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Recitation
رباعیات ۔ شیخ ۔ جوش ملیح آبادی
۱
واقف بھی ہے آئینِ تعمق کیا ہے
دستورِ تناسب و تطابق کیا ہے
اِسلام کا شاہ نامہ لکھنے والے
اِسلام کو شاہی سے تعلق کیا ہے
۲
اِس زہد پہ اور پیروِ باطل ہونا
اِس علم کے باوجود جاہل ہونا
حوروں کا تجھے خلد میں ملنا اے شیخ
شیطان پہ ہے قرآن کا نازل ہونا
۳
کیا شیخ ملے گا گل فشانی کر کے
کیا پائے گا توہینِ جوانی کر کے
تو آتشِ دوزخ سے ڈراتا ہے اُنہیں
جو آگ کو پی جاتے ہیں پانی کر کے
۴
میکش کا سرورِ کج کلاہی بہتر
یا شیخ کا کِبرِ حق پناہی بہتر
طاعت بہ ریا و بادہ نوشی بہ خلوص
دونوں میں ہے کون شئے الہٰی بہتر
۵
دیتا ہے کسے شیخ جہنم کا وعید
ہے سینہ شرک میں بھی قلبِ توحید
کھل جائے اگر کاکلِ ظلمت کی گرہ
ہر خم سے برس پڑیں ہزاروں خورشید
۶
حیراں ہے جو خود کیوں اُسے حیران کرو
ہلکان کو ہاں اور نہ ہلکان کرو
اے اہلِ حرم روحِ بشر کو لللہ
اقوال و عقائد پہ نہ قربان کرو
۷
ایماں کو خرد کے رو بہ رو لایا ہے
اور بحث کی دِل میں آرزو لایا ہے
کیا اِس سے میرے الاؤ پر آئے گی آنچ
یہ اوس کی بوند جو تو لایا ہے
۸
محرومِ تجلّیاتِ وافر ہو جائے
خود سے بہ گناہِ جہل نافر ہو جائے
زاہد نہ کرے سجدہ تو مسلم نہ رہے
عارف جو کرے سجدہ تو کافر ہو جائے
۹
کیا شیخ کی خشک زندگانی گذری
بیچارے کی اِک شب نہ سہانی گذری
دوزخ کے تخیّل میں بڑھاپا بیتا
جنّت کی دعاؤں میں جوانی گذری
۱۰
ائے شیخ! نہ پوچھ حالت میری
دُنیا سے نِرالی ہے طبیعت میری
تشویشِ ممات ہے تری صوم و صلوٰۃ
تعمیرِ حیات ہے عبادت میری
रुबाइयात – शैख़ – जोश मलीहाबादी
१
वाक़िफ़ भी है आईन-ए ता’मुक़ क्या है
दस्तूर-ए तनासुब ओ तताबुक़ क्या है
इस्लाम का शाह-नाम लिखने वाले
इस्लाम को शाही से ता’लुक़ क्या है
२
इस ज़ुहद पे और पैरव-ए बातिल होना
इस इल्म के बावुजूद जाहिल होना
हूरौं का तुझे ख़ुल्द में मिलना अए शैख़
शैतान पे है क़ुर’आं का नाज़िल होना
३
क्या शैख़ मिलेगा तुझे गुल-फ़शानी कर के
क्या पाए गा तौहीन-ए जवानी कर के
तू आतिश-ए दोज़ख़ से डराता है उन्हें
जो आग को पी जाते हैं पानी कर के
४
मैकश का सुरूर-ए कज कुलाही बेहतर
या शैख़ का किब्र-ए हक़ पनाही बेहतर
ता’अत बा-रिया ओ बादा-नोशी बा-ख़ुलूस
दोनों में है कौन शै इलाही बेहतर
५
देता है किसे शैख़ जहन्नुम का वा’ईद
है सीना-ए शिर्क में भी क़ल्ब-ए तौहीद
खुल जाए अगर काकुल-ए ज़ुल्मत कि गिरह
हर ख़म से बरस पड़ें हज़ारों ख़ुरशीद
६
हैरां है जो ख़ुद क्यूं उसे हैरान करो
हलकान को हाँ और न हलकान करो
अए अहल-ए हरम रूह-ए बशर को लिल्लाह
अक़्वाल ओ अक़ाएद पे न क़ुर्बान करो
७
ईमान को ख़िरद के रू-ब-रू लाया है
और बहस कि दिल में आरज़ू लाया है
क्या इस से मेरे अलाऊ पर आएगी आंच
ये ओस कि एक बूँद जो तू लाया है
८
महरूम-ए तजल्लियात-ए वाफ़िर हो जाए
ख़ुद से ब-गुनाह-ए जहल, नाफ़िर हो जाए
ज़ाहिद न करे सिज्दा तो मुस्लिम न रहे
आ’रेफ़ जो कर सिज्दा तो काफ़ेर हो जाए
९
क्या शैख़ कि ख़ुश्क ज़िन्दगानी गुज़्री
बेचारे कि एक शब न सोहानी गुज़्री
दोज़ख़ के तख़य्युल में बुढ़ापा बीता
जन्नत कि दुआौं में जवानी गुज़्री
१०
अए शैख़! न मुझ से पूछ हालत मेरी
दुनिया से निराली है तबी’यत मेरी
तश्वीश-ए ममात है तेरी सौम ओ सलात
ता’मीर-ए हयात है इबादत मेरी
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 is a witty and sacrcastic diatribe against the shaiKh.
