# Urdu: inspire, inspiration



## omlick

We have the word for inspired now, but what is the word for the noun?

Thanks


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## UrduMedium

Reviving an old unanswered thread ...

Urdu word that comes to mind is ilhaam, but it applies to only one aspect of the English "inspiration".


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## Faylasoof

Depending on the context:

وحی _waHii_ / الہام_ ilhaam_ / القا _ilqaa _

But also نوائے سروش _nawaa'-e-sarosh_ = inspiration from an angel's voice

Here is Ghalib using نوائے سروش in his famous lines to mean inspiration:

    آتے ہیں غیب سے یہ مضامین خیال میں
    غالب! صریرِ خامہ، نواے سروش ہے 
غالب

...  and وسواس _waswaas_ = evil inspiration (originally from the Quran,  Surah an-Naas: Verse 4, where it appears as مِن شَرِّ ٱلۡوَسۡوَاسِ  ٱلۡخَنَّاسِ  )


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## UrduMedium

^Thanks for the additional choices. Very well put.

I was wondering about the more common English usage like "so and so is an inspiration for the youth", or "I seek inspiration from ...." meaning something that uplifts, encourages, and well inspire someone to do something.


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## Faylasoof

UrduMedium said:


> ^Thanks for the additional choices. Very well put.
> 
> I was wondering about the more common English usage like "so and so is an inspiration for the youth", or "I seek inspiration from ...." meaning something that uplifts, encourages, and well inspire someone to do something.


 Thanks! Glad you liked it!
For your example UM SaaHib, the first thing that comes to mind is the word مثال _mithaal_, i.e. _mithaal bannaa_ / _honaa_ = To become / be an example for someone and thus inspire them. 

_maiN unkii mithaal _(_apne_) _saamne rakhtaa huuN_ = I have him / her as an example in front of me = I seek inspiration from him / her.


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## Chhaatr

Moderator note: This is thread is now merged with the previous one about the same topic. Please, everyone, don't forget to search for the answer before opening a new thread, so as to avoid unnecessary repetitions. Thanks.


How does one say the following sentences in Urdu?

1. He is an inspiration for me,
2. He inspires me to...

(In Hindi I would say: 1) wo mere liye prerRNaa ke srot haiN 2) woh mujhe prerit karte haiN...)

Thanks!


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## Alfaaz

As you can see in that thread and elsewhere in the forum, _inspiration_ in this context seems to be a word for which Urdu probably doesn't have a single equivalent (other examples discussed in the forum: _contribution, irony, share, etc._)

The following could probably be used to describe the idea:


			
				Chhaatr said:
			
		

> How does one say the following sentences in Urdu?
> 
> 1. He is an inspiration for me,


وہ میرے لیے ایک مثال ہیں/کی حیثیت رکھتے ہیں - _woh mere liye aik misaal haiN/kii Haisiyyat rakhte haiN 
_وہ میرے لیے ایک محرک ہیں/کی حیثیت رکھتے ہیں - _woh mere liye aik muHarrik haiN/kii Haisiyyat rakhte haiN 
_وہ میرے لیے باعثِ تشویق ہیں - _woh mere liye baa3is-e-tashweeq haiN
_میں ان سے متاثر ہوں_ - maiN un se mutaassir hooN
_وغیرہ -_ etc._


			
				Chhaatr said:
			
		

> 2. He inspires me to...


وہ مجھ میں جوش/شوق/جذبہ پیدا کرتے ہیں ـــــــــ کرنے کے لیے - _woh mujh meN josh/shauq/jazbah paidah karte haiN_ _________ karne ke liye
_وہ مجھے اکساتے / متاثر کرتے ہیں ـــــــــ کرنے کے لیے - _woh mujhe uksaate/mutaasir karte haiN ________ karne ke liye
_وہ مجھے محرک کر بنا دیتے ہیں ـــــــــ کرنے کے لیے - _woh mujhe muHarrak kar/banaa dete haiN ________ karne ke liye
_وہ مجھے ابھارتے ہیں ـــــــــ کرنے کے لیے _- woh mujhe ubhaarte haiN ________ karne ke liye
_وغیرہ_ - etc.

_There could be some mistakes in the suggestions above, so let's see what others suggest!


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## marrish

I share the above opinion about shades of meaning that different Urdu words have.

Chaatr SaaHib, not that it's important here for Urdu but just by the way, you wrote "sroth". Did you mean "source"?


