For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
ساغر و مینا مرے آگے ۔ ہیرا لال فلکؔ دہلوی
۱
سو بار ہوا ہے یہ تماشہ مرے آگے
مجھ میں ہی سمائی ہے یہ دنیا مرے آگے
۲
شبنم میں چمک اُٹھتا ہے خورشید دمِ دید
کُوزے میں سما جاتا ہے دریا مرے آگے
۳
رقصاں ہیں مرے سامنے میرے ہی خیالات
اک خواب کی صورت ہے یہ دُنیا مرے آگے
۴
بُت خانے میں جو بُت ہیں وہ میرا ہیں تصوّر
آباد ہوئے کعبہ کلیسہ مرے آگے
۵
ذرّوں کو بچاتا ہوں کہ ٹھوکر میں فنا ہے
اور کوہ سے کہتا ہوں کہ آ جا مرے آگے
۶
مہتاب دمِ صبح تو خورشید سرِ شام
دونوں ہی ادا کرتے ہیں سجدہ مرے آگے
۷
کِھلتی ہے ہر اک بند کلی میری نظر سے
اُٹھتا ہے ہر اِک راز سے پردہ مرے آگے
۸
مہتاب پہ ہر رات بسر ہوتی ہے میری
بہتا ہے جہاں نور کا دریا مرے آگے
۹
میں دیدۂ ساقی کو فلکؔ چومتا پہروں
رکھتا نہ اگر ساغر و مینا مرے آگے
साग़र ओ मीना मेरे आगे – हीरा लाल फ़लक देहलवी
१
सौ बार हुआ है ये तमाशा मेरे आगे
मुझ में हि समाई है ये दुनिया मेरे आगे
२
शबनम में चमक उठता है ख़ुर्शीद दम-ए दीद
कूज़े में समा जाता है दर्या मेरे आगे
३
रक़्सां हैं मेरे सामने मेरे हि ख़यालात
एक ख़्वाब की सूरत है ये दुनिया मेरे आगे
४
बुत ख़ाने में जो बुत हैं वो मेरा हैं तसव्वुर
आबाद हुए का’बा कलीसा मेरे आगे
५
ज़र्रौं को बचाता हुं के ठोकर में फ़ना है
और कोह से कहता हुं के आ जा मेरे आगे
६
महताब दम-ए सुबह तो ख़ुर्शीद सर-ए शाम
दोनों हि अदा करते हैं सज्दा मेरे आगे
७
खिलती है हर एक बन्द कली मेरी नज़र से
उठता है हर एक राज़ से पर्दा मेरे आगे
८
महताब पे हर रात बसर होती है मेरी
बहता है जहां नूर का दर्या मेरे अगे
९
मैं दीदा-ए साक़ी को फ़लक चूमता पहरौं
रखता न अगर साग़र ओ मीना मेरे आगे
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. heera lal falak dehlavi (1920?-1982+?). I can only make an educated guess about his birth and death. A collection of his Ghazal was published posthumously in 1982 by his shaagird. The book mentions beKhud dehlavi (1863-1955) as his ‘inspirational ustaad’ and dedicates it to him. He was a minor official in the dehli court system. In the book he describes his encounter with beKhud dehlavi when he (falak) was still a young man. The book says that he started composing in 1940. He has several Ghazal composed in the zamin of Ghalib, this one of a series linked to the corresponding radeef in ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’. In addition, this is a part of mini-series of Ghazal in the same style composed by ustaad-shaagird successions in this case – daaGh, beKhud and falak.
1
sau baar hua hai ye tamaasha1 mere aage
mujh meN hi samaaii2 hai ye duniya mere aage 1.spectacle 2.absorbed, assimilated, become one with
This has sufiyaana thought that there is unity of all existence – vahdat-ul-vujood. I have seen this spectacle unfold before me hundreds of times. I realize that the cosmos is in me and I in the cosmos.
2
shabnam1 meN chamak uThta hai Khurshiid2 dam3-e diid4
kooze5 meN sama6 jaata hai darya7 mere aage 1.dew drops 2.sun 3.at the time of 4.sighting, seeing 5.cup, clay cup 6.filled 7.ocean
When the sun rises, when it is first seen, it is reflected in dew drops. The shining dew drops look as if the sun is gathered in them. In much the same way, the ocean is reflected a small cup. Says Ghalib …
ishrat-e qatra hai darya meN fanaa ho jaana
and elsewhere he says …
qatra darya meN jo mil jaaye to darya ho jaaye
3
raqsaaN1 haiN mere saamne mere hi Khayaalaat2
ek Khwaab3 ki suurat4 hai ye duniya mere aage 1.dancing 2.thoughts 3.dream, illusion 4.similar to, like
My own thoughts/imagination dance before me i.e., what I see is but a reflection of my own thoughts, it is not ‘real’. The world that I see before me is but an illusion. The real world is hidden – it is spiritual.
