For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
شعر گوئی کی رات ۔ جوشؔ ملیح آبادی
۱
رات کے تاریک لمحے جب کہ ہوتے ہیں خموش
بادِ خواب آور سے جل اُٹھتی ہے یاں قِندیلِ ہوش
۲
کھولتی ہے اپنے شہپر جب سہیلی موت کی
دوڑ جاتا ہے مری نبضوں میں خونِ زندگی
۳
کاروانِ کشمکش ہوتا ہے جب مصروفِ خواب
ہنس کے میرے دل کی بیداری اُلٹتی ہے نقاب
۴
کوئی پُر اَسرار قوت کوئی روحِ محتشم
شعر کہنے کو میرے ہاتھوں میں دیتی ہے قلم
۵
دل فریبی سے کسی کے گنگنانے کی صدا
ذہن میں میرے پہنتی ہے لباس الفاظ کا
۶
دفعتہً چھڑتے ہیں پھر ارض و سما کے زمزمے
ایک کرن سی دائرے میں گھیر لیتی ہے مجھے
۷
دل میں ہوتا ہے میرے نادر خیالوں کا ہجوم
مسکرا کر دیکھنے لگتے ہیں گردوں سے نجوم
۸
بہرِ پابوسی فرشتوں کو صدا دیتا ہوں میں
آسماں کو اپنے قدموں پر جھکا دیتا ہوں میں
۹
لکھ رہا ہوں کیا نہیں ہوتی مجھے اس کی خبر
انگلیوں پر ایک جلالی شان آتی ہے نظر
۱۰
یوں قلم کرتا ہے جنبش ہاتھ میں بے اختیار
ایک طرب آمیز دہشت دل کے چھو لیتی ہے تار
۱۱
یوں فضا میں نقش اُبھر آتے ہیں تھرّاتے ہوئے
جس طرح ساحر کے لفظ افسوں کو دہراتے ہوئے
۱۲
کس قدر اَسرار سے معمور ہیں جلوے ترے
اے تحیّر خیز عارض لیلیِ تخیٔل کے
۱۳
شب کو تیری قربتِ وجدان پرور کا یقیں
کھولتا ہے دل میں قفلِ آسماں بابِ زمیں
۱۴
تو پری ہو یا فرشتہ روح ہو یا واہمہ
آ کسی دن میرے آگے شکل انسانی میں آ
۱۵
تاکہ میں وہ شہد بار الفاظ وہ شیریں فضا
پنکھڑی سے وہ تبسّم وہ صدائیں دلکشا
۱۶
روح پرور وہ صلے وہ مرحبا کے زمزمے
جو بطورِ داد پائے ہیں میرے اشعار نے
۱۷
سر عقیدت سے جھکا کر اے نِہُفتہ غمگسار
ڈال دوں گردن میں تیری گوندھ کر اُن سب کا ہار
शे’र गोई की रात – जोश मलीह आबादी
१
रात के तारीक लम्हे जब के होते हैं ख़मोश
बाद-ए ख़्वाब-आवर से जल उठती है याँ क़िंदील-ए होश
२
खोलती है अपने शहपर जब सहेली मौत की
दौढ जाता है मेरी नब्ज़ों में ख़ून-ए ज़िंदगी
३
कारवान-ए कश्मकश होता है जब मसरूफ़-ए ख़्वाब
हंस के मेरे दिल की बेदारी उलटती है नक़ाब
४
कोई पुर-अस्रार क़ुव्वत, कोई रूह-ए मुह्तशम
शे’र कहने को मेरे हाथों में देती है क़लम
५
दिल फ़रेबी से किसी के गुनगुनाने की सदा
ज़हन में मेरे पहनती है लिबास अल्फ़ाज़ का
६
दफ़’अतन छिढते हैं फिर अर्ज़ ओ समा के ज़मज़मे
एक किरन सी दाएरे में घेर लेती है मुझे
७
दिल में होता है मेरे नादिर ख़यालों का हुजूम
मुस्कुरा कर देखने लगते हैं गर्दूं से नुजूम
८
बहर-ए पाबोसी फ़रिश्तों को सदा देता हूँ मैं
आसमाँ को अपने क़दमों पर झुका देता हूँ मैं
९
लिख रहा हूँ क्या नहीं होती मुझे उस की ख़बर
अंगुलियों पर एक जलाली शान आती है नज़र
१०
यूं क़लम करता है जुम्बिश हाथ में बे एख़्तियार
एक तरब-आमेज़ दहशत दिल के छू लेती है तार
११
यूं फ़िज़ा में नक़्श उभर आते हैं थर्राते हुए
जिस तरह साहर के लफ़्ज़ अफ़्सूं को दोहराते हुए
१२
किस क़दर अस्रार से म’आमूर हैं जलवे तेरे
अए तहय्युर-ख़ेज़ आरज़ लैलि-ए तख़’ईल के
१३
शब को तेरी क़ुर्बत-ए वज्दान परवर का यक़ीं
खोलता है दिल में क़ुफ़्ल-ए आस्मां बाब-ए ज़मीं
१४
तू परी हो या फ़रिश्ता, रूह हो या वाहमा
आ किसी दिन मेरे आगे शक्ल-ए इन्सानी में आ
१५
ता के मैं वो शहद-बार अल्फ़ाज़ वो शीरीं फ़िज़ा
पंखड़ी से वो तबस्सुम वो सदाएं दिलकशा
१६
रूह परवर वो सिले वो मरहबा के ज़म्ज़मे
जो बतौर-ए दाद पाए हैं मेरे अश’आर ने
१७
सर अक़ीदत से झुका कर अए निहुफ़्ता ग़मगुसार
डाल दूं गर्दन में तेरी गूंध कर उन सब का हार
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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 nazm, describing how he receives inspiration to compose during the night is somewhat like iqbal’s ‘raat aur shaa’er’.
