For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
ذکرِ آشیاں کیوں ہو ۔ رگھوبیر داس ساحرؔ سیالکوٹی
۱
یہ تجھ سے کون کہتا ہے ترے منہ میں زباں کیوں ہو
ہمارے عشق کا چرچا مگر اے رازداں کیوں ہو
۲
یہ شکوہ ہم نہیں کرتے کہ جور اے مہرباں کیوں ہو
بلا سے کچھ بھی ہو لیکن محبّت رائیگاں کیوں ہو
۳
ملے کیوں فتنہ جُوئی کو فضیلت خاکساری پر
زمیں ہو پاؤن کے نیجے تو سر پر آسماں کیوں ہو
۴
یہ بزمِ غیر ہے اے دل تجھے کچھ ضبط لازم ہے
جفائے دوست کا شکوہ جو ہو بھی تو یہاں کیوں ہو
۵
ستانے کے طریقے اور اے صیّاد لاکھوں ہیں
ارے ظالم قفس میں ہم سے ذکرِ آشیاں کیوں ہو
۶
چڑھا رکّھا ہے اُس کو سب کے سر پر اے خدا تُو نے
جہاں میں ورنہ ہم بندوں پہ جورِ آسماں کیوں ہو
۷
توجّہ اُس پہ ہے مجھ سے زیادہ برقِ سوزاں کی
خدا محفوظ رکّھے مجھ کو فکرِ آشیاں کیوں ہو
۸
نہاں اِک راز تو دل میں ہے ساحرؔ ایک مُدّت سے
اگر یہ رازِ اُلفت ہو تو پھر اب تک نہاں کیوں ہو
ज़िक्र-ए आशियां क्यूं हो – रघुवीर दास साहेर सियालकोटी
१
ये तुझ से कौन कहता है तेरे मुंह में ज़बां क्यूं हो
हमारे इश्क़ का चरचा मगर अए राज़दां क्यूं हो
२
ये शिक्वा हम नहीं करते के जौर अए मेहरबां क्यूं हो
बला से कुछ भी हो लैकिन मोहब्बत राएगां क्यूं हो
३
मिले क्यूं फ़ितना-जूई को फ़ज़ीलत ख़ाक्सारी पर
ज़मीं हो पाऊं के नीचे तो सर पर आसमां क्यूं हो
४
ये बज़्म-ए ग़ैर है अए दिल तुझे कुछ ज़ब्त लाज़िम है
जफ़ा-ए दोस्त का शिक्वा जो हो भी तो यहां क्यूं हो
५
सताने के तरीक़े और अए सय्याद लाखौं हैं
अरे ज़ालिम क़फ़स में हम से ज़िक्र-ए आशियां क्यूं हो
६
चढ़ा रक्खा है उस को सब के सर पर अए ख़ुदा तू ने
जहां में वरना हम बंदौं पे जौर-ए आस्मां क्यूं हो
७
तवज्जोह उस पे है मुझ से ज़्यादा बर्क़-ए सोज़ां की
ख़ुदा महफ़ूज़ रक्खे मुझ को फ़िक्र-ए आशियां क्यूं हो
८
नेहां एक राज़ तो दिल में है साहिर एक मुद्दत से
अगर ये राज़-ए उल्फ़त हो तो फिर अब तक नेहां क्यूं हो
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. raghubir das sahir sialkoTi (1906-1984). BA sanaatan dharm college lahore. Worked for milaap daily in lahore after graduation. During partition mayhem he lost all his work. Went to jalandhar, an urdu literary hub at the time. Attended mushaa’era regularly and probably worked for magazines. When he went to hoshiarpur for a mushaa’era, he ran into his college class mate – amarchand qais who happened to have saved some of sahir’s Ghazal. sahir became shaagird of josh malsiani. His collection was published in 1959. This Ghazal is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
ye tujh se kaun kahta hai tere muNh meN zabaaN kyuN ho
hamaare ishq ka charcha1 magar aye raazdaaN2 kyuN ho 1.spreading stories 2.confidant
The poet/lover has a trusted confidant with whom he shares stories of his love. Perhaps he even uses him as a messenger. But he finds out that stories about his love are spreading. He thinks that the source of these rumours is the confidant and is annoyed … who says that you should not speak at all (should not have a tongue in your mouth), but why should stories of my love spread.
2
ye shikva1 ham nahiN karte keh jaur2 aye mehrbaaN3 kyuN ho
bala4 se kuchh bhi ho laikin mohabbat raa’egaaN5 kyuN ho 1.complaint 2.cruelty, oppression 3.kind-used sarcastically to mean the exact opposite, beloved 4.calamity 5.wasted
O kind beloved, I do not complain that you are cruel to me. But you totally neglect me; are indifferent to me. Whatever calamity might happen, I am willing to take it … but why should my love to go waste (cruelty is preferable to indifference).
