vatan yaad aaya-priitpal singh betaab

For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.

وطن یاد آیا ۔ پریت پال سنگھ بیتابؔ

۱

منظرِ سَرو و سمن یاد آیا

پھر سے گم گشتہ وطن یاد آیا

۲

پیچھے اب کیا ہے غبارِ رفتہ

دہر میں باغ عدن یاد آیا

۳

بال و پر ٹوٹ چکے تھے جس وقت

ہمیں پرواز کا فن یاد آیا

۴

پھر کسی شاخ پہ کوئل بولی

پھر ترا رنگِ سخن یاد آیا

۵

اول اک شخص کی یاد آئی بہت

دوئم اک سانپ کا پھن یاد آیا

۶

ایک دن سوچا کہ اُجلے ہو جائیں

تن کو دھویا تھا کہ من یاد آیا

۷

خون سا رہ گیا دل میں جو شخص

آج پھر بن کے چبھن یاد آیا

۸

پھر سے دل ڈوب رہا ہے بیتابؔ

پھر زمانے کا چلن یاد آیا

वतन याद आया – प्रीत पाल सिंघ बेताब

मंज़र-ए सर्व-ओ-समन याद आया

फिर से गुम-गश्ता वतन याद आया

पीछे अब क्या है ग़ुबार-ए रफ़्ता

दहर में बाग़-ए अदन याद आया

बाल-ओ-पर टूट चुके थे जिस वक़्त

हमें परवाज़ का फ़न याद आया

फिर किसी शाख़ पे कोयल बोली

फिर तेरा रंग-ए सुख़न याद आया

अव्वल एक शख़्स की याद आई बहुत

दो’एम एक साँप का फन याद आया

एक दिन सोचा के उज्ले हो जाएँ

तन को धोया था के मन याद आया

ख़ून सा रह गया दिल में जो शख़्स

आज फिर बन के चुभन याद आया

फिर से दिल डूब रहा है बेताब

फिर ज़माने का चलन याद आया

 

Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. priitpal singh betaab (1949-xxxx) pooNch, kashmir. MA, LLB. kashmir (state) administrative service, achieving very high level position and retiring as Director, Food and Supplies. He started composing verse in 1970, published 9 collections of verse and received numerous awards even as he continued his ‘day time job’. This Ghazal composed in the zamin of Ghalib’s “saNg uThaaya tha keh sar yaad aaya” has a slight variation in its qaafiya, but maintains its similarity.
1
manzar1-e sarv-o-saman2 yaad aaya
phir se gum-gashta3 vatan4 yaad aaya   
1.scene 2.cypress and jasmine 3.long lost 4.homeland
This sounds like the poet, migrated away from his homeland, which was hilly, wooded and flowery is missing it. I recall the scene of cypress and jasmine. Again, I remember my long lost homeland.

2
piichhe ab kyaa hai Ghubaar1-e rafta2
dahr3 meN baaGh-e-adan4 yaad aaya  
1.dust, fog, faint memories 2.past 3.material world 4.garden of Eden, heaven
The poet considers his homeland to be the garden of Eden – heaven. Looking back, all he can see is faint memories of the past. Living in this material world, he recalls the garden of Eden.

3
baal-o-par1 TuuT chuke the jis vaqt
hameN parvaaz2 kaa fun3 yaad aaya   
1.feathers and wings 2.flight 3.skill
The poet thinks that his feathers have been plucked and his wings are cut. Now that this has happened and he can no longer fly, he remembers the skill of flight. At one level, this might mean the ability to get back home. At another level it might mean, the freedom, carefree life that he was able to lead growing up in his homeland vs the mundane struggle of administration and making a living.

4
phir kisii shaaKh1 pe ko’el bolii
phir teraa raNg-e-suKhan2 yaad aaya   
1.branch, bough 2.style of verse, singing
He hears a ko’el kook on a branch of a nearby tree and remembers the sounds of his homeland. This could be the signing brook, the blowing breeze or the sound of friends.

5
avval1 ek shaKhs2 kii yaad aa’ii bahut
do’em3 ek saaNp kaa phan4 yaad aaya  
1.at first 2.person 3.second, next 4.hood as in hood of a cobra
The cobra and its hood symbolize treachery and a poisonous attack. This may refer to someone who may have been a friend who later betrayed him. At least, if this did not actually happen, it describes what he preceives some people doing.

