rubaaiyaat-ilhaam-e suKhanvari-josh

For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the “Roman” or “Notes” tab.

رُباعیات۔اِلہامِ سخنوری۔جوش ملیح آبادی

۱

دانائے رُموُزِ این و آں ہوں ائے دوست

مولائے اکابرِ جہاں ہوں ائے دوست

کیوں اہلِ نظر پڑھیں نہ میرا کلمہ

میں شاعرِ آخرالزماں ہوں ائے دوست

۲

جب چرخ پہ کروٹ سی بدلتی ہے کِرن

اور رات اُتارتی ہے اپنے کنگن

دھُندلے کھیتوں، غنودہ میدانوں میں

سنتا ہوں دِلِ ارض و سما کی دھڑکن

۳

پھوٹی وہ کِرن زمین وہ بیدار ہوئی

آمادۂ رقص و رنگ و رخسار ہوئی

اِک لوچ سے وہ ناخنِ مُطرب نے چھوا

ہستی کے سِتار میں وہ جھنکار ہوئی

۴

اُس وقت سے ہوں، وقت کا جب تھا نہ شعور

موہوم تھا جب نظامِ شمسی کا ظہور

حرفِ کُن تو ہے اِک طفلِ مکتب

میری آواز کی قدامت کے حضور

۵

اپنی ظلمت خزینۂ شعلہ طور

اپنی آشفتگی، خروشِ منصور

اپنی لب بستگی نشیدِ قرآں

اپنی لُکنت نوائے تورات و زبور

۶

مستی میں گریبان جو پھاڑا ہم نے

گیتی کا علم چرخ پہ گاڑا ہم نے

سر پر لہرائے صد نظامِ شمسی

جب دامنِ تخیل کو جھاڑا ہم نے

۷

کل صبح کو میں بہ شہپرِ سوز و گداز

پہنچا جو سرِ عرش اُٹھا پردۂ راز

اور جھوم کے جب ایک قدم اور بڑھا

قوسین کے ٹوٹنے کی آئی آواز

 

रुबाईयात-इल्हाम-ए सुख़नवरी-जोश मलीहाबादी

दाना-ए रुमूज़-ए ईन ओ आं हूं अए दोस्त

मौला-ए अकाबेर-ए जहां हूं अए दोस्त

क्यूं अहल-ए नज़र पढ़ें न मेरा कलमा

मैं शाएर-ए आख़िर-उज़-ज़मां हूं अए दोस्त

जब चर्ख़ पे करवट सी बदलती है किरन

और रात उतारती है अपना कंगन

धुन्दले खेतों, ग़ुनूदा मैदानौं में

सुनता हूं दिल-ए अर्ज़ ओ समा कि धड़कन

फूटी वो किरन ज़मीं वो बेदार हुई

आमादा-ए रंग ओ रक़्स ओ रुख़्सार हुई

एक लोच से वो नाख़ुन-ए मुत्रिब ने छुआ

हस्ती के सितार में वो झन्कार हुई

उस वक़्त से हूं, वक़्त का जब था न शा’ऊर

मौहूम था जब निज़ाम-ए शम्सी का ज़हूर

हर्फ़-ए कुन तो है एक तिफ़्ल-ए मक्तब

मेरी आवाज़ कि क़दामत के हुज़ूर

अपनी ज़ुल्मत ख़ज़ीना-ए शोला-ए तूर

अपनी अशुफ़्तगी ख़रोश-ए मन्सूर

अपनी लैब-बस्तगी नशेद-ए क़ुर-आं

अपनी लुक्नत नवा-ए तौरात ओ ज़ुबूर

मस्ती में गरेबान जो फाड़ा हम ने

गति का अलम चर्ख़ पे गाड़ा हम ने

सर पर लहराए सद-निज़ाम-ए शम्सी

जब दामन-ए तख़’ईल को झाड़ा हम ने

कल सुबह को मैं ब-शहपर-ए सोज़ ओ गुदाज़

पहुंचा जो सर-ए अर्श उठा परदा-ए राज़

और झूम के जब एक क़दम और बढ़ा

क़ौसैन के टूटने कि आई आवाज़

 

Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. josh malihabadi 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. This series is a collection of nearly 300 rubaaiyaat from various books organized by subject. This selection represents a not uncommon feature among poets, who consider their suKhan/verse to be divinely inspired.
1
daana1-e rumooz2-e een-o-aaN3 huN aye dost
maula4-e akaabir5-e jahaaN huN aye dost
kyuN ahl-e-nazar6 paRheN na mera kalema7
maiN shaa’er-e aaKhir-uz-zamaaN8 huN aye dost
1.knowledgable of 2.secrets 3.this and that, disputation 4.leader 5.respected, great 6.people of discriminating taste 7.assertion of faith/belief 8.the last/final shaa’er of the time
I am well versed in the secrets of disputation/logic. I am the leader of the respected/great ones of this world. Why should discriminating people not assert their faith in me. After all, I am the last/best poet of all time. Thus, josh draws a parallel between himself and the prophet of islam. He considers himself the last among poets just as mohammed is considered the last among prophets.

2
jab charKh1 pe karvaT2 si badalti hai kiran
aur raat utaarti hai apna kaNgan
dhundle khetauN, Ghunooda3 maidaanauN meN
sunta huN dil-e arz-o-sama4 ki dhaRkan
1.sky 2.side – as in changing sides, rolling over in sleep or when waking up 3.sleepy 4.earth and sky/heaven
How/when does josh conceive of (receive ilhaam-inspiration for) his verse. He was known to be an admirer of dawn and has written several nazm/Ghazal about its beauty and the inspiration it provides. When the ray of light rolls over in the sky (pre-dawn), when Night takes off its bracelets (before retiring to bed – giving way to Day), then, among hazy fields and sleepy expanses, I hear the heartbeat of the earth and sky (which gives me inspiration to compose verse).

3
phooTi vo kiran, zamin vo bedaar1 hui
aamada2-e raqs3 o raNg o ruKhsaar4 hui
ek loch5 se vo naaKhun-e mutrib6 ne chhua
hasti7 ke sitaar meN vo jhankaar hui
1.awake 2.get ready 3.dance 4.face, beauty 5.swing, elegant style 6.musician 7.life
It is pre-dawn. The first rays of light break out. The earth wakes up and gets ready for its beautiful and colourful dance. The musician (poet) gracefully touches/plucks the string of the sitar of life, making tunes reverberate (the poet writes his verse).

4
us vaqt se huN, vaqt ka jab tha na sha’oor1
mauhoom2 tha jab nizaam-e-shamsi3 ka zahoor4
harf-e-kun5 to hai ek tifl-e-maktab6
meri aavaaz ki qadaamat7 ke huzoor8  
1.knowledge, awareness 2.imaginary, supposition 3.order of the sun, planetary system, universe 4.appearance, manifestation 5.word of creation (god said, let there be …) 6.school/young child 7.antiquity 8.before, in the presence of
josh is speaking of the word of the poet. It has been around since before there was a concept of time, when the universe was but a faint image. The command/decree of creation is but a child before the antiquity of my (poet’s) verse i.e. poetry/versification was created even before the universe.

5
apni zulmat1 Khazeena2-e shola-e-toor3
apni aashuftagi4, Kharosh5-e mansoor6
apni lab-bastagi7 nasheed8-e qur’aaN
apni luknat9 navaa10-e tauraat11 o zuboor12  
1.darkness 2.treasure of 3.flame of Mt. Sinaii 4.confusion, madness 5.voice of, recitation of 6.sufi scholar who was stoned to death, symbol of resistance 7.keeping lips/mouth closed 8.lyrical recitation 9.stammering, mumbling 10.voice of 11.Torah 12.Psalms of David
Moses went on Mt. Sinaaii asking to see god … there was a manifestation of divinity (lightning strike or burning bush). Thus “shola-e toor” is divine light. Even the darkness of the poet is like the wealth/treasure of divine light. mansoor was a sufi scholar who declared “an al haq – I am the Truth” after careful study. He was charged with heresy and executed, when he refused to recant. Even the incoherent utterances of the poet are equal to the powerful assertion of mansoor, says josh. Even without speaking we (poets) say verse like the musical recitation of the qur’aan and our mumbling is equal to the music of David (legend is that music played in David’s court was so divine that even animals gathered to listen).

