For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
ترا ہر نفس سُنائی دے ۔ عالمتاب تشنہؔ
۱
تو میری فکر کو احساس کی خدائی دے
غمِ کمال نہ دے، رنجِ نارسائی دے
۲
ہر ایک لفظ کے پیکر میں ہو تری خوشبو
مری غزل میں ترا ہر نفس سُنائی دے
۳
لکھوں جو حرف مہ و آفتاب بن جائیں
صریرِ خامہ کو اتنی تُو روشنائی دے
۴
میں تیرے وصف میں حرفِ تمام لکھ جاؤں
تو اپنے لوح و قلم تک مجھے رسائی دے
۵
میں تجھ کو چاہوں تو ایسا کہ خود فنا ہو جاؤں
مرا وجود ترا آئینہ دکھائی دے
۶
جو پھول بن کے مہکتا رہے خیالوں میں
وہ کربِ عشق دے، وہ زخمِ آشنائی دے
۷
میں روشنی ہوں اندھیروں سے دُور رکھ مجھ کو
طلوعِ مہرِ درخشاں کی خوش ادائی دے
۸
ہر ایک ناوکِ دُشنام پر دعائیں دوں
مرے خدا مجھے اوصاف مصطفائی دے
तेरा हर नफ़स सुनाई दे – अलमताब तिश्ना
१
तू मेरी फ़िक्र को एहसास की ख़ुदाई दे
ग़म-ए कमाल न दे, रंज-ए नारसाई दे
२
हर एक लफ़्ज़ के पैकर में हो तेरी ख़ुश्बू
मेरी ग़ज़ल में तेरा हर नफ़स सुनाई दे
३
लिखूं जो हर्फ़ मह ओ आफ़्ताब बन जाएं
सरीर-ए ख़ामा को इतनी तु रौश्नाई दे
४
मैं तेरे वस्फ़ में हर्फ़-ए तमाम लिख जाऊं
तु अपने लौह ओ क़लम तक मुझे रसाई दे
५
मैं तुझ को चाहूं तो ऐसा के ख़ुद फ़ना हो जाऊं
मेरा वुजूद तेरा आईना दिखाई दे
६
जो फूल बन के महकता रहे ख़्यालौं में
वो कर्ब-ए इश्क़ दे, वो ज़ख़्म-ए आश्नाई दे
७
मैं रौश्नी हुं अंधेरौं से दूर रख मुझ को
तुलू-ए महर-ए दरख़्शां कि ख़ुश-अदाई दे
८
हर एक नावक-ए दुश्नाम पर दुआएं दूं
मेरे ख़ुदा मुझे औसाफ़ मुस्तफ़ाई दे
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. aalamtaab tishna (1935-1991), born in meraTh, India, migrated to pakistan in 1959 and describes it as “banbaas” given to him “kaikaii of the times”. But his “banbaas” separated him from his “sita-kavita” and lasted for 12 years. He began composing and reciting again with his first collection published in 1978. This is a beautiful prayer/wish for the excellence of composing in the same vein as parveen shakir’s …
yaarab! mere sukoot ko naGhma-saraaii de
zaKhm-e hunar ko hausla-e lab-kushaaii de
1
tu meri fikr1 ko ehsaas2 kii Khudaaii3 de
Gham-e kamaal4 na de, ranj-e naa-rasaaii5 de 1.reason, thinking, imagination 2.feelings, emotions 3.divinity, creative power 4.skill, perfection 5.inability to reach/achieve
Grant my imagination the creative power of emotions. May I not be sorrowful at not creating perfection, but grant me the pain of not being able to reach perfection.
2
har ek lafz1 ke paikar2 meN ho teri Khushboo
meri Ghazal meN tera har nafas3 sunaaii de 1.word 2.picture, image 3.breath
May the image of every word be redolent with your fragrance. May the sound of your breath be heard in my Ghazal. The “sound of breath” can mean the sound of speaking. Thus may my Ghazal reflect your words, your wishes/commands. Is this addressed to the beloved or to god?
3
likhuN jo harf mah o aaftaab ban jaayeN
sareer-e Khaama ko itni tu raushnaaii de 1.word 2.moon 3.sun 4.scraping sound 5.pen 6.red ink
Whatever word I write, may it shine like the moon and the sun. Grant the scraping sound of my pen the bightness of red ink – colours corresponding to the brilliance to the sun and the moon.
4
maiN tere vasf1 meN harf2-e tamaam3 likh jaauN
tu apne lauh4 o qalam5 tak mujhe rasaaii6 de 1.qualities, attributes, praise 2.word 3.complete, perfect 4.writing tablet 5.pen 6.reach, access
Grant me access to the divine nature of your pen and paper so that I may be able to compose the perfect verse in your praise.
5
maiN tujh ko chaahuN1 to aisa ke Khud2 fanaa3 ho jaauN
mera vujood4 tera aa’ina5 dikhaaii de 1.desire, love, yearn for 2.self, being, ego 3.annihilation, losing identity, merging in union with the great spirit 4.existence, life 5.mirror, reflection
May I desire you (union with you) so sincerely that my very being may lose its identity, merging with you (this is a sufiyaana concept, although in real life the poet did not reflect any sufiyaana tendencies). My my life reflect your qualities.
