For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
خوابِ پریشاں ہو گئیں ۔ سید عاشق حسین سیمابؔ اکبرآبادی
۱
جلوۂ صد رنگ سے نظریں پریشاں ہو گئیں
پھر سجاو محفلیں میری جو ویراں ہو گئیں
۲
جو امیدیں غم کی راتوں کا چراغاں ہو گئیں
صبح ہوتے ہوتے سب خوابِ پریشاں ہو گئیں
۳
شورِ وحشت کو سلیقہ ہی نہ آیا ضبط کا
اور کڑیاں واقفِ آدابِ زنداں ہو گئیں
۴
عشق کی دشواریاں ہیں حاصلِ نامُمکِنات
مشکلیں ہی وہ نہ تھیں شاید جو آساں ہو گئیں
۵
کس قدر تھیں شوخ سوزِ عشق کی چنگاریاں
راکھ ہو کر شاملِ ترکیبِ اِنساں ہو گئیں
۶
میں نے کچھ دل میں لگا رکّھی تھیں گِرہیں ضبط کی
وہ بھی صرفِ بخیۂ چاکِ گریباں ہو گئیں
۷
اپنے اپنے رُخ سے تھیں ہموار راہیں عشق کی
جب قریبِ منزل آ پہنچیں پریشاں ہو گئیں
۸
کثرتِ تعمیرِ عالم وجہ بربادی ہوئی
بڑھ گئیں آبادیاں اِتنی کہ ویراں ہو گئیں
۹
میں نے جن اینٹوں پہ آزادی کی رکھی تھی اساس
میری قسمت سے وہی بنیادِ زنداں ہو گئیں
۱۰
پوچھتا کیا ہے غلط اندیشیِ ذہنِ نشاط
خوبصورت نیکیاں جتنی تھیں عصیاں ہو گئیں
۱۱
تیرے دیوانے نے چھیڑا سازِ غم کچھ اس طرح
جھوم کر زنداں کی دیواریں غزل خواں ہو گئیں
۱۲
تو نے تازہ تربتیں گِن کر بہت ماتم کیا
جمع کر اِن میں وہ قبریں بھی جو ویراں ہو گئیں
۱۳
اپنی دُھن میں عشق نکلا صد تباہی در نگاہ
جو زمینیں سامنے آئیں بیاباں ہو گئیں
۱۴
چھپنے والی صورتوں کو دے نہ اِلزمِ حجاب
خاک میں کر دی گئیں پنہاں کہ پنہاں ہو گئیں
۱۵
جھک گئیں سجدے میں اے سیمابؔ میرے پاؤں پر
آج وہ کافر نگاہیں بھی مسلماں ہو گئیں
ख़्वाब-ए परेशां हो गईं – सय्यद आशेक़ हुसैन सीमाब अक्बराबादी
१
जल्वा-ए सद-रंग से नज़्रें परेशां हो गईं
फिर सजाओ महफ़िलें मेरी जो वीरां हो गईं
२
जो उमीदें ग़म की रातौं का चराग़ां हो गईं
सुबह होते होते सब ख़्वाब-ए परेशां हो गईं
३
शोर-ए वहशत को सलीक़ा हि न आया ज़ब्त का
और कढियां वाक़ेफ़-ए आदाब-ए ज़िन्दां हो गईं
४
इश्क़ की दुश्वारियां हैं हासिल-ए ना-मुम्किनात
मुश्किलें हि वो न थीं शा’एद जो आसां हो गईं
५
किस क़दर थीं शूख़ सोज़-ए इश्क़ की चिंगारियां
राख हो कर शामिल-ए तरकीब-ए इन्सां हो गईं
६
मैं ने कुछ दिल में लगा रक्खी थीं गिरहें ज़ब्त की
वो भी सर्फ़-ए बख़्या-ए चाक-ए गरेबां हो गईं
७
अपने अपने रुख़ से थीं हमवार राहें इश्क़ की
जब क़रीब-ए मंज़िल आ पहुंचीं परेशां हो गईं
८
कस्रत-ए तामीर-ए आलम वज’ह-ए बरबादी हुई
बढ़ गईं आबादियां इतनी के वीरां हो गईं
९
मैं ने जिन ईंटौं पे आज़ादी कि रक्खी थी असास
मेरी क़िस्मत से वही बुनियाद-ए ज़िन्दां हो गईं
१०
पूछता क्या है ग़लत-अंदेशी-ए ज़हन-ए निशात
ख़ूबसूरत नेकियां जितनी थीं ईस्यां हो गईं
११
तेरे दीवाने ने छेढा साज़-ए ग़म कुछ इस तरह
झूम कर ज़िन्दां कि दीवारें ग़ज़ल-ख़्वां हो गईं
१२
तू ने ताज़ा तुर्बतें गिन कर बहुत मातम किया
जम’अ कर इन में वो क़ब्रें भी जो वीरां हो गईं
१३
अपनी धुन में इश्क़ निक्ला सद-तबाही दर-निगाह
जो ज़मीनें सामने आईं वयाबां हो गईं
१४
छुपने वाली सूरतौं को दे न इल्ज़ाम-ए हिजाब
ख़ाक में कर दी गईं पिन्हां के पिन्हां हो गईं
१५
झुक गईं सज्दे में अए सीमाब मेरे पाऊं पर
आज वो काफ़िर निगाहें भी मुसल्मां हो गईं
