Har Lehza Ba Shakal Aan - هر لحظه به شکل آن بت عیار برآمد

 

Ameer Minai (1829–1900)

Ameer Minai was a renowned Urdu poet born in Lucknow, India. He was a contemporary of Ghalib and Dagh and gained fame for his ghazals, naats (poetry in praise of the Prophet), and devotional works. His poetry combines elements of romance and mysticism, often using themes of unveiling, longing, and beauty as metaphors for spiritual truth.

The poem beginning with “Hamne beparda tujhe maah-jabeen dekh liya…” reflects his style of blending earthly love with the imagery of divine revelation. Ameer Minai’s contribution to Urdu literature lies in his elegant use of language, mastery of ghazal form, and his role in keeping classical Urdu poetry alive in the late 19th century.

Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi (1207–1273)

Rumi was a Persian poet, jurist, Islamic scholar, and Sufi mystic, born in Balkh (present-day Afghanistan) and later settled in Konya (present-day Turkey). He is one of the most influential spiritual poets in history, and his works have transcended linguistic and cultural boundaries. His major works include the Masnavi-ye Ma’navi (Spiritual Couplets) and Divan-e Shams-e Tabrizi.

The verses “Har lehza ba shakal aan but-e-ayyaar baraamad…” come from his Masnavi. Here, Rumi illustrates the idea that the Divine Beloved appears in endless forms — as creator, creation, buyer, and breaker — and that denying this reality leads to spiritual rejection. His poetry is filled with metaphors of love, music, dance, and union with God, making him timeless and universal.

ہم نے بے پردہ تجھے ماہ جبیں دیکھ لیا

اب نہ کر پردہ کہ اے پردہ نشیں دیکھ لیا

ہم نے دیکھا تجھے آنکھوں کی سیاہ پتلی میں

سات پردوں میں تجھے پردہ نشیں دیکھ لیا

ہم نظر بازوں سے تو چھپ نہ سکا جانِ جہاں

تو جہاں جا کے چھپا ہم نے وہیں دیکھ لیا

تیرے دیدار کی تھی ہم کو تمنا، سو تجھے

لوگ دیکھیں گے وہاں، ہم نے یہیں دیکھ لیا

هر لحظه به شکل آن بت عیار برآمد

دل برد و نهان شد

هر دم به لباس دیگر آن یار برآمد

گه پیر و جوان شد

خود کوزه و خود کوزه‌گر و خود گل کوزه

خود رند صبوح‌کش

خود بر سر آن کوزه خریدار برآمد

بشکست و روان شد

نی نی که همین بود که می‌آمد و می‌رفت

هر قرن که دیدم

تا عاقبت آن شکل عرب‌وار برآمد

دارای جهان شد

رومی سخن کفر نگفتست، نگوید

منکر نشودش

کافر بود آن کس که به انکار برآمد

مردود جهان شد

Urdu Poem (Translation)

We saw you unveiled, O moon-faced beauty,
Now do not veil yourself, for O veiled one, we have already seen you.

We saw you in the black pupils of the eyes,
Even behind seven veils, we saw you sitting hidden.

You could not hide from our sight, O soul of the world,
Wherever you went to hide, we saw you there.

We longed for your vision and found you,
While others will wait to see you there, we saw you here.

---

Persian Poem (Translation)

At every moment, in the form of that playful idol, you appeared,
You stole my heart and then vanished.
Every time, in another garment, that beloved appeared,
Sometimes as old, sometimes as young.

You are yourself the jar, the potter, and the clay of the jar,
Yourself the wine-drinker.
On the jar’s head, you appeared as the buyer too,
You broke it, and then flowed away.

No, no — it was always you who came and went,
In every century that I saw.
At last, you appeared in the form of an Arab,
And became the ruler of the world.

Rumi never spoke words of disbelief, nor does he say them,
Nor can denial touch him.
The unbeliever is the one who rises with rejection,
And he becomes rejected by the world.

Har lehza ba shakal aan but-e-ayyaar baraamad

Dil burd-o-nihaan shud

Har dam ba libaas-e-deegar aan yaar baraamad

Gah peer-o-javaan shud

Khud kooza-o, khud koozaagar-o, khud gil-e-kooza

Khud rind-e-subu kash

Khud bar sar-e-aan kooza khareedaar baraamad

Bishkast-o ravaan shud

Nai nai ke hamin bood ke mi aamad-o mi raft

Har qarn ke deedum

Ta aaqbat aan shakl-e-arab vaar baraamad

Daara-e-jahaan shud

Rumi sukhane kufr na guftast na goyad

Munkir nashvedash

Kaafir buvad aan kas ke ba inkaar baraamad

Mardood-e-jahaan shud