Krishn Kanhaiya (कृष्ण कन्हैया) by Hafeez Jalandhari (हफ़ीज़ जालंधरी)

Hafeez Jalandhari (हफ़ीज़ जालंधरी), the famous Urdu poet wrote the Qaumi Taranah, Pakistan’s national anthem. One of Hafeez Jalandhari’s most famous poem ‘Abhi Toh Mein Jawan Hoon‘ was sung by Malika Pukhraj in the 1950s with music by the renowned Pakistani music director Master Inayat Hussain which is still popular among the public. But not many people know that the Hafeez Jalandhari poet penned Krishn Kanhaiya (कृष्ण कन्हैया), a unique Urdu poem beautifully describes the greatness of the Hindu Deity.

So, in this post, I am trying all my best to share Krishn Kanhaiya or Krishna Kanhaiya (कृष्ण कन्हैया) by Hafeez Jalandhari (हफ़ीज़ जालंधरी) in Hindi as well as in English so that you can understand all properly. If I missed anything related to Krishn Kanhaiya by Hafeez Jalandhari please let me know. So enjoy beautiful poem title “Krishn Kanhaiya”.

Read Also: Summary of the Bhagavad Gita

Krishn Kanhaiya, by Hafeez Jalandhari

ai dekhne wālo (ऐ देखने वालो)
is husn ko dekho (इस हुस्न को देखो)
is rāz ko samjho (इस राज़ को समझो)
O onlooker,
gaze upon this beauty;
try to understand this secret:

yeh naqsh-e-ḳhayālī (ये नक़्श-ए-ख़याली)
yeh fikrat-e-ālī (ये फ़िक्रत-ए-आली)
This figment of the imagination;
this grand thought.

yeh paikar-e-tanvīr (ये पैकर-ए-तनवीर)
yeh krishn kī tasvīr (ये कृष्ण की तस्वीर)
This form of light;
this image of Krishna.

ma’anī hai ki sūrat (मअनी है कि सूरत)
san’at hai ki fitrat (सनअ’त है कि फ़ितरत)
Is he reality or representation?
Is he craft or nature?

zāhir hai ki mastūr (ज़ाहिर है कि मस्तूर)
nazdīk hai yā dūr (नज़दीक है या दूर)
yeh nār hai yā nūr (ये नार है या नूर)
Is he apparent or hidden?
Is he near or far?
Is he fire or light?

duniyā se nirālā (दुनिया से निराला)
yeh bāñsurī wālā (ये बाँसुरी वाला)
gokul kā gwālā (गोकुल का ग्वाला)
He’s an odd one,
this flute player;
this cowherd of Gokul.

hai sehr ki aijāz (है सेहर कि एजाज़)
khultā hī nahīñ rāz (खुलता ही नहीं राज़)
This is a magical miracle;
this secret will not open.

kyā shān hai wallāh (क्या शान है वल्लाह)
kyā ān hai wallāh (क्या आन है वल्लाह)
By God, what glory!
By God, what dignity!

hairān hooñ kyā hai (हैरान हूँ क्या है)
ik shān-e-ḳhudā hai (इक शान-ए-ख़ुदा है)
I am perplexed by what he is;
he is the Majesty of God.

but-ḳhāne ke andar (बुत-ख़ाने के अंदर)
ḳhud husn kā but-gar (ख़ुद हुस्न का बुत-गर)
but ban gayā ā kar (बुत बन गया आ कर)
Inside the temple,
the sculptor of beauty himself
entered and became the idol.

