shart-e vasl-e laila-akbar allahabadi

For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.

شرطِ وصلِ لیلیٰ ۔ اکبرؔ الہ آبادی

۱

خدا حافظ مسلمانوں کا اکبرؔ

مجھے تو ان کی خوشحالی سے ہے یاس

۲

یہ عاشق شاہد مقصود کے ہیں

نہ جائیں گے ولیکن سعی کے پاس

۳

سناؤں تم کو اک فرضی لطیفہ

کیا ہے جس کو میں نے زیبِ قرطاس

۴

کہا مجنوں سے یہ لیلیٰ کی ماں نے

کہ بیٹا تو اگر کر لے ایم اے پاس

۵

تو فوراً بیاہ دوں لیلیٰ کو تجھ سے

بلا دِقّت میں بن جاؤں تری ساس

۶

کہا مجنوں نے یہ اچھی سنائی

کجا عاشق کجا کالج کی بکواس

۷

کجا یہ فطرتی جوشِ طبیعت

کجا ٹھونسی ہوئی چیزوں کا احساس

۸

بڑی بی آپ کو کیا ہو گیا ہے

ہرن پہ لادی جاتی ہے کہیں گھاس

۹

یہ اچھی قدر دانی آپ نے کی

مجھے سمجھا ہے کوئی ہرچرن داس

۱۰

دل اپنا خون کرنے کو ہوں موجود

نہیں منظور مغز سر کا آماس

۱۱

یہی ٹھہری جو شرط وصل لیلیٰ

تو استعفیٰ مرا با حسرت و یاس

शर्त-ए वस्ल-ए लैला – अकबर इलाह’आबादी

ख़ुदा-हाफ़ेज़ मुसलामानों का अकबर

मुझे तो उन की ख़ुश-हाली से है यास

ये आशेक़ शाहेद-ए मक़्सूद के हैं

न जाएँगे व-लेकिन सई के पास

सुनाऊँ तुम को एक फ़र्ज़ी लतीफ़ा

किया है जिस को मैं ने ज़ेब-ए क़िर्तास

कहा मजनूँ से ये लैला की माँ ने

के बेटा तू अगर कर ले एम-ए पास

तो फ़ौरन बियाह दूँ लैला को तुझ से

बिला-दिक़्क़त मैं बन जाऊँ तेरी सास

कहा मजनूँ ने ये अच्छी सुनाई

कुजा आशेक़ कुजा कॉलेज की बक्वास

कुजा ये फ़ितरती जोश-ए तबी’अत

कुजा ठूँसी हुई चीज़ों का एहसास

बढी बी आप को क्या हो गया है

हिरन पे लादी जाती है कहीं घास

ये अच्छी क़द्र-दानी आप ने की

मुझे समझा है कोई हरचरण-दास

१०

दिल अपना ख़ून करने को हूँ मौजूद

नहीं मंज़ूर मग़्ज़-ए सर का आमास

११

यही ठहरी जो शर्त-ए वस्ल-ए लैला

तो इस्तिफ़ा मेरा बा-हसरत-ओ-यास

 

Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. akbar allahabadi (1846-1921) was a judge and a witty, humorous person which shows up in his humorous and sarcastic compositions. But his Ghazal are equal if not better in quality. Here he is being sarcastic about the reluctance of the muslim community of the time to work hard to acquire an education and get a job. Editorial comment – looking down on ‘western education’ is still in fashion in some sections, though not in the Indian muslim community.
1
Khuda-haafiz1 musalmaanoN ka akbar2
mujhe to un ki Khush-haali3 se hai yaas4    
1.god save 2.pen-name of the poet 3.well being 4.hopelessness
My god save muslims O akbar. I do not have high hopes for their well-being. Why not? He illustrates that with a fable.

2
ye aashiq shaahid1-e maqsud2 ke haiN
na jaaeNge va-lekin3 saii4 ke paas  
1.beauty, beloved 2.desired 3.but 4.effort, hard work
They are lovers of the beautfiul beloved but they will not go anywhere near hard work.

3
sunaauN tum ko ek farzi1 latiifa2
kiya hai jis ko maiN ne zeb3-e qirtaas4    
1.made up, fictional 2.funny story 3.adornment 4.blank page
Let me tell you a fictional funny story that I have written and adorned a blank page.

4
kahaa majnuN se ye laila ki maaN ne
ki beTa tu agar kar le em.ae1 paas  
1.M.A. degree
This uses the legend of laila-majnuN in which the distraught lover majnuN wanders the desert in search of laila. laila’s mother says to majnuN – son, if you successfully complete your M.A. degree …

5
to fauran1 biyaah2 duuN lailaa ko tujh se
bilaa-diqqat3 maiN ban jaauN teri saas4    
1.immediately 2.wed 3.without any difficulty 4.mother-in-law
… then I would immediately wed laila to you and without any hesitation become your mother-in-law.