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## Chhaatr

Alfaaz SaaHib thank you very much for the detailed reply.  Much appreciated.

marrish SaaHib, yes I meant "source" and by the way there is a mistake in my transliteration.  It should be _srot_.  Down south everyone around me writes th to denote _t_!  _lagtaa hai jaane anjaane maiN bhii is riwaaj se kaafii mutaasir huuN!_


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## marrish

I understand it, it's nothing, I just wanted to have a confirmation if I understood you right, Chhaatr SaaHib.

What about:

_2. wuh mere dil meN abc karne kii baat Daalte haiN?/Daal chuke haiN/Daal dii. _Or_, mere dil meN abc karne kaa shauq Daal diyaa_?

BTW, _aap muta'as*sa*r hu'e hoN ge junuub-e-hind se. aap kaa us par asar ho to aap muta'assir hoN ge.
BTW 2. riwaaj Thiik hae. 3aadat bihtar hae. rawaaj aur achchhaa!_


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## Chhaatr

Marrish SaaHib, I was looking for one Urdu word for inspiration but as you and other friends have indicated there is no single word for this.

_sujhaa'o aur iSlaahaat ke li'e bahut shukriyah.  _Much appreciated.


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## Qureshpor

Chhaatr said:


> Marrish SaaHib, I was looking for one Urdu word for inspiration but as you and other friends have indicated there is no single word for this...[..]


This is not quite true Chhaatr Jii. Faylasoof SaaHib in the following thread, post 3 has given a one word answer, namely "ilqaa" which fits the context of your query. I thought I would visit an Urdu poetry forum and see what the Urdu poets use for "inspiration" and the answer I got there supports Faylasoof SaaHib's suggestion.

 http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=1962478&highlight=ilqaa

“kehne ka matlab yeh hai k is she'r ka ilqaa (= inspiration) mujh Ghareeb-ul-zamaaN ko shaa'ir-e-jamaal janaab-e-Firaaq* Gorakhpuri ki nazm "husn ki devi" ke chaNd ash'aar se huaa --- “ (Raj Kumar “Qais”)

Raghupati Sahay “Firaaq” Gorakhpuri (1896-1982)

xud apne bhed se maHram kiyaa jise chaahaa
kisii ko ho gayaa* ilqaa*, kisii ko xvaab hu’aa

Shaikh Imdaad Ali “Bahr” (d 1878)

 اب ہو سکے تو ہمیں ہندی ادب سے پریرنڑا کے استعمال کی ایک آدھ مثال دے دیں۔ بڑی مہربانی ہو گی۔


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## Alfaaz

Qureshpor said:
			
		

> This is not quite true Chhaatr Jii. Faylasoof SaaHib in the following thread, post 3 has given a one word answer, namely "ilqaa" which fits the context of your query. I thought I would visit an Urdu poetry forum and see what the Urdu poets use for "inspiration" and the answer I got there supports Faylasoof SaaHib's suggestion.
> 
> http://forum.wordreference.com/showt...ighlight=ilqaa
> 
> “kehne ka matlab yeh hai k is she'r ka ilqaa (= inspiration) mujh Ghareeb-ul-zamaaN ko shaa'ir-e-jamaal janaab-e-Firaaq* Gorakhpuri ki nazm "husn ki devi" ke chaNd ash'aar se huaa --- “ (Raj Kumar “Qais”)
> 
> Raghupati Sahay “Firaaq” Gorakhpuri (1896-1982)
> 
> xud apne bhed se maHram kiyaa jise chaahaa
> kisii ko ho gayaa* ilqaa*, kisii ko xvaab hu’aa
> 
> Shaikh Imdaad Ali “Bahr” (d 1878)


Qureshpor SaaHib, could you shed more light on which English meaning of the word _inspiration_ does القا carry...or does it carry multiple meanings? Searching Urdu Lughat points to:_ inspirer, intuition and _الہام_/revelation_. 


> Platts: A القا _ilqā_ [inf. n. iv of لقي 'to meet,' &c.], s.m. Throwing down, flinging, casting; imparting, communicating; inspiration.


 

> فیروز الغات: القا: ڈالنا ۔ غیب سے دل میں ڈالنا ۔ وہ بات جو خدا دل میں ڈال دےالقا ہونا: (1) دل میں کوئی بات پڑنا (2) غیب سے دل میں کوئی بات آنا​


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## Qureshpor

^ I think it is quite clear what "ilqaa" means, even if you were to just read Raj Kumar "Qais" (an Urdu poet)'s quote. "Bahr" (baHr)'s couplet conveys the meaning quite clearly too. So, I can't see what the difficulty is.


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## Alfaaz

^ From UrduMedium SaaHib's response (post #4) and Faylasoof SaaHib's answer (post #5), it seemed that_ ilqaa _would be limited to the meaning of وحی / الہام. 

