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Recitation
رباعیات۔تضاد۔جوش ملیح آبادی
۱
اِنصاف! بتوں کی چاہ دینے والے
حسن اُن کو، نگاہ مجھ کو دینے والے
کس منھ سے مجھے حشر میں دے گا تعزیر
دِل کو حوسِ گناہ دینے والے
۲
وہ فکر کی تکرار کئے جاتا ہے
یہ دین پہ اِسرار کئے جاتا ہے
اِک عمر سے اِنکار پہ مائل ہے دماغ
اور دِل ہے کہ اقرار کئے جاتا ہے
۳
یارب، نئی لوح کہنہ مضمون، یہ کیا
صدیوں کے لئے ایک ہی معجون، یہ کیا
ہر آن بدلنے والے اِنساں کے لئے
جو بھر نہ بدلنے والا قانون، یہ کیا
۴
صنعت کا یہ طوفان نہ ہوتا اے دوست
موجد کوئی اِنسان نہ ہوتا اے دوست
ہوتا اگر کوئی جہاں کا خلّاق
تخلیق کا اِمکان نہ ہوتا اے دوست
۵
دیواروں سے ناکوں کو رگڑ رکھا ہے
ایمان کے پنجے میں پکڑ رکھا ہے
تم جِس کو گرہ کُشا کا دیتے ہو خطاب
اُس نے ہی تو تم سب کو جکڑ رکھا ہے
۶
ادیان کی جس وقت عمارت دیکھی
اُس وقت عجیب دِل کی حالت دیکھی
دیکھے در و دیوار تو حکمت پائی
اور نیو کریدی تو حماقت دیکھی
۷
اے دِل کے دشمنو خدائی خارو
اِس طرح نہ اِنصاف کی گردن مارو
پکڑی جاتی ہے ہر خطا پر مخلوق
خالق کو نہیں کوئی پکڑتا یارو
۸
کھولا ہے تو ہر ایک گِرہ کو کھولو
منطق کی ترازو پہ ہر ایک شئے تولو
مانا کہ یہ عالم ہے کِسی کی ایجاد
اور علّتِ ایجاد ہے کیا، اب بولو
रुबाईयात-तज़ाद-जोश मलीहाबादी
१
इन्साफ़! बुतौं कि चाह देने वाले
हुस्न उन को, निगाह मुझ को देने वाले
किस मुंह से मुझे हश्र में देगा ता’ज़ीर
दिल को हवस-ए गुनाह देने वाले
२
वो कुफ़्र कि तक्रार किये जाता है
ये दीन पे इस्रार किये जाता है
एक उम्र से इन्कार पे मा’एल है दिमाग़
और दिल है के इक़्रार किये जाता है
३
यारब, नई लौह, कोहना मज़्मून ये क्या
सदीयौं के लिए एक ही मा’जून ये क्या
हर आन बदलने वाले इन्सां के लिए
जौ भर न बदलने वाला क़ानून, ये क्या
४
सन’अत का ये तूफ़ान न होता अए दोस्त
मोजिद कोई इन्सान न होता अए दोस्त
होता अगर कोई जहां का ख़ल्लाक़
तख़्लीक़ का इमकान न होता अए दोस्त
५
दीवारौं से नाकौं को रगड़ रक्खा है
ईमान के पंजे में पकड़ रक्खा है
तुम जिस को गिरह कुशा का देते हो ख़िताब
उस ने ही तो तुम सब को जकड़ रक्खा है
६
अद्यान कि जिस वक़्त इमारत देखि
उस वक़्त अजीब दिल कि हालत देखि
देखे दर ओ दीवार तो हिकमत पाई
और नीव कुरेदी तो हिमाक़त देखि
७
अए अक़्ल के दुश्मनों, ख़ुदाई ख़ारो
इस तरह न इन्साफ़ कि गर्दन मारो
पकड़ी जाती है हर ख़ता पर मख़्लूक़
ख़ालेक़ को नहीं कोई पकड़ता यारो
८
खोला है तो हर एक गिरह को खोलो
मन्तक़ कि तराज़ू पे हर एक शै तोलो
माना के ये आलम है किसी कि ईजाद
और इल्लत-ए ईजाद है क्या, अब बोलो
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 one that illustrates many self-contradictions/conflicts -‘tazaad’ in our thinking.
