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Recitation
سخنور و سخنوری ۔ سکندر علی وجدؔ
۱
ہنس کے شاعر نے موت سے یہ کہا
اے سبک دست، زندگی دشمن
وقت کی فصل کاٹنے والی
ایک زندہ خیال کی دھُن میں
گنگناتے ہوئے مسرّت سے
ایسے الفاظ میں نے لکّھے ہیں
جِن کو تو بھی مِٹا نہیں سکتی
۲
جس طرح موجِ صبا راہبرِ نکہتِ گُل
وجدؔ، نسبت ہے یہی شعر کو اِلہام کے ساتھ
۳
ہر شعر میں بھر دی ہے دلِ وقت کی دھڑکن
ہر نظم میں کیفیّتِ صد شام و سحر ہے
گلزار ہو بے خار یہ ممکن نہیں ناداں
کانٹوں میں اُلجھنا نہیں اچھا، گلِ تر دیکھ
۴
وجدؔ نے بادۂ حافظ کی دُکاں کھولی ہے
ہر غزل معجزۂ حُسنِ بیاں ہے اے دوست
۵
وجد حُسنِ بیاں پہ ناز نہ کر
خامُشی ہے کمالِ گویائی
۶
تکلّم کا جوہر عیاں کر دیا
خموشی نے جادو بیاں کر دیا
۷
وجد لطف سخن مبارک ہو
با کمالوں کی یاد آتی ہے
۸
دِلِ روشن ہے حُسنِ شاہدِ ہستی کا آئینہ
سوادِ دیدۂ شاعر سے حیرانی نہیں جاتی
۹
اِس عالمِ حیرت کا حاصل اے وجدؔ حقیقت میں ہے وہ دِل
ہنگامِ سحر گُلشن میں جسے پھولوں کی نظر بسمِل کر دے
۱۰
بے فیض ہے یہ روشنیِ قطرۂ شبنم
خورشیدِ جہاں تاب کی اشعار میں ہو ضو
۱۱
مرے گوہرِ سخن کا نہ کوئی حریف نکلا
نہ جمالِ ماہرویاں نہ جلالِ بادشاہی
۱۲
تصّورات کی تاریک و سرد محفل میں
تجلّیاتِ ہزار آفتاب لایا ہوں
۱۳
خلوت کدۂ حسن و محبّت سے نکل آ
کُل عالمِ موجود ہے شاعر کی قلمرو
۱۴
آتش مزاج وجدؔ میں اب سرکشی کہاں
وہ خاکِ پائے اہلِ نظر بن کے رہ گیا
۱۵
اے وجد دیکھیں کیا گُل کھِلاے
تیغِ زباں کی یہ بے نیامی
۱۶
سُنا ہے وجدؔ ہے اچھا سخنور
کوئی کہتا کہ اچھا آدمی ہے
सुख़न्वर ओ सुख़न्वरी – सिकंदर अली वज्द
१
हंस के शाएर ने मौत से ये कहा
अए सुबुक-दस्त, ज़िन्दगी दुश्मन
वक़्त कि फ़स्ल काटने वाली
एक ज़िन्दा ख़याल कि धुन में
गुनगुनाते हुए मसर्रत से
ऐसे अल्फ़ाज़ मैं ने लिक्खे हैं
जिन को तू भी मिटा नहीं सकती
२
जिस तरह मौज-ए सबा राहबर-ए निक’हत-ए गुल
वज्द निस्बत है यही शे’र को इल्हाम के साथ
३
हर शे’र में भर दी है दिल-ए वक़्त कि धढ्कन
हर नज़्म में कैफ़िय्यत-ए सद शाम ओ सहर है
गुल्ज़ार हो बे-ख़ार ये मुम्किन नहीं नादां
कांटौं में उलझना नहीं अच्छा गुल-ए तर देख
४
वज्द ने बादा-ए हाफ़ेज़ कि दुकां खोली है
हर ग़ज़ल मो’जेज़ा-ए हुस्न-ए बयां है अए दोस्त
५
वज्द हुस्न-ए बयाँ पे नाज़ न कर
ख़ामुशी है कमाल-ए गोयाई
६
तकल्लुम का जौहर अयां कर दिया
ख़मोशी ने जादू बयां कर दिया
७
वज्द लुत्फ़-ए सुख़न मुबारक हो
बा-कमालों कि याद आती है
८
दिल-ए रौशन है हुस्न-ए शाहेद-ए हस्ती का आईना
सवाद-ए दीदा-ए शाएर से हैरानी नहीं जाती
९
इस आलम-ए हैरत का हासिल अए वज्द हक़ीक़त में है वो दिल
हंगाम-ए सहर गुल्शन में जिसे फूलौं कि नज़र बिस्मिल कर दे
१०
बे-फ़ैज़ है ये रौश्नी-ए क़त्रा-ए शब्नम
ख़ुर्शीद-ए जहां-ताब कि अश’आर में हो ज़ौ
११
मेरे गौहर-ए सुख़न का न कोई हरीफ़ निक्ला
न जमाल-ए माहरूयां न जलाल-ए बादशाही
१२
तसव्वुरात कि तारीक ओ सर्द महफ़िल में
तजल्लियात-ए हज़ार आफ़्ताब लाया हूं
१३
ख़ल्वत-कदा-ए हुस्न ओ मोहब्बत से निकल आ
