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https://urdushahkar.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/mrs-kuchh-fikr-hai-taamiir-ka-audio.mp3

Recitation

کچھ  فِکر  ہے  تعمیر  کا  ۔  مرزا  رفیع  سوداؔ

۱

ہو  یہ  دیوانہ  مُرید  اُس  زلف  چُھٹ  کِس  پیر  کا

سِلسِلہ  بہتر  ہے  سوداؔ  کے  لئے  زنجیر  کا

۲

زخمِ  دل  پاوے  مرے  سوزِ  سخن  سے  اِلتیام

چاک  مِلتا  ہے  زبانِ  شمع  سے  گُلگیر  کا

۳

گُل  مرے  مشہد  پہ  کب  بھیجے  ہے  وہ  ابرو  کمان

طرح  غنچہ  کے  کِھلے  پیکاں  نہ  جب  تک  تیر  کا

۴

ایک  دن  تجھ  سے  سُلگ  اُٹھتے  نہ  دیکھا  کارواں

اے  جرس  حاصل  کچھ  اِس  فریادِ  بے  تاثیر  کا

۵

توڑ  کر  بُت  خانے  کو  مسجد  بِنا  کی  تو  نے  شیخ

برہمن  کے  دل  کی  بھی  کچھ  فِکر  ہے  تعمیر  کا

۶

سیم  و  زر  کے  آگے  سوداؔ  کچھ  نہیں  اِنسان  کی

خاک  ہی  رہنا  بھلا  تھا  بلکہ  اِس  اِکسیر  کا

कुछ फ़िक्र है ता’मीर का – मिरज़ा रफ़’ई सौदा

१

हो ये दीवाना मुरीद उस ज़ुल्फ़ छुट किस पीर का

सीलसिला बेहतर है सौदा के लिये ज़ंजीर का

२

ज़ख़्म-ए दिल पावे मेरे सोज़-ए सुख़न से इल्तियाम

चाक मिलता है ज़बान-ए शम’अ से गुल्गीर का

३

गुल मेरे मशहद पे कब भेजे है वो अब्रू-कमान

तरह ग़ुंचे के खिले पैकां न जब तक तीर का

४

एक दिन तुझ से सुलग उठते न देखा कारवां

अए जरस हासिल कुछ इस फ़र्याद-ए बे-तासीर का

५

तोढ कर बुत-ख़ाने को मसजिद बिना की तू ने शैख़

बरहमन के दिल की भी कुछ फ़िक्र है ता’मीर का

६

सीम ओ ज़र के अगे सौदा कुछ नहीं इंसान की

ख़ाक ही रहना भला था बल्के इस एक्सीर का

Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mirza mohammed rafi sauda (1713-1781) wrote faarsi and urdu, romantic and sufiyaana Ghazal in classical style. Contemporary (somewhat senior) of mir taqi mir. sauda, along with mir taqi mir was a strong proponent of communal harmony. They made much fun of orthodoxy. Ghalib’s famous Ghazal ‘naqsh faryaadi hai kis ki shooKhi-e tahriir ka’ has the same radeef and qaafiya as this Ghazal. This is linked to ‘paikar-e tasviir’ ka series under Ghalib peshrau-hamqadam and also to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam (for completeness).

mirza mohammed rafi sauda (1713-1781) wrote faarsi and urdu, romantic and sufiyaana Ghazal in classical style.  Contemporary (somewhat senior) of mir taqi mir.  sauda, along with mir taqi mir was a strong proponent of communal harmony.  They made much fun of orthodoxy.  Ghalib’s famous Ghazal ‘naqsh faryaadi hai kis ki shooKhi-e tahriir ka’ has the same radeef and qaafiya as this Ghazal.  This is linked to ‘paikar-e tasviir’ ka series under Ghalib peshrau-hamqadam and also to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam (for completeness).

1.follower, devotee 2.hair 3.leaving aside, besides, except for 4.scholar, teacher, ‘holy’ man 5.continuation, series 6.better 7.pen-name of the poet 8.chain

There is a strong dose of sufi thought in sauda’s Ghazal.  Here he uses sufi terminology in delightful ways.  There is a piir/murshad/teacher who has many muriid/followers.  If the piir is of a high enough status he can start a school – a silsila.  Here, ‘silsila-zanjiir-zulf’ are nicely juxtaposed.  Who will this mad lover become a follower of except of that exalted piir (zulf-long hair of the beloved).  It is better for sauda to be chained to this ‘silsila-school’; he does not need any other ‘piir’.

1.wound 2.fire, passion 3.verse 4.healing, cure 5.tear, cut 6.tongue of the candle, flame 7.special scissors to trim the burnt wick of the candle

When the wick burns out, it can only sustain a drooping flame.  A ‘gulgiir-scissors’ is used to trim the wick and the flame is restored.  In much the same way, the wounded heart of the poet/lover is healed by the cut it receives from his own passionate/painful verse.

1.rose 2.grave 3.eye-brow 4.bow (as in bow and arrow) 5.in this way, like 6.rose-bud 7.bloom 8.arrow-tip

Here ‘abruu-kamaan’ is descriptive of the beloved.  Her arched eyebrows are like drawn bows out of which the arrow of her glance will be shot.  But she shoots her arrow only when she is sure that the tip of the arrow will bloom like a rose-bud, meaning that it hits the heart/bosom and creates a red wound analogous to a rose bloom.  Why would she send roses to my grave!

1.bell 2.benefit, yield 3.lament, appeal 4.ineffective

To get the caravan on its way the caravan bell is rung to announce its departure.  The poet considers its ringing to be ‘be-taasiir’-ineffective.  ‘kaarvaaN sulag uThna’ literally means the caravan set alight.  I have not seen even once, the caravan light up in a flame.  What use then is this lament O caravan bell.  Beyond this literal meaning, I am not sure what it means.  I would welcome suggestions, but here is my speculation.  This is the caravan of love.  ‘sulag uThna’ can mean arouse passion/response from the beloved.  The lover’s lament is the ringing of the caravan bell.  It has been totally ineffective.  Thus, he is asking the lover (himself) what the use of his lament is.

1.house of idols, temple 2.foundation 3.concern, thought 4.construction, building

I had difficulty with the grammar of the second misra because both fikr and taa’miir are considered feminine, but naim sahib pointed out that during sauda’s lifetime fikr was treated interchangeably as feminine and masculine.  Thus, while you broke the but-Khaana you laid the foundation for building a masjid, O shaiKh.  Do you have any concern about building the broken heart of the brahman.  Elsewhere sauda writes …

1.sliver 2.gold 3.before, in comparison with 4.trade, also pen-name of the poet 5.dust, clay 6.well 7.in any case 8.elixir, chemistry

The very first objective of the study of chemistry was to try to convert base metal into gold.  sauda says, it is good that Khaak remained Khaak.  We see that there is no value to human beings in comparison with gold and silver.  Alternatively, it is traditionally assumed that humans were made with clay and water.  This is their chemistry.  Thus, the second misra reads-in any case, it would have been better for this chemistry to remain as clay i.e., for humans not to have been created.  Why would this have been better.  Because the value of humans is nothing in the trade with silver and gold, or, O, sauda, there is no value of humans in comparison with silver and gold.  This is a very nice use of double meaning in his taKhallus.  To see many other delightful examples, see ‘taKhallus ka khel’ in the theme index.

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