For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
اُردو اور ہم ۔ چندر بھان خیالؔ
۱
کوئی مذہب ہو، زباں اِس سے پرے ہوتی ہے
ملک و مذہب کے حصاروں میں زباں قید نہیں
سرد و محکوم کسی شئے، کسی بت، کی صورت
تنگ افکار کے غاروں میں زباں قید نہیں
۲
وہ جو کہتے ہیں کہ اُردو سے ہمیں کیا لینا
اُن کی تقریر نے تاثیر کہاں سے پائی
اپنے محبوب سے قاتل سے ذرا پوچھے کوئی
اُس کی تلوار نے توقیر کہاں سے پائی
۳
اپنے گھر میں ہی ستم جھیل رہی ہے دیکھو
قوم کے سینۂ بیدار کی دھڑکن اُردو
ہر کڑے وقت میں آواز عطا کی جن کو
اب اُنہیں لوگوں کی خاطر ہوئی دشمن اردو
۴
یہ زباں جس نے سکھایا ہے محبّت کا سبق
چند لوگوں کے تنفّر سے نہیں مِٹ سکتی
جس نے تہذیب کے سائے میں جِلا پائی ہو
وہ سیاست کے تدبّر سے نہیں مٹ سکتی
۵
ہم کہ مسلم ہوں کہ ہندو ہوں کہ عیسائی ہوں
ہم کوئی بھی ہوں مگر ایک زباں ہے اُردو
اس حقیقت سے بھلا کون مُکر سکتا ہے
ایکتا اور اخوّت کا نشاں ہے اُردو
उर्दू और हम – चंद्रभान ख़याल
१
कोई मज़हब हो ज़बां इस से परे होती है
मुल्क ओ मज़हब के हिसारौं में ज़बां क़ैद नहीं
सर्द ओ महकूम किसी शय, किसी बुत की सूरत
तंग अफ़्कार के ग़ारौं में ज़बां क़ैद नहीं
२
वो जो कहते हैं के उर्दू से हमें क्या लेना
उन की तक़्रीर ने तासीर कहां से पाई
अपने महबूब से क़ातिल से ज़रा पूछे कोई
उस की तल्वार ने तौक़ीर कहां से पाई
३
अपने घर में ही सितम झेल रही है देखो
क़ौम के सीना-ए बेदार की धढकन उर्दू
हर कढे वक़्त में आवाज़ अता की जिन को
अब उन्हीं लोगौं कि ख़ातेर हुई दुश्मन उर्दू
४
ये ज़बां जिस ने सिखाया है मोहब्बत का सबक़
चन्द लोगौं के तनफ़्फ़ुर से नहीं मिट सकती
जिस ने तहज़ीब के साए में जिला पाई हो
वो सियासत के तदब्बुर से नहीं मिट सकती
५
हम के मुस्लिम हों के हिंदू हों के ईसाई हों
हम कोई भी हों मगर एक ज़बां है उर्दू
इस हक़ीक़त से भला कौन मुकर सकता है
एकता और अख़ुव्वत का निशां है उर्दू
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. chandr bhaan Khayaal (1946-xxxx), hoshaNgabad, madhya pradesh. Graduated from saagar university. He was fascinated with urdu poetry and in his rural home, visiting a newly opened library, memorized a lot of Ghazal and nazm from books in devanagiri. He also started composing nazm. Could not find anyone in the village to teach him urdu. Taught himself reading and writing urdu, and after college, went to dehli, working in a petrol pump for a few years. He took a nazm to raam chandr muztar who was chief editor of ‘milaap’ and later became his shaagird. Participated in mushaa’era, published a collection and got started on a journalism career. Worked for urdu dailies – savera and qaumi aavaaz and later chief editor of hindi weekly bhaavya Times, dehli.
1
koi mazhab ho zabaaN is se parey hoti hai
mulk o mazhab ke hisaaroN1 meN zabaaN qaid2 nahiN
sard3 o mahkoom4 kisi shai5, kisi but ki soorat6
taNg7 afkaar8 ke GhaaroN9 meN zabaaN qaid2 nahiN 1.boundaries 2.bound, imprisoned 3.cold 4.subservient 5.thing, object 6.in the likeness of, similar to 7.narrow 8.thinking 9.caves
Whatever the religion, a language goes beyond it. It is not bound by the limits of a country or religion. Language cannot be controlled like a cold and subservient object or idol/sculpture in the dark caves of narrow thought.
2
vo jo kahte haiN keh urdu se hameN kya lena
un ki taqriir1 ne taasiir2 kahaaN se paaii
apne mahboob3 se, qaatil4 se, zara poochhe koi
us ki talvaar5 ne tauqiir6 kahaaN se paaii 1.speech 2.effectiveness, impact 3.beloved 4.killer 5.sword 6.respect, veneration
This is addressed to the critics of urdu … ask those who say that they have nothing to gain from urdu, where they got effectiveness of speech from. The implication is that urdu language is so effective and ordinary conversation borrows it from there. The second she’r has reference to the poetic convention which casts the beloved as a sword bearing killer who slaughters her lovers. Poet/lovers still venerate her sword and write in its praise. The implication is that it is urdu poetic convention that gives subtle and complex thought to literature.
3
apne ghar hi meN sitam1 jhel rahi hai dekho
qaum2 ke seena-e-bedaar3 ki dhaRkan urdu
har kaRe4 vaqt meN aavaaz ata5 ki jin ko
ab unhiN logoN ki Khaatir hui dushman urdu 1.oppression 2.nation 3.aware/sensitive bosom/heart 4.hard 5.granted
In the first she’r urdu is presented as the beating of a sensitive heart, that feels and expresses the deepest sentiments/emotions of people. Now, it is undergoing oppression in its own home. In every time of difficulty, it lent a voice to those who are now making it out as the enemy. This has reference to the extensive use of urdu in protest against colonialism, orthodoxy and exploitation.
