For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
اُمیدوں سے سِوا دے ۔ پنڈت آنند نرائن مُلّا
۱
غم خواریِ سائل بھی توانگر کو سِکھا دے
دولت جِنہیں دیتا ہے اُنہیں دل بھی خدا دے
۲
صیّاد سِتم توڑ چُکا اب تو رِہا کر
بیداد ہوئی ختم تُو اب دادِ وفا دے
۳
رحمت تجھے کرنی ہے تو شایانِ کرم کر
دیتا ہے تو یوں دے کہ اُمیدوں سے سِوا دے
۴
دردِ دلِ انساں اُسے نغمے تو سنا دے
زاہد کو یہ فرصت بھی مگر یادِ خدا دے
۵
ساقی کی نگاہوں میں تو مجرم نہ بنوں گا
ٹوٹیں گے تو ٹوٹیں میرے توبہ کے اِرادے
۶
کیا مصلحتِ حسن اِجازت نہیں دیتی
تُو جلوہ گہِ راز کے پردوں کو اُٹھا دے
۷
جلووں کی تمنّا ہے تو اشکوں کو پیے جا
کچھ روز ابھی آئینۂ دل پہ جِلا دے
۸
روکے گی تجھے آپ تیری غیرتِ تعمیر
تو پھر سے بنانے کے لیے چاہے مِٹا دے
उमीदों से सिवा दे – पंडित आनंद नरायन मुल्ला
१
ग़म-ख़्वारी-ए सा’एल भी तवनगर को सिखा दे
दौलत जिन्हें देता है उन्हें दिल भी ख़ुदा दे
२
सय्याद सितम तोढ चुका अब तो रेहा कर
बेदाद हुई ख़त्म तु अब दाद-ए वफ़ा दे
३
रहमत तुझे करनी है तो शायान-ए करम कर
देता है तो यूँ दे के उमीदों से सिवा दे
४
दर्द-ए दिल-ए इन्सां उसे नग़्मे तो सुना दे
ज़ाहिद को ये फ़ुर्सत भी मगर याद-ए ख़ुदा दे
५
साक़ी की निगाहों में तो मुज्रिम न बनूँगा
टूटेंगे तो टूटें मेरे तौबा के इरादे
६
क्या मस्लहत-ए हुस्न इजाज़त नहीं देती
तू जल्वा-गह-ए राज़ के पर्दों को उठा दे
७
जल्वों की तमन्ना है तो अश्कों को पिये जा
कुछ रोज़ अभी आईना-ए दिल पे जिला दे
८
रोकेगी तुझे आप तेरी ग़ैरत-ए ता’मीर
तू फिर से बनाने के लिये चाहे मिटा दे
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. panDit anand narain mulla (1901-1997), lukhnow, thoughtful and thoughtprovoking shaa’er. MA English Literature. Learnt urdu and faarsi at home. First venture into poetry translation of parts of iqbal’s ‘payaam-e mashriq’ into English. First urdu nazm published 1925. Ardent urdu lover as a language of the people. High court justice, parliamentarian and strong secularist and rationalist/atheist.
1
Gham-Khwaari1-e saa’el2 bhi tavangar3 ko sikha4 de
daulat5 jinheN deta hai unheN dil bhi Khuda de 1.sharing pain, compassion 2.beggar 3.wealthy 4.teach 5.wealth
Teach the wealthy compassion towards the needy/beggar. Those who are given wealth, may god also give them a sympathetic heart.
2
sayyaad1 sitam2 toR chuka3 ab to rehaa4 kar
bedaad5 hui Khatm tu ab daad6-e vafa7 de 1.hunter, birdcatcher 2.oppression 3.done breaking 4.release 5. tyranny, torture 6.recompense, reward 7.fidelity
In poetic tradition the poet/lover is often presented as a bird and the beloved as the hunter/birdcatcher. The lover/bird has been captured and caged. The torture has broken his spirit, but he has remained loyal to the birdcatcher/beloved. The term of my torture is over, give me the reward of fidelity/loyalty. By this he probably means end the torture of ignoring me and reward me with some attention.
3
rahmat1 tujhe karni hai to shaayaan2-e karam3 kar
deta hai to yuN de keh umiidoN4 se siva5 de 1.kindness 2.befitting, worthy 3.generosity 4.hopes, expectation 5.exceeding
This is addressed to god. If you are going to show your kindness make it befitting your boundless generosity. If you are granting, grant blessings that surpass expectations.
4
dard1-e dil-e insaaN2 usay naGhme3 to suna de
zaahid4 ko ye fursat5 bhi magar yaad-e-Khuda6 de 1.pain, sorrow 2.human 3.songs 4.pious, preacher 5.leisure 6.remembering god
This is a crack at the ritualistic preacher who is too busy offering ritual prayers to be sensitized to human suffering. Thus, the pained heart would sing songs to the preacher, if only he were granted leisure from his ritualistic prayers.
5
saaqi1 ki nigaahoN2 meN to mujrim3 na banuuNga
TuTeNge to TuTeN mere tauba4 ke iraade5 1.cupbearer 2.eyes 3.transgressor, sinner 4.repentence 5.resolve
At least in the eyes of the cupbearer I will not be guilty, will not be a sinner. I know I have repented and resolved not to drink any more wine. But if my resolve is broken let it be broken.
6
kya maslehat1-e husn2 ijaazat3 nahiN deti
tu jalva-gah4-e raaz5 ke pardoN ko uTha de 1.expedience, prudence 2.beauty 3.permission, liberty 4.place of manifestation of glory 5.secrets, mysteries
This can probably be interpreted as addressed to god. There is a place of manifestation of the glory of divine mysteries which is hidden behind curtains and the poet/devotee is unable to behold it in all its glory. Is your beauty being prudent, the devotee asks. Does your prudence not give you the liberty to reveal all your glory (prudence because the glory is blinding sight).
