For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
ترکِ ایماں ہو گئیں ۔ سید محمد شاہدؔ
۱
حد بندیاں ایقان کی دیکھو نمایاں ہو گئیں
گھیر کر دانشوری، دیوارِ زنداں ہو گئیں
۲
آزادیِ افکار کا ہے خوف اُس کو اِس قدر
سازشیں واعظ کی اب تو صاف عریاں ہو گئیں
۳
تھی جہالت کے اندھیروں میں گزرتی زندگی
سب کہاں کچھ علم کی شمعیں فروزاں ہو گئیں
۴
وہم کے اندھیر میں جو فہم کی تھیں خامیاں
روشنی میں علم کی، کچھ کچھ گریزاں ہو گئیں
۵
معجزوں کی داستانیں، منطق جو اُلٹی کر گئیں
ہم نے یہ سمجھا کہ وجہ ترکِ ایماں ہو گئیں
۶
ہم مُفکّر ہیں ہمارا کیش ہے ترکِ جمود
ہر قدم یوں جِدّتیں ہم پر نمایاں ہو گئیں
۷
جستجو کی لذّتیں کافی ہیں شاہدؔ کیوں رکیں
منزلیں چاہے سرابوں ہی میں پنہاں ہو گئیں
तर्क-ए ईमां हो गईं – सय्यद मोहम्मद शाहेद
१
हद-बंदियां ईक़ान कि देखो नुमायां हो गईं
घेर कर दानिश्वरी, दीवार-ए ज़िन्दां हो गईं
२
आज़ादि-ए अफ़्कार का है ख़ौफ़ उस को इस क़दर
साज़िशें वा’एज़ कि अब तो साफ़ उर्यां हो गईं
३
थी जेहालत के अंधेरौं में गुज़रती ज़िन्दगी
सब कहां कुछ इल्म की शम’एं फ़रोज़ां हो गईं
४
वहम के अंधेर में, जो फ़हम की थीं ख़ामियां
रौश्नी में इल्म की, कुछ कुछ गुरेज़ां हो गईं
५
मो’जज़ौं की दास्तानें, मंतक़ जो उल्टी कर गईं
हम ने ये समझा के वजह तर्क-ए ईमां हो गईं
६
हम मुफ़क्किर हैं हमारा केश है तर्क-ए जुमूद
हर क़दम यूं जिद्दतें हम पर नुमायां हो गईं
७
जुस्तजू की लज़्ज़तें काफ़ी हैं शाहेद क्यूं रुकें
मन्ज़िलें चाहे सराबौं ही में पिन्हां हो गईं
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. syed mohammed shahed (1944-living) came to urdu late in life, but early to skepticism, inquiry and unbelief. Irreverent and rebellious, he enjoys retirement and continuous learning. As he collected Ghazal modeled after Ghalib (all linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam), from far and wide, he has been motivated to compose some of his own. This Ghazal, styled after Ghalib’s “Khaak meN kya soorateN hoNgi keh pinhaaN ho gaiiN” is yet another rebellious transgression.
1
had-bandiyaaN1 iiqaan2 ki dekho numaayaaN3 ho gaaiN
gher kar daanishvari4, diivaar-e zindaaN5 ho gaiiN 1.drawing bounds, limiting 2.certainty, belief 3.apparent, manifest 4.wisdom, reason 5.prison
The boundaries drawn by certainty (of blind belief) became visible because they encircled reason and made an imprisoning wall around it.
2
aazaadi-e afkaar1 ka hai Khauf2 us ko is qadar3
saazisheN4 vaa’ez5 ki ab to saaf6 uryaaN7 ho gaiiN 1.thoughts, reason 2.fear 3.so much 4.schemes 5.preacher 6.clearly 7.naked, unveiled
He is so scared of independent human reasoning/thinking, that the schemes of the preacher become clearly exposed. mohammed iqbal, the supposedly enlightened thinker says …
aazaadi-e afkaar hai iblees ki eejad
As opposed to this, ahmed farhaad, a young poet says …
kaafir huN, sar phira huN, mujhe maar deejiye
maiN sochne laga huN, mujhe maar deejiye
3
thi jehaalat1 ke andheroN meN guzarti zindagi
sub kahaaN kuchh ilm2 ki sham’eN3 farozaaN4 ho gaiiN 1.ignorance, lack of knowledge 2.knowledge, learning 3.candles 4.shining bright
Life used to pass under the darkness of ignorance. Not all but a few candles of knowledge have lit up shining brightly.
4
vahm1 ke andher meN, jo fahm2 ki thiiN KhaamiyaaN2
raushni meN ilm4 ki, kuchh kuchh gurezaaN5 ho gaiiN 1.superstition 2.knowledge 3.defects, deficiencies 4.reason, wisdom, scientific knowledge 5.fled, banished
The deficiencies in knowledge that lived under the shadow of superstitions, in the light of scientific learning, a few have been banished.
5
mo’jizoN1 ki daastaaneN2, mantaq3 jo ulTi kar gaiiN
hum ne ye samjha keh vaj’h4-e tark5-e iimaaN6 ho gaiiN 1.miracles 2.fables, concoctions 3.logic 4.reason, justification 5.quitting 6.belief, faith
As the fables of miracles turned logic upside down, we learnt that this was justification enough to quit (blind) belief.
