف  سے

کیا  ہی  روشن  کر  رہی  ہے  ہر  طرف  روغن  کی  مے

۴

مائلِ  سیر  چراغاں  نخل  ہر  جا  دم  بدم

حاصلِ  نظارہ  حسنِ  شمع  رویاں  پے  بہ  پے

۵

عاشقاں  کہتے  ہیں  معشوقوں  سے  با  عجز  و  نیاز

ہے  اگر  منظور  کچھ  لینا  تو  حاضر  ہیں  روپے

۶

گر  مکرر  عرض  کرتے  ہیں  تو  کہتے  ہیں  وہ  شوخ

ہم  سے  لیتے  ہو  میاں  تکرار‌  و  حُجّت  تا  بہ  کے

۷

کہتے  ہیں  اہلِ  قِمار  آپس  میں  گرمِ  اختلاط

ہم  تو  ڈب  میں  سو  رپے  رکھتے  ہیں  تم  رکھتے  ہو  کے

۸

جیت  کا  پڑتا  ہے  جس  کا  داؤں  وہ  کہتا  ہے  یوں

سوئے  دست  راست  ہے  میرے  کوئی  فرخندہ  پے

۹

ہے  دسہرے  میں  بھی  یوں  گو  فرحت  و  زینت  نظیرؔ

پر  دیوالی  بھی  عجب  پاکیزہ  تر  تیوہار  ہے

दिवाली – नज़ीर अक्बराबादी

दोस्तो क्या क्या दिवाली में नशात-ओ-ऐश है

सब मुहय्या है जो इस हंगाम के शायान है

इस तरह हैं कूचा-ओ-बाज़ार पर नक़्श-ओ-निगार

हो अयाँ हुस्न-ए निगारिस्ताँ की जिन से ख़ूब रे

गर्म-जोशी अपनी बा-जाम-ए चराग़ाँ लुत्फ़ से

क्या ही रौशन कर रही है हर तरफ़ रोग़न की मय

मा’एल-ए सैर-ए चराग़ाँ नख़्ल हर जा दम-ब-दम

हासिल-ए नज़्ज़ारा हुस्न-ए शम’अ-रूयाँ पै-ब-पै

आशिक़ाँ कहते हैं माशूक़ों से बा-इज्ज़-ओ-नियाज़

है अगर मंज़ूर कुछ लेना तो हाज़िर हैं रूपे

गर मुकर्रर अर्ज़ करते हैं तो कहते हैं वो शोख़

हम से लेते हो मियाँ तक्रार-ओ-हुज्जत ता-ब-कै

कहते हैं अहल-ए क़िमार आपस में गर्म-ए इख़्तेलात

हम तो डब में सौ रुपे रखते हैं तुम रखते हो कै

जीत का पड़ता है जिस का दाउं वो कहता है यूँ

सू-ए दस्त-ए रास्त है मेरे कोई फ़र्ख़न्दा-पय

है दसहरे में भी यूँ गो फ़रहत-ओ-ज़ीनत नज़ीर

पर दिवाली भी अजब पाकीज़ा-तर त्यौहार है

 

Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. shaiKh vali mohammed nazeer akbarabadi (1735-1830) wrote hundreds of Ghazal and a large number of nazm in folk style on folk subjects. He is called a “People’s Poet”. There are some reports that he taught Ghalib when he was a child in agra (akbarabad). His folksy style reaches across communal lines in a healthy, inclusive way. He has folksy nazm about divaali, holi, mahadev byaah, raakhi and many other themes. His enthusiasm and direct participation in festivities is evident from his compositions. This one about divaali is a nazm in a Ghair-mudarraf Ghazal format i.e. a Ghazal without a radeef/reftain. It has a qaafiya (as it must) which is very simple – just the sound ‘aye’ as in ‘hai’.
1
dosto kya kya divaali meN nashaat-o-aish1 hai
sab muhayyaa2 hai jo is haNgaam3 ke shaayaan3 hai  
1.joy and pleasure 2.available 3.times, occasion 4.fitting, honorable
O friends, what joy and pleasure there is in celebrating divaali. Everything that is befitting this occasion is available.

2
is tarah1 haiN kuucha2-o-baazaar par naqsh-o-nigaar3
ho ayaaN4 husn5-e nigaarisataaN6 ki jin se Khuub7 re  
1.this way, in this manner 2.street 3.decorations and embellishments 4.apparent, visible 5.beauty, splendour 6.abode of beauty 7.goodness, qualities
The splendour/high quality of the house of beauty can be seen very well/clearly in the manner of decorations and embellishments of the streets and bazaar.