1
insaaf1! butauN2 ki chaah dene vaale
husn un ko, nigaah mujh ko dene vaale
kis muNh se mujhe hashr3 meN dega ta’azeer4
dil ko havas5-e gunaah dene vaale 1.justice 2.idols, damsels 3.judgement day 4.punishment 5.lust
Justice, O god. It was you who gave me a liking for beautiful young damsels. You are the one who gave them beauty and me a discriminating eye. How can you punish me on the day of judgement, you who gave me lust for sin.
2
vo kufr1 ki takraar2 kiye jaata hai
ye deen3 pe israar4 kiye jaata hai
ek umr se inkaar5 pe maa’el6 hai dimaaGh
aur dil hai ke iqraar7 kiye jaata hai 1.non-belief 2. argument 3.faith 4.insist 5.denial 6.inclined towards 7.agree, accept
josh portrays the struggle between heart and mind. The mind keeps arguing about non-belief. The heart keeps insisting on belief. The brain/mind is inclined towards denial for a long time and heart keeps saying ‘yes’.
3
yaarab1, naii lauh2, kuhna3 mazmoon4, ye kya
sadiyauN5 ke liye ek hi ma’joon6, ye kya
har aan7 badalne vaale insaaN ke liye
jau8 bhar na badalne vaala qanoon9, ye kya 1.lord, god 2.writing tablet/paper 3.ancient 4.subject, topic 5.centuries 6.cure, elixir 7.moment 8.grain 9.laws
O god, a new page and the same old subject. The same potion/elixir for centuries. With humanity changing every moment, laws that do not change even as much as a grain, how can this be.
4
san’at1 ka ye toofan2 na hota aye dost
mojid3 koii insaan na hota aye dost
hota agar koi jahaaN ka Khallaaq4
taKhleeq5 ka imkaan6 na hota aye dost 1.craft, industry – but used here to mean innovation 2.storm 3.inventor 4.builder, architect, creator 5.creation, innovation 6.possibility
If there had been a god, a creator of this universe and he would have been perfect then there would have been no possibility of human creativity and innovation. This storm of innovation would not have been possible.
5
deevaarauN se naakauN ko ragaR1 rakha hai
eemaan2 ke panje3 meN pakaR rakha hai
tum jis ko girah-kusha4 ka dete ho Khitaab5
us ne hi to tum sub ko jakaR6 rakkha hai 1.naak ragaRna is the ultimate subservience/helplessness 2.faith 3.claws/paws 4.opener (undoing) of knots, solver of problems 5.title 6.bind
He has forced us to rub our noses. He holds us in the grip of faith. He, who you call the “opener/undo-er of all knots” has kept all of you tied and bound.
6
adyaan1 ki jis vaqt imaarat2 dekhi
us vaqt ajeeb3 dil ki haalat dekhi
dekhe dar-o-deevaar4 to hikmat5 paaii
aur neev6 kuredi7 to himaaqat8 dekhi 1.beliefs, faiths 2.building, palace 3.strange 4.doors and walls – used here to mean “super-structure” 5.wisdom 6.foundation 7.scratched 8.foolishness
When I saw the palaces of faiths (all of them) I found this strange thing. The super-structure looks reasonable enough, but when I scratch the foundation I find foolishness.
7
aye aql ke dushmano, Khudaaii Khaaro
is tarah na insaaf1 ki gardan maaro
pakRi jaati hai har Khataa2 par maKhlooq3
Khaaliq4 ko nahiN koi pakaRta yaaro 1.justice 2.transgression 3.creatures 4.creator
O you enemies of reason/intellect, purveyors of god, do not twist the neck of justice like this. All creatures get apprehended and punished for their transgressions but no one goes after the creator.
8
khola hai to har ek girah1 ko kholo
mantaq2 ki tarazu3 pe har ek shai4 tolo
maana ke ye aalam5 hai kisi ki eejaad6
aur illat7-e eejaad hai kya, ab bolo? 1.knot 2.logic 3.scales 4.thing 5.universe 6.invention/creation 7.cause, origin
If you are undoing knots, then undo all knots. Weigh everything in the scales of logic. I agree that this universe is the creation of someone (I personally, respectfully disagree with josh), then who is the creator of that someone, pray tell me.