woh turfa nazzāre (वो तुर्फ़ा नज़्ज़ारे)
yād ā gaye sāre (याद आ गए सारे)
jamunā ke kināre (जमुना के किनारे)
Those rare happenings—
they’ve just come back to me—
Back on the banks of the Yamuna…

sabze kā lahaknā (सब्ज़े का लहकना)
phūloñ kā mahaknā (फूलों का महकना)
The plants waving in the breeze;
the fragrance of flowers…

ghanghor ghaTāyeiñ (घनघोर घटाएँ)
sarmast hawāyeiñ (सरमस्त हवाएँ)
The dark rain-clouds,
the intoxicated winds…

ma’asūm umañgeiñ (मासूम उमंगें)
ulfat kī tarañgeiñ (उल्फ़त की तरंगें)
That innocent enthusiasm,
those waves of love…

woh gopiyoñ ke sāth (वो गोपियों के साथ)
hāthoñ meiñ diye hāth (हाथों में दिए हाथ)
raqsāñ huā brijnāth (रक़्साँ हुआ ब्रिजनाथ)
Together with the gopis,
placing his hand in theirs;
the lord of Braj danced.

bansī meiñ jo lay hai (बंसी में जो लय है)
nasha hai na mai hai (नश्शा है न मय है)
kuchh aur hī shai hai (कुछ और ही शय है)
In his flute is a melody that
is neither intoxication nor wine;
it’s something beyond.

ik rūh hai raqsāñ (इक रूह है रक़्साँ)
ik kaif hai larzāñ (इक कैफ़ है लर्ज़ां)
It is a dancing soul;
it is a quivering joy.

ek aql hai mai-nosh (एक अक़्ल है मय-नोश)
ik hosh hai mad-hosh (इक होश है मदहोश)
It is a mind fond of drink,
it is an intoxicated consciousness.

ik ḳhanda hai sayyāl (इक ख़ंदा है सय्याल)
ik girya hai ḳhush-hāl (इक गिर्या है ख़ुश-हाल)
It is a laugh flowing like a torrent,
it is a joyful cry.

ik ishq hai maġhrūr (इक इश्क़ है मग़रूर)
ik husn hai majbūr (इक हुस्न है मजबूर)
ik sehr hai mas-hūr (इक सेहर है मसहूर)
It is an arrogant love,
a constrained beauty,
a mesmerizing spell…

darbār meiñ tanhā (दरबार में तन्हा)
lāchār hai kirishnā (लाचार है कृष्णा)
aa shyām idhar aa (आ श्याम इधर आ)
Alone in the [Kaurava] court,
Draupadi [also called Krishnaa] is helpless.
She calls out: “Come, Shyam, come here!”

sab ahl-e-ḳhusūmat (सब अहल-ए-ख़ुसूमत)
haiñ dar pa’e izzat (हैं दर पए इज़्ज़त)
“All these hateful people;
their honor lies at the door!”

yeh rāj dulāre (ये राज दुलारे)
buzdil hue sāre (बुज़दिल हुए सारे)
“These beloved princes [the Pandavas, Draupadi’s husbands]
have all become cowards!”

parda na ho tārāj (पर्दा न हो ताराज)
bekas kī rahe laaj (बेकस की रहे लाज)
“Without a veil, I will be shamed;
may this helpless wretch’s honor be saved!”

ā jā mere kāle (आ जा मेरे काले)
bhārat ke ujāle (भारत के उजाले)
dāman meiñ chhupā le (दामन में छुपा ले)
“Come, my Dark One,
the light of India;
Drape me in your robe!”

woh ho gayī an-ban (वो हो गई अन-बन)
woh garm huā ran (वो गर्म हुआ रन)
ġhālib hai duryodhan (ग़ालिब है दुर्योधन)
They have started quarreling,
they have heated up the war.
Duryodhan seems victorious.

woh ā gaye jagdīsh (वो आ गए जगदीश)
woh miT gayī tashvīsh (वो मिट गई तशवीश)
Wait—he has come, the Lord of the World!
Our anxiety has been erased!

arjun ko bulāyā (अर्जुन को बुलाया)
upadesh sunāyā (उपदेश सुनाया)
He called Arjuna,
and preached to him [the Bhagavad Gita].