3
milay kyuN fitna-juuii1 ko fazeelat2 Khaaksaari3 par
zamiiN ho paauN ke neeche to sar par aasmaaN kyuN ho 1.mischief searching/making 2.preference, superiority 3.humility
The earth is under our feet i.e., the earth is humble. The sky (traditionally fate) creates all kinds of problems for us i.e., it is fitna-juu, mischief maker. Why then should the sky be superior to the earth. The poet just raises the question, does not answer it.
4
ye bazm1-e Ghair2 hai aye dil tujhe kuchh zabt3 laazim4 hai
jafaa5-e dost6 ka shikva7 jo ho kuchh bhi to yahaaN kyuN ho 1.gathering 2.other, rival 3.fortitude, forbearance 4.essential 5.cruelty 6.friend, beloved 7.complaint
O heart, this is a gathering of rivals, it is essential that exercise forbearance (quietly bear whatever happens to you). Even if you have to complain about the cruelty of the beloved, why should you do it here.
5
sataane1 ke tariiqe2 aur aye sayyaad3 laakhoN haiN
arey zaalim4 qafas5 meN ham se zikr6-e aashiyaaN7 kyuN ho 1.bothering, harming 2.methods 3.hunter, bird-catcher 4.oppressor, tyrrant 5.cage 6.mention, narration 7.nest
In poetic tradition the poet is a bird in love with the garden and building a nest in it. The villain is the bird-catcher who traps him in a net and puts him in a cage. He has done all that and to rub it in is talking to him about the garden and his nest. The poet/bird protests – there are a thousand other ways of torturing me O tyrant, why should you talk about my nest and make me even more miserable.
6
chaRha rakkha hai us ko sab ke sar par aye Khuda tuu ne
jahaaN1 meN varna2 ham bandoN3 pe jaur4-e aasmaaN kyuN ho 1.world 2.otherwise 3.servants, devotees 4.cruelty, tyranny
In a mushaa’era setting the first misra and even ¾ of the way through the second misra the audience does not know what he is talking about. ‘sar pe chaRha rakhna’ means giving someone all liberties to do whatever pleases them even if it bothers others. Thus, the poet is complaining that god has given liberties to someone. The audience is inclined to guess that he is talking about the beloved. Otherwise why should there be this tyranny over devotees in this world. You still don’t know who the tyrant is. The poet takes his his time and repeats the first 1-3/4 misra and finally reveals that it is ‘jaur-e aasmaaN’. Of course, the word play is that the sky is also literally over our heads.
7
tavajjoh1 us pe hai mujh se ziyaada2 barq3-e sozaaN4 ki
Khuda mahfooz5 rakkhe mujh ko fikr6-e aashiyaaN7 kyuN ho 1.attention 2.more 3.lightning 4.hot, burning 5.safe, protected 6.worry 7.nest
The lightning is paying more attention to the nest than to the poet/bird. But we don’t know what kind of attention this is. Is it protective or destructive. In the second misra you can take a break after ‘rakkhe’ or after ‘mujh ko’. In the first reading – the lightning is paying attention to not destroy the nest, but is not paying as much attention to me. Why should I worry about the nest, may god protect me-I am the real target. In the second reading – lightning is paying the wrong kind of attention to the nest, targeting it. May god protect my nest, why should I have to worry about it-why does god not help me.
8
nehaaN1 ek raaz2 to dil meN hai saahir3 ek muddat4 se
agar ye raaz2-e ulfat5 hai to phir ab tak nehaaN1 kyuN ho 1.hidden 2.secret 3.pen-name of the poet 4.long time 5.love
O saahir, this secret has been hidden in my heart for a long time. If it is the secret of love, why should it remain hidden still. Beyond this literal translation, I cannot make out what the poet might be saying. Any ideas/suggestions would help.
raghubir das sahir sialkoTi (1906-1984). BA sanaatan dharm college lahore. Worked for milaap daily in lahore after graduation. During partition mayhem he lost all his work. Went to jalandhar, an urdu literary hub at the time. Attended mushaa’era regularly and probably worked for magazines. When he went to hoshiarpur for a mushaa’era, he ran into his college class mate – amarchand qais who happened to have saved some of sahir’s Ghazal. sahir became shaagird of josh malsiani. His collection was published in 1959. This Ghazal is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
ye tujh se kaun kahta hai tere muNh meN zabaaN kyuN ho
hamaare ishq ka charcha1 magar aye raazdaaN2 kyuN ho
1.spreading stories 2.confidant
The poet/lover has a trusted confidant with whom he shares stories of his love. Perhaps he even uses him as a messenger. But he finds out that stories about his love are spreading. He thinks that the source of these rumours is the confidant and is annoyed … who says that you should not speak at all (should not have a tongue in your mouth), but why should stories of my love spread.
