For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
تو سجدہ کرے کوئی ۔ بشویشور پرشاد مُنوّر لکھنوی
۱
نظّارۂ جمالِ خود آرا کرے کوئی
اپنی نظر سے آئینہ پیدا کرے کوئی
۲
گو ہے دُرست ترکِ محبّت کا مشورہ
دل ہی نہ دے صلاح تو پھر کیا کرے کوئی
۳
بیگانۂ خرد کو تو یہ فخر مل چکا
دیوانۂ خرد کو بھی رسوا کرے کوئی
۴
یہ شُست و شُو ہر ایک کے بس کی نہیں ندیم
دھو لے جو ہاتھ سر سے تو سجدہ کرے کوئی
۵
پھر حاجتِ سوال مُنوّر کبھی نہ ہو
شرمندۂ کرم مجھے اتنا کرے کوئی
तो सज्दा करे कोई – बीश्वेश्वर प्रशाद मुनव्वर लखनवी
१
नज़्ज़ारा-ए जमाल-ए ख़ुद-आरा करे कोई
अपनी नज़र से आईना पैदा करे कोई
२
गो है दुरुस्त तर्क-ए मोहब्बत का मश्वरा
दिल ही न दे सलाह तो फिर क्या करे कोई
३
बेगाना-ए ख़िरद को तो ये फ़ख़्र मिल चुका
दीवाना-ए ख़िरद को भी रुस्वा करे कोई
४
ये शुस्त ओ शू हर एक के बस की नहीं नदीम
धो ले जो हाथ सर से तो सज्दा करे कोई
५
फिर हाजेत-ए सवाल मुनव्वर कभी न हो
शर्मिंदा-ए करम मुझे इतना करे कोई
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. munshi bishweshwar prasad munavvar lakhnavi (1897-1970). He was a scholar of arabi, faarsi, urdu, and hindi. His father, munshi dwarka prasad ufaq was also a great poet who recomposed the ramayan in urdu using the same qaafiya for more than 6000 ash’aar. He himself re-composed the bhagwad gita in chaste urdu. He credits urdu with “saving the hindu religion” because of the many translations of hindu religious texts into urdu because that was the language that more north Indian hindus could relate to, rather than avadhi or sanskrit. In the synchretic spirit of India (now lost) he composed odes and elegies to islamic religious figures. This Ghazal in the zamin of Ghalib’s ‘ibn-e mariam hua kare koii’ is linked to that category in ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’ on the Theme page.
1
nazzaara1-e jamaal2-e Khud-aara3 kare koii
apni nazar4 se aaiina paida5 kare koii 1.look 2.beauty, glory 3.self-adorning 4.sight 5.create, develop
Look at/regard the beauty/glory of the self-adorning/self-created divine. With your sight develop a mirror that reflects his glory.
2
go1 hai durust2 tark3-e mohabbat ka mashvara4
dil hi na de salaah5 to phir kya kare koii 1.even though 2.correct, appropriate 3.giving up 4.suggestion 5.advice
Even though it may be right for you to suggest that I give up love (there is nothing but pain in it), what can I do if the heart does not give that advice i.e., I only listen to my heart.
3
begaana1-e Khirad2 ko to ye faKhr3 mil chuka
diivaana-e-Khirad4 ko bhi rusva5 kare koii 1.stranger 2.knowledge, worldly knowledge 3.honour 4.one who is mad/passionate about knowledge 5.embarrassment, shame
What is the honour that is being given … it is ‘shame’. The one who is a stranger to worldly knowledge has already received this honour i.e., the ignorant has been shamed. But someone should also give the same honour to those who are passionate about worldly/material knowledge. Those who are diivaana-e Khirad (or begaana-e ishq) deserved to be shamed. This is the usual debate between knowledge/reason/logic and passion/belief/devotion/ishq.