ġham-zād kā ġham kyā (ग़म-ज़ाद का ग़म क्या)
ustād kā ġham kyā (उस्ताद का ग़म क्या)
What is the sorrow of that sorrowful one?
What is the sorrow of the teacher (guru)?

lo ho gayī tadbīr (लो हो गई तदबीर)
lo ban gayī taqdīr (लो बन गई तक़दीर)
lo chal gayī shamshīr (लो चल गई शमशीर)
The solution has been reached;
the divine decree has been pronounced;
the sword has been swung!

sīrat hai adū-soz (सीरत है अदू-सोज़)
sūrat nazar-afroz (सूरत नज़र-अफ़रोज़)
dil kaifiyat-andoz (दिल कैफ़ियत-अंदोज़)
His virtues burn enemies;
his face shines a bright gaze;
his heart understands character.

ġhusse meiñ jo ā jāye (ग़ुस्से में जो आ जाए)
bijlī hī girā jāye (बिजली ही गिरा जाए)
aur lutf par āye (और लुत्फ़ पर आए)
to ghar bhī luTā jaaye (तो घर भी लुटा जाए)
If he gets angry,
he strikes down lightning;
and if he is pleased,
he still loots houses. [similar image to stealing hearts?]

pariyoñ meiñ hai gulfām (परियों में है गुलफ़ाम)
rādhā ke liye shyām (राधा के लिए श्याम)
Among the angels, he is rose-colored;
For Radha, he is Shyam, the Dark One.

balrām kā bhayyā (बलराम का भय्या)
mathurā kā basayyā (मथुरा का बसय्या)
bindrā meiñ kanhaiyā (बिंद्रा में कन्हैय्या)
Balaram’s brother,
the famed one of Mathura,
that Kanhaiya of Bindra (a forest near Gokul).

ban ho gaye vīrāñ (बन हो गए वीराँ)
barbād gulistāñ (बर्बाद गुलिस्ताँ)
sakhiyāñ haiñ pareshāñ (सखियाँ हैं परेशाँ)
Forests have become desolate;
gardens ruined;
the gopis are distraught.

jamunā kā kinārā (जमुना का किनारा)
sunsān hai sārā (सुनसान है सारा)
The banks of the Yamuna
have gone silent.

tūfān haiñ ḳhāmosh (तूफ़ान हैं ख़ामोश)
maujoñ meiñ nahīñ josh (मौजों में नहीं जोश)
Even its storms are silent;
there is no passion in its waves.

lau tujh se lagī hai (लौ तुझ से लगी है)
hasrat hī yahī hai (हसरत ही यही है)
My affection is to you;
this is my unfulfilled wish:

ai hind ke rājā (ऐ हिन्द के राजा)
ik bār phir ā jā (इक बार फिर आ जा)
dukh dard miTā jā (दुख दर्द मिटा जा)
Oh king of India,
come just once more!
Destroy our suffering and pain!

abr aur hawā se (अब्र और हवा से)
bulbul kī sadā se (बुलबुल की सदा से)
phūloñ kī ziyā se (फूलों की ज़िया से)
From the clouds and the winds,
from the nightingale’s song,
from the flowers’ radiance

jādū-asarī gum (जादू-असरी गुम)
shorīda-sarī gum (शोरीदा-सरी गुम)
The effect of magic is lost
The lovesickness is lost

hāñ terī judāyī (हाँ तेरी जुदाई)
mathurā ko na bhāyī (मथुरा को न भाई)
Indeed, your absence
does not befit Mathura.

tū āye to shān āye (तू आए तो शान आए)
tū āye to jān āye (तू आए तो जान आए)
If you come, glory will come;
if you come, life will come.

ānā na akele (आना न अकेले)
hoñ sāth woh mele (हों साथ वो मेले)
sakhiyoñ ke jhamele (सखियों के झमेले)
Don’t come alone,
let those festivals also be there together,
those quarrels with the gopis…

I hope you liked Krishn Kanhaiya poem, which was written by Hafeez Jalandhari. I really appreciate if you help me to improve my work. Please share your views and suggestions about krishn kanhaiya or anything else in comments.

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Pardeep Patelhttps://pardeeppatel.com/
Hi!, I am Pardeep Patel, an Indian passport holder. I completed my M-Tech (Computer Science) in 2016. I love to travel, eat different foods from various cuisines, experience different cultures, make new friends and meet other.

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