jo visaal-e yaar hota – daaGh dehlavi

For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the “Roman” or “Notes” tab.

جو وِصالِ یار ہوتا ۔ داغؔ دہلوی

۱

عجب اپنا حال ہوتا جو وِصالِ یار ہوتا

کبھی جان صدقے ہوتی کبھی دل نثار ہوتا

۲

کوئی فِتنہ تا قیامت نہ پھر آشکار ہوتا

ترے دل پہ کاش ظالم مجھے اِختیار ہوتا

۳

جو تمہاری طرح تم سے کوئی جھوٹے وعدے کرتا

تمہیں مُنصفی سے کہہ دو تمہیں اِعتبار ہوتا

۴

غمِ عشق میں مزا تھا جو اُسے سمجھ کے کھاتے

یہ وہ زہر ہے کہ آخر مے خوش گوار ہوتا

۵

یہ مزہ تھا دل لگی کا کہ برابر آگ لگتی

نہ تجھے قرار ہوتا نہ مجھے قرار ہوتا

۶

نہ مزا ہے دُشمنی میں نہ ہے لُطف دوستی میں

کوئی غیر غیر ہوتا کوئی یار یار ہوتا

۷

ترے وعدے پر ستمگر ابھی اور صبر کرتے

اگر اپنی زندگی کا ہمیں اعتبار ہوتا

۸

یہ وہ دردِ دل نہیں ہے کہ ہو چارہ ساز کوئی

اگر ایک بار مِٹتا تو ہزار بار ہوتا

۹

گئے ہوش تیرے زاہد جو وہ چشمِ مست دیکھی

مجھے کیا اُلٹ نہ دیتے جو نہ بادہ خوار ہوتا

۱۰

مجھے مانتے سب ایسا کہ عدو بھی سجدے کرتے

درِ یار کعبہ بنتا جو مرا مزار ہوتا

۱۱

تمہیں ناز ہو نہ کیونکر کہ لیا ہے داغؔ کا دِل

یہ رقم نہ ہاتھ لگتی نہ یہ افتخار ہوتا

जो विसाल-ए-यार होता – दाग़ देहलवी

अजब अपना हाल होता जो विसाल-ए-यार होता

कभी जान सदक़े होती कभी दिल निसार होता

कोई फ़ित्ना ता-क़यामत न फिर आश्कार होता

तेरे दिल पे काश ज़ालिम मुझे इख़्तियार होता

जो तुम्हारी तरह तुम से कोई झूटे वादे करता

तुम्हीं मुंसिफ़ी से कह दो तुम्हें ए’तबार होता

ग़म-ए-इश्क़ में मज़ा था जो उसे समझ के खाते

ये वो ज़हर है के आख़िर मय-ए-ख़ुश-गवार होता

ये मज़ा था दिल-लगी का के बराबर आग लगती

न तुझे क़रार होता न मुझे क़रार होता

न मज़ा है दुश्मनी में न है लुत्फ़ दोस्ती में

कोई ग़ैर ग़ैर होता कोई यार यार होता

तेरे वादे पर सितमगर अभी और सब्र करते

अगर अपनी ज़िंदगी का हमें ए’तबार होता

ये वो दर्द-ए-दिल नहीं है के हो चारासाज़ कोई

अगर एक बार मिटता तो हज़ार बार होता

गए होश तेरे ज़ाहिद जो वो चश्म-ए-मस्त देखी

मुझे क्या उलट न देते जो न बादा-ख़्वार होता

१०

मुझे मानते सब ऐसा के अदू भी सज्दे करते

दर-ए-यार काबा बनता जो मेरा मज़ार होता

११

तुम्हें नाज़ हो न क्यूँकर के लिया है ‘दाग़’ का दिल

ये रक़म न हाथ लगती न ये इफ़्तेख़ार होता

 

Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. daaGh dehlavi (1831-1905), grandson of bahadur shah zafar. After 1857, he had to move to rampur and later to hyderabad, where he died. His Ghazal are more earthy and romantic than sufiyaana or philosophical. He was a disciple of zauq, whose rivalry with/jealousy of Ghalib is well known. But daaGh had good relations with Ghalib and wrote this Ghazal in the bahr of Ghalib, using many of the same phrases, which I interpret as a tribute to him.
1
ajab1 apna haal2 hota jo visaal3-e yaar4 hota
kabhi jaan sadqe5 hoti kabhi dil nisaar6 hota    
1.strange, unusual 2.condition 3.union (with the beloved) 4.beloved 5.sacrificial offering 6.offering
If I were to ever achieve union with the beloved (highly unexpected) then my condition would become very strange. Sometimes I would be presenting my life/soul and at others my heart as sacrificial offerings.

