For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the “Roman” or “Notes” tab.
Recitation
سجدۂ نو ۔ جوشؔ ملیح آبادی
۱
نا آشنائے سجدۂ نو ہے بشر ہنوز
پہنچا نہیں ہے زانوئے حکمت پہ سر ہنوز
۲
ہر گیسوئے خیال میں ہیں رہزنی کے خم
اُلجھی ہوئی ہے زلفِ مذاقِ خضر ہنوز
۳
دیوانگی کے دشت میں چرتی ہے زندگی
فرزانگی کی راہ میں اُڑتے ہیں سر ہنوز
۴
حیف، اک شنیدہ لشکرِ نادیدہ کے حضور
پھینکے ہوئے ہے دانشِ آدم سپر ہنوز
۵
راتوں کی یورشوں سے اُفق ہے سیاہ پوش
سکتے میں ہے جلوسِ طلوعِ سحر ہنوز
۶
بازارِ سیم و زر میں وہ غُل ہے کہ الاماں
گاہک کی منتظر ہے متاعِ ہنر ہنوز
۷
اُبھری نہیں ہے جودتِ گردوں شناس ابھی
بینا نہیں ہے دیدۂ گیتی نِگر ہنوز
۸
قدریں ہیں دائمی کہ اضافی کسے خبر
اُلجھا ہوا ہے مسلۂ خیر و شر ہنوز
۹
جو آدمی ہے میرِ سماوات و شاہِ ارض
وہ آدمی ہے بندۂ تاج و کمر ہنوز
۱۰
اِس جادۂ درازِ سنین و شہور پر
اِنسان کا سفر ہے بہت مختصر ہنوز
۱۱
بے مُزد بھر رہے ہیں جو ذہنوں کی جھولیاں
وہ خاتمانِ شہر ہیں دریوزہ گر ہنوز
۱۲
اقوال کی زمیں پہ کھڑی ہیں عمارتیں
افکار کا اِحاطہ ہے بے سقف و در ہنوز
۱۳
ہوتا ہے ضبط سرحد و ساحل پہ مالِ عقل
ممنوع ہے درآمدِ فکر و نظر ہنوز
۱۴
بخشے گا بندگی سے جو اِنسان کو نجات
وہ صرف مایہ دار ہے نا معتبر ہنوز
۱۵
بیٹھے ہوے ہیں جہل کے پہرے علوم پر
لب بستہ ہے نبوّتِ ذہنِ بشر ہنوز
सजदा-ए नौ – जोश मलीहाबादी
१
ना-आशना-ए सजदा-ए नौ है बशर हनूज़
पहुंचा नहीं है ज़ानू-ए हिकमत पे सर हनूज़
२
हर गेसु-ए ख़याल में है रहज़नी के ख़म
उलझी हुई है ज़ुल्फ़-ए मज़ाक़-ए ख़िज़र हनूज़
३
दीवानगी के दश्त में चरती है ज़िन्दगी
फ़र्ज़ानगी कि राह में उढते हैं सर हनूज़
४
हैफ़, एक शुनीदा लश्कर-ए नादीदा के हुज़ूर
फैंके हुए है दानिश-ए आदम सिपर हनूज़
५
रातौं की यूरिशौं से उफ़क़ है सियाह-पोश
सकते में है जुलूस-ए तुलू-ए सहर हनूज़
६
बाज़ार-ए सीम ओ ज़र में वो ग़ुल है के अल-अमां
गाहक कि मुंतज़िर है मता-ए हुनर हनूज़
७
उभरी नहीं है जूदत-ए गर्दूं-शनास अभी
बीना नहीं है दीदा-ए गेती-निगर हनूज़
८
क़दरें हैं दा’एमी के इज़ाफ़ी किसे ख़बर
उल्झा हुआ है मस’अला-ए ख़ैर ओ शर हनूज़
९
जो आदमी है मीर-ए समावात ओ शाह-ए आर्ज़
वो आदमी है बन्दा-ए ताज ओ कमर हनूज़
१०
इस जादा-ए दराज़-ए सिनैन ओ शहूर पर
इन्सान का सफ़र है बहुत मुख़्तसर हनूज़
११
बे-मुज़्द भर रहे हैं जो ज़हनौं कि झोलियां
वो ख़ातमान-ए शहर हैं दरयूज़ा-गर हनूज़
१२
अक़्वाल की ज़मीं पे खढी हैं इमारतें
अफ़्कार का एहाता है बे-सक़्फ़ ओ दर हनूज़
१३
होता है ज़ब्त सरहद ओ साहिल पे माल-ए अक़्ल
ममनू है दर-आमद-ए फ़िक्र ओ नज़र हनूज़
१४
बख़्शेगा बन्दगी से जो इन्सान को नजात
वो सर्फ़-ए माया-दार है ना-मोतबर हनूज़
१५
बैठे हुए हैं जहल के पहरे उलूम पर
लब-बस्ता है नुबुव्वत-ए ज़हन-ए बशर हनूज़
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. Here he laments that the human mind is still slave to unthinking traditions/beliefs.