1
vaaqif1 bhi hai aa’iin-e-ta’amuq2 kya hai
dastoor-e-tanaasub3 o tataabuq4 kya hai
islam ka shaah-naama likhne vaale
islam ko shaahi5 se ta’aluq6 kya hai 1.know, familiar 2.tradition of research/investigation for root cause 3.tradition of proportionality 4.relationships (cause and effect) 5.monarchy 6.connection
This is not a diatribe against a shaiKh in general but a specific attack on hafiz jalandhari who wrote a multi-volume tome called “shah naama-e islam” which is a lot of bragaddocio mixed in with his poetic narration. Do you even know the tradition of research, of proportionality and causes (of social movements). O, you writer of the shah-naama of islam, do you even know what connection islam has with monarchy (implicitly claiming that islam is a philosophy of equality of all).
2
is zuhad1 pe aur pairav-e-baatil2 hona
is ilm ke bavujood3 jaahil4 hona
hoorauN ka tujhe Khuld5 meN milna aye shaiKh
shaitaaN pe hai qur’aan ka naazil6 hona 1.abstinence, piety 2.advocate/promoter of falsehood 3.in spite of 4.ignorant 5.paradise 6.descend
josh considers the shaiKh a preacher of hypocrisy and meaningless rituals. Thus, such piety and on top of it, promoting falsehood. Such study/education and in spite of it this ignorance. O shaiKh, the likelihood of your getting angels in paradise is like the qur’aan descending on Satan (i.e. impossible).
3
kya shaiKh milega gul-fashaani1 kar ke
kya paaye ga tauheen-e-javaani2 kar ke
tu aatish-e-dozaKh3 se Daraata hai unheN
jo aag ko pi jaate paani kar ke 1.spreading/scattering rose petals – used sarcastically to mean profusion of words of sermonizing 2.insult of youth 3.fire of hell
O shaiKh, what will you get with this sermonizing. What will you earn by insulting youth like this. You are trying to frighten them with the fire of hell, who drink fire like water.
4
maikash1 ka suroor2-e kaj-kulaahi3 behtar4
ya shaiKh ka kibr5-e haq-panaahi6 behtar
taa’at7 ba-riya8 o baada-noshi9 ba-Khuloos10
donoN meN hai kaun shai11 ilaahi12 behtar 1.imbiber of wine 2.happiness 3.defiance (literally wearing slanted/jaunty cap) 4.better 5.arrogance 6.protecting/guarding faith 7.ritual prayer 8.hypocritical, insincere 9.drinking wine 10.with sincerity, openly 11.thing/action 12. my god
Which one of these two actions is better my god … the shaiKh’s arrogant guarding of the faith by offering hypocritical ritual prayers or the happy defiance of the wine-drinker who drinks openly (without hiding behind anything).
5
deta hai kise shaiKh jahannum ka va’eed1
hai seena-e shirk2 meN bhi qalb-e-tauheed3
khul jaaye agar kaakul-e-zulmat4 ki girah5
har Kham6 se baras paReN hazaarauN Khursheed7 1.threat 2.adding another diety/god 3.heart of uniqueness (of god) 4.hair of darkness (ignorance) 5.knot 6.curl 7.Khursheed
To me the logic appears convoluted and circular but it has mystic, sufi undertones. ‘tauheed’ is to believe in one and only one god. But I think josh uses it here to mean one-ness of the creator and the created – vahdat-al-vujood. ‘shirk’ is to consider other dieties (including love of all creation). O shaiKh who are you threatening with hell. Even in the bosom of those who have many dieties is the throbbing heart of unity (of god or of all creation and creator). If the knot of the hair of darkness were undone, a thousand suns (light/truth) would drop from each curl of her hair.
6
hairaaN1 hai jo Khud kyuN use hairaan karo
halkaan2 ko haaN aur na halkaan karo
aye ahl-e-haram3 rooh-e-bashar4 ko lillah5
aqvaal6 o aqaa’ed7 pe na qurbaan8 karo 1.puzzled 2.worried, tired 3.people of faith 4.spirit of humanity 5.for god’s sake 6.sayings 7.beliefs 8.sacrifice
People of faith sacrifice the spirit of humanity in favour of (meaningless) sayings and (blind) faith. josh calls upon them (for god’s sake) not to cause even more problems for humanity than they already have.
