tarah-e nau – sahir

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

طرح  نو  –  ساحرؔ  لدھیانوی

۱

سعیِٰ  بقائے  شوکتِ  اِسکندری  کی  خیر

ماحولِ  خِشت  بار  میں  شیشہ  گری  کی  خیر

۲

بیزار  ہے  کنشت  و  کلیسا  سے  یہ  جہاں

سوداگرانِ  دین  کی  سوداگری  کی  خیر

۳

فاقہ  کشوں  کے  جوش  میں  ہے  خونِ  انتقام

سرمایہ  کے  فریبِ  جہاں  پروری  کی  خیر

۴

طبقاتِ  مبتزل  میں  ہے  تنظیم  کی  نمود

شاہنشہوں  کے  ضابطۂ  خود  سری  کی  خیر

۵

احساس  بڑھ  رہا  ہے  حقوقِ  حیات  کا

پیدائشی  شوقِ  ستم  پروری  کی  خیر

۶

اِبلیس  خندہ  زن  ہے  مذاہب  کی  لاش  پر

پیغمبرانِ  دہر  کی  پیغمبری  کی  خیر

۷

صحنِ  جہاں  میں  رقص  کُناں  ہیں  تباہیاں

آقائے  ہست  و  بود  کی  صنعت  گری  کی  خیر

۸

شعلے  لپک  رہے  ہیں  جہنم  کی  گود  سے

باغِ  جناں  میں  جلوۂ  حور  و  پری  کی  خیر

۹

اِنسان  اُلٹ  رہا  ہے  رُخِ  زیست  سے  نقاب

مذہب  کے  اِہتمامِ  فسوں  پروری  کی  خیر

۱۰

اِلحاد  کر  رہا  ہے  مُرتّب  جہانِ  نو

دیر  و  حرم  کے  حیلۂ  غارت  گری  کی  خیر

तरह नौ – साहिर लुधियानवी

स’ई-ए बक़ा-ए शौकत-ए इस्कंदरी कि ख़ैर

माहौल-ए ख़िश्त-बार में शीशा गरी कि ख़ैर

बेज़ार है कनिश्त ओ कलीसा से ये जहां

सौदागरान-ए दीन की सौदागरी कि ख़ैर

फ़ाक़ा कशौं के ख़ून में है जोश-ए इन्तेक़ाम

सरमाया के फ़रेब-ए जहां परवरी की ख़ैर

तबक़ात-ए मुब्तज़िल में है तनज़ीम की नुमूद

शाहनशहों कि ज़ाबेता-ए ख़ुदसरी कि ख़ैर

एहसास बढ़ रहा है हुक़ूक़-ए हयात का

पैदाएशी शौक़-ए सितम परवरी कि ख़ैर

इब्लीस ख़न्दा-ज़न है मज़ाहिब कि लाश पर

पैग़म्बरान-ए दहर की पैग़मबरी कि ख़ैर

सहन-ए जहां में रक़्स कुनां हैं तबाहियां

आक़ा-ए हस्त ओ बूद कि सन’अत गरी कि ख़ैर

शोले लपक रहे हैं जहन्नुम की गोद से

बाग़-ए जिनां में जलवा-ए हूर ओ पारी की ख़ैर

इन्सान उलट रहा है रुख़-ए ज़ीस्त से नक़ाब

मज़्हब के-एह्तेमाम-ए फ़ुसूँ परवरी कि ख़ैर

१०

इल्हाद कर रहा है मुरत्तिब जहान-ए नौ

दैर ओ हरम के हीला-ए ग़ारत गरी कि ख़ैर

 

Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and-explanatory discussion.
1
sa’ee1-e baqa2-e shaukat3-e iskandari4 ki Khair5
mahaul6-e Khisht baar7 meN sheesha-gari8 ki Khair   
1.effort 2.survival 3.glamour 4.Alexandership/absolute power 5.sarcastic–its safety 6.atmosphere 7.rain of bricks 8.building crystals, glass houses
The phrase “ki Khair” is used in a sarcastic vein more in the sense of “god help it”. It is best translated as “it is doomed”. The-effort to save the glamor of absolute power is doomed. In the atmosphere of raining bricks, these glass palaces are doomed.

2
bezaar9 hai kanisht o kaleesa10 se ye jahaaN
saudagaraan-e deen11 ki saudagari ki Khair   

3
faaqa-kashoN12 ke Khoon meN hai josh13-e inteqaam14
sarmaaya15 ke fareb-e jahaaN parvari16 ki Khair

4
tabqaat-e-mubtazil17 meN hai tanzim18 ki numuud19
shaahan-shahoN20 ke zaabata21-e Khud-sari22 ki Khair

5
ehsaas1 baRh raha hai huqooq-e hayaat2 ka
paidaishi3 shauq4-e sitam-parvari5 ki Khair   

6
iblis6 Khanda-zan7 hai mazaahib8 ki laash9 par
paiGhambaran-e dahr10 ki paiGhambari ki Khair

