zauq-e tajassus ke baab meN-shahed shuru’aat

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

ذوقِ تجسُّس کے باب میں ۔ سید محمّد شاہدؔ

۱

غالبؔ، کہ بحرِ معنی لپیٹے حِجاب میں

شاہدؔ، کہ صِرف سطح پہ، وہ بھی حباب میں

۲

بھرتے ہیں دم ایمان کا جنّت کے خواب میں

گِنتی فقط ہے حورؤں کی اُن کے حِساب میں

۳

نے جُراؑتِ سوال نہ تحقیق کی لگن

کیا خاک مِل سکے گا سوال و جواب میں

۴

لازم ہے زندگی کے لئے سوچ اور وِچار

گر یہ نہیں تو عقل ہے پھر کس حساب میں

۵

نمرود کی جو آگ میں کودا بلا خطر

نادان راکھ ہو گیا اُس اِلتہاب میں

۶

بیٹے کو ذبح کرنے کو تیار ہو گئے

دھندلا سا ایک وہم جو دیکھا تھا خواب میں

۷

کیا یہ ہی آج اپنے ہے اعمال کی مِثال

معصوم کا ہو قتل اور وہ بھی شباب میں

۸

اپنی سمجھ کی حد کو خدا یوں بنا دیا

آسان تھا یہ دعوا کہ ہے وہ حجاب میں

۹

ورثے میں جو ملا اُسے تسلیم کر لیا

مشکل تھا زندگی کا گذر اِضطراب میں

۱۰

ہے نشّہ خود فریبی کا، لالچ بہشت کی

زاہد نے بیمِ غیب ملایا شراب میں

۱۱

آگے نکل یقیں سے رہے جستجو قوی

در آئے ضعف نہ کبھی اِس کے شباب میں

۱۲

جاری تلاشِ حق رہے، یہ جان لے مگر

دشتِ جنوں کی راہ ہے منزل سراب میں

۱۳

شاہدؔ تُو یہ نہ بھول کہ اِس زِندگی کا لُطف

ملتا فقط ہے ذوقِ تجسُّس کے باب میں

ज़ौक़-ए तजस्सुस के बाब में – सय्यद मोहम्मद शाहेद

ग़ालिब, के बहर-ए मा’नी लपेटे हिजाब में

शाहेद, के सीर्फ़ सतह पे, वो भी हबाब में

भरते हैं दम इमान का जन्नत के ख़्वाब में

गिंती फ़क़त है हूरौं कि उन के हिसाब में

ने जुर’अत-ए सवाल न तहक़ीक़ की लगन

क्या ख़ाक मिल सकेगा सवाल ओ जवाब में

लाज़िम है ज़िंदगी के लिये सोच और विचार

गर ये नहीं हो अक़्ल है फिर किस हिसाब में

नम्रूद का जो आग में कूदा बिला-ख़तर

नादान राख हो गया उस इल्तहाब में

बेटे को ज़िबह करने को तय्यार हो गये

धुंधला सा एक वहम जो देखा था ख़्वाब में

क्या ये हि आज अपने है आ’माल की मिसाल

मा’सूम का हो क़त्ल और वो भी शबाब में

अपनी समझ की हद को ख़ुदा यूं बना दिया

आसान था ये दा’वा के है वो हिजाब में

विर्से में जो मिला उसे तस्लीम कर लिया

मुश्किल था ज़िंदगी का गुज़र इज़्तराब में

१०

है नश्शा ख़ुद-फ़रेबी का, लालच बेहिश्त की

ज़ाहेद ने बीम-ए ग़ऐब मिलाया शराब में

११

आगे निकल यक़ीं से, रहे जुस्तजू क़वी

दर आए ज़ो’फ़ ना कभी इस के शबाब में

१२

जारी तलाश-ए हक़ रहे, ये जान ले मगर

दश्त-ए जुनूं की राह है मंज़िल सराब में

१३

शाहेद तु ये न भुल के इस ज़िंदगी का लुत्फ़

मिलता फ़क़त है ज़ौक़-ए तजस्सुस के बाब में

 

Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. syed mohammed shahed (1944-living) came to urdu late in life, but early to skepticism, inquiry and unbelief. Irreverent and rebellious, he enjoys retirement in sunny southern California, learning urdu and growing exotic fruit.
1
Ghalib, ke bahr1-e maa’ni lapeTe hijaab2 meN
shahed, ke sirf3 satah4 pe, vo bhi habaab5 meN   
1.ocean 2.veil 3.only 4.surface 5.bubble
Ghalib, folding oceans of meaning in a veil. shahed, scratching the surface, that too in a bubble.

2
bharte haiN dam1 imaan2 ka jannat ke Khwaab meN
ginti3 faqat4 hai hooroN ki un ke hisaab5 meN   
1.dam bharna means to give breath/life/strength to 2.faith 3.counting, giving importance to 4.only 5.reckoning
They keep ‘pumping up’ (the virtues of) faith, dreaming of heaven. The only importance in their reckoning is the number of hoor/angels that they will get.

3
ne1 jur’at2-e savaal3 na tahqiiq4 ki lagan5
kya Khaak6 mil sakega savaal3 o javaab7 meN   
1.neither 2.courage, daring 3.questioning 4.inquiry, search 5.desire, love 6.literally ‘dust’, it means nothing will come of it 7.answers, responses
They don’t have the courage to question anything (belief) nor do they have the desire to search and learn. Nothing will come out of the back and forth of their question and answer.

4
laazim1 hai zindagi ke liye soch aur vichaar2
gar3 ye nahiN to aql4 hai phir kis hisaab5 meN    
1.necessary 2.thinking, reflecting 3.if 4.intellect 5.reckoning, consequence
Thinking and reflecting is necessary for life. If you don’t have that, of what consequence is intellect!

5
namrood1 ki jo aag meN kooda bila-Khatar2
naadaan3 raakh ho gaya us iltehaab4 meN   
1.Nimrod 2.fearlessly 3.simpleton 4.fiery flames
This has reference to Biblical and qur’aanic legends about Nimrod/namrood and Abraham/ibrahim. It also has reference to a she’r of iqbal …
be-Khatar kood paRa aatish-e namrood meN ishq
aql hai mahv-e tamaasha-e lab-e baam abhi
Legend is that Nimrod built a huge fire and challenged Abraham to jump into it if he had faith that his god was going to save him. iqbal says that love/faith fearlessly jumped into the fire, while intellect is still engrossed in looking/thinking. My take is exatly opposite. Whoever jumps (fearlessly) into fire, will be burnt to ashes in the fiery flames.

6
beTe ko zibah1 karne ko tayyaar2 ho gaye
dhundla3 sa ek vahm4 jo dekha tha Khwaab meN   
1.slaughter, slit the throat 2.ready 3.faint, foggy 4.illusion
This is also a Biblical/qur’aanic story. ibrahim dreamt that god commanded him to slit his young son’s throat. He did not stop to question or ask why but was ready to slaughter him based on a foggy illusion in a dream. This reinforces the lack of courage in questioning from she’r number two.

7
kya ye hi aaj apne hai aa’maal1 ki misaal2
maa’soom3 ka ho qatl4 aur vo bhi shabaab5 meN   
1.actions 2.example, model 3.innocent 4.killing 5.youth
Should this now be the model of our actions, that an innocent be killed and even that in his youth.

8
apni samajh1 ki had2 ko Khuda yuN3 bana diya
aasaan tha ye d’aava4 ke hai vo hijaab5 meN   
1.understanding, knowledge 2.limits 3.used here to mean the reason why 4.claim 5.hidden, veiled
When they came to the limit of their understanding, they called it god (i.e. our lack of knowledge is labeled god) because it is easy to claim that god is hidden/veiled. The implication is that it is more difficult to say, “I don’t know”.

