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Recitation

کج  کلاہ  گُل  و  یاسمن  ہے  آج  ۔  جوشؔ  ملیح  آبادی

۱

پھر  طرزِ  نو  سے  زینتِ  صحنِ  چمن  ہے  آج

گلشن  میں  کج  کلاہ  گُل  و  یاسمن  ہے  آج

۲

پھر  جامِ  زر  میں  جمع  ہے  صہبا  و  نورِ  ماہ

پھر  اِتّصالِ  جلوۂ  گنگ  و  جمن  ہے  آج

۳

پھر  اہلِ  دل  کی  عقدہ  کشائی  کے  شوق  میں

سرگرمِ  ناز  زُلف  شکن  در  شکن  ہے  آج

۴

تمہیدِ  شرحِ  صدر  ہے  پھر  شغلِ  مے  کشی

پھر  برقِ  طور  موجِ  شرابِ  کہن  ہے  آج

۵

پھر  عکسِ  زلفِ  یار  ہے  قلبِ  فگار  پر

پھر  ابرِ  تیرا  صدر  نشینِ  چمن  ہے  آج

۶

پھر  بوستاں  میں  طرّۂ  طرفِ  کلاہِ  دوست

وجہ  فروغِ  افسرِ  سرو  و  سمن  ہے  آج

۷

پھر  خدمتِ  نیاز  پہ  مائل  ہے  روحِ  ناز

پھر  زانوئے  صنم  پہ  سرِ  برہمن  ہے  آج

۸

لرزاں  تھی  جس  کے  وعدۂ  فردہ  سے  زندگی

پہلو  میں  پھر  وہ  شاہدِ  پیماں  شکن  ہے  آج

۹

زخمِ  نگاہِ  بد  سے  بچائے  رہے  خدا

دیکھو  تو  کوئی  جوشؔ  پہ  کیا  بانکپن  ہے  آج

कज कुलाह गुल ओ यासमन है आज – जोश मलीहआबादी

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Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. josh malihabadi (1898-1982) is called shaa’er-e inqelaab, poet of change/revolution. He is very secular and nationalistic in his writings and rebels against orthodoxy. His range of language and vocabulary is simply amazing.

josh malihabadi (1898-1982) is called shaa’er-e inqelaab, poet of change/revolution.  He is very secular and nationalistic in his writings and rebels against orthodoxy.  His range of language and vocabulary is simply amazing.

1.way, style 2.new 3.adornment 4.field of the garden, garden plots 5.garden 6.tilted/jaunty caps 7.rose 8.jasmine

The garden is adorned in a new style today – roses and jasmines bloom with tilted crowns (kaj kulaah – in urdu poetic tradition this is symbolic of defiance or sometimes, playfulness/teasing); perhaps here it is used to suggest playfulness i.e., nature’s playful elegance reborn in spring; describing the beauty of spring.

1.cup 2.golden 3.collected 4.wine 5.light, brilliance 6.moon 7.confluence, mingling 8.image, glory 8.Ganges and Jamuna

The confluence of gaNga and jamuna is used as a symbolism of the coming together of two good/beautiful things to make something even more glorious.  Golden cups jaam-e zar, probably symbolize roses and tulips.  Thus, it is spring, a moonlit night and dew and the light of the moon are collected in these ‘golden cups’ making something that is even more glorious.

1.people of heart, lovers 2.unraveling of knots 3.desire, passion 4.busy in 5.coquetry 6.hair 7.curl upon curl, every curl

Lovers intensely desire to unravel knotted tresses of the beloved.  To tease them (in spring) her hair is busy/engaged in the coquetry of twisting itself curl after curl.  This could be symbolic of an inspiration for the poet to unravel mystery after mystery with his ash’aar or of a sufi unraveling divine mysteries.

1.preamble, preface 2.opening of the chest 3.pastime 4.drinking wine 5.lightning 7.mount tuur 8.old

There are two references to stories from religious texts.  One is the story of moosa/Moses going up mount tuur and seeing a flash of lightning as evidence of the divine.  Second is the story of Archangel Gabriel coming down to open the chests of prophets and cleaning their hearts to make them pure and ready to receive divine messages.  Thus, the pastime of wine-drinking is the preface to the cleansing of the heart so that it can receive spiritual revelations/compose ash’aar.  The ripples of wine (sharaab-e kuhan-old/aged wine is excellent) in the poet’s cup are like divine splendour/lightning (barq-e tuur).

1.image, shadow, reflection 2.hair 3.beloved 4.heart 5.broken 6.clouds 7.dark 8.sitting on top

The poet/lover’s heart is broken.  The emotions of a broken heart lead to composition of ash’aar.  The aks-e zulf-e yaar the shade of the beloved’s hair is what brings love/comfort to the broken heart like the dark cloud hovering over the garden and bringing down spring showers – the blessing of ash’aar.

1.garden 2.turban, cermonial cap, ornament 3.direction 4.tilted, skewed 5.friend, beloved 6.reason, basis 7.brilliance, splendour

In orchards, the beloved’s tilted turban-ornament (turra–e tarf-e kulaah is symbolic of her playfulness) makes cypresses and jasmines glow – the beloved’s charge makes the garden even more beautiful.

1.service 2.offering, devotion 3.inclined towards 4.spirit 5.coquetry, pride 6.lap 7.beloved, idol 8.priest, devotee

In urdu poetic tradition naaz-niyaaz – coquetry and devotion, are used as symbolic of the beloved and lover.  In addition, here, sanam-barhaman the idole/beloved and the priest/devotee are used in the same way.  Thus, once again, today, the lover is inclined towards serving the beloved, the lover places his head at the feet/lap of the beloved.  This could mean that the poet is inclined to make an offering to his beloved – ash’aar.

1.trembling, throbbing (in excitement) 2.promise 3.future 4.side 5.most usually-witness, but it also means the beloved 6.promise breaking

The beloved’s promise of a future favour that kept the poet/lover alive-kept his heart throbbing with excitement.  That same promise-breaking beloved (shaahid-e paimaaN shikan) is beside the poet/lover-in his embrace.  This may be symbolic of the fulness of spring or perhaps the poet saying that the inspiration of writing poetry is within his grasp today.

1.wound 2.evil eye 3.keep protected 4.pen-name 5.elegance, charm, defiance

May god protect josh from the wounds of the evil eye.  Behold what playful charm (baaNkpan) josh displays today.  He is celebrating his poetic vitality.

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