For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
واعظِ محترم دیکھتے ہیں ۔ جمنا پرشاد راہیؔ
۱
بہ تاثیرِ مے کیفِ غم دیکھتے ہیں
جو راحت فزا رنج کم دیکھتے ہیں
۲
ستاروں سے آگے جو ہم دیکھتے ہیں
تمنّا کا نقشِ قدم دیکتھے ہیں
۳
لبِ سنگ سے آئینہ بولتا ہے
جو ہم مُڑ کے سوئے صنم دیکتھے ہیں
۴
سرِ دشتِ جاں اشک آثار ہے شب
پھر آنکھوں کا دامن جو نم دیکھتے ہیں
۵
دریدہ لباسوں مین زرتاب سِکّے
ہیں ٹکسال باہر جو ہم دیکھتے ہیں
۶
اُدھر چارہ سازی اِدھر زہرِ قاتل
تماشائے تریاق و سم دیکھتے ہیں
۷
عروجِ فقیری میسر ہو جن کو
وہ کب کوئی دستِ کرم دیکھتے ہیں
۸
پہنچتے نہیں جو مضامیں کی تہہ تک
وہ کیا نقشِ نوکِ قلم دیکھتے ہیں
۹
جو ہم دیکھتے ہیں وہ تم دیکھتے ہو
کدھر واعظِ محترم دیکھتے ہیں
वा’एज़-ए मोहतरम देखते हैं – जमना प्रशाद राही
१
ब-तासीर-ए मय कैफ़-ए ग़म देखते हैं
जो राहत फ़ज़ा रंज कम देखते हैं
२
सितारौं से आगे जो हम देखते हैं
तमन्ना का नक़्श-ए क़दम देखते हैं
३
लब-ए संग से आइना बोलता है
जो हम मुढ के सू-ए सनम देखते हैं
४
सर-ए दश्त-ए जां अश्क आसार है शब
फिर आंखौं का दामन जो नम देखते हैं
५
दरीदा लिबासौं में ज़रताब सिक्के
हैं टक्साल बाहर जो हम देखते हैं
६
उधर चारा-साज़ी इधर ज़हर-ए क़ातिल
तमाशा-ए तर्याक़ ओ सम देखते हैं
७
उरूज-ए फ़क़ीरी मयस्सर हो जिन को
वो कब कोई दस्त-ए करम देखते हैं
८
पहुंचते नहीं जो मज़ामीं कि तह तक
वो क्या नक़्श-ए नोक-ए क़लम देखते हैं
९
जो हम देखते हैं वो तुम देखते हो
किधर वा’एज़-ए मोहतरम देखते हैं
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. jamna prashaad raahi (1940-2017), aligaRh. Sahitya Akademi, UP, awardee. President, Progressive Writers’ Association. He specialized in composing in the style of Ghalib and traced his literary lineage to daaGh dehlavi. He has a whole collection in the style of Ghalib called ‘baazgasht-e Ghalib’. This Ghazal in the style of Ghalib’s ‘jahaaN tera naqsh-e qadam dekhte haiN’ is linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’.
1
ba-taasiir1-e mai2 kaif3-e Gham dekhte haiN
jo raahat-faza4 raNj5 kam dekhte haiN 1.with the effect of 2.wine 3.exhilaration 4.comfort enhancing 5.sorrow, pain
In urdu poetic tradition even ‘ranj-sorrow’ gives comfort. It is valued more than ordinary pleasure. Thus, those who do not see the comfort enhancing abilities of ‘ranj’ seek exhilaration through the effects of wine.
2
sitaaroN se aage jo ham dekhte haiN
tamanna1 ka naqsh-e-qadam2 dekhte haiN 1.desire 2.foot-print
We look beyond the stars because we are looking for the next step of desire. This reminds me of two ash’aar. Ghalib …
hai kahaaN tamanna ka doosra qadam yaarab
ham ne dasht-e imkaaN ko ek naqsh-e paa paaya
and iqbal …
sitaaroN se aage jahaaN aur bhi haiN
abhi ishq ke imtehaaN aur bhi haiN
3
lab1-e saNg2 se aaina bolta hai
jo ham muR ke soo3-e sanam4 dekhte haiN 1.lips, mouth 2.stone, rock 3.towards 4.beloved, idol
I think that here the poet means to say that idol worship and worship of a formless god are the same thing and that both are a reflection of the one-ness of the creator and the universe. Thus, when we turn around and look towards the stone idol, the lips of stone speak to us and show us an aaina i.e., a reflection of ourselves.
4
sar1-e dasht2-e jaaN3 ashk-aasaar4 hai shab5
phir aaNkhoN ka daaman6 jo nam7 dekhte haiN 1.head, beginning 2.wilderness, desert 3.life 4.indications/signs of tears 5.night 6.apron – the apron of the eyes is eyelashes 7.moist
Life is like a night of the dasht/wilderness. Even at the start of life there are signs of tears which is why we see that eyelashes are wet. Said Ghalib …
yuN hii gar rotaa rahaa Ghaalib to aye ahl-e jahaaN
dekhnaa in bastiyoN ko tum keh viiraaN ho gaiiN
5
dariida1 libaasoN2 meN zar-taab3 sikke4
haiN Taksaal5 baahir jo ham dekhte haiN 1.torn, tattered 2.clothes 3.golden shine 4.coins 5.mint
The poet sees coins shining like gold outside the mint. These are dressed in tatters. This can mean that really capable people who have qualities of god are not respected/valued and they are dressed in tatters. Alternatively, if the gold shine is not genuine … the people outside the mint are putting on colours of gold to show off, but they are really dressed in tatters.
