For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
یہ ہماری زبان ہے پیارے ۔ گوپال متّل
۱
مجھ پہ تو مہربان ہے پیارے
یہ بھی اِک اِمتحان ہے پیارے
۲
یہ ترا آستانِ جلوہ ہے
میرے دل کی بھی شان ہے پیارے
۳
کون کہتا ہے بے وفا تجھ کو
کس کے منھ میں زبان ہے پیارے
۴
عاشقی اور شکوۂ بیداد
یہ تجھے کیا گمان ہے پیارے
۵
تیرے کوچے کا واہ کیا کہنا
یہ زمیں آسمان ہے پیارے
۶
ہے فسانہ اگر جہان تو عشق
اس فسانے کی جان ہے پیارے
۷
ہائے وہ داستانِ غم جس کی
خامشی ترجمان ہے پیارے
۸
دل کی بیتابیوں کا حال نہ پوچھ
ایک آفت میں جان ہے پیارے
۹
ہم بھی اُردو پہ ناز کرتے ہیں
یہ ہماری زبان ہے پیارے
ये हमारी ज़बान है प्यारे – गोपाल मित्तल
१
मुझ पे तू महरबान है प्यारे
ये भी एक इम्तेहान है प्यारे
२
ये तेरा आस्तान-ए जल्वा है
मेरे दिल की भी शान है प्यारे
३
कौन कहता है बेवफ़ा तुझ को
किस के मुंह में ज़बान है प्यारे
४
आशेक़ी और शिक्वा-ए बेदाद
ये तुझे क्या गुमान है प्यारे
५
तेरे कूचे का वाह क्या कहना
ये ज़मीं आस्मान है प्यारे
६
है फ़साना अगर जहान तो इश्क़
इस फ़साने कि जान है प्यारे
७
हाए वो दास्तान-ए ग़म जिस की
ख़ामुशी तर्जुमान है प्यारे
८
दिल की बेताबियौं का हाल न पूछ
एक आफ़त में जान है प्यारे
९
हम भी उर्दू पे नाज़ करते हैं
ये हमारी ज़बान है प्यारे
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. gopal mittal (1901-1993), maaler koTla, punjab. College in lahore. Later, lived in dehli as a poet, writer and editor of literary magazine. His usual style is to write intellectual, agnostic and irreverant Ghazal/nazm. This is a full-throated declaration of ownership of urdu.
1
mujh pe tuu mehrabaan1 hai pyaare
ye bhi ek imtehaan2 hai pyaare 1.kind 2.test
Conventionally, the beloved does not show any favours towards the poet/lover. This is a test of his forbearance. But for some reason, she is kind to him these days. He says, that this too is a test, an even greater test – perhaps because of his apprehension that she can (and will) change her mind.
2
ye tera aastaan1-e jalva2 hai
mere dil ki bhi shaan3 hai pyaare 1.abode, dwelling 2.image 3.dignity, respect
This is the dwelling of your image. My heart too has dignity. Thus, the beloved’s image/memory dwells in the poet/lover’s heart. Could this also be addressed to the divine.
3
kaun kahta hai bevafa1 tujh ko
kis ke muNh meN zabaan hai pyaare 1.faithless
It may be that the beloved has heard from somewhere that poet/lover called her unfaithful. She is angry with him for saying that. He defends himself – how can I dare call you faithless. How can I have a tongue that can say that. Or, this could be interpreted as a defiant, combative statement, equivalent to saying, who is it that dares to call you faithless/fickle. The implication of the second misra is – I will pull his tongue out.
4
aashiqi aur shikva1-e bedaad2
ye tujhe kya gumaan3 hai pyaare 1.complaint 2.cruelty, injustice 3.suspicion
The beloved is annoyed with the poet/lover because she has heard that he complained about her cruelty. Conventionally, a true lover accepts all cruelty of the beloved as if it is a gift to be treasured. No complaints. He responds, true love and complain about cruelty! What kind of a suspicion is this.
5
tere kooche1 ka vaah kya kahna
ye zamiiN aasmaan hai pyaare 1.street
Convention is that earth has a low status and the sky is exalted. But the beloved’s street is different. Bravo, what can I say about your street. That ground is haloed, exalted like the sky.
6
hai fasaana1 agar jahaan2 to ishq
is fasaane ki jaan3 hai pyaare 1.fable, fiction, illusion 2.world 3.life, soul
If this world is nothing but fiction/illusion, then love is the soul of this story.
