For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
پیش کش ۔ صبح ۔ جوشؔ ملیح آبادی
۱
اے صبح اے عروسِ دلآویز عشوہ کام
رنگیں مزاج و زہرا جبین و فلک مقام
شیریں لب و شگفتہ و گلرنگ لالہ فام
لے اپنے کم ترین پرستار کا سلام
قربان تیرے خندۂ گوہر سرشت کے
دل میں کھلے ہوئے ہیں دریچے بہشت کے
۲
تو نے سرِ خیال کو زانو عطا کیا
دھووے جو دل سے غم کو وہ آنسو عطا کیا
دی فکر اور فکر پہ قابو عطا کیا
پہلو کو دل زبان کو جادو عطا کیا
تو نے خموشیوں کو ترانہ بنا دیا
ہر جنبشِ نظر کو فسانہ بنا دیا
۳
سینے میں ولولوں کا تلاطم تجھی سے ہے
خاموشیوں میں شانِ تکلّم تجھی سے ہے
موجِ نفس میں سوزِ ترنّم تجھی سے ہے
تخیٔل کے لبوں پہ تبسم تجھی سے ہے
کیا بات تیرے زمزمۂ بے عدیل کی
کانوں میں آ رہی ہے صدا جبرئیل کی
۴
ہر چند دل شِکن ہے زمانہ کی داروگیر
پھر بھی بحکمِ ذوق و بہ اندیشۂ ضمیر
شاعر تری جناب میں اے حُسنِ بے نظیر
حاضر ہوا ہے لے کے پھر اک تحفۂ حقیر
فیضِ نگاہِ ناز سے کانٹے کو پھول کر
اے تاجدارِ حُسن اسے بھی قبول کر
सुबह – पेश कश – जोश मलीहाबादी
१
अए सुबह अए उरूस-ए दिलआवेज़ इश्वा काम
रंगीं मिज़ाज ओ ज़ोहरा जबीन ओ फ़लक मक़ाम
शीरीं लब ओ शगुफ़्ता ओ गुलरंग लाला फ़ाम
ले अपने कम-तरीन परस्तार का सलाम
क़ुर्बान तेरे ख़दा-ए गौहर-सरिश्त के
दिल में खिले हुए हैं दरीचे बेहिश्त के
२
तू ने सर-ए ख़याल को ज़ानू अता किया
धोवए जो दिल से ग़म को वो आंसू अता किया
दी फ़िक्र, और फ़िक्र पे क़ाबू अता किया
पहलू को दिल, ज़बान को जादू अता किया
तू ने ख़मोशियों को तराना बना दिया
हर जुंबिश-ए नज़र को फ़साना बना दिया
३
सीने में वलवलौं का तलातुम तुझी से है
ख़ामोशियौं में शान-ए तकल्लुम तुझी से है
मौज-ए नफ़स में सोज़-ए तरन्नुम तुझी से है
तख़’ईल के लबौं पे तबस्सुम तुझी से है
क्या बात तेरे ज़मज़मा-ए बे अदील की
कानौं में आ रही है सदा जिब्रा’ईल की
४
हर चंद दिल शिकन है ज़माने की दार ओ गीर
फिर भी ब-हुक्म-ए ज़ौक ओ ब-अंदेशा-ए ज़मीर
शा’एर तेरी जनाब में अए हुस्न-ए बे-नज़ीर
हाज़ेर हुआ है ले के फिर एक तोहफ़ा-ए हक़ीर
फ़ैज़-ए निगाह-ए नाज़ से कांटे को फूल कर
अए ताजदार-ए हुस्न इसे भी क़ुबूल कर
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. josh malihabadi (1898-1982) is called shaa’er-e inqelaab, poet of change/revolution. He is very secular and nationalistic in his writings and rebels against orthodoxy. His range of language and vocabulary is simply amazing. He is well known for his fiery nazm. He also wrote many romantic as well as cerebral nazm and Ghazal. His marsia are a celebration of dignified death rather than bowing to injustice even at the cost of life. He also wrote numerous rubaaii. He was known to take early morning walks and admired the beauty of dawn. There is a substantial collection of his verse gathered under jalva-e sahr on the Theme Index page. This musaddas too is linked to it.