You have stated: _"ilqaa" which fits the context of your query_. 


			
				Chhaatr said:
			
		

> How does one say the following sentences in Urdu?
> 
> 1. He is an inspiration for me,
> 2. He inspires me to...


Could _ilqaa_ be used in the blanks below?
_1. woh mere liye ______ haiN
2. woh mujhe ______ karte haiN_


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## Qureshpor

Alfaaz said:


> ^ From UrduMedium SaaHib's response (post #4) and Faylasoof SaaHib's answer (post #5), it seemed that_ ilqaa _would be limited to the meaning of وحی / الہام.


 This is what Faylasoof SaaHib has said about "Inspiration" in # post 3.



Faylasoof said:


> Depending on the context: وحی _waHii_ / الہام_ ilhaam_ / القا _ilqaa _[...]


So, depending on context, "ilqaa" = "inspiration". Agreed? Then UM SaaHib responds in # post 4



UrduMedium said:


> ^ [...] I was wondering about the more common English usage like "so and so is  an inspiration for the youth", or "I seek inspiration from ...." meaning  something that uplifts, encourages, and well inspire someone to do  something.


This implies that he was looking for a more day to day usage, not what he I presume considered as literary. To satisfy this request, Faylasoof SaaHib replied.




Faylasoof said:


> Thanks! Glad you liked it!
> For your example UM SaaHib, the first thing that comes to mind is the word مثال _mithaal_, i.e. _mithaal bannaa_ / _honaa_ = To become / be an example for someone and thus inspire them.
> _maiN unkii mithaal _(_apne_) _saamne rakhtaa huuN_ = I have him / her as an example in front of me = I seek inspiration from him / her.


All this shows is that "ilqaa" indeed means "inspiration". According to your # post 8, "ilqaa honaa" is equivalent to "dil meN ko'ii baat paRnaa". Is n't this "inspiration"? It also means that Faylasoof SaaHib, in addition to the providing literary examples then goes onto describe simpler ways of including the idea of "inspiration". This does not in any way negate the non-existence of the concept of "inspiration" embodied in "ilqaa".



> _You have stated:"ilqaa" which fits the context of your query_. Could _ilqaa_ be used in the blanks below?
> _1. woh mere liye ______ haiN
> 2. woh mujhe ______ karte haiN_


Theoratically, yes but in Urdu we do have other ways of expressing these meanings.

You may remember the discussions on "ta3riif". The base meaning is to "make something known". But it has come to mean mainly "introduction" and "praise" but in scientific circles, it means "definition". Similarly, the base meaning if "ilqaa" is to do with throwing but in Urdu poetic circles, it has the meaning of "inspriation". It is a masculine noun. So, the meaning sought by Chhatr SaaHib can accurately be provided by "ilqaa".

A القا _ilqā_ [inf. n. iv of لقي 'to meet,' &c.], s.m. Throwing down, flinging, casting; imparting, communicating; *inspiration*.


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## marrish

I believe QP SaaHib following Faylasoof SaaHib is right as to 'one word solution'.


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## marrish

Qureshpor said:


> اب ہو سکے تو ہمیں ہندی ادب سے پریرنڑا کے استعمال کی ایک آدھ مثال دے دیں۔ بڑی مہربانی ہو گی۔





Alfaaz said:


> Could _ilqaa_ be used in the blanks below?
> _1. woh mere liye ______ haiN
> 2. woh mujhe ______ karte haiN_


I'm sorry I skipped very important pieces of information from the above posts but I have a question which relates only to the relevant chunks: Chhaatr SaaHib, could you please reproduce any literary quote with "prerNRaa" in Hindi? Also I would be grateful to you to complete your sentence no. 2 both in English and Hindi. Perhaps it will make the context we need. I experience your Hindi sentence as not complete. Thanks in advance!


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## Alfaaz

Thanks for the detailed reply Qureshpor SaaHib. Wherever Platts uses the word _inspiration_, it seems to either refer to _divine revelation_ or _inhalation_. This observation had led me to question _ilqaa_'s meaning and usage.

Chhaatr SaaHib: Platts gives the following for प्रेरणा and स्रोत is defined as _river, stream, and source _in other online dictionaries:


> S پريرنا प्रेरणा _preraṇā_, s.f. = S پريرن प्रेरण _preraṇ_, s.m. Urging, inciting; sending, despatching, directing, ordering; instigation, impulse, passion; direction, injunction, order, command; (in Gram.) a causal verb:—_preraṇārthak_ (_preraṇa_+_arthak_), adj. Having the sense of inciting, or of the causal verb;—_preraṇārthak kriyā_, s.f. the causal verb.


