For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
اُسی آستاں کی تلاش ہے ۔ منوہر لال بہارؔ
۱
جہاں میں نے چھوڑے تھے نقشِ پا، مجھے اُس نشاں کی تلاش ہے
مرا عزم جس کا تھا رہنما، اُسی کارواں کی تلاش ہے
۲
نہ مجھے یہاں کی ہے آرزو، نہ مجھے وہاں کی تلاش ہے
مجھے کائنات کی جستجو، مجھے لامکاں کی تلاش ہے
۳
نہ قفس کی مجھ کو ہے آرزو، نہ تو آشیاں کی تلاش ہے
ہیں وہ بجلیاں مرے رو بہ رو، مجھے گلستاں کی تلاش ہے
۴
جو نگاہ و قلب کو دے اماں، جو خلوص و غم کی ہو پاسباں
جو بنے عوام کی ترجماں، مجھے اُس زباں کی تلاش ہے
۵
نہ تو دیر اُس کے ہے درمیاں، نہ تو ہے حرم کا گزر وہاں
مجھے لے چلے مرا دل جہاں، اُسی آستاں کی تلاش ہے
۶
جہاں مہر و مہ کی ہو انجمن، جہاں کہکشاں کا ہو بانکپن
جو سجا دے ارض کا پیرہن، اُسی آسماں کی تلاش ہے
۷
ملے سوز و ساز کا دل جہاں، جھکے حسن و عشق کا سر وہاں
ہو نیاز و ناز کی حد جہاں، اُسی داستاں کی تلاش ہے
۸
جہاں گُل بہارؔ ہوں شادماں، جہاں اندلیب ہوں نغمہ خواں
جو سجا دے پھولوں سے گلستاں، اُسی باغباں کی تلاش ہے
उसी आस्तां कि तलाश है – मनोहर लाल बहार
१
जहां मैं ने छोढे थे नक़्श-ए पा, मुझे उस नशां कि तलाश है
मेरा अज़्म जिस का था रहनुमा, उसी कारवां कि तलाश है
२
न मुझे यहां कि है आर्ज़ू, न मुझे वहां कि तलाश है
मुझे का’एनात कि जुस्तजू, मुझे लामकां कि तलाश है
३
न क़फ़स कि मुझ को है आर्ज़ू, न तो आशियां कि तलाश है
हैं वो बिजलियां मेरे रू ब रू, मुझे गुल्सितां कि तलाश है
४
जो निगाह ओ क़ल्ब को दे अमां, जो ख़ुलूस ओ ग़म कि हो पासबां
जो बने अवाम कि तर्जुमां, मुझे उस ज़बां कि तलाश है
५
न तो दैर उस के है दरमियां, न तो है हरम का गुज़र वहां
मुझे ले चले मेरा दिल जहां, उसी आस्तां कि तलाश है
६
जहां महर ओ मह कि हो अंजुमन, जहां कहकशां का हो बांकपन
जो सजा दे अर्ज़ का पैरहन, उसी आसमां कि तलाश है
७
मिले सोज़ ओ साज़ का दिल जहां, झुके हुस्न ओ इश्क़ का सर वहां
हो नियाज़ ओ नाज़ कि हद जहां, उसी दास्तां कि तलाश है
८
जहां गुल बहार हों शादमां, जहां अन्दलीब हों नग़्मा-ख़्वां
जो सजा दे फूलौं से गुल्सितां, उसी बाग़बां कि तलाश है
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 ‘ki talaash hai’, is linked to others like it, on the ‘radeef-refrain’ page.
1
jahaaN maiN ne chhoRe the naqsh-e-paa1, mujhe us nashaaN2 ki talaash3 hai
mera azm4 jis ka tha rahnuma5, usi kaarvaaN ki talaash hai 1.footprints 2.sign, mark 3.search 4.determination, resolve 5.guide
There was a party of seekers to which the poet belonged. His firm resolve to search for the goal was their guide. He has lost that path. He is looking for signs and footprints that will take him back to the seekers’ path.
2
na mujhe yahaaN ki hai aarzu1, na mujhe vahaaN ki talaash hai
mujhe kaa’enaat2 ki justaju3, mujhe laamakaaN4 ki talaash hai 1.desire 2.universe 3.search 4.not bound by space, free, vast
‘yahaaN-vahaaN’ – ‘here and there’ are used in the sense of ‘this and that’ – ordinary things. Thus he does not desire, nor does he seek trivialities. He seeks to understand the mystery of the universe. He searches for ‘laamakaan’ – one the attributes of the divine spirit.
