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

https://urdushahkar.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/faani-naa-aashna-e-gosh-hai-audio.mp3

Recitation

نا  آشنائے  گوش  ہے  ۔  فانیؔ  بدایونی

۱

ذرّہ  ذرّہ  تُربتِ  فانی  کا  شیون  جوش  ہے

اِس  صفِ  ماتم  میں  اِک  شمع  لحد  خاموش  ہے

۲

پھیر  لے  میّت  کی  جانب  سے  نگاہِ  اِلتفات

سینکڑوں  شکوؤں  کے  نرغے  میں  لب  خاموش  ہے

۳

وصل  ہو  یا  ہِجر  دونوں  ہیں  مرے  مشرب  میں  کفر

شوقِ  وحدت  آشنا  بیگانۂ  آغوش  ہے

۴

طور  تو  ہے،  ربّی  اَرنی  کہنے  والا  چاہیے

لن  ترانی  ہے  مگر  نا  آشنائے  گوش  ہے

۵

اِک  طلسمِ  فیض  ہے  سینے  میں  سوزِ  دل  کی  ذات

بے  تکلف  ہر  نفس  اِک  شعلۂ  خس  پوش  ہے

۶

رازِ  آزادی  فقط  تیرے  اسیروں  پر  کھلا

جو  تیرے  قدموں  پہ  سر  ہے  بے  نیازِ  دوش  ہے

۷

زندگی  خود  کیا  ہے  فانیؔ  یہ  تو  کیا  کہیے  مگر

موت  کہتے  ہیں  جسے  وہ  زندگی  کا  ہوش  ہے

ना-आश्ना-ए गोश है – फ़ानी बदायूनी

१

ज़र्रा ज़र्रा तुर्बत-ए फ़ानी का शैवन-जोश है

इस सफ़-ए मातम में एक शम’अ-ए लहद ख़ामोश है

२

फेर ले मय्यत कि जानिब से निगाह-ए इल्तफ़ात

सैंक्डों शिक्वौं के नर्ग़े में लब-ए ख़ामोश है

३

वस्ल हो या हिज्र, दोनों हैं मेरे मुश्रिब में कुफ़्र

शौक़-ए वहदत-आश्ना बेगाना-ए आग़ोश है

४

तूर तो है, रब्बी अरनी कहने वाला चाहिये

लनतरानी है मगर ना-आश्ना-ए गोश है

५

एक तिलस्म-ए फ़ैज़ है सीने में सोज़-ए दिल की ज़ात

बे-तकल्लुफ़ हर नफ़स एक शोला-ए ख़स-पोश है

६

राज़-ए आज़ादी फ़क़त तेरे असीरौं पर खुला

जो तेरे क़द्मौं पे सर है, बे नियाज़-ए दोश है

७

ज़िन्दगी ख़ुद क्या है फ़ानी, ये तो क्या कहिये मगर

मौत कहते हैं जिसे वो ज़िन्दगी का होश है

Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mohammed shaukat ali KhaaN faani badayuni (1879-1941), BA 1901, law 1908. Stumbling law practice. Invited to hyderabad by maharaja kishan parshaad in 1932, working as the principal of a reputed school. Alcohol proved to be a big problem. He died forlorn and destitute. Much of his work was lost. This Ghazal with the same radeef-qaafiya as Ghalib’s, ‘Ghalib sariir-e Khaama navaa-e sarosh hai’ is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.

mohammed shaukat ali KhaaN faani badayuni (1879-1941), BA 1901, law 1908.  Stumbling law practice.  Invited to hyderabad by maharaja kishan parshaad in 1932, working as the principal of a reputed school.  Alcohol proved to be a big problem.  He died forlorn and destitute.  Much of his work was lost.  This Ghazal with the same radeef-qaafiya as Ghalib’s, ‘Ghalib sariir-e Khaama navaa-e sarosh hai’ is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.

1.every grain of dust 2.tomb 3.pen-name of the poet 4.mourning with great intensity 5.line 6.mourning 7.lamp, candle 8.grave

The poet is dead and buried and turned to dust, but still composing – such is the convention of urdu poetry.  Every grain of dust is intensely mourning the death of the poet.  In this line of mourners, there is one that is silent/extinguished – the candle on his grave.  This signifies the height of neglect, there is no one to light the candle, further increasing the despondence of mourning.  This is probably in the spirit of Ghalib’s she’r …

1.turn away 2.funeral 3.in the direction, towards 4.look, eyes 5.favour, attention, concern 6.complaints 7.encirclement, surrounding 8.lips, mouth 9.silent

All during his life and attempts are courtship, the beloved has never bestowed a favourable glance at the poet/lover.  Now that he is dead, she is at the funeral and looking at him with kindness/sympathy/love.  He suggests that she look away, otherwise his lips which are now silent and have been silent for a long time, but are surrounded by millions of complaints, might start to speak out about her neglect.

1.union 2.separation 3.faith, philosophy 4.forbidden 5.desire 6.knowledgable of oneness of all – divinity and cosmos 7.stranger, unfamiliar, oblivious 8.lap, embrace

The poet portrays himself as ‘vahdat-aashna’, who, like a sufi understands/knows that everything in the cosmose is one with the divine spirit and reflects its glory.  For one who truly believes in ‘vahdat’, the concepts of ‘vasl’ and ‘hijr’ are meaningless and therefore forbidden.  The desire of a ‘vahdat-aashna’ is unfamiliar with any embrace – is oblivious of fulfilment.

1.mount tuur 2.O lord, I want to see you 3.you will not be able to see me 4.unfamiliar 5.ears

Biblical and quraanic stories say that Moses went up on mount tuur and asked to see god – ‘rabbi arani’.  He heard ‘a divine voice’ saying ‘lantaraani’ – you will not be able to see me.  He insisted and there was divine manifestation in the form of lightning.  The poet suggests that it is possible to “see” (conceptualize) the divine but there is no one (other than himself) to insist on seeing god.  Mount tuur is still here, but there is no one insisting ‘rabbi arani’.  The sound of ‘lantaraani’ is here but there is no one who has the capability to hear it.

1.enchantment, magic 2.blessing 3.passion, fire, pain 4.being, existence 5.uninhibited 6.breath 7.flame 8.bearing straw

“sho’la-e Khas posh” is flame carrying a lot of straw on top of itself.  Thus it burns inside, but cannot be seen from the outside.  In much the same way the existence of passion in the heart is a magical blessing.  It burns inside, but cannot be seen on the outside.  It can only express itself as uninhibited breath, staying aflame inside.

1.music, melody 2.freedom, no attachments 3.only 4.captives 5.feet 6.uncaring, not needing 7.back, neck

The melody of freedom/unattachment was revealed only to your captives (those who are captivated in devotion to the divine).  They are so engrossed in their devotion that their head bowed “at the feet of the divine” is unaware of/oblivious of everything else, so much so that ‘it does not need a neck’ i.e., it is not hurt if it is cut off.

1.pen-name of the poet 2.awareness, knowledge

How can I say what the meaning/purpose of life is, O faani, but (this I know) that which is called death, gives real knowledge of (meaning to) life.  Said Ghalib …

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