ahl-e jafa mere baad-panDit javaahar naath saaqi

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

اہلِ جفا میرے بعد ۔ پنڈت جواہر ناتھ ساقیؔ

۱

ناز و انداز کا غمزہ نہ رہا میرے بعد

بارے آرام سے ہیں اہلِ جفا میرے بعد

۲

مرتے مرتے بھی نہ نکلا میرے دل سے یہ خیال

کون دیکھے گا یہ انداز و ادا میرے بعد

۳

وہ بُت اللہ کا قائل مرے مرنے پہ ہوا

یعنی کرتا ہے وہ اب شُکرِ خدا میرے بعد

۴

عطر میں ڈوبے ہوئے نکلیں گے بہرِ گُلگشت

روز باندھیں گے نئی اپنی ہوا میرے بعد

۵

سُنبلِ زلف کی مر کر بھی نہ بھولا میں یاد

عشق پیچاں مرے مرقد پہ اُگا میرے بعد

۶

یا وہ عالم تھا کبھی بات بھی دل کی نہ کُھلی

یا لگے کُھلنے ترے بندِ قبا میرے بعد

۷

قیس و فرہاد نے ہرچند کھپائیں جانیں

مردِ میداں کوئی ساقیؔ نہ ہوا میرے بعد

अहल-ए जफ़ा मेरे बाद – पंडित जवाहर नाथ साक़ी

नाज़ ओ अंदाज़ का ग़म्ज़ा न रहा मेरे बाद

बारे आराम से हैं अहल-ए जफ़ा मेरे बाद

मरते मरते भी न निक्ला मेरे दिल से ये ख़याल

कौन देखेगा ये अंदाज़ ओ अदा मेरे बाद

वो बुत अल्लाह का क़ा’एल मेरे मरने पे हुआ

या’नी करता है वो अब शुक्र-ए ख़ुदा मेरे बाद

अत्र में डूबे हुए निकलेंगे बहर-ए गुलगश्त

रोज़ बांधेंगे नई अपनी हवा मेरे बाद

सुंबुल-ए ज़ुल्फ़ कि मर कर भी न भूला मैं याद

इश्क़-पेचां मेरे मर्क़द पे उगा मेरे बाद

या वो आलम था कभी बात भी दिल की न खुली

या लगे खुलने तेरे बंद-ए क़बा मेरे बाद

क़ेस ओ फ़रहाद ने हरचंद खपाईं जानें

मर्द-ए मैदां कोई साक़ी न हुआ मेरे बाद

 

Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. panDit javaahar naath saaqi (1864-1916) was born into a kashmiiri panDit family with a long history of serving the emperor starting with akbar. It also had an equally long list of urdu shu’ara. He himself lived under straitened conditions, like a jogi/sufi. He had the good fortune to receive advice/correction for his compositions from three of Ghalib’s shaagird – hargopal tufta, mohammed zakariah zaki, and qurbaan ali saalik. This Ghazal, in the style of Ghalib’s ‘lab-e saaqi meN salaa mere baad’, is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam, along with that of his ustaad, qurbaan ali saalik.
1
naaz1 o andaaz2 ka Ghamza3 na raha mere b’aad
baare4 aaraam se haiN ahl-e-jafa5 mere b’aad    
1.coquetry 2.style 3.sidelong titillating glance, wink 4.at last 5.cruel people, beloved
After me, the coquetry and playful style is just not the same. It has lost its quality. Finally, the beloved can rest easy, she does not have to try to maintain a high quality of style and coquetry. Said Ghalib …
husn Ghamze ki kashaakash se chhuTa mere b’aad
baare aaraam se haiN ahl-e jafaa mere b’aad

2
marte marte bhi na nikla mere dil se ye Khayaal
kaun dekhega ye andaaz1 o adaa2 mere b’aad   
1.(mischievouos) style, (dignified) bearing 2.coquetry, elegance, grace
Even to the last breath, I kept thinking/worrying – who will appreciate this elegant bearting, this titillating coquetry, after me.

3
vo but1 allaah ka qaa’el2 mere marne pe hua
ya’aani3 karta hai vo ab shukr4-e Khuda mere b’aad  
1.idol, beloved 2.convinced, believing in 3.meaning 4.thankful
The beloved is convinced of the benevolence of god after my death. That means she offered her gratitude to god after me.

4
atr1 meN Doobe hue nikleNge bahr2-e gulgasht3
roz baandheNge naii apni havaa4 mere b’aad   
1.perfume 2.with the intention of 3.garden walk 4.airs, styles
Drenched in perfume, she will venture out for a walk in the garden. Every day she will put on new airs, after me.

