For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
رنگِ سخن آہستہ آہستہ ۔ شاذؔ تمکنت
۱
بنا حسنِ تکلّم حسنِ ظن آہستہ آہستہ
بہر صورت کُھلا اِک کم سخن آہستہ آہستہ
۲
مسافر راہ میں ہے، شام گہری ہوتی جاتی ہے
سلگتا ہے تری یادوں کا بن آہستہ آہستہ
۳
دھواں دل سے اُٹھے چہرے تک آئے نور ہو جائے
بڑی مشکل سے آتا ہے یہ فن آہستہ آہستہ
۴
ابھی تو سنگِ طِفلاں کا ہدف بننا ہے کوچوں میں
کہ راس آتا ہے یہ دیوانہ پن آہستہ آہستہ
۵
ابھی تو امتحانِ آبلہ پا ہے بیاباں میں
بنیں گے کنجِِ گل دشت و دمن آہستہ آہستہ
۶
ابھی کیوںکر کہوں زیرِ نقابِ سُرمگیں کیا ہے
بدلتا ہے زمانے کا چلن آہستہ آہستہ
۷
میں اہلِ انجمن کی خلوتِ دل کا مُغنّی ہوں
مجھے پہچان لے گی انجمن آہستہ آہستہ
۸
دلِ ہر سنگ گویا شمعِ محرابِ تمنّا ہے
اثر کرتی ہے ضربِ کوہکن آہستہ آہستہ
۹
کسی کافر کی شوخی نے کہلوائی غزل مجھ سے
کُھلے گا شاذؔ اب رنگِ سخن آہستہ آہستہ
रंग-ए सुख़न आहिस्ता आहिस्ता – शाज़ तम्कनत
१
बना हुस्न-ए तकल्लुम हुस्न-ए ज़न आहिस्ता आहिस्ता
ब-हर-सूरत खुला एक कम-सुख़न आहिस्ता आहिस्ता
२
मुसाफ़िर राह में है, शाम गहरी होती जाती है
सुलगता है तेरी यादों का बन आहिस्ता आहिस्ता
३
धुआँ दिल से उठे चेहरे तक आए नूर हो जाए
बढी मुश्किल से आता है ये फ़न आहिस्ता आहिस्ता
४
अभी तो संग-ए तिफ़्लाँ का हदफ़ बनना है कूचों में
के रास आता है ये दीवाना-पन आहिस्ता आहिस्ता
५
अभी तो इम्तहान-ए आब्ला-पा है बयाबाँ में
बनेंगे कुंज-ए गुल दश्त-ओ-दमन आहिस्ता आहिस्ता
६
अभी क्यूँकर कहूँ ज़ेर-ए नक़ाब-ए सुरमगीं क्या है
बदलता है ज़माने का चलन आहिस्ता आहिस्ता
७
मैं अहल-ए अंजुमन की ख़ल्वत-ए दिल का मुग़न्नी हूँ
मुझे पहचान लेगी अंजुमन आहिस्ता आहिस्ता
८
दिल-ए हर-संग गोया शम’अ-ए मेहराब-ए तमन्ना है
असर करती है ज़र्ब-ए कोहकन आहिस्ता आहिस्ता
९
किसी काफ़र की शोख़ी ने कहलवाई ग़ज़ल मुझ से
खुलेगा शाज़ अब रंग-ए सुख़न आहिस्ता आहिस्ता
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. syed maslahuddin shaz tamkanat (1933-1985), hyderabad. PhD from osmania university for his thesis on the life and works of a prominent progressive poet maKhdoom mohiuddin. Later, he taught at the university. This Ghazal is patterned after vali dakkhani’s famous ‘aahista-aahista’ series and is one of several linked to this icon under ‘radeef-refrain’.
1
banaa husn1-e takallum2 husn1-e zan3 aahista aahista
ba-har-suurat4 khulaa ek kam-suKhan5 aahista aahista 1.beauty, skill, refinement 2.conversation, recitation 3.conjecture, thought – used here to mean imagination 4.in any case, at last 5.taciturn, introvert, one who does not say much
The art of ‘takallum/conversation’ is the art of composing/reciting Ghazal. The poet refers to himself as “kam-suKhan”. Thus, the refinement of his imagination has finally led to the skill of versification. The “kam-suKhan” has at last gradually opened up (and is reciting verse).
2
musaafir1 raah2 meN hai shaam gahri3 hoti jaati hai
sulagtaa4 hai teri yaadoN kaa ban5 aahista aahista 1.traveler, seeker 2.pathway 3.deep, dark, late 4.burn, set alight 5.forest, wilderness
The seeker (probably the poet himself) is traveling along the path and already the night is getting dark. The wilderness of the beloved’s memories is set on fire and is burning gradually. The “traveling along the path” is of course, allegorical. The seeker is on the path of love and memories of the beloved cause pain as the evening progresses.