1
na-aashna1-e sajda2-e nau3 hai bashar4 hanooz5
pahuNcha nahiN hai zaanu6-e hikmat7 pe sar hanooz 1.unaware, ignorant 2.bowing down, prostration 3.new 4.human 5.still, even now 6.lap, knee 7.wisdom, knowledge
The old kind of sajda is prostration to blind belief. The new kind is to Knowledge and Reason. ‘zaanu par sar rakhna’ is an expression meaning to be deep in thought. Thus, humans are still not familiar with the new kind of sajda.
2
har gesu1-e Khayaal2 meN hai rahzani3 ke Kham4
uljhi5 hui hai zulf6-e mazaaq7-e Khizar8 hanooz 1.strand of hair 2.thought, reason 3.robbery 4.curled 5.tangled 6.hair 7.taste, refined taste 8.legendary old man
Khizar is a Biblical and qur’aanic figure. He is supposed to be immortal, very well read, knowledegeable about everything. Thus, ‘mazaaq-e Khizar’ is his taste for reading/knowledge. Every strand of the hair of Reason is curled up (withdrawn) because of attack by highwaymen. The hair of the taste for knowledge are all tangled up i.e., people still have not learnt to reason and question.
3
diivaanagi ke dasht1 meN charti2 hai zindagi
farzaanagi3 ki raah meN uRte4 haiN sar hanooz 1.wilderness 2.graze 3.wisdom 4.sar uRna is an expression meaning head flying off the body i.e., chopped off
Life grazes in the wilderness of madness/ignorance. Heads are still chopped off along the path of reason/wisdom.
4
haif1, ek shuniida2 lashkar3-e naa-diida4 ke huzoor5
phaiNke hue hai daanish6-e aadam7 sipar8 hanooz 1.alas 2.heard 3.army, force 4.not seen, no evidence 5.in front of, before 6.wisdom 7.human beings 8.shield
Alas, before a force that we only have heard about but have never seen, human beings have thrown down the shield wisdom. Consider sudarshan faakir …
saamne hai jo use log bura kahte haiN
jisko dekha hi nahiN usko Khuda kahte haiN
5
raatoN ki yurishoN1 se ufaq2 hai siyaah-posh3
sakte4 meN hai juloos5-e tuloo6-e sahar7 hanooz 1.attack, onslaught 2.horizon 3.dark robed 4.stunned, stupefied 5.parade, march 6.emergence 7.dawn
‘sahar’-dawn can signify the light of knowledge and/or social justice. Here it is probably used to signify knowledge. Thus, the horizon is cloaked in darkness because of the onslaught of night/darkness/oppression. The march of the emergence of knowledge is still stunned.
6
baazaar-e siim1 o zar2 meN vo Ghul3 hai keh al-amaaN4
gaahak ki muntazar5 hai mataa6-e hunar7 hanooz 1.silver 2.gold 3.noise, activity, bustle 4.may god protect us, refuge 5.waiting 6.treasure 7.skill, talent
The bazaar of gold and silver is so active that I seek refuge from it. On the other hand, the treasure house of talent is still waiting for customers.
7
ubhri1 nahiN hai joodat2-e garduuN-shanaas3 abhi
biina4 nahiN hai diida5-e geti-nigar6 hanooz 1.emerge, rise 2.intelligence, fast learning 3.one who understands/is familiar with the heavens 4.able to see 5.eye 6.world protecting
The intelligence of those who understand skies/heavens/divinity has not yet risen up. The eye that guards this world is still unable to see (through the fog of ignorance).
8
qadreN1 haiN daa’emi2 keh izaafi3 kise Khabar4
uljha5 hua hai mas’ala6-e Khair7 o shar8 hanooz 1.ordained by god, commandments 2.eternal 3.incremental, changing 4.knows 5.tangled, complicated 6.puzzle 7.good 8.evil
Are divine commandments eternal or do they change with time, who knows. The puzzle of good and evil is still complex.
