For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
لُطفِ نظر ہونے تک ۔ جے کرشن چودھری حبیبؔ
۱
سازِ الفت ہے مرے سازِ جگر ہونے تک
حسن دل کش ہے مرے ذوق نظر ہونے تک
۲
عزمِ انساں نے ستاروں پہ کمندیں ڈالیں
منزلیں دور ہیں سرگرمِ سفر ہونے تک
۳
بارہا ننھا سا دل خون ہوا زیرِ فلک
غنچے پر گزری ہے کیا کیا گلِ تر ہونے تک
۴
رفعتیں کون سی ہیں چھو نہ سکے جن کو خیال
حدِ پرواز ہے تخئیل کے پر ہونے تک
۵
زندگی تلخ حقیقت ہے کہ ایک خوابِ حسیں
کون سمجھا ہے اسے عمر بسر ہونے تک
۶
کر گئی تجھ کو پریشاں مری آشفتہ سری
یہ یقیں تھا نہ تری آنکھ کے تر ہونے تک
۷
ہم سرِ شام جلاتے ہیں تصوّر کے چراغ
کون دیکھے گا تری راہ سحر ہونے تک
۸
تیرے وعدے کبھی شرمندۂ ایفا نہ ہوئے
ورنہ جیتا ترے آنے کی خبر ہونے تک
۹
وعدہ بے کیف ہے، بے رنگ ہے گلزار حبیبؔ
دل ہے سونا سا تری لُطفِ نظر ہونے تک
लुत्फ़-ए नज़र होने तक – जय क्रिष्ण चौधरी हबीब
१
साज़-ए उल्फ़त है मेरे साज़-ए जिगर होने तक
हुस्न दिल्कश है मेरे ज़ौक़-ए नज़र होने तक
२
अज़्म-ए इंसाँ ने सितारों पे कमंदें डालीं
मंज़िलें दूर हैं सरगर्म-ए सफ़र होने तक
३
बारहा नन्हा सा दिल ख़ून हुआ ज़ेर-ए फ़लक
ग़ुंचे पर गुज़री है क्या क्या गुल-ए तर होने तक
४
रफ़’अतें कौन सी है छू न सके जिन को ख़याल
हद-ए पर्वाज़ है तख़्’ईल के पर होने तक
५
ज़िंदगी तल्ख़ हक़ीक़त है के एक ख़्वाब-ए हसीं
कौन समझा है इसे उम्र बसर होने तक
६
कर गई तुझ को परेशाँ मेरी आशुफ़्ता-सरी
ये यक़ीं था न तेरी आँख के तर होने तक
७
हम सर-ए शाम जलाते हैं तसव्वुर के चराग़
कौन देखेगा तेरी राह सहर होने तक
८
तेरे वा’दे कभी शर्मिंदा-ए ईफ़ा न हुए
वर्ना जीता तेरे आने की ख़बर होने तक
९
वा’दा बे-कैफ़ है बे-रंग है गुल्ज़ार हबीब
दिल है सूना सा तेरी लुत्फ़-ए नज़र होने तक
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. jaikishan chaudhry habiib (1904-xxxx), born in Dera ismail KhaaN, in pakistan. Lived in jabalpur. He was a scholar of sanskrit, English, faarsi and urdu, and was an active participant in the independence struggle, most notably with Khaan abdul Ghaffaar KhaaN. MA from aligaRh and later LLB, law practice 1929. He migrated to India after the partition in 1947. IAS – Collector and later Education Secretary. Early retirement in 1960, but recalled later to serve three more years in jabalpur and retired there. In 1969 he served on Ghalib shataabdhi naagarik samiti which organized four ‘tarahi’ mushaa’era over that year and published a book. He composed several Ghazal in the style of Ghalib like this one linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’.
1
saaz1-e ulfat2 hai mere saaz-e jigar3 hone tak
husn4 dilkash5 hai mere zauq6-e nazar7 hone tak 1.(musical) instrument 2.love 3.liver/heart 4.beauty, beloved 5.heart pleasing, beautiful 6.taste 7.discerning eye/sight
‘saaz-e jigar’ is the music of the liver/heart i.e., the pain of love in the heart of the poet/lover. ‘saaz-e ulfat’ – the music of love can be the high regard in which love is held. Thus, the poet/lover takes credit – love pulsates with music as long my heart throbs. The beloved is beautiful as long as I have a discerning eye.