It appears that words related to the root حرّك (such as محرک ، حرکت) would be quite similar to प्रेरणा...!? As marrish SaaHib has requested, examples of usage would be appreciated!


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## Qureshpor

Alfaaz said:


> Thanks for the detailed reply Qureshpor SaaHib. Wherever Platts uses the word _inspiration_, it seems to either refer to _divine revelation_ or _inhalation_. This observation had led me to question _ilqaa_'s meaning and usage.[...]


As a believer, this should not have caused any "doubt" in your mind since...وَالْقَدْرِ خَيْرِه وَشَرِّه مِنَ اللهِ تَعَالى


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## Alfaaz

^ I think it would be better to end this discussion here Qureshpor SaaHib so that the thread doesn't go off topic! However, I will say that it was exactly because of this reason that I had questioned your comment (that _ilqaa_ can be used as a one word equivalent for the sentences in the opening post) and was hesitant/unsure about using it, because it seemed odd to use a word in regular context that seems to usually be used in religious contexts.* 

*(If this didn't make sense, please refer to Faylasoof SaaHib's post #19 and my post #20 in this thread.)


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## marrish

I agree that it is used mostly in religious contexts, in the same manner as _ilhaam_ and _waHii_ but incidentally, this one e.i. _ilqaa_ is also used outside of religious context too. _ilhaam_ is used the most of them. I see no reason for _ilqaa_ not being used in secular context but I would oppose using _ilhaam_ or _waHii_ in this way. However, _ilhaam_ as being the most popular word can be de-sacralised too as in religious thought no human is able to "inspire" other but by means of God. Apart from the discussed, I have used the word "_aamad_" to mean the same. It might be taken as a "revelation", most of the time, but inspiration is not very remote from it.


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## Chhaatr

marrish said:


> Chhaatr SaaHib, could you please reproduce any literary quote with "prerNRaa" in Hindi? Also I would be grateful to you to complete your sentence no. 2 both in English and Hindi. Perhaps it will make the context we need. I experience your Hindi sentence as not complete. Thanks in advance!



marrish SaaHib I don't have interest in literature so I wouldn't be able to give you your quote, however coming to the second point:

He inspires me.
_(woh mujhe prerit kartaa hai)_


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## Qureshpor

Alfaaz said:


> ^ I think it would be better to end this discussion here Qureshpor SaaHib so that the thread doesn't go off topic! However, I will say that it was exactly because of this reason that I had questioned your comment (that _ilqaa_ can be used as a one word equivalent for the sentences in the opening post) and was hesitant/unsure about using it, because it seemed odd to use a word in regular context that seems to usually be used in religious contexts.*
> 
> *(If this didn't make sense, please refer to Faylasoof SaaHib's post #19 and my post #20 in this thread.)


My post # 19 is very relevant as I have attempted to explain in my PM to you. It is true words get compartmentalised but as far as "ilqaa"'s use is concerned, just visit the alt.language.urdu.poetry and search for ilqaa and you will see it is used for "inspiration" from another person/poet. But if you still have doubts, there is not much that I or anyone else can do apart from provide you with further examples.


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## Qureshpor

marrish said:


> I agree that it is used mostly in religious contexts, in the row with _ilhaam_ and _waHii_ but accidentally, this one e.i. _ilqaa_ is also used outside of religious context too. _ilhaam_ is used the most of them. I see no reason for _ilqaa_ not being used in secular context but I would oppose using _ilhaam_ or _waHii_ in this way. However, _ilhaam_ as being the most popular word can be de-sacralised too as in religious thought no human is able to "inspire" other but by means of God. Apart from the discussed, I have used the word "_aamad_" to mean the same. It might be taken as a "revelation", most of the time, but inspiration is not very remote from it.


vuh mashq rahii aur nah shauq hai Momin
kyaa shi3r kaheN ge agar ilhaam nah ho gaa


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## Alfaaz

Qureshpor said:
			
		

> My post # 19 is very relevant as I have attempted to explain in my PM to you. It is true words get compartmentalised but as far as "ilqaa"'s use is concerned, just visit the alt.language.urdu.poetry and search for ilqaa and you will see it is used for "inspiration" from another person/poet. But if you still have doubts, there is not much that I or anyone else can do apart from provide you with further examples.


Thanks again for your detailed explanations Qureshpor SaaHib. I hope you didn't mind my questions, which were asked only out of genuine interest of understanding the usage.


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