1.10

sheikh muhammad iqbal was born in sialkot, punjab, british india (now part of pakistan); the eldest of five siblings in a kashmiri family. it is believed that iqbal's family were originally hindu brahmins, but became muslim following his ancestor sahaj ram sapru's conversion to islam, although this version is disputed by some scholars. iqbal's father shaikh nur muhammad was a prosperous tailor, well-known for his devotion to islam, and the family raised their children with deep religious grounding.
iqbal's poetic works are written mostly in persian rather than urdu. among his 12,000 verses of poem, about 7,000 verses are in persian. in 1915, he published his first collection of poetry. while dividing his time between law and poetry, iqbal had remained active in the muslim league. he supported indian involvement in world war i, as well as the khilafat movement and remained in close touch with muslim political leaders such as jinnah. he was a critic of the mainstream indian national congress, which he regarded as dominated by hindus. his other very famous work is “saare jahaan se achha, hindostaan hamaaraa”

this one that i’ve selected is a well-known inspirational piece. i am particularly fond of the lines ‘tu shaheen hain, parwaaz….”


sitaaro.n se aage jahaa.N aur bhii hai.n
abhii ishq ke imtihaa.N aur bhii hai.n

tihii zi.ndagii se nahii.n ye fazaae.n
yahaa.N saikaDo.n kaaravaa.N aur bhii hai.n
[tihii = empty]

agar kho gayaa ek nasheman to kyaa Gam
maqaamaat-e-aah-o-fuGaa.N aur bhii hai.n
[nasheman=nest ; maqaamaat-e-aah-o-fuGaa.N = place(opportunity) for lamentation]

tuu shaahii.n hai paravaaz hai kaam teraa
tere saamane aasmaa.N aur bhii hai.n
[shaahi.n = falcon; paravaaz = flying]

isii roz-o-shab me.n ulajh kar na rah jaa
ke tere zamiin-o-makaa.N aur bhii hai.n

gaye din ki tanhaa thaa mai.n a.njuman me.n
yahaa.N ab mere raazadaa.N aur bhii hai.n
[raazadaan= confidante, trustworthy friend]

qana'at na kar aalam-e-ra.ng-o-buu par
chaman aur bhii aashiyaa.N aur bhii hai.n
[qana'at = to be contented]

1.9

faiz ahmed faiz (1911 - 1984) was a pakistani poet considered to be one of the most famous modern urdu poets. he was born in sialkot, in the punjab during british rule (now pakistan). after the partition of 1947, he decided to live in pakistan. faiz was a member of the progressive writers' movement, and an avowed marxist. in 1962 he was awarded the lenin peace prize by the soviet union.
faiz was charged with complicity in a failed coup attempt known as the rawalpindi conspiracy case and was sentenced to four years' imprisonment in 1951. the jail term gave him a first-hand experience of the harsh realities of life, and provided him with the much-needed solitude to think and write poetry. he was nominated for the nobel but did not win it.
the work i have picked here is beautiful for the way it depicts the end of romance when reality touches your world.

mujh se pahlii sii muhabbat merii mahbuub na maaNg
maine samjhaa thaa ke tuu hai to daraKhshaaN hai hayaat
teraa Gham hai to Gham-e-dah’r kaa jhagRaa kyaa hai
terii suurat se hai aalam meN bahaaroN ko sabaat
terii aaNkhoN ke sivaa duniyaa meN rakhaa kyaa hai
tuu jo mil jaaye to taqdiir niguuN ho jaaye
yuuN na thaa, maiN ne faqat chaahaa thaa yuuN ho jaaye

aur bhii dukh haiN zamaane meN muhabbat ke sivaa
raahateN aur bhii haiN vasl kii raahat ke sivaa
mujh se pahlii sii muhabbat merii mahbuub na maaNg

anginat sadiyoN ke taariik bahimaanaa talism
resham-o-atlas-o-kam-Khvaab meN bunvaaye hu’e
jaa-ba-jaa bikte hu’e kuuchaa-o-baazaar meN jism
Khaak meN lithaRe hu’e Khuun meN nahlaaye hu’e
lauT jaatii hai udhar ko bhii nazar kyaa kiijiye
ab bhii dil-kash hai teraa husn magar kyaa kiijiye

aur bhii dukh haiN zamaane meN muhabbat ke sivaa
raahateN aur bhii haiN vasl kii raahat ke sivaa
mujh se pahlii sii muhabbat merii mahbuub na maaNg

1.8

another one from kaifi azmi. this one was used in a hindi movie called 'haqeeqat' in the sixties. lovely, inexorable and sad.