6
masti meN garebaan1 jo phaaRa hum ne
geti2 ka alam3 charKh4 pe gaaRa hum ne
sar par lahraaye sad5 nizaam-e-shamsi6
jab daaman7-e taKheel8 ko jhaaRa hum ne
1.collar 2.world, earth 3.flag, banner 4.sky, heaven 5.hundred 6.workings of the sun/planetary system/universe 7.hem of the robe 8.thought, imagination
In enthusiastic fervour, when we (poets) rent our collar (gave vent to our emotions), we captured the heavens. When we dusted off the hem of the robe of our imagination, a hundred secrets of the universe floated away (were revealed).

7
kal subah ko maiN ba-shahpar1-e soz-o-gudaaz2
pahuNcha jo sar-e-arsh3 uTha parda-e-raaz4
aur jhoom ke jab ek qadam aur baRha
qausain5 ke TooTne ki aaii aavaaz
1.main wing, wings of flight 2.pain and pleasure 3.head/top of heaven 4.curtain of secrets 5.arches
Yesterday at dawn, when I took flight on the wings of pain and sorrow and reached the top of heavens, the curtain of secrets (of the universe or of god) lifted. And with swagger, as I took a few more steps, I heard the sound of crunching of arches. This draws heavily from the story of me’raaj. mohammed ascended heaven and got close to god. ‘qaab qausain’ – the distance between two arches or half arches implies that when two arches get close to each other they look like one continuous arch. There is no distance between them. That is how the final stage of me’raaj is described. josh steps into this union and claims similar closeness to god.

josh malihabadi 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.  This series is a collection of nearly 300 rubaaiyaat from various books organized by subject.  This selection represents a not uncommon feature among poets, who consider their suKhan/verse to be divinely inspired.
1
daana1-e rumooz2-e een-o-aaN3 huN aye dost
maula4-e akaabir5-e jahaaN huN aye dost
kyuN ahl-e-nazar6 paRheN na mera kalema7
maiN shaa’er-e aaKhir-uz-zamaaN8 huN aye dost

1.knowledgable of 2.secrets 3.this and that, disputation 4.leader 5.respected, great 6.people of discriminating taste 7.assertion of faith/belief 8.the last/final shaa’er of the time

I am well versed in the secrets of disputation/logic.  I am the leader of the respected/great ones of this world.  Why should discriminating people not assert their faith in me.  After all, I am the last/best poet of all time.  Thus, josh draws a parallel between himself and the prophet of islam.  He considers himself the last among poets just as mohammed is considered the last among prophets.
2
jab charKh1 pe karvaT2 si badalti hai kiran
aur raat utaarti hai apna kaNgan
dhundle khetauN, Ghunooda3 maidaanauN meN
sunta huN dil-e arz-o-sama4 ki dhaRkan

1.sky 2.side – as in changing sides, rolling over in sleep or when waking up 3.sleepy 4.earth and sky/heaven

How/when does josh conceive of (receive ilhaam-inspiration for) his verse.  He was known to be an admirer of dawn and has written several nazm/Ghazal about its beauty and the inspiration it provides.  When the ray of light rolls over in the sky (pre-dawn), when Night takes off its bracelets (before retiring to bed – giving way to Day), then, among hazy fields and sleepy expanses, I hear the heartbeat of the earth and sky (which gives me inspiration to compose verse).
3
phooTi vo kiran, zamin vo bedaar1 hui
aamada2-e raqs3 o raNg o ruKhsaar4 hui
ek loch5 se vo naaKhun-e mutrib6 ne chhua
hasti7 ke sitaar meN vo jhankaar hui