6
ek din socha ke ujle1 ho jaayeN
tan2 ko dhoya tha ke man yaad aaya    
1.clean 2.body
The imagery is one of cleanliness of the body vs the cleanliness of the soul. You may wash yourselves clean all you want, but removing stains from the soul requires a different kind of effort.

7
Khoon saa rah gayaa dil meN jo shaKhs1
aaj phir ban ke chubhan2 yaad aaya    
1.person 2.prick
This probably is an image of someone close to him, so close that he/she is like the blood in his heart. This might be a person he has left behind in the homeland or perhaps someone who has died. In any case, their memory rises pricking him in his heart.

8
phir se dil Duub1 rahaa hai betaab2
phir zamaane3 kaa chalan4 yaad aaya   
1.sinking 2.pen-name of the poet 3.times, world 4.ways, behaviour
Once again my heart sinks, O betaab, because I remember the (hurtful) ways of the world.

priitpal singh betaab (1949-xxxx) pooNch, kashmir.  MA, LLB.  kashmir (state) administrative service, achieving very high level position and retiring as Director, Food and Supplies.  He started composing verse in 1970, published 9 collections of verse and received numerous awards even as he continued his ‘day time job’.  This Ghazal composed in the zamin of Ghalib’s “saNg uThaaya tha keh sar yaad aaya” has a slight variation in its qaafiya, but maintains its similarity.
1
manzar1-e sarv-o-saman2 yaad aaya
phir se gum-gashta3 vatan4 yaad aaya

1.scene 2.cypress and jasmine 3.long lost 4.homeland

This sounds like the poet, migrated away from his homeland, which was hilly, wooded and flowery is missing it.  I recall the scene of cypress and jasmine.  Again, I remember my long lost homeland.
2
piichhe ab kyaa hai Ghubaar1-e rafta2
dahr3 meN baaGh-e-adan4 yaad aaya

1.dust, fog, faint memories 2.past 3.material world 4.garden of Eden, heaven

The poet considers his homeland to be the garden of Eden – heaven.  Looking back, all he can see is faint memories of the past.  Living in this material world, he recalls the garden of Eden.
3
baal-o-par1 TuuT chuke the jis vaqt
hameN parvaaz2 kaa fun3 yaad aaya

1.feathers and wings 2.flight 3.skill

The poet thinks that his feathers have been plucked and his wings are cut.  Now that this has happened and he can no longer fly, he remembers the skill of flight.  At one level, this might mean the ability to get back home.  At another level it might mean, the freedom, carefree life that he was able to lead growing up in his homeland vs the mundane struggle of administration and making a living.
4
phir kisii shaaKh1 pe ko’el bolii
phir teraa raNg-e-suKhan2 yaad aaya

1.branch, bough 2.style of verse, singing

He hears a ko’el kook on a branch of a nearby tree and remembers the sounds of his homeland.  This could be the signing brook, the blowing breeze or the sound of friends.
5
avval1 ek shaKhs2 kii yaad aa’ii bahut
do’em3 ek saaNp kaa phan4 yaad aaya

1.at first 2.person 3.second, next 4.hood as in hood of a cobra

The cobra and its hood symbolize treachery and a poisonous attack.  This may refer to someone who may have been a friend who later betrayed him.  At least, if this did not actually happen, it describes what he preceives some people doing.
6
ek din socha ke ujle1 ho jaayeN
tan2 ko dhoya tha ke man yaad aaya

1.clean 2.body

The imagery is one of cleanliness of the body vs the cleanliness of the soul.  You may wash yourselves clean all you want, but removing stains from the soul requires a different kind of effort.
7
Khoon saa rah gayaa dil meN jo shaKhs1
aaj phir ban ke chubhan2 yaad aaya

1.person 2.prick

This probably is an image of someone close to him, so close that he/she is like the blood in his heart.  This might be a person he has left behind in the homeland or perhaps someone who has died.  In any case, their memory rises pricking him in his heart.
8
phir se dil Duub1 rahaa hai betaab2
phir zamaane3 kaa chalan4 yaad aaya

1.sinking 2.pen-name of the poet 3.times, world 4.ways, behaviour

Once again my heart sinks, O betaab, because I remember the (hurtful) ways of the world.