3
dhuaaN dil se uThe chehre tak aaye nuur1 ho jaaye
baRi mushkil2 se aataa hai ye fun3 aahista aahista 1.glow, light 2.difficulty 3.skill
The heart burns with love. Smoke rises from the burning heart up to the face. The lover’s face glows with love. This is a skill/quality that is acquired/learnt gradually with great difficulty. Not all love is sincere enough to cause the face to glow bright.
4
abhi to saNg1-e tiflaaN2 ka hadaf3 ban’naa hai kuuchoN4 meN
keh raas5 aataa hai ye divaana-pan6 aahista aahista 1.rocks 2.children 3.target 4.streets 5.raas aana – expression meaning – bear fruit 6.madness
The imagery is that of majnuN, the passionate mad lover, who in torm clothes wanders through the streets looking for laila. Children throw rocks at him. Thus, the poet/lover still has to become the target of stones thrown by street urchins. Such madness (of love) bears fruit gradually.
5
abhi to imtehaan1-e aabla-paa2 hai bayaabaaN3 meN
baneNge kunj4-e gul5 dasht6-o-daman7 aahista aahista 1.test 2.sore boils on feet 3.wilderness 4.corner 5.rose 6.desert, wilderness 7.valley
The imagery of the wandering majnuN continues. He wanders through the desert, hills and valleys until his feet develop sores/boils. The poet still has to go through this test, his feet have not developed boils yet. The vast valleys and desets will only gradually turn into a comfortable garden nook. His journey of love/of composing verse has just begun. He still has to go through a test. This could also be his journey to become an accomplished poet. He has to go through rigorous learning and trials before can get there.
6
abhi kyuNkar1 kahuN zer2-e naqaab3-e surmagiiN4 kyaa hai
badaltaa hai zamaane5 kaa chalan aahista aahista 1.how 2.under, behind 3.veil 4.grey 5.times, world
The poet has to write/compose verse that unveils beauty/secrets/feelings/knowledge. How can I say, just yet, what is behind the grey veil i.e., he still has to understand that times change gradually. He can write only after he has understood the workings of the world. Alternatively, how can I write what is behind the grey veil. The ‘zamaana’ forbids such disclosure-there is censorship. The zamaana will change gradually and only then will I be able to speak/write.
7
maiN ahl1-e anjuman2 ki Khalvat3-e dil ka muGhanni4 huN
mujhe pahchaan5 legi anjuman aahista aahista 1.people of 2.gathering, society 3.sanctuary, privacy 4.songster, Ghazal composer 5.get to know
I am a songster/Ghazal writer of the innermost feelings of the people of this gathering. The gathering will get to know me (my verse) gradually.
8
dil-e har-saNg1 goyaa2 sham’a-e mehraab3-e tamannaa4 hai
asar5 karti hai zarb6-e kohkan7 aahista aahista 1.every rock 2.as if 3.alcove/arch 4.desire, love 5.effect 6.blow, strike 7.rock breaker, farhaad
The imagery in this she’r is out of the legend of shiriN-farhaad. farhaad was madly in love with shirin. Khusro, the king, just to shoo him away, set him a task to dig a channel/river of milk through/over the mountain. He started breaking rocks in order to complete his task. So, he is also know as ‘kohkan’. The mehraab is the central arch from where prayers a led. It is the focal point. For farhaad, each rock was like a lamp lit in the ‘mehraab’ of love i.e., the focus of his devotion. Each blow of the kohkan has an effect bit by bit.
9
kisi kaafir1 ki shooKhi2 ne kahlvaa’ii3 Ghazal mujh se
khulegaa shaaz4 ab raNg5-e suKhan6 aahista aahista 1.infidel – but used often to refer to the beloved 2.mischief 3.made/forced to say 4.penname of the poet 5.style, qualities, skills 6.writing verse
O shaz, the beloved’s mischief has forced you to compose/recite Ghazal. The qualities of your versification will come out in the open over time.
syed maslahuddin shaz tamkanat (1933-1985), hyderabad. PhD from osmania university for his thesis on the life and works of a prominent progressive poet maKhdoom mohiuddin. Later, he taught at the university. This Ghazal is patterned after vali dakkhani’s famous ‘aahista-aahista’ series and is one of several linked to this icon under ‘radeef-refrain’.
1
banaa husn1-e takallum2 husn1-e zan3 aahista aahista
ba-har-suurat4 khulaa ek kam-suKhan5 aahista aahista
1.beauty, skill, refinement 2.conversation, recitation 3.conjecture, thought – used here to mean imagination 4.in any case, at last 5.taciturn, introvert, one who does not say much
The art of ‘takallum/conversation’ is the art of composing/reciting Ghazal. The poet refers to himself as “kam-suKhan”. Thus, the refinement of his imagination has finally led to the skill of versification. The “kam-suKhan” has at last gradually opened up (and is reciting verse).