6
ham mufakkir1 haiN hamaara kesh2 hai tark3-e jumood4
har qadam yuN jiddateN5 ham par numaayaaN6 ho gaiiN 1.thinkers, rational, reasoning beings 2.manner, nature, ways 3.quitting 4.stasis, inactivity, lack of progress 5.innovations, new thoughts/visions 6.apparent
We are rational, our nature is to keep moving/changing/making progress. At every step new visions reveal themselves to us. Said Ghalib …
ham muvahhid haiN hamaaraa kesh hai tark-e rusuum
millateN jab miT gaiiN ajzaa-e iimaaN ho gaiiN
7
justaju1 ki lazzateN2 kaafi3 haiN shahed4, kyuN rukeN5
manzileN6 chaahe saraaboN7 hi meN pinhaaN8 ho gaiiN 1.search, seeking 2.pleasures, taste 3. enough 4. name and pen-name of the poet 5.stop 6.destinations 7.mirage 8.hidden
The pleasure of search is enough, O shahed, why should we stop even if our destinations disappear in a mirage.
syed mohammed shahed (1944-living) came to urdu late in life, but early to skepticism, inquiry and unbelief. Irreverent and rebellious, he enjoys retirement and continuous learning. As he collected Ghazal modeled after Ghalib (all linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam), from far and wide, he has been motivated to compose some of his own. This Ghazal, styled after Ghalib’s “Khaak meN kya soorateN hoNgi keh pinhaaN ho gaiiN” is yet another rebellious transgression.
1
had-bandiyaaN1 iiqaan2 ki dekho numaayaaN3 ho gaaiN
gher kar daanishvari4, diivaar-e zindaaN5 ho gaiiN
1.drawing bounds, limiting 2.certainty, belief 3.apparent, manifest 4.wisdom, reason 5.prison
The boundaries drawn by certainty (of blind belief) became visible because they encircled reason and made an imprisoning wall around it.
2
aazaadi-e afkaar1 ka hai Khauf2 us ko is qadar3
saazisheN4 vaa’ez5 ki ab to saaf6 uryaaN7 ho gaiiN
1.thoughts, reason 2.fear 3.so much 4.schemes 5.preacher 6.clearly 7.naked, unveiled
He is so scared of independent human reasoning/thinking, that the schemes of the preacher become clearly exposed. mohammed iqbal, the supposedly enlightened thinker says …
aazaadi-e afkaar hai iblees ki eejad
As opposed to this, ahmed farhaad, a young poet says …
kaafir huN, sar phira huN, mujhe maar deejiye
maiN sochne laga huN, mujhe maar deejiye
3
thi jehaalat1 ke andheroN meN guzarti zindagi
sub kahaaN kuchh ilm2 ki sham’eN3 farozaaN4 ho gaiiN
1.ignorance, lack of knowledge 2.knowledge, learning 3.candles 4.shining bright
Life used to pass under the darkness of ignorance. Not all but a few candles of knowledge have lit up shining brightly.
4
vahm1 ke andher meN, jo fahm2 ki thiiN KhaamiyaaN2
raushni meN ilm4 ki, kuchh kuchh gurezaaN5 ho gaiiN
1.superstition 2.knowledge 3.defects, deficiencies 4.reason, wisdom, scientific knowledge 5.fled, banished
The deficiencies in knowledge that lived under the shadow of superstitions, in the light of scientific learning, a few have been banished.
5
mo’jizoN1 ki daastaaneN2, mantaq3 jo ulTi kar gaiiN
hum ne ye samjha keh vaj’h4-e tark5-e iimaaN6 ho gaiiN
1.miracles 2.fables, concoctions 3.logic 4.reason, justification 5.quitting 6.belief, faith
As the fables of miracles turned logic upside down, we learnt that this was justification enough to quit (blind) belief.
6
ham mufakkir1 haiN hamaara kesh2 hai tark3-e jumood4
har qadam yuN jiddateN5 ham par numaayaaN6 ho gaiiN
1.thinkers, rational, reasoning beings 2.manner, nature, ways 3.quitting 4.stasis, inactivity, lack of progress 5.innovations, new thoughts/visions 6.apparent
We are rational, our nature is to keep moving/changing/making progress. At every step new visions reveal themselves to us. Said Ghalib …
ham muvahhid haiN hamaaraa kesh hai tark-e rusuum
millateN jab miT gaiiN ajzaa-e iimaaN ho gaiiN
7
justaju1 ki lazzateN2 kaafi3 haiN shahed4, kyuN rukeN5
manzileN6 chaahe saraaboN7 hi meN pinhaaN8 ho gaiiN
1.search, seeking 2.pleasures, taste 3. enough 4. name and pen-name of the poet 5.stop 6.destinations 7.mirage 8.hidden
The pleasure of search is enough, O shahed, why should we stop even if our destinations disappear in a mirage.
Marhaba!, Shahed, bahut khoob …
Thanks for shaing and keep plugging in …
With love and best wishes, always …
❤️☮️🦋🌍🌞