9
jo aadmi hai miir1-e samaavaat2 o shaah3-e arz4
vo aadmi hai banda5-e taaj-o-kamar6 hanooz 1.lord 2.skies 3.king 4.earth 5.slave 6.crown and (ceremonial) belt
Humans who are the lords of skies and kings of the earth are still slaves to the crown and sceptre.
10
is jaada1-e daraaz2-e sinain3 o shahoor4 par
insaan ka safar5 hai bahut muKhtasir6 hanooz 1.path 2.long 3.years 4.months 5.journey 6.brief
The journey of humans on this long path of time is still very brief.
11
be-muzd1 bhar rahe haiN jo zahnoN2 ki jholiyaaN3
vo Khaatemaan-e-shahr4 haiN daryooza-gar5 hanooz 1.without compensation/wages 2.minds 3.sacks 4.caretakers of regime 5.bearing a begging bowl
‘zahnoN ki jholiyaaN bharna’ probably is being used to mean ‘filling minds with propaganda’. And it appears that the propaganda that they are filling has no compensatory value. The leaders of the homeland still carry begging bowls (looking for ideas).
12
aqvaal1 ki zamiiN pe khaRi haiN imaarateN2
afkaar3 ka ehaata4 hai be-saqf5 o dar6 hanooz 1.sayings, pronouncements, edicts 2.buildings 3.thought, reason 4.area 5.without roof 6.doors
Large buildings stand on the land of edicts but the area of reason is still without roof or doors.
13
hota hai zabt1 sarhad2 o saahil3 pe maal-e aql4
mamnoo5 hai dar-aamad6-e fikr7 o nazar8 hanooz 1.confiscated 2.boundary 3.shoreline 4.mind 5.forbidden 6.entry 7.reason 8.discerning eye
Good of the mind are confiscated at the boundary and the shore. Entry of thought and reason and of the discerning eye is forbidden.
14
baKhshega1 bandagi2 se jo insaan ko najaat3
vo sarf4-e maaya-daar5 hai na-motabar6 hanooz 1.grant 2.slavery 3.deliverance 4.treasury, budget 5.value bearing 6.unreliable
The high value treasury (of thought) that can grant humans deliverance from slavery (of the mind) is still undependable.
15
baiThe hue haiN jahl1 ke pahre2 uloom3 par
lab-basta4 hai nubuvvat5-e zahn6-e bashar7 hanooz 1.ignorance 2.watchmen 3.knowledge 4.sealed lips 5.divine message, prophet, messenger 6.mind 7.human
Knowledge is confined by the prison guards of Ignorance. The lips of the messenger of the human mind (does he mean himself) are still sealed.
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. Here he laments that the human mind is still slave to unthinking traditions/beliefs.
1
na-aashna1-e sajda2-e nau3 hai bashar4 hanooz5
pahuNcha nahiN hai zaanu6-e hikmat7 pe sar hanooz
1.unaware, ignorant 2.bowing down, prostration 3.new 4.human 5.still, even now 6.lap, knee 7.wisdom, knowledge
The old kind of sajda is prostration to blind belief. The new kind is to Knowledge and Reason. ‘zaanu par sar rakhna’ is an expression meaning to be deep in thought. Thus, humans are still not familiar with the new kind of sajda.
2
har gesu1-e Khayaal2 meN hai rahzani3 ke Kham4
uljhi5 hui hai zulf6-e mazaaq7-e Khizar8 hanooz
1.strand of hair 2.thought, reason 3.robbery 4.curled 5.tangled 6.hair 7.taste, refined taste 8.legendary old man
Khizar is a Biblical and qur’aanic figure. He is supposed to be immortal, very well read, knowledegeable about everything. Thus, ‘mazaaq-e Khizar’ is his taste for reading/knowledge. Every strand of the hair of Reason is curled up (withdrawn) because of attack by highwaymen. The hair of the taste for knowledge are all tangled up i.e., people still have not learnt to reason and question.
3
diivaanagi ke dasht1 meN charti2 hai zindagi
farzaanagi3 ki raah meN uRte4 haiN sar hanooz
1.wilderness 2.graze 3.wisdom 4.sar uRna is an expression meaning head flying off the body i.e., chopped off
Life grazes in the wilderness of madness/ignorance. Heads are still chopped off along the path of reason/wisdom.