4
ye zabaaN jis ne sikhaaya hai mohabbat ka sabaq1
chand2 logoN ke tanaffur3 se nahiN miT sakti
jis ne tahziib4 ke saa’e meN jila5 paaii ho
vo siyaasat6 ke tadabbur7 se nahiN miT sakti 1.lesson 2.a few 3.hatred 4.refined culture 5.brilliance 6.politics 7.scheming/planning in the negative sense
The language that has given us the lesson of love, cannot be erased by the hatred of a few. The language that has acquired its brilliance in the shadow of refined culture, cannot be erased by the evil scheming of politics. The juxtaposition of shadow/protection and brilliance is noteworthy.
5
ham keh muslim joN keh hindu hoN keh iisaaii hoN
ham koii bhi hoN, magar ek zabaaN hai urdu
is haqiiqat1 se bhala kaun mukar2 sakta hai
ekta3 aur aKhuvvat4 ka nishaaN5 hai urdu 1.truth 2.deny 3.unity 4.brotherhood 5.emblem
Whether we are muslim, hindu or Christian – whatever we are, we all have one language – urdu. Who can deny this truth, that urdu is the emblem of unity and brotherhood.
chandr bhaan Khayaal (1946-xxxx), hoshaNgabad, madhya pradesh. Graduated from saagar university. He was fascinated with urdu poetry and in his rural home, visiting a newly opened library, memorized a lot of Ghazal and nazm from books in devanagiri. He also started composing nazm. Could not find anyone in the village to teach him urdu. Taught himself reading and writing urdu, and after college, went to dehli, working in a petrol pump for a few years. He took a nazm to raam chandr muztar who was chief editor of ‘milaap’ and later became his shaagird. Participated in mushaa’era, published a collection and got started on a journalism career. Worked for urdu dailies – savera and qaumi aavaaz and later chief editor of hindi weekly bhaavya Times, dehli.
1
koi mazhab ho zabaaN is se parey hoti hai
mulk o mazhab ke hisaaroN1 meN zabaaN qaid2 nahiN
sard3 o mahkoom4 kisi shai5, kisi but ki soorat6
taNg7 afkaar8 ke GhaaroN9 meN zabaaN qaid2 nahiN
1.boundaries 2.bound, imprisoned 3.cold 4.subservient 5.thing, object 6.in the likeness of, similar to 7.narrow 8.thinking 9.caves
Whatever the religion, a language goes beyond it. It is not bound by the limits of a country or religion. Language cannot be controlled like a cold and subservient object or idol/sculpture in the dark caves of narrow thought.
2
vo jo kahte haiN keh urdu se hameN kya lena
un ki taqriir1 ne taasiir2 kahaaN se paaii
apne mahboob3 se, qaatil4 se, zara poochhe koi
us ki talvaar5 ne tauqiir6 kahaaN se paaii
1.speech 2.effectiveness, impact 3.beloved 4.killer 5.sword 6.respect, veneration
This is addressed to the critics of urdu … ask those who say that they have nothing to gain from urdu, where they got effectiveness of speech from. The implication is that urdu language is so effective and ordinary conversation borrows it from there. The second she’r has reference to the poetic convention which casts the beloved as a sword bearing killer who slaughters her lovers. Poet/lovers still venerate her sword and write in its praise. The implication is that it is urdu poetic convention that gives subtle and complex thought to literature.
3
apne ghar hi meN sitam1 jhel rahi hai dekho
qaum2 ke seena-e-bedaar3 ki dhaRkan urdu
har kaRe4 vaqt meN aavaaz ata5 ki jin ko
ab unhiN logoN ki Khaatir hui dushman urdu
1.oppression 2.nation 3.aware/sensitive bosom/heart 4.hard 5.granted
In the first she’r urdu is presented as the beating of a sensitive heart, that feels and expresses the deepest sentiments/emotions of people. Now, it is undergoing oppression in its own home. In every time of difficulty, it lent a voice to those who are now making it out as the enemy. This has reference to the extensive use of urdu in protest against colonialism, orthodoxy and exploitation.
4
ye zabaaN jis ne sikhaaya hai mohabbat ka sabaq1
chand2 logoN ke tanaffur3 se nahiN miT sakti
jis ne tahziib4 ke saa’e meN jila5 paaii ho
vo siyaasat6 ke tadabbur7 se nahiN miT sakti
1.lesson 2.a few 3.hatred 4.refined culture 5.brilliance 6.politics 7.scheming/planning in the negative sense
The language that has given us the lesson of love, cannot be erased by the hatred of a few. The language that has acquired its brilliance in the shadow of refined culture, cannot be erased by the evil scheming of politics. The juxtaposition of shadow/protection and brilliance is noteworthy.
5
ham keh muslim joN keh hindu hoN keh iisaaii hoN
ham koii bhi hoN, magar ek zabaaN hai urdu
is haqiiqat1 se bhala kaun mukar2 sakta hai
ekta3 aur aKhuvvat4 ka nishaaN5 hai urdu
1.truth 2.deny 3.unity 4.brotherhood 5.emblem
Whether we are muslim, hindu or Christian – whatever we are, we all have one language – urdu. Who can deny this truth, that urdu is the emblem of unity and brotherhood.
