Recitation
صندل و گلاب کی راکھ ۔ سردار جعفری
مرے وطن کی زمیں کے اُداس آنچل میں
نہ آج رنگ نہ خوشبو، بھری ہوئی ہے دھول
خبر نہیں کہ ہے کِس دِل جلے کی لاش جسے
جُھکا کے سر کو پہاڑوں نے بھی کیا ہے قبول
سُنا ہے جِس کی چِتا سے یہ خاک آئی ہے
وہ فصلِ گُل کا پیمبر تھا عہدِ نو کا رسول
اُسے خبر تھی خزاں کِس چمن میں سوتی ہے
وہ جانتا تھا کہ کیا ہے بہار کا معمول
سِکھایا کشمکشِ جنگ و امن میں اُس نے
جراحتوں کو چمن بندیٔ جہاں کا اُصول
اُنھیں دِلوں میں محبّت کی کیاریاں بوئیں
اُگے ہوئے تھے جہاں صرف نفرتوں کے ببول
عطا ہوئی تھی اُسے روز و شب کی بیتابی
وہ اُس کی جرأتِ رِندانہ اُس کا شوقِ فضول
جو آج موت کے دامن میں اِک ستارہ ہے
وہ زندگی کے گریباں میں تھا گلاب کا پھول
وفا کا ذکر ہی کیا، اُس کی بے وفائی نے
خراجِ عشق و محبت کیا ہے ہم سے وصول
وہ برہمن کہ جسے مسجدوں نے پیار کیا
وہ بُت شکن کہ جو بزمِ بُتاں میں تھا مقبول
وہ جسم آج ہے جو صندل و گلاب کی راکھ
وطن کی خاک کے سجدوں میں اب بھی ہے مشغول
اُتر رہا ہے کُچھ اِس طرح اپنی دھرتی پر
کہ آسمان سے جِس طرح رحمتوں کا نزول
اب اُس کے فیض سے بنجر بھی لہلہائیں گے
کِھلیں گے خارِ بیاباں سے بھی بہار کے پھول
संदल ओ गुलाब की राख – सरदार जाफ़री
मेरे वतन की ज़मीं के उदास आँचल में
न आज रंग न ख़ुश्बू, भरी हुई है धूल
ख़बर नहीं के है किस दिल जले की लाश जिसे
झुका के सर को पहाड़ों ने भी किया है क़ुबूल
सुना है जिस की चीता से ये ख़ाक आई है
वो फ़स्ल-ए गुल का पैयम्बर था अहद-ए नौ का रसूल
उसे खबर थी ख़िज़ां किस चमन में सोती है
वो जानता था के क्या है बहार का मा’मूल
सिखाया कशमकश-ए जंग ओ अम्न में उस ने
जराहतौं को चमन बंदी-ए जहां का उसूल
उन्हीं दिलों में मोहब्बत की क्यारियां बोईं
उगे हुए थे जहां सिर्फ़ नफ़रतों के बबूल
अता हुई थी उसे रोज़ ओ शब की बे-ताबी
वो उस की जुर’अत-ए रिंदाना उस का शौक़-ए फ़ुज़ूल
जो आज मौत के दामन में एक सितारा है
वो ज़िंदगी के गरेबां में था गुलाब का फूल
वफ़ा का ज़िक्र ही क्या, उस की बे-वफ़ाई ने
ख़िराज-ए इश्क़ ओ मोहब्बत किया है हम से वुसूल
वो बरहमन के जिसे मस्जिदौं ने प्यार किया
वो बुत शिकन के जो बज़्म-ए बुतां में था मक़बूल
वो जिस्म आज है जो संदल ओ गुलाब की राख
वतन की ख़ाक के सिज्दों में अब भी है मश्ग़ूल
उतर रहा है कुछ इस तरह अपनी धरती पर
के आसमान से जिस तरह रहमतों का नुज़ूल
अब उस के फ़ैज़ से बंजर भी लहलहाएंगे
खिलेंगे ख़ार-ए बियाबां से भी बहार के फूल
sandal o gulaab ki raakh – sardar jafri
Click here for overall comments and on any she’r for word meanings and discussion. A moving tribute to jawaharlal nehru whose body was cremated in sandalwood with roses piled on top. The ashes were then scattered by air over mountains and hills and into rivers. His wish was to be mingled in the dust of the country. It should be remembered that nehru and sardar jafri were politically on opposite sides and sardar jafri was imprisoned by nehru’s government. In spite of political differences, the deep regard/respect speaks volumes.
mere vatan ki zamiN ke udaas aaNchal meN
na aaj raNg na Khushboo, bhari hui hai dhool The imagery is of the poet’s homeland personified as a village damsel gathering flowers in the aaNchal/pallu of her sari. But today instead of colour and fragrance of flowers, her sorrowful aNchal is filled with ashes.