2
azm1-e insaaN ne sitaaroN pe kamandeN2 DaaliiN
manzileN3 duur haiN sargarm4-e safar5 hone tak 1.determination, courage 2.noose, lasso, challenge 3.destination, goal 4.undertaking, getting on the way 5.journey
The courage/determination of humans have thrown a noose around stars. It has challenged the skies. The destination appears far until we undertake the journey. After that everything falls in place.
3
baar’haa1 nanhaa saa dil Khuun hua zer-e-falak2
Ghunche3 par guzri4 hai kyaa kyaa gul-e-tar5 hone tak 1.again and again 2.under the sky, openly 3.unopened bud 4.happened to 5.fresh flower, face of the beloved
The poor little heart (of the hapless lover) was cut and bled in plain sight again and again. What all has happened to the bud before blossomed into a fresh flower i.e., a lot of calamities have afflicted the heart of the lover before it could reach its goal.
4
raf’ateN1 kaun si haiN chhuu na sake jin ko Khayaal2
hadd3-e parvaaz4 hai taKh’iil5 ke par6 hone tak 1.heights 2.thought, imagination 3.limits 4.flight 5.imagination 6.wings
What heights can imagination not touch/reach. There are limits to flight only so long as imagination can acquire wings i.e., as soon as it acquires wings, there are no limits to its flight. It can reach any height.
5
zindagi talKh1 haqiiqat2 hai keh ek Khwaab3-e hasiiN4
kaun samjhaa hai ise umr5 basar6 hone tak 1.bitter 2.truth 3.dream 4.beautiful 5.lifetime 6.passed
Life is bitter truth or a beautiful dream. Who can understand this until after a whole lifetime has been spent (struggling to understand the meaning of life).
6
kar gaii tujh ko pareshaaN1 meri aashufta-sari2
ye yaqiiN3 thaa na teri aaNkh ke tar4 hone tak 1.worried 2.scatter brained, mad (with passion) 3.certain, believable 4.moist, teary
Normally the poet/lover goes around with his hair disshevled in the image of majnuN. Also, usually the beloved does not pay much attention to this madness except to get pleased. Thus, my madness of passion caused you to be worried. I could not believe this until I saw you teary eyed.
7
ham sar1-e shaam jalaate haiN tasavvur2 ke charaaGh3
kaun dekhegaa teri raah4 sahar5 hone tak 1.beginning 2.imagination 3.lamps 4.path, waiting in anticipation 5.dawn
The beloved always promises to come the next day … after dawn (she never agrees to visit during the evening/night). But she never keeps her promise. The poet/lover cannot wait in anticipation of her arrival until dawn. He is so happy at her promise (even if not credible) that he lights lamps of imagination even as the evening begins.
8
tere vaa’de1 kabhi sharminda2-e iifaa3 na hue
varna4 jiitaa tere aane ki Khabar5 hone tak 1.promises 2.obliged 3.keeping/fulfilling promise 4.otherwise 5.news
The beloved always promises to come visit the poet/lover but never does. Thus, your promises were never obliged to keep their word. Otherwise, I would have lived, waiting for news of your arrival. Ghalib has a twist to this …
tere vaa’de par jiye hum, tu ye jaan jhooT jaana
keh Khushi se mar na jaate, agar e’tebaar hota
9
vaa’da1 be-kaif2 hai be-raNg3 hai gulzaar4 habib5
dil hai suunaa-saa6 teri lutf-e nazar7 hone tak 1.promise 2.without comfort 3.colourless 4.garden 5.pen-name of the poet 6.like a desolate place 7.kindness 8.glance
O habiib, the beloved’s promise does not give any comfort and the garden remains colourless, until she has cast a kind glance at me.
jaikishan chaudhry habiib (1904-xxxx), born in Dera ismail KhaaN, in pakistan. Lived in jabalpur. He was a scholar of sanskrit, English, faarsi and urdu, and was an active participant in the independence struggle, most notably with Khaan abdul Ghaffaar KhaaN. MA from aligaRh and later LLB, law practice 1929. He migrated to India after the partition in 1947. IAS – Collector and later Education Secretary. Early retirement in 1960, but recalled later to serve three more years in jabalpur and retired there. In 1969 he served on Ghalib shataabdhi naagarik samiti which organized four ‘tarahi’ mushaa’era over that year and published a book. He composed several Ghazal in the style of Ghalib like this one linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’.
