For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
حسرتِ دیدار دیکھ کر ۔ سید شفاعت ہینس ریحانیؔ
۱
جھپکی نہ آنکھ جلوۂ سرشار دیکھ کر
حیراں ہوں اپنی حسرتِ دیدار دیکھ کر
۲
دامانِ ماہتاب کو ناگاہ چھو لیا
لرزاں ہے آسماں مری رفتار دیکھ کر
۳
کیا پہنچیں گے وہ قامت و گیسوئے یار تک
کھاتے ہیں خوف جو رسن و دار دیکھ کر
۴
ہر قطرۂ سرشک میں کس کا یہ عکس ہے
بہزاد بھی ہے نقش بہ دیوار دیکھ کر
۵
سمجھا نوائے غم بھی نہیں معتبر یہاں
میں سازِ دِل کے ٹوٹے ہوئے تار دیکھ کر
۶
مِلتا نہیں ہے موت کو بھی اب مرا سراغ
یوں گم ہوا ہوں کوچۂ دلدار دیکھ کر
۷
ریحانیؔ ہے بہار کہیں اور کہیں خزاں
عبرت نہ کیوں ہو عالمِ گلزار دیکھ کر
हस्रत-ए दीदार देख कर – सय्यद शफ़ा’अत हैन्सन रेहानी
१
झपकी न आंख जल्वा-ए सरशार देख कर
हैरां हुं अपनी हस्रत-ए दीदार देख कर
२
दामान-ए माहताब को नागाह छू लिया
लर्ज़ां है आस्मां मेरी रफ़्तार देख कर
३
क्या पहुंचेंगे वो क़ामत ओ गेसू-ए यार तक
खाते हैं ख़ौफ़ जो रसन ओ दार देख कर
४
हर क़तरा-ए शरस्क में किस का ये अक्स है
बहज़ाद भी है नक़्श-ब-दीवार, देख कर
५
समझा नवा-ए ग़म भी नहीं मो’तबर यहां
मैं साज़-ए दिल के टूटे हुए तार देख कर
६
मिलता नहीं है मौत को भी अब मेरा सुराग़
यूं गुम हुआ हूं कूचा-ए दिलदार देख कर
७
रेहानी है बहार कहीं और कहीं ख़िज़ां
इब्रत न क्यू हो आलम-ए गुल्ज़ार देख कर
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. syed shafaa’at Hanson rehani (1912-????), born in lukhnau. Educated in urdu and faarsi in raampur and later in punjab university. Started composing at an early age both in urdu and in faarsi with mirza jafar ali KhaaN asar lakhnavi (urdu) and farruKh shiiraazi (faarsi) as his mentors. He is a Christian urdu poet who has written conventional Ghazal as well as Christian devotional nazm. He has four collections to his credit and also compiled a booklet on devotional nazm for observing Good Friday and celebrating Easter. He served as pastor at the Methodist Church in hyderabad. This Ghazal in the style of Ghalib’s ‘dete haiN baada zarf-e qadah-Khwaar dekh kar’ is linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’, along with many others.
1
jhapki1 na aaNkh jalva2-e sarshaar3 dekh kar
hairaaN4 huN apni hasrat5-e diidaar6 dekh kar 1. blink, shut eyes for an instant 2.face, beauty, glory 3.fulfilling, satiating 4.amazed 5.longing 6.sight
After seeing the fulfilling glorious beauty of the beloved (or of god), I could not even blink my eyes (for fear of missing out on another sight). I am amazed at the intense eagerness of my longing for that sight. While this is clothed in the phraseology of the beauty of the beloved, it applies to his feelings of faith.
2
daamaan1-e maahtaab2 ko naagaah3 chhuu liya
larzaaN4 hai aasmaaN meri raftaar5 dekh kar 1.hem of the robe 2.moon 3.suddenly, unexpectedly 4.trembling 5.speed, alacrity
Touching the hem of the robe of the moon is equivalent to reaching great heights. As soon as the poet/devotee had seen the glory of divine beauty, he reached such heights that even the sky trembled at his speed.
3
kya pahuNcheNge1 vo qaamat2 o gesu3-e yaar4 ke
khaate haiN Khauf5 jo rasan6 o daar7 dekh kar 1.reach 2.stature 3.hair 4.friend, beloved, god 5.fear 6.rope 7.gallows, hanging
Tall slender stature and long black hair are both symbols of beauty. To be able to reach the stature and hair of the beloved means to be able to fully understand the beauty of the beloved or of god. How can they comprehend divine beauty if they are fearful of the hanging rope and gallows i.e., they have to stay steadfast in their faith in the face of severe opposition. They have to even risk their very lives.
4
har qatra1-e sarashk2 meN kis ka ye aks3 hai
bahzaad4 bhi hai naqsh-ba-diivaar5, dekh kar 1.drop 2.tear 3.reflection 4.legendary painter of ancient Persia 5.etching on the wall
bahzaad is symbolic of great artistic ability. He is reputed to have produced images so true to the original that no distinction remained between art and reality. To become a ‘naqsh-ba-diivaar’ is to be stunned into total amazement/silence – becoming still as if lifeless. Whose reflection is it in every tear drop, even bahzaad is stunned at realizing that he has no ability to paint/reproduce this (divine) glory.
5
samjha navaa1-e Gham2 bhi nahiN mo’tabar3 yahaaN
maiN saaz4-e dil ke TooTe hue taar5 dekh kar 1.sound 2.sorrow 3.believable, effective 4.musical instrument 5.strings
The heart is like a musical instrument with strings. The strings are broken i.e., the heart is broken (in hopelessness). The poet sees this all around him and understands/concludes that even the sound of sorrow is not effective here i.e., no one sympathises, relieves the pain.