2
musaafir1 raah2 meN hai shaam gahri3 hoti jaati hai
sulagtaa4 hai teri yaadoN kaa ban5 aahista aahista
1.traveler, seeker 2.pathway 3.deep, dark, late 4.burn, set alight 5.forest, wilderness
The seeker (probably the poet himself) is traveling along the path and already the night is getting dark. The wilderness of the beloved’s memories is set on fire and is burning gradually. The “traveling along the path” is of course, allegorical. The seeker is on the path of love and memories of the beloved cause pain as the evening progresses.
3
dhuaaN dil se uThe chehre tak aaye nuur1 ho jaaye
baRi mushkil2 se aataa hai ye fun3 aahista aahista
1.glow, light 2.difficulty 3.skill
The heart burns with love. Smoke rises from the burning heart up to the face. The lover’s face glows with love. This is a skill/quality that is acquired/learnt gradually with great difficulty. Not all love is sincere enough to cause the face to glow bright.
4
abhi to saNg1-e tiflaaN2 ka hadaf3 ban’naa hai kuuchoN4 meN
keh raas5 aataa hai ye divaana-pan6 aahista aahista
1.rocks 2.children 3.target 4.streets 5.raas aana – expression meaning – bear fruit 6.madness
The imagery is that of majnuN, the passionate mad lover, who in torm clothes wanders through the streets looking for laila. Children throw rocks at him. Thus, the poet/lover still has to become the target of stones thrown by street urchins. Such madness (of love) bears fruit gradually.
5
abhi to imtehaan1-e aabla-paa2 hai bayaabaaN3 meN
baneNge kunj4-e gul5 dasht6-o-daman7 aahista aahista
1.test 2.sore boils on feet 3.wilderness 4.corner 5.rose 6.desert, wilderness 7.valley
The imagery of the wandering majnuN continues. He wanders through the desert, hills and valleys until his feet develop sores/boils. The poet still has to go through this test, his feet have not developed boils yet. The vast valleys and desets will only gradually turn into a comfortable garden nook. His journey of love/of composing verse has just begun. He still has to go through a test. This could also be his journey to become an accomplished poet. He has to go through rigorous learning and trials before can get there.
6
abhi kyuNkar1 kahuN zer2-e naqaab3-e surmagiiN4 kyaa hai
badaltaa hai zamaane5 kaa chalan aahista aahista
1.how 2.under, behind 3.veil 4.grey 5.times, world
The poet has to write/compose verse that unveils beauty/secrets/feelings/knowledge. How can I say, just yet, what is behind the grey veil i.e., he still has to understand that times change gradually. He can write only after he has understood the workings of the world. Alternatively, how can I write what is behind the grey veil. The ‘zamaana’ forbids such disclosure-there is censorship. The zamaana will change gradually and only then will I be able to speak/write.
7
maiN ahl1-e anjuman2 ki Khalvat3-e dil ka muGhanni4 huN
mujhe pahchaan5 legi anjuman aahista aahista
1.people of 2.gathering, society 3.sanctuary, privacy 4.songster, Ghazal composer 5.get to know
I am a songster/Ghazal writer of the innermost feelings of the people of this gathering. The gathering will get to know me (my verse) gradually.
8
dil-e har-saNg1 goyaa2 sham’a-e mehraab3-e tamannaa4 hai
asar5 karti hai zarb6-e kohkan7 aahista aahista
1.every rock 2.as if 3.alcove/arch 4.desire, love 5.effect 6.blow, strike 7.rock breaker, farhaad
The imagery in this she’r is out of the legend of shiriN-farhaad. farhaad was madly in love with shirin. Khusro, the king, just to shoo him away, set him a task to dig a channel/river of milk through/over the mountain. He started breaking rocks in order to complete his task. So, he is also know as ‘kohkan’. The mehraab is the central arch from where prayers a led. It is the focal point. For farhaad, each rock was like a lamp lit in the ‘mehraab’ of love i.e., the focus of his devotion. Each blow of the kohkan has an effect bit by bit.
9
kisi kaafir1 ki shooKhi2 ne kahlvaa’ii3 Ghazal mujh se
khulegaa shaaz4 ab raNg5-e suKhan6 aahista aahista
1.infidel – but used often to refer to the beloved 2.mischief 3.made/forced to say 4.penname of the poet 5.style, qualities, skills 6.writing verse
O shaz, the beloved’s mischief has forced you to compose/recite Ghazal. The qualities of your versification will come out in the open over time.
