For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
مہاجر نامہ ۔ شِوالہ چھوڑ آئے ہیں ۔ مُنوّر راناؔ
۱
ترقی کے لئے ہم نے رہائش گاہ بدلی تھی
مگر آتے ہوے ہجرت کا شوشہ چھوڑ آئے ہیں
۲
جو ہم نے خواب دیکھا تھا وہ سچّا کیوں نہیں نکلا
اِسی غم میں کئی آنکھوں کو بھیگا چھوڑ آئے ہیں
۳
رفو کرنے کی حاجت جب کسی رشتے کو پڑتی ہے
تو یاد آتا ہے ہم کو سوئی دھاگا چھوڑ آئے ہیں
۴
کئی زخموں کی پپڑی میں نمی موجود ہے اب تک
کئی یادوں کی تُرپائی کو اُدھڑا چھوڑ آئے ہیں
۵
وہ اِک اُبھری ہوئی پیپل کی جڑ تھی کرسیوں جیسی
جہاں کچھ ساتھیوں کو اپنے بیٹھا چھوڑ آئے ہیں
۶
وضو کرنے کو جب بھی بیٹھتے ہیں یاد آتا ہے
کہ ہم عجلت میں جمنا کا کنارا چھوڑ آئے ہیں
۷
تیمُّم کے لئے مِٹّی بھلا کس منہ سے ہم ڈھونڈیں
کہ ہم شفاف گنگا کا کنارا چھوڑ آئے ہیں
۸
زمینِ نانک و چشتی، زبانِ غالب و تلسی
یہ سب کچھ پاس تھا اپنے یہ سارا چھوڑ آئے ہیں
۹
ہمارا خون بھی شامل تھا آزادی کی جنگوں میں
ہم اپنے خون سے لِکّھا نوشتہ چھوڑ آئے ہیں
۱۰
یہ خود غرضی کا جذبہ آج تک ہم کو رُلاتا ہے
کہ ہم بیٹے تو لے آئے بھتیجا چھوڑ آئے ہیں
۱۱
مٹھائی کی دکانیں اِس لئے اچھی نہیں لگتیں
کہ ہم میلے میں اپنا رام دانا چھوڑ آئے ہیں
۱۲
مہاجر اس لئے کہلائیں گے ہم رہتی دنیا تک
کسی کا ساتھ چھوٹا ہے کسی کا چھوڑ آئے ہیں
۱۳
ہمیں بچھڑے ہوئے باسٹھ برس ہونے کو آ پہنچے
مگر لگتا ہے جیسے زخم تازہ چھوڑ آئے ہیں
۱۴
ادھورے پن کا آؤ مل کے کوئی راستہ ڈھونڈیں
چلو مل جُل کے ڈھونڈیں جو شِوالہ چھوڑ آئے ہیں
मोहाजेर नामा – शिवाला छोढ आए हैं – मुनव्वर राना
१
तरक़्क़ी के लिए हम ने रिहा’इएश-गाह बदली थी
मगर आते हुए हिज्रत का शोशा छोढ आए हैं
२
जो हमने ख़्वाब देखा था वो सच्चा क्यूं नहीं निकला
इसी ग़म में कई आंखौं को भीगा छोढ आए हैं
३
रफ़ू करने की हाजत जब किसी रिश्ते को पढती है
तो याद आता है हम को सूई धागा छोढ आए हैं
४
कई ज़ख़्मौं की पीढी में नमी मौजूद है अब तक
कई यादों की तुर्पाई को उधढा छोढ आए हैं
५
वो एक उभरी हुई पीपल की जढ थी कुर्सियौं जैसी
जहां कुछ साथियौं को अपने बैठा छोढ आए हैं
६
वुज़ू करने को जब भी बैठते हैं याद आता है
के हम उज्लत में जमना का किनारा छोढ आए हैं
७
तयम्मुम के लिए मिट्टी भला किस मुंह से हम ढूंढ़ें
के हम शफ़ाफ़ गंगा का किनारा छोढ आए हैं
८
ज़मीन-ए नानक ओ चिश्ती, ज़बान-ए ग़ालिब ओ तुलसी
ये सब कुछ पास था अपने ये सब कुछ छोढ आए हैं
९
हमारा ख़ून भी शामिल था आज़ादी की जंगौं में
हम अपने ख़ून से लिख नविश्ता छोढ आए हैं
१०
ये ख़ुद-ग़र्ज़ी का जज़्बा आज तक हम को रुलाता है
के हम बेटे तो ले आए भतीजा छोढ आए हैं
११
मिठाइ की दुकानें इस लिए अच्छी नहीं लगती
के हम मेले में अपना राम-दाना छोढ आए हैं
१२
मोहाजिर इस लिए कहलाएंगे हम रहती दुनिया तक
किसी का साथ छूटा है किसी का छोढ आए हैं
१३
हमें बिछढे हुए बासठ बरस होने को आ पहुंचे
मगर लगता है जैसे ज़ख़्म ताज़ा छोढ आए हैं
१४
अधूरे-पन का आओ मिल के कोई रास्ता ढूंडें
चलो मिल-जुल के ढूंडें जो शिवाला छोढ आए हैं
