For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
اس در سے مانگتا کیا ہے ۔ مہندر پرتاپ چاندؔ
۱
ہمارے شہرِ ادب میں چلی ہوا کیا ہے
یہ کیسا دور ہے یا رب ہمیں ہوا کیا ہے
۲
اسی نے آگ لگائی ہے ساری بستی میں
وہی یہ پوچھ رہا ہے کہ ماجرا کیا ہے
۳
یہ تیرا ظرف کہ تو پھر بھی بد گماں نہ ہوا
سوائے درد کے میں نے تجھے دیا کیا ہے
۴
لپک کے چھین لے حق اپنا کم سوادوں سے
بڑھا کے ہاتھ اٹھا جام دیکھتا کیا ہے
۵
بُھلا دیا ہے جو تم نے تو کوئی بات نہیں
مگر میں جانتا آخر مری خطا کیا ہے
۶
عجیب شخص ہے کردار مانگتا ہے مرا
سوائے اس کے مرے پاس اب بچا کیا ہے
۷
کُرید کر میرے زخموں کو یوں سوال نہ کر
تجھے خبر ہے تو پھر مجھ سے پوچھتا کیا ہے
۸
متاع غم کو بچا رکھ چھپا کے سینے میں
تو اس خزانے کو اوروں میں بانٹتا کیا ہے
۹
ہزار نعمتیں اس نے تجھے عطا کی ہیں
اب اور چاندؔ تو اس در سے مانگتا کیا ہے
इस दर से माँगता क्या है – महेंद्र प्रताप चांद
१
हमारे शहर-ए अदब में चली हवा क्या है
ये कैसा दौर है यारब हमें हुआ क्या है
२
उसी ने आग लगाई है सारी बस्ती में
वही ये पूछ रहा है के माज्रा क्या है
३
ये तेरा ज़र्फ़ के तू फिर भी बद-गुमाँ न हुआ
सिवाए दर्द के मैं ने तुझे दिया क्या है
४
लपक के छीन ले हक़ अपना कम-सवादौं से
बढ़ा के हाथ उठा जाम देखता क्या है
५
भुला दिया है जो तुम ने तो कोई बात नहीं
मगर मैं जानता आख़र मेरी ख़ता क्या है
६
अजीब शख़्स है किरदार माँगता है मेरा
सिवाए इस के मेरे पास अब बचा क्या है
७
कुरेद कर मेरे ज़ख़्मौं को यूँ सवाल न कर
तुझे ख़बर है तो फिर मुझ से पूछता क्या है
८
मता-ए ग़म को बचा रख छुपा के सीने में
तू इस ख़ज़ाने को औरों में बाँटता क्या है
९
हज़ार ने’मतें उस ने तुझे अता की हैं
अब और चाँद तू इस दर से माँगता क्या है
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mahendra pratap chaand (1935-????) karoR lal eesan, punjab. MA in urdu and another MA in Library Science. Migrated to ambaala, India. Assistant Librarian, Kurkshetra University. haryana urdu akademi award. He retained a great love for his birth land and went back for a visit writing his travelogue in urdu which was translated in English “A Bond of Love – My Passage to Pakistan”.
1
hamaare shahr-e-adab1 meN chalii havaa2 kya hai
ye kaisaa daur3 hai yaarab4 hameN huaa kya hai 1.city/domain/circle of literature/poets 2.breeze, trend 3.times, conditions 4.my lord
What kind of breeze/trend is this that is blowing through our circle of poets. What kinds of times are these, my lord, what has happened to us. This could be about communal feelings and/or about feelings of animosity towards urdu.
2
usii ne aag lagaaii hai saari basti meN
vahii ye poochh rahaa hai keh maajra1 kya hai 1.condition, predicament
It is not clear who this is addressed to – perhaps to communalists or politicians. He himself has the whole community of fire and he is asking what predicament we are in.
3
ye teraa zarf1 keh tuu phir bhii bad-gumaaN2 na hua
sivaa’e3 dard4 ke maiN ne tujhe diya kya hai 1.capacity, open-heartedness 2.offended, ill-inclined 3.except for 4.pain, sorrow
It is not clear who this is addressed to. I don’t think it is addressed to the beloved, because in the conventions of poetry it is the beloved who is always offended by the poet/suitor. It could be addressed to a forgiving god, a mother or a dear friend. Even though I have given nothing except for pain/sorrow, it is your large heartedness that you have never been offended by or been ill-inclined towards me.
4
lapak ke chhiin le haq1 apnaa kam-savaadoN2 se
baRhaa ke haath uThaa jaam3 dekhta kya hai 1.rights 2.ill informed, ignorant 3.cup (of wine)
The ill-informed/ignorant ones could be communalists, politicians or capitalists. Arise and take back your rights from the ignorant. Stretch out and grab the cup, what are you waiting for.
5
bhulaa diya hai jo tum ne to koii baat nahiiN
magar maiN jaantaa aaKhir merii Khata1 kya hai 1.offence, mistake
You have forgotten me, be that as it may but at least I should know what my fault is.
6
ajiib1 shaKhs2 hai kirdaar3 maaNgtaa hai meraa
sivaa’e4 is ke mere paas ab bachaa kya hai 1.strange 2.person 3.character, honesty 4.except for
Although not explicitly stated, it is most likely addressed to the communal politician. He is a strange person, asking me to compromise my character/honesty/dignity. Except for my dignity, what else do I have left.
