ROZ EK SHER: Daagh Dehlavi

[MANISH MODI]

ख़ुदा करे कि मज़ा इन्तज़ार का न मिटे

मेरे सवाल का वह दें जवाब बरसों में
~ दाग़ देहलवी

خدا کرے کی مزہ انتظار کا نہ مٹے
میرے سوال کا وو جواب دیں برسوں میں
~ داغ  دہلوی

khudaa kare ki mazaa intazaar ka na mite
mere savaal ka vah dein javaab barason mein
~ Daagh Dehavli

May the pleasure of waiting never dwindle!
May she take years to reply to my queries.

N.B. Do not take this sher in the अभिधा  abhidha  {literal sense}. Urdu poetry works in the लक्षणा  lakshana {indicative sense} and the व्यंजना vyanjana {figurative sense}.
The capriciousness of the beloved, the inability to meet with her, her infidelities and idiosyncracies are a matter of poetic convention.

Newcomers to Urdu poetry should not think that Urdu poets or the connoiseurs of Urdu poetry were a bunch of losers or whingers. They were perfectly normal men and women, highly skilled in the art of expression and with a well developed sense of aesthetics.

[MANISH MODI]

ख़ूब पर्दा है की चिलमन से लगे बैठे हैं

साफ़ छुपते भी नहीं सामने आते भी नहीं

~ दाग़ देहलवी

khuub pardaah hai ki chilman se lage baithe hain
saaf chhupte bhii nahiin saamane aate bhii nahiin 

~ Daagh Dehlavi

A fine way indeed, of hiding behind curtains!
Neither completely concealed, nor completely revealed.


Sher contributed and translated by Satyanarayana Hegde

______

T H E  S T O R Y  O F  P A E S I

Soul and Body in Ancient India: A Dialogue on Materialism in Ancient India

Text in Roman + English Translation + Extensive Notes

+ Glossary of Selected Words + Index Rerum

+ Quotations + Detailed Bibliography + Appendix containing

a section of Haribhadra's "Samaraiccakaha"

+ 72 - folio Facsimile of the original Prakrit Pothi 

Edited and translated into English by

Willem Bollée

Pandit Nathuram Premi Research Series Volume 2

Published by Hindi Granth Karyalay, Mumbai

2005     24.5 x 16 cm     452 pages

978-81-88769-03-2     Hardcover     Rs. 795

[MANISH MODI]

जान से मारा उसे, तनहा जहाँ पाया जिसे
बेकसी में काम आना कोई तुम से सीख जाए

~ दाग़ देहलवी

جان سے مرا اسے تنہا پایا جسے

بیکسی میں کام آنا کوئی تمسے سیکھ جائے

~ داغ دہلوی

jaan se maaraa use, tanahaa jahaan paayaa jise
bakasii mein kaam aana koii tum se siikh jaaye
~ Daagh Dehlavi

You murdered whoever you found to be lonely and grieving.
One ought to learn from you, how to help those in sorrow!

______
NB Once again, please do not take this sher literally. It is not a sher of abhidha. The poet is not accusing his beloved of mass murder! Instead, he is conveying that he was lonely and grieving before he met his beloved. But after meeting (and losing her) he finds that he is worse off. He is deeply miserable (on account of losing her) and feels that he his feelings have been murdered. So he remarks sarcastically, that one could learn how to help those in sorrow from his beloved. Instead of letting them wallow in misery, she kills them.

[MANISH MODI]

अभी आये, अभी बैठे, अभी दामन सम्भाला है
आपकी जाऊँ जाऊँ ने हमारा दम निकाला है

~ दाग़ देहलवी

ابھی اے ابھی بیٹھے ابھی دامن سمبھالا ہے
آپکی جاوں جاوں نے ہمارا دم نکالا ہے
داغ دہلوی ~

abhii aaye, abhii baithe, abhii daaman sambhaalaa hai
aapkii jaauun jaaun ne hamaaraa dum nikaalaa hai
~ Daagh Dehlavi

You've just arrived, seated yourself and adjusted your veil.
Your insistence on leaving immediately will be the death of me.

_____

Book of the day

DAAGH DEHLAVI
Ghazal Ka Ek School
Urdu Poetry Printed in Hindi
Ed. Nida Fazli
2012     22 x 14 cm     100 pages
Paperback     Rs. 75

[MANISH MODI]

क्या सिखाएगा ज़माने का फ़लक तर्ज़े-जफ़ा
अब तुम्हारा है ज़माना, कोई तुमसे सीख जाए
~ दाग़ देहलवी

کیا سخاےگا زمانے کا فلک ترزے-جفا
اب تمہارا ہے زمانہ کوی تمسے سیکھ جائے
~ داغ دہلوی

kyaa sikhaayegaa zamaane kaa falak tarze-jafaa
ab tumhaaraa hai zamaanaa, koii tumse siikh jaaye
~ Daagh Dehlavi


Fate can teach me nothing about the vicissitudes of love.
Anyone who wishes to learn, must learn from you.


English translation by Satyanarayana Hegde

_____

Book of the Day

BHAGAT SINGH KE RAJNITIK DASTAVEZ
Political Writings of Bhagat Singh
Ed. Chaman Lal
2011     22 x 14 cm    208 pages
Paperback     Rs. 95