9
virse1 meN jo mila use tasleem2 kar liya
mushkil3 tha zindagi ka guzar4 izteraab5 meN    
1.inheritence 2.accept 3.difficult 4.passing 5.restlessness, discomfort
Whatever (belief system) they received in inheritence, they accepted. It was difficult to pass life in the discomfort of ‘not knowing’/uncertainty.

10
hai nashsha1 Khud-farebi2 ka, laalach3 behisht4 ki
zaahid5 ne biim6-e Ghaib7 milaaya sharaab meN  
1.intoxication 2.self-deception 3.greed, lust 4.heaven 5.preacher 6.fear, terror 7.unknown
The intoxication of self-deception and lust for heaven, the preacher has stirred fear of the unknown into the wine.

11
aage nikal yaqiN1 se, rahe justaju2 qavi3
dar4 aaye zauf5 na kabhi is ke shabaab6 meN   
1.certainty, blind faith 2.effort, search 3.vigorous, strong 4.intrude 5.weakness 6.youth
Get past certainty and blind faith, may your effort stay strong. May weakness never intrude upon the youth/freshness of your effort/mind.

12
jaari1 talaash2-e haq3 rahe, ye jaan4 le magar5
dasht6-e junooN7 ki raah8 hai manzil9 saraab10 meN   
1.continue 2.search 3.truth 4.know, be aware 5.but 6.wilderness, desert 7.passion 8.path 9.destiny, goal 10.mirage
Let the search for truth continue but be aware that the path goes through the desert of passion (to search) and goal is beyond the mirage i.e. unreachable.

13
shahed tu ye na bhool ke is zindagi ka lutf1
milta faqat2 hai zauq3-e tajassus4 ke baab5 meN   
1.pleasure 2.only 3.taste, desire 4.searching, trying 5.theme, door, domain
shahed, do not forget that the pleasure of this life is only in the taste/desire for the domain of striving/searching.

syed mohammed shahed (1944-living) came to urdu late in life, but early to skepticism, inquiry and unbelief.  Irreverent and rebellious, he enjoys retirement in sunny southern California, learning urdu and growing exotic fruit.
1
Ghalib, ke bahr1-e maa’ni lapeTe hijaab2 meN
shahed, ke sirf3 satah4 pe, vo bhi habaab5 meN

1.ocean 2.veil 3.only 4.surface 5.bubble

Ghalib, folding oceans of meaning in a veil.  shahed, scratching the surface, that too in a bubble.
2
bharte haiN dam1 imaan2 ka jannat ke Khwaab meN
ginti3 faqat4 hai hooroN ki un ke hisaab5 meN

1.dam bharna means to give breath/life/strength to 2.faith 3.counting, giving importance to 4.only 5.reckoning

They keep ‘pumping up’ (the virtues of) faith, dreaming of heaven.  The only importance in their reckoning is the number of hoor/angels that they will get.
3
ne1 jur’at2-e savaal3 na tahqiiq4 ki lagan5
kya Khaak6 mil sakega savaal3 o javaab7 meN

1.neither 2.courage, daring 3.questioning 4.inquiry, search 5.desire, love 6.literally ‘dust’, it means nothing will come of it 7.answers, responses

They don’t have the courage to question anything (belief) nor do they have the desire to search and learn.  Nothing will come out of the back and forth of their question and answer.
4
laazim1 hai zindagi ke liye soch aur vichaar2
gar3 ye nahiN to aql4 hai phir kis hisaab5 meN

1.necessary 2.thinking, reflecting 3.if 4.intellect 5.reckoning, consequence

Thinking and reflecting is necessary for life.  If you don’t have that, of what consequence is intellect!
5
namrood1 ki jo aag meN kooda bila-Khatar2
naadaan3 raakh ho gaya us iltehaab4 meN