5
sunbul1-e zulf2 ki mar kar bhi bhoola maiN yaad
ishq-pechaaN3 mere marqad4 pe uga mere b’aad   
1.fragrant grass 2.hair 3.a vine bearing red flowers with hairlike petals 4.grave
‘ishq-pechaaN’ is used here both as a symbol of love and of beautiful, fragrant hair. Thus, even after death, I did not forget the fragrant hair of the beloved. Vines of ‘ishq-pechaaN’ grew on my grave in rememberance.

6
yaa vo aalam1 tha kabhi baat bhi dil ki na khuli
yaa lage khulne tere band2-e qabaa3 mere b’aad   
1.condition, attitude 2.ties 3.robe
While I lived, the beloved’s condition/attitude was that she did not open up even to speak her inner thoughts (of love). But now, after me, she even unties the binds of robe!

7
qais1 o farhaad2 ne harchand3 khapaaii4 jaaneN
mard-e-maidaaN5 koii saaqi6 na hua mere b’aad  
1.another name of majnuN of laila-majnuN legend 2.of shiriiN-farhaad legend 3.even though 4.use up, give up 5.brave of the field (of love) 6.pen-name of the poet
Even though there are legendary figures like majnuN and farhaad who gave up their lives for love, O saaqi, there has been none as brave as you, in the field of love, after you.

panDit javaahar naath saaqi (1864-1916) was born into a kashmiiri panDit family with a long history of serving the emperor starting with akbar.  It also had an equally long list of urdu shu’ara.  He himself lived under straitened conditions, like a jogi/sufi.  He had the good fortune to receive advice/correction for his compositions from three of Ghalib’s shaagird – hargopal tufta, mohammed zakariah zaki, and qurbaan ali saalik.  This Ghazal, in the style of Ghalib’s ‘lab-e saaqi meN salaa mere baad’, is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam, along with that of his ustaad, qurbaan ali saalik.
1
naaz1 o andaaz2 ka Ghamza3 na raha mere b’aad
baare4 aaraam se haiN ahl-e-jafa5 mere b’aad

1.coquetry 2.style 3.sidelong titillating glance, wink 4.at last 5.cruel people, beloved

After me, the coquetry and playful style is just not the same.  It has lost its quality.  Finally, the beloved can rest easy, she does not have to try to maintain a high quality of style and coquetry.  Said Ghalib …
husn Ghamze ki kashaakash se chhuTa mere b’aad
baare aaraam se haiN ahl-e jafaa mere b’aad
2
marte marte bhi na nikla mere dil se ye Khayaal
kaun dekhega ye andaaz1 o adaa2 mere b’aad

1.(mischievouos) style, (dignified) bearing 2.coquetry, elegance, grace

Even to the last breath, I kept thinking/worrying – who will appreciate this elegant bearting, this titillating coquetry, after me.
3
vo but1 allaah ka qaa’el2 mere marne pe hua
ya’aani3 karta hai vo ab shukr4-e Khuda mere b’aad

1.idol, beloved 2.convinced, believing in 3.meaning 4.thankful

The beloved is convinced of the benevolence of god after my death.  That means she offered her gratitude to god after me.
4
atr1 meN Doobe hue nikleNge bahr2-e gulgasht3
roz baandheNge naii apni havaa4 mere b’aad

1.perfume 2.with the intention of 3.garden walk 4.airs, styles

Drenched in perfume, she will venture out for a walk in the garden.  Every day she will put on new airs, after me.
5
sunbul1-e zulf2 ki mar kar bhi bhoola maiN yaad
ishq-pechaaN3 mere marqad4 pe uga mere b’aad

1.fragrant grass 2.hair 3.a vine bearing red flowers with hairlike petals 4.grave

‘ishq-pechaaN’ is used here both as a symbol of love and of beautiful, fragrant hair.  Thus, even after death, I did not forget the fragrant hair of the beloved.  Vines of ‘ishq-pechaaN’ grew on my grave in rememberance.
6
yaa vo aalam1 tha kabhi baat bhi dil ki na khuli
yaa lage khulne tere band2-e qabaa3 mere b’aad

1.condition, attitude 2.ties 3.robe

While I lived, the beloved’s condition/attitude was that she did not open up even to speak her inner thoughts (of love).  But now, after me, she even unties the binds of robe!
7
qais1 o farhaad2 ne harchand3 khapaaii4 jaaneN
mard-e-maidaaN5 koii saaqi6 na hua mere b’aad

1.another name of majnuN of laila-majnuN legend 2.of shiriiN-farhaad legend 3.even though 4.use up, give up 5.brave of the field (of love) 6.pen-name of the poet

Even though there are legendary figures like majnuN and farhaad who gave up their lives for love, O saaqi, there has been none as brave as you, in the field of love, after you.