3
garm-joshi1 apni baa-jaam2-e charaaGhaaN3 lutf4 se
kya hi raushan5 kar rahi hai har taraf6 roGhan7 ki mai8    
1.warmth, welcome 2.with/using a cup 3.lamp 4.pleasure, delicacy, courtesy 5.brilliant 6.direction 7.butter, ghee 8.wine
‘jaam-e charaaGhaaN’ is probably the poet’s description of the shallow, clay cup/saucer in which ghee and a wick constitute the traditional divaali diya/lamp. Similarly ‘roGhan ki mai’ the ‘wine of ghee’ is molten ghee in the diya. Thus, lamps of ghee give a warm and courteous welcome. The spread light in all directions.

4
maa’el1-e sair2-e charaaGhaaN3 naKhl4 har jaa5 dam-ba-dam6
haasil7-e nazzaara8 husn9-e sham’a-ruuyaaN10 pai-ba-pai11     
1.inclined towards, eager 2.sightseeing 3.lamps 4.trees 5.place 6.every minute 7.benefit, essential advantage 8.viewing 9.beauty 10.faces brilliant like lamps 11.again and again
Lamps/diya are probably arranged in the form to tree/pyramids or hung on tree branches at every place. This makes the poet eager for sightseeing. But the real advantage is that he is able to see/enjoy the beauty of brilliant faces lit up like lamps.

5
aashiqaaN1 kahte haiN maashuuqoN2 se baa-ijz-o-niyaaz3
hai agar4 manzuur5 kuchh lenaa to haazir6 haiN rupai    
1.lovers, used here to mean young men 2.beloved, young women 3.with humble supplication 4.if 5.acceptable 6.offer/present
Young men with great humility and supplication offer gifts (of money) to young girls, hoping that they would accept them.

6
gar1 mukarrar2 arz3 karte haiN to kahte haiN vo shoKh4
ham se lete ho miyaaN takraar-o-hujjat5 taa-ba-kai6      
1.if 2.repeatedly 3.petition, ask 4.mischievous, playful 5.insist and argue 6.how long
It appears that the girls decline the offer of gifts and young men press it repeatedly. The mischievous/playful ones then tell them off … how long are you going to insist and argue with us.

7
kahte haiN ahl1-e qimaar2 aapas3 meN garm4 eKhtelaat5
ham to Dab6 meN sau rupai rakhte haiN tum rakhte ho kai7     
1.people of 2.gambling 3.among themselves 4.enthusiasm, eagerness 5.union, mixture, meeting 6.probably the box in which wagers are placed 7.how many
Traditionally celebrants gamble during divaali. Thus, when gamblers meet, they enthusiastically tell each other … I place a hundred rupees as wager, how many are you willing to play with.

8
jiit1 ka paRtaa hai jis ka daa’uN2 vo kahta hai yuN
suu3-e dast4-e raast5 hai mere koi farKhanda-pai6     
1.win 2.dice, wager 3.towards 4.hand 5.right 6.fortunate
If someone throws a winning dice, then they say thus, ‘someone fortunate is sitting at my right hand side’.

9
hai dasehre meN bhi yuN go1 farhat2-o-ziinat3 nazeer4
par divaali bhi ajab5 paakiza-tar6 tyauhaar7 hai  
1.even though 2.pleasure 3.grace 4.pen-name of the poet 5.astonishing, amazing 6.pure, blessed 7.celebration
Even though there is great pleasure and grace in dasehra too, O nazeer, the amazing purity/genuineness of the celebration of divaali is something else.

shaiKh vali mohammed nazeer akbarabadi (1735-1830) wrote hundreds of Ghazal and a large number of nazm in folk style on folk subjects.  He is called a “People’s Poet”.  There are some reports that he taught Ghalib when he was a child in agra (akbarabad).  His folksy style reaches across communal lines in a healthy, inclusive way.  He has folksy nazm about divaali, holi, mahadev byaah, raakhi and many other themes.  His enthusiasm and direct participation in festivities is evident from his compositions.  This one about divaali is a nazm in a Ghair-mudarraf Ghazal format i.e. a Ghazal without a radeef/reftain.  It has a qaafiya (as it must) which is very simple – just the sound ‘aye’ as in ‘hai’.
1
dosto kya kya divaali meN nashaat-o-aish1 hai
sab muhayyaa2 hai jo is haNgaam3 ke shaayaan3 hai

1.joy and pleasure 2.available 3.times, occasion 4.fitting, honorable

O friends, what joy and pleasure there is in celebrating divaali.  Everything that is befitting this occasion is available.
2
is tarah1 haiN kuucha2-o-baazaar par naqsh-o-nigaar3
ho ayaaN4 husn5-e nigaarisataaN6 ki jin se Khuub7 re

1.this way, in this manner 2.street 3.decorations and embellishments 4.apparent, visible 5.beauty, splendour 6.abode of beauty 7.goodness, qualities

The splendour/high quality of the house of beauty can be seen very well/clearly in the manner of decorations and embellishments of the streets and bazaar.
3
garm-joshi1 apni baa-jaam2-e charaaGhaaN3 lutf4 se
kya hi raushan5 kar rahi hai har taraf6 roGhan7 ki mai8

1.warmth, welcome 2.with/using a cup 3.lamp 4.pleasure, delicacy, courtesy 5.brilliant 6.direction 7.butter, ghee 8.wine

‘jaam-e charaaGhaaN’ is probably the poet’s description of the shallow, clay cup/saucer in which ghee and a wick constitute the traditional divaali diya/lamp.  Similarly ‘roGhan ki mai’ the ‘wine of ghee’ is molten ghee in the diya.  Thus, lamps of ghee give a warm and courteous welcome.  The spread light in all directions.
4
maa’el1-e sair2-e charaaGhaaN3 naKhl4 har jaa5 dam-ba-dam6
haasil7-e nazzaara8 husn9-e sham’a-ruuyaaN10 pai-ba-pai11

1.inclined towards, eager 2.sightseeing 3.lamps 4.trees 5.place 6.every minute 7.benefit, essential advantage 8.viewing 9.beauty 10.faces brilliant like lamps 11.again and again

Lamps/diya are probably arranged in the form to tree/pyramids or hung on tree branches at every place.  This makes the poet eager for sightseeing.  But the real advantage is that he is able to see/enjoy the beauty of brilliant faces lit up like lamps.
5
aashiqaaN1 kahte haiN maashuuqoN2 se baa-ijz-o-niyaaz3
hai agar4 manzuur5 kuchh lenaa to haazir6 haiN rupai

1.lovers, used here to mean young men 2.beloved, young women 3.with humble supplication 4.if 5.acceptable 6.offer/present

Young men with great humility and supplication offer gifts (of money) to young girls, hoping that they would accept them.
6
gar1 mukarrar2 arz3 karte haiN to kahte haiN vo shoKh4
ham se lete ho miyaaN takraar-o-hujjat5 taa-ba-kai6

1.if 2.repeatedly 3.petition, ask 4.mischievous, playful 5.insist and argue 6.how long

It appears that the girls decline the offer of gifts and young men press it repeatedly.  The mischievous/playful ones then tell them off … how long are you going to insist and argue with us.
7
kahte haiN ahl1-e qimaar2 aapas3 meN garm4 eKhtelaat5
ham to Dab6 meN sau rupai rakhte haiN tum rakhte ho kai7

1.people of 2.gambling 3.among themselves 4.enthusiasm, eagerness 5.union, mixture, meeting 6.probably the box in which wagers are placed 7.how many

Traditionally celebrants gamble during divaali.  Thus, when gamblers meet, they enthusiastically tell each other … I place a hundred rupees as wager, how many are you willing to play with.
8
jiit1 ka paRtaa hai jis ka daa’uN2 vo kahta hai yuN
suu3-e dast4-e raast5 hai mere koi farKhanda-pai6

1.win 2.dice, wager 3.towards 4.hand 5.right 6.fortunate

If someone throws a winning dice, then they say thus, ‘someone fortunate is sitting at my right hand side’.
9
hai dasehre meN bhi yuN go1 farhat2-o-ziinat3 nazeer4
par divaali bhi ajab5 paakiza-tar6 tyauhaar7 hai

1.even though 2.pleasure 3.grace 4.pen-name of the poet 5.astonishing, amazing 6.pure, blessed 7.celebration

Even though there is great pleasure and grace in dasehra too, O nazeer, the amazing purity/genuineness of the celebration of divaali is something else.