2
koi fitna1 ta-qayaamat2 na phir aashkar3 hota
tere dil pe kaash4 zaalim5 mujhe eKhtiyaar6 hota    
1.mischief 2.until doomsday 3.manifest, appear 4.I strongly wish 5.tyrant – used here to mean beloved 6.control
The beloved is known to make much mischief by repeatedly breaking promises or making alliances with rivals. I wish I had control over the heart of this tyrant/beloved. If I did there would no mischief making an appearance until doomsday i.e. never.

3
jo tumhaari tarah tum se koi jhuuTe v’aade1 karta
tumhiN munsifi2 se kah do tumheN e’tebaar3 hota    
1.promises 2.justice, fairness 3.trust
If someone makes false promises to you, like you do to me, tell me in all fairness, would you ever trust him? Implied is, how can I trust you.

4
Gham-e ishq meN maza tha jo use samajh ke khaate
ye vo zahr hai ke aaKhir1 mai2-e Khush-gavaar3 hota    
1.after all 2.wine 3.pleasant, pleasing
There is much taste/pleasure in the pain of love if you take it knowing what you are getting into. After all it is a poison that is like pleasant wine (if you know its value).

5
ye maza tha dil-lagi1 ka ke baraabar aag lagti
na tujhe qaraar2 hota na mujhe qaraar hota    
1.dil lagaana, love 2.peace, contentment
The real pleasure of love would have been if both hearts were on fire (just now, only the poet/lover’s heart is on fire). If both had been equally in love then neither would be contented, both would be restless.

6
na maza hai dushmani meN na hai lutf1 dosti meN
koi Ghair2 Ghair hota koi yaar3 yaar hota   
1.pleasure 2.rival 3.friend, beloved
The standards of rivals have fallen as have those of the beloved. So there is no longer the same pleasure of rivalry or of pining for love.

7
tere v’aade1 par sitamgar2 abhi aur sabr3 karte
agar apni zindagi ka hameN e’tebaar4 hota    
1.promises 2.tyrant, cruel 3.patience 4.trust
The tyrannical beloved is known to make false promises. The poet/lover has to wait patiently hoping that the promise will be fulfilled one day. He does not believe that he will live long enough. If he did, he would keep on living patiently.

8
ye vo dard-e dil nahiN hai ke ho charasaaz1 koi
agar ek baar miTta2 to hazaar baar hota    
1.healer 2.erased, removed, cured
This (love) is not the kind of pain of the heart that there would be any healer. If it is cured once, it rises a thousand times.

9
gaye hosh1 tere zaahid2 jo vo chashm3-e mast4 dekhi
mujhe kya ulaT5 na dete jo na baada-Khwaar6 hota    
1.senses 2.pious, observant of strictures 3.eyes 4.intoxicated, intoxicating 5.falling down on the face 6.wine drinker
The poet/lover drinks wine but the zaahid/pious and observant does not. But there is no difference between the two. The zaahid took one look at the beloved’s intoxicating eyes and lost his senses, just like the poet/lover would have lost his senses and fallen to the ground.

10
mujhe maante1 sab aisa ke adu2 bhi sajde3 karte
dar4-e yaar5 k’aaba banta jo mera mazaar6 hota    
1.agree (about my greatness) 2.enemy, rival 3.prostrate, bow down 4.door 5.beloved 6.grave, tomb
The poet/lover imagines dying and being buried at the door of the beloved. Then, his tomb would be like the k’aaba where rivals would come for pilgrimage and bow down in homage. Even they would agree that he was a great lover.

11
tumheN naaz1 ho na kyuNkar2 ke liya hai daaGh ka dil
ye raqam3 na haath lagti na ye ifteKhaar4 hota    
1.pride 2.why 3.money, treasure 4.respect
The beloved is much sought after and has great respect, but only because she has come into possession of a great treasure i.e. the poet/lover’s heart. Why should she not be proud that she has daaGh’s heart. Had she not, she would not have had the same respect.

daaGh dehlavi (1831-1905), grandson of bahadur shah zafar. After 1857, he had to move to rampur and later to hyderabad, where he died.  His Ghazal are more earthy and romantic than sufiyaana or philosophical.  He was a disciple of zauq, whose rivalry with/jealousy of Ghalib is well known.  But daaGh had good relations with Ghalib and wrote this Ghazal in the bahr of Ghalib, using many of the same phrases, which I interpret as a tribute to him.
1
ajab1 apna haal2 hota jo visaal3-e yaar4 hota
kabhi jaan sadqe5 hoti kabhi dil nisaar6 hota

