Original Poem
'inshā'-jī uTho ab kuuch karo is shahr meñ jī ko lagānā kyā vahshī ko sukūñ se kyā matlab jogī kā nagar meñ Thikānā kyā is dil ke darīda dāman ko dekho to sahī socho to sahī jis jholī meñ sau chhed hue us jholī kā phailānā kyā shab biitī chāñd bhī Duub chalā zanjīr paḌī darvāze meñ kyuuñ der ga.e ghar aa.e ho sajnī se karoge bahānā kyā phir hijr kī lambī raat miyāñ sanjog kī to yahī ek ghaḌī jo dil meñ hai lab par aane do sharmānā kyā ghabrānā kyā us roz jo un ko dekhā hai ab ḳhvāb kā aalam lagtā hai us roz jo un se baat huī vo baat bhī thī afsānā kyā us husn ke sachche motī ko ham dekh sakeñ par chhū na sakeñ jise dekh sakeñ par chhū na sakeñ vo daulat kyā vo ḳhazānā kyā us ko bhī jalā dukhte hue man ik sho.ala laal bhabūkā ban yuuñ aañsū ban bah jaanā kyā yuuñ maaTī meñ mil jaanā kyā jab shahr ke log na rastā deñ kyuuñ ban meñ na jā bisrām kare dīvānoñ kī sī na baat kare to aur kare dīvānā kyā
Translation (English)
Insha, get up now and leave, why get attached to this city?
What does a wild person care about peace, what is a hermit's place in the city?
Look at this torn heart, think about it
What is the point of spreading a cloak full of holes?
The night has passed, the moon has also set, the chain is on the door
Why are you late coming home, what excuse will you make to your beloved?
Again, the long night of separation, this is the only moment of union
Let what is in your heart come to your lips, why be shy, why be scared?
The day I saw them, now it feels like a dream
The day I spoke to them, even that conversation was a story
We could see the true pearls of that beauty but could not touch
What we can see but not touch, what is that wealth, what is that treasure?
Burn that heart too, let it become a red flame
Why become tears and flow away, why mix with the dust?
When the people of the city do not give way, why not go to the forest and rest?
If you do not speak like the mad, then what else can a madman do?
About the Poet
Ibn-e-Insha (20th century)
Sher Muhammad Khan, better known by his pen name Ibn-e-Insha, was a Pakistani Urdu poet, humorist, travelogue writer, and newspaper columnist. He was known for his distinctive diction and humorous style, influencing generations of poets.
Read more on Wikipedia →Historical Context
- Literary Form
- Ghazal
- When Written
- 20th century
- Background
- The poem reflects themes of existential reflection and the transient nature of life, common in Ibn-e-Insha's work. It explores the futility of worldly attachments and the search for inner peace.
Sources: https://www.rekhta.org/ghazals/inshaa-jii-utho-ab-kuuch-karo-is-shahr-men-jii-ko-lagaanaa-kyaa-ibn-e-insha-ghazals, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibn-e-Insha
Detailed Explanation
This ghazal by Ibn-e-Insha explores themes of detachment, existential reflection, and the search for inner peace. The poet urges himself to leave the city, symbolizing worldly attachments, and questions the value of material possessions and relationships. The imagery of a torn heart and a cloak full of holes suggests the futility and impermanence of life. The poem reflects on the fleeting nature of beauty and love, as seen in the lines about seeing but not touching true pearls. The poet also contemplates the inevitability of death and the futility of tears, urging a transformation into something more enduring. The final couplet suggests a retreat into solitude or madness as an escape from societal constraints.