कुल आलम-ए मौजूद है शा’एर कि क़लमरौ
१४
आतिश मिज़ाज वज्द में अब सरकशी कहां
वो ख़ाक-ए पा-ए अहल-ए नज़र बन के रह गया
१५
अए वज्द देखें क्या गुल खिलाए
तेग़-ए ज़बां कि ये बे-नियामी
१६
सुना है वज्द है अच्छा सुख़न्वर
कोई कहता के अच्छा आदमी है
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. sikandar ali vajd (1914-1983) was a progressive, thoughtful writer from hyderabad, and a contemporary of maKhdoom. This is a part of series on “suKhanvar o suKhanvari” on the theme of what various shu’ara say about themselves, their verse, their mission and their place in history. It is a collection of short pieces and ash’aar from various Ghazal and nazam.
1
haNs ke shaa’er ne maut se ye kaha
aye subuk-dast1, zindagi dushman
vaqt ki fasl2 kaaTne vaali
ek zinda Khyaal ki dhun meN
gungunaate hue masarrat3 se
aise alfaaz4 maiN ne likkhe haiN
jin ko tu bhi miTa nahiN sakti 1.light/fast hands 2.harvest 3.happiness 4.words
Laughing, the poet said this to Death. O, fast acting enemy of Life, who mows down the harvest of time. Engrossed in search of living (eternally relevant) thought, humming a happy tune, I have written such words, that even you cannot erase.
2
jis tarah mauj1-e saba2 raahbar3-e nik’hat4-e gul
vajd nisbat5 hai yahi she’r ko ilhaam6 ke saath 1.wave, gust 2.morning breeze 3.guide, showing the path 4.fragrance 5.association, relationship 6.divine inspiration
Just like gusts of morning breeze guide the fragrance of the rose, divine inspiration also guides the flow of ash’aar/verse.
3
har she’r meN bhar di hai dil-e vaqt ki dhaRkan
har nazm meN kaifiyyat1-e sad2-shaam-o-sahr3 hai
gulzaar4 ho be-Khaar5 ye mumkin6 nahiN naadaaN7
kaaNToN meN ulajhna8 nahiN achchha, gul-e-tar9 dekh 1.condition 2.hundred 3.dawn, day 4.garden 5.thornless 6.possible 7.simpleton 8.entangled 9.moist/fresh flower
Having claimed in the previous she’r that divine inspiration guides ash’aar, the poet seems to have come down to earth. He is addressing his critic … I have filled every she’r with the heartbeat of time. In every nazm is the present condition of days and nights. O, simpleton, it is not possible that a garden be without thorns (not possible that my ash’aar be without pricks, or without mistakes). Do not get entangled in the thorns. Look at the fresh flower.
4
vajd1 ne baada2-e haafiz3 ki dukaaN kholi hai
har Ghazal mo’jeza4-e husn5-e bayaaN6 hai aye dost 1.pen name of poet 2.wine 3.farsi sufiyaana shaa’er 4.miracle 5.beauty 6.speech, recitation
vajd offers (in his shop) the wine of haafiz i.e. Ghazal of the same beauty as that of haafiz. Every Ghazal is a miracle of the beauty of recitation.