Khabar1 nahiN ke hai kis dil-jale2 ki laash3 jise
jhuka ke sar ko pahaaRauN ne bhi kiya hai qubool4 1.known 2.colloquially used to mean “unfortunate person” 3.corpse 4.accept
I do not know whose unfortunate corpse this is, but even mountains accept his ashes with bowed head.
suna hai jis ki chita1 se ye Khaak aaii hai
vo fasl-e-gul2 ka paiambar3 tha ahd-e-nau4 ka rasool5 1.cremation 2.season of flowers, spring, well-being 3.messenger 4.new age/era 5.prophet
I hear that these ashes are from the cremation of one who was a messenger of better days to come, a prophet of a new/just order.
use Khabar1 thi KhizaaN2 kis chaman meN soti hai
vo jaanta tha ke kya hai bahaar3 ka ma’mool4 1.knowledge 2.fall, dry/barren season 3.spring 4.routine
He knew the changing of the times, the time of famine and the coming of spring. He had the foresight to see good and bad.
sikhaaya kashmakash1-e jaNg-o-amn2 meN us ne
jaraahatauN3 ko chaman-bandi4-e jahaaN5 ka usool6 1.struggle 2.war and peace 3.used in the sense of ‘jarraah’ – healer 4.growing gardens, bind wounds 5.world 6.rules
In times of war and peace, he taught us the rules/ways of the world, to heal and bind wounds.
unhiN dilauN meN mohabbat ki kyaariyaaN1 boiiN2
uge3 hue the jahaaN4 sirf5 nafratauN6 ke babool7 1.beds (as in beds of flowers in a garden) 2.sow/plant 3.grown 4.where 5.only 6.hatred 7.thorny brush He planted beds of flowers of love in fields where only the thorn brush of hatred grew.
ata1 hui thi use roz-o-shab2 ki be-taabi3
vo us ki jur’at-e-rindaana4 us ka shauq-e-fuzool5 1.granted 2.day and night 3.restlessness 4.fearless daring, audacious 5.selfless passion
He was granted restlessness night and day, an audacious courage and a selfless drive. Even when the effort was likely to be in vain, he kept trying, audaciously.
jo aaj maut1 ke daaman2 meN ek sitaara hai
vo zindagi ke garebaaN3 meN tha gulaab ka phool1.death/Death personifed 2.lap 3.collar
The bright star that now lies in the lap of Death was the rose in the collar of Life. This of course is also a reference to the rose that Nehru wore in his sherwani/coat button-hole.
vafa1 ka zikr2 hi kya, us ki be-vafaaii3 ne
Khiraaj4-e ishq5 o mohabbat kiya hai hum se vusool6 1.faith, keeping promise 2.mention 3.faithlessness 4.tribute 5.love 6.demand, receive
What to mention of his promises/goodwill, even his faithlessness was so great that it demands and receives our tribute of love. This might be a reference that his government sent sardar jafri and his comrades to jail, but they still admire him.
vo barhaman ke jise masjidauN ne pyaar kiya
vo but-shikan1 ke jo bazm-e-butaaN2 meN tha maqbool3 1.iconoclast, unorthodox 2.assembly of idols – used here to mean orthodox/religious groups 3.popular, liked
The brahman whom masjids loved, the rebel whom even conventional religion found likable.
vo jism1 aaj hai jo sandal o gulaab ki raakh
vatan ki Khaak2 ke sijdauN3 meN ab bhi hai mashGhool4 1.body 2.dust 3.bow down to, offer homage 4.busy
That body, which today is reduced to ashes of sandalwood and rose is still busy paying homage to the dust of the homeland. This has reference to Nehru’s will, under which his ashes were strewn all over hills and fields and sprinkled into rivers.
utar raha hai kuchh is tarah apni dharti par
ke aasmaan se jis tarah rahmatauN1 ka nuzool2 1.blessings 2.descent
Nehru’s ashes were strewn out of an airplane into clouds to rain down on the earth. Thus … his ashes fall on the earth as if blessings were descending down from the skies.
ab us ke faiz1 se banjar2 bhi lahlahaaeNge3
khileNge Khaar-e-biyaabaaN4 se bhi bahaar5 ke phool1.grace, blessing 2.arid land 3.bloom, flourish 4.thorns of the wilderness 5.spring
Because of his grace, even in arid, thorny wilderness spring flowers will bloom.
sandal o gulaab ki raakh – sardar jafri
A moving tribute to jawaharlal nehru whose body was cremated in sandalwood with roses piled on top. The ashes were then scattered by air over mountains and hills and into rivers. His wish was to be mingled in the dust of the country. It should be remembered that nehru and sardar jafri were politically on opposite sides and sardar jafri was imprisoned by nehru’s government. In spite of political differences, the deep regard/respect speaks volumes.
mere vatan ki zamiN ke udaas aaNchal meN
na aaj raNg na Khushboo, bhari hui hai dhool
The imagery is of the poet’s homeland personified as a village damsel gathering flowers in the aaNchal/pallu of her sari. But today instead of colour and fragrance of flowers, her sorrowful aNchal is filled with ashes.
