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

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Recitation

سج  کے  آشیاں  اپنا  ۔  سید  شفاعت  ہینسن  ریحانیؔ

۱

جب  چمن  ہی  اپنا  ہے،  اور  نہ  باغباں  اپنا

کیا  کریں  گے  پھولوں  سے،  سج  کے  آشیاں  اپنا

۲

کوئی  بھی  نہیں  واقف،  راہ  و  رسمِ  منزل  سے

دشت  دشت  پھرتا  ہے،  کب  سے  کارواں  اپنا

۳

حالِ  دل  سنائیں  گے،  ہم  بھی  اُن  کی  محفل  میں

مل  گیا  جو  قسمت  سے،  کوئی  ہمزباں  اپنا

۴

خاک  ہو  کے  پہنچیں  گے،  ہم  کسی  کے  دامن  تک

گو  نہیں  پہنچتا  ہے،  دستِ  ناتواں  اپنا

۵

خوف  ہے  نہ  چھن  جائے،  یہ  بھی  اِس  زمانے  میں

زندگی  کا  حاصل  ہے،  دردِ  جاوداں  اپنا

۶

ہم  خدا  کے  نائب  ہیں،  کیا  نہیں  خبر  تم  کو

ہے  زمیں  کنیز  اپنی،  خادم  آسماں  اپنا

۷

گُل  بدوش  آئے  گی،  پھر  بہار  ریحانیؔ

گو  خزاں  بداماں  ہے،  آج  گلستاں  اپنا

सज के आशियां अपना – सय्यद शफ़ा’अत हैन्सन रेहानी

१

जब चमन हि अपना है, और न बाग़्बां अपना

क्या करेंगे फूलौं से, सज के आशियां अपना

२

कोई भी नहीं वाक़फ़, राह ओ रस्म-ए मंज़िल से

दश्त दश्त फिरता है, कब से कारवां अपना

३

हाल-ए दिल सुनाएंगे, हम भी उन की महफ़िल में

मिल गया जो क़िस्मत से, कोई हम-ज़बां अपना

४

ख़ाक हो के पहुंचेंगे, हम किसी के दामन तक

गो नहीं पहुंचता है, दस्त-ए नातवां अपना

५

ख़ौफ़ है न छिन जाए, ये भी इस ज़माने में

ज़िंदगी का हासिल है, दर्द-ए जावदां अपना

६

हम ख़ुदा के नाएब हैं, क्या नहीं ख़बर तुम को

है ज़मीं कनीज़ अपनी, ख़ादिम आस्मां अपना

७

गुल-बदोश आएगी, फिर बहार रेहानी

गो ख़िज़ां बदामां है, आज गुल्सितां अपना

Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. syed shafaa’at Hanson rehani (1912-????), born in lukhnau. Educated in urdu and faarsi in raampur and later in punjab university. Started composing at an early age both in urdu and in faarsi with mirza jafar ali KhaaN asar lakhnavi (urdu) and farruKh shiiraazi (faarsi) as his mentors. He is a Christian urdu poet who has written conventional Ghazal as well as Christian devotional nazm. He has four collections to his credit and also compiled a booklet on devotional nazm for observing Good Friday and celebrating Easter. He served as pastor at the Methodist Church in hyderabad. This Ghazal is a poignant expression of alienation and injustice. It has the same radeef and qaafiya as Ghalib’s ‘tha jo raazdaaN apna’ and is linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’. The Ghazal is dated 1958. I am not sure if it reflects a specific development or just the general trend.

syed shafaa’at Hanson rehani (1912-????), born in lukhnau.  Educated in urdu and faarsi in raampur and later in punjab university.  Started composing at an early age both in urdu and in faarsi with mirza jafar ali KhaaN asar lakhnavi (urdu) and farruKh shiiraazi (faarsi) as his mentors.  He is a Christian urdu poet who has written conventional Ghazal as well as Christian devotional nazm.  He has four collections to his credit and also compiled a booklet on devotional nazm for observing Good Friday and celebrating Easter.  He served as pastor at the Methodist Church in hyderabad.  This Ghazal is a poignant expression of alienation and injustice.  It has the same radeef and qaafiya as Ghalib’s ‘tha jo raazdaaN apna’ and is linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’.  The Ghazal is dated 1958.  I am not sure if it reflects a specific development or just the general trend.

1.gardener 2.nest

When neither are we welcome in the garden, nor is the gardener sympathetic to us, what is the use of embellishing the nest with flowers.  This is probably an expression of a feeling of alienation in the homeland, of being marginalized.

1.aware 2.ways and traditions 3.destination 4.wilderness to wilderness

No one knows the ways and traditions of (the journey towards the) destination.  For a long time now, this group of seekers has been wandering from wilderness to wilderness.

1.condition 2.gathering, presence 3.speaking the same language, supportive of my words

We too will relay the condition of our heart in her gathering, if by luck, I find someone sympathetic who can support my words.  The ‘her’ could be the beloved or the political leadership.  The poet (and the people he represents) feel that there is no one supportive of their plea.

1.dust 2.hem of the skirt/robe 3.even though 4.hand 5.weak

Here also ‘kisi’ can be the beloved or the political leadership.  Reaching to catch the hem of the skirt/robe is to plead for attention.  But his hand is too weak i.e., he has no access.  The only way he can reach the hem of the skirt is to die, be buried in the beloved’s lane, get converted to dust and reach the hem of the skirt.  This is a classical picture of a spurned lover but the simile can be applied to political leadership.

1.fear 2.snatched away 3.times 4.end result, yield, benefit 5.permanent/constant sorrow

In classical poetic tradition pain of sorrow is treasured.  That is the only thing that the poet has left.  But times have changed so much that even that may be snatched away from him.  That is what he is afraid of.

1.deputy, representative 2.knowledge 3.female slave 4.servant

This probably refers to the observation that human beings have claimed rights over all other creatures by declaring themselves to be representative of god on earth.  But this could well be a sarcastic comment about the rulers claiming such powers over the rest.  They go on to claim that the earth and sky were made for their use and are subservient to them.

1.flower bearing 2.spring 3.pen-name of the poet 4.even though 5.autumn, dry season 6.in the lap of 7.garden

The poet ends on an optimistic note.  O rehaani, spring will arrive bearing flowers, even though today our garden is in the lap of autumn.

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