1
saaz1-e ulfat2 hai mere saaz-e jigar3 hone tak
husn4 dilkash5 hai mere zauq6-e nazar7 hone tak
1.(musical) instrument 2.love 3.liver/heart 4.beauty, beloved 5.heart pleasing, beautiful 6.taste 7.discerning eye/sight
‘saaz-e jigar’ is the music of the liver/heart i.e., the pain of love in the heart of the poet/lover. ‘saaz-e ulfat’ – the music of love can be the high regard in which love is held. Thus, the poet/lover takes credit – love pulsates with music as long my heart throbs. The beloved is beautiful as long as I have a discerning eye.
2
azm1-e insaaN ne sitaaroN pe kamandeN2 DaaliiN
manzileN3 duur haiN sargarm4-e safar5 hone tak
1.determination, courage 2.noose, lasso, challenge 3.destination, goal 4.undertaking, getting on the way 5.journey
The courage/determination of humans have thrown a noose around stars. It has challenged the skies. The destination appears far until we undertake the journey. After that everything falls in place.
3
baar’haa1 nanhaa saa dil Khuun hua zer-e-falak2
Ghunche3 par guzri4 hai kyaa kyaa gul-e-tar5 hone tak
1.again and again 2.under the sky, openly 3.unopened bud 4.happened to 5.fresh flower, face of the beloved
The poor little heart (of the hapless lover) was cut and bled in plain sight again and again. What all has happened to the bud before blossomed into a fresh flower i.e., a lot of calamities have afflicted the heart of the lover before it could reach its goal.
4
raf’ateN1 kaun si haiN chhuu na sake jin ko Khayaal2
hadd3-e parvaaz4 hai taKh’iil5 ke par6 hone tak
1.heights 2.thought, imagination 3.limits 4.flight 5.imagination 6.wings
What heights can imagination not touch/reach. There are limits to flight only so long as imagination can acquire wings i.e., as soon as it acquires wings, there are no limits to its flight. It can reach any height.
5
zindagi talKh1 haqiiqat2 hai keh ek Khwaab3-e hasiiN4
kaun samjhaa hai ise umr5 basar6 hone tak
1.bitter 2.truth 3.dream 4.beautiful 5.lifetime 6.passed
Life is bitter truth or a beautiful dream. Who can understand this until after a whole lifetime has been spent (struggling to understand the meaning of life).
6
kar gaii tujh ko pareshaaN1 meri aashufta-sari2
ye yaqiiN3 thaa na teri aaNkh ke tar4 hone tak
1.worried 2.scatter brained, mad (with passion) 3.certain, believable 4.moist, teary
Normally the poet/lover goes around with his hair disshevled in the image of majnuN. Also, usually the beloved does not pay much attention to this madness except to get pleased. Thus, my madness of passion caused you to be worried. I could not believe this until I saw you teary eyed.
7
ham sar1-e shaam jalaate haiN tasavvur2 ke charaaGh3
kaun dekhegaa teri raah4 sahar5 hone tak
1.beginning 2.imagination 3.lamps 4.path, waiting in anticipation 5.dawn
The beloved always promises to come the next day … after dawn (she never agrees to visit during the evening/night). But she never keeps her promise. The poet/lover cannot wait in anticipation of her arrival until dawn. He is so happy at her promise (even if not credible) that he lights lamps of imagination even as the evening begins.
8
tere vaa’de1 kabhi sharminda2-e iifaa3 na hue
varna4 jiitaa tere aane ki Khabar5 hone tak
1.promises 2.obliged 3.keeping/fulfilling promise 4.otherwise 5.news
The beloved always promises to come visit the poet/lover but never does. Thus, your promises were never obliged to keep their word. Otherwise, I would have lived, waiting for news of your arrival. Ghalib has a twist to this …
tere vaa’de par jiye hum, tu ye jaan jhooT jaana
keh Khushi se mar na jaate, agar e’tebaar hota
9
vaa’da1 be-kaif2 hai be-raNg3 hai gulzaar4 habib5
dil hai suunaa-saa6 teri lutf-e nazar7 hone tak
1.promise 2.without comfort 3.colourless 4.garden 5.pen-name of the poet 6.like a desolate place 7.kindness 8.glance
O habiib, the beloved’s promise does not give any comfort and the garden remains colourless, until she has cast a kind glance at me.