7
sahn-e jahaaN1 meN raqs kunaaN2 haiN tabaahiyaaN3
aaqa4-e hast o bood5 ki san’at-gari6 ki Khair   

8
shole7 lapak rahe haiN jahannum8 ki goad se
baaGh-e jinaaN9 meN jalva10-e huur o pari11 ki Khair

9
insaan ulaT raha hai ruKh-e-zeest1 se naqaab2
mazhab ke-ehtemaam3-e fusuuN-parvari4 ki Khair  

10
ilhaad5 kar raha hai murattib6 jahaan-e nau7
dair o haram8 ke heela9-e Ghaarat-gari10 ki Khair

sahir ludhianavi (1921-1980) progressive poet writing in chaste yet relatively easily understood urdu.  He brought the quality of urdu nazm to movie songs and raised the standards to a high level.  Supported labour movements.  Strong participant in the Progressive Writers’ Association.  Winner of Lenin Peace Prize and padma shri, and several movie industry awards.  He has written quite openly about his atheism.  There is a series of nazm with similar themes – majaz’s Khwaab-e sahr, faraz’s mansur, qateel shifaaii’s insaan and many others that linked to “uloohiyyat-ehtejaaj” on the Theme Index page.  They all express strong protest against narrow minded orthodoxy, even against divinity.
1
sa’ee1-e baqa2-e shaukat3-e iskandari4 ki Khair5
mahaul6-e Khisht baar7 meN sheesha-gari8 ki Khair

1.effort 2.survival 3.glamour 4.Alexandership/absolute power 5.sarcastic–its safety 6.atmosphere 7.rain of bricks 8.building crystals, glass houses

The phrase “ki Khair” is used in a sarcastic vein more in the sense of “god help it”.  It is best translated as “it is doomed”.  The-effort to save the glamor of absolute power is doomed.  In the atmosphere of raining bricks, these glass palaces are doomed.
2
bezaar9 hai kanisht o kaleesa10 se ye jahaaN
saudagaraan-e deen11 ki saudagari ki Khair

9.tired of 10.temple and church 11.religion

This world is tired of temple and church (mosque implied).  The business of the traders in faith/religion is doomed.
3
faaqa kashoN12 ke Khoon meN hai josh13-e inteqaam14
sarmaaya15 ke fareb-e jahaaN parvari16 ki Khair

12.hungry 13.enthusiasm 14.revenge 15.capital 16.pretense/deception of world service (good of the people)

The blood of the deprived and the hungry boils and they are bent upon revenge.  Capitalism’s deception of universal well-being is doomed.
4
tabqaat-e-mubtazil17 meN hai tanzim18 ki numuud19
shaahan-shahoN20 ke zaabata21-e Khud-sari22 ki Khair

17.depressed classes 18.organization 19.emergence 20.royal/priveleged class 21.rules, ways 22.obstinate ways

Organization/unionization is emerging among the depressed classes.  The lordly and obstinate ways of the haves are doomed.
5
ehsaas1 baRh raha hai huqooq-e hayaat2 ka
paidaishi3 shauq4-e sitam-parvari5 ki Khair

1.awareness 2.human rights 3.from birth, lifelong 4.desire 5.nurturing violence/exploitation

Awareness of the rights of life is on the rise.  The lifelong desire for-exploitation is doomed.
6
iblis6 Khanda-zan7 hai mazaahib8 ki laash9 par
paiGhambaran-e dahr10 ki paiGhambari ki Khair

6.devil 7.laugh at, disdainful 8.religions 9.corpse 10.foretellers of fire (hell)

Satan laughs at the corpse of organized religions.  The purveyors of “fire and brimstone” are doomed.
7
sahn-e jahaaN1 meN raqs kunaaN2 haiN tabaahiyaaN3
aaqa4-e hast o bood5 ki san’at-gari6 ki Khair

1.yard/stage of the world 2.dancing 3.disasters 4.lord 5.existence/life 6.exercise of skills, machinations

Revolution is dancing on the world stage.  The machinations of the lords of the means of livelihood are doomed.
8
shole7 lapak rahe haiN jahannum8 ki goad se
baaGh-e jinaaN9 meN jalva10-e huur o pari11 ki Khair

7.flames 8.hell 9.garden of paradise 10.face/beauty 11.hooris and fairies

Flames are leaping from the lap of hell (to consume outmoded concepts).  The garden of paradise and the fallacies of hooris are doomed.
9
insaan ulaT raha hai ruKh-e-zeest1 se naqaab2
mazhab ke-ehtemaam3-e fusuuN-parvari4 ki Khair

1.face of life 2.veil 3. arrangement 4.magic, deception

Humanity is unveiling the secrets of life.  The deception/illusion of organized religion is doomed.
10
ilhaad5 kar raha hai murattib6 jahaan-e nau7
dair o haram8 ke heela9-e Ghaarat-gari10 ki Khair

5.atheism 6.making ready, building 7.new world 8.temple and mosque 9.deceptive-excuse 10.looting, spreading destruction, exploitation

Atheism is building a new world order.  The hoodwinking by mosque and temple for the sake of-exploitation is doomed.