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ghar /  anam / 1999 / March

Pandit Brij Narayan Chakbast [ 1882- 1926]

        This is a very long nazm, the use of language is simply beautiful and art of storytelling is remarkable. Had Chakbast written the whole Ramayana in the nazm style, it would have been an invaluable asset of the Urdu literature. His premature death did not let him complete this project. Nevertheless only this nazm is sufficient enough to give Chakbast an immortal place in the Urdu literature.                                                                    ---- kashif 

rukHsat hua wo baap se le kar kHuda ka naam
raah-e-wafa ki manzil-e-awwal hui tamaam [awwal= first]
manzoor tha jo maaN ki ziyaarat ka intezaam [ ziyaarat= pilgrimage]
daaman se ashk pochh ke dil se kiya kalaam [ ashk= tears]

izhaar-e-bekasi se sitam hoga aur bhi [ bekasi= hopelessness]
dekha hameN udaas to gHam hoga aur bhi

dil ko saNbhaalta hua aakHir wo nau-nihaal
kHaamosh maaN ke paas gaya surat-e-kHyaal
dekha to aik dar meN hai baiThi wo kHasta haal
sakta so ho gaya hai, ye hai shiddat-e-malaal

tan meN lahoo ka naam nahiN, zard raNg hai [ zard= pale]
goya bashar nahiN, koi tasveer-e-saNg hai [ bashar= life; saNg= stone]

kya jaane kis kHayaal meN gum thi wo begunaah
noor-e-nazar pe deeda-e-hasrat se ki nigaah
juNbish hui laboN ko, bhari aik sard aah [ juNbish= movement]
li gosha haai chashm se ashkoN ne rukH ki raah

chehre ka raNg haalat-e-dil kholne laga
har moo-e-tan zabaaN ki tarah bolne laga

aakHir, aseer-e-yaas ka qufal-e-dahan khula
afsana shadaayed-e-raNj-o-mahan khula
ik daftar-e-muzaalim-e-charkH-e-kuhan khula
wa tha dahaan-e-zakHm, ke baab-e-sukHan khula

dard-e-dil-e-gHareeb jo sarf-e-bayaaN hua
kHoon-e-jigar ka raNg sukHan se ayaaN hua

ro kar kaha; kHamoosh khaRhe kyuN jo meri jaaN?
maiN jaanti hooN, kis liye aaye ho tum yahaaN
sab ki kHushi yahi hai to sahra ko ho rawaaN
lekin maiN apne muNh se na hargiz kahooNgi "haaN"

kis tarah ban meN aaNkh ke taare ko bhej dooN?
jogi bana ke raaj dulaare ko bhej dooN?

duniya ka ho gaya hai ye kaisa lahoo safed?
aNdha kiye hue haiN zar-o-maal ki ummid
aNjaam kya hua? koi nahiN jaanta ye bhed
soche bashar, to jism ho larzaaN misaal-e-beid

likkhi hai kya hayaat-e-abad in ke waaste?
phaila rahe haiN jal ye kis din ke waaste?

leti kisi faqeer ke ghar meN agar janam
hote na meri jaan ko samaan ye baham
Dasta na saaNp ban ke mujhe shaukat-o-hasham
tum mere laal, the mujhe kis saltanat se kam

maiN kHush hooN, phooNk de koi is takHt-o-taaj ko
tum hi nahiN, to aag lagaaooN-gi raaj ko

kin kin riyaazatoN se guzaare haiN maah-o-saal
dekhi tumhaari shakal jab ai mere nau-nihaal!
pura hua jo byaah ka armaan tha kamaal
aafat aayi mujh pe, hue jab safed baal

chhooT-ti hooN unn se, jog lena jin ke waaste
kya sab kiya tha maine issi din ke waaste?

aise bhi naa-muraad bahut aayeNge nazar
ghar jin ke be chiraagH rahe aah! umr bhar
rahta mera bhi nakHl-e-tamanna jo besamar
ye jaaye sabar thi, ke dua meN nahiN asar

lekin yahaaN to ban ke muqaddar hi bigaRh gaya
phal phool la ke baagH-e-tamanna ujaRh gaya

sarzad hue the mujh se kHuda jaane kya gunaah
maNjhdaar meN jo yuN meri kashti hui tabah
aati nazar nahiN koi aman-o-amaaN ki raah
ab yaaN se kooch ho to adam  meN mile panaah

taqseer meri, kHaaliq-e-aalam bahal kare
aasaan mujh gHareeb ki mushkil ajal kare

sun kar zabaaN se maaN ki ye faryaad dard kHez
uss kHastaH jaaN ke dil pe gHam ki tegH-e-tez
aalam ye tha qareeb, ke aaNkheN hoN ask rez
lekin hazaar zabt se rone se ki gurez