7
eemaaN1 ko Khirad2 ke roo-ba-roo3 laaya hai
aur bahas4 ki dil meN aarzu5 laaya hai
kya is se mere alaauu6 par aaye gi aaNch7
ye oas8 ki ek boond jo tu laaya hai 1.faith 2.knowledge, reason 3.face to face 4.argument 5.desire 6.fire pot 7.‘aaNch aana’ is an expression that means – come to harm/disrepute 8.mist
The shaiKh has brought “faith” face to face with “reason” and desires to have a debate. Does he think that this is going to put out the fire of reason in my heart/mind? This is but a drop of mist before my fire and cannot put it out.
8
mahroom1-e tajalliyaat2-e vaafir3 ho jaaye
Khud se ba-gunaah4-e jahal5, naafir6 ho jaaye
zaahid7 na kare sijda8 to muslim na rahe
aa’rif9 jo kare sijda to kaafir10 ho jaaye 1.devoid of 2.brilliance/knowledge 3.plentiful 4.by the sin of i.e. accused of 5.ignorance 6.hated 7.pious, orthodox 8.ritual obeisance 9.sufi mystic 10.non-believer
When the pious/orthodox engage in ritual obeisance (in prayer) they miss out on the abundance of knowledge. They would then be accused of ignorance and will be hated. But if the sufi mystic were to engage in the same ritualistic obeisance he would become a non-believer.
9
kya shaiKh ki Khushk1 zindagaani guzri
bechaare ki ek shab2 na sohaani3 guzri
dozaKh4 ke taKhayyul5 meN buRhaapa beeta
jannat ki dua’auN meN javaani guzri 1.dry, boring 2.night 3.pleasant 4.hell 5.imagination, fear
The poor shaiKh spends a dry and uninteresting life. Not even a single pleasant evening/night. His youth he spent praying for a place in heaven (and stayed away from pleasures of life) and in old age he spends his time fearful of hell.
10
aye shaiKh na mujh se poochh haalat meri
duniya se niraali1 hai tabi’yat2 meri
tashveesh3-e mamaat4 hai teri saum5 o salaat6
t’aameer7-e hayaat8 hai ibaadat9 meri 1.unusual, different 2.temperament, nature 3.anxiety, apprehension 4.death 5.fasting/roza 6.prayer/namaaz 7.building, betterment 8.life (on earth) 9.worship
O shaiKh, do not ask me about what I think/do. My nature is different from that of the rest of the world. Your prayers/namaaz/roza/worship is driven by anxiety/fear of death. My worship is driven by trying to make life better on earth.
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 is a witty and sacrcastic diatribe against the shaiKh.
1
vaaqif1 bhi hai aa’iin-e-ta’amuq2 kya hai
dastoor-e-tanaasub3 o tataabuq4 kya hai
islam ka shaah-naama likhne vaale
islam ko shaahi5 se ta’aluq6 kya hai
1.know, familiar 2.tradition of research/investigation for root cause 3.tradition of proportionality 4.relationships (cause and effect) 5.monarchy 6.connection
This is not a diatribe against a shaiKh in general but a specific attack on hafiz jalandhari who wrote a multi-volume tome called “shah naama-e islam” which is a lot of bragaddocio mixed in with his poetic narration. Do you even know the tradition of research, of proportionality and causes (of social movements). O, you writer of the shah-naama of islam, do you even know what connection islam has with monarchy (implicitly claiming that islam is a philosophy of equality of all).
2
is zuhad1 pe aur pairav-e-baatil2 hona
is ilm ke bavujood3 jaahil4 hona
hoorauN ka tujhe Khuld5 meN milna aye shaiKh
shaitaaN pe hai qur’aan ka naazil6 hona
1.abstinence, piety 2.advocate/promoter of falsehood 3.in spite of 4.ignorant 5.paradise 6.descend
josh considers the shaiKh a preacher of hypocrisy and meaningless rituals. Thus, such piety and on top of it, promoting falsehood. Such study/education and in spite of it this ignorance. O shaiKh, the likelihood of your getting angels in paradise is like the qur’aan descending on Satan (i.e. impossible).
3
kya shaiKh milega gul-fashaani1 kar ke
kya paaye ga tauheen-e-javaani2 kar ke
tu aatish-e-dozaKh3 se Daraata hai unheN
jo aag ko pi jaate paani kar ke
1.spreading/scattering rose petals – used sarcastically to mean profusion of words of sermonizing 2.insult of youth 3.fire of hell
O shaiKh, what will you get with this sermonizing. What will you earn by insulting youth like this. You are trying to frighten them with the fire of hell, who drink fire like water.