4
but-Khaane1 meN jo but2 haiN vo mera haiN tasavvur3
aabaad4 hua kaa’ba kaliisa5 mere aage 1.idol house, temple 2.idols 3.imagination 4.prosper, survive 5.church
The idols in the temple are my imagination. The kaa’ba and the church survive because of me. The shaa’er must have meant it in the sufiyaana spirit of saying that all ‘gods’ are the same. In addition, it is the one-ness of the universal spirit, of the creator and the created that is real. Everything else is man-made. There can be an irreverent interpretation – humans created god in their own image, whether it be in the kaa’ba, kaliisa or but-Khaana. They are all manufactured by human imagination.
5
zarroN1 ko bachaata2 huN keh Thokar3 meN fanaa4 hai
aur koh5 se kahta hun keh aa jaa mere aage 1.grains of dust 2.protect 3.kick 4.destruction 5.hill
A beautiful and defiant statement of solidarity with the deprived. I protect grains of sand because a little kick can destroy/scatter them. I challenge the hill to confront me.
6
mahtaab1 dam2-e sub’h, to Khurshiid3 sar4-e shaam
donoN hi ada5 karte haiN sajda6 mere aage 1.full moon 2.at the time of 3.sun 4.at the peak of 5.pay, offer 6.obeisance, bowing down respectfully
This is much like Ghalib’s …
hotaa hai nihaaN gard meN sehraa mere hote
ghistaa hai jabiiN Khaak pe daryaa mere aage
At the time of dawn the full moon disappears below the horizon and at the height of evening, the sun does the same. Both of these are portrayed as bowing down to the super-human.
7
khilti1 hai har band kalii2 meri nazar3 se
uThta hai har ek raaz4 se parda5 mere aage 1.blooms, opens up 2.flower bud 3.eyes, sight 4.secret, mystery 5.veil
A closed bud is like a hidden mystery. The poet’s discerning eye reveals the mystery much like the bud blooming into a beautiful flower. His ash’aar lift the veil from every mystery of the universe.
8
mahtaab1 pe har raat basar2 hoti hai meri
bahta3 hai jahaaN4 noor5 ka darya6 mere aage 1.full moon 2.spend, pass 3.flows 4.where 5.light 6.river, sea
I am having difficulty trying to figure out if the poet means something beyond the simple word meaning translation. Such a translation just by itself appears to be a meaningless boast. On the moon, where the poet spends every night, a river of light flows. Does he mean that he composes his best ash’aar at night and that it is light a river of light. Fair enough. But why does it have to be on the moon? I would appreciate any help anyone can give.
9
maiN diida1-e saaqi ko falak2 choomta3 pahroN4
rakhta na agar5 saaGhar6 o miina7 mere aage 1.eyes 2.pen-name of the poet 3.kiss 4.for hours 5.if 6.cup 7.flask
O falak I would have kissed the (intoxicating) eyes of the saaqi for hours, if she had not placed a flask and cup before me. This implies that once he saw the saaGhar o miina, he forgot all about the saaqi. Ghalib on the other hand, was stimulated by the wine cup and flask. Says Ghalib …
phir dekhiye andaaz-e gul-afshaanii-e guftaar
rakh de koii paimaanah-e sahbaa mere aage
heera lal falak dehlavi (1920?-1982+?). I can only make an educated guess about his birth and death. A collection of his Ghazal was published posthumously in 1982 by his shaagird. The book mentions beKhud dehlavi (1863-1955) as his ‘inspirational ustaad’ and dedicates it to him. He was a minor official in the dehli court system. In the book he describes his encounter with beKhud dehlavi when he (falak) was still a young man. The book says that he started composing in 1940. He has several Ghazal composed in the zamin of Ghalib, this one of a series linked to the corresponding radeef in ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’. In addition, this is a part of mini-series of Ghazal in the same style composed by ustaad-shaagird successions in this case – daaGh, beKhud and falak.
