Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. josh malihabadi (1898-1982) is known as – shaa’er-e inqelaab – poet of revolution. His nazm are fiery, passionate and full of energy. His Ghazal and rubaaii are equally good. He was a secular humanist writing sharply and irreverently against colonialism, abuse of power, injustice and orthodoxy. This Ghazal/nazm is in the style of Ghalib’s ‘lab-saaqi meN salaa mere baad’ and is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam along with others like it.
1
na vo alfaaz¹ ke naGhme², na vo mu’aani³ ka suroor⁴
guNg⁵ hai mutrib⁶-e andaaz⁷-e bayaaN⁸ mere baad    1.words 2.song, harmony 3.meaning 4.exhilaration 5.dumb, silent 6.singer, musician 7.style of 8.speaking, recitation
Neither is there musical harmony in words, nor exhilarating depths of meaning. The singer and musician have been silenced after my style of Ghazal recitation is gone, after me (my death).
2
tiir dil par vo lagaaye keh lachakti¹ hi nahiN
abru²-e she’r ki gul-rez³ kamaaN⁴ mere baad    1.sway (like the beloved’s waist), to bend 2.eyebrow 3.rose scattering 4.bow, arch
The word ‘lachakna’ is normally used for the gentle bending or swaying of (say) a supple branch, or the beloved’s waist. Here it is used to portray the arching of the eye-brow. A she’r/verse is visualized as the beloved. It scatters rose-petals like roses on a supple branch of a rose-bush would, by arching in the breeze. But after the poet is gone, it does not do that anymore, because its heart has been shot through by so many arrows. Who has shot arrows at the heart of the she’r? Incapable poets/shu’ara, who are the only ones left after him.
3
phir uloohiyyat¹-e insaaN ki tasavvur² hai Khajil³
phir jabiinoN⁴ pe haiN sajdon⁵ ke nishaaN⁶ mere baad 1.divinity 2.concept 3.ashamed, embarrassed 4.foreheads 5.ritual prostration 6.marks
josh wrote much about the concept of a universal divine spirit and about each human being a part of it, thus divine. This would be the concept of universal divinity with each person standing proud/tall as a part of universal divinity. Opposed to this the conventional practice of prostrating before a divine power distinct from its creation. Such repeated prostration (sajda) leaves a mark on the forehead and is considered a sign of devotion to god. Thus, the concept of divinity of humans is embarrassed and everyone once again is offering ritual prayers after the poet is dead. Said Ghalib …
thi nigah meri nihaaN-Khaanah-e dil ki naqqaab
be-Khatar jiite haiN arbaab-e riyaa mere b’aad
4
be-jhijak¹ ho ke uThaaya hai phir auraad² ne sar
khul ke goonji³ hai phir aavaaz-e az’aaN⁴ mere baad    1.without hesitations 2.ritual chanting 3.echoes 4.ritual call to prayer
Without any hesitation ritual chanting raised its head. Once again the sound of the az’aan echoed openly after me.
5
phir haqaa’eq¹ se haiN masroof²-e tamasKhur³ auhaam⁴
phir yaqiiN⁵ par mutabassim⁶ hai gumaaN⁷ mere baad    1.truths, facts 2.busy 3.making fun of 4.superstitions 5.certainty, knowledge 6.smiling 7.speculation, doubt, conjecture, supposition
Once again, superstitions are busy making fun of knowledge. Conjecture (of faith) smiles at certainty of knowledge after me.
6
zinda afkaar¹ ka partau² na raha zahnoN³ par
murda⁴ hai anjuman⁵-e diida-varaaN⁶ mere baad    1.thinking, reasoning 2.reflection 3.minds 4.dead 5.association 6.discerning sight
Minds do not reflect the energy of living, throbbing reason. The association of discerning thinkers is dead, after me.
7
zard¹ hai chehra²-e gulraNg³-e nigaar⁴-e daanish⁵
tiira⁶ hai mahfil⁷-e saahab-nazaraaN⁸ mere baad    1.pale 2.face 3.rose coloured 4.beauty, embellishments 5.wisdom 6.dark 7.gathering, society 8.owners of discerning sight
Faces of the wise have gone pale. The gathering of people of discerning sight has gone dark.