5
vajd husn1-e bayaaN2 pe naaz3 na kar
Khaamoshi hai kamaal4-e goyaaii5 1.beauty 2.recitation 3.pride 4.apex, excellence 5.speech
O, vajd, do not be vain about the beauty of your recitation/versification. Silence is the crowning glory of speech. This, after the previous she’r in which he claims similarity to haafiz.
6
takallum1 ka jauhar2 ayaaN3 kar diya
Khamoshi ne jaadu bayaaN4 kar diya 1.the art of conversation, shaa’eri (from kalaam) 2.excellence 3.display, show 4.describe, narrate
Silence showed/demonstrated the excellence of the art of conversation. It described the enchantment/magic of speech. Alternatively – jaadu-bayaaN as one adjective can be a descriptor of the shaa’er as one of enchanting speech. Thus silence demonstrated the excellence of shaa’eri. It enabled the shaa’er to become ‘jaadu-bayaaN’ – of enchanting speech.
7
vajd lutf-e-suKhan1 mubarak ho
ba-kamaalauN2 ki yaad aati hai 1.refined/delicate poetic skill 2.experts
The poet congratulates himself on his skill/taste of writing poetry while acknowledging what he has received from the experts who went before him, or is that his style is so good that it reminds the audience of masters of the past.
8
dil-e-raushan1 hai husn2-e shahed-e-hasti3 ka aaiina
savaad4-e deeda5-e shaa’er se hairaani6 nahiN jaati 1.bright/wise/open heart/mind 2.beauty 3.beautiful/Beauty of life 4.central dark spot 5.eye, seeing eye, perceiving heart 6.amazement
‘savaad’ is usually associated with the heart where there is supposed to be a central dark spot, the essence of the heart. But here the shaa’er is associating with the eye, which is also serving as a perceiving/feeling heart. The shaa’er’s heart is a reflection of the beauty of life (or beauty of the creator). The amazement in their heart never ceases. It is this amazement that compels them to write.
9
is aalam-e-hairat1 ka haasil2 aye vajd haqiqat3 meN hai vo dil
haNgaam4-e sahr5 gulshan6 meN jise phooloN ki nazar7 bismil8 kar de 1.world of amazement/enchantment 2.essence, net gain 3.truth 4.during 5.dawn 6.garden 7.sight 8.sacrificed beast
The shaa’er is in the garden at the time of dawn. Either he is looking at the beauty of flowers, or flowers are casting amorous glances at him. In either case, he is so stricken that he thrashes like a dying/sacrificed animal. The essence of the world of enchantment is a heart that can perceive such beauty or such subtle signals from flowers/nature.
10
be-faiz1 hai ye raushni-e qatra2-e shabnam3
Khursheed4-e jahaaN-taab5 ki ash’aar meN ho zau6 1.without beneficence 2.drop 3.dew 4.sun 5.world warming 6.brilliance
Conventional ash’aar are about the beauty of dew drops. Perhaps it is the sorrowful night weeping. But such ash’aar are without beneficence i.e. they are of no use to the deprived. What ash’aar need is the world-warming, passion arousing brilliance of the sun.
11
mere gauhar1-e suKhan2 na koii hareef3 nikla
na jamaal4-e maah-rooyaaN5 na jalaal6-e baadshaahi 1.gems 2.verse 3.equal, rival 4.beauty 5.moon-faced 6.grandeur
There was none that could rival the beauty/brilliance of the gems of my verse. Neither the beauty of the moon-faced beloved nor the grandeur of kings.
12
tasavvuraat1 ki taareek2 o sard3 mahfil4 meN
tajalliyaat5-e hazaar aaftaab6 laaya huN 1.imaginings, thoughts, mental constructions 2.dark 3.cold 4.gathering, world 5.brilliance 6.sun
To the dark and cold world of imagination (isolated mental construction) I bring the brilliance of a thousand suns.
13
Khalwat-kada1-e husn2 o mohabbat3 se nikal aa
kul4 aalam5-e maujood6 hai shaa’er ki qalamrau7 1.seclusion, withdrawing from the world 2.beauty 3.love 4.total, all 5.world 6.existing, material 7.realm
Come out of seclusion of beauty and love. The totality of the material world is the realm of the shaa’er.
14
aatish-mizaaj1 vajd2 meN ab sarkashi3 kahaaN
vo Khaak4-e paa5-e ahl-e-nazar6 ban ke rah gaya 1.fiery nature 2.pen name of poet 3.rebellion 4.dust 5.feet 6.discriminating/choosy people
At one time vajd may have been of a fiery temperament. But the spirit of rebellion is gone now (either because he is getting old or because he is seeking approval of critics). He has become like the dust beneath the feet of discriminating/choosy people/audience.
