See the script bar at the bottom of the page for viewing choices. I have corrected obvious calligraphic errors, and have adjusted the punctuation for clarity. The original long paragraphs have been numbered (#1# and so on) and then broken into shorter ones. Sectional numbers have been inserted. Qamar Ra'is, ed., pp. 234-236.
adab kii ;Gara.z-o-;Gaayat
;hazraat !
[(1) Our language has developed a literature]
#1# yih jalsah hamaarii adab kii taarii;x me;N ek aham vaaqi((ah hai _ hamaarii sammelano;N aur anjumano;N me;N ab tak ((aam :taur par zabaan aur us kii ishaa((at se ba;ha;s kii jaatii rahii hai -- yahaa;N tak kih urduu aur hindii kaa jo li;Trechar maujuud hai , us kaa manshaa ;xayaalaat aur ja;zbaat par a;sar ;Daalnaa nahii;N , balkih ma;ha.z zabaan kii ta((miir thaa _ vuh bhii nihaayat hii aham kaam thaa _ jab tak zabaan ek mustaqil .suurat nah i;xtiyaar kar le , us me;N ;xayaalaat-o-ja;zbaat adaa karne kii :taaqat hii kahaa;N se aa))e _ hamaarii zabaan ke baaniyo;N ne hinduustaanii zabaan kii ta((miir kar ke qaum par jo a;hsaan kiyaa hai , is ke li))e ham un ke mashkuur nah ho;N to yih hamaarii a;hsaan-faraamoshii hogii _
lekin zabaan ;zarii((ah hai , manzil nahii;N _ ab hamaarii zabaan ne vuh ;hai;siyat i;xtiyaar kar lii hai kih ham zabaan se guzar kar us ke ma((nii kii :taraf bhii mutavajjuh ho;N aur is par ;Gaur kare;N kih jis manshaa se yih ta((miir shuruu(( kii ga((ii thii , vuh kyuu;N-kar puuraa ho _ vuhii zabaan jis me;N ibtid;aan baa;G-o-bahaar aur baitaal pachchiisii kii ta.sniif hii mi((raaj-e kamaal thii , ab [[235]] is qaabil ho ga))ii hai kih ((ilm-o-;hikmat ke masaa))il bhii adaa kare _
#2# aur yih jalsah isii ;haqiiqat kaa khulaa hu))aa i((tiraaf hai _ zabaan bol chaal kii bhii hotii hai aur ta;hriir kii bhii _ bol chaal kii zabaan to miir amman aur lalluu laal ke zamaanah me;N bhii maujuud thii _ unho;N ne jis zabaan kii daa;G-bel ;Daalii vuh ta;hriir kii zabaan thii , aur vuhii ab adab [kii] hai _ ham bol chaal se apne qariib ke logo;N se apne ;xayaalaat :zaahir karte hai;N , apnii ;xvushii yaa ranj ke ja;zbaat kaa naqshah khe;Nchte hai;N _ adiib vuhii kaam ta;hriir se kartaa hai _ haa;N us ke sun'ne vaalo;N kaa daa))irah bahut vasii(( hotaa hai , aur agar us ke bayaan me;N ;haqiiqat aur sachchaa))ii hai to .sadiyo;N aur qarno;N tak us kii ta;hriire;N dilo;N par a;sar kartii rahtii hai;N _
meraa manshaa nahii;N kih jo kuchh supurd-e qalam ho jaa))e , vuh sab kaa sab adab hai _ adab us ta;hriir ko kahte hai;N jis me;N ;haqiiqat kaa i:zhaar ho _ jis kii zabaan pu;xtah , shustah , aur la:tiif ho _ aur jis me;N dil aur dimaa;G par a;sar ;Daalne kii .sift ho _ aur adab me;N yih .sift kaamil :taur par usii ;haalat me;N paidaa hotii hai , jab us me;N zindagii kii ;haqiiqate;N aur tajrube bayaan ki))e ga))e ho;N _ :tilismaatii ;hikaayato;N yaa bhuut pret ke qi.s.so;N yaa shahzaado;N ke ;husn-o-((ishq kii daastaano;N se ham kisii zamaanah me;N mutaa;sir hu))e ho;N lekin ab un me;N hamaare li))e bahut kam dilchaspii hai _
#3# is me;N ko))ii shak nahii;N kih fi:trat-e insaanii kaa maahir adiib shahzaado;N ke ;husn-o-((ishq aur :tilismaatii ;hikaayat me;N bhii zindagii kii ;haqiiqate;N bayaan kar saktaa hai aur us me ;husn kii ta;xliiq kar saktaa hai _ lekin us se bhii is ;haqiiqat kii ta.sdiiq hotii hai kih li;Trechar me;N taa;siir paidaa karne ke li))e .zaruurii hai kih vuh zindagii kii ;haqiiqato;N kaa aa))iinah-vaar ho , phir aap [[236]] use jis pas-man:zar me;N chaahe;N , rakh sakte hai;N _ cha;Re kii ;hikaayat yaa gul-o-bulbul kii daastaan bhii us ke li))e mauzuu;N ;saabit ho saktii hai _
The Purpose and Range of Literature
Gentlemen!
[(1) Our language has developed a literature]
#1#This gathering is, in the history of our 'literature', an important event. In our sammelans and anjumans, up till now usually discussion has gone on about our language and its publishing-- to such an extent that the literature that exists in Urdu and Hindi has had the purpose not to create an influence on thoughts and feelings, but rather merely to construct a language. That too was an extremely important task. As long as the language would not take on a single stable form, from where would it get even the strength to express thoughts and feelings? The favor that the founders of our language have done for the community by constructing the Hindustani language-- if we would not be thankful to them, then this will be our ingratitude.
But the language is a means, not a destination. Now our language has taken on such a status that we should pass beyond the language and also be attentive to its meaning, and reflect on how the intention with which its construction had been begun, would become fulfilled. That same language in which in the beginning the composition of Bagh-o-bahar and Baital paccisi was the height of accomplishment, has now become capable of expressing problems of learning and knowledge as well.
#2# And this gathering is an open confession of this very reality. The language is one of everyday conversation, and also of writing. The language of everday conversation was present in the time of Mir Amman and Lallu Lal too. The language that they delineated was a language of writing, and now it is one of literature. In the language of everyday conversation we express our thoughts to our intimates, we create a picture of our feelings of happiness or sorrow. An author does that same work through writing. Indeed, the circle of his listeners is usually very wide, and if in his expression there is reality and truth then his writings keep on affecting hearts for centuries and generations.
I do not mean to say that whatever would be confided to a pen is always literature. That writing in which there would be an expression of reality is called literature-- the language of which would be well-made, polished, and elegant, and would have the quality of affecting the heart and mind. And in literature this quality is created in a perfected way, when in it the realities and experiences of life would have been expressed. Tales of enchantment, or stories of ghosts and goblins, or dastans of the romantic passions of princes, might have affected us at some time, but now for us they hold very little interest.
#3#There's no doubt that an expert author can express the realities of life in the romantic passions of princes and in tales of enchantment, and can create beauty in them. But an even greater proof of this reality is that in 'literature', in order to create an effect it's necessary that it should be like a mirror to those realities of life; then you can put it into whichever background you might wish. The Tale of a Climb, or the dastan of the Rose and the Nightingale, can prove to be harmonious/satisfactory to them.
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