1
aye sub’h, aye uruus1-e dil-aavez2 ishwa-kaam3
raNgiiN mizaaj4 o zohra-jabiin5 o falak-maqaam6
shiiriiN7 lab8 o shagufta9 o gulraNg10 laala-faam11
le apne kam-tareen12 parastaar13 ka salaam
qurbaan14 tere Khanda15-e gauhar-sarisht16 ke
dil meN khule hue haiN dariiche17 behisht18 ke 1.bride 2.heart ravishing, beautiful 3.showing grace, graceful 4.mood, nature 5.shining forehead like Venus 6.high like the sky, high status 7.sweet 8.lips 9.blooming, cheerful 10.rose coloured 11.tulip/red coloured 12.lowliest 13.devotee 14.sacrificial offering, tribute 15.smile 16.nature of pearls, pearly 17.windows 18.heaven
This is purely a description of beauty using exquisite adjactives but the imagery of redness of dawn, brightness over the horizon, freshness of air is nicely woven in. O dawn, O heart ravishing and graceful bride; colourful nature, shining face/forehead, of a high status above us; sweet lips, cheerful like a smile, spreading cheer like colourful redness; accept the salaam of your lowliest devotee. I offer my tribute to your pearly smile. Your sight opens up windows to heaven.
2
tu ne sar-e Khayaal1 ko zaanu2 ata3 kiya
dhovay4 jo dil se Gham ko voh aaNsu5 ata kiya
dii fikr6, aur fikr pe qaabu7 ata kiya
pahlu8 ko dil, zabaan ko jaadu ata kiya
tu ne KhamoshiyoN ko taraana bana diya
har jumbish9-e nazar10 ko fasaana11 bana diya 1.thought, imagination 2.lap 3.grant, bestow 4.wash 5.tears 6.thinking, reasoning 7.control, discretion 8.side, bosom 9.movement, flutter 10.eyes 11.story, legend
You have granted the poet’s imagination the support and love of your lap; tears that wash away sorrow. You have granted the ability to think/reason and discretion to shape the expression of thought. You have placed a heart in my bosom and granted enchantment to my tongue. You have changed silence into anthems and the flutter of eyelashes into legends.
3
seene meN valvaloN1 ka talaatum2 tujhi se hai
KhaamoshiyoN meN shaan3-e takallum4 tujhi se hai
mauj5-e nafas6 meN soz7-e tarannum8 tujhi se hai
taKh’eel9 ke laboN10 pe tabassum11 tujhi se hai
kya baat tere zamzama12-e be-adeel13 ki
kaanoN meN aa rahi hai sada14 jibra’eel15 ki 1.fervour, ardour 2.storm, flow 3.grandeur 4.speech 5.wave 6.breath 7.fire, passion 8.melody, song 9.thought, imagination 10.lips 11.smile 12.divine music (gurgling of the spring of zamzam is a symbol of divine music) 13.unequaled 14.sound 15.archangel Gabriel
The storm of fervour/passion in my bosom/heart is because of you. It is because of you that even my silence has the grandeur of speech. Every breath becomes a passionate song. There is a smile on the lips of imagination because of you. How can I describe your unequalled music. It is as if the sound of archangel Gabriel is playing in my ears i.e., it is divine inspiration that makes me write. Said Ghalib …
aate haiN Ghaib se ye mazaamiiN Khayaal meN
Ghalib sariir-e Khaama navaa-e sarosh hai
4
harchand1 dil shikan2 hai zamaane3 ki daar-o-giir4
phir bhi ba-hukm5-e zauq6 o ba-andesha7-e zamiir8
shaa’er teri janaab9 meN aye husn10-e be-naziir11
haazir12 hua hai le ke phir ek tohfa13-e haqiir14
faiz15-e nigaah16-e naaz17 se kaaNTe ko phool kar
aye tajdaar-e husn10 ise bhi qubool18 kar 1.even though 2.torn 3.times, world 4.conflict 5.by order of 6.taste, desire 7.apprehension, fear, anxiety 8.conscience, heart 9.in service of 10.beauty 11.without example 12.presence 13.gift 14.insignificant, contemptible 15.benevolence 16.eyes 17.graceful style 18.accept
Even though my heart is torn because of the conflicts of the world, still, by the order of desire and by apprehension in my heart, this poet comes to serve you who are of unexampled beauty. He has come in your presence bearing an insignificant gift (his nazm is his gift/offering to the dawn). Change this thorn (rough prickly nazm) into a flower (smooth, fragrant verse) by the benevolence of your sight. O crowned/king of beauty, accept this too.
josh malihabadi (1898-1982) is called shaa’er-e inqelaab, poet of change/revolution. He is very secular and nationalistic in his writings and rebels against orthodoxy. His range of language and vocabulary is simply amazing. He is well known for his fiery nazm. He also wrote many romantic as well as cerebral nazm and Ghazal. His marsia are a celebration of dignified death rather than bowing to injustice even at the cost of life. He also wrote numerous rubaaii. He was known to take early morning walks and admired the beauty of dawn. There is a substantial collection of his verse gathered under jalva-e sahr on the Theme Index page. This musaddas too is linked to it.