1.strange, unusual 2.condition 3.union (with the beloved) 4.beloved 5.sacrificial offering 6.offering

If I were to ever achieve union with the beloved (highly unexpected) then my condition would become very strange.  Sometimes I would be presenting my life/soul and at others my heart as sacrificial offerings.
2
koi fitna1 ta-qayaamat2 na phir aashkar3 hota
tere dil pe kaash4 zaalim5 mujhe eKhtiyaar6 hota

1.mischief 2.until doomsday 3.manifest, appear 4.I strongly wish 5.tyrant – used here to mean beloved 6.control

The beloved is known to make much mischief by repeatedly breaking promises or making alliances with rivals.  I wish I had control over the heart of this tyrant/beloved.  If I did there would no mischief making an appearance until doomsday i.e. never.
3
jo tumhaari tarah tum se koi jhuuTe v’aade1 karta
tumhiN munsifi2 se kah do tumheN e’tebaar3 hota

1.promises 2.justice, fairness 3.trust

If someone makes false promises to you, like you do to me, tell me in all fairness, would you ever trust him?  Implied is, how can I trust you.
4
Gham-e ishq meN maza tha jo use samajh ke khaate
ye vo zahr hai ke aaKhir1 mai2-e Khush-gavaar3 hota

1.after all 2.wine 3.pleasant, pleasing

There is much taste/pleasure in the pain of love if you take it knowing what you are getting into.  After all it is a poison that is like pleasant wine (if you know its value).
5
ye maza tha dil-lagi1 ka ke baraabar aag lagti
na tujhe qaraar2 hota na mujhe qaraar hota

1.dil lagaana, love 2.peace, contentment

The real pleasure of love would have been if both hearts were on fire (just now, only the poet/lover’s heart is on fire).  If both had been equally in love then neither would be contented, both would be restless.
6
na maza hai dushmani meN na hai lutf1 dosti meN
koi Ghair2 Ghair hota koi yaar3 yaar hota

1.pleasure 2.rival 3.friend, beloved

The standards of rivals have fallen as have those of the beloved.  So there is no longer the same pleasure of rivalry or of pining for love.
7
tere v’aade1 par sitamgar2 abhi aur sabr3 karte
agar apni zindagi ka hameN e’tebaar4 hota

1.promises 2.tyrant, cruel 3.patience 4.trust

The tyrannical beloved is known to make false promises.  The poet/lover has to wait patiently hoping that the promise will be fulfilled one day.  He does not believe that he will live long enough.  If he did, he would keep on living patiently.
8
ye vo dard-e dil nahiN hai ke ho charasaaz1 koi
agar ek baar miTta2 to hazaar baar hota

1.healer 2.erased, removed, cured

This (love) is not the kind of pain of the heart that there would be any healer.  If it is cured once, it rises a thousand times.
9
gaye hosh1 tere zaahid2 jo vo chashm3-e mast4 dekhi
mujhe kya ulaT5 na dete jo na baada-Khwaar6 hota

1.senses 2.pious, observant of strictures 3.eyes 4.intoxicated, intoxicating 5.falling down on the face 6.wine drinker

The poet/lover drinks wine but the zaahid/pious and observant does not.  But there is no difference between the two.  The zaahid took one look at the beloved’s intoxicating eyes and lost his senses, just like the poet/lover would have lost his senses and fallen to the ground.
10
mujhe maante1 sab aisa ke adu2 bhi sajde3 karte
dar4-e yaar5 k’aaba banta jo mera mazaar6 hota

1.agree (about my greatness) 2.enemy, rival 3.prostrate, bow down 4.door 5.beloved 6.grave, tomb

The poet/lover imagines dying and being buried at the door of the beloved.  Then, his tomb would be like the k’aaba where rivals would come for pilgrimage and bow down in homage.  Even they would agree that he was a great lover.
11
tumheN naaz1 ho na kyuNkar2 ke liya hai daaGh ka dil
ye raqam3 na haath lagti na ye ifteKhaar4 hota

1.pride 2.why 3.money, treasure 4.respect

The beloved is much sought after and has great respect, but only because she has come into possession of a great treasure i.e. the poet/lover’s heart.   Why should she not be proud that she has daaGh’s heart.  Had she not, she would not have had the same respect.

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