Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. anand mohan gulzar dehlavi (1926-2020), a kashmiri panDit, a scholar and lover of urdu and totally committed to communal harmony. Over his long and fruitful life has written with much love and admiration about many illustrious figures – political, religious and literary. His diivaan and kulliyaat are sprinkled with qat’aat and rubaai’yaat about urdu. This is one of several collections.
1
eKhlaas¹ ki zulfoN² ka asiir³ aaya hai
ek bazm⁴-e nizaami⁵ ka faqiir⁶ aaya hai
iss shaam⁷-e nigaaraaN⁸ meN shikaago vaalo
dilli se ek urdu ka safiir⁹ aaya hai    1.sincerity 2.hair, locks 3.prisoner, devotee, lover 4.association 5.associated with nizamudding auliya 6.mendicant, sufi 7.evening 8.beautiful people 9.messenger
The poet introduces himself as a devoted lover (asiir) of sincerity (ekhlaas) and a humble servant/mendicant (faqiir) of the sufi order nizamuddin chishti (bazm-e nizaami). Addressing the audience in Chicago (shikaago vaalo), he declares that he has come as an ambassador (safiir) of urdu from dehli (dilli).
2
urdu ki nigahdaasht¹ ke Khaalid² haiN ham
taariiKh³ meN tahziib⁴ ki vaahid⁵ haiN ham
aao hameN dekho na’e urdu-zaado⁶
urdu ke muballiGh⁷ haiN, mujaahid⁸ haiN ham    1.keeping an eye on, guardian 2.eternal, forever 3.history 4.culture 5.unique 6.children of urdu 7.preacher 8.warrior, seeker
The poet asserts that he and his fellow urdu lovers/poets are eternal guardians (nigahdaasht ke khaalid) of urdu. In the history of the culture of urdu we are unique (vaahid) in their dedication/commitment to safeguard. He invites the new generation (naye urdu zaado) to witness their efforts, declaring themselves as preachers (muballiGh) and warriors (mujaahid) for urdu.
3
sunn leNge harifaan¹-e zabaaN² mahshar³ meN
baKhsha⁴ gaya uqba⁵ meN sabiil⁶-e urdu
aye rind⁷-e qayaamat⁸ ke vakiil⁹-e mutlaq¹⁰
maiN dahr¹¹ meN kahlaauN¹² vakiil⁹-e urdu    1.rivals, critics 2.language 3.judgement day 4.pardoned 5.afterlife 6.path, means, instrumentality 7.wine-drinker 8.doomsday 9.advocate 10.total, unquestioning 11.world 12.known as
The poet is a rind – a wine drinker/sinner. Normally, such a person would be judged harshly. But the poet expects different things because of his love of urdu. He is confident that even the critics of urdu (harifaan-e zabaaN) will hear about this; that on the day of judgment (mahshar) he (the rind) was forgiven through the instrumentality of urdu. He believes that the path of urdu (sabiil-e urdu) has been blessed in the afterlife (uqba). Declaring himself to be an advocate of urdu until doomsday (rind-e qayaamat ke vakiil-e mutlaq), he wishes to be known as the representative (vakiil) of urdu in this world (dahr).
4
siincha¹ hai kisht²-e ilm³ ko KhooN-e Khuluus⁴ se
shiriiN⁵ meri zabaan⁶ hai aur kohkan⁷ huN maiN 1.nurtured, cultivated, irrigated 2.field, harvest 3.knowledge 4.sincerity 5.of shiriiN farhaad legend, also means sweet 6.tongue, language 7.another name of farhaad
This she’r alludes to the legend of shiriiN-farhaad and makes beautiful use of double meanings and allegories. farhaad was hopelessly in love with shirin and was set an impossible task of carving a channel through the mountain and make a river of milk flow through it for shiriin’s bath. He immediately set about the task and nearly completed it before killing himself by striking his own head with his pickaxe, when he was told (falsely) that shiriin had died. Thus, when the poet says that he has irrigated the field of knowledge with blood, he uses the the legend as an allegory. He has worked hard in the field of knowledge because of which his tongue/language (urdu) is sweet and he is known at the hard worker (who dug a channel through the mountain); of course shiiriin is also the name of the princess and kohkan the name of her suitor.
5
paiGhaam¹-e ahl-e-sharq² suneN haazeriin³-e bazm⁴
aqvaam⁵-e muttahid⁶ ke idaare⁷ ke naam⁸ hai
shiriini⁹-e sharaab-e tahuura¹⁰ ka hai maza¹¹
apnaa’eN¹² ahl-e-Gharb¹³ ye urdu ka jaam¹⁴ hai     1.message 2.people of the East 3.those present, attendeed 4.gathering 5.nations 6.united 7.institution 8.addressed to the name of 9.sweetness 10.pure, heavenly 11.taste 12.adopt, make their own 13.people of the west 14.cup, goblet
The poet urges the audience/attendees (haaziriin-e bazm) to listen to the message (paiGhaam) of the people of the East (ahl-e sharq); the message is addressesd to the institutions of the United Nations (aqvaam-e muttahid ke idaare), describing urdu as a cup (jaam) filled with the sweetness (shiriini) of pure/heavenly wine (sharaab-e tahuura). He invites the people of the West (ahl-e Gharb) to embrace urdu.
6
aaya huN maiN jidda¹ meN ba-naam²-e urdu
mil jul ke manaa’eN yahaaN shaam-e urdu
fusahaa³ ke Gharaane se huN, saadaat⁴-e kiraam⁵
is barahmaN ka ho tasliim⁶ salaam-e urdu    1.Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 2.taking the name of 3.eloquent, people of refined language 4.respected 5.benevolent 6.accept
The poet expresses joy at his arrival in/invitation to Jeddah (jidda) in the name of urdu (ba-naam-e urdu). He calls for a united celebration (mil jul ke manaa’eN) of the evening of urdu (shaam-e urdu-mushaa’era). Proud of his lineage (fusaha ke gharaane) of eloquent poets, he humbly offers his respect (tasliim salaam) to urdu as a brahmin (barhaman).
7
kul¹ zamaana² hai jaan ka dushman
maiN jo³ urdu pe jaan deta huN
Khatm hogaa na ishq urdu se
marte dam⁴ tak, zabaan⁵ deta huuN 1.total, all 2.times, world 3.because 4.moment 5.zabaan dena – give my word, promise
The poet declares that the entire world (kul zamaana) has turned against him; become an enemy (dushman) of his life (jaan), because he is willing to give his life (jaan deta huuN) for urdu. His love (ishq) for urdu will never end (Khatm hogaa na), until his last breath (marte dam tak), I give my word.