15
aye vajd1 dekheN kya gul-khilaaye2
teGh3-e zabaaN ki ye be-niyaami4 1.pen name of the poet 2.mischief creation 3.sword 4.out of the scabbard
vajd is writing rebellious verse, using his tongue like a drawn sword. Wait and see what mischief/trouble this causes.
16
suna hai vajd hai achchha suKhanvar1
koii kahta ke achchha aadmi hai 1.versifier, poet
It is heard that vajd is a good shaa’er. Perhaps someone will say that he is a good man too.
sikandar ali vajd (1914-1983) was a progressive, thoughtful writer from hyderabad, and a contemporary of maKhdoom. This is a part of series on “suKhanvar o suKhanvari” on the theme of what various shu’ara say about themselves, their verse, their mission and their place in history. It is a collection of short pieces and ash’aar from various Ghazal and nazam.
1
haNs ke shaa’er ne maut se ye kaha
aye subuk-dast1, zindagi dushman
vaqt ki fasl2 kaaTne vaali
ek zinda Khyaal ki dhun meN
gungunaate hue masarrat3 se
aise alfaaz4 maiN ne likkhe haiN
jin ko tu bhi miTa nahiN sakti
1.light/fast hands 2.harvest 3.happiness 4.words
Laughing, the poet said this to Death. O, fast acting enemy of Life, who mows down the harvest of time. Engrossed in search of living (eternally relevant) thought, humming a happy tune, I have written such words, that even you cannot erase.
2
jis tarah mauj1-e saba2 raahbar3-e nik’hat4-e gul
vajd nisbat5 hai yahi she’r ko ilhaam6 ke saath
1.wave, gust 2.morning breeze 3.guide, showing the path 4.fragrance 5.association, relationship 6.divine inspiration
Just like gusts of morning breeze guide the fragrance of the rose, divine inspiration also guides the flow of ash’aar/verse.
3
har she’r meN bhar di hai dil-e vaqt ki dhaRkan
har nazm meN kaifiyyat1-e sad2-shaam-o-sahr3 hai
gulzaar4 ho be-Khaar5 ye mumkin6 nahiN naadaaN7
kaaNToN meN ulajhna8 nahiN achchha, gul-e-tar9 dekh
1.condition 2.hundred 3.dawn, day 4.garden 5.thornless 6.possible 7.simpleton 8.entangled 9.moist/fresh flower
Having claimed in the previous she’r that divine inspiration guides ash’aar, the poet seems to have come down to earth. He is addressing his critic … I have filled every she’r with the heartbeat of time. In every nazm is the present condition of days and nights. O, simpleton, it is not possible that a garden be without thorns (not possible that my ash’aar be without pricks, or without mistakes). Do not get entangled in the thorns. Look at the fresh flower.
4
vajd1 ne baada2-e haafiz3 ki dukaaN kholi hai
har Ghazal mo’jeza4-e husn5-e bayaaN6 hai aye dost
1.pen name of poet 2.wine 3.farsi sufiyaana shaa’er 4.miracle 5.beauty 6.speech, recitation
vajd offers (in his shop) the wine of haafiz i.e. Ghazal of the same beauty as that of haafiz. Every Ghazal is a miracle of the beauty of recitation.
5
vajd husn1-e bayaaN2 pe naaz3 na kar
Khaamoshi hai kamaal4-e goyaaii5
1.beauty 2.recitation 3.pride 4.apex, excellence 5.speech
O, vajd, do not be vain about the beauty of your recitation/versification. Silence is the crowning glory of speech. This, after the previous she’r in which he claims similarity to haafiz.
6
takallum1 ka jauhar2 ayaaN3 kar diya
Khamoshi ne jaadu bayaaN4 kar diya
1.the art of conversation, shaa’eri (from kalaam) 2.excellence 3.display, show 4.describe, narrate
Silence showed/demonstrated the excellence of the art of conversation. It described the enchantment/magic of speech. Alternatively – jaadu-bayaaN as one adjective can be a descriptor of the shaa’er as one of enchanting speech. Thus silence demonstrated the excellence of shaa’eri. It enabled the shaa’er to become ‘jaadu-bayaaN’ – of enchanting speech.
