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

https://urdushahkar.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/cbkd-jalva-tuur-ka-audio.mp3

Recitation

جلوہ  طور  کا  ۔  چندر  بھان  کیفیؔ  دہلوی

۱

ہائے  دیکھا  ہی  نہیں  موسیٰ  نے  عالم  نور  کا

ورنہ  ہر  کہسار  سے  پیدا  ہے  جلوہ  طور  کا

۲

آ  رہی  ہے  قُلقُلِ  مینا  سے  حق  حق  کی  صدا

دَور  ہے  اب  میکدے  میں  بادۂ  منصور  کا

۳

تیرہ  بختی  لے  کے  آئی  ہے  بصد  عجز  و  نیاز

کعبۂ  دل  کے  لئے  محمل  شبِ  دیجور  کا

۴

کر  رہی  ہے  ہر  نظر  اپنا  نظارہ  آپ  ہی

فرق  کہنے  کے  لئے  ہے  ناظر  و  منظور  کا

۵

چشمِ  مستِ  ناز  کی  کیفیؔ  شکایت  ہے  عبث

لڑکھڑاتا  ہے  قدم  ہر  میکشِ  مخمور  کا

जल्वा तूर का – चन्द्र भान कैफ़ी देहलवी

१

हाए देखा ही नहीं मूसा ने आलम नूर का

वरना हर कोहसार से पैदा है जल्वा तूर का

२

आ रही है क़ुल्क़ुल-ए मीना से हक़-हक़ की सदा

दौर है अब मैकादे में बादा-ए मंसूर का

३

तीराह-बख़्तओ ले के आई है बसद इज्ज़ ओ नियाज़

काबा-ए दिल के लिए महमिल शब-ए देजूर का

४

कर रही है हर नज़र अपना नज़ाराह आप ही

फ़र्क़ कहने के लिए है नाज़ेर ओ मंज़ूर का

5

चश्म-ए मस्त-ए नाज़ की कैफ़ी शिका’एत है अबस

लढखढाता है क़दम हर मैकश-ए मख़्मूर का

Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. munshi chandr bhaan kaifi dehlavi (????-1941). He taught faarsi and urdu and was editor of a bi-weekly magazine called ‘hamaari zabaan’. Much of his work was lost. One of his shaagird, sheesh chandr taalib dehlavi, collected and published it ten years after his death. He wrote Ghazal in classical style on classical themes but also wrote many nationalistic nazm. He has composed a beautiful tribute to Ghalib and a few Ghazal in using popular radeef of Ghalib. This Ghazal is his declaration of the supremacy of universal love in the sufiyaana tradition.

munshi chandr bhaan kaifi dehlavi (????-1941).  He taught faarsi and urdu and was editor of a bi-weekly magazine called ‘hamaari zabaan’.  Much of his work was lost.  One of his shaagird, sheesh chandr taalib dehlavi, collected and published it ten years after his death.  He wrote Ghazal in classical style on classical themes but also wrote many nationalistic nazm.  He has composed a beautiful tribute to Ghalib and a few Ghazal in using popular radeef of Ghalib.  This Ghazal is his declaration of the supremacy of universal love in the sufiyaana tradition.

1.alas 2.Moses 3.condition, state 4.brilliance 5.otherwise 6.hill 7.born at, emerge from 8.face, image, glory 9.mount tuur

The story is that moosa/Moses went up mount tuur asking to see some manifestation of god.  He was told that he would not be able to bear the sight but insisted.  There was a flash of lightning and moosa fainted.  The poet implies that he fainted without seeing the glory.  Thus, alas, moosa never got to see the manifestation of divine brilliance otherwise the (divine) glory of tuur could have emerged from any mountain/hill i.e., a discerning eye is required to see it.

1.sound of wine being poured 2.flask 3.truth-truth 4.sound, declaration 5.circulation, passing around 6.tavern 7.wine 8.mansoor-al-hallaaj

mansoor-al-hallaaj (858-922) was a sufi scholar who traveled a lot, including to India where he studied sanskrit and sanskirt texts.  It is said that he was influenced by ‘aham brahmasmi’ and declared ‘an-al-haq=I am the Truth’.  The orthodoxy judged this to be heretical, he was offered a chance to recant, he refused and was executed.  This story is used as a symbol of resistance to the tyranny of orthodoxy, a declaration of universality of all existence and the presence of the divine spirit in everyone.  Also, the ‘maikadah=tavern’ is a symbol of liberal space and ‘baada=wine’ as that of the wine of universal love.  Thus, the sound ‘qulqul’ of the wine of love being poured out of a long-necked flask and passed around in the tavern is considered a declaration of ‘an-al-haq=universal Truth’.

1.ill fate 2.with a hundred 3.humility 4.offering, submission 5.palanquin for riding a camel, veiled carriage 6.longest night, pitch dark

There is a nice juxtaposition of tiira-baKhti, mahmil and shab-e-daejoor – all dark.  The heart is the seat of god, thus it is the kaaba – kaaba-e dil.  The divine beloved, like laila rides in a mahmil.  But the mahmil is covered with a dark curtain (just like the physical kaaba itself).  Thus, the beloved remains unseen.  It is ill fate that I cannot perceive the beloved in my own heart (just like moosa could not see the divine light all around, but felt compelled to look outside and go to tuur).  But where does the ‘ijz o niyaaz’ come in?  Normally, tiira-baKhti is oppressive.  But here, perhaps tiira-baKhti is being respectful of the concept of the kaaba-e dil.  It brings with it a dark curtain of the long night as a devotional offering for the mahmil in the kaaba-e dil.  Thus, it is my bad luck that I cannot see past this dark curtain.

1.eyes, sight 2.seeing, observing 3.difference 4.only to say, superficial 5.one who observes – god 6.one who is observed – creature, human

Every eye/sight sees/observes itself i.e., there is no difference between the observer and the observed.  The difference between them is only superficial talk i.e., god and human are the same or there is a divine spirit in all creatures.

1.eyes, sight 2.intoxicated 3.coquetry, self-regarding 4.pen-name of the poet 5.complaining 6.useless 7.stumbles 8.step 9.wine lover 10.intoxicated

One reading is that chashm-e mast-e naaz is the intoxicated eye of the rival which gets intoxicated upon perceiving the grace/naaz of the beloved.  Why should the lover complain about the rival, after all anyone who sees the naaz will get drunk and stumble/stagger.  Another reading is possible if ‘mast’ is interpreted as intoxicating rather than intoxicated.  The intoxicating, coquettish eye is that of the divine saaqi.  Those who look at its beauty get drunk and of course they will stagger/stumble.  Thus, O kaifi, it is useless (does not make sense) to complain about the intoxicating beauty of the divine.  After all it is intoxicating offering the wine of love and it is natural for the intoxicated to stumble at every step.

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