3
na qafas1 ki mujh ko hai aarzu2, na to aashiyaaN3 ki talaash hai
haiN vo bijliaaN4 mere ruu-ba-ruu5, mujhe gulsitaaN6 ki talaash hai 1.cage 2.desire 3.nest 4.lightning 5.face to face 6.garden
In urdu poetic tradition the poet is often portrayed as a bird. Sometimes the bird is caught by the birdcatcher and put in a cage and pines for his nest and the freedom of the garden. Also, in poetic tradtion, lightning strikes the garden and burns it up, the poet/bird’s nest along with it. Thus, the poet/bird desires not to worry about either the cage or the nest. Those are strictly personal needs. He sees lightning flash before his eyes and is worried about the garden. He seeks the garden to face down lightning strikes.
4
jo nigaah1 o qalb2 ko de amaaN3, jo Khuloos4 o Gham ki ho paasbaaN5
jo bane avaam6 ki tarjumaaN7, mujhe us zabaaN8 ki talaash hai 1.eyes, sight 2.heart, feelings 3.protection, refuge 4.love, fellow feeling 5.protector, guardian 6.public 7.intepreter, speak for 8.language, words, verse
The focus is on his ability to write/recite/compose verse that speaks for the people. Thus, I seek words that speak for the people, that give comfort to sight and feelings, that are guardians of ‘Khuloos and Gham’ – fellow feeling and taking ownership of the pain of others.
5
na to dair1 us ke hai darmiyaaN2, na to hai haram3 ka guzar4 vahaaN
mujhe le chale mera dil jahaaN, usi aastaaN5 ki talaash hai 1.temple 2.middle, obstruction 3.mosque 4.used here to mean – whatever it says is considered legitimate, passes for truth 5.threshold
The poet wants to follow his heart to the threshold of love. The path towards that goal is such that no temple can come in the way nor what the mosque pronounces becomes the law. He seeks universal love.
6
jahaaN mahr1 o mah2 ki ho anjuman3, jahaaN kahkashaaN4 ka ho baaNkpan5
jo saja6 de arz7 ka pairahan8, usi aasmaaN ki talaash hai 1.sun 2.moon 3.gathering, assembly 4.constellations 5.youth, vigour 6.arrange, adorn, embellish 7.earth 8.dress, robes
The poet seeks a sky that adorns the robes of the earth, where there is an assembly to the sun and moon and stars display their vigour. This could be beautiful imagery or it could mean a sky/fate that is not cruel to earthlings.
7
milay soz1 o saaz2 ka dil jahaaN, jhuke husn3 o ishq ka sar vahaaN
ho niyaaz4 o naaz5 ki had6 jahaaN, usi daastaaN7 ki talaash hai 1.fire, pain, sorrow 2.music, joy 3.beauty, beloved 4.devotional offering 5.coquetry, playful teasing 6.limits 7.story
The poet wants to write story in verse. It is to be story of pain and joy, the beloved and the lover, his devotion and her teasing. He wants his verse to reach the limits of excellence in all these aspects of the story.
8
jahaaN gul1 bahaar2 hoN shaadmaaN3, jahaaN andaleeb4 hoN naGhma-KhwaaN5
jo saja6 de phooloN se gulsitaaN7, usi baaGhbaaN8 ki talaash hai 1.rose 2.bloom, pen-name of the poet 3.happy 4.nightingale 5.singing 6.adorn 7.garden 8.gardener
The poet seeks a gardener who will adorn the garden with flowers, where roses happily bloom and nightingales sing songs of love. Note that the poet uses his taKhallus to great effect with double meaning.
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 ‘ki talaash hai’, is linked to others like it, on the ‘radeef-refrain’ page.
1
jahaaN maiN ne chhoRe the naqsh-e-paa1, mujhe us nashaaN2 ki talaash3 hai
mera azm4 jis ka tha rahnuma5, usi kaarvaaN ki talaash hai
1.footprints 2.sign, mark 3.search 4.determination, resolve 5.guide
There was a party of seekers to which the poet belonged. His firm resolve to search for the goal was their guide. He has lost that path. He is looking for signs and footprints that will take him back to the seekers’ path.