4
ye shust-o-shoo1 har ek ke bas2 ki nahiN nadiim3
dho le jo haath sar se to sajda4 kare koii 1.washing and purifying 2.control, ability 3.friend 4.ritual prostration in prayer
‘sar se haath dhona’ – wash your hands of ‘head’ – of course, washing your hands of something means to give up on it. I think he means giving up thinking rationally in trying to understand the divine. Also, ‘shust-o-shoo’ is a washing and cleansing of the heart/soul. Thus, O friend, this ritual washing and cleansing of the heart is not within the grasp of everyone. Only those who give up on rational thought can perform sajda of love/devotion.
5
phir haajit1-e savaal2 munavvar3 kabhi na ho
sharminda4-e karam5 mujhe itna kare koii 1.need 2.asking, begging 3.pen-name of the poet 4.ashamed, obliged to 4.benevolence
May someone make me so obliged/beholden to their benevolence/kindness and give me so much that I may never have to ask/beg ever again. Most likely, that ‘someone’ is god.
munshi bishweshwar prasad munavvar lakhnavi (1897-1970). He was a scholar of arabi, faarsi, urdu, and hindi. His father, munshi dwarka prasad ufaq was also a great poet who recomposed the ramayan in urdu using the same qaafiya for more than 6000 ash’aar. He himself re-composed the bhagwad gita in chaste urdu. He credits urdu with “saving the hindu religion” because of the many translations of hindu religious texts into urdu because that was the language that more north Indian hindus could relate to, rather than avadhi or sanskrit. In the synchretic spirit of India (now lost) he composed odes and elegies to islamic religious figures. This Ghazal in the zamin of Ghalib’s ‘ibn-e mariam hua kare koii’ is linked to that category in ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’ on the Theme page.
1
nazzaara1-e jamaal2-e Khud-aara3 kare koii
apni nazar4 se aaiina paida5 kare koii
1.look 2.beauty, glory 3.self-adorning 4.sight 5.create, develop
Look at/regard the beauty/glory of the self-adorning/self-created divine. With your sight develop a mirror that reflects his glory.
2
go1 hai durust2 tark3-e mohabbat ka mashvara4
dil hi na de salaah5 to phir kya kare koii
1.even though 2.correct, appropriate 3.giving up 4.suggestion 5.advice
Even though it may be right for you to suggest that I give up love (there is nothing but pain in it), what can I do if the heart does not give that advice i.e., I only listen to my heart.
3
begaana1-e Khirad2 ko to ye faKhr3 mil chuka
diivaana-e-Khirad4 ko bhi rusva5 kare koii
1.stranger 2.knowledge, worldly knowledge 3.honour 4.one who is mad/passionate about knowledge 5.embarrassment, shame
What is the honour that is being given … it is ‘shame’. The one who is a stranger to worldly knowledge has already received this honour i.e., the ignorant has been shamed. But someone should also give the same honour to those who are passionate about worldly/material knowledge. Those who are diivaana-e Khirad (or begaana-e ishq) deserved to be shamed. This is the usual debate between knowledge/reason/logic and passion/belief/devotion/ishq.
4
ye shust-o-shoo1 har ek ke bas2 ki nahiN nadiim3
dho le jo haath sar se to sajda4 kare koii
1.washing and purifying 2.control, ability 3.friend 4.ritual prostration in prayer
‘sar se haath dhona’ – wash your hands of ‘head’ – of course, washing your hands of something means to give up on it. I think he means giving up thinking rationally in trying to understand the divine. Also, ‘shust-o-shoo’ is a washing and cleansing of the heart/soul. Thus, O friend, this ritual washing and cleansing of the heart is not within the grasp of everyone. Only those who give up on rational thought can perform sajda of love/devotion.
5
phir haajit1-e savaal2 munavvar3 kabhi na ho
sharminda4-e karam5 mujhe itna kare koii
1.need 2.asking, begging 3.pen-name of the poet 4.ashamed, obliged to 4.benevolence
May someone make me so obliged/beholden to their benevolence/kindness and give me so much that I may never have to ask/beg ever again. Most likely, that ‘someone’ is god.