1
raat ke taareek1 lamhe2 jab keh hote haiN Khamosh
baad3-e Khwaab-aawar4 se jal uThti hai yaaN qindiil5-e hosh6 1.dark 2.moments, time 3.breeze 4.sleep inducing 5.lamp 6.awareness, wakefulness
When, in the dark moments of the night, everything is quiet and sleep inducing breeze blows, the lamp of awareness lights up i.e., everyone is asleep and the poet is awake.
2
kholti hai apne shahpar1 jab saheli2 maut3 ki
dauR jaata hai meri nabzoN4 meN Khoon-e zindagi 1.wings, strongest feather in the wings 2.companion, friend 3.death 4.veins
The poet describes sleep as ‘maut ki saheli’ – the companion of death. For him, sleeping is akin to death. When sleep takes everyone under its wing, life-blood starts flowing through his veins.
3
kaaravaan-e kashmakash1 hota hai jab masroof2-e Khwaab3
haNs ke mere dil ki bedaari4 ulaTti hai naqaab5 1.struggle 2.busy 3.sleep 4.wakefulness 5.veil
The world around him is a caravan of struggle (of daily life). When they are all busy sleeping, the wakefulness of his inner self, lifts its veil i.e., his inner self wakes up.
4
koi pur-asraar1 quvvat2, koi rooh3-e mohtasham4
she’r kahne ko mere haathon meN deti hai qalam5 1.mysterious 2.power 3.spirit 4.glorious, grand 5.pen
Some mysterious power, some glorious spirit, places a pen in my hand to write verse.
5
dil farebi1 se kisi ke gungunaane2 ki sada3
zahn4 meN mere pahanti hai libaas5 alfaaz6 ka 1.deception, illusion 2.humming 3.sound 4.mind 5.garments 6.words
The illusion of my heart hears the sound of someone humming and this sound puts on the garment of words. Said Ghalib …
Ghalib sariir-e Khaama navaa-e sarosh hai (O Ghalib, the scraping of the pen on paper is the sound of an angel).
6
daf’atan1 chhiRte2 haiN phir arz-o-sama3 ke zamzame4
ek kiran5 sii daa’ere6 meN gher leti hai mujhe 1.suddenly 2.break out into song 3.earth and sky 4.songs, music 5.ray of light
Suddenly I begin to hear the music of the earth and sky. A ray of light surrounds me in a circle.
7
dil meN hota hai mere naadir1 KhayaaloN ka hujoom2
muskura kar dekhne lagte haiN gardooN3 se nujoom4 1.unusual, rare 2.crowd 3.sky 4.stars
Strange thoughts begin to crowd my mind. Stars smile down from the sky.
8
bahr1-e paa-bosi2 farishtoN3 ko sadaa4 deta huN maiN
aasmaaN ko apne qadmoN5 par jhuka deta huN maiN 1.with the intention of 2.kissing feet 3.angels 4.call 5.feet
I give a call to angels to come and kiss my feet. I make the sky bow at my feet.
9
likh raha huN kya, nahiN hoti mujhe us ki Khabar1
uNgliyoN par ek jalaali2 shaan3 aati hai nazar4 1.awareness, knowledge 2.eminent, grand 3.dignity 4.visible
I am not aware of what I am writing. An eminent dignity appears on my fingers.
10
yuN qalam1 karta hai jumbish2 haath meN be-eKhtiyaar3
ek tarab-aamez4 dahshat5 dil ke choo leti hai taar 1.pen 2.movement 3.uncontrolled, spontaneous 4.music creating 5.fear, trepidation
The pen moves spontaneously. A music creating trepidation plucks my heart-strings.