2
ye shikva1 ham nahiN karte keh jaur2 aye mehrbaaN3 kyuN ho
bala4 se kuchh bhi ho laikin mohabbat raa’egaaN5 kyuN ho
1.complaint 2.cruelty, oppression 3.kind-used sarcastically to mean the exact opposite, beloved 4.calamity 5.wasted
O kind beloved, I do not complain that you are cruel to me. But you totally neglect me; are indifferent to me. Whatever calamity might happen, I am willing to take it … but why should my love to go waste (cruelty is preferable to indifference).
3
milay kyuN fitna-juuii1 ko fazeelat2 Khaaksaari3 par
zamiiN ho paauN ke neeche to sar par aasmaaN kyuN ho
1.mischief searching/making 2.preference, superiority 3.humility
The earth is under our feet i.e., the earth is humble. The sky (traditionally fate) creates all kinds of problems for us i.e., it is fitna-juu, mischief maker. Why then should the sky be superior to the earth. The poet just raises the question, does not answer it.
4
ye bazm1-e Ghair2 hai aye dil tujhe kuchh zabt3 laazim4 hai
jafaa5-e dost6 ka shikva7 jo ho kuchh bhi to yahaaN kyuN ho
1.gathering 2.other, rival 3.fortitude, forbearance 4.essential 5.cruelty 6.friend, beloved 7.complaint
O heart, this is a gathering of rivals, it is essential that exercise forbearance (quietly bear whatever happens to you). Even if you have to complain about the cruelty of the beloved, why should you do it here.
5
sataane1 ke tariiqe2 aur aye sayyaad3 laakhoN haiN
arey zaalim4 qafas5 meN ham se zikr6-e aashiyaaN7 kyuN ho
1.bothering, harming 2.methods 3.hunter, bird-catcher 4.oppressor, tyrrant 5.cage 6.mention, narration 7.nest
In poetic tradition the poet is a bird in love with the garden and building a nest in it. The villain is the bird-catcher who traps him in a net and puts him in a cage. He has done all that and to rub it in is talking to him about the garden and his nest. The poet/bird protests – there are a thousand other ways of torturing me O tyrant, why should you talk about my nest and make me even more miserable.
6
chaRha rakkha hai us ko sab ke sar par aye Khuda tuu ne
jahaaN1 meN varna2 ham bandoN3 pe jaur4-e aasmaaN kyuN ho
1.world 2.otherwise 3.servants, devotees 4.cruelty, tyranny
In a mushaa’era setting the first misra and even ¾ of the way through the second misra the audience does not know what he is talking about. ‘sar pe chaRha rakhna’ means giving someone all liberties to do whatever pleases them even if it bothers others. Thus, the poet is complaining that god has given liberties to someone. The audience is inclined to guess that he is talking about the beloved. Otherwise why should there be this tyranny over devotees in this world. You still don’t know who the tyrant is. The poet takes his his time and repeats the first 1-3/4 misra and finally reveals that it is ‘jaur-e aasmaaN’. Of course, the word play is that the sky is also literally over our heads.
7
tavajjoh1 us pe hai mujh se ziyaada2 barq3-e sozaaN4 ki
Khuda mahfooz5 rakkhe mujh ko fikr6-e aashiyaaN7 kyuN ho
1.attention 2.more 3.lightning 4.hot, burning 5.safe, protected 6.worry 7.nest
The lightning is paying more attention to the nest than to the poet/bird. But we don’t know what kind of attention this is. Is it protective or destructive. In the second misra you can take a break after ‘rakkhe’ or after ‘mujh ko’. In the first reading – the lightning is paying attention to not destroy the nest, but is not paying as much attention to me. Why should I worry about the nest, may god protect me-I am the real target. In the second reading – lightning is paying the wrong kind of attention to the nest, targeting it. May god protect my nest, why should I have to worry about it-why does god not help me.
8
nehaaN1 ek raaz2 to dil meN hai saahir3 ek muddat4 se
agar ye raaz2-e ulfat5 hai to phir ab tak nehaaN1 kyuN ho
1.hidden 2.secret 3.pen-name of the poet 4.long time 5.love
O saahir, this secret has been hidden in my heart for a long time. If it is the secret of love, why should it remain hidden still. Beyond this literal translation, I cannot make out what the poet might be saying. Any ideas/suggestions would help.