8
vaa’e¹ taqdiir² keh phir aql³ o junooN⁴ ke maabain⁵
koii baaqi⁶ na raha rabt⁷-e nehaaN⁸ mere baad    1.alas 2.fate 3.mind 4.passion 5.between 6.remained 7.relationship 8.hidden
Alas, such fate that between the mind and passion, there did not remain any hidden/subtle relationship after me i.e., when the poet was alive he wrote subtly about the relationship between the two, giving them each their place. Now that balance is gone.
9
apne alfaaz¹ ki mayyat² ko sar-e-dosh³ uThaaye
mahv⁴-e faryaad⁵ hai salma⁶-e zabaaN⁷ mere baad    1.words 2.corpse, funeral bier 3.on the shoulders 4.engrossed in 5.mourning 6.embroidery, embellishment 7.language
Bearing the funeral bier of its words on its own shoulders, the embellishment/beauty of language is engrossed in mourning, after me.
10
karvaTeN¹ shaam se taa² sub’h badalte³ haiN nujoom⁴
yuN dhaRakta⁵ hai dil-e zohra-vashaaN⁶ mere baad    1.sides 2.until 3.changing (sides) restlessly 4.stars 5.heart-beat in fear 6.Venus faced
karvaTeN badalna is to change sides restlessly, dil dhaRakna is trembling in fear and the beloved, beauties are imagined as zohra-vash, Venus-faced, Venus being symbolic of beauty. After the poet’s death, the heart of the beloved beats in fear, because there is not one who can compose verse worth their beauty. Observing this, stars restlessly change sides all night long.
11
na rahaa koii adaa-sanj¹-e hasiinaan-e-jahaaN²
sar-ba-zaanu³ haiN hasiinaan-e jahaaN mere baad   1.judge/appreciater of the fine points of coquettish style 2.beauties of the world beloved 3.head resting on the knee, downcast, despondent
There is on one left who can judge/appreciate the coquettish style of the beloved. The beloveds of the world have been despondent after me.
12
aaKhri mushtari¹-e jins²-e javaani na raha
band³ hai Ghurfa⁴-e Khoobaan-e-jahaaN⁵ mere baad    1.buyer 2.commodity, ingredients 3.closed 4.window 5.beloveds of the world
The last buyer of the ingredients of youth is gone. The windows of the beloveds of the world have closed shut after me i.e., they given up on looking out furtively for an admirer.
13
paR gaye qufl¹ adaa’oN² ke sanam-KhaanoN³ meN
sar-niguuN⁴ hai alam⁵-e naaz⁶-e butaaN⁷ mere baad 1.locks 2.coquettish style 3.idol houses, temples 4.bowed head 5.banner 6.coquetry 7.idols, beloved
The temples of coquettish style are locked up. The banner of the coquetry of the beloved is drooping after me.
14
ho gaya qaht¹-e Khariidaari-e mai² ke baa’is³
chashm⁴-e aalam⁵ meN subuk⁶ ratl⁷-e giraaN⁸ mere baad    1.drought, scarcity 2.wine 3.on the basis of 4.eyes 5.world 6.light, worthless 7.barrell 8.heavy, valuable
Because of the scarcity of buyers of wine, highly valued barrells became worthless, after me. Said Ghalib … faarsi …
taa ze diivaanam keh sarmast-e suKhan Khwaahad shudan
iin mai az qahat-e Khariidaari kohan Khwaahad shudan
urdu re-composition … shahed …
gar koii hota na ho mast-e mai-e she’r o suKhan mere baad
baa’is-e qaht-e Khariidaari na ho jaaye kohan mere baad
If no one gets inebriated on the wine of verse after me
Because of the scarcity of buyers this wine may become stale after me
15
chaandni tak¹ hai Kharaabaat² meN dhundli dhundli
yuN siyah-posh³ haiN rindaan⁴-e jahaaN mere baad   1.used here to mean ‘even’ 2.taverns 3.wearing black, mourning 4.wine lovers
Even moonlight is pale/hazy in taverns these days. Such have wine-donned the colour of mourning after me.