11
yuN fiza1 meN naqsh2 ubhar3 aate haiN tharraate4 hue
jis tarah5 saahir6 ke lafz7 afsooN8 ko dohraate9 hue 1.atmosphere, air, surroundings 2.images 3.emerge 4.trembling 5.like, similar to 6.magician 8.magic spell 9.repeat
Trembling images emerge around me as if a magician is chanting his magic spell.
12
kis qadr1 asraar2 se ma’amoor3 haiN jalve4 tere
aye tahayyur-Khez5 aariz6 laili-e-taKh’eel7 ke 1.how much 2.mysteries 3.full 4.images, pictures 5.amazement increasing 6.face 7.laila (beauty) of imagination
Here the poet is majnuN the lover and imagination/creativity is his beloved/laila. The images of her amazement increasing face that appear to him are full of mysteries.
13
shab1 ko teri qurbat2-e vajdaan-parvar3 ka yaqiiN4
kholta hai dil meN qufl5-e aasmaaN baab6-e zamiiN 1.night 2.nearness, company 3.trance nurturing/inducing 4.certainty 5.lock 6.doors
The company of his laila of imagination/creativity induces a trance-like condition which gives him certainty/confidence. This unlocks the mysteries of the sky and opens the door to the beauty of the earth.
14
tu pari1 ho ya farishta2, rooh3 ho ya vaahima4
aa kisi din mere aage5 shakl6-e insaani7 meN aa 1.fairy 2.angel 3.spirit 4.illusion 5.before, in front of 6.form, shape 7.human
You may be a fair, an angel, a spirit or perhaps an illusion, but some day come before me in human form.
15
taa-keh1 maiN voh shahd-baar2 alfaaz3 voh shiriiN4 fiza5
paNkhaRi6 se voh tabassum7 voh sadaayeN8 dilkasha9 1.so that 2.honey laden 3.words 4.sweet 5.surroundings 6.flower petal 7.smile 8.sounds 9.pleasant
Come before me in human form so that (I may share with you) those honey-laden words, those sweet surroundings, those smiles like a rose petal and those pleasing sounds.
16
rooh-parvar1 voh silay2 voh marhaba3 ke zamzame4
jo ba-taur5-e daad6 paaye haiN mere ash’aar7 ne 1.soul nurturing 2.rewards 3.felicitations 4.musical sounds 5.by way of 6.praise, appreciation 7.couplets
(So that I may share) those soul stirring rewards, thos musical sounds of felicitation which by way of praise are given to my couplets.
17
sar aqeedat1 se jhuka kar aye nihufta2 Ghamgusaar3
Daal duN gardan meN teri goondh4 kar un sab ka haar5 1.veneration, devotion 2.hidden 3.sharing pain, friend 4.weave 5.garland
Come before me, my hidden friend, in human form, so that weaving all the rewards and felicitations that my couplets receive, into a garland and that I may, with bowed head, put it around your neck with veneration and devotion.
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 nazm, describing how he receives inspiration to compose during the night is somewhat like iqbal’s ‘raat aur shaa’er’.
1
raat ke taareek1 lamhe2 jab keh hote haiN Khamosh
baad3-e Khwaab-aawar4 se jal uThti hai yaaN qindiil5-e hosh6
1.dark 2.moments, time 3.breeze 4.sleep inducing 5.lamp 6.awareness, wakefulness
When, in the dark moments of the night, everything is quiet and sleep inducing breeze blows, the lamp of awareness lights up i.e., everyone is asleep and the poet is awake.
2
kholti hai apne shahpar1 jab saheli2 maut3 ki
dauR jaata hai meri nabzoN4 meN Khoon-e zindagi
1.wings, strongest feather in the wings 2.companion, friend 3.death 4.veins
The poet describes sleep as ‘maut ki saheli’ – the companion of death. For him, sleeping is akin to death. When sleep takes everyone under its wing, life-blood starts flowing through his veins.
3
kaaravaan-e kashmakash1 hota hai jab masroof2-e Khwaab3
haNs ke mere dil ki bedaari4 ulaTti hai naqaab5
1.struggle 2.busy 3.sleep 4.wakefulness 5.veil
The world around him is a caravan of struggle (of daily life). When they are all busy sleeping, the wakefulness of his inner self, lifts its veil i.e., his inner self wakes up.
4
koi pur-asraar1 quvvat2, koi rooh3-e mohtasham4
she’r kahne ko mere haathon meN deti hai qalam5
1.mysterious 2.power 3.spirit 4.glorious, grand 5.pen
Some mysterious power, some glorious spirit, places a pen in my hand to write verse.