4
haif1, ek shuniida2 lashkar3-e naa-diida4 ke huzoor5
phaiNke hue hai daanish6-e aadam7 sipar8 hanooz
1.alas 2.heard 3.army, force 4.not seen, no evidence 5.in front of, before 6.wisdom 7.human beings 8.shield
Alas, before a force that we only have heard about but have never seen, human beings have thrown down the shield wisdom. Consider sudarshan faakir …
saamne hai jo use log bura kahte haiN
jisko dekha hi nahiN usko Khuda kahte haiN
5
raatoN ki yurishoN1 se ufaq2 hai siyaah-posh3
sakte4 meN hai juloos5-e tuloo6-e sahar7 hanooz
1.attack, onslaught 2.horizon 3.dark robed 4.stunned, stupefied 5.parade, march 6.emergence 7.dawn
‘sahar’-dawn can signify the light of knowledge and/or social justice. Here it is probably used to signify knowledge. Thus, the horizon is cloaked in darkness because of the onslaught of night/darkness/oppression. The march of the emergence of knowledge is still stunned.
6
baazaar-e siim1 o zar2 meN vo Ghul3 hai keh al-amaaN4
gaahak ki muntazar5 hai mataa6-e hunar7 hanooz
1.silver 2.gold 3.noise, activity, bustle 4.may god protect us, refuge 5.waiting 6.treasure 7.skill, talent
The bazaar of gold and silver is so active that I seek refuge from it. On the other hand, the treasure house of talent is still waiting for customers.
7
ubhri1 nahiN hai joodat2-e garduuN-shanaas3 abhi
biina4 nahiN hai diida5-e geti-nigar6 hanooz
1.emerge, rise 2.intelligence, fast learning 3.one who understands/is familiar with the heavens 4.able to see 5.eye 6.world protecting
The intelligence of those who understand skies/heavens/divinity has not yet risen up. The eye that guards this world is still unable to see (through the fog of ignorance).
8
qadreN1 haiN daa’emi2 keh izaafi3 kise Khabar4
uljha5 hua hai mas’ala6-e Khair7 o shar8 hanooz
1.ordained by god, commandments 2.eternal 3.incremental, changing 4.knows 5.tangled, complicated 6.puzzle 7.good 8.evil
Are divine commandments eternal or do they change with time, who knows. The puzzle of good and evil is still complex.
9
jo aadmi hai miir1-e samaavaat2 o shaah3-e arz4
vo aadmi hai banda5-e taaj-o-kamar6 hanooz
1.lord 2.skies 3.king 4.earth 5.slave 6.crown and (ceremonial) belt
Humans who are the lords of skies and kings of the earth are still slaves to the crown and sceptre.
10
is jaada1-e daraaz2-e sinain3 o shahoor4 par
insaan ka safar5 hai bahut muKhtasir6 hanooz
1.path 2.long 3.years 4.months 5.journey 6.brief
The journey of humans on this long path of time is still very brief.
11
be-muzd1 bhar rahe haiN jo zahnoN2 ki jholiyaaN3
vo Khaatemaan-e-shahr4 haiN daryooza-gar5 hanooz
1.without compensation/wages 2.minds 3.sacks 4.caretakers of regime 5.bearing a begging bowl
‘zahnoN ki jholiyaaN bharna’ probably is being used to mean ‘filling minds with propaganda’. And it appears that the propaganda that they are filling has no compensatory value. The leaders of the homeland still carry begging bowls (looking for ideas).
12
aqvaal1 ki zamiiN pe khaRi haiN imaarateN2
afkaar3 ka ehaata4 hai be-saqf5 o dar6 hanooz
1.sayings, pronouncements, edicts 2.buildings 3.thought, reason 4.area 5.without roof 6.doors
Large buildings stand on the land of edicts but the area of reason is still without roof or doors.
13
hota hai zabt1 sarhad2 o saahil3 pe maal-e aql4
mamnoo5 hai dar-aamad6-e fikr7 o nazar8 hanooz
1.confiscated 2.boundary 3.shoreline 4.mind 5.forbidden 6.entry 7.reason 8.discerning eye
Good of the mind are confiscated at the boundary and the shore. Entry of thought and reason and of the discerning eye is forbidden.
14
baKhshega1 bandagi2 se jo insaan ko najaat3
vo sarf4-e maaya-daar5 hai na-motabar6 hanooz
1.grant 2.slavery 3.deliverance 4.treasury, budget 5.value bearing 6.unreliable
The high value treasury (of thought) that can grant humans deliverance from slavery (of the mind) is still undependable.
15
baiThe hue haiN jahl1 ke pahre2 uloom3 par
lab-basta4 hai nubuvvat5-e zahn6-e bashar7 hanooz
1.ignorance 2.watchmen 3.knowledge 4.sealed lips 5.divine message, prophet, messenger 6.mind 7.human
Knowledge is confined by the prison guards of Ignorance. The lips of the messenger of the human mind (does he mean himself) are still sealed.
