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Recitation
رُباعیات۔کربِ سخنوری۔جوش ملیح آبادی
۱
شعرِ خالص کا لطف کیونکر پاتے
جو روح میں تھے وہ گیت کیونکر گاتے
صد حیف کہ تُرش ہو گیا شہدِ خیال
الفاظ کی بوتلوں میں آتے آتے
۲
شعروں کا مزا بِگاڑ دیتی ہے زباں
مِٹتا ہے یقیں اور اُبھرتا ہے گماں
لفظوں کی کسوٹی پہ زرِ معنی کو
گھستا ہوں تو پڑ جاتے ہیں پیتل کے نشاں
۳
تخلیقِ ادب ہے وہ بلائے جاں کاہ
چبھتی ہے رگِ دِل میں تخیّل کی نگاہ
جِس کرب سے الفاظ میں ڈھلتا ہے خیال
وہ کربِ جہاں شِکن، عیاذاً بااللہ
۴
کربِ تخلیق شعر کی تھاہ نہیں
خود سے ہوتی ہے زندگی برسرِ کیں
جب دِل سے ٹپکتی ہیں لہو کی بُندیں
تب خاتمِ شاعری پہ چڑھتے ہیں نگیں
۵
جب گور کے در تک دِلِ جاں باز آیا
تب یار سرِ جلوہ گہِ ناز آیا
برسوں رگِ جاں پہ جب چلائی تلوار
تو حرف تراشنے کا انداز آیا
۶
کِس طرح پیوں مئے کہ ہے صد پارہ ایاغ
مہکوں کِس شاخ پر کہ ویران ہے باغ
گھیرے جس کو ہے راکھ پروانوں کی
میں ہوں اُس بزمِ آخری کا وہ چراغ
۷
معنی کی تب و تاب گھٹاتا ہوں میں
جب حلقۂ الفاظ میں لاتا ہوں میں
صد حیف کہ پگھلے ہوئے سونے کو ندیم
تانبے کی زمین پر بہاتا ہوں میں
रुबाईयात-कर्ब-ए सुख़नवरी-जोश मलीहाबादी
१
शेर-ए ख़ालिस का लुत्फ़ क्यूंकर पाते
जो रूह में थे, वो गीत क्यूंकर गाते
सद-हैफ़ के तुर्श हो गया शहद-ए ख़याल
अल्फ़ाज़ कि बौतालौं में आते आते
२
शेरौं का मज़ा बिगाड़ देती है ज़बां
मिटता है यक़ीं और उभरता है गुमां
लफ़्ज़ौं कि कसोटी पे ज़र-ए मा’नि को
घिसता हूं तो पड़ जाते हैं पीतल के निशां
३
तख़्लीक़-ए अदब है वो बला-ए जां-काह
चुभती है रग-ए दिल में तख़य्युल कि निगाह
जिस कर्ब से अल्फ़ाज़ में ढलता है ख़याल
वो कर्ब-ए जहां-शिकन, अयाज़न-बिल-लाह
४
कर्ब-ए तख़्लीक़ शेर कि थाह नहीं
ख़ुद से होती है ज़िन्दगी बर-सर-ए कीं
जब दिल से टपकतीं हैं लहू कि बुन्दें
तब ख़ातिम-ए शाएरी पे चड़ते हैं नगीं
५
जब गोर के दर तक दिल-ए जां-बाज़ आया
तब यार सर-ए जल्वा-ए गह-ए नाज़ आया
बरसौं रग-ए जां पे जब चलाई तलवार
तो हर्फ़ तराशने का अन्दाज़ आया
६
किस तरह पियूं मै के है सद-पारा अयाग़
महकूँ किस शाख़ पर के वीरान है बाग़
घेरे जिस को है राख परवानों कि
मैं हूं उस बज़्म-ए आख़िरी का वो चिराग़
७
म’आनी कि तब ओ ताब घटाता हूं मैं
जब हल्क़ा-ए अल्फ़ाज़ में लाता हूं मैं
सद हैफ़ के पिघले हुए सोने को नदीम
तांबे कि ज़मीन पर बहाता हूं मैं
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 shows josh’s view of how painful it is versify. Words beautiful enough cannot be composed to do justice to the beauty of conception/imagination.
1
she’r-e Khaalis1 ka lutf kyuNkar2 paate
jo rooh3 meN the, vo geet kyuNkar gaate
sad-haif4 ke tursh5 ho gaya shahd6-e Khyaal7
alfaaz8 ki bautalauN meN aate aate 1.pure 2.how 3.soul 4.hundred sorrows 5.sour/bitter 6.honey 7.thought/imagination 8.words
josh talks about the difficulty casting beautiful thoughts into words. By the time he pours pure she’r and the music of his soul into the bottle of words, the sweet honey of imagination is turned sour/bitter.