2
na mujhe yahaaN ki hai aarzu1, na mujhe vahaaN ki talaash hai
mujhe kaa’enaat2 ki justaju3, mujhe laamakaaN4 ki talaash hai
1.desire 2.universe 3.search 4.not bound by space, free, vast
‘yahaaN-vahaaN’ – ‘here and there’ are used in the sense of ‘this and that’ – ordinary things. Thus he does not desire, nor does he seek trivialities. He seeks to understand the mystery of the universe. He searches for ‘laamakaan’ – one the attributes of the divine spirit.
3
na qafas1 ki mujh ko hai aarzu2, na to aashiyaaN3 ki talaash hai
haiN vo bijliaaN4 mere ruu-ba-ruu5, mujhe gulsitaaN6 ki talaash hai
1.cage 2.desire 3.nest 4.lightning 5.face to face 6.garden
In urdu poetic tradition the poet is often portrayed as a bird. Sometimes the bird is caught by the birdcatcher and put in a cage and pines for his nest and the freedom of the garden. Also, in poetic tradtion, lightning strikes the garden and burns it up, the poet/bird’s nest along with it. Thus, the poet/bird desires not to worry about either the cage or the nest. Those are strictly personal needs. He sees lightning flash before his eyes and is worried about the garden. He seeks the garden to face down lightning strikes.
4
jo nigaah1 o qalb2 ko de amaaN3, jo Khuloos4 o Gham ki ho paasbaaN5
jo bane avaam6 ki tarjumaaN7, mujhe us zabaaN8 ki talaash hai
1.eyes, sight 2.heart, feelings 3.protection, refuge 4.love, fellow feeling 5.protector, guardian 6.public 7.intepreter, speak for 8.language, words, verse
The focus is on his ability to write/recite/compose verse that speaks for the people. Thus, I seek words that speak for the people, that give comfort to sight and feelings, that are guardians of ‘Khuloos and Gham’ – fellow feeling and taking ownership of the pain of others.
5
na to dair1 us ke hai darmiyaaN2, na to hai haram3 ka guzar4 vahaaN
mujhe le chale mera dil jahaaN, usi aastaaN5 ki talaash hai
1.temple 2.middle, obstruction 3.mosque 4.used here to mean – whatever it says is considered legitimate, passes for truth 5.threshold
The poet wants to follow his heart to the threshold of love. The path towards that goal is such that no temple can come in the way nor what the mosque pronounces becomes the law. He seeks universal love.
6
jahaaN mahr1 o mah2 ki ho anjuman3, jahaaN kahkashaaN4 ka ho baaNkpan5
jo saja6 de arz7 ka pairahan8, usi aasmaaN ki talaash hai
1.sun 2.moon 3.gathering, assembly 4.constellations 5.youth, vigour 6.arrange, adorn, embellish 7.earth 8.dress, robes
The poet seeks a sky that adorns the robes of the earth, where there is an assembly to the sun and moon and stars display their vigour. This could be beautiful imagery or it could mean a sky/fate that is not cruel to earthlings.
7
milay soz1 o saaz2 ka dil jahaaN, jhuke husn3 o ishq ka sar vahaaN
ho niyaaz4 o naaz5 ki had6 jahaaN, usi daastaaN7 ki talaash hai
1.fire, pain, sorrow 2.music, joy 3.beauty, beloved 4.devotional offering 5.coquetry, playful teasing 6.limits 7.story
The poet wants to write story in verse. It is to be story of pain and joy, the beloved and the lover, his devotion and her teasing. He wants his verse to reach the limits of excellence in all these aspects of the story.
8
jahaaN gul1 bahaar2 hoN shaadmaaN3, jahaaN andaleeb4 hoN naGhma-KhwaaN5
jo saja6 de phooloN se gulsitaaN7, usi baaGhbaaN8 ki talaash hai
1.rose 2.bloom, pen-name of the poet 3.happy 4.nightingale 5.singing 6.adorn 7.garden 8.gardener
The poet seeks a gardener who will adorn the garden with flowers, where roses happily bloom and nightingales sing songs of love. Note that the poet uses his taKhallus to great effect with double meaning.