6
jo phool ban ke mahakta1 rahe KhayaaloN meN
vo karb2-e ishq de, vo zaKhm3-e aashnaaii4 de 1.fragrant 2.pain, restlessness 3.wound, pain 4.awareness, knowledge
Grant me that restlessness and yearning for love, that pain/eagerness to know which will always be fragrant in my thoughts like a flower.
7
maiN raushni huN, andheroN se duur rakh mujh ko
tulu1-e mahr2-e daraKhshaaN3 ki Khush-adaaii4 de 1.emerging, rising 2.sun 3.brilliant 4.good/graceful style
May shine like brilliance. Grant me protection from darkness. Grant me the graceful beneficence of the warming brightness of the rising sun.
8
har ek naavak-e dushnaam par du’aaeN duuN
mere Khuda mujhe ausaaf mustafaaii de 1.arrow 2.calumny, blame 3.qualities, characteristics 4.like mustafa/mohammed
This uses a widely held belief that mohammed faced calumny, persecution and blame during his early days in makkah, so much so that he had to leave for medinah. But during this time, he did not show any ill-will towards those who insulted him. This is a widely admired characteristic of mohammed (blasphemy laws notwithstanding). May I return forgiveness/prayers in response to arrows of calumny. O, my god, grant me the characteristics of forgiveness that mohammed had.
aalamtaab tishna (1935-1991), born in meraTh, India, migrated to pakistan in 1959 and describes it as “banbaas” given to him “kaikaii of the times”. But his “banbaas” separated him from his “sita-kavita” and lasted for 12 years. He began composing and reciting again with his first collection published in 1978. This is a beautiful prayer/wish for the excellence of composing in the same vein as parveen shakir’s …
yaarab! mere sukoot ko naGhma-saraaii de
zaKhm-e hunar ko hausla-e lab-kushaaii de
1
tu meri fikr1 ko ehsaas2 kii Khudaaii3 de
Gham-e kamaal4 na de, ranj-e naa-rasaaii5 de
1.reason, thinking, imagination 2.feelings, emotions 3.divinity, creative power 4.skill, perfection 5.inability to reach/achieve
Grant my imagination the creative power of emotions. May I not be sorrowful at not creating perfection, but grant me the pain of not being able to reach perfection.
2
har ek lafz1 ke paikar2 meN ho teri Khushboo
meri Ghazal meN tera har nafas3 sunaaii de
1.word 2.picture, image 3.breath
May the image of every word be redolent with your fragrance. May the sound of your breath be heard in my Ghazal. The “sound of breath” can mean the sound of speaking. Thus may my Ghazal reflect your words, your wishes/commands. Is this addressed to the beloved or to god?
3
likhuN jo harf mah o aaftaab ban jaayeN
sareer-e Khaama ko itni tu raushnaaii de
1.word 2.moon 3.sun 4.scraping sound 5.pen 6.red ink
Whatever word I write, may it shine like the moon and the sun. Grant the scraping sound of my pen the bightness of red ink – colours corresponding to the brilliance to the sun and the moon.
4
maiN tere vasf1 meN harf2-e tamaam3 likh jaauN
tu apne lauh4 o qalam5 tak mujhe rasaaii6 de
1.qualities, attributes, praise 2.word 3.complete, perfect 4.writing tablet 5.pen 6.reach, access
Grant me access to the divine nature of your pen and paper so that I may be able to compose the perfect verse in your praise.
5
maiN tujh ko chaahuN1 to aisa ke Khud2 fanaa3 ho jaauN
mera vujood4 tera aa’ina5 dikhaaii de
1.desire, love, yearn for 2.self, being, ego 3.annihilation, losing identity, merging in union with the great spirit 4.existence, life 5.mirror, reflection
May I desire you (union with you) so sincerely that my very being may lose its identity, merging with you (this is a sufiyaana concept, although in real life the poet did not reflect any sufiyaana tendencies). My my life reflect your qualities.
6
jo phool ban ke mahakta1 rahe KhayaaloN meN
vo karb2-e ishq de, vo zaKhm3-e aashnaaii4 de
1.fragrant 2.pain, restlessness 3.wound, pain 4.awareness, knowledge
Grant me that restlessness and yearning for love, that pain/eagerness to know which will always be fragrant in my thoughts like a flower.
7
maiN raushni huN, andheroN se duur rakh mujh ko
tulu1-e mahr2-e daraKhshaaN3 ki Khush-adaaii4 de
1.emerging, rising 2.sun 3.brilliant 4.good/graceful style
May shine like brilliance. Grant me protection from darkness. Grant me the graceful beneficence of the warming brightness of the rising sun.
8
har ek naavak-e dushnaam par du’aaeN duuN
mere Khuda mujhe ausaaf mustafaaii de
1.arrow 2.calumny, blame 3.qualities, characteristics 4.like mustafa/mohammed
This uses a widely held belief that mohammed faced calumny, persecution and blame during his early days in makkah, so much so that he had to leave for medinah. But during this time, he did not show any ill-will towards those who insulted him. This is a widely admired characteristic of mohammed (blasphemy laws notwithstanding). May I return forgiveness/prayers in response to arrows of calumny. O, my god, grant me the characteristics of forgiveness that mohammed had.