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. syed aashiq husain seemab akbarabadi (1880-1951) was a scholar of farsi and arabi in addition to urdu. A progressive poet of secular outlook who wrote nazm of socialist themes as well odes to krishn and buddh. He also did a poetic urdu translation of the whole qur’aan. His secular credentials are impeccable. He along with his contemporary hasrat mohani, participated in the freedom struggle and composed a collection of devotional poems to krishn, which was published as a book called ‘krishn geet’. This Ghazal, dated 1934, is composed in the style of Ghalib’s ‘Khaak meN kya soorateN hoNgi keh pinhaaN ho gaiiN’ and is linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’. What is noteworthy is that seemab’s son, manzar akbarabadi also composed a Ghazal in the same style with similarity of themes in several ash’aar, also linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’.
1
jalva1-e sad-raNg2 se nazreN3 pareshaaN4 ho gaiiN
phir sajaao mahfileN5 meri jo viiraaN6 ho gaaiN 1.appearance 2.hundred varieties 3.eyes 4.scattered, unfocused 5.gathering 6.desolate
I cannot focus because of these hundreds of appearances of new styles. Give me back my old assemblies with its long established and familiar culture.
2
jo umiideN1 Gham2 ki raatoN ka charaaGhaaN3 ho gaiiN
sub’h hote hote sub Khwaab-e-pareshaaN4 ho gaiiN 1.hopes 2.sorrow 3.lighting 4.nightmare
The hopes that had become the light of the dark nights of sorrow, changed into nightmares by dawn.
3
shor1-e vahshat2 ko saliiqa3 hi na aaya zabt4 ka
aur kaRiyaaN5 vaaqif6-e aadaab7-e zindaaN8 ho gaiiN 1.(in faarsi) madness 2.passion 3.culture 4.forbearance 5.links 6.knowledgeable, familiar 7.traditions, norms 8.prison
The madness of passion (of love) did not learn the culture of forbearance/acceptance. In the meantime, the links of the chain that bound him learned the norms of the prison. This could be about the love of the material world and getting chained to its temptations.
4
ishq ki dushvaariyaaN1 haiN haasil2-e naa-mumkinaat3
mushkileN hi vo na thiiN shaa’ed4 jo aasaaN ho gaiiN 1.difficulties, hurdles 2.net result, essence 3.impossibilities 4.perhaps
This is a not-so-subtle cut at Ghalib, when says …
ranj se Khuu-gar hua insaaN to miT jaataa hai ranj
mushkileN mujh par paRiiN itni keh aasaaN ho gaiiN …
… those must not have been real difficulties, says seemaab in response. Thus, the hurdles of love are an essence of it and impossible to overcome. Those difficulties that became easy, perhaps were not difficulties at all.
5
kis qadar1 thiiN shooKh2 soz3-e ishq ki chiNgaariyaaN4
raakh5 ho kar shaamil6-e tarkiib7-e insaaN go gaiiN 1.how much 2.mischievous 3.fire, passion 4.sparks 5.ashes 6.included 7.method, formula
How mischievous is the fire (sparks) of the passion of love. It burnt to ashes and got mixed with the earth that became part of the formula of humans (this is a reflection of the belief that humans were made of clay and water). Thus, the passion of love is a part of the chemistry of humans.