7
kured1 kar mere zaKhmoN2 ko yuuN savaal3 na kar
tujhe Khabar4 hai to phir mujh se poochhta kya hai 1.scratch, dig 2.wounds, scars 3.question, cross examine 4.knowledge
This could be a friend asking the poet/suitor about his lost love or it could even be the beloved asking him pointed questions. In either case this is renewing partially healed wounds which are being scratched and bleeding again. You already know the answers, why to do keep digging.
8
mataa1-e Gham2 ko bachaa rakh chhupaa ke siine meN
tu is Khazaane3 ko auroN4 meN baaNTta kya hai 1.possessions, treasure 2.sorrow, pain (of love) 3.treasure 4.others, everyone
Said ali sardar jafri …
dil ka dard, dil meN chhupa kar rakkho
sub ko bataaye phirte ho, ye choroN ki duniya hai
In the cultural tradition of the sub-continent and in urdu poetic tradition pain/sorrow is to be highly valued, treasured and not displayed in public.
9
hazaar ne’mateN1 us ne tujhe ataa2 kii haiN
ab aur chaaNd3 tu is dar4 se maaNgtaa kya hai 1.blessings 2.bestowed, granted 3.pen-name of the poet 4.door
O chaand, he (god) has granted you a thousand blessings. What more can you ask for.
mahendra pratap chaand (1935-????) karoR lal eesan, punjab. MA in urdu and another MA in Library Science. Migrated to ambaala, India. Assistant Librarian, Kurkshetra University. haryana urdu akademi award. He retained a great love for his birth land and went back for a visit writing his travelogue in urdu which was translated in English “A Bond of Love – My Passage to Pakistan”.
1
hamaare shahr-e-adab1 meN chalii havaa2 kya hai
ye kaisaa daur3 hai yaarab4 hameN huaa kya hai
1.city/domain/circle of literature/poets 2.breeze, trend 3.times, conditions 4.my lord
What kind of breeze/trend is this that is blowing through our circle of poets. What kinds of times are these, my lord, what has happened to us. This could be about communal feelings and/or about feelings of animosity towards urdu.
2
usii ne aag lagaaii hai saari basti meN
vahii ye poochh rahaa hai keh maajra1 kya hai
1.condition, predicament
It is not clear who this is addressed to – perhaps to communalists or politicians. He himself has the whole community of fire and he is asking what predicament we are in.
3
ye teraa zarf1 keh tuu phir bhii bad-gumaaN2 na hua
sivaa’e3 dard4 ke maiN ne tujhe diya kya hai
1.capacity, open-heartedness 2.offended, ill-inclined 3.except for 4.pain, sorrow
It is not clear who this is addressed to. I don’t think it is addressed to the beloved, because in the conventions of poetry it is the beloved who is always offended by the poet/suitor. It could be addressed to a forgiving god, a mother or a dear friend. Even though I have given nothing except for pain/sorrow, it is your large heartedness that you have never been offended by or been ill-inclined towards me.
4
lapak ke chhiin le haq1 apnaa kam-savaadoN2 se
baRhaa ke haath uThaa jaam3 dekhta kya hai
1.rights 2.ill informed, ignorant 3.cup (of wine)
The ill-informed/ignorant ones could be communalists, politicians or capitalists. Arise and take back your rights from the ignorant. Stretch out and grab the cup, what are you waiting for.
5
bhulaa diya hai jo tum ne to koii baat nahiiN
magar maiN jaantaa aaKhir merii Khata1 kya hai
1.offence, mistake
You have forgotten me, be that as it may but at least I should know what my fault is.
6
ajiib1 shaKhs2 hai kirdaar3 maaNgtaa hai meraa
sivaa’e4 is ke mere paas ab bachaa kya hai
1.strange 2.person 3.character, honesty 4.except for
Although not explicitly stated, it is most likely addressed to the communal politician. He is a strange person, asking me to compromise my character/honesty/dignity. Except for my dignity, what else do I have left.
7
kured1 kar mere zaKhmoN2 ko yuuN savaal3 na kar
tujhe Khabar4 hai to phir mujh se poochhta kya hai
1.scratch, dig 2.wounds, scars 3.question, cross examine 4.knowledge
This could be a friend asking the poet/suitor about his lost love or it could even be the beloved asking him pointed questions. In either case this is renewing partially healed wounds which are being scratched and bleeding again. You already know the answers, why to do keep digging.
8
mataa1-e Gham2 ko bachaa rakh chhupaa ke siine meN
tu is Khazaane3 ko auroN4 meN baaNTta kya hai
1.possessions, treasure 2.sorrow, pain (of love) 3.treasure 4.others, everyone
Said ali sardar jafri …
dil ka dard, dil meN chhupa kar rakkho
sub ko bataaye phirte ho, ye choroN ki duniya hai
In the cultural tradition of the sub-continent and in urdu poetic tradition pain/sorrow is to be highly valued, treasured and not displayed in public.
9
hazaar ne’mateN1 us ne tujhe ataa2 kii haiN
ab aur chaaNd3 tu is dar4 se maaNgtaa kya hai
1.blessings 2.bestowed, granted 3.pen-name of the poet 4.door
O chaand, he (god) has granted you a thousand blessings. What more can you ask for.
