For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
غمزہ کے قرباں ہو گئیں ۔ بہادر شاہ ظفرؔ
۱
جس سے چار آنکھیں تری اے آفتِ جاں ہو گئیں
تیر سی اُس کے جگر کے پار مژگاں ہو گئیں
۲
ایک میری جان ہے کیا ایسی تو جانیں سیکڑوں
ناز کے صدقے ترے غمزہ کے قرباں ہو گئیں
۳
گر جو پیٹن بھی لکھیں دستِ حنائی سے ترے
ہم خطاوارؤں کو وہ پھولوں کی چھڑیاں ہو گئیں
۴
تیز تھی پہلے بھی تلواریں نگاہوں کی ترے
سنگِ سرمہ سے زیادہ اور برّاں ہو گئیں
۵
اُن کے رونے نے ڈبویا آشنائی میں مجھے
میری آنکھیں میرے حق میں قہرِ طوفاں ہو گئیں
۶
شہر سے شائد گیا دیوانہ صحرا کو نکل
شور لڑکوں کا نہیں، سُونی ہیں گلیاں ہو گئیں
۷
واہ اِس صورت کدہ میں دیکھتے ہی دیکھتے
صورتیں کیا کیا نظر سے اپنی پنہاں ہو گئیں
۸
روئے اس دستِ نگاریں کے تصوّر میں جو ہم
اشکِ خوں سے اپنی پلکیں شاخِ مرجاں ہو گئیں
۹
اے ظفرؔ دل کی پریشانی کا ہے میرے اثر
یہ جو اُس کافر کی زلفیں ہیں پریشاں ہو گئیں
ग़म्ज़े के क़ुर्बां हो गईं – बहादुर शाह ज़फ़र
१
जिस से चार आंखें तेरी अए आफ़त-ए जां हो गईं
तीर सी उस के जिगर के पार मिज़्श्गां हो गईं
२
एक मेरी जान है क्या, ऐसी तो जानें सैंक्ढौं
नाज़ के सद्क़े तेरे ग़म्ज़े के क़ुर्बां हो गईं
३
गर जो पीटन भी लिखें दस्त-ए हिनाई से तेरे
हम ख़तावारौं को वो फूलौं कि छढियां हो गईं
४
तेज़ थी पहले भी तल्वारें निगाहौं की तेरे
संग-ए सुर्मा से ज़ियादा और बुर्रां हो गईं
५
उन के रोने ने डुबोया आश्नाई में मुझे
मेरी आंखें मेरे हक़ में क़हर-ए तूफ़ां हो गईं
६
शहर से शा’एद गया दीवाना सहरा को निकल
शोर लढकौं का नहीं, सूनी हैं गलियां हो गईं
७
वाह इस सूरत कदे में देखते हि देखते
सूरतें क्या क्या नज़र से अपनी पिन्हां हो गईं
८
रोए इस दस्त-ए निगारीं के तसव्वुर में जो हम
अश्क-ए ख़ूं से अपनी पल्कें शाख़-ए मर्जां हो गईं
९
अए ज़फ़र दिल की परेशानी का है मेरे असर
ये जो उस काफ़िर की ज़ुल्फ़ें हैं परेशां हो गईं
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. bahaadur shaah zafar (1775-1862) became titular/nominal emperor of India in 1837. He was a scholar of faarsi and arabi and started composing at an early age. zauq and after zauq’s death in 1854, Ghalib became his ustaad. zafar used to hold frequent mushaa’era in the Red Fort. This Ghazal, in the same style of Ghalib’s “Khaak meN kya suurateN hoNgi keh pinhaaN ho gaiiN”, dated by kalidas gupta raza, 1852. I have no way to date zafar’s Ghazal and am not sure if there was any influence/connection. This Ghazal is linked to ‘Ghalib peshrau ham asr’.
1
jis se chaar aaNkehN1 teri aye aafat-e-jaaN2 ho gaiiN
tiir si3 us ke jigar4 ke paar mizshgaaN5 ho gaiiN 1.aaNkheN chaar hona, an expression that means catching a glimpse and looking at each other 2.pain of life, characterization of the beloved 3.like, similar to 4.liver/heart 5.eyelashes
The beloved’s eyelashes are like arrows and pierce the poet/lover’s heart through and through when their eyes meet.