1.awake 2.get ready 3.dance 4.face, beauty 5.swing, elegant style 6.musician 7.life

It is pre-dawn.  The first rays of light break out.  The earth wakes up and gets ready for its beautiful and colourful dance.  The musician (poet) gracefully touches/plucks the string of the sitar of life, making tunes reverberate (the poet writes his verse).
4
us vaqt se huN, vaqt ka jab tha na sha’oor1
mauhoom2 tha jab nizaam-e-shamsi3 ka zahoor4
harf-e-kun5 to hai ek tifl-e-maktab6
meri aavaaz ki qadaamat7 ke huzoor8

1.knowledge, awareness 2.imaginary, supposition 3.order of the sun, planetary system, universe 4.appearance, manifestation 5.word of creation (god said, let there be …) 6.school/young child 7.antiquity 8.before, in the presence of

josh is speaking of the word of the poet.  It has been around since before there was a concept of time, when the universe was but a faint image.  The command/decree of creation is but a child before the antiquity of my (poet’s) verse i.e. poetry/versification was created even before the universe.
5
apni zulmat1 Khazeena2-e shola-e-toor3
apni aashuftagi4, Kharosh5-e mansoor6
apni lab-bastagi7 nasheed8-e qur’aaN
apni luknat9 navaa10-e tauraat11 o zuboor12

1.darkness 2.treasure of 3.flame of Mt. Sinaii 4.confusion, madness 5.voice of, recitation of 6.sufi scholar who was stoned to death, symbol of resistance 7.keeping lips/mouth closed 8.lyrical recitation 9.stammering, mumbling 10.voice of 11.Torah 12.Psalms of David

Moses went on Mt. Sinaaii asking to see god … there was a manifestation of divinity (lightning strike or burning bush).  Thus “shola-e toor” is divine light.  Even the darkness of the poet is like the wealth/treasure of divine light.  mansoor was a sufi scholar who declared “an al haq – I am the Truth” after careful study.  He was charged with heresy and executed, when he refused to recant.  Even the incoherent utterances of the poet are equal to the powerful assertion of mansoor, says josh.  Even without speaking we (poets) say verse like the musical recitation of the qur’aan and our mumbling is equal to the music of David (legend is that music played in David’s court was so divine that even animals gathered to listen).
6
masti meN garebaan1 jo phaaRa hum ne
geti2 ka alam3 charKh4 pe gaaRa hum ne
sar par lahraaye sad5 nizaam-e-shamsi6
jab daaman7-e taKheel8 ko jhaaRa hum ne

1.collar 2.world, earth 3.flag, banner 4.sky, heaven 5.hundred 6.workings of the sun/planetary system/universe 7.hem of the robe 8.thought, imagination

In enthusiastic fervour, when we (poets) rent our collar (gave vent to our emotions), we captured the heavens.  When we dusted off the hem of the robe of our imagination, a hundred secrets of the universe floated away (were revealed).
7
kal subah ko maiN ba-shahpar1-e soz-o-gudaaz2
pahuNcha jo sar-e-arsh3 uTha parda-e-raaz4
aur jhoom ke jab ek qadam aur baRha
qausain5 ke TooTne ki aaii aavaaz

1.main wing, wings of flight 2.pain and pleasure 3.head/top of heaven 4.curtain of secrets 5.arches

Yesterday at dawn, when I took flight on the wings of pain and sorrow and reached the top of heavens, the curtain of secrets (of the universe or of god) lifted.  And with swagger, as I took a few more steps, I heard the sound of crunching of arches.  This draws heavily from the story of me’raaj.  mohammed ascended heaven and got close to god.  ‘qaab qausain’ –  the distance between two arches or half arches implies that when two arches get close to each other they look like one continuous arch.  There is no distance between them.  That is how the final stage of me’raaj is described.  josh steps into this union and claims similar closeness to god.

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