Themes
Literary Devices
Word Dictionary
| Word | Meaning | Translation | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 'inshā'-jī | انشا جی | Insha Ji, a respectful address to the poet | inshaa-jee |
| uTho | اٹھو | get up | utho |
| ab | اب | now | ab |
| kuuch | کچھ | something | kuchh |
| karo | کرو | do | karo |
| is | اس | this | is |
| shahr | شہر | city | shahr |
| meñ | میں | in | mein |
| jī | جی | heart | jee |
| ko | کو | to | ko |
| lagānā | لگانا | attach | laganaa |
| kyā | کیا | what | kya |
| vahshī | وحشی | wild one | vahshi |
| sukūñ | سکون | peace | sukoon |
| se | سے | with | se |
| matlab | مطلب | meaning | matlab |
| jogī | جوگی | hermit | jogi |
| kā | کا | of | ka |
| nagar | نگر | city | nagar |
| Thikānā | ٹھکانہ | place | thikaanaa |
| dil | دل | heart | dil |
| ke | کے | of | ke |
| darīda | دریدہ | torn | dareedaa |
| dāman | دامن | cloak | daaman |
| dekho | دیکھو | look | dekho |
| to | تو | then | to |
| sahī | صحیح | right | sahi |
| socho | سوچو | think | socho |
| jis | جس | which | jis |
| jholī | جھولی | lap | jholi |
| sau | سو | hundred | sau |
| chhed | چھید | holes | chhed |
| hue | ہوئے | happened | hue |
| us | اس | that | us |
| phailānā | پھیلانا | spread | phailaanaa |
| shab | شب | night | shab |
| biitī | بیتی | passed | beetee |
| chāñd | چاند | moon | chaand |
| bhī | بھی | also | bhi |
| Duub | ڈوب | set | doob |
| chalā | چلا | went | chalaa |
| zanjīr | زنجیر | chain | zanjeer |
| paḌī | پڑی | lay | padee |
| darvāze | دروازے | door | darwaze |
| kyuuñ | کیوں | why | kyun |
| der | دیر | late | der |
| ga.e | گئے | went | gaye |
| ghar | گھر | home | ghar |
| aa.e | آئے | came | aaye |
| ho | ہو | are | ho |
| sajnī | سجنی | beloved | sajni |
| karoge | کروگے | will do | karoge |
| bahānā | بہانہ | excuse | bahaanaa |
| phir | پھر | again | phir |
| hijr | ہجر | separation | hijr |
| kī | کی | of | ki |
| lambī | لمبی | long | lambi |
| raat | رات | night | raat |
| miyāñ | میاں | sir | miyaan |
| sanjog | سنجوگ | union | sanjog |
| yahī | یہی | this | yahi |
| ek | ایک | one | ek |
| ghaḌī | گھڑی | moment | ghadee |
| jo | جو | that | jo |
| lab | لب | lips | lab |
| par | پر | but | par |
| aane | آنے | come | aane |
| do | دو | let | do |
| sharmānā | شرمانا | be shy | sharmaanaa |
| ghabrānā | گھبرانا | be afraid | ghabraanaa |
| roz | روز | day | roz |
| un | ان | them | un |
| dekhā | دیکھا | saw | dekhaa |
| hai | ہے | is | hai |
| ḳhvāb | خواب | dream | khwaab |
| aalam | عالم | state | aalam |
| lagtā | لگتا | seems | lagtaa |
| baat | بات | talk | baat |
| huī | ہوئی | happened | huee |
| vo | وہ | that | vo |
| thī | تھی | was | thi |
| afsānā | افسانہ | tale | afsana |
| husn | حسن | beauty | husn |
| sachche | سچے | true | sachche |
| motī | موتی | pearls | moti |
| ham | ہم | we | ham |
| dekh | دیکھ | see | dekh |
| sakeñ | سکیں | could | saken |
| chhū | چھو | touch | chhu |
| na | نہ | not | na |
| jise | جسے | which | jise |
| daulat | دولت | wealth | daulat |
| ḳhazānā | خزانہ | treasure | khazana |
| jalā | جلا | burn | jalaa |
| dukhte | دکھتے | aching | dukhte |
| man | من | heart | man |
| ik | ایک | one | ik |
| sho.ala | شعلہ | flame | sho'alaa |
| laal | لال | red | laal |
| bhabūkā | بھبوکا | blaze | bhabookaa |
| ban | بن | forest | ban |
| yuuñ | یوں | thus | yoon |
| aañsū | آنسو | tears | aansoo |
| bah | بہ | flow | bah |
| jaanā | جانا | go | jaanaa |
| maaTī | مٹی | dust | maatee |
| mil | مل | mix | mil |
| jab | جب | when | jab |
| log | لوگ | people | log |
| rastā | راستہ | way | rasta |
| deñ | دیں | give | den |
| jā | جا | go | ja |
| bisrām | بسرام | rest | bisraam |
| kare | کرے | do | kare |
| dīvānoñ | دیوانوں | madmen | divanon |
| sī | سی | like | si |
| aur | اور | and | aur |
| dīvānā | دیوانہ | madman | divana |
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