For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
رسن و دار دیکھ کر ۔ شاہد عزیز روشؔ صدیقی
۱
عمرِ ابد سے خضر کو بے زار دیکھ کر
خوش ہوں فسونِ نرگس بیمار دیکھ کر
۲
کیا جلوہ گاہِ حسرتِ نظارہ ہے بہشت
حیراں ہوں صورتِ در و دیوار دیکھ کر
۳
بادہ بقدرِ ظرف سہی رسمِ مے کدہ
ساقی نزاکتِ دلِ مے خوار دیکھ کر
۴
اب جستجوئے دوست کی منزل کہیں بھی ہو
ہم چل پڑے ہیں راہ کو دُشوار دیکھ کر
۵
شایان جُرمِ عشق نہ تھی قیدِ زندگی
جی شاد ہو گیا رسن و دار دیکھ کر
۶
اب اس سے کیا غرض یہ حرم ہے کہ دیر ہے
بیٹھے ہیں ہم تو سایۂ دیوار دیکھ کر
۷
اب حشر تک حجاب نشیں ہے نگاہِ شوق
چھپنا تھا رنگِ حسرتِ دیدار دیکھ کر
۸
راز فروغ آخر شب کچھ نہ کھل سکا
کیوں خوش ہے شمع صبح کے آثار دیکھ کر
۹
سازِ غزل اٹھا ہی لیا ہم نے اے روشؔ
اُس چشمِ نیم باز کا اِصرار دیکھ کر
रसन-ओ-दार देख कर – शाहेद अज़ीज़ रविश सिद्दीक़ी
१
उम्र-ए अबद से ख़िज़्र को बे-ज़ार देख कर
ख़ुश हूँ फ़ुसून-ए नर्गिस-ए बीमार देख कर
२
क्या जल्वा-गाह-ए हस्रत-ए नज़्ज़ारा है बेहिश्त
हैराँ हूँ सूरत-ए दर-ओ-दीवार देख कर
३
बादा ब-क़द्र-ए ज़र्फ़ सही रस्म-ए मय-कदा
साक़ी नज़ाकत-ए दिल-ए मय-ख़्वार देख कर
४
अब जुस्तजू-ए दोस्त की मंज़िल कहीं भी हो
हम चल पढे हैं राह को दुश्वार देख कर
५
शायान-ए जुर्म-ए इश्क़ न थी क़ैद-ए ज़िंदगी
जी शाद हो गया रसन-ओ-दार देख कर
६
अब इस से क्या ग़रज़ ये हरम है के दैर है
बैठे हैं हम तो साया-ए दीवार देख कर
७
अब हश्र तक हिजाब-नशीं है निगाह-ए शौक़
छुपना था रंग-ए हस्रत-ए दीदार देख कर
८
राज़-ए फ़रोग़-ए आख़र-ए शब कुछ न खुल सका
क्यूँ ख़ुश है शम’अ सुब्ह के आसार देख कर
८
साज़-ए ग़ज़ल उठा ही लिया हम ने अए रविश
उस चश्म-ए नीम-बाज़ का इस्रार देख कर
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. shahid aziz ravish siddiqui (1909-1971) was brought up in a religious atmosphere but in addition to arabi and faarsi, he learnt sanskrit and hindi and was well versed in vedantic literature. This Ghazal, composed in the style of Ghalib’s “zarf-e qadah-Khwaar dekh kar”, pokes a bit of fun at orthodoxy and affirms a wide acceptance of different faiths.
1
umr-e abad1 se Khizr2 ko be-zaar3 dekh kar
Khush huN fusoon4-e nargis-e-biimaar5 dekh kar 1.eternal 2.legendary old man who found and drank the nectar of life 3.tired 4.enchantment 5.drooping narcissus
‘Khizr’ is a Biblical and qur’aanic figure. He searched for and found the fountain of eternal life and drank of it. Thus, he lives forever, but gets old. It looks like he is tired of living. ‘nargis-e-biimaar’ – the drooping narcissus is used as a symbol of mortality, transient short life. Thus the poet draws a lesson from the disenchantment of Khizr with long life and is happy with the prospect of mortality represented by the enchantment with the transitory beauty of the drooping narcissus.