maiN ye soch kar us ke dar se uThaa thaa
ke vo rok legii manaa legii mujhko
qadam aise andaaz se uTh rahe the
ke vo aavaaz de kar bulaa legii mujh ko
havaaoN meN lahraataa aataa thaa daaman
ke daaman pakaR kar biThaa legii mujhko

magar us ne rokaa, na mujhko manayaa
na aavaaz hii dii, na vaapis bulaayaa
na daaman hii pakRaa, na mujh ko biThaayaa
maiN aahistaa aahistaa baRhtaa hii aayaa
yahaaN tak ke us se judaa ho gayaa maiN

1.7

she was born mahjabeen bano in bombay. her father ali bakhsh was an actor in films and parsee theatre, apart from composing music for a few films. her mother prabhawati (later iqbal begam), a stage dancer and actress, was a descendant of the tagore family. mahajabeen acted in her first film at the age of six. she took on the name meena kumari for vijay bhatt's immensely popular musical baiju bawra.on her death, she bequeathed 250 diaries of her nazms, ghazals and ashaar to gulzar. some of her ghazals and nazms were released in an album titled "i write, i recite" ("mere nazm, meri zabani" in hindi) by gulzar with her takhallus ‘naaz’.


aaGaaz to hotaa hai anjaam nahii.n hotaa
jab merii kahaanii me.n vo naam nahii.n hotaa


jab zulf kii kaalikh me.n ghul jaaye ko_ii rahii
bad_naam sahii lekin gum_naam nahii.n hotaa


ha.Ns ha.Ns ke javaa.N dil ke ham kyo.n na chune.n Tuka.De
har shaKhs kii qismat me.n inaam nahiin hotaa

bahate hue aa.Nsuu ne aa.Nkho.n se kahaa tham kar
jo mai se pighal jaaye vo jaam nahii.n hotaa

din Duube hai.n yaa Duubii baaraat liye kashtii
saahil pe magar ko_ii koharaam nahiin hotaa

1.6

syed ahmad shah [1931 – 2008] wrote one of my all-time favourite nazms which i quote below. he used the pseudonym ahmed faraz for his writing and wrote his first couplet as a child disappointed with the clothes his father bought him. ethnically a pathan he learnt persian and urdu at university. during zia’s military rule, he left pakistan and lived in britain and canada for six years. apart from the nazm i have chosen here, i particularly love one sher he wrote that is something of an epigram:
zindagi to apnay hi qadmo pe chalti hai faraz
auroon k saharay to janazay utha kartay hain

and now i present the words that i have enjoyed time and over again:

ranjish hii sahii dil hii dukhaane ke liye aa
aa phir se mujhe chho.d ke jaane ke liye aa
[ranjish – grief, unpleasantness, coldness]

pahale se maraasim na sahii phir bhii kabhii to
rasm-o-rahe duniyaa hii niibhaane ke liye aa
[maraasim – obligations, as dictated by custom / tradition]

kis kis ko bataaye.nge judaa_ii kaa sabab ham
tuu mujh se khafaa hai to zamaane ke liye aa

kuchh to mere pindaar-e-muhabbat ka bharam rakh
tuu bhii to kabhii mujh ko manaane ke liye aa
[pindaar – pride]

ek umr se huu.n lazzat-e-giriyaa se bhii maharuum
ai raahat-e-jaa.n mujh ko rulaane ke liye aa
[lazzat-e-giriyaa – joy of crying /sadness]

ab tak dil-e-khush_faham ko tujh se hai.n ummiide.n
ye aakhirii shamme.n bhii bujhaane ke liye aa

1.5

kaifi azmi was born as syed akhtar hussain rizvi into a family of landlords in the small town of mejwaan, in uttar pradesh. his father wanted to send his sons to schools imparting modern education, including english, against the stiff opposition of his relatives. however, azmi could not get this opportunity because his elders wanted him to become a theologian. he was admitted to a reputed seminary in lucknow. however, his nonconformist nature created many problems for the authorities of the seminary. he formed a students' union and asked all the students to go on strike to get their demands fulfilled. the strike continued for a year and a half. though the strike was called off, he was expelled from the seminary. this was the end of his elder's dream of training him to become a theologian. he wrote his first ghazal at the age of eleven and eventually graduated from typical love poetry to a more aware, more progressive and decidedly socialist outlook.
The one that I’ve picked is of course about love and separation.

ab tum aagosh-e-tasavvur me.n bhii aayaa na karo
mujh se bikhare huye gesuu nahii.n dekhe jaate
surkh aa.nkho.n kii qasam kaa.npatii palako.n kii qasam
thar-tharaate huye aa.nsuu nahii.n dekhe jaate

[aagosh-e-tasavvur=in the grasp/reach of dreams/imagination]

ab tum aagosh-e-tasavvur me.n bhii aayaa na karo
chhuut jaane do jo daaman-e-vafaa chhuut gayaa
kyuu.n ye lagaziidaa kharaamii ye pashemaa.n nazarii
tum ne to.daa nahii.n rishtaa-e-dil tuut gayaa