2
ek meri jaan hai kya, aisi to jaaneN saiNkRoN
naaz1 ke sadqe2 tere, Ghamze3 ke qurbaaN4 ho gaiiN 1.coquetry, teasing 2.devotional offering 3.sidelong glance, wink 4.sacrificial offering
Why talk about my one life, there are millions of lives like mine which offered in devotion to the beloved’s coquetry and are sacrificed for one sidlong glance.
3
gar1 jo piiTaN2 bhi likheN dast3-e hinaaii4 se tere
ham KhataavaaroN5 ko vo phooloN ki chhaRiyaaN ho gaiiN 1.if 2.caning, blows 3.hand of 4.hennaed 5.sinners, transgressors
Even if they are sentenced to caning, but the orders are written out by the beloved’s hennaed hand, then for the transgressors, canes become like flower laden branches.
4
tez1 thii pahle bhi talvaareN nigaahoN2 ki tere
saNg3-e surma4 se ziyaada aur burraaN5 ho gaiiN 1.sharp 2.eyes, glances 3.stone 4.collyrium, eye shadow 5.sharp
Swords are sharpened on whetstone. The beloveds glances are already like sharp swords, but when collyrium/eye shadow is used to grind them, they become even more sharp.
5
un ke rone ne Duboyaa aashnaaii1 meN mujhe
meri aaNkheN mere haq2 meN qahr3-e toofaaN4 ho gaiiN 1.friendship, intimacy 2.rights, deserving of 3.calamity 4.storm
The “un” in the first misra refers to the eyes. The eyes of the poet/lover wept profusely and the flood of tears drowned him in intimacy (with sorrow). For him, his eyes became a calamitous storm
6
shahr1 se shaa’ed2 gaya diivaana sahra3 ko nikal4
shor5 laRkoN ka nahiN, suuni6 haiN galiyaaN ho gaiiN 1.town 2.perhaps 3.desert 4.nikal gaya is an expression meaning got away 5.noise 6.desolate, quiet
Street urchins, young boys would tease and stone majnuN, the mad/passionate lover, when he roamed the streets of the town. But it now seems like the poet cannot hear any such noise from the streets. The streets have fallen silent. Perhaps the mad/passionate lover has escaped from the town and gone away to the desert (just the mad majnuN had done in search of laila).
7
vaah is suurat-kade1 meN dekhte hi dekhte2
suurateN kya kya nazar3 se apni pinhaaN4 ho gaiiN 1.house of faces 2.in a short time 3.sight, eyes 4.hidden, disappeared
In just a short time, in this house of faces (the world), how many faces have disappeared from our eyes. Said Ghalib …
sab kahaaN kuchh laalah-o-gul meN numaayaaN ho gaiiN
Khaak meN kyaa suurateN hoNgii kih pinhaaN ho gaiiN
8
roye is dast-e-nigaariiN1 ke tasavvur2 meN jo ham
ashk3-e KhuuN se apni palkeN4 shaaKh-e-marjaaN5 ho gaiiN 1.embellished decorated hand 2.imagination, memory 3.tears 4.eyelids, eyelashes 5.coral branch
The poet/lover remembers the hennaed hand of the beloved and cries tears of blood. The blood congealing on his eyelids/eyelashes looks coral.
9
aye zafar1 dil ki pareshaani2 ka hai mere asar3
ye jo us kaafir4 ki zulfeN5 haiN pareshaaN6 ho gaiiN 1.pen-name of the poet 2.distress 3.effect 4.infidel, rebel, beloved 5.hair 6.untied, spread out
O zafar, it the effect of my distressed heart that the hair of that mischievous beloved are untied/unovered and spread out (conventionally untied and uncovered hair are a sign of distress).
bahaadur shaah zafar (1775-1862) became titular/nominal emperor of India in 1837. He was a scholar of faarsi and arabi and started composing at an early age. zauq and after zauq’s death in 1854, Ghalib became his ustaad. zafar used to hold frequent mushaa’era in the Red Fort. This Ghazal, in the same style of Ghalib’s “Khaak meN kya suurateN hoNgi keh pinhaaN ho gaiiN”, dated by kalidas gupta raza, 1852. I have no way to date zafar’s Ghazal and am not sure if there was any influence/connection. This Ghazal is linked to ‘Ghalib peshrau ham asr’.