2
kyaa jalva-gaah1-e hasrat2-e nazzaara3 hai behisht4
hairaaN5 huN soorat6-e dar-o-diivaar7 dekh kar 1.place of display 2.longing 3.sighting 4.heaven 5.amazed, puzzled 6.face, form, shape, beauty 7.doors and walls, structure, home, outside appearance
The ‘kyaa’ can be interpreted in two different ways – (a) as a question expressing wonder, as in – what a wonderful thing this is or (b) as a sarcastic, rhetorical question. In the first reading, heaven is a beautiful display/answer to the longing to see god. The poet is able to see only the outside of heaven and is still amazed at its beauty. In the second reading, how can this be a display of my longing to see god. I am not satisfied with these rivers of milk and honey or with hoor and tuuba. I am amazed at the appearance when I look at it from here and wonder why we are fascinated by it when we should be longing to see god.
3
baada1 ba-qadr2-e zarf3 sahii rasm4-e mai-kada5
saaqii nazaakat6-e dil-e mai-Khwaar7 dekh kar 1.wine 2.in proportion to 3.capacity 4.tradition 5.tavern 6.delicacy 7.wine-lover
This is a beautiful response to Ghalib, which he would have enjoyed. Ghalib says, ‘dete haiN baada zarf-e qadah-Khwaar dekh kar’ – wine is served considering the capacity of the wine lover. ravish says, that may the tradition of the tavern all right, but O, saaqi also consider the delicacy/vulnerability of the feelings of the wine-lover.
4
ab justujoo1-e dost2 ki manzil3 kahiiN bhii ho
ham chal paRe haiN raah4 ko dushvaar5 dekh kar 1.search, seeking 2.friend, god 3.destination 4.path 5.difficult
The poet/seeker likes the challenge of the search. Whatever the destination of my search may be, I have chosen the difficult path and taken it, wherever it may lead.
5
shaayaan1-e jurm2-e ishq3 na thii qaid4-e zindagii
jii shaad5 ho gayaa rasan-o-daar6 dekh kar 1.matching the dignity of, deserving of 2.crime 3.love 4.confined 5.happy 6.rope/noose and platform for hanging
My crime was to love you, (O, god). It seems that you have punished me for this by confining me (my spirit) to this life (this body). That does not fit the crime. I am happy to see that a hangman’s platform and noose has been prepared for me and I will be released from this bondage. Here ‘rasan-o-daar’ is not used in any political sense but only in the sense of impending mortality.
6
ab is se kyaa Gharaz1 ye haram2 hai ki dair3 hai
baiThe haiN ham to saaya4-e diivaar dekh kar 1.concern 2.mosque 3.temple 4.shade, shelter
Be it a temple or a mosque, there is no concern. We take shelter in either one. Both are the same in giving shelter to the spirit.
7
ab hashr1 tak hijaab-nashiiN2 hai nigaah-e-shauq3
chhupnaa thaa raNg4-e hasrat5-e diidaar6 dekh kar 1.doomsday 2.in hiding, veiled 3.desire to see 4.style 5.yearning 6.seeing
The poet/seeker/sufi has a yearning to see god. But looking at this style of yearning god had to remain invisible/hidden. Until the end of the world the desire to see will remain unfulfilled.
8
raaz1-e faroGh2-e aaKhir-e shab3 kuchh na khul sakaa
kyuuN Khush hai sham’a sub’h ke aasaar4 dekh kar 1.secret 2.shining, brilliance 3.night 4.signs, indications
The candle/lamp remains lit all night long. In the early morning hours, as signs of dawn emerge and it runs out of wax/oil, it suddenly flares up – increases in brightness before it is put out. The secret of its final flare-up/brightness has not been understood. The implication may be that it is happy at being ‘released’ from the bondage of life.
9
saaz1-e Ghazal uThaa hii liyaa ham ne aye ravish2
us chashm3-e niim-baaz4 kaa israar5 dekh kar 1.instrument (musical), harp 2.pen-name of the poet 3.eyes 4.half open 5.insistence
The beloved’s dreamy, half-open, intoxicated eyes insisted that the poet recite a Ghazal. At first he was reluctant but then seeing her insistence, the poet picked up the harp.
shahid aziz ravish siddiqui (1909-1971) was brought up in a religious atmosphere but in addition to arabi and faarsi, he learnt sanskrit and hindi and was well versed in vedantic literature. This Ghazal, composed in the style of Ghalib’s “zarf-e qadah-Khwaar dekh kar”, pokes a bit of fun at orthodoxy and affirms a wide acceptance of different faiths.