6
maiN ne kuchh dil meN laga rakkhi thiiN girheN1 zabt2 ki
vo bhi sarf3-e baKhiya4-e chaak5-e garebaaN6 ho gaiiN 1.knots, stitches 2.tolerate, bear 3.spent, used up 4.stitching, repair 5.tear 6.collar
The mad passionate lover not only has a torn collar, but also a wounded heart. He had saved a few stitches for the wound of his heart and even they got used up in repairing his collar. Now his heart’s wounds are open and he bleeds freely.
7
apne apne ruKh1 se thiiN hamvaar2 raaheN3 ishq ki
jab qariib4-e manzil5 aa pahuNchiiN pareshaaN6 ho gaiiN 1.point of view 2.smooth 3.path 4.near 5.destination 6.scattered, going astray
At the beginning the path of love appears smooth from the many points of view of many lovers. But when the come near the destination they go astray – never reaching the goal.
8
kasrat1-e taa’miir2-e aalam3 vaj’h4-e barbaadi5 hui
baRh gaiiN aabaadiyaaN6 itni keh viiraaN7 ho gaiiN 1.abundance 2.building 3.world 4.cause 5.destruction 6.settlements 7.desolate
The profusion of building (cities) in the world became a cause of destruction (of culture). Settlements increased so much that they became desolate i.e., people began to feel isolated and alienated from each other. Old culture was lost. Said sahir in his nazm – shahr ki aabaadi …
deevaarauN ke is jangal meN bhaTak rahe insaan
apne apne uljhe daaman jhaTak rahe insaan
9
maiN ne jin iiNToN pe aazaadi ki rakkhi thi asaas1
meri qismat se vahi buniyaad2-e zindaaN3 ho gaiiN 1.basis 2.foundation 3.prison
Those bricks which I had thought would be the basis of liberty, because of my ill-fortune, became the foundation of my prison.
10
poochhta kya hai Ghalat-andeshi1-e zahn2-e nishaat3
Khoobsoorat nekiyaaN4 jitni thiiN isyaaN5 ho gaiiN 1.wrong assessment, misjudgment 2.mind 3.comfortable, deluded 4.virtues, good deeds 5.sins
Why do you ask me about the misjudgment of my deluded mind. That which I had thought to be good deeds turned out to be punishable sin.
11
tere diivaane1 ne chheRa saaz2-e Gham3 kuchh is tarah4
jhoom kar zindaaN5 ki diivaareN Ghazal-KhwaaN6 ho gaiiN 1.mad man, lover 2.music, song 3.sorrow 4.like, similar to 5.prison 6.singing
Your lover broke into his song of love in such a way that even the walls of the prison joined in singing and swaying. This could be that his love of urdu and urdu shaa’eri was such that even ‘prison’ walls began to sway to music.
12
tuu ne taaza1 turbateN2 gin3 kar bahut maatam4 kiya
jam’a5 kar in meN vo qabreN6 bhi jo viiraaN7 ho gaiiN 1.fresh 2.tombs, graves 3.count 4.mourn 5.include, add 6.graves 7.desolate, destroyed (because of neglect)
You count fresh graves and mourn for them. Now add to them the graves that are desolate because of neglect (and mourn even more).
13
apni dhun1 meN ishq nikla sad-tabaahi2 dar-nigaah3
jo zamiineN4 saamne aaiiN biyaabaaN5 ho gaiiN 1.absorbed in own thoughts 2.hundred ruins 3.in sight, envisioning, imagining 4.lands, grounds, scenes 5.wilderness
Tradition is that the mad passionate lover sets out with one thought in mind … to wander the wilderness looking for his beloved. Thus, the lover sets out obsessed with his own thoughts and everything that appears before him becomes a wilderness.
14
chhupne vaali sooratoN ko de na ilzaam1-e hijaab2
Khaak meN kar dii gaiiN pinhaaN3 keh pinhaaN ho gaiiN 1.accusation 2.hiding, going behind a veil 3.hidden
This is also a playful strike at Ghalib and about the inevitability of death. Thus, do not blame hidden images of hiding behind a veil. Did they hide in the dust of their own free will or were they hidden against their will.
