For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
اُردو زباں آہستہ آہستہ ۔ منوہر لال بہارؔ
۱
بہار آئے گی، جائے گی خِزاں آہستہ آہستہ
سنور جائے گا اپنا گُلسِتاں آہستہ آہستہ
۲
غمِ انسانیت واعظ ملے گا آؤ میخانے
مئے اُلفت پییں شب بھر یہاں آہستہ آہستہ
۳
سُلگ کر بجھ گیا ہوگا میرا آتشکدہ دل کا
نکلتا ہے مرے منھ سے دھواں آہستہ آہستہ
۴
یہی محسوس ہوتا ہے قیامت آنے والی ہے
اُترتا ہے زمیں پر آسماں آہستہ آہستہ
۵
جلاتی ہے اگر بجلی جلائے خِرمنِ ہستی
بنا لیں گے دوبارہ آشیاں آہستہ آہستہ
۶
یہ سرمایہ ہے مشترکہ ہماری قوم کا یارو
نہ مٹنے پائے یہ اُردو زبان آہستہ آہستہ
۷
عبادت ناز فرمائے بہارؔ ایسی عبادت کر
جبیں خود کھینچ لے گی آستاں آہستہ آہستہ
उर्दू ज़बां आहिस्ता आहिस्ता – मनोहर लाल बहार
१
बहार आएगी, जाएगी ख़िज़ां आहिस्ता आहिस्ता
सँवर जाएगा अपना गुल्सितां आहिस्ता आहिस्ता
२
ग़म-ए इंसानियत वा’एज़ मिलेगा आओ मयख़ाने
मय-ए उल्फ़त पियें शब भर यहाँ आहिस्ता आहिस्ता
३
सुलग कर बुझ गया होगा मेरा आतिश्कदा दिल का
निकलता है मेरे मुँह से धुआँ आहिस्ता आहिस्ता
४
यही महसूस होता है क़यामत आने वाली है
उतरता है ज़मीं पर आसमाँ आहिस्ता आहिस्ता
५
जलाती है अगर बिजली जलाए ख़िरमन-ए हस्ती
बना लेंगे दोबारा आशियाँ आहिस्ता आहिस्ता
६
ये सरमाया है मुश्तरका हमारी क़ौम का यारो
न मिटने पाए ये उर्दू ज़बां आहिस्ता आहिस्ता
७
इबादत नाज़ फ़रमाए बहार ऐसी इबादत कर
जबीं ख़ुद खींच लेगी आस्तां आहिस्ता आहिस्ता
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. manohar lal bahaar (1912-????), whose father, rai shahed lal taught him urdu and farsi at home was invited to mushaa’era in hyderabad regularly. His collection ‘bahaaristan’ was published in 1977. There are at least 4 additional collections of his poetry. He retired as a high-level official in the Department of Agriculture, Andhra Pradesh. This Ghazal with the same refrain ‘aahista aahista’, is linked to others like it, on the ‘radeef-Refrain’ Index page.
1
bahaar1 aa’egi, jaa’egi KhizaaN2 aahista aahista
saNvar3 jaa’ega apna gulsitaaN4 aahista aahista 1.spring, also pen-name of the poet 2.autumn, fall, dry season 3.embellished, beautified 4.garden
The poet strikes an optimistic note about the future. Spring will arrive, the dry/barren season will end gradually. Our garden will bloom and become beautiful by and by.
2
Gham1-e insaaNiyat2 vaa’ez3 milega aao maiKhaane4
ma’e5-e ulfat6 piyeN shab-bhar7 yahaaN aahista aahista 1.sorrow, suffering, love 2.humanity 3.preacher 4.tavern 5.wine 6.love 7.all night
The tavern symbolizes a liberal place, welcoming to all where the wine of love is served. The vaa’ez-preacher symbolizes narrow ritualistic orthodoxy. The poet invites the preacher to come to the maiKhaana and where he will find love of humanity. Let us drink the wine of love all night long, sip by sip, says the poet.
3
sulag1 kar bujh2 gaya hoga mera aatishkada3 dil ka
nikalta hai mere muNh se dhuaaN aahista aahista 1.lit up, set on fire 2.extinguished 3.fire place, furnace
The heart is like a furnace because of the intense passion of love that the poet has. But it seems that having been lit up, it is now getting extinguished (smouldering slowly) because what he breaths out now is not fire but smoke. The poet is afraid that his youthful passion is calming down.
4
yahi mahsoos1 hota hai qayaamat2 aane vaali hai
utarta hai zamiiN par aasmaaN aahista aahista 1.feeling 2.doomsday, end of the world
This may be a reflection of the changes coming about at the time. Considering the time during which the poet lived, it is possible that he is reflecting on increasing communal tensions. Thus, it feels as if the end of the world is near. The sky descends on the earth gradually.