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. syed munavvar ali-munavvar raana (1952-2024), raa’e bareili, kolkata, and lukhnau. He was a very popular and dominating presence on the mushaa’era circuit and wrote in hindi as well as urdu, using simple language. His larger family members moved to pakistan but his father chose to stay. He wrote a long book-length nazm called mohaajir-naama which is best understood as sorrow and regret at the differences and loss caused by partition. His bitterness is best understood when after being bestowed the sahitya akademi award for urdu literature in 2014, he returned it in 2015 to protest increasing intolerance. He remained defiant and controversial for the rest of his life.
1
taraqqi1 ke liye ham ne rehaa’esh-gaah2 badli thi
magar aatay huay hijrat3 ka shosha4 chhoR aa’e haiN 1.progress, betterment 2.residence 3.leaving home, exile 4.shosha chhoRna is an expression meaning – new thing making mischief/creating trouble
Many people thought of moving to pakistan as a mere change in residence. Even jinnah maintained ownership of his residence in mumbai thinking he would come back frequently. Thus, we changed residence for a better life, but in the process a new trouble-making aspect of exile emerged.
2
jo ham ne Khwaab dekha tha voh sachcha kyuN nahiN nikla
isi Gham meN kaii aaNkhoN ko bhiiga chhoR aa’e haiN Why did the vision that we formed not turn out the way we thought. In this very disaapointment/sorrow, we have left behind many teary eyes.
3
rafu1 karnay ki haajit2 jab kisi rishtay3 ko paRti hai
to yaad aata hai ham ko suuii dhaaga chhoR aa’e haiN 1.mend, sew 2.need, necessity 3.connection
Whenever there is a need to mend a tear, we remember that we left needle and thread behind. This implies mending broken relationships too. All the tools of friendship remained behind.
4
kaii zaKhmoN1 ki piiRi2 meN nami3 maujood4 hai ab tak
kaii yaadoN ki turpaaii5 ko udhRaa6 chhoR aa’e haiN 1.wounds 2.pain 3.moist, blood 4.present, existing 5.hemming, stitching 6.unravelled
The pain of many wounds still bleeds. We left behind unravelled and unfinished hemming of the robes of memory.
5
voh ek ubhri1 hui piipal ki jaR2 thi kursiyoN3 jaisi
jahaaN4 kuchh saathiyoN ko apnay baiTha chhoR aa’e haiN 1.raised, prominent 2.root 3.chairs 4.where, there
There was raised root of a piipal tree that we used as a chair, where we have have left a few companions sitting.
6
vuzuu1 karnay ko jab bhi baiThtay haiN yaad aata hai
keh ham ujlat2 meN jamuna ka kinaara chhoR aa’e haiN 1.ablutions/ritual washing before namaaz/prayers 2.hurry, carelessness
Whenever we get ready to peform ablutions before namaaz, we remember that in our thoughtless hurry we left the banks of the jamuna.
7
tayammum1 ke liye miTTi bhalaa2 kis muNh se ham DhoonDeN
keh ham shaffaaf3 gaNga ka kinaara chhoR aa’e haiN 1.an optional version of ablutions performed with clean sand/dry clay powder 2.an expression meaning ‘after all’ 3.clean, pure
After all what right do we have to look for dry clean sand when we left behind the pure banks of the gaNga.