15
jhuk gaiiN sajde1 meN aye seemaab2 mere paauN par
aaj vo kaafir3 nigaaheN4 bhi musalmaaN5 ho gaiiN 1.devotional prostration 2.pen-name of the poet 3.conventionally used to mean the beloved 4.glances, eyes 5.used here to mean faithful, virtuous
It is not the beloved that is bowing down in prostration. That would be totally against all convention. It is only her mischievous glance that is cast down in regret as if in ‘sajda’, bowing down. Thus, O seemaab, even the mischievous glance of the beloved looks down at my feet in regret for past transgressions.
syed aashiq husain seemab akbarabadi (1880-1951) was a scholar of farsi and arabi in addition to urdu. A progressive poet of secular outlook who wrote nazm of socialist themes as well odes to krishn and buddh. He also did a poetic urdu translation of the whole qur’aan. His secular credentials are impeccable. He along with his contemporary hasrat mohani, participated in the freedom struggle and composed a collection of devotional poems to krishn, which was published as a book called ‘krishn geet’. This Ghazal, dated 1934, is composed in the style of Ghalib’s ‘Khaak meN kya soorateN hoNgi keh pinhaaN ho gaiiN’ and is linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’. What is noteworthy is that seemab’s son, manzar akbarabadi also composed a Ghazal in the same style with similarity of themes in several ash’aar, also linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’.
1
jalva1-e sad-raNg2 se nazreN3 pareshaaN4 ho gaiiN
phir sajaao mahfileN5 meri jo viiraaN6 ho gaaiN
1.appearance 2.hundred varieties 3.eyes 4.scattered, unfocused 5.gathering 6.desolate
I cannot focus because of these hundreds of appearances of new styles. Give me back my old assemblies with its long established and familiar culture.
2
jo umiideN1 Gham2 ki raatoN ka charaaGhaaN3 ho gaiiN
sub’h hote hote sub Khwaab-e-pareshaaN4 ho gaiiN
1.hopes 2.sorrow 3.lighting 4.nightmare
The hopes that had become the light of the dark nights of sorrow, changed into nightmares by dawn.
3
shor1-e vahshat2 ko saliiqa3 hi na aaya zabt4 ka
aur kaRiyaaN5 vaaqif6-e aadaab7-e zindaaN8 ho gaiiN
1.(in faarsi) madness 2.passion 3.culture 4.forbearance 5.links 6.knowledgeable, familiar 7.traditions, norms 8.prison
The madness of passion (of love) did not learn the culture of forbearance/acceptance. In the meantime, the links of the chain that bound him learned the norms of the prison. This could be about the love of the material world and getting chained to its temptations.
4
ishq ki dushvaariyaaN1 haiN haasil2-e naa-mumkinaat3
mushkileN hi vo na thiiN shaa’ed4 jo aasaaN ho gaiiN
1.difficulties, hurdles 2.net result, essence 3.impossibilities 4.perhaps
This is a not-so-subtle cut at Ghalib, when says …
ranj se Khuu-gar hua insaaN to miT jaataa hai ranj
mushkileN mujh par paRiiN itni keh aasaaN ho gaiiN …
… those must not have been real difficulties, says seemaab in response. Thus, the hurdles of love are an essence of it and impossible to overcome. Those difficulties that became easy, perhaps were not difficulties at all.
5
kis qadar1 thiiN shooKh2 soz3-e ishq ki chiNgaariyaaN4
raakh5 ho kar shaamil6-e tarkiib7-e insaaN go gaiiN
1.how much 2.mischievous 3.fire, passion 4.sparks 5.ashes 6.included 7.method, formula
How mischievous is the fire (sparks) of the passion of love. It burnt to ashes and got mixed with the earth that became part of the formula of humans (this is a reflection of the belief that humans were made of clay and water). Thus, the passion of love is a part of the chemistry of humans.
6
maiN ne kuchh dil meN laga rakkhi thiiN girheN1 zabt2 ki
vo bhi sarf3-e baKhiya4-e chaak5-e garebaaN6 ho gaiiN
1.knots, stitches 2.tolerate, bear 3.spent, used up 4.stitching, repair 5.tear 6.collar
The mad passionate lover not only has a torn collar, but also a wounded heart. He had saved a few stitches for the wound of his heart and even they got used up in repairing his collar. Now his heart’s wounds are open and he bleeds freely.