2
she’rauN ka maza bigaaR deti hai zabaaN1
miTta hai yaqiN2 aur ubharta3 hai gumaaN4
lafzauN5 ki kasoTi6 pe zar7-e ma’ani8 ko
ghista huN to paRh jaate haiN peetal9 ke nishaaN 1.language/words 2.confidence 3.emerges 4.uncertain, doubtful 5.words 6.file used to check gold content 7.gold 8.meaning/thought 9.copper
The poet has cast his she’r into words but finds that his confidence is shaken, turning to uncertainty. He finds that when he tests it on a kasoTi, the original golden meaning/thought he had has turned into base metal (copper). My ustaad, moazzam siddiqi reminded me of this faarsi she’r of urfi shiraazi (akbar’s court poet) –
zabaan ze nuktah foruu’ maaNd-o raaz-e man baaqiist
bizaa’at-e soKhan aaKher shod-o soKhan baaqiist
His (my ustad’s) versified translation in urdu –
zabaaN qaasir rahii nuktah bayaan karne se
raaz meraa raaz ke parde hi meN sotaa rahaa
bizza’at suKhan ki huvi sab tamaam
suKhan jyoN kaa tyoN phir bhii baaqii rahaa
3
taKhleeq1-e adab2 hai vo balaa3-e jaaN-kaah4
chubhti hai rag-e dil meN taKhayyul5 ki nigaah
jis karb6 se alfaaz7 meN Dhalta8 hai Khayaal9
vo karb6-e jahaaN-shikan10, ayaazan-bil-laah11 1.creation 2.literature/poetry 3.curse 4.life sapping 5.imagination 6.pain 7.words 8.cast 9.thought 10.world destroying 11.may god protect us
The creation of poetry is a life-sapping curse. The eyes/looks of imagination are sharp and they prick (with accusation) the vein of the heart. Thought gets cast into words with pain that feels like it would destroy the world. May god protect us.
4
karb1-e taKhleeq2 she’r ki thaah3 nahiN
Khud se hoti hai zindagi bar-sar4-e keeN5
jab dil se Tapakti haiN lahu6 ki bundeN
tab Khaatim7-e shaa’eri pe chaRhte haiN nagiN8 1.pain 2.creativity 3.depth (of meaning) 4.engaged in 5.enmity, conflict 6.blood 7.signet ring 8.precious stones, jewels
The pain of creativity/creation is not the result of composing she’r. Life engages in conflict/struggle with itself. Only when the heart drips blood does the signet ring of poetic composition get studded with jewels/rubies (blood red).
5
jab gor1 ke dar2 tak dil-e jaaN-baaz3 aaya
tab yaar4 sar-e jalva-gah5-e naaz6 aaya
barsauN7 rag-e jaaN pe jab chalaaii talvaar
to harf8 taraashne9 ka andaaz10 aaya 1.grave, death 2.door 3.playing with/staking/risking life 4.beloved 5.place of display of beauty 6.beauty/pride/coquetry 7.for years 8.words 9.sculpting 10.style, method
Only when the heart/soul put its life on the line and got to the door of death, did the beloved come to the centre (to be gazed by the lovers). It is just possible that the “beloved” is the kalaam of the shaa’er and the lovers are all the audience. For years did a wield a sword over my life/soul and only then did I learn how to carve words.
6
kis tarah pyuN mai1 ke hai sad-paara2 ayaaGh3
mahkuN4 kis shaaKh par ke veeraan5 hai baaGh
ghere6 jis ko hai raakh parvaanauN ki
maiN huN us bazm-e-aaKhiri7 ka vo chiraaGh 1.wine 2.hundred pieces 3.cup 4.give out fragrance 5.desolate, barren 6.encircled, around 7.last/final poetic assembly
How can I drink wine, my cup is shattered into a hundred pieces i.e. how can I celebrate, I am devastated. On which bough should I be fragrant, the garden is barren. I am like a lamp of the final poetic assembly, around which are ashes of burnt moths.
7
m’aani ke tab-o-taab1 ghaTaata huN maiN
jab halqa2-e alfaaz3 meN laata huN maiN
sad-haif4 ke pighle hue sone ko nadeem5
taaNbe ki zamin par bahaata huN maiN 1.brilliance and weight/meaning/impact 2.circle/domain 3.words 4.hundred sorrows 5.friend
josh bemoans his inability to convey beautiful language in words … because words are never enough. I reduce the brilliance and impact of meaning when I bring (thoughts) into the domain of words. A hundred sorrows, I pour down molten gold (high value) into a field of copper (base metal, low value), my friend.
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 shows josh’s view of how painful it is versify. Words beautiful enough cannot be composed to do justice to the beauty of conception/imagination.