1
aye sub’h, aye uruus1-e dil-aavez2 ishwa-kaam3
raNgiiN mizaaj4 o zohra-jabiin5 o falak-maqaam6
shiiriiN7 lab8 o shagufta9 o gulraNg10 laala-faam11
le apne kam-tareen12 parastaar13 ka salaam
qurbaan14 tere Khanda15-e gauhar-sarisht16 ke
dil meN khule hue haiN dariiche17 behisht18 ke
1.bride 2.heart ravishing, beautiful 3.showing grace, graceful 4.mood, nature 5.shining forehead like Venus 6.high like the sky, high status 7.sweet 8.lips 9.blooming, cheerful 10.rose coloured 11.tulip/red coloured 12.lowliest 13.devotee 14.sacrificial offering, tribute 15.smile 16.nature of pearls, pearly 17.windows 18.heaven
This is purely a description of beauty using exquisite adjactives but the imagery of redness of dawn, brightness over the horizon, freshness of air is nicely woven in. O dawn, O heart ravishing and graceful bride; colourful nature, shining face/forehead, of a high status above us; sweet lips, cheerful like a smile, spreading cheer like colourful redness; accept the salaam of your lowliest devotee. I offer my tribute to your pearly smile. Your sight opens up windows to heaven.
2
tu ne sar-e Khayaal1 ko zaanu2 ata3 kiya
dhovay4 jo dil se Gham ko voh aaNsu5 ata kiya
dii fikr6, aur fikr pe qaabu7 ata kiya
pahlu8 ko dil, zabaan ko jaadu ata kiya
tu ne KhamoshiyoN ko taraana bana diya
har jumbish9-e nazar10 ko fasaana11 bana diya
1.thought, imagination 2.lap 3.grant, bestow 4.wash 5.tears 6.thinking, reasoning 7.control, discretion 8.side, bosom 9.movement, flutter 10.eyes 11.story, legend
You have granted the poet’s imagination the support and love of your lap; tears that wash away sorrow. You have granted the ability to think/reason and discretion to shape the expression of thought. You have placed a heart in my bosom and granted enchantment to my tongue. You have changed silence into anthems and the flutter of eyelashes into legends.
3
seene meN valvaloN1 ka talaatum2 tujhi se hai
KhaamoshiyoN meN shaan3-e takallum4 tujhi se hai
mauj5-e nafas6 meN soz7-e tarannum8 tujhi se hai
taKh’eel9 ke laboN10 pe tabassum11 tujhi se hai
kya baat tere zamzama12-e be-adeel13 ki
kaanoN meN aa rahi hai sada14 jibra’eel15 ki
1.fervour, ardour 2.storm, flow 3.grandeur 4.speech 5.wave 6.breath 7.fire, passion 8.melody, song 9.thought, imagination 10.lips 11.smile 12.divine music (gurgling of the spring of zamzam is a symbol of divine music) 13.unequaled 14.sound 15.archangel Gabriel
The storm of fervour/passion in my bosom/heart is because of you. It is because of you that even my silence has the grandeur of speech. Every breath becomes a passionate song. There is a smile on the lips of imagination because of you. How can I describe your unequalled music. It is as if the sound of archangel Gabriel is playing in my ears i.e., it is divine inspiration that makes me write. Said Ghalib …
aate haiN Ghaib se ye mazaamiiN Khayaal meN
Ghalib sariir-e Khaama navaa-e sarosh hai
4
harchand1 dil shikan2 hai zamaane3 ki daar-o-giir4
phir bhi ba-hukm5-e zauq6 o ba-andesha7-e zamiir8
shaa’er teri janaab9 meN aye husn10-e be-naziir11
haazir12 hua hai le ke phir ek tohfa13-e haqiir14
faiz15-e nigaah16-e naaz17 se kaaNTe ko phool kar
aye tajdaar-e husn10 ise bhi qubool18 kar
1.even though 2.torn 3.times, world 4.conflict 5.by order of 6.taste, desire 7.apprehension, fear, anxiety 8.conscience, heart 9.in service of 10.beauty 11.without example 12.presence 13.gift 14.insignificant, contemptible 15.benevolence 16.eyes 17.graceful style 18.accept
Even though my heart is torn because of the conflicts of the world, still, by the order of desire and by apprehension in my heart, this poet comes to serve you who are of unexampled beauty. He has come in your presence bearing an insignificant gift (his nazm is his gift/offering to the dawn). Change this thorn (rough prickly nazm) into a flower (smooth, fragrant verse) by the benevolence of your sight. O crowned/king of beauty, accept this too.