7
jalvoN1 ki tamanna2 hai to ashkoN3 ko piye jaa
kuchh roz4 abhi aa’ina-e dil pe jila5 de 1.image, manifestation 2.desire 3.tears 4.days 5.polish, brilliance
‘ashk piye jaana’ is to continue to stoically endure all hardship. ‘jalvoN ki tamanna’ is the intense desire to behold spiritual glory. Thus, the desire to behold glory requires continued endurance and a polishing of the mirror of the heart (purification of the spirit) for a few more days. The ‘glory’ could be the freedom of the country. We have to endure hardship and cleanse our hearts of bigotry in order to behold the glory of freedom.
8
rokegi tujhe aap1 teri Ghairat2-e taamiir3
tu phir se banaane ke liye chaahe miTa4 de 1.itself 2.dignity, honour, pride 3.construction, creation 4.erase, destroy
Your pride in what has already been created will try to stop you even if you decide to demolish it and rebuild. This can be interpreted as a caution about investing too much in established traditions. An emotional investment/false pride in traditions can prevent accepting/making change even when necessary.
panDit anand narain mulla (1901-1997), lukhnow, thoughtful and thoughtprovoking shaa’er. MA English Literature. Learnt urdu and faarsi at home. First venture into poetry translation of parts of iqbal’s ‘payaam-e mashriq’ into English. First urdu nazm published 1925. Ardent urdu lover as a language of the people. High court justice, parliamentarian and strong secularist and rationalist/atheist.
1
Gham-Khwaari1-e saa’el2 bhi tavangar3 ko sikha4 de
daulat5 jinheN deta hai unheN dil bhi Khuda de
1.sharing pain, compassion 2.beggar 3.wealthy 4.teach 5.wealth
Teach the wealthy compassion towards the needy/beggar. Those who are given wealth, may god also give them a sympathetic heart.
2
sayyaad1 sitam2 toR chuka3 ab to rehaa4 kar
bedaad5 hui Khatm tu ab daad6-e vafa7 de
1.hunter, birdcatcher 2.oppression 3.done breaking 4.release 5. tyranny, torture 6.recompense, reward 7.fidelity
In poetic tradition the poet/lover is often presented as a bird and the beloved as the hunter/birdcatcher. The lover/bird has been captured and caged. The torture has broken his spirit, but he has remained loyal to the birdcatcher/beloved. The term of my torture is over, give me the reward of fidelity/loyalty. By this he probably means end the torture of ignoring me and reward me with some attention.
3
rahmat1 tujhe karni hai to shaayaan2-e karam3 kar
deta hai to yuN de keh umiidoN4 se siva5 de
1.kindness 2.befitting, worthy 3.generosity 4.hopes, expectation 5.exceeding
This is addressed to god. If you are going to show your kindness make it befitting your boundless generosity. If you are granting, grant blessings that surpass expectations.
4
dard1-e dil-e insaaN2 usay naGhme3 to suna de
zaahid4 ko ye fursat5 bhi magar yaad-e-Khuda6 de
1.pain, sorrow 2.human 3.songs 4.pious, preacher 5.leisure 6.remembering god
This is a crack at the ritualistic preacher who is too busy offering ritual prayers to be sensitized to human suffering. Thus, the pained heart would sing songs to the preacher, if only he were granted leisure from his ritualistic prayers.
5
saaqi1 ki nigaahoN2 meN to mujrim3 na banuuNga
TuTeNge to TuTeN mere tauba4 ke iraade5
1.cupbearer 2.eyes 3.transgressor, sinner 4.repentence 5.resolve
At least in the eyes of the cupbearer I will not be guilty, will not be a sinner. I know I have repented and resolved not to drink any more wine. But if my resolve is broken let it be broken.
6
kya maslehat1-e husn2 ijaazat3 nahiN deti
tu jalva-gah4-e raaz5 ke pardoN ko uTha de
1.expedience, prudence 2.beauty 3.permission, liberty 4.place of manifestation of glory 5.secrets, mysteries
This can probably be interpreted as addressed to god. There is a place of manifestation of the glory of divine mysteries which is hidden behind curtains and the poet/devotee is unable to behold it in all its glory. Is your beauty being prudent, the devotee asks. Does your prudence not give you the liberty to reveal all your glory (prudence because the glory is blinding sight).
7
jalvoN1 ki tamanna2 hai to ashkoN3 ko piye jaa
kuchh roz4 abhi aa’ina-e dil pe jila5 de
1.image, manifestation 2.desire 3.tears 4.days 5.polish, brilliance
‘ashk piye jaana’ is to continue to stoically endure all hardship. ‘jalvoN ki tamanna’ is the intense desire to behold spiritual glory. Thus, the desire to behold glory requires continued endurance and a polishing of the mirror of the heart (purification of the spirit) for a few more days. The ‘glory’ could be the freedom of the country. We have to endure hardship and cleanse our hearts of bigotry in order to behold the glory of freedom.
8
rokegi tujhe aap1 teri Ghairat2-e taamiir3
tu phir se banaane ke liye chaahe miTa4 de
1.itself 2.dignity, honour, pride 3.construction, creation 4.erase, destroy
Your pride in what has already been created will try to stop you even if you decide to demolish it and rebuild. This can be interpreted as a caution about investing too much in established traditions. An emotional investment/false pride in traditions can prevent accepting/making change even when necessary.