1
umr-e abad1 se Khizr2 ko be-zaar3 dekh kar
Khush huN fusoon4-e nargis-e-biimaar5 dekh kar
1.eternal 2.legendary old man who found and drank the nectar of life 3.tired 4.enchantment 5.drooping narcissus
‘Khizr’ is a Biblical and qur’aanic figure. He searched for and found the fountain of eternal life and drank of it. Thus, he lives forever, but gets old. It looks like he is tired of living. ‘nargis-e-biimaar’ – the drooping narcissus is used as a symbol of mortality, transient short life. Thus the poet draws a lesson from the disenchantment of Khizr with long life and is happy with the prospect of mortality represented by the enchantment with the transitory beauty of the drooping narcissus.
2
kyaa jalva-gaah1-e hasrat2-e nazzaara3 hai behisht4
hairaaN5 huN soorat6-e dar-o-diivaar7 dekh kar
1.place of display 2.longing 3.sighting 4.heaven 5.amazed, puzzled 6.face, form, shape, beauty 7.doors and walls, structure, home, outside appearance
The ‘kyaa’ can be interpreted in two different ways – (a) as a question expressing wonder, as in – what a wonderful thing this is or (b) as a sarcastic, rhetorical question. In the first reading, heaven is a beautiful display/answer to the longing to see god. The poet is able to see only the outside of heaven and is still amazed at its beauty. In the second reading, how can this be a display of my longing to see god. I am not satisfied with these rivers of milk and honey or with hoor and tuuba. I am amazed at the appearance when I look at it from here and wonder why we are fascinated by it when we should be longing to see god.
3
baada1 ba-qadr2-e zarf3 sahii rasm4-e mai-kada5
saaqii nazaakat6-e dil-e mai-Khwaar7 dekh kar
1.wine 2.in proportion to 3.capacity 4.tradition 5.tavern 6.delicacy 7.wine-lover
This is a beautiful response to Ghalib, which he would have enjoyed. Ghalib says, ‘dete haiN baada zarf-e qadah-Khwaar dekh kar’ – wine is served considering the capacity of the wine lover. ravish says, that may the tradition of the tavern all right, but O, saaqi also consider the delicacy/vulnerability of the feelings of the wine-lover.
4
ab justujoo1-e dost2 ki manzil3 kahiiN bhii ho
ham chal paRe haiN raah4 ko dushvaar5 dekh kar
1.search, seeking 2.friend, god 3.destination 4.path 5.difficult
The poet/seeker likes the challenge of the search. Whatever the destination of my search may be, I have chosen the difficult path and taken it, wherever it may lead.
5
shaayaan1-e jurm2-e ishq3 na thii qaid4-e zindagii
jii shaad5 ho gayaa rasan-o-daar6 dekh kar
1.matching the dignity of, deserving of 2.crime 3.love 4.confined 5.happy 6.rope/noose and platform for hanging
My crime was to love you, (O, god). It seems that you have punished me for this by confining me (my spirit) to this life (this body). That does not fit the crime. I am happy to see that a hangman’s platform and noose has been prepared for me and I will be released from this bondage. Here ‘rasan-o-daar’ is not used in any political sense but only in the sense of impending mortality.
6
ab is se kyaa Gharaz1 ye haram2 hai ki dair3 hai
baiThe haiN ham to saaya4-e diivaar dekh kar
1.concern 2.mosque 3.temple 4.shade, shelter
Be it a temple or a mosque, there is no concern. We take shelter in either one. Both are the same in giving shelter to the spirit.
7
ab hashr1 tak hijaab-nashiiN2 hai nigaah-e-shauq3
chhupnaa thaa raNg4-e hasrat5-e diidaar6 dekh kar
1.doomsday 2.in hiding, veiled 3.desire to see 4.style 5.yearning 6.seeing
The poet/seeker/sufi has a yearning to see god. But looking at this style of yearning god had to remain invisible/hidden. Until the end of the world the desire to see will remain unfulfilled.
8
raaz1-e faroGh2-e aaKhir-e shab3 kuchh na khul sakaa
kyuuN Khush hai sham’a sub’h ke aasaar4 dekh kar
1.secret 2.shining, brilliance 3.night 4.signs, indications
The candle/lamp remains lit all night long. In the early morning hours, as signs of dawn emerge and it runs out of wax/oil, it suddenly flares up – increases in brightness before it is put out. The secret of its final flare-up/brightness has not been understood. The implication may be that it is happy at being ‘released’ from the bondage of life.
9
saaz1-e Ghazal uThaa hii liyaa ham ne aye ravish2
us chashm3-e niim-baaz4 kaa israar5 dekh kar
1.instrument (musical), harp 2.pen-name of the poet 3.eyes 4.half open 5.insistence
The beloved’s dreamy, half-open, intoxicated eyes insisted that the poet recite a Ghazal. At first he was reluctant but then seeing her insistence, the poet picked up the harp.
