For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
کہاں مہاتاب میں ۔ سکھدیو سنگھ شرما رشکؔ
۱
دیکھیں جو ہم نے آپ کے حسن و شباب میں
ایسی تجلّیاں ہیں کہاں ماہتاب ہیں
۲
چُھپتا نہیں چُھپائے کسی کے شباب و حسن
کچھ بے حجابیاں بھی تھیں اُن کے حجاب میں
۳
دنیا میں اہلِ حسن و وفا آشنا بھی ہیں
ہم نے پڑھا نہیں یہ کسی بھی کتاب میں
۴
پردہ ہے اہلِ دہر سے تم کو جو اِس قدر
ملنے کے واسطے کبھی آ جاؤ خواب میں
۵
ساقی کرے جو تیز سے بھی تیز تر اِسے
ایسی بھی شے مِلا کوئی جامِ شراب میں
۶
تڑپا نہ شیخ تشنہ لبوں کو تُو اِس قدر
تاخیر یہ بجا نہیں کارِ ثواب میں
۷
سُن کر مرے سوال کو اُس نازنین نے
اک لفظ بھی نہ منہ سے نکالا جواب میں
۸
اب تک بھی مجھ کو یاد ہے وہ بھولتا نہیں
دیکھا تھا ایک خواب جو عہدِ شباب میں
۹
اے رشکؔ پوچھتا ہوں میں تم سے یہ اک سوال
کیا تم بھی پاکباز تھے عہدِ شباب میں
कहां माहताब में – सुखदेव सिंघ शर्मा रश्क
१
देखीं जो हम ने आप के हुस्न ओ शबाब में
ऐसी तजल्लियां हैं कहां माहताब में
२
छुपता नहीं छुपाए किसी के शबाब ओ हुस्न
कुछ बे-हिजाबियां भि थीं उन के हिजाब में
३
दुनिया में अहल-ए हुस्न ओ वफ़ा आश्ना भि हैं
हम ने पढ़ा नहीं ये किसी भी किताब में
४
पर्दा है अहल-ए दहर से तुम को जो इस क़दर
मिलने के वास्ते कभी आ जाऔ ख़्वाब में
५
साक़ी, करे जो तेज़ से भी तेज़-तर इसे
ऐसी भी शय मिला कोई जाम-ए शराब में
६
तढपा न शैख़ तिश्ना-लबौं को तु इस क़दर
ताख़ीर ये बजा नहीं कार-ए सवाब में
७
सुन कर मेरे सवाल को उस नाज़नीन ने
एक लफ़्ज़ भी न मुंह से निकाला जवाब में
८
अब तक भी मुझ को याद है वो भूलता नहीं
देखा था एक ख़्वाब जो अहद-ए शबाब में
९
अए रश्क पूछता हुं मैं तुम से ये एक सवाल
क्या तुम भी पाकबाज़ थे अहद-ए शबाब में
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. sukhdev siNgh sharma rashk (1935-xxxx), sialkoT district. adiib faazil and MA (urdu). His ustaad was raghubiir daas sahir sialkoTