Recitation
پتھروں کا مغنی – وحید اَخْتَر
مطربِ خوش نوا زندگی كے حسیں گیت گاتا رہا
اُس کی آواز پر انجمن جھوم اُٹھی
اس نے جب زخم دِل کو زباں بخش دی
سننے والوں نے بے ساختہ آہ کی
عشق كے ساز پر جب ہوا زخمہ زن
شور تحسین میں خود اُسکی آواز دب سی گئی
مطرب خوش نوا پِھر بھی تنہا رہا
تشنگیِ مشام اس کو بادِ صباء کی طرح گل بہ گل لے گئی
کاسہ چشم نے پرتوِ گل بھی پایا نہیں
دَرْد اُس کا کسی محرمِ دَرْد كے واسطے
دَر بہ در شہر دَر شہر پھرتا رہا
داد و تحسین كے ہنگامہ ذوق کش میں اُسے
ہر طرف سے ملامت كے پتھر ملے
مطرب خوش نواپتھروں سے پٹکتا رہا اپنا سَر
پتھروں کو زباں تو ملی پر تکلم نہیں
پتھروں کو خد و خال انساں ملے دولت دَرْد و غم کب ملی
پتھروں کو حسیں صورتیں تو ملیں دِل نہیں مل سکا
پتھروں کو ملے پاؤں ، پر اعتمادسفر کون دے
پتھروں کو ملے ہاتھ پر عزم تیشہ زنی کون دے
سنگ سنتے ہیں لیکن سمجھتے نہیں
دیکھتے ہیں مگر فرق کرتے نہیں
بات کرتے ہیں محسوس کرتے نہیں
ٹوٹ سکتے ہیں لیکن پگھلتے نہیں
گرد بن کر یہ اُڑ جائیں سانچوں میں ڈھلتے نہیں
مطرب خوش نوا پتھروں سے پٹکتا رہا اپنا سَر
مطرب خوش نوا پتھروں کو سناتا رہا دَرْد دِل
اپنا غم ان کا غم سب کا غم
پتھروں نے سنا اور چُپ چاپ ہنستے رہے
پتھروں کی اُسی انجمن کا مغنی ہوں میں
اور بے درد بے حس ستم گار پتھر سنیں گے کبھی
ان کا وہ مطرب خوش نوا شکوہ سنجِ زماں
اپنے نغمات کی آگ میں جل گیا
پِھر اُن ہی كے مانند پتھر کا بُت بن گیا
पत्थरों का मुग़न्नी – वहीद अख़्तर
मुत्रिब-ए ख़ुश-नवा ज़िंदगी के हसीं गीत गाता रहा
उसकी आवाज़ पर अंजुमन झूम उठि
उस ने जब ज़ख़्म-ए दिल को ज़बां बख़्श दी
सुन-ने वालों ने बे-साख़्ता आह की
इश्क़ के साज़ पर जब हुआ ज़ख़्मा-ज़न
शोर-ए तहसीन में ख़ुद उसकी आवाज़ दब सी गई
मुत्रिब-ए ख़ुश नवा फिर भी तन्हा रहा
तिशनगी-ए मसाम उस को बाद-ए सबा की तरह गुल ब गुल ले गई
कासा-ए चश्म ने पर्तव-ए गुल भी पाया नहीं
दर्द उस का किसी महरम-ए दर्द के वास्ते
दर ब दर, शहर दर शहर फिरता रहा
दाद ओ तहसीन के हंगामा-ए ज़ौक़ कश में उसे
हर तरफ़ से मालामत के पत्थर मिले
मुत्रिब-ए ख़ुश नवा पत्थरौं से पटक्ता रहा अपना सर
पत्थरौं को ज़बां तो मिली पर तकल्लुम नहीं
पत्थरौं को ख़द ओ ख़ाल-ए इन्सां मिले दौलत-ए दर्द ओ ग़म कब मिली
पत्थरौं को हसीं सूरतें तो मिलीं दिल नहीं मिल सका
पत्थरौं को मिले पाऊं, पर एतेमाद-ए सफ़र कौन दे
पत्थरौं को मिले हाथ पर अज़्म-ए तीशा-ज़नी कौन दे
संग सुनते हैं लैकिन समझते नहीं
देखते हैं मगर फ़र्क़ करते नहीं
बात करते हैं महसूस करते नहीं
टूट सकते हैं लैकिन पिघलते नहीं
गर्द बन कर ये उड़ जाएं सांचों में ढलते नहीं
मुत्रिब-ए ख़ुश नवा पत्थरौं से पटक्ता रहा अपना सर
मुत्रिब-ए ख़ुश नवा पत्थरौं को सुनाता रहा दर्द-ए दिल
अपना ग़म उन का ग़म सब का ग़म
पत्थरौं ने सुना और चुप चाप हंसते रहे
पत्थरौं की इसी अंजुमन का मुग़न्नी हूँ मैं
और बेदर्द बे-हिस सितमगर पत्थर सुनेंगे कभी
उन का वो मुत्रिब-ए ख़ुश नवा शिकवा संज-ए ज़मां
अपने नग़मात की आग में जल गया
फिर उन ही कि मानिंद पत्थर का बुत बन गया
pathharauN ka muGhanni – vaheed aKhtar
Click on any passage for meanings and discussion.
mutrib1-e Khush-navaa2 zindagi ke hasiN3 geet gaata raha
uski aavaz par anjuman4 jhoom uThi
us ne jab zaKhm-e dil ko zabaaN baKhsh5 di
sun-ne vaalauN ne be-saaKhta6 aah ki1. songster, singer, but used here to mean poet 2. sweet voiced 3. beautiful 4. gathering, assembly 5. granted 6. spontaneously
The sweet voiced poet sang/recited songs/poems of the beauty of life. The assembly swayed with joy at his song. And when he granted a tongue/voice to the aches of the heart, the audience spontaneously uttered a sigh.
ishq1 ke saaz2 par jab hua zaKhma-zan3
shor-e tahsiin4 meN Khud uski aavaz dab si gaii
mutrib-e Khush-nava phir bhi tanha5 raha
tishnagi-e mashaam6 us ko baad-e sabaa7 ki tarah gul ba gul le gaii
kaasa-e chashm8 ne partav9-e gul bhi paaya nahiN1. love 2. lute, musical instrument 3. plucking strings with the plectrum 4. loud noise/sound of appreciation/praise 5. alone 6. thirst for fragrance 7. morning breeze 8. begging bowl of the eye, the eye that is like a begging bowl 9. reflection, image
And when he plucked the strings of love with his plectrum, the sound of praise was so loud that it almost drowned his own voice. But the poet was still all alone (he did not get what he was looking for). The thirst for fragrance, like the morning breeze, took him from flower to flower. But he did not see any reflection/image of the rose (his eye was/is the begging bowl that was begging for this sight).
dard us ka kisi mahram1-e dard ke vaaste
dar ba dar2, shahr dar shahr3 phirta raha
daad o tahsiin4 ke haNgaama5-e zauq-kush6 meN usay
har taraf se malaamat7 ke patthar mile1. one who is familiar with 2. door to door 3. city to city 4. praise and appreciation 5. tumult, noise 6. taste/pleasure killing 7. reproach
His pain kept looking for someone who would understand/feel the pain he was feeling. In that search he went door to door, city to city (but could not find one who understood pain). There was a lot of noise of praise and appreciation which (felt so superficial that it) killed all pleasure (because he was looking for something else – he was looking to see if people understood the pain he was singing/writing about). He received reproach from all directions, rocks of reproach thrown at him. There is a juxtaposition of opposites here – the tumult of praise and appreciation which feels like rocks of blame and reproach to the poet, because appreciation is of superficiality but not of the essence (human pain and suffering) that he wants the audience to feel.
mutrib-e Khush nava pattharauN se paTakta raha apna sar
pattharauN ko zabaaN to mili par takallum1 nahiN
pattharauN ko Khad o Khaal2-e insaaN mile daulat3-e dard o Gham kab mili
pattharauN ko hasiiN suurateN to miliiN dil nahiN mil sakaa
pattharauN ko mile paauN, par e’temaad4-e safar5 kaun de
pattharauN ko mile haath par azm6-e teesha-zani7 kaun de1. conversation 2. face/cheek/chin and beauty spot 3. wealth (feelings) 4. confidence, ability 5. travel, walk 6. determination, courage 7. using/wielding a pick-axe
The picture emerges of the songster/poet taking these rocks and “beating his head against them” i.e. working hard to make them into something. He was able to give them a tongue, but they could not converse. He was able to give them a beautiful human face and a beauty spot but he could not give them wealth/feelings of pain and sorrow. He was able to give these rocks a beautiful face but but no heart. The rocks (now carved into idols) acquired feet but not the ability to walk. They got hands but not the determination of wield a pick-axe. Here the reference is to the fable of Shirin and Farhad where Farhad wielded a pick-axe to cut a channel through a mountain for a stream, in order to win the hand of Shirin.
saNg1 sunte haiN laikin samajhte nahiN
dekhte haiN magar farq2 karte nahiN
baat karte haiN mahsoos3 karte nahiN
Toot sakte haiN laikin pighalte nahiN
gard ban kar ye uR jaaeN saaNchauN4 meN Dhalte5 nahiN1. rocks, stone 2. differentiate, discern, choose (good from evil) 3. feel 4. mold 5. cast
The rocks are now the audience who can hear the poet but do not understand him. They can see but cannot differentiate (between good and evil, material and spiritual – the reader is free to interpret). They can talk, but cannot feel. They are brittle and can break but will not melt (like the heart melts with pity). They can become dust and blow away but cannot be cast into molds. This reminds me of a she’r of josh malihabadi andhauN se jab paRaa hai zamaane meN saabeqa ae josh aap yusuf-e kan’aaN hue to kya Joseph/yusuf of the tribe of Canaan is a legendary figure in Urdu poetry (as well in Judeo-Christian-Islamic traditions). He is reputed to have been a very good looking man. Thus, says Josh, if you have to deal with blind (those who cannot appreciate beauty) people, what is the use of being beautiful like Joseph!
mutrib-e Khush navaa pattharauN se paTakta rahaa apna sar
mutrib-e Khush nava pattharauN ko sunaata raha dard-e dil
apna Gham, un ka Gham sab ka Gham
pattharauN ne suna aur chup chaap haNste raheThe sweet voiced poet/songster kept beating his head against the rocks. He kept singing songs of pain/sorrow-his sorrow, their sorrow, everyone’s sorrow. The rocks heard him and laughed silently.
pattharauN ki isi anjuman1 ka muGhanni2 huN maiN
aur bedard3 be-hiss4 sitamgaar5 patthar suneNge kabhi
un ka vo mutrib-e Khush nava shikva sanj6-e zamaaN7
apne naGhmaat8 ki aag meN jal gaya1. assembly, gathering 2. songster 3. without (the ability to feel) pain, unsympathetic 4. unfeeling 5. cruel 6. one who complains 7. times 8. songs I am the poet/songster of the assembly of these rocks. How can unsympathetic, unfeeling, cruel rocks ever listen. Their sweet-voiced songster who has been selected to bring to the the complaints of the times was burnt up in the flames of his own (painful) songs.
phir un hi ki maanind1 patthar ka but2 ban gaya1. like, similar to 2. idol
And then he too became an unfeeling stone idol, just like them.
pathharauN ka muGhanni – vaheed aKhtar
mutrib1-e Khush-navaa2 zindagi ke hasiN3 geet gaata raha
uski aavaz par anjuman4 jhoom uThi
us ne jab zaKhm-e dil ko zabaaN baKhsh5 di
sun-ne vaalauN ne be-saaKhta6 aah ki
1. songster, singer, but used here to mean poet 2. sweet voiced 3. beautiful 4. gathering, assembly 5. granted 6. spontaneously
The sweet voiced poet sang/recited songs/poems of the beauty of life. The assembly swayed with joy at his song. And when he granted a tongue/voice to the aches of the heart, the audience spontaneously uttered a sigh.
ishq1 ke saaz2 par jab hua zaKhma-zan3
shor-e tahsiin4 meN Khud uski aavaz dab si gaii
mutrib-e Khush-nava phir bhi tanha5 raha
tishnagi-e mashaam6 us ko baad-e sabaa7 ki tarah gul ba gul le gaii
kaasa-e chashm8 ne partav9-e gul bhi paaya nahiN
1. love 2. lute, musical instrument 3. plucking strings with the plectrum 4. loud noise/sound of appreciation/praise 5. alone 6. thirst for fragrance 7. morning breeze 8. begging bowl of the eye, the eye that is like a begging bowl 9. reflection, image
And when he plucked the strings of love with his plectrum, the sound of praise was so loud that it almost drowned his own voice. But the poet was still all alone (he did not get what he was looking for). The thirst for fragrance, like the morning breeze, took him from flower to flower. But he did not see any reflection/image of the rose (his eye was/is the begging bowl that was begging for this sight).
