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

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Recitation

دانشوری  کا  زوال  ۔  آلِ  احمد  سرورؔ

۱

سرد  طوفاں،  ساحلوں  کی  آبرو  بنتے  گئے

جو  کبھی  تلوار  تھے  طوقِ  گلو  بنتے  گئے

۲

ہائے  وہ  شعلے  جو  جگنو  ہیں  کسی  برسات  کے

اُف  وہ  دریا  جو  سِمٹ  کر  آب  جو  بنتے  گئے

۳

تازہ  کاری  کا  پیمبر،  لالہ  کاری  کے  رسول

خانہ  باغوں  میں  طلسمِ  رنگ  و  بو  بنتے  گئے

۴

آہوانِ  دشت  کو  دیتے  تھے  جو  درسِ  خِرام

وہ  بھی  شاہی  اصطبل  کی  آبرو  بنتے  گئے

۵

فن  حکومت  کا  سہارا،  فکر  دولت  کی  کنیز

جو  تھے  نشتر،  سوزنِ  تارِ  رفو  بنتے  گئے

۶

چاکِ  تقدیرِ  بشر  سینے  کا  دعوا  تھا  جنہیں

ایک  بوسیدہ  قبا  کے  تار  و  پو  بنتے  گئے

۷

جب  خس  و  خاشاک  کی  بیداد  حد  سے  بڑھ  گئی

گرچہ  شبنم  تھے  مگر  ہم  شعلہ  خو  بنتے  گئے

दानिश्वरी का ज़वाल – आल-ए अहमद सुरूर

१

सर्द तूफ़ां, साहेलौं की आब्रू बनते गए

जो कभी तलवार थे तौक़-ए गुलू बनते गए

२

हाए वो शोले के जुग्नू हैं किस बरसात के

उफ़ वो दर्या जो सिमट कर आब-जू बनते गए

३

ताज़ा-कारी के पयम्बर, लाला-कारी के रसूल

ख़ाना-बाग़ौं में तिलस्म-ए रंग ओ बू बनते गए

४

आहुआन-ए दश्त को देते थे जो दर्स-ए ख़िराम

वो भी शाही अस्तबल की आब्रू बनते गए

५

फ़न, हुकूमत का सहारा, फ़िक्र दौलत की कनीज़

जो थे नश्तर सोज़न-ए तार-ए रफ़ू बनते गए

६

चाक-ए तक़्दीर-ए बशर सीने का दावा था जिन्हें

एक बोसीदा क़बा के तार ओ पौ बनते गए

७

जब ख़स ओ ख़ाशाक कि बेदाद हद से बढ़ गई

गरचे शब्नब थे मगर हम शो’ला-ख़ू बनते गए

Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. aal-e ahmad suroor (1911-2002) academic, critic, writer, editor and poet. MA in English and urdu literature. He taught at aligaRh and lakhnau universities, serving as head of the department of urdu at aligaRh. He was associated with, if not an active member of the Progressive Writers’ Association. His poetic compositions tend to be thoughtful and philosophical. Composed in 1973, this nazm could be a reaction to the emerging political situation because of sanjay gandhi’s machinations, seeing how even thinking public figures exercised self censorship and fawning. This applies even more forcefully to present day India.

aal-e ahmad suroor (1911-2002) academic, critic, writer, editor and poet. MA in English and urdu literature. He taught at aligaRh and lakhnau universities, serving as head of the department of urdu at aligaRh. He was associated with, if not an active member of the Progressive Writers’ Association. His poetic compositions tend to be thoughtful and philosophical. Composed in 1973, this nazm could be a reaction to the emerging political situation because of sanjay gandhi’s machinations, seeing how even thinking public figures exercised self censorship and fawning.  This applies even more forcefully to present day India.

1.cold, calm, still 2.storms 3.shores 4.honour, dignity 5.sword 6.shackles 7.neck

The fierce storms cooled down and became protectors of the shores’ dignity.Those who once wielded swords (symbols of defiance or revolution), eventually transformed into shackles worn around the neck – surrendering their rebellious spirit.A commentary on how resistance can be pacified and absorbed into the status quo, even self-oppressing.

1.alas 2.flames 3.river 4.shrank, collapsed 5.stream, rivulet

Alas, those flames! What fleeting monsoon did they belong to — like fireflies that glow briefly then vanish? Oh, the mighty rivers that shrank into mere streams. This metaphor captures the fading brilliance of once-vibrant voices – once roaring and fiery, now diminished and quiet.

1.freshness, innovation 2.prophets 3.tulip planting, embroidery 4.messengers, apostles 5.formal/arranged gardens 6.magic, illusion 7.color and fragrance

Those who were messengers of creative freshness became champions of artificial, stylized beauty – creating illusions of color and fragrance in manicured gardens.  This is a commentary on artists and intellectuals who traded their originality for decorative, conformist aesthetics to meer ‘show/exhibition’ – the shift from organic expression to curated pretense – fawning.

1.deer 2.desert, wilderness 3.lessons 4.graceful movement, free wanderings 5.royal 6.stable 7.pride, decoration

Those who once could give the wild deer lessons in the art of graceful/free wandering, even they have become showpieces in royal stables.  Freedom-loving mentors and guides, once symbols of natural grace and independence, have now become ornaments within the constraints of royal (political/state) power.

1.art 2.government, state 3.support 4.thought/ideology 5.wealth 6.slave girl 7.scalpel, knife 8.needle 9.thread for patching/mending

Art became a tool of the state; thought became a slave to wealth.Those who were once surgical tools (sharp and probing) became mere needles for patchwork.  A biting critique of artists and thinkers who softened their edge to conform and mend the system instead of challenging it.

1.tear, rip 2.destiny 3.human 4.sewing, mending 5.claim 6.worn-out 7.cloak, robe 8.warp and whoof – but also – thread woven across length and width

Those who once claimed they could mend the torn fabric of human destiny, eventually became just the patchwork fabric of a worn-out cloak. That is, those who once spoke of lofty ideals, healing wounds, repairing fate, shrank to covering up the wounds of a decaying system. Their ambition to reform society was reduced to covering up what should have been discarded.

1.weeds and twigs, i.e., worthless elements 2.bedaad: tyranny, injustice 3.bounds 4.although 5.dew, soft-natured 6.flame-natured, passionate, fiery

When tyranny by the worthless and petty went beyond bounds, though we were like soft dew, we turned into flames.  Who is the ‘we’ – probably the class of defiant poets and academics.  A note of defiance and awakening – even the gentlest souls can become fiery when oppression crosses limits, a reclaiming of resistance.

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