4
maikash1 ka suroor2-e kaj-kulaahi3 behtar4
ya shaiKh ka kibr5-e haq-panaahi6 behtar
taa’at7 ba-riya8 o baada-noshi9 ba-Khuloos10
donoN meN hai kaun shai11 ilaahi12 behtar
1.imbiber of wine 2.happiness 3.defiance (literally wearing slanted/jaunty cap) 4.better 5.arrogance 6.protecting/guarding faith 7.ritual prayer 8.hypocritical, insincere 9.drinking wine 10.with sincerity, openly 11.thing/action 12. my god
Which one of these two actions is better my god … the shaiKh’s arrogant guarding of the faith by offering hypocritical ritual prayers or the happy defiance of the wine-drinker who drinks openly (without hiding behind anything).
5
deta hai kise shaiKh jahannum ka va’eed1
hai seena-e shirk2 meN bhi qalb-e-tauheed3
khul jaaye agar kaakul-e-zulmat4 ki girah5
har Kham6 se baras paReN hazaarauN Khursheed7
1.threat 2.adding another diety/god 3.heart of uniqueness (of god) 4.hair of darkness (ignorance) 5.knot 6.curl 7.Khursheed
To me the logic appears convoluted and circular but it has mystic, sufi undertones. ‘tauheed’ is to believe in one and only one god. But I think josh uses it here to mean one-ness of the creator and the created – vahdat-al-vujood. ‘shirk’ is to consider other dieties (including love of all creation). O shaiKh who are you threatening with hell. Even in the bosom of those who have many dieties is the throbbing heart of unity (of god or of all creation and creator). If the knot of the hair of darkness were undone, a thousand suns (light/truth) would drop from each curl of her hair.
6
hairaaN1 hai jo Khud kyuN use hairaan karo
halkaan2 ko haaN aur na halkaan karo
aye ahl-e-haram3 rooh-e-bashar4 ko lillah5
aqvaal6 o aqaa’ed7 pe na qurbaan8 karo
1.puzzled 2.worried, tired 3.people of faith 4.spirit of humanity 5.for god’s sake 6.sayings 7.beliefs 8.sacrifice
People of faith sacrifice the spirit of humanity in favour of (meaningless) sayings and (blind) faith. josh calls upon them (for god’s sake) not to cause even more problems for humanity than they already have.
7
eemaaN1 ko Khirad2 ke roo-ba-roo3 laaya hai
aur bahas4 ki dil meN aarzu5 laaya hai
kya is se mere alaauu6 par aaye gi aaNch7
ye oas8 ki ek boond jo tu laaya hai
1.faith 2.knowledge, reason 3.face to face 4.argument 5.desire 6.fire pot 7.‘aaNch aana’ is an expression that means – come to harm/disrepute 8.mist
The shaiKh has brought “faith” face to face with “reason” and desires to have a debate. Does he think that this is going to put out the fire of reason in my heart/mind? This is but a drop of mist before my fire and cannot put it out.
8
mahroom1-e tajalliyaat2-e vaafir3 ho jaaye
Khud se ba-gunaah4-e jahal5, naafir6 ho jaaye
zaahid7 na kare sijda8 to muslim na rahe
aa’rif9 jo kare sijda to kaafir10 ho jaaye
1.devoid of 2.brilliance/knowledge 3.plentiful 4.by the sin of i.e. accused of 5.ignorance 6.hated 7.pious, orthodox 8.ritual obeisance 9.sufi mystic 10.non-believer
When the pious/orthodox engage in ritual obeisance (in prayer) they miss out on the abundance of knowledge. They would then be accused of ignorance and will be hated. But if the sufi mystic were to engage in the same ritualistic obeisance he would become a non-believer.
9
kya shaiKh ki Khushk1 zindagaani guzri
bechaare ki ek shab2 na sohaani3 guzri
dozaKh4 ke taKhayyul5 meN buRhaapa beeta
jannat ki dua’auN meN javaani guzri
1.dry, boring 2.night 3.pleasant 4.hell 5.imagination, fear
The poor shaiKh spends a dry and uninteresting life. Not even a single pleasant evening/night. His youth he spent praying for a place in heaven (and stayed away from pleasures of life) and in old age he spends his time fearful of hell.
10
aye shaiKh na mujh se poochh haalat meri
duniya se niraali1 hai tabi’yat2 meri
tashveesh3-e mamaat4 hai teri saum5 o salaat6
t’aameer7-e hayaat8 hai ibaadat9 meri
1.unusual, different 2.temperament, nature 3.anxiety, apprehension 4.death 5.fasting/roza 6.prayer/namaaz 7.building, betterment 8.life (on earth) 9.worship
O shaiKh, do not ask me about what I think/do. My nature is different from that of the rest of the world. Your prayers/namaaz/roza/worship is driven by anxiety/fear of death. My worship is driven by trying to make life better on earth.
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