7
apne apne ruKh1 se thiiN hamvaar2 raaheN3 ishq ki
jab qariib4-e manzil5 aa pahuNchiiN pareshaaN6 ho gaiiN
1.point of view 2.smooth 3.path 4.near 5.destination 6.scattered, going astray
At the beginning the path of love appears smooth from the many points of view of many lovers. But when the come near the destination they go astray – never reaching the goal.
8
kasrat1-e taa’miir2-e aalam3 vaj’h4-e barbaadi5 hui
baRh gaiiN aabaadiyaaN6 itni keh viiraaN7 ho gaiiN
1.abundance 2.building 3.world 4.cause 5.destruction 6.settlements 7.desolate
The profusion of building (cities) in the world became a cause of destruction (of culture). Settlements increased so much that they became desolate i.e., people began to feel isolated and alienated from each other. Old culture was lost. Said sahir in his nazm – shahr ki aabaadi …
deevaarauN ke is jangal meN bhaTak rahe insaan
apne apne uljhe daaman jhaTak rahe insaan
9
maiN ne jin iiNToN pe aazaadi ki rakkhi thi asaas1
meri qismat se vahi buniyaad2-e zindaaN3 ho gaiiN
1.basis 2.foundation 3.prison
Those bricks which I had thought would be the basis of liberty, because of my ill-fortune, became the foundation of my prison.
10
poochhta kya hai Ghalat-andeshi1-e zahn2-e nishaat3
Khoobsoorat nekiyaaN4 jitni thiiN isyaaN5 ho gaiiN
1.wrong assessment, misjudgment 2.mind 3.comfortable, deluded 4.virtues, good deeds 5.sins
Why do you ask me about the misjudgment of my deluded mind. That which I had thought to be good deeds turned out to be punishable sin.
11
tere diivaane1 ne chheRa saaz2-e Gham3 kuchh is tarah4
jhoom kar zindaaN5 ki diivaareN Ghazal-KhwaaN6 ho gaiiN
1.mad man, lover 2.music, song 3.sorrow 4.like, similar to 5.prison 6.singing
Your lover broke into his song of love in such a way that even the walls of the prison joined in singing and swaying. This could be that his love of urdu and urdu shaa’eri was such that even ‘prison’ walls began to sway to music.
12
tuu ne taaza1 turbateN2 gin3 kar bahut maatam4 kiya
jam’a5 kar in meN vo qabreN6 bhi jo viiraaN7 ho gaiiN
1.fresh 2.tombs, graves 3.count 4.mourn 5.include, add 6.graves 7.desolate, destroyed (because of neglect)
You count fresh graves and mourn for them. Now add to them the graves that are desolate because of neglect (and mourn even more).
13
apni dhun1 meN ishq nikla sad-tabaahi2 dar-nigaah3
jo zamiineN4 saamne aaiiN biyaabaaN5 ho gaiiN
1.absorbed in own thoughts 2.hundred ruins 3.in sight, envisioning, imagining 4.lands, grounds, scenes 5.wilderness
Tradition is that the mad passionate lover sets out with one thought in mind … to wander the wilderness looking for his beloved. Thus, the lover sets out obsessed with his own thoughts and everything that appears before him becomes a wilderness.
14
chhupne vaali sooratoN ko de na ilzaam1-e hijaab2
Khaak meN kar dii gaiiN pinhaaN3 keh pinhaaN ho gaiiN
1.accusation 2.hiding, going behind a veil 3.hidden
This is also a playful strike at Ghalib and about the inevitability of death. Thus, do not blame hidden images of hiding behind a veil. Did they hide in the dust of their own free will or were they hidden against their will.
15
jhuk gaiiN sajde1 meN aye seemaab2 mere paauN par
aaj vo kaafir3 nigaaheN4 bhi musalmaaN5 ho gaiiN
1.devotional prostration 2.pen-name of the poet 3.conventionally used to mean the beloved 4.glances, eyes 5.used here to mean faithful, virtuous
It is not the beloved that is bowing down in prostration. That would be totally against all convention. It is only her mischievous glance that is cast down in regret as if in ‘sajda’, bowing down. Thus, O seemaab, even the mischievous glance of the beloved looks down at my feet in regret for past transgressions.
