For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
واہ رے تُو ۔ دوارکا داس شعلہؔ
۱
عالمِ رنگ و نور سب فانی
ایک تجھ کو ثبات، واہ رے تُو
۲
جب بھی چاہے بگاڑ کر رکھ دے
صورتِ کائنات، واہ رے تُو
۳
چشمۂ فیض بھی ستمگر بھی
واہ کیا تیری بات، واہ رے تُو
۴
یہ جہاں ہے کہ حشر کا میداں
خالقِ شش جہات، واہ رے تُو
ورنہ بندگی کیا ہے ۔ دوارکا داس شعلہؔ
۵
چارۂ دردِ بے کسی کیا ہے
میرے مولا یہ دل لگی کیا ہے
۶
سوچتا ہوں کہ زیست کا مقصد
کچھ نہیں ہے تو زندگی کیا ہے
۷
ہر مسرّت سے بہرہ یاب ہوں میں
ہے یہی اور سرخوشی کیا ہے
۸
تُو بھی محتاج ہے خوشامد کا
اے خُدا ورنہ بندگی کیا ہے
वाह रे तू – द्वारका दास शो’ला
१
आलम-ए रंग ओ नूर सब फ़ानी
एक तुझ को सबात, वाह रे तू
२
जब भी चाहे बिगाढ कर रख दे
सूरत-ए का’एनात, वाह रे तू
३
चश्मा-ए फ़ैज़ भी सितमगर भी
वाह क्या तेरी बात, वाह रे तू
४
ये जहां है के हश्र का मैदां
ख़ालेक़-ए शश-जेहात, वाह रे तू
वरना बन्दगी क्या है – द्वारका दास शो’ला
५
चारा-ए दर्द-ए बेकसी क्या है
मेरे मौला ये दिल-लगी क्या है
६
सोचता हूं के ज़ीस्त का मक़्सद
कुछ नहीं है तो ज़िंदगी क्या है
७
हर मसर्रत से बहरायाब हुं मैं
है यही और सरख़ुशी क्या है
८
तू भी मोहताज है ख़ुशामद है
अए ख़ुदा वरना बन्दगी क्या है
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. dwarka das sho’la (1910-1983), lahore and later punjab and dehli. He started learning urdu because he liked ‘urdu-vaale’ around him. He inherited a pharmacy business and grew it enough to get a mention in Who’s Who, India Trade Directory, 1942. He received formal schooling only up to 8th grade because his father recruited him in the family business. While washing bottles/vials he kept humming ash’aar. Later, hafiz jalandhari became his ustaad. He says they clicked because hafiz jaalandhari was equally unschooled and talked in panjabi.
vaah re tuu
1
aalam1-e raNg-o-noor2 sub faani3
ek tujh ko sabaat4, vaah re tuu 1.world 2.colour and light, beauty and brilliance 3.mortal, fleeting 4.constancy, permanence
The phrase ‘vaah re tuu’ is used here as sarcasm to imply – you are so generous, you keep the best things for yourselves. Thus, this beautiful, bright and colourful world is but a fleeting illusion. Only you have permanence. How generous you are!
2
jab bhi chaahe bigaaR1 kar rakh de
soorat2-e kaa’enaat3, vaah re tuu 1.spoil, deface, destroy 2.face 3.universe
Whenever you like (arbitrarily, without any justification), you can deface/destroy this universe. How just you are!
3
chashma1-e faiz2 bhi, sitamgar bhi
vaah kya teri baat, vaah re tuu 1.head-waters, source 2.benevolence, generosity 3.cruel
You are the headwaters of the river of generosity and you cause calamities. What can I say about. How consistent you are!
4
ye jahaaN1 hai keh hashr2 ka maidaaN3
Khaaliq4-e shash-jehaat5, vaah re tuu 1.world 2.doomsday 3.field 4.creator 5.six directions
Is this a world to live in, or a field of doom. What kind of world you have created, you creator of everything in all directions. What a creator you are!
varna bandagi kya hai
5
chaara1-e dard2-e bekasi3 kya hai
mere maula4 ye dil-lagi5 kya hai 1.cure, heal 2.pain 3.helplessness 4.lord 5.joke
What can heal the pain of my helplessness. You don’t cure it and I don’t have any free will. What kind of a joke is this, my lord.