6
udhar chaara-saazi1 idhar zahr2-e qaatil3
tamaasha4-e teriyaaq5 o sum6 dekhte haiN 1.healing 2.poison 3.killer, beloved 4.spectacle, mischievous actions 5.anitdote, medication 6.poison
The beloved favours the rival. Healing on that side and poison here. I see the mischief with healing antidotes on that side and poison on this. This could be a more general complaint about not being valued by society.
7
urooj1-e faqiiri2 mayassar3 ho jin ko
vo kab koii dast4-e karam5 dekhte haiN 1.climax 2.sainthood, mendicancy 3.available 4.hand 5.benevolence
Those who have achieved the climax of sainthood – given up on all worldly desires, do not look for the hand of benevolence.
8
pahuNchte nahiN jo mazaamiiN1 ki tah2 tak
vo kya naqsh3-e nok4-e qalam5 dekhte haiN 1.themes 2.depth 3.sketch, image 4.point 5.pen
Those who do not reach the depths of the theme (of my poetry), do they simply look at the image drawn by the point of the pen!
9
jo ham dekhte haiN vo tum dekhte ho
kidhar vaa’ez1-e mohtaram2 dekhte haiN 1.preacher 2.respected
We see the same thing that you see. What does the respected preacher see. Implied in this is that we see what is commonsense. What kind of a fool is the preacher who cannot see it.
jamna prashaad raahi (1940-2017), aligaRh. Sahitya Akademi, UP, awardee. President, Progressive Writers’ Association. He specialized in composing in the style of Ghalib and traced his literary lineage to daaGh dehlavi. He has a whole collection in the style of Ghalib called ‘baazgasht-e Ghalib’. This Ghazal in the style of Ghalib’s ‘jahaaN tera naqsh-e qadam dekhte haiN’ is linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’.
1
ba-taasiir1-e mai2 kaif3-e Gham dekhte haiN
jo raahat-faza4 raNj5 kam dekhte haiN
1.with the effect of 2.wine 3.exhilaration 4.comfort enhancing 5.sorrow, pain
In urdu poetic tradition even ‘ranj-sorrow’ gives comfort. It is valued more than ordinary pleasure. Thus, those who do not see the comfort enhancing abilities of ‘ranj’ seek exhilaration through the effects of wine.
2
sitaaroN se aage jo ham dekhte haiN
tamanna1 ka naqsh-e-qadam2 dekhte haiN
1.desire 2.foot-print
We look beyond the stars because we are looking for the next step of desire. This reminds me of two ash’aar. Ghalib …
hai kahaaN tamanna ka doosra qadam yaarab
ham ne dasht-e imkaaN ko ek naqsh-e paa paaya
and iqbal …
sitaaroN se aage jahaaN aur bhi haiN
abhi ishq ke imtehaaN aur bhi haiN
3
lab1-e saNg2 se aaina bolta hai
jo ham muR ke soo3-e sanam4 dekhte haiN
1.lips, mouth 2.stone, rock 3.towards 4.beloved, idol
I think that here the poet means to say that idol worship and worship of a formless god are the same thing and that both are a reflection of the one-ness of the creator and the universe. Thus, when we turn around and look towards the stone idol, the lips of stone speak to us and show us an aaina i.e., a reflection of ourselves.
4
sar1-e dasht2-e jaaN3 ashk-aasaar4 hai shab5
phir aaNkhoN ka daaman6 jo nam7 dekhte haiN
1.head, beginning 2.wilderness, desert 3.life 4.indications/signs of tears 5.night 6.apron – the apron of the eyes is eyelashes 7.moist
Life is like a night of the dasht/wilderness. Even at the start of life there are signs of tears which is why we see that eyelashes are wet. Said Ghalib …
yuN hii gar rotaa rahaa Ghaalib to aye ahl-e jahaaN
dekhnaa in bastiyoN ko tum keh viiraaN ho gaiiN
5
dariida1 libaasoN2 meN zar-taab3 sikke4
haiN Taksaal5 baahir jo ham dekhte haiN
1.torn, tattered 2.clothes 3.golden shine 4.coins 5.mint
The poet sees coins shining like gold outside the mint. These are dressed in tatters. This can mean that really capable people who have qualities of god are not respected/valued and they are dressed in tatters. Alternatively, if the gold shine is not genuine … the people outside the mint are putting on colours of gold to show off, but they are really dressed in tatters.
6
udhar chaara-saazi1 idhar zahr2-e qaatil3
tamaasha4-e teriyaaq5 o sum6 dekhte haiN
1.healing 2.poison 3.killer, beloved 4.spectacle, mischievous actions 5.anitdote, medication 6.poison
The beloved favours the rival. Healing on that side and poison here. I see the mischief with healing antidotes on that side and poison on this. This could be a more general complaint about not being valued by society.
7
urooj1-e faqiiri2 mayassar3 ho jin ko
vo kab koii dast4-e karam5 dekhte haiN
1.climax 2.sainthood, mendicancy 3.available 4.hand 5.benevolence
Those who have achieved the climax of sainthood – given up on all worldly desires, do not look for the hand of benevolence.
8
pahuNchte nahiN jo mazaamiiN1 ki tah2 tak
vo kya naqsh3-e nok4-e qalam5 dekhte haiN
1.themes 2.depth 3.sketch, image 4.point 5.pen
Those who do not reach the depths of the theme (of my poetry), do they simply look at the image drawn by the point of the pen!
9
jo ham dekhte haiN vo tum dekhte ho
kidhar vaa’ez1-e mohtaram2 dekhte haiN
1.preacher 2.respected
We see the same thing that you see. What does the respected preacher see. Implied in this is that we see what is commonsense. What kind of a fool is the preacher who cannot see it.