1
jis se chaar aaNkehN1 teri aye aafat-e-jaaN2 ho gaiiN
tiir si3 us ke jigar4 ke paar mizshgaaN5 ho gaiiN
1.aaNkheN chaar hona, an expression that means catching a glimpse and looking at each other 2.pain of life, characterization of the beloved 3.like, similar to 4.liver/heart 5.eyelashes
The beloved’s eyelashes are like arrows and pierce the poet/lover’s heart through and through when their eyes meet.
2
ek meri jaan hai kya, aisi to jaaneN saiNkRoN
naaz1 ke sadqe2 tere, Ghamze3 ke qurbaaN4 ho gaiiN
1.coquetry, teasing 2.devotional offering 3.sidelong glance, wink 4.sacrificial offering
Why talk about my one life, there are millions of lives like mine which offered in devotion to the beloved’s coquetry and are sacrificed for one sidlong glance.
3
gar1 jo piiTaN2 bhi likheN dast3-e hinaaii4 se tere
ham KhataavaaroN5 ko vo phooloN ki chhaRiyaaN ho gaiiN
1.if 2.caning, blows 3.hand of 4.hennaed 5.sinners, transgressors
Even if they are sentenced to caning, but the orders are written out by the beloved’s hennaed hand, then for the transgressors, canes become like flower laden branches.
4
tez1 thii pahle bhi talvaareN nigaahoN2 ki tere
saNg3-e surma4 se ziyaada aur burraaN5 ho gaiiN
1.sharp 2.eyes, glances 3.stone 4.collyrium, eye shadow 5.sharp
Swords are sharpened on whetstone. The beloveds glances are already like sharp swords, but when collyrium/eye shadow is used to grind them, they become even more sharp.
5
un ke rone ne Duboyaa aashnaaii1 meN mujhe
meri aaNkheN mere haq2 meN qahr3-e toofaaN4 ho gaiiN
1.friendship, intimacy 2.rights, deserving of 3.calamity 4.storm
The “un” in the first misra refers to the eyes. The eyes of the poet/lover wept profusely and the flood of tears drowned him in intimacy (with sorrow). For him, his eyes became a calamitous storm
6
shahr1 se shaa’ed2 gaya diivaana sahra3 ko nikal4
shor5 laRkoN ka nahiN, suuni6 haiN galiyaaN ho gaiiN
1.town 2.perhaps 3.desert 4.nikal gaya is an expression meaning got away 5.noise 6.desolate, quiet
Street urchins, young boys would tease and stone majnuN, the mad/passionate lover, when he roamed the streets of the town. But it now seems like the poet cannot hear any such noise from the streets. The streets have fallen silent. Perhaps the mad/passionate lover has escaped from the town and gone away to the desert (just the mad majnuN had done in search of laila).
7
vaah is suurat-kade1 meN dekhte hi dekhte2
suurateN kya kya nazar3 se apni pinhaaN4 ho gaiiN
1.house of faces 2.in a short time 3.sight, eyes 4.hidden, disappeared
In just a short time, in this house of faces (the world), how many faces have disappeared from our eyes. Said Ghalib …
sab kahaaN kuchh laalah-o-gul meN numaayaaN ho gaiiN
Khaak meN kyaa suurateN hoNgii kih pinhaaN ho gaiiN
8
roye is dast-e-nigaariiN1 ke tasavvur2 meN jo ham
ashk3-e KhuuN se apni palkeN4 shaaKh-e-marjaaN5 ho gaiiN
1.embellished decorated hand 2.imagination, memory 3.tears 4.eyelids, eyelashes 5.coral branch
The poet/lover remembers the hennaed hand of the beloved and cries tears of blood. The blood congealing on his eyelids/eyelashes looks coral.
9
aye zafar1 dil ki pareshaani2 ka hai mere asar3
ye jo us kaafir4 ki zulfeN5 haiN pareshaaN6 ho gaiiN
1.pen-name of the poet 2.distress 3.effect 4.infidel, rebel, beloved 5.hair 6.untied, spread out
O zafar, it the effect of my distressed heart that the hair of that mischievous beloved are untied/unovered and spread out (conventionally untied and uncovered hair are a sign of distress).