6
sochta1 huN keh zeest2 ka maqsad3
kuchh nahiN hai to zindagi kya hai 1.think, ponder 2.life 3.purpose
Sometimes I think, if there is no purpose to life, then what is this life?
7
har masarrat1 se bahryaad2 huN maiN
hai yahi aur sarKhushi3 kya hai 1.pleasure 2.fortunate, supplied with 3.great happiness
Every kind of pleasure has been given to me. If this is not the greatest happiness, what is it?
8
tuu bhi mohtaaj1 hai Khushaamad2 ka
aye Khuda varna3 bandagi4 kya hai 1.dependent on 2.flattery 3.otherwise 4.servitude, ritual worship
You too, are dependent on flattery, otherwise O god, why this commandment of ritual worship.
dwarka das sho’la (1910-1983), lahore and later punjab and dehli. He started learning urdu because he liked ‘urdu-vaale’ around him. He inherited a pharmacy business and grew it enough to get a mention in Who’s Who, India Trade Directory, 1942. He received formal schooling only up to 8th grade because his father recruited him in the family business. While washing bottles/vials he kept humming ash’aar. Later, hafiz jalandhari became his ustaad. He says they clicked because hafiz jaalandhari was equally unschooled and talked in panjabi.
vaah re tuu
1
aalam1-e raNg-o-noor2 sub faani3
ek tujh ko sabaat4, vaah re tuu
1.world 2.colour and light, beauty and brilliance 3.mortal, fleeting 4.constancy, permanence
The phrase ‘vaah re tuu’ is used here as sarcasm to imply – you are so generous, you keep the best things for yourselves. Thus, this beautiful, bright and colourful world is but a fleeting illusion. Only you have permanence. How generous you are!
2
jab bhi chaahe bigaaR1 kar rakh de
soorat2-e kaa’enaat3, vaah re tuu
1.spoil, deface, destroy 2.face 3.universe
Whenever you like (arbitrarily, without any justification), you can deface/destroy this universe. How just you are!
3
chashma1-e faiz2 bhi, sitamgar bhi
vaah kya teri baat, vaah re tuu
1.head-waters, source 2.benevolence, generosity 3.cruel
You are the headwaters of the river of generosity and you cause calamities. What can I say about. How consistent you are!
4
ye jahaaN1 hai keh hashr2 ka maidaaN3
Khaaliq4-e shash-jehaat5, vaah re tuu
1.world 2.doomsday 3.field 4.creator 5.six directions
Is this a world to live in, or a field of doom. What kind of world you have created, you creator of everything in all directions. What a creator you are!
varna bandagi kya hai
5
chaara1-e dard2-e bekasi3 kya hai
mere maula4 ye dil-lagi5 kya hai
1.cure, heal 2.pain 3.helplessness 4.lord 5.joke
What can heal the pain of my helplessness. You don’t cure it and I don’t have any free will. What kind of a joke is this, my lord.
6
sochta1 huN keh zeest2 ka maqsad3
kuchh nahiN hai to zindagi kya hai
1.think, ponder 2.life 3.purpose
Sometimes I think, if there is no purpose to life, then what is this life?
7
har masarrat1 se bahryaad2 huN maiN
hai yahi aur sarKhushi3 kya hai
1.pleasure 2.fortunate, supplied with 3.great happiness
Every kind of pleasure has been given to me. If this is not the greatest happiness, what is it?
8
tuu bhi mohtaaj1 hai Khushaamad2 ka
aye Khuda varna3 bandagi4 kya hai
1.dependent on 2.flattery 3.otherwise 4.servitude, ritual worship
You too, are dependent on flattery, otherwise O god, why this commandment of ritual worship.