5
dil farebi1 se kisi ke gungunaane2 ki sada3
zahn4 meN mere pahanti hai libaas5 alfaaz6 ka
1.deception, illusion 2.humming 3.sound 4.mind 5.garments 6.words
The illusion of my heart hears the sound of someone humming and this sound puts on the garment of words. Said Ghalib …
Ghalib sariir-e Khaama navaa-e sarosh hai (O Ghalib, the scraping of the pen on paper is the sound of an angel).
6
daf’atan1 chhiRte2 haiN phir arz-o-sama3 ke zamzame4
ek kiran5 sii daa’ere6 meN gher leti hai mujhe
1.suddenly 2.break out into song 3.earth and sky 4.songs, music 5.ray of light
Suddenly I begin to hear the music of the earth and sky. A ray of light surrounds me in a circle.
7
dil meN hota hai mere naadir1 KhayaaloN ka hujoom2
muskura kar dekhne lagte haiN gardooN3 se nujoom4
1.unusual, rare 2.crowd 3.sky 4.stars
Strange thoughts begin to crowd my mind. Stars smile down from the sky.
8
bahr1-e paa-bosi2 farishtoN3 ko sadaa4 deta huN maiN
aasmaaN ko apne qadmoN5 par jhuka deta huN maiN
1.with the intention of 2.kissing feet 3.angels 4.call 5.feet
I give a call to angels to come and kiss my feet. I make the sky bow at my feet.
9
likh raha huN kya, nahiN hoti mujhe us ki Khabar1
uNgliyoN par ek jalaali2 shaan3 aati hai nazar4
1.awareness, knowledge 2.eminent, grand 3.dignity 4.visible
I am not aware of what I am writing. An eminent dignity appears on my fingers.
10
yuN qalam1 karta hai jumbish2 haath meN be-eKhtiyaar3
ek tarab-aamez4 dahshat5 dil ke choo leti hai taar
1.pen 2.movement 3.uncontrolled, spontaneous 4.music creating 5.fear, trepidation
The pen moves spontaneously. A music creating trepidation plucks my heart-strings.
11
yuN fiza1 meN naqsh2 ubhar3 aate haiN tharraate4 hue
jis tarah5 saahir6 ke lafz7 afsooN8 ko dohraate9 hue
1.atmosphere, air, surroundings 2.images 3.emerge 4.trembling 5.like, similar to 6.magician 8.magic spell 9.repeat
Trembling images emerge around me as if a magician is chanting his magic spell.
12
kis qadr1 asraar2 se ma’amoor3 haiN jalve4 tere
aye tahayyur-Khez5 aariz6 laili-e-taKh’eel7 ke
1.how much 2.mysteries 3.full 4.images, pictures 5.amazement increasing 6.face 7.laila (beauty) of imagination
Here the poet is majnuN the lover and imagination/creativity is his beloved/laila. The images of her amazement increasing face that appear to him are full of mysteries.
13
shab1 ko teri qurbat2-e vajdaan-parvar3 ka yaqiiN4
kholta hai dil meN qufl5-e aasmaaN baab6-e zamiiN
1.night 2.nearness, company 3.trance nurturing/inducing 4.certainty 5.lock 6.doors
The company of his laila of imagination/creativity induces a trance-like condition which gives him certainty/confidence. This unlocks the mysteries of the sky and opens the door to the beauty of the earth.
14
tu pari1 ho ya farishta2, rooh3 ho ya vaahima4
aa kisi din mere aage5 shakl6-e insaani7 meN aa
1.fairy 2.angel 3.spirit 4.illusion 5.before, in front of 6.form, shape 7.human
You may be a fair, an angel, a spirit or perhaps an illusion, but some day come before me in human form.
15
taa-keh1 maiN voh shahd-baar2 alfaaz3 voh shiriiN4 fiza5
paNkhaRi6 se voh tabassum7 voh sadaayeN8 dilkasha9
1.so that 2.honey laden 3.words 4.sweet 5.surroundings 6.flower petal 7.smile 8.sounds 9.pleasant
Come before me in human form so that (I may share with you) those honey-laden words, those sweet surroundings, those smiles like a rose petal and those pleasing sounds.
16
rooh-parvar1 voh silay2 voh marhaba3 ke zamzame4
jo ba-taur5-e daad6 paaye haiN mere ash’aar7 ne
1.soul nurturing 2.rewards 3.felicitations 4.musical sounds 5.by way of 6.praise, appreciation 7.couplets
(So that I may share) those soul stirring rewards, thos musical sounds of felicitation which by way of praise are given to my couplets.
17
sar aqeedat1 se jhuka kar aye nihufta2 Ghamgusaar3
Daal duN gardan meN teri goondh4 kar un sab ka haar5
1.veneration, devotion 2.hidden 3.sharing pain, friend 4.weave 5.garland
Come before me, my hidden friend, in human form, so that weaving all the rewards and felicitations that my couplets receive, into a garland and that I may, with bowed head, put it around your neck with veneration and devotion.