8
zamiin-e naanak o chishti, zabaan-e Ghalib o tulsi
yeh sub kuchh paas thaa apnay yeh sub kuchh chhoR aa’e haiN The land of naanak and chishti, the language of Ghalib and tulsi, we had all this and more, we left all of this behind.
9
hamaara Khoon bhi shaamil1 tha aazaadi ki jaNgoN meN
ham apnay Khoon se likkha navishta2 chhoR aa’e haiN 1.included, mixed 2.fate, destiny, story
Our blood too was a part of the struggle for independence. The story/destiny that was written in our blood, we left behind.
10
yeh Khud-Gharzi1 ka jazba2 aaj tak ham ko rulaata3 hai
keh ham beTay to le aa’e bhateeja4 chhoR aa’e haiN 1.selfishness 2.feelings, sentiments 3.making someone weep 4.nephew
This is a story of the breaking up of families – not just extended families but also nuclear families. Thus, the feeling/guilt of selfishness still makes us weep. We brought our son, but left behind our nephew.
11
miThaaii ki dukaaneN is liye achchi nahiN lagtiiN
keh ham melay1 meN apna raam-daana2 chhoR aa’e haiN 1.village fair 2.a seed (implied) used as a condiment in desserts
The sweets in the shop do not taste as good, because we left behind the raam-daana that was sold in village fairs.
12
mohaajir1 iss liye kahlaa’eNgay ham rahti duniya2 tak
kisi ka saath chhooTa hai kisi ka chhoR aa’e haiN 1.immigrant, exile 2.as long as the world remains i.e., until doomsday
We will called immigrants until doomsday because we lost some connections and broke some others.
13
hameN bichhRe1 huay baasaTh2 baras3 honay ko aa pahuNchay
magar lagta hai jaisay zaKhm4 taaza5 chhoR aa’e haiN 1.separated 2.sixty two 3.years 4.wounds 5.fresh
It has been sixty two years since we separated but it feels as if the wounds that we left behind are still fresh.
14
adhooray-pan1 ka aao mil ke koii raasta2 DhoonDeN
chalo mil-jul3 ke DhoonDeN jo shivaala4 chhoR aa’e haiN 1.incompleteness 2.path, way 3.together 4.shiva temple
This has reference to a nazm that iqbal wrote called ‘naya shivaala’. There are two versions of it, both on urdushahkar. Thus, let us together find a way out of this separation/incompleteness. Together let us look for the shivaala that we left behind.
syed munavvar ali-munavvar raana (1952-2024), raa’e bareili, kolkata, and lukhnau. He was a very popular and dominating presence on the mushaa’era circuit and wrote in hindi as well as urdu, using simple language. His larger family members moved to pakistan but his father chose to stay. He wrote a long book-length nazm called mohaajir-naama which is best understood as sorrow and regret at the differences and loss caused by partition. His bitterness is best understood when after being bestowed the sahitya akademi award for urdu literature in 2014, he returned it in 2015 to protest increasing intolerance. He remained defiant and controversial for the rest of his life.
1
taraqqi1 ke liye ham ne rehaa’esh-gaah2 badli thi
magar aatay huay hijrat3 ka shosha4 chhoR aa’e haiN
1.progress, betterment 2.residence 3.leaving home, exile 4.shosha chhoRna is an expression meaning – new thing making mischief/creating trouble
Many people thought of moving to pakistan as a mere change in residence. Even jinnah maintained ownership of his residence in mumbai thinking he would come back frequently. Thus, we changed residence for a better life, but in the process a new trouble-making aspect of exile emerged.
2
jo ham ne Khwaab dekha tha voh sachcha kyuN nahiN nikla
isi Gham meN kaii aaNkhoN ko bhiiga chhoR aa’e haiN
Why did the vision that we formed not turn out the way we thought. In this very disaapointment/sorrow, we have left behind many teary eyes.