Khabar1 nahiN ke hai kis dil-jale2 ki laash3 jise
jhuka ke sar ko pahaaRauN ne bhi kiya hai qubool4
1.known 2.colloquially used to mean “unfortunate person” 3.corpse 4.accept
I do not know whose unfortunate corpse this is, but even mountains accept his ashes with bowed head.
suna hai jis ki chita1 se ye Khaak aaii hai
vo fasl-e-gul2 ka paiambar3 tha ahd-e-nau4 ka rasool5
1.cremation 2.season of flowers, spring, well-being 3.messenger 4.new age/era 5.prophet
I hear that these ashes are from the cremation of one who was a messenger of better days to come, a prophet of a new/just order.
use Khabar1 thi KhizaaN2 kis chaman meN soti hai
vo jaanta tha ke kya hai bahaar3 ka ma’mool4
1.knowledge 2.fall, dry/barren season 3.spring 4.routine
He knew the changing of the times, the time of famine and the coming of spring. He had the foresight to see good and bad.
sikhaaya kashmakash1-e jaNg-o-amn2 meN us ne
jaraahatauN3 ko chaman-bandi4-e jahaaN5 ka usool6
1.struggle 2.war and peace 3.used in the sense of ‘jarraah’ – healer 4.growing gardens, bind wounds 5.world 6.rules
In times of war and peace, he taught us the rules/ways of the world, to heal and bind wounds.
unhiN dilauN meN mohabbat ki kyaariyaaN1 boiiN2
uge3 hue the jahaaN4 sirf5 nafratauN6 ke babool7
1.beds (as in beds of flowers in a garden) 2.sow/plant 3.grown 4.where 5.only 6.hatred 7.thorny brush
He planted beds of flowers of love in fields where only the thorn brush of hatred grew.
ata1 hui thi use roz-o-shab2 ki be-taabi3
vo us ki jur’at-e-rindaana4 us ka shauq-e-fuzool5
1.granted 2.day and night 3.restlessness 4.fearless daring, audacious 5.selfless passion
He was granted restlessness night and day, an audacious courage and a selfless drive. Even when the effort was likely to be in vain, he kept trying, audaciously.
jo aaj maut1 ke daaman2 meN ek sitaara hai
vo zindagi ke garebaaN3 meN tha gulaab ka phool
1.death/Death personifed 2.lap 3.collar
The bright star that now lies in the lap of Death was the rose in the collar of Life. This of course is also a reference to the rose that Nehru wore in his sherwani/coat button-hole.
vafa1 ka zikr2 hi kya, us ki be-vafaaii3 ne
Khiraaj4-e ishq5 o mohabbat kiya hai hum se vusool6
1.faith, keeping promise 2.mention 3.faithlessness 4.tribute 5.love 6.demand, receive
What to mention of his promises/goodwill, even his faithlessness was so great that it demands and receives our tribute of love. This might be a reference that his government sent sardar jafri and his comrades to jail, but they still admire him.
vo barhaman ke jise masjidauN ne pyaar kiya
vo but-shikan1 ke jo bazm-e-butaaN2 meN tha maqbool3
1.iconoclast, unorthodox 2.assembly of idols – used here to mean orthodox/religious groups 3.popular, liked
The brahman whom masjids loved, the rebel whom even conventional religion found likeable.
vo jism1 aaj hai jo sandal o gulaab ki raakh
vatan ki Khaak2 ke sijdauN3 meN ab bhi hai mashGhool4
1.body 2.dust 3.bow down to, offer homage 4.busy
That body, which today is reduced to ashes of sandalwood and rose is still busy paying homage to the dust of the homeland. This has reference to Nehru’s will, under which his ashes were strewn all over hills and fields and sprinkled into rivers.
utar raha hai kuchh is tarah apni dharti par
ke aasmaan se jis tarah rahmatauN1 ka nuzool2
1.blessings 2.descent
Nehru’s ashes were strewn out of an airplane into clouds to rain down on the earth. Thus … his ashes fall on the earth as if blessings were descending down from the skies.
ab us ke faiz1 se banjar2 bhi lahlahaaeNge3
khileNge Khaar-e-biyaabaaN4 se bhi bahaar5 ke phool
1.grace, blessing 2.arid land 3.bloom, flourish 4.thorns of the wilderness 5.spring
Because of his grace, even in arid, thorny wilderness spring flowers will bloom.