[lagaziidaa kharaamii=hesitant walk; pashemaa.n nazarii=penitent gaze]

ab tum aagosh-e-tasavvur me.n bhii aayaa na karo
merii aaho.n se ye rukhsaar na kumalaa jaaye.n
dhuu.ndatii hogii tumhe.n ras me.n nahaa_ii hu_ii raat
jaao kaliyaa.n na kahii.n sej kii murjhaa jaaye.n

[rukhsaar=cheek]

ab tum aagosh-e-tasavvur me.n bhii aayaa na karo
mai.n is uja.de huye pahaluu me.n bithaa luu.n na kahii.n
lab-e-shiirii.n kaa namak aariz-e-namakii.n kii mithaas
apane tarase huye ho.ntho.n me.n churaa luu.n na kahii.n

[lab-e-shiirii.n=sweet lips; aariz-e-namakiin=salty cheeks]

1.4

this is long because i won't beposting over the weekend.

if you enjoy urdu as a language, reading ghalib is an absolute must. he writes of love and philosophy and god and wine and all of this in a manner that is sometimes introspective sometimes irreverent and sometimes deeply insightful. even his subtle tongue-in-cheek humour comes through as a pleasant surprise while wading through heavy urdu couplets.

born mirza asadullah baig khan in agra to aristocratic parents, he spent most of his life in delhi [chandni chowk to be precise]. he used the takhallus ‘asad’ [ meaning lion] as well as ‘ghalib’ [meaning dominant or powerful] interchangeably. married at the age of thirteen, he fathered seven children none of whom survived. he lived on state patronage, credit or his friends’ generosity, never really working for a livelihood. [info from wikipedia]
no wonder he had the time and energy to be such a prolific writer. ghalib is one of my all-time favourites.

hazaaro.n Khvaahishe.n aisii ki har Khvaaish pe dam nikale
bahut nikale mere armaa.N lekin phir bhii kam nikale
Dare kyuu.N meraa qaatil kyaa rahegaa usakii gardan par
vo Khuu.N jo chashm-e-tar se umr bhar yuu.N dam-ba-dam nikale
[chasm-e-tar = wet eyes; dam_ba_dam=continously]

nikalanaa Khuld se aadam kaa sunate aaye hai.n lekin
bahut be-aabaruu hokar tere kuuche se ham nikale
[Khuld=Paradise]

bharam khul jaaye zaalim tere qaamat kii daraazii kaa
agar is turraa-e-purapech-o-Kham kaa pech-o-Kham nikale
[qaamat=stature; daraazii=length/delay; turra=ornamental tassel worn in the turban] [pech-o-Kham=curls in the hair]

magar likhavaaye koii usako Khat to hamase likhavaaye
huii subah aur ghar se kaan par rakkhar qalam nikale

huii is daur me.n ma.nsuub mujhase baadaa-ashaamii
phir aayaa vo zamaanaa jo jahaa.N se jaam-e-jam nikale
[ma.nsuub=association, baada_aashaamee=having to do with drinks]

huii jinase tavaqqo Khastagii kii daad paane kii
vo hamase bhii ziyaadaa Khastaa-e-teG-e-sitam nikale
[tavaqqo=expectation; Khastagii=injury, daad=justice] [Khasta=broken/sick/injured, teG=sword, sitam=cruelity ]

muhabbat me.n nahii.n hai farq jiine aur marane kaa
usii ko dekh kar jiite hai.n jis kaafir pe dam nikale

zara kar jor siine par ki tiir-e-pursitam nikale
jo vo nikle to dil nikale jo dil nikale to dam nikale

Khudaa ke vaaste pardaa na kaabe se uThaa zaalim
Kahii.n aisaa na ho yahaa.N bhii vahii kaafir sanam nikale

Kahaa.N maiKhaane ka daravaazaa 'Ghalib' aur kahaa.N vaaiz
par itanaa jaanate hai.n kal vo jaataa thaa ke ham nikale
[vaaiz=preacher]

1.3

sampooran singh kalra, now 72, is one of india’s best known poets. born in 1936, this clean-shaven sikh worked as a car mechanic before he turned to writing full-time. like most urdu / hindi poets in india, he too achieved fame and glory thanks to bollywood. allegations have been made that he ‘stole’ poetry from the actress he had an affair with, a woman who herself was a melancholic poetess. because i love useless trivia i know that her last movie was his debut movie as director.

i don’t like all his poetry because it is sometimes pretentious, as if he revels in being esoteric and un-understood.
this simple nazm however caught my eye and i really enjoyed it. it is just a simple collection of thoughts on writer’s block, which the poet manages to take to a sublime romantic level by just the last two lines.

nazm ulajhii huii hai siine me.n
misare aTake hue hai.n hoTho.n par
u.Date-phirate hai.n titaliyo.n kii tarah
lafz kaaGaz pe baiThate hii nahii.n
kab se baiThaa huu.N mai.n jaanam
saade kaaGaz pe likhake naam teraa

bas teraa naam hii mukammal hai
isase bahatar bhii nazm kyaa hogii

incidentally the poet is better known as gulzar.