7
haaye vo daastaan1-e Gham2 jis ki
Khaamoshi3 tarjumaan4 hai pyaare 1.story 2.sorrow 3.silence 4.interpreter
Conventionally, the poet/lover does not express his love for fear of maligning the reputation of the beloved. His story of sorrow (of love) is a story of silence. Thus, pity the story of love that has to be interpreted/explained by silence.
8
dil ki betaabiyoN1 ka haal2 na poochh
ek aafat3 meN jaan hai pyaare 1.restlessness 2.condition 3.difficulty, misfortune
Do not ask about the restless condition of my heart. My life is caught up in misfortune (because of unrequited love).
9
ham bhi urdu pe naaz1 karte haiN
ye hamaari zabaan2 hai pyaare 1.pride 2.language
We too take pride in urdu. It is our language, my dear. Who is the ‘we’ and ‘our’. In the context of the times, ‘we’ could be the non-muslim community, or this could be a reaction to those claim that urdu is a foreign language. Thus, he is either claiming ownership of the language, much like panDit anand narain mulla claims it to be his mother tongue, or reinforcing the fact that urdu is home grown.
gopal mittal (1901-1993), maaler koTla, punjab. College in lahore. Later, lived in dehli as a poet, writer and editor of literary magazine. His usual style is to write intellectual, agnostic and irreverant Ghazal/nazm. This is a full-throated declaration of ownership of urdu.
1
mujh pe tuu mehrabaan1 hai pyaare
ye bhi ek imtehaan2 hai pyaare
1.kind 2.test
Conventionally, the beloved does not show any favours towards the poet/lover. This is a test of his forbearance. But for some reason, she is kind to him these days. He says, that this too is a test, an even greater test – perhaps because of his apprehension that she can (and will) change her mind.
2
ye tera aastaan1-e jalva2 hai
mere dil ki bhi shaan3 hai pyaare
1.abode, dwelling 2.image 3.dignity, respect
This is the dwelling of your image. My heart too has dignity. Thus, the beloved’s image/memory dwells in the poet/lover’s heart. Could this also be addressed to the divine.
3
kaun kahta hai bevafa1 tujh ko
kis ke muNh meN zabaan hai pyaare
1.faithless
It may be that the beloved has heard from somewhere that poet/lover called her unfaithful. She is angry with him for saying that. He defends himself – how can I dare call you faithless. How can I have a tongue that can say that. Or, this could be interpreted as a defiant, combative statement, equivalent to saying, who is it that dares to call you faithless/fickle. The implication of the second misra is – I will pull his tongue out.
4
aashiqi aur shikva1-e bedaad2
ye tujhe kya gumaan3 hai pyaare
1.complaint 2.cruelty, injustice 3.suspicion
The beloved is annoyed with the poet/lover because she has heard that he complained about her cruelty. Conventionally, a true lover accepts all cruelty of the beloved as if it is a gift to be treasured. No complaints. He responds, true love and complain about cruelty! What kind of a suspicion is this.
5
tere kooche1 ka vaah kya kahna
ye zamiiN aasmaan hai pyaare
1.street
Convention is that earth has a low status and the sky is exalted. But the beloved’s street is different. Bravo, what can I say about your street. That ground is haloed, exalted like the sky.
6
hai fasaana1 agar jahaan2 to ishq
is fasaane ki jaan3 hai pyaare
1.fable, fiction, illusion 2.world 3.life, soul
If this world is nothing but fiction/illusion, then love is the soul of this story.
7
haaye vo daastaan1-e Gham2 jis ki
Khaamoshi3 tarjumaan4 hai pyaare
1.story 2.sorrow 3.silence 4.interpreter
Conventionally, the poet/lover does not express his love for fear of maligning the reputation of the beloved. His story of sorrow (of love) is a story of silence. Thus, pity the story of love that has to be interpreted/explained by silence.
8
dil ki betaabiyoN1 ka haal2 na poochh
ek aafat3 meN jaan hai pyaare
1.restlessness 2.condition 3.difficulty, misfortune
Do not ask about the restless condition of my heart. My life is caught up in misfortune (because of unrequited love).
9
ham bhi urdu pe naaz1 karte haiN
ye hamaari zabaan2 hai pyaare
1.pride 2.language
We too take pride in urdu. It is our language, my dear. Who is the ‘we’ and ‘our’. In the context of the times, ‘we’ could be the non-muslim community, or this could be a reaction to those claim that urdu is a foreign language. Thus, he is either claiming ownership of the language, much like panDit anand narain mulla claims it to be his mother tongue, or reinforcing the fact that urdu is home grown.
