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Recitation
رُباعیات۔توہینِ سخنوری۔جوش ملیح آبادی
۱
نا بھائی مشاعروں میں اور میں جاؤں
جہاں کو گانے کے عِوَض شعر سناؤں
اب مجھ کو نہیں رہا ہے اِس بات کا شوق
بھینسیں پگلائیں اور میں بین بجاؤں
۲
فطرت میری نظروں سے گِراتی ہے مجھے
جس وقت مشاعروں میں پاتی ہے مجھے
ہوتا ہوں جو نرغے میں غزل گوئیوں کے
اپنی عظمت سے شرم آتی ہے مجھے
۳
ذہنوں کو میرا سخن غذا دیتا ہے
اور گیت تیرا صرف ہوا دیتا ہے
تو دھونکنی ہے جو کہ پھُلا دیتی ہے
میں شعلہ ہوں دِل کو جو ضیا دیتا ہے
۴
تجھ پر اُس شاعری کا در ہے مسدود
بنتا ہے جہاں بشر خدا کا محسود
تو راگ کا طول و ارز رکھتا ہے ضرور
تخیّل کی ہے بلندی مگر مقفود
۵
جیبیں لفظوں سے بھر رہے ہیں شعرا
جھُک جھُک کے سلام کر رہے ہیں شعرا
گا گا کے مشاعروں کے میدانوں میں
تعریف کی گھانس چر رہے ہیں شعرا
रुबाईयात-तौहीन-ए सुख़नवरी-जोश मलीहाबादी
१
ना भाई, मुशाएरौं में और मैं जाऊं
जहां को गाने के एवज़ शेर सुनाऊं
अब मुझ को नहीं रहा है इस बात का शौक़
भैंसें पग्लाएं और मैं बीन बजाऊं
२
फ़ित्रत मेरी नज़्रों से गिराती है मुझे
जिस वक़्त मुशाएरौं में पाती है मुझे
होता हूं जो नरग़े में ग़ज़ल गोयों के
अपनी अज़्मत से शरम आती है मुझे
३
ज़हनों को मेरा सुख़न ग़िज़ा देता है
और गीत तेरा सिर्फ़ हवा देता है
तू धोंक्नी है जो के फुला देती है
मैं शोला हूं दिल को जो ज़िया देता है
४
तुझ पर उस शाएरी का दर है मस्दूद
बनता है जहां बशर ख़ुदा का महसूद
तू राग का तूल ओ अर्ज़ रखता है ज़रूर
तख़य्युल कि है बलंदी मगर मक़्फ़ूद
५
जेबें लफ़्ज़ों से भर रहे है शो’अरा
झुक झुक के सलाम कर रहे हैं शो’अरा
गा गा के मुशाएरौं के मैदां में
तारीफ़ कि घास चर रहे हैं शो’अरा
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. It is said that josh got tired of mushaa’era and looked down upon performances of other poets with disdain, saying that they were merely “wordsmithing” and singing. This selection of rubaaii reflects his disdain for other poets, mushaa’era and the audience at these mushaa’era who expect to hear song and music, which he considered an insult to versification.
1
naa bhai, mushaa’erauN1 meN aur maiN jaauN
jahaaN2 ko gaane ke e’vaz3 she’r sunaauN
ab mujhko nahiN raha hai is baat ka shauq4
bhaiNseN paglaa’eN5 aur maiN been6 bajaauN 1.poet’s convention 2.world 3.instead of 4.wish, desire 5.go mad 6.flute
No, brother, me and go to mushaa’era! And go there to recite couplets instead of singing for the audience (because the audience expects that). I no longer have the desire to do this. It is as if dumb buffalos swing to music while I play the flute.
2
fitrat1 meri nazrauN se giraati2 hai mujhe
jis vaqt mushaa’erauN meN paati hai mujhe
hota huN jo narGhe3 meN Ghazal-goyauN4 ke
apni azmat5 se sharam aati hai mujhe 1.nature, character 2.nazrauN se giraana – make me lose my self-respect 3.surrounded, ambush 4.those who recite Ghazal, Ghazal poets 5.greatness
I feel like I have lost my self-respect, when I find myself at a mushaa’era surrounded by Ghazal shaa’er. That is when I feel ashamed at the insult to my greatness.