3
rafu1 karnay ki haajit2 jab kisi rishtay3 ko paRti hai
to yaad aata hai ham ko suuii dhaaga chhoR aa’e haiN
1.mend, sew 2.need, necessity 3.connection
Whenever there is a need to mend a tear, we remember that we left needle and thread behind. This implies mending broken relationships too. All the tools of friendship remained behind.
4
kaii zaKhmoN1 ki piiRi2 meN nami3 maujood4 hai ab tak
kaii yaadoN ki turpaaii5 ko udhRaa6 chhoR aa’e haiN
1.wounds 2.pain 3.moist, blood 4.present, existing 5.hemming, stitching 6.unravelled
The pain of many wounds still bleeds. We left behind unravelled and unfinished hemming of the robes of memory.
5
voh ek ubhri1 hui piipal ki jaR2 thi kursiyoN3 jaisi
jahaaN4 kuchh saathiyoN ko apnay baiTha chhoR aa’e haiN
1.raised, prominent 2.root 3.chairs 4.where, there
There was raised root of a piipal tree that we used as a chair, where we have have left a few companions sitting.
6
vuzuu1 karnay ko jab bhi baiThtay haiN yaad aata hai
keh ham ujlat2 meN jamuna ka kinaara chhoR aa’e haiN
1.ablutions/ritual washing before namaaz/prayers 2.hurry, carelessness
Whenever we get ready to peform ablutions before namaaz, we remember that in our thoughtless hurry we left the banks of the jamuna.
7
tayammum1 ke liye miTTi bhalaa2 kis muNh se ham DhoonDeN
keh ham shaffaaf3 gaNga ka kinaara chhoR aa’e haiN
1.an optional version of ablutions performed with clean sand/dry clay powder 2.an expression meaning ‘after all’ 3.clean, pure
After all what right do we have to look for dry clean sand when we left behind the pure banks of the gaNga.
8
zamiin-e naanak o chishti, zabaan-e Ghalib o tulsi
yeh sub kuchh paas thaa apnay yeh sub kuchh chhoR aa’e haiN
The land of naanak and chishti, the language of Ghalib and tulsi, we had all this and more, we left all of this behind.
9
hamaara Khoon bhi shaamil1 tha aazaadi ki jaNgoN meN
ham apnay Khoon se likkha navishta2 chhoR aa’e haiN
1.included, mixed 2.fate, destiny, story
Our blood too was a part of the struggle for independence. The story/destiny that was written in our blood, we left behind.
10
yeh Khud-Gharzi1 ka jazba2 aaj tak ham ko rulaata3 hai
keh ham beTay to le aa’e bhateeja4 chhoR aa’e haiN
1.selfishness 2.feelings, sentiments 3.making someone weep 4.nephew
This is a story of the breaking up of families – not just extended families but also nuclear families. Thus, the feeling/guilt of selfishness still makes us weep. We brought our son, but left behind our nephew.
11
miThaaii ki dukaaneN is liye achchi nahiN lagtiiN
keh ham melay1 meN apna raam-daana2 chhoR aa’e haiN
1.village fair 2.a seed (implied) used as a condiment in desserts
The sweets in the shop do not taste as good, because we left behind the raam-daana that was sold in village fairs.
12
mohaajir1 iss liye kahlaa’eNgay ham rahti duniya2 tak
kisi ka saath chhooTa hai kisi ka chhoR aa’e haiN
1.immigrant, exile 2.as long as the world remains i.e., until doomsday
We will called immigrants until doomsday because we lost some connections and broke some others.
13
hameN bichhRe1 huay baasaTh2 baras3 honay ko aa pahuNchay
magar lagta hai jaisay zaKhm4 taaza5 chhoR aa’e haiN
1.separated 2.sixty two 3.years 4.wounds 5.fresh
It has been sixty two years since we separated but it feels as if the wounds that we left behind are still fresh.
14
adhooray-pan1 ka aao mil ke koii raasta2 DhoonDeN
chalo mil-jul3 ke DhoonDeN jo shivaala4 chhoR aa’e haiN
1.incompleteness 2.path, way 3.together 4.shiva temple
This has reference to a nazm that iqbal wrote called ‘naya shivaala’. There are two versions of it, both on urdushahkar. Thus, let us together find a way out of this separation/incompleteness. Together let us look for the shivaala that we left behind.