5
jalaati hai agar bijli1 jalaa’e Khirman2-e hastii3
bana leNge dobaara4 aashiyaaN5 aahista aahista 1.lightning 2.harvest 3.existence, life 4.once again 5.nest
In urdu poetic tradition the poet is often depicted as a bird. His fate is such that lightning strikes his nest often. Here Khirman-e hastii – the harvest of life is used to signify his home/refuge/nest. Thus, if lightning strikes and burns our nest, so be it. We will build another nest bit by bit – thus striking a note of defiance.
6
yeh sarmaaya1 hai mushtar’ka2 hamaari qaum3 ka yaaro
na miTne4 paa’e ye urdu zabaaN5 aahista aahista 1.wealth, treasure 2.mutual, joint 3.communities 4.erased, forgotten 5.language
This is a jointly held treasure of our communities, O friends. Let not this treasure of urdu language be erased/forgotten gradually.
7
ibaadat1 naaz2 farmaa’e3 bahaar4 aisi ibaadat1 kar
jabiiN5 Khud6 khiiNch7 legi aastaaN8 aahista aahista 1.devotion, worship 2.pride 3.affirm, declare 4.pen-name of the poet 5.forehead 6.itself, 7.pull, drag, attract 8.threshold
The traditional form of worship/devotion is to bow down, placing the forehead on the threshold of either the beloved or god. O bahaar offer such (sincere/pure) worship that Worship itself declare its pride. The forehead itself will pull the threshold towards it gradually.
manohar lal bahaar (1912-????), whose father, rai shahed lal taught him urdu and farsi at home was invited to mushaa’era in hyderabad regularly. His collection ‘bahaaristan’ was published in 1977. There are at least 4 additional collections of his poetry. He retired as a high-level official in the Department of Agriculture, Andhra Pradesh. This Ghazal with the same refrain ‘aahista aahista’, is linked to others like it, on the ‘radeef-Refrain’ Index page.
1
bahaar1 aa’egi, jaa’egi KhizaaN2 aahista aahista
saNvar3 jaa’ega apna gulsitaaN4 aahista aahista
1.spring, also pen-name of the poet 2.autumn, fall, dry season 3.embellished, beautified 4.garden
The poet strikes an optimistic note about the future. Spring will arrive, the dry/barren season will end gradually. Our garden will bloom and become beautiful by and by.
2
Gham1-e insaaNiyat2 vaa’ez3 milega aao maiKhaane4
ma’e5-e ulfat6 piyeN shab-bhar7 yahaaN aahista aahista
1.sorrow, suffering, love 2.humanity 3.preacher 4.tavern 5.wine 6.love 7.all night
The tavern symbolizes a liberal place, welcoming to all where the wine of love is served. The vaa’ez-preacher symbolizes narrow ritualistic orthodoxy. The poet invites the preacher to come to the maiKhaana and where he will find love of humanity. Let us drink the wine of love all night long, sip by sip, says the poet.
3
sulag1 kar bujh2 gaya hoga mera aatishkada3 dil ka
nikalta hai mere muNh se dhuaaN aahista aahista
1.lit up, set on fire 2.extinguished 3.fire place, furnace
The heart is like a furnace because of the intense passion of love that the poet has. But it seems that having been lit up, it is now getting extinguished (smouldering slowly) because what he breaths out now is not fire but smoke. The poet is afraid that his youthful passion is calming down.
4
yahi mahsoos1 hota hai qayaamat2 aane vaali hai
utarta hai zamiiN par aasmaaN aahista aahista
1.feeling 2.doomsday, end of the world
This may be a reflection of the changes coming about at the time. Considering the time during which the poet lived, it is possible that he is reflecting on increasing communal tensions. Thus, it feels as if the end of the world is near. The sky descends on the earth gradually.
5
jalaati hai agar bijli1 jalaa’e Khirman2-e hastii3
bana leNge dobaara4 aashiyaaN5 aahista aahista
1.lightning 2.harvest 3.existence, life 4.once again 5.nest
In urdu poetic tradition the poet is often depicted as a bird. His fate is such that lightning strikes his nest often. Here Khirman-e hastii – the harvest of life is used to signify his home/refuge/nest. Thus, if lightning strikes and burns our nest, so be it. We will build another nest bit by bit – thus striking a note of defiance.
6
yeh sarmaaya1 hai mushtar’ka2 hamaari qaum3 ka yaaro
na miTne4 paa’e ye urdu zabaaN5 aahista aahista
1.wealth, treasure 2.mutual, joint 3.communities 4.erased, forgotten 5.language
This is a jointly held treasure of our communities, O friends. Let not this treasure of urdu language be erased/forgotten gradually.
7
ibaadat1 naaz2 farmaa’e3 bahaar4 aisi ibaadat1 kar
jabiiN5 Khud6 khiiNch7 legi aastaaN8 aahista aahista
1.devotion, worship 2.pride 3.affirm, declare 4.pen-name of the poet 5.forehead 6.itself, 7.pull, drag, attract 8.threshold
The traditional form of worship/devotion is to bow down, placing the forehead on the threshold of either the beloved or god. O bahaar offer such (sincere/pure) worship that Worship itself declare its pride. The forehead itself will pull the threshold towards it gradually.