7
vajd lutf-e-suKhan1 mubarak ho
ba-kamaalauN2 ki yaad aati hai
1.refined/delicate poetic skill 2.experts
The poet congratulates himself on his skill/taste of writing poetry while acknowledging what he has received from the experts who went before him, or is that his style is so good that it reminds the audience of masters of the past.
8
dil-e-raushan1 hai husn2-e shahed-e-hasti3 ka aaiina
savaad4-e deeda5-e shaa’er se hairaani6 nahiN jaati
1.bright/wise/open heart/mind 2.beauty 3.beautiful/Beauty of life 4.central dark spot 5.eye, seeing eye, perceiving heart 6.amazement
‘savaad’ is usually associated with the heart where there is supposed to be a central dark spot, the essence of the heart. But here the shaa’er is associating with the eye, which is also serving as a perceiving/feeling heart. The shaa’er’s heart is a reflection of the beauty of life (or beauty of the creator). The amazement in their heart never ceases. It is this amazement that compels them to write.
9
is aalam-e-hairat1 ka haasil2 aye vajd haqiqat3 meN hai vo dil
haNgaam4-e sahr5 gulshan6 meN jise phooloN ki nazar7 bismil8 kar de
1.world of amazement/enchantment 2.essence, net gain 3.truth 4.during 5.dawn 6.garden 7.sight 8.sacrificed beast
The shaa’er is in the garden at the time of dawn. Either he is looking at the beauty of flowers, or flowers are casting amorous glances at him. In either case, he is so stricken that he thrashes like a dying/sacrificed animal. The essence of the world of enchantment is a heart that can perceive such beauty or such subtle signals from flowers/nature.
10
be-faiz1 hai ye raushni-e qatra2-e shabnam3
Khursheed4-e jahaaN-taab5 ki ash’aar meN ho zau6
1.without beneficence 2.drop 3.dew 4.sun 5.world warming 6.brilliance
Conventional ash’aar are about the beauty of dew drops. Perhaps it is the sorrowful night weeping. But such ash’aar are without beneficence i.e. they are of no use to the deprived. What ash’aar need is the world-warming, passion arousing brilliance of the sun.
11
mere gauhar1-e suKhan2 na koii hareef3 nikla
na jamaal4-e maah-rooyaaN5 na jalaal6-e baadshaahi
1.gems 2.verse 3.equal, rival 4.beauty 5.moon-faced 6.grandeur
There was none that could rival the beauty/brilliance of the gems of my verse. Neither the beauty of the moon-faced beloved nor the grandeur of kings.
12
tasavvuraat1 ki taareek2 o sard3 mahfil4 meN
tajalliyaat5-e hazaar aaftaab6 laaya huN
1.imaginings, thoughts, mental constructions 2.dark 3.cold 4.gathering, world 5.brilliance 6.sun
To the dark and cold world of imagination (isolated mental construction) I bring the brilliance of a thousand suns.
13
Khalwat-kada1-e husn2 o mohabbat3 se nikal aa
kul4 aalam5-e maujood6 hai shaa’er ki qalamrau7
1.seclusion, withdrawing from the world 2.beauty 3.love 4.total, all 5.world 6.existing, material 7.realm
Come out of seclusion of beauty and love. The totality of the material world is the realm of the shaa’er.
14
aatish-mizaaj1 vajd2 meN ab sarkashi3 kahaaN
vo Khaak4-e paa5-e ahl-e-nazar6 ban ke rah gaya
1.fiery nature 2.pen name of poet 3.rebellion 4.dust 5.feet 6.discriminating/choosy people
At one time vajd may have been of a fiery temperament. But the spirit of rebellion is gone now (either because he is getting old or because he is seeking approval of critics). He has become like the dust beneath the feet of discriminating/choosy people/audience.
15
aye vajd1 dekheN kya gul-khilaaye2
teGh3-e zabaaN ki ye be-niyaami4
1.pen name of the poet 2.mischief creation 3.sword 4.out of the scabbard
vajd is writing rebellious verse, using his tongue like a drawn sword. Wait and see what mischief/trouble this causes.
16
suna hai vajd hai achchha suKhanvar1
koii kahta ke achchha aadmi hai
1.versifier, poet
It is heard that vajd is a good shaa’er. Perhaps someone will say that he is a good man too.
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