1.Nimrod 2.fearlessly 3.simpleton 4.fiery flames

This has reference to Biblical and qur’aanic legends about Nimrod/namrood and Abraham/ibrahim.  It also has reference to a she’r of iqbal …
be-Khatar kood paRa aatish-e namrood meN ishq
aql hai mahv-e tamaasha-e lab-e baam abhi
Legend is that Nimrod built a huge fire and challenged Abraham to jump into it if he had faith that his god was going to save him.  iqbal says that love/faith fearlessly jumped into the fire, while intellect is still engrossed in looking/thinking.  My take is exatly opposite.  Whoever jumps (fearlessly) into fire, will be burnt to ashes in the fiery flames.
6
beTe ko zibah1 karne ko tayyaar2 ho gaye
dhundla3 sa ek vahm4 jo dekha tha Khwaab meN

1.slaughter, slit the throat 2.ready 3.faint, foggy 4.illusion

This is also a Biblical/qur’aanic story.  ibrahim dreamt that god commanded him to slit his young son’s throat.  He did not stop to question or ask why but was ready to slaughter him based on a foggy illusion in a dream.  This reinforces the lack of courage in questioning from she’r number two.
7
kya ye hi aaj apne hai aa’maal1 ki misaal2
maa’soom3 ka ho qatl4 aur vo bhi shabaab5 meN

1.actions 2.example, model 3.innocent 4.killing 5.youth

Should this now be the model of our actions, that an innocent be killed and even that in his youth.
8
apni samajh1 ki had2 ko Khuda yuN3 bana diya
aasaan tha ye d’aava4 ke hai vo hijaab5 meN

1.understanding, knowledge 2.limits 3.used here to mean the reason why 4.claim 5.hidden, veiled

When they came to the limit of their understanding, they called it god (i.e. our lack of knowledge is labeled god) because it is easy to claim that god is hidden/veiled.  The implication is that it is more difficult to say, “I don’t know”.
9
virse1 meN jo mila use tasleem2 kar liya
mushkil3 tha zindagi ka guzar4 izteraab5 meN

1.inheritence 2.accept 3.difficult 4.passing 5.restlessness, discomfort

Whatever (belief system) they received in inheritence, they accepted.  It was difficult to pass life in the discomfort of ‘not knowing’/uncertainty.
10
hai nashsha1 Khud-farebi2 ka, laalach3 behisht4 ki
zaahid5 ne biim6-e Ghaib7 milaaya sharaab meN

1.intoxication 2.self-deception 3.greed, lust 4.heaven 5.preacher 6.fear, terror 7.unknown

The intoxication of self-deception and lust for heaven, the preacher has stirred fear of the unknown into the wine.
11
aage nikal yaqiN1 se, rahe justaju2 qavi3
dar4 aaye zauf5 na kabhi is ke shabaab6 meN

1.certainty, blind faith 2.effort, search 3.vigorous, strong 4.intrude 5.weakness 6.youth

Get past certainty and blind faith, may your effort stay strong.  May weakness never intrude upon the youth/freshness of your effort/mind.
12
jaari1 talaash2-e haq3 rahe, ye jaan4 le magar5
dasht6-e junooN7 ki raah8 hai manzil9 saraab10 meN

1.continue 2.search 3.truth 4.know, be aware 5.but 6.wilderness, desert 7.passion 8.path 9.destiny, goal 10.mirage

Let the search for truth continue but be aware that the path goes through the desert of passion (to search) and goal is beyond the mirage i.e. unreachable.
13
shahed tu ye na bhool ke is zindagi ka lutf1
milta faqat2 hai zauq3-e tajassus4 ke baab5 meN

1.pleasure 2.only 3.taste, desire 4.searching, trying 5.theme, door, domain

shahed, do not forget that the pleasure of this life is only in the taste/desire for the domain of striving/searching.

2 comments:

  1. Ghazal maiN lafz ” hooron ” ke hijjay ghalath haiN. Saheeh karne ki dharoorat hai.

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