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 one that illustrates many self-contradictions/conflicts -‘tazaad’ in our thinking.
1
insaaf1! butauN2 ki chaah dene vaale
husn un ko, nigaah mujh ko dene vaale
kis muNh se mujhe hashr3 meN dega ta’azeer4
dil ko havas5-e gunaah dene vaale
1.justice 2.idols, damsels 3.judgement day 4.punishment 5.lust
Justice, O god. It was you who gave me a liking for beautiful young damsels. You are the one who gave them beauty and me a discriminating eye. How can you punish me on the day of judgement, you who gave me lust for sin.
2
vo kufr1 ki takraar2 kiye jaata hai
ye deen3 pe israar4 kiye jaata hai
ek umr se inkaar5 pe maa’el6 hai dimaaGh
aur dil hai ke iqraar7 kiye jaata hai
1.non-belief 2. argument 3.faith 4.insist 5.denial 6.inclined towards 7.agree, accept
josh portrays the struggle between heart and mind. The mind keeps arguing about non-belief. The heart keeps insisting on belief. The brain/mind is inclined towards denial for a long time and heart keeps saying ‘yes’.
3
yaarab1, naii lauh2, kuhna3 mazmoon4, ye kya
sadiyauN5 ke liye ek hi ma’joon6, ye kya
har aan7 badalne vaale insaaN ke liye
jau8 bhar na badalne vaala qanoon9, ye kya
1.lord, god 2.writing tablet/paper 3.ancient 4.subject, topic 5.centuries 6.cure, elixir 7.moment 8.grain 9.laws
O god, a new page and the same old subject. The same potion/elixir for centuries. With humanity changing every moment, laws that do not change even as much as a grain, how can this be.
4
san’at1 ka ye toofan2 na hota aye dost
mojid3 koii insaan na hota aye dost
hota agar koi jahaaN ka Khallaaq4
taKhleeq5 ka imkaan6 na hota aye dost
1.craft, industry – but used here to mean innovation 2.storm 3.inventor 4.builder, architect, creator 5.creation, innovation 6.possibility
If there had been a god, a creator of this universe and he would have been perfect then there would have been no possibility of human creativity and innovation. This storm of innovation would not have been possible.
5
deevaarauN se naakauN ko ragaR1 rakha hai
eemaan2 ke panje3 meN pakaR rakha hai
tum jis ko girah-kusha4 ka dete ho Khitaab5
us ne hi to tum sub ko jakaR6 rakkha hai
1.naak ragaRna is the ultimate subservience/helplessness 2.faith 3.claws/paws 4.opener (undoing) of knots, solver of problems 5.title 6.bind
He has forced us to rub our noses. He holds us in the grip of faith. He, who you call the “opener/undo-er of all knots” has kept all of you tied and bound.
6
adyaan1 ki jis vaqt imaarat2 dekhi
us vaqt ajeeb3 dil ki haalat dekhi
dekhe dar-o-deevaar4 to hikmat5 paaii
aur neev6 kuredi7 to himaaqat8 dekhi
1.beliefs, faiths 2.building, palace 3.strange 4.doors and walls – used here to mean “super-structure” 5.wisdom 6.foundation 7.scratched 8.foolishness
When I saw the palaces of faiths (all of them) I found this strange thing. The super-structure looks reasonable enough, but when I scratch the foundation I find foolishness.
7
aye aql ke dushmano, Khudaaii Khaaro
is tarah na insaaf1 ki gardan maaro
pakRi jaati hai har Khataa2 par maKhlooq3
Khaaliq4 ko nahiN koi pakaRta yaaro
1.justice 2.transgression 3.creatures 4.creator
O you enemies of reason/intellect, purveyors of god, do not twist the neck of justice like this. All creatures get apprehended and punished for their transgressions but no one goes after the creator.
8
khola hai to har ek girah1 ko kholo
mantaq2 ki tarazu3 pe har ek shai4 tolo
maana ke ye aalam5 hai kisi ki eejaad6
aur illat7-e eejaad hai kya, ab bolo?
1.knot 2.logic 3.scales 4.thing 5.universe 6.invention/creation 7.cause, origin
If you are undoing knots, then undo all knots. Weigh everything in the scales of logic. I agree that this universe is the creation of someone (I personally, respectfully disagree with josh), then who is the creator of that someone, pray tell me.
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