1.2

sahir ludhianvi was born into the wealthy family of a muslim zamindaar as abdul hayee on march 8, 1921 in ludhiana, punjab. sahir's parents had a very loose and estranged relationship leading to a difficult and somewhat deprived childhood for sahir.
a colossus amongst film lyricists, sahir ludhianvi was slightly different from his contemporaries. a poet unable to praise khuda (god), husn (beauty) or jaam (wine), his pen was, at its best, pouring out bitter but sensitive lyrics over the declining values of society, the senselessness of war and politics, and the domination of materialism over love. whenever he wrote any love songs, they were tinged with sorrow, due to realisation that there were other, starker concepts more important than love. in 1949, sahir fled from lahore to delhi. after a couple of months in delhi, he moved to and settled in bombay, beginning his long tryst in bollywood. [info from wikipedia]
this is the original piece of which a part features in the seventies’ multi-starrer “kabhie kabhie”. i love the flow of words, i love the nuances of pain and i love reading this aloud in my head.


kabhii kabhii mere dil me.n Khayaal aataa hai...
ke zindagii terii zulfo.n kii narm chaao.n me.n guzarane paatii to shaadaab ho bhii sakatii thii
ye tiirgii jo merii ziist kaa muqaddar hai terii nazar kii shuaao.n me.n kho bhii sakatii thii

ajab na thaa ke mai.n begaanaa-e-alam ho kar
tere jamaal kii raanaaiiyo.n me.n kho rahataa
teraa gudaaz badan terii niim-baaz aa.Nkhe.n
i.nhii.n hasiin fasaano.n me.n maaho rahataa

pukaaratii.n mujhe jab talKhiyaa.N zamaane kii
tere labo.n se halaawat ke ghuu.NT pii letaa
hayaat chiikhatii phiratii barahanaa-sar,
aur mai.n ghanerii zulfo.n ke saaye me.n chhup ke jii letaa

magar ye ho na sakaa
aur ab ye aalam hai ke tuu nahii.n, teraa Gam, terii justajuu bhii nahii.n
guzar rahii hai kuchh is tarah zi.ndagii jaise
ise kisii ke sahaare kii aarazuu bhii nahii.n

zamaane bhar ke dukho.n ko lagaa chukaa huu.N gale
guzar rahaa huu.N kuchh a.njaanii guzar_gaaho.n se
muhiib saaye merii simt ba.Date aate hai.n
hayaat-o-maut ke pur_haul Khaarazaaro.n se

na koii jaadaa na manzil na roshanii kaa suraaG
bhaTak rahii hai Khaalaao.n me.n zindagii merii
i.nhii.n Khalaao.n me.n rah jaauu.Ngaa kabhii khokar

mai.n jaanataa huu.N merii ham-nafas magar yuu.N hii
kabhii kabhii mere dil me.n Khayaal aataa hai

shaadaab – green / verdant
tiirgii – darkness / gloom
ziist – life
shuaa - ray / beam
raanaaii – grace, beauty
gudaaz – soft / plump
niim baaz – intoxicated
talkhiyaan – bitterness [?]
barahanaa–sar – bare-headed
pur–haul – full of horror / horrific
khaarazaar – thicket of thorns

1.1

a sweet little romantic nazm from daag dehlvi.
nawab mirza khan (1831 – 1905), was an indian poet famous for his urdu ghazals. he wrote poems and ghazals under the ‘takhallus’ 'daag dehlvi' (daag= an urdu noun meaning stain, grief and taint while dehlvi= belonging to or from delhi).

ajab apanaa haal hotaa jo visaal-e-yaar hotaa
kabhii jaan sadaqe hotii kabhii dil nisaar hotaa

na mazaa hai dushmanii me.n na hai lutf dostii me.n
koii Gair Gair hotaa koii yaar yaar hotaa

ye mazaa thaa dillagii kaa ke baraabar aag lagatii
na tumhe.n qaraar hotaa na hame.n qaraar hotaa

tere waade par sitamagar abhii aur sabr karate
agar apanii zindagii kaa hame.n aitabaar hotaa

1.urdu shaayari

that's what i am going to be reading for the next thirty days and i will be putting up one of my favourite pieces each day.

the inspiration

this blog is wholly completely and totally a cause de sky. she has started a new blog which chronicles her experiments and forays into thirty days of something. of course she has far more discipline than i do, so i will be very surprised if i continue this beyond the first thirty days. and i will be even more surprised if she stops before the first three hundred.
:-) that's just they way it is.

so i need to figure - the first thirty - hmm, what should i get into?