1
sau baar hua hai ye tamaasha1 mere aage
mujh meN hi samaaii2 hai ye duniya mere aage
1.spectacle 2.absorbed, assimilated, become one with
This has sufiyaana thought that there is unity of all existence – vahdat-ul-vujood. I have seen this spectacle unfold before me hundreds of times. I realize that the cosmos is in me and I in the cosmos.
2
shabnam1 meN chamak uThta hai Khurshiid2 dam3-e diid4
kooze5 meN sama6 jaata hai darya7 mere aage
1.dew drops 2.sun 3.at the time of 4.sighting, seeing 5.cup, clay cup 6.filled 7.ocean
When the sun rises, when it is first seen, it is reflected in dew drops. The shining dew drops look as if the sun is gathered in them. In much the same way, the ocean is reflected a small cup. Says Ghalib …
ishrat-e qatra hai darya meN fanaa ho jaana
and elsewhere he says …
qatra darya meN jo mil jaaye to darya ho jaaye
3
raqsaaN1 haiN mere saamne mere hi Khayaalaat2
ek Khwaab3 ki suurat4 hai ye duniya mere aage
1.dancing 2.thoughts 3.dream, illusion 4.similar to, like
My own thoughts/imagination dance before me i.e., what I see is but a reflection of my own thoughts, it is not ‘real’. The world that I see before me is but an illusion. The real world is hidden – it is spiritual.
4
but-Khaane1 meN jo but2 haiN vo mera haiN tasavvur3
aabaad4 hua kaa’ba kaliisa5 mere aage
1.idol house, temple 2.idols 3.imagination 4.prosper, survive 5.church
The idols in the temple are my imagination. The kaa’ba and the church survive because of me. The shaa’er must have meant it in the sufiyaana spirit of saying that all ‘gods’ are the same. In addition, it is the one-ness of the universal spirit, of the creator and the created that is real. Everything else is man-made. There can be an irreverent interpretation – humans created god in their own image, whether it be in the kaa’ba, kaliisa or but-Khaana. They are all manufactured by human imagination.
5
zarroN1 ko bachaata2 huN keh Thokar3 meN fanaa4 hai
aur koh5 se kahta hun keh aa jaa mere aage
1.grains of dust 2.protect 3.kick 4.destruction 5.hill
A beautiful and defiant statement of solidarity with the deprived. I protect grains of sand because a little kick can destroy/scatter them. I challenge the hill to confront me.
6
mahtaab1 dam2-e sub’h, to Khurshiid3 sar4-e shaam
donoN hi ada5 karte haiN sajda6 mere aage
1.full moon 2.at the time of 3.sun 4.at the peak of 5.pay, offer 6.obeisance, bowing down respectfully
This is much like Ghalib’s …
hotaa hai nihaaN gard meN sehraa mere hote
ghistaa hai jabiiN Khaak pe daryaa mere aage
At the time of dawn the full moon disappears below the horizon and at the height of evening, the sun does the same. Both of these are portrayed as bowing down to the super-human.
7
khilti1 hai har band kalii2 meri nazar3 se
uThta hai har ek raaz4 se parda5 mere aage
1.blooms, opens up 2.flower bud 3.eyes, sight 4.secret, mystery 5.veil
A closed bud is like a hidden mystery. The poet’s discerning eye reveals the mystery much like the bud blooming into a beautiful flower. His ash’aar lift the veil from every mystery of the universe.
8
mahtaab1 pe har raat basar2 hoti hai meri
bahta3 hai jahaaN4 noor5 ka darya6 mere aage
1.full moon 2.spend, pass 3.flows 4.where 5.light 6.river, sea
I am having difficulty trying to figure out if the poet means something beyond the simple word meaning translation. Such a translation just by itself appears to be a meaningless boast. On the moon, where the poet spends every night, a river of light flows. Does he mean that he composes his best ash’aar at night and that it is light a river of light. Fair enough. But why does it have to be on the moon? I would appreciate any help anyone can give.
9
maiN diida1-e saaqi ko falak2 choomta3 pahroN4
rakhta na agar5 saaGhar6 o miina7 mere aage
1.eyes 2.pen-name of the poet 3.kiss 4.for hours 5.if 6.cup 7.flask
O falak I would have kissed the (intoxicating) eyes of the saaqi for hours, if she had not placed a flask and cup before me. This implies that once he saw the saaGhar o miina, he forgot all about the saaqi. Ghalib on the other hand, was stimulated by the wine cup and flask. Says Ghalib …
phir dekhiye andaaz-e gul-afshaanii-e guftaar
rakh de koii paimaanah-e sahbaa mere aage
