For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
سرِ گورِ غریباں ہونا ۔ عثمانؔ علی خاں
۱
مُنحصر وصل پہ ہے عیش کا ساماں ہونا
سخت مُشکل مری مُشکل کا ہے آساں ہونا
۲
نو گرفتارِ بلا طرزِ فغاں کیا جانے
کوئی ناشاد سکھا دے اُسے نالاں ہونا
۳
ہے مرا ضبطِ جُنوں جوشِ جنوں سے بڑھ کر
ننگ ہے میرے لئے چاک گریباں ہونا
۴
کھول دے اب پرِ پرواز مرا اے صیّاد
فصلِ گُل میں ہے ستم قیدیِ زنداں ہونا
۵
زندگی کیا ہے عناصر کی فقط یکجائی
موت کیا ہے اِنہیں اجزا کا پریشاں ہونا
۶
گُل کو پامال نہ کر توڑ کے اے گُلچیں
اِس کی زینت ہے سرِ گورِ غریباں ہونا
۷
صفحۂ دہر پہ عثمانؔ ہے یہ مُہرِ قدرت
پھول کا خاک کے تودے سے نمایاں ہونا
सर-ए गोर-ए ग़रीबां होना – उस्मान अली ख़ां
१
मुन’हसिर वस्ल पे है ऐश का सामां होना
सख़्त मुश्किल मेरी मुश्किल का है आसां होना
२
नौ-गिरफ़्तार-ए बला तर्ज़-ए फ़ोग़ां क्या जाने
कोई नाशाद सिखा दे उसे नालां होना
३
है मेरा ज़ब्त-ए जुनूं जोश-ए जुनूं से बढ़ कर
नंग है मेरे लिये चाक गरेबां होना
४
खोल दे अब पर-ए परवाज़ मेरा अए सय्याद
फ़स्ल-ए गुल में है सितम क़ैदी-ए ज़िंदां होना
५
ज़िंदगी क्या है अनासिर की फ़क़त यकजाई
मौत क्या है इन्हीं अज्ज़ा का परेशां होना
६
गुल को पामाल न कर तोढ के अए गुलचीं
इस की ज़ीनत है सर-ए गोर-ए ग़रीबां होना
७
सफ़हा-ए दहर पे अए उस्मान है ये मोहर-ए क़ुद्रत
फूल का ख़ाक के तोदे से नुमायां होना
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. osman ali KhaaN (1886-1967), the erstwhile ruler of hyderabad was a prolific poet of considerable literary capability. His diivaan was collected and published posthumously in eight fair sized volumes. This is one of several Ghazal that he composed in the style of Ghalib. This one in the style of “aadmi ko bhi mai’assar nahiN insaaN hona” is linked to the appropriate sub-category under ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’. I don’t know how to say this politely, but it seems to me that he has stolen ash’aar out of the Ghazal of brij narain chakbast without attribution.
1
mun’hasir1 vasl2 pe hai aish3 ka saamaaN4 hona
saKht5 mushkil6 meri mushkil ka hai aasaaN7 hona 1.dependent 2.union with the beloved 3.comfort, joy, pleasure 4.means 5.hard, difficult 6.difficulty 7.easy
The poet/lover is in a catch-22 quandary. The means of his pleasure/joy depends on union with the beloved. That union is not likely to happen. So it is next to impossible that his difficulty will be solved. He will remain joyless. It must be remembered that osman ali KhaaN had several wives and about 100 concubines.
2
nau-giraftaar1-e balaa2 tarz3-e fuGhaaN4 kya jaane
koii naashaad5 sikha de use naalaaN6 hona 1.newly captured 2.calamity (of love) 3.ways, style 4.wailing 5.unhappy, sad 6.wailing, crying
How can he know the correct style of wailing, who has just recently been captured by love. Will some experienced unhappy victim of love please teach him how to cry. This appears to have been lifted straight out of brij narain chakbast’s (1882-1926) Ghazal.
3
hai mera zabt-e-junooN1 josh-e-junooN2 se baRh kar
naNg3 hai mere liye chaak4 garebaaN5 hona 1.control of madness 2.passion for madness 3.indignity, undignified 4.torn 5.collar
The mad passionate lover (like majnuN) goes around with a torn collar, clothes in tatters looking for his beloved (laila). But the poet says that his self-control of his madness is greater than his passion for display of madness. He considers it undignified for him to go around with a torn collar. He would rather hide his love. This is also lifted straight out of brij narain chakbast’s Ghazal.
4
khol de ab par1-e parvaaz2 mera aye sayyaad3
fasl4-e gul5 meN hai sitam6 qaidi7-e zindaaN8 hona 1.wing 2.flight 3.bird-catcher 4.season 5.flowering 6.torture 7.prisoner 8.cage
The season of flowering is spring. That is when the nightingale/bulbul sings love songs for the rose. But the bird catcher has tied up his flight wings and put him in a cage. He pleads, untie my flight wings, set me free, it is torture to be a prisoner in a cage during spring.