16
ab kise qadr¹ khanakte² hue paimaanoN³ ki
band hai kaar-gah⁴-e shiisha-garaaN⁵ mere baad    1.value, respect 2.tinkling 3.wine glasses 4.workshop 5.glass blowers, glass workers
Who values/respects tinkling wine-cups these days. The workshop of glass blowers has been shut down after me.
17
aaKhri¹ sham’a²-e Kharaabaat³ hui hai Khaamosh⁴
uTh raha hai dil-e saaqi se dhuaaN mere baad   1.last 2.lamp, candle 3.tavern 4.extinguished
The last candle of the tavern has been put out. Smoke rises from the bosom of the saaqi after me. Said Ghalib …
sham’a bujhti hai to us meN se dhuaaN uThtaa hai
sho’la-e ishq siyah-posh hua mere b’aad
18
ahl-e-maatam¹ ka Kharaabaat² se nikla hai juloos³
zer⁴-e sarkardagi⁵-e piir-e-muGhaaN⁶ mere baad   1.mourners 2.taverns 3.procession 4.under 5.leadership 6.chief wine-maker
A procession of mourners set off from taverns, under the leadership of chief-makers after me.
19
ek udaasi¹ hai mahakte² hue bustaanoN³ meN
ek andhera hai sar-e-aab-e-ravaaN⁴ mere baad    1.sadness 2.fragrant 3.gardens 4.an expression meaning along the banks of flowing waters/rivers
josh had a long-standing habit of taking walks at the crack of dawn along the banks of rivers and in parks. He claimed that he got his inspiration to compose during this time. Thus, a sadness has descended on fragrant gardens and there is darkness along banks of rivers after me. The darkness along the banks of rivers could mean that he is no longer walking along them, or that there is no one to receive inspiration after him.
20
kis ko baKhshe¹ alam²-e himmat³-e garduuN-shikani⁴
chashm⁵-e geti⁶ hai ba-har-soo⁷ nigaraaN⁸ mere baad    1.grant 2.flag, standard 3.courage 4.break/attack the sky/heavens, orthodoxy 5.eyes 6.world 7.in every direction 8.watching, searching, looking
Who can I grant the flag of courage to attack orthodoxy. The eyes of the world search in vain in every direction, after me. Said Ghalib…
kaun hotaa hai hariif-e mai-e mard-afgan-e ’ishq
hai mukarrar lab-e saaqi meN salaa mere baad
21
haif¹ aye Khusravi²-e kaakul³ o kaunain⁴ o kitaab⁵
kis ko sauNpeN⁶ tera tabl⁷ o nishaaN⁸ mere baad    1.alas, woe to 2.lordship, dominion 3.hair/beloved 4.here and hereafter 5.book (of verse) 6.hand over, entrust 7.drum 8.emblem of authority
Woe to dominion over affairs of the beloved’s hair, of the here and hereafter and the art of composing. Who can they grant your drum and authority after me.
22
haif ye saa’eqa¹ o sarsar² o sailaab³ o sumoom⁴
kis ke aaGhosh⁵ meN paayeNge amaaN⁶ mere baad    1.lightning flash 2.stormy winds 3.floods 4.poisonous air 5.lap 6.protection
josh uses lightning, storms and floods as symbols of resistance of downtrodden people directed against the powerful at the right time. He may be using ‘sumoom’ as a symbol of vitriolic words/verse (probably his own) also similarly directed. He is the one who has sheltered/nurtured them in his lap. Who will do this after him.
23
sar-ba-zaanu¹ haiN imaamaan²-e Kharaabaat³ aye josh⁴
kaun ho qibla⁵-e rindaan⁶-e jahaaN⁷ mere baad   1.head on the knee, despondent 2.leaders 3.tavern 4.pen-name of the poet 5.focus of devotion 6.wine lovers 7.world
The leaders of taverns are utterly despondent, O josh. Who will be the focus of devotion of the wine-lovers of this world after me.