1
she’r-e Khaalis1 ka lutf kyuNkar2 paate
jo rooh3 meN the, vo geet kyuNkar gaate
sad-haif4 ke tursh5 ho gaya shahd6-e Khyaal7
alfaaz8 ki bautalauN meN aate aate
1.pure 2.how 3.soul 4.hundred sorrows 5.sour/bitter 6.honey 7.thought/imagination 8.words
josh talks about the difficulty casting beautiful thoughts into words. By the time he pours pure she’r and the music of his soul into the bottle of words, the sweet honey of imagination is turned sour/bitter.
2
she’rauN ka maza bigaaR deti hai zabaaN1
miTta hai yaqiN2 aur ubharta3 hai gumaaN4
lafzauN5 ki kasoTi6 pe zar7-e ma’ani8 ko
ghista huN to paRh jaate haiN peetal9 ke nishaaN
1.language/words 2.confidence 3.emerges 4.uncertain, doubtful 5.words 6.file used to check gold content 7.gold 8.meaning/thought 9.copper
The poet has cast his she’r into words but finds that his confidence is shaken, turning to uncertainty. He finds that when he tests it on a kasoTi, the original golden meaning/thought he had has turned into base metal (copper). My ustaad, moazzam siddiqi reminded me of this faarsi she’r of urfi shiraazi (akbar’s court poet) –
zabaan ze nuktah foruu’ maaNd-o raaz-e man baaqiist
bizaa’at-e soKhan aaKher shod-o soKhan baaqiist
His (my ustad’s) versified translation in urdu –
zabaaN qaasir rahii nuktah bayaan karne se
raaz meraa raaz ke parde hi meN sotaa rahaa
bizza’at suKhan ki huvi sab tamaam
suKhan jyoN kaa tyoN phir bhii baaqii rahaa
3
taKhleeq1-e adab2 hai vo balaa3-e jaaN-kaah4
chubhti hai rag-e dil meN taKhayyul5 ki nigaah
jis karb6 se alfaaz7 meN Dhalta8 hai Khayaal9
vo karb6-e jahaaN-shikan10, ayaazan-bil-laah11
1.creation 2.literature/poetry 3.curse 4.life sapping 5.imagination 6.pain 7.words 8.cast 9.thought 10.world destroying 11.may god protect us
The creation of poetry is a life-sapping curse. The eyes/looks of imagination are sharp and they prick (with accusation) the vein of the heart. Thought gets cast into words with pain that feels like it would destroy the world. May god protect us.
4
karb1-e taKhleeq2 she’r ki thaah3 nahiN
Khud se hoti hai zindagi bar-sar4-e keeN5
jab dil se Tapakti haiN lahu6 ki bundeN
tab Khaatim7-e shaa’eri pe chaRhte haiN nagiN8
1.pain 2.creativity 3.depth (of meaning) 4.engaged in 5.enmity, conflict 6.blood 7.signet ring 8.precious stones, jewels
The pain of creativity/creation is not the result of composing she’r. Life engages in conflict/struggle with itself. Only when the heart drips blood does the signet ring of poetic composition get studded with jewels/rubies (blood red).
5
jab gor1 ke dar2 tak dil-e jaaN-baaz3 aaya
tab yaar4 sar-e jalva-gah5-e naaz6 aaya
barsauN7 rag-e jaaN pe jab chalaaii talvaar
to harf8 taraashne9 ka andaaz10 aaya
1.grave, death 2.door 3.playing with/staking/risking life 4.beloved 5.place of display of beauty 6.beauty/pride/coquetry 7.for years 8.words 9.sculpting 10.style, method
Only when the heart/soul put its life on the line and got to the door of death, did the beloved come to the centre (to be gazed by the lovers). It is just possible that the “beloved” is the kalaam of the shaa’er and the lovers are all the audience. For years did a wield a sword over my life/soul and only then did I learn how to carve words.
6
kis tarah pyuN mai1 ke hai sad-paara2 ayaaGh3
mahkuN4 kis shaaKh par ke veeraan5 hai baaGh
ghere6 jis ko hai raakh parvaanauN ki
maiN huN us bazm-e-aaKhiri7 ka vo chiraaGh
1.wine 2.hundred pieces 3.cup 4.give out fragrance 5.desolate, barren 6.encircled, around 7.last/final poetic assembly
How can I drink wine, my cup is shattered into a hundred pieces i.e. how can I celebrate, I am devastated. On which bough should I be fragrant, the garden is barren. I am like a lamp of the final poetic assembly, around which are ashes of burnt moths.
7
m’aani ke tab-o-taab1 ghaTaata huN maiN
jab halqa2-e alfaaz3 meN laata huN maiN
sad-haif4 ke pighle hue sone ko nadeem5
taaNbe ki zamin par bahaata huN maiN
1.brilliance and weight/meaning/impact 2.circle/domain 3.words 4.hundred sorrows 5.friend
josh bemoans his inability to convey beautiful language in words … because words are never enough. I reduce the brilliance and impact of meaning when I bring (thoughts) into the domain of words. A hundred sorrows, I pour down molten gold (high value) into a field of copper (base metal, low value), my friend.
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