socha yahi, ke jaan se bekas guzar na jaaye
nashaad hum ko dekh kar maaN aur mar na jaaye

phir arz ki ye maadar-e-nashaad ke huzoor
mayuus kyuN haiN aap? alam ka hai kyuN wafoor?
sadma ye shaaq aalam-e-peeri hai zaroor
lekin na dil se kijiye sabr-o-qaraar door

shayad kHizaaN se shakal ayaaN ho bahaar ki
kuchh maslahat isi meN ho parwardigaar ki

ye jaal, ye fareb, ye saazish, ye shor-o-shar
ho na jo hai, sab uss ke bahaane haiN sar ba sar
asbbab-e-zaahiri haiN, na in par karo nazar
kya jaane kya hai pardaa-e-qudrat meN jalwa-gar

kHaas uss ki maslahat koi pahchaanta nahiN
manzoor kya use hai? koi jaanta nahiN

rahat ho ya ke raNj, kHushi ho ke inteshaar
waajib har aik raNg meN hai shukar-e-kirdgaar
tum hi nahiN ho kushta-e-neeraNg-e-rozgaar
matam kadda meN dahar ke lakhoN haiN sogwaar

sakHti sahi nahiN, ke uThai kaRhi nahiN
duniya meN kya kisi pe musibat paRhi nahiN

dekhe haiN is se baRh ke zamaane ne inqilaab
jin se ke begunaahoN ki umreN huiN kHaraab
soze-darooN se qalb-o-jigar ho gaye kabaab
peeri miTi kisi ki, kisi ka miTa shabaab

kuchh ban nahiN paRha, jo naseebe bigaRh gaye
wo bijliyaaN giriN, ke bhare ghar ujaRh gaye

maaN baap muNh hi dekhte the ji ka har ghaRhi
qaayam thiN jin ke dam se umeedeN baRhi baRhi
daman pe jin ke gard bhi uRh kar nahiN paRhti
maari na jin ko kHwaab meN bhi phool ki chhaRhi

mahroom jab wo gul hue raNg-e-hayaat se [ hayaat= life]
un ko jala ke kHaa kiya apne haat se [haat = hand]

kahte the log dekh ke maaN baap ka malaal
in be-kasoN ki jaan ka bachna hai ab muhaal
hai kibirya ki shaan, guzarte hi maah-o-saal
kHud dil se dard-e-hijr ka miT-ta gaya kHyaal

haaN kuchh dinoN to nauha wa maatam hua kiya
aakHir ko ro ke baiTh rahe, aur kya kiya ?

paRhta hai jis gHareeb pe raNj-o-mahan ka baar
karta hai uss ko sabar ata aap kirdaar
maayoos ho ke hote haiN insaaNN gunaah-gaar
ye  jaante nahiN, wo hai dana-e-rozgaar

insaan uss ki raah meN saabit-e-qadam rahe
gar din wahi hai, amr-e-raza meN jo kHam  rahe

aur aap ko to kuchh bhi nahiN raNj ka muqaam
baad-e-safar watan meN ham aayeNge shaad kaam
hote haiN baat karne meN chawdaa (14) baras tamaam
qaayam umeed hi se hai, duniya hai jis ka naam

aur yuN kahiN bhi raNj-o-bala se mafar nahiN [ mafar= escape]
kay hoga do ghaRhi meN kisi ko kHabar nahiN

aksar riyaaz karte haiN phooloN pe baagHbaaN
hai din ki dhoop, raat ki shabnam unhe giraaN
lekin jo raNg baagH badalta hai na guhaaN
wo gul hazaar pardoN meN jaate haiN raygaaN

rakhte haiN jo azeez unhe apni jaaN ki tarah
milte haiN dast-e-yaas wo barg-e-kHezaan ki tarah

lekin jo phool khilte haiN sahra meN beshumaar
mauqoof kuchh riyaaz pe un ki nahiN bahaar
dekho ye chaman aaraaye rozgaar
wo abr-o-baad-o-baraf meN rahte haiN baqaraar [ abr= cloud; baad= wind; baraf= snow]

hota haiun pe fasal jo rabbe kareem ka
mauj-e-sumoom banti hai jhoNka naseem ka

apni nigaah hai karam-e-karsaaz par [ kaarsaaz= GOD]
sahra chaman banega, wo hai meharbaaN agar
jaNgal hoya pahaaRh, sagfar ho ke ho hazar
rahta nahiN wo haal se bande ke be kHabar

uss ka karam shareek agar hai to gHam nahiN [ shareek= included]
daamaan-e-dasht, daaman-e-maadar se kam nahiN [ dasht= jungle; maadar= mother]

Read part II of this nazm : maaN ka jawaab