5
zindagi kya hai anaasir1 ki faqat2 yakjaaii3
maut4 kya hai inhiiN ajza5 ka pareshaaN6 hona 1.parts, components 2.only, merely 3.collection in one place 4.death 5.parts, components 6.scattered
What is life, except that collection of parts in one place. What is death other than the scattering of these same components. Said brij narain chakbast …
zindagi kya hai anaasir meN zuhoor-e tartiib
maut kya hai inhiiN ajzaa ka pareshaaN hona
6
gul1 ko paamaal2 na kar toR ke aye gulchiiN3
is ki ziinat4 hai sar5-e gor6-e GhariibaaN7 hona 1.rose 2.trample 3.flower-picker 4.elegance, embellishment, honour 5.head 6.grave 7.poor
Do not trample upon the rose after picking it, O, flower picker. The honourable place for it is at the head of the grave of a poor person. Said brij narain chakbast …
gul ko paamaal na kar laal-o-gohar ke maalik
hai use turra-e dastaar-e GharibaaN hona
7
safha1-e dahr2 pe aye osmaan3 hai ye mohr4-e qudrat5
phool ka Khaak6 ke tode7 se numaayaaN8 hona 1.page 2.world 3.pen-name of the poet 4.stamp, seal 5.nature 6.clay 7.lump 8.prominent, emerge, become visible
O osmaan, the emergence of a flower from a lump of clay is nothing but the stamp of nature on the page of this material world. Said brij narain chakbast …
daftar-e husn pe mohr-e yad-e qudrat samjho
phuul ka Khaak ke tode se numaayaaN hona
osman ali KhaaN (1886-1967), the erstwhile ruler of hyderabad was a prolific poet of considerable literary capability. His diivaan was collected and published posthumously in eight fair sized volumes. This is one of several Ghazal that he composed in the style of Ghalib. This one in the style of “aadmi ko bhi mai’assar nahiN insaaN hona” is linked to the appropriate sub-category under ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’. I don’t know how to say this politely, but it seems to me that he has stolen ash’aar out of the Ghazal of brij narain chakbast without attribution.
1
mun’hasir1 vasl2 pe hai aish3 ka saamaaN4 hona
saKht5 mushkil6 meri mushkil ka hai aasaaN7 hona
1.dependent 2.union with the beloved 3.comfort, joy, pleasure 4.means 5.hard, difficult 6.difficulty 7.easy
The poet/lover is in a catch-22 quandary. The means of his pleasure/joy depends on union with the beloved. That union is not likely to happen. So it is next to impossible that his difficulty will be solved. He will remain joyless. It must be remembered that osman ali KhaaN had several wives and about 100 concubines.
2
nau-giraftaar1-e balaa2 tarz3-e fuGhaaN4 kya jaane
koii naashaad5 sikha de use naalaaN6 hona
1.newly captured 2.calamity (of love) 3.ways, style 4.wailing 5.unhappy, sad 6.wailing, crying
How can he know the correct style of wailing, who has just recently been captured by love. Will some experienced unhappy victim of love please teach him how to cry. This appears to have been lifted straight out of brij narain chakbast’s (1882-1926) Ghazal.
3
hai mera zabt-e-junooN1 josh-e-junooN2 se baRh kar
naNg3 hai mere liye chaak4 garebaaN5 hona
1.control of madness 2.passion for madness 3.indignity, undignified 4.torn 5.collar
The mad passionate lover (like majnuN) goes around with a torn collar, clothes in tatters looking for his beloved (laila). But the poet says that his self-control of his madness is greater than his passion for display of madness. He considers it undignified for him to go around with a torn collar. He would rather hide his love. This is also lifted straight out of brij narain chakbast’s Ghazal.
4
khol de ab par1-e parvaaz2 mera aye sayyaad3
fasl4-e gul5 meN hai sitam6 qaidi7-e zindaaN8 hona
1.wing 2.flight 3.bird-catcher 4.season 5.flowering 6.torture 7.prisoner 8.cage
The season of flowering is spring. That is when the nightingale/bulbul sings love songs for the rose. But the bird catcher has tied up his flight wings and put him in a cage. He pleads, untie my flight wings, set me free, it is torture to be a prisoner in a cage during spring.
5
zindagi kya hai anaasir1 ki faqat2 yakjaaii3
maut4 kya hai inhiiN ajza5 ka pareshaaN6 hona
1.parts, components 2.only, merely 3.collection in one place 4.death 5.parts, components 6.scattered
What is life, except that collection of parts in one place. What is death other than the scattering of these same components. Said brij narain chakbast …
zindagi kya hai anaasir meN zuhoor-e tartiib
maut kya hai inhiiN ajzaa ka pareshaaN hona
6
gul1 ko paamaal2 na kar toR ke aye gulchiiN3
is ki ziinat4 hai sar5-e gor6-e GhariibaaN7 hona
1.rose 2.trample 3.flower-picker 4.elegance, embellishment, honour 5.head 6.grave 7.poor
Do not trample upon the rose after picking it, O, flower picker. The honourable place for it is at the head of the grave of a poor person. Said brij narain chakbast …
gul ko paamaal na kar laal-o-gohar ke maalik
hai use turra-e dastaar-e GharibaaN hona
7
safha1-e dahr2 pe aye osmaan3 hai ye mohr4-e qudrat5
phool ka Khaak6 ke tode7 se numaayaaN8 hona
1.page 2.world 3.pen-name of the poet 4.stamp, seal 5.nature 6.clay 7.lump 8.prominent, emerge, become visible
O osmaan, the emergence of a flower from a lump of clay is nothing but the stamp of nature on the page of this material world. Said brij narain chakbast …
daftar-e husn pe mohr-e yad-e qudrat samjho
phuul ka Khaak ke tode se numaayaaN hona