dard us ka kisi mahram1-e dard ke vaaste
dar ba dar2, shahr dar shahr3 phirta raha
daad o tahsiin4 ke haNgaama5-e zauq-kush6 meN usay
har taraf se malaamat7 ke patthar mile
1. one who is familiar with 2. door to door 3. city to city 4. praise and appreciation 5. tumult, noise 6. taste/pleasure killing 7. reproach
His pain kept looking for someone who would understand/feel the pain he was feeling. In that search he went door to door, city to city (but could not find one who understood pain). There was a lot of noise of praise and appreciation which (felt so superficial that it) killed all pleasure (because he was looking for something else – he was looking to see if people understood the pain he was singing/writing about). He received reproach from all directions, rocks of reproach thrown at him. There is a juxtaposition of opposites here – the tumult of praise and appreciation which feels like rocks of blame and reproach to the poet, because appreciation is of superficiality but not of the essence (human pain and suffering) that he wants the audience to feel.
mutrib-e Khush nava pattharauN se paTakta raha apna sar
pattharauN ko zabaaN to mili par takallum1 nahiN
pattharauN ko Khad o Khaal2-e insaaN mile daulat3-e dard o Gham kab mili
pattharauN ko hasiiN suurateN to miliiN dil nahiN mil sakaa
pattharauN ko mile paauN, par e’temaad4-e safar5 kaun de
pattharauN ko mile haath par azm6-e teesha-zani7 kaun de
1. conversation 2. face/cheek/chin and beauty spot 3. wealth (feelings) 4. confidence, ability 5. travel, walk 6. determination, courage 7. using/wielding a pick-axe
The picture emerges of the songster/poet taking these rocks and “beating his head against them” i.e. working hard to make them into something. He was able to give them a tongue, but they could not converse. He was able to give them a beautiful human face and a beauty spot but he could not give them wealth/feelings of pain and sorrow. He was able to give these rocks a beautiful face but but no heart. The rocks (now carved into idols) acquired feet but not the ability to walk. They got hands but not the determination of wield a pick-axe. Here the reference is to the fable of Shirin and Farhad where Farhad wielded a pick-axe to cut a channel through a mountain for a stream, in order to win the hand of Shirin.
saNg1 sunte haiN laikin samajhte nahiN
dekhte haiN magar farq2 karte nahiN
baat karte haiN mahsoos3 karte nahiN
Toot sakte haiN laikin pighalte nahiN
gard ban kar ye uR jaaeN saaNchauN4 meN Dhalte5 nahiN
1. rocks, stone 2. differentiate, discern, choose (good from evil) 3. feel 4. mold 5. cast
The rocks are now the audience who can hear the poet but do not understand him. They can see but cannot differentiate (between good and evil, material and spiritual – the reader is free to interpret). They can talk, but cannot feel. They are brittle and can break but will not melt (like the heart melts with pity). They can become dust and blow away but cannot be cast into molds. This reminds me of a she’r of josh malihabadi
andhauN se jab paRaa hai zamaane meN saabeqa
ae josh aap yusuf-e kan’aaN hue to kya
Joseph/yusuf of the tribe of Canaan is a legendary figure in Urdu poetry (as well in Judeo-Christian-Islamic traditions). He is reputed to have been a very good looking man. Thus, says Josh, if you have to deal with blind (those who cannot appreciate beauty) people, what is the use of being beautiful like Joseph!
mutrib-e Khush navaa pattharauN se paTakta rahaa apna sar
mutrib-e Khush nava pattharauN ko sunaata raha dard-e dil
apna Gham, un ka Gham sab ka Gham
pattharauN ne suna aur chup chaap haNste rahe
The sweet voiced poet/songster kept beating his head against the rocks. He kept singing songs of pain/sorrow-his sorrow, their sorrow, everyone’s sorrow. The rocks heard him and laughed silently.
pattharauN ki isi anjuman1 ka muGhanni2 huN maiN
aur bedard3 be-hiss4 sitamgaar5 patthar suneNge kabhi
un ka vo mutrib-e Khush nava shikva sanj6-e zamaaN7
apne naGhmaat8 ki aag meN jal gaya
1. assembly, gathering 2. songster 3. without (the ability to feel) pain, unsympathetic 4. unfeeling 5. cruel 6. one who complains 7. times 8. songs
I am the poet/songster of the assembly of these rocks. How can unsympathetic, unfeeling, cruel rocks ever listen. Their sweet-voiced songster who has been selected to bring to the the complaints of the times was burnt up in the flames of his own (painful) songs.
phir un hi ki maanind1 patthar ka but2 ban gaya
1. like, similar to 2. idol
And then he too became an unfeeling stone idol, just like them.