6
kahaa majnuN ne ye achchhi sunaai
kujaa1 aashiq kujaa college ki bakvaas2    
1.where (used in the sense of incompatibility) 2.nonsense
majnuN replied … you tell a likely story. How can a lover’s sensibilities be compatible with the nonsense of college.

7
kujaa1 ye fitrati2 josh3-e tabi’at4
kujaa ThuNsi5 hui chiizoN ka ehsaas6    
1.where 2.natural, inborn 3.passion 4.character, nature 5.stuffed 6.feelings
How can the inborn passion of a lover’s nature survive the feeling of stuffed knowledge/sentiments.

8
baRi-bi1 aap ko kya ho gaya hai
hiran2 pe laadi3 jaati hai kahiN ghaas  
1.old woman 2.deer 3.loaded
Old woman, what has come over you. Is hay ever loaded on the back of a deer.

9
ye achchhi qadr-daani1 aap ne ki
mujhe samjhaa hai koi harcharan-daas2    
1.appreciation 2.derogatory reference to those to get schooling for low level clerical jobs
This is fine appreciation that you offer. Do you think I will become a lowly clerk.

10
dil apna Khuun karne ko huN maujud1
nahiN manzur2 maGhz-e-sar3 ka aamaas4    
1.present, ready 2.acceptable 3.internals of the head, brain 4.swelling (used here to mean headache)
I am ready to bleed from my heart but this headache is not acceptable to me.

11
yahi Thahri jo shart1-e vasl2-e lailaa
to istefa3 mera baa-hasrat-o-yaas4    
If this is the condition of union with laila, then here is my resignation along with all the desires and longing.

akbar allahabadi (1846-1921) was a judge and a witty, humorous person which shows up in his humorous and sarcastic compositions.  But his Ghazal are equal if not better in quality.  Here he is being sarcastic about the reluctance of the muslim community of the time to work hard to acquire an education and get a job.  Editorial comment – looking down on ‘western education’ is still in fashion in some sections, though not in the Indian muslim community.
1
Khuda-haafiz1 musalmaanoN ka akbar2
mujhe to un ki Khush-haali3 se hai yaas4

1.god save 2.pen-name of the poet 3.well being 4.hopelessness

My god save muslims O akbar.  I do not have high hopes for their well-being.  Why not?  He illustrates that with a fable.
2
ye aashiq shaahid1-e maqsud2 ke haiN
na jaaeNge va-lekin3 saii4 ke paas

1.beauty, beloved 2.desired 3.but 4.effort, hard work

They are lovers of the beautfiul beloved but they will not go anywhere near hard work.
3
sunaauN tum ko ek farzi1 latiifa2
kiya hai jis ko maiN ne zeb3-e qirtaas4

1.made up, fictional 2.funny story 3.adornment 4.blank page

Let me tell you a fictional funny story that I have written and adorned a blank page.
4
kahaa majnuN se ye laila ki maaN ne
ki beTa tu agar kar le em.ae1 paas

1.M.A. degree

This uses the legend of laila-majnuN in which the distraught lover majnuN wanders the desert in search of laila.  laila’s mother says to majnuN – son, if you successfully complete your M.A. degree …
5
to fauran1 biyaah2 duuN lailaa ko tujh se
bilaa-diqqat3 maiN ban jaauN teri saas4

1.immediately 2.wed 3.without any difficulty 4.mother-in-law

… then I would immediately wed laila to you and without any hesitation become your mother-in-law.
6
kahaa majnuN ne ye achchhi sunaai
kujaa1 aashiq kujaa college ki bakvaas2

1.where (used in the sense of incompatibility) 2.nonsense

majnuN replied … you tell a likely story.  How can a lover’s sensibilities be compatible with the nonsense of college.
7
kujaa1 ye fitrati2 josh3-e tabi’at4
kujaa ThuNsi5 hui chiizoN ka ehsaas6

1.where 2.natural, inborn 3.passion 4.character, nature 5.stuffed 6.feelings

How can the inborn passion of a lover’s nature survive the feeling of stuffed knowledge/sentiments.
8
baRi-bi1 aap ko kya ho gaya hai
hiran2 pe laadi3 jaati hai kahiN ghaas

1.old woman 2.deer 3.loaded

Old woman, what has come over you.  Is hay ever loaded on the back of a deer.
9
ye achchhi qadr-daani1 aap ne ki
mujhe samjhaa hai koi harcharan-daas2

1.appreciation 2.derogatory reference to those to get schooling for low level clerical jobs

This is fine appreciation that you offer.  Do you think I will become a lowly clerk.
10
dil apna Khuun karne ko huN maujud1
nahiN manzur2 maGhz-e-sar3 ka aamaas4

1.present, ready 2.acceptable 3.internals of the head, brain 4.swelling (used here to mean headache)

I am ready to bleed from my heart but this headache is not acceptable to me.
11
yahi Thahri jo shart1-e vasl2-e lailaa
to istefa3 mera baa-hasrat-o-yaas4

If this is the condition of union with laila, then here is my resignation along with all the desires and longing.