6
milta nahiN hai maut1 ko bhi ab mera suraaGh2
yuN gum3 hua huN koocha4-e dildaar5 dekh kar 1.death 2.clue, whereabouts 3.lost 4.street of 5.beloved, god
When the poet/devotee saw the street of the beloved (the path of salvation offered by the divine) he was so lost (engrossed) in it that even death is/will not be able to find him i.e., he will achieve immortality/salvation in the street of the beloved (the path of salvation).
7
rehaani1 hai bahaar2 kahiiN aur kahiiN KhizaaN3
ibrat4 na kyuN ho aalam5-e gulzaar6 dekh kar 1.pen-name of the poet, fragrance 2.spring 3.dry season 4.warning, lesson 5.condition 6.garden
In urdu poetry ‘bahaar’ is also used to mean happiness, plenty, prosperity and KhizaaN is used to mean poverty, deprivation, hunger. The ‘garden’ here is the world and the poet observes the condition of the garden and draws a lesson. What is the condition that he observes – that there is prosperity one side and poverty on the other i.e., an unjust distribution and much unhappiness. What kind of lesson does he draw? That is left unstated.
syed shafaa’at Hanson rehani (1912-????), born in lukhnau. Educated in urdu and faarsi in raampur and later in punjab university. Started composing at an early age both in urdu and in faarsi with mirza jafar ali KhaaN asar lakhnavi (urdu) and farruKh shiiraazi (faarsi) as his mentors. He is a Christian urdu poet who has written conventional Ghazal as well as Christian devotional nazm. He has four collections to his credit and also compiled a booklet on devotional nazm for observing Good Friday and celebrating Easter. He served as pastor at the Methodist Church in hyderabad. This Ghazal in the style of Ghalib’s ‘dete haiN baada zarf-e qadah-Khwaar dekh kar’ is linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’, along with many others.
1
jhapki1 na aaNkh jalva2-e sarshaar3 dekh kar
hairaaN4 huN apni hasrat5-e diidaar6 dekh kar
1. blink, shut eyes for an instant 2.face, beauty, glory 3.fulfilling, satiating 4.amazed 5.longing 6.sight
After seeing the fulfilling glorious beauty of the beloved (or of god), I could not even blink my eyes (for fear of missing out on another sight). I am amazed at the intense eagerness of my longing for that sight. While this is clothed in the phraseology of the beauty of the beloved, it applies to his feelings of faith.
2
daamaan1-e maahtaab2 ko naagaah3 chhuu liya
larzaaN4 hai aasmaaN meri raftaar5 dekh kar
1.hem of the robe 2.moon 3.suddenly, unexpectedly 4.trembling 5.speed, alacrity
Touching the hem of the robe of the moon is equivalent to reaching great heights. As soon as the poet/devotee had seen the glory of divine beauty, he reached such heights that even the sky trembled at his speed.
3
kya pahuNcheNge1 vo qaamat2 o gesu3-e yaar4 ke
khaate haiN Khauf5 jo rasan6 o daar7 dekh kar
1.reach 2.stature 3.hair 4.friend, beloved, god 5.fear 6.rope 7.gallows, hanging
Tall slender stature and long black hair are both symbols of beauty. To be able to reach the stature and hair of the beloved means to be able to fully understand the beauty of the beloved or of god. How can they comprehend divine beauty if they are fearful of the hanging rope and gallows i.e., they have to stay steadfast in their faith in the face of severe opposition. They have to even risk their very lives.
4
har qatra1-e sarashk2 meN kis ka ye aks3 hai
bahzaad4 bhi hai naqsh-ba-diivaar5, dekh kar
1.drop 2.tear 3.reflection 4.legendary painter of ancient Persia 5.etching on the wall
bahzaad is symbolic of great artistic ability. He is reputed to have produced images so true to the original that no distinction remained between art and reality. To become a ‘naqsh-ba-diivaar’ is to be stunned into total amazement/silence – becoming still as if lifeless. Whose reflection is it in every tear drop, even bahzaad is stunned at realizing that he has no ability to paint/reproduce this (divine) glory.
5
samjha navaa1-e Gham2 bhi nahiN mo’tabar3 yahaaN
maiN saaz4-e dil ke TooTe hue taar5 dekh kar
1.sound 2.sorrow 3.believable, effective 4.musical instrument 5.strings
The heart is like a musical instrument with strings. The strings are broken i.e., the heart is broken (in hopelessness). The poet sees this all around him and understands/concludes that even the sound of sorrow is not effective here i.e., no one sympathises, relieves the pain.
6
milta nahiN hai maut1 ko bhi ab mera suraaGh2
yuN gum3 hua huN koocha4-e dildaar5 dekh kar
1.death 2.clue, whereabouts 3.lost 4.street of 5.beloved, god
When the poet/devotee saw the street of the beloved (the path of salvation offered by the divine) he was so lost (engrossed) in it that even death is/will not be able to find him i.e., he will achieve immortality/salvation in the street of the beloved (the path of salvation).
7
rehaani1 hai bahaar2 kahiiN aur kahiiN KhizaaN3
ibrat4 na kyuN ho aalam5-e gulzaar6 dekh kar
1.pen-name of the poet, fragrance 2.spring 3.dry season 4.warning, lesson 5.condition 6.garden
In urdu poetry ‘bahaar’ is also used to mean happiness, plenty, prosperity and KhizaaN is used to mean poverty, deprivation, hunger. The ‘garden’ here is the world and the poet observes the condition of the garden and draws a lesson. What is the condition that he observes – that there is prosperity one side and poverty on the other i.e., an unjust distribution and much unhappiness. What kind of lesson does he draw? That is left unstated.