3
zahnauN1 ko mera suKhn2 Ghiza3 deta hai
aur geet tera sirf4 hava deta hai
tu dhoNkni5 hai jo ke phula deti hai
maiN sho’la6 huN dil ko jo zia7 deta hai 1.minds 2.verse 3.food 4.only 5.bellows 6.flame 7.light
My verse gives food for thought to minds. Your song only blows hot air. You are like the bellows which blow air and make one feel good. I am like a flame which enlightens the heart/soul.
4
tujh par us shaa’eri ka dar1 hai masdood2
banta hai jahaaN bashar3 Khuda ka mahsood4
tu raag ka tuul-o-arz5 rakhta hai zaroor
taKhayyul6 ki hai balandi7 magar maqfood8 1.door 2.stopped, closed 3.human 4.envy, jealousy 5.length and breadth 6.imagination, thought, reason 7.height 8.lost, missing
The door to the kind of she’r/verse that can make gods envious of humans is closed to you. You certainly know the length and breadth of rhythm and music but the heights of reason and imagination are lost upon you.
5
jebeN lafzauN1 se bhar rahe haiN shu’ara2
jhuk jhuk ke salaam kar rahe haiN shu’ara
gaa gaa ke mushaa’erauN ke maidaanauN meN
taa’reef3 ki ghaaNs char rahe haiN shu’ara 1.words 2.poets, plural of shaa’er 3.praise
They (poets at a mushaa’era) fill your pockets with (musical but meaningless) words. They keep bowing/greeting to accept your acclaim. They keep singing at the mushaa’era to graze in the green pastures of acclamation/praise.
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. It is said that josh got tired of mushaa’era and looked down upon performances of other poets with disdain, saying that they were merely “wordsmithing” and singing. This selection of rubaaii reflects his disdain for other poets, mushaa’era and the audience at these mushaa’era who expect to hear song and music, which he considered an insult to versification.
1
naa bhai, mushaa’erauN1 meN aur maiN jaauN
jahaaN2 ko gaane ke e’vaz3 she’r sunaauN
ab mujhko nahiN raha hai is baat ka shauq4
bhaiNseN paglaa’eN5 aur maiN been6 bajaauN
1.poet’s convention 2.world 3.instead of 4.wish, desire 5.go mad 6.flute
No, brother, me and go to mushaa’era! And go there to recite couplets instead of singing for the audience (because the audience expects that). I no longer have the desire to do this. It is as if dumb buffalos swing to music while I play the flute.
2
fitrat1 meri nazrauN se giraati2 hai mujhe
jis vaqt mushaa’erauN meN paati hai mujhe
hota huN jo narGhe3 meN Ghazal-goyauN4 ke
apni azmat5 se sharam aati hai mujhe
1.nature, character 2.nazrauN se giraana – make me lose my self-respect 3.surrounded, ambush 4.those who recite Ghazal, Ghazal poets 5.greatness
I feel like I have lost my self-respect, when I find myself at a mushaa’era surrounded by Ghazal shaa’er. That is when I feel ashamed at the insult to my greatness.
3
zahnauN1 ko mera suKhn2 Ghiza3 deta hai
aur geet tera sirf4 hava deta hai
tu dhoNkni5 hai jo ke phula deti hai
maiN sho’la6 huN dil ko jo zia7 deta hai
1.minds 2.verse 3.food 4.only 5.bellows 6.flame 7.light
My verse gives food for thought to minds. Your song only blows hot air. You are like the bellows which blow air and make one feel good. I am like a flame which enlightens the heart/soul.
4
tujh par us shaa’eri ka dar1 hai masdood2
banta hai jahaaN bashar3 Khuda ka mahsood4
tu raag ka tuul-o-arz5 rakhta hai zaroor
taKhayyul6 ki hai balandi7 magar maqfood8
1.door 2.stopped, closed 3.human 4.envy, jealousy 5.length and breadth 6.imagination, thought, reason 7.height 8.lost, missing
The door to the kind of she’r/verse that can make gods envious of humans is closed to you. You certainly know the length and breadth of rhythm and music but the heights of reason and imagination are lost upon you.
5
jebeN lafzauN1 se bhar rahe haiN shu’ara2
jhuk jhuk ke salaam kar rahe haiN shu’ara
gaa gaa ke mushaa’erauN ke maidaanauN meN
taa’reef3 ki ghaaNs char rahe haiN shu’ara
1.words 2.poets, plural of shaa’er 3.praise
They (poets at a mushaa’era) fill your pockets with (musical but meaningless) words. They keep bowing/greeting to accept your acclaim. They keep singing at the mushaa’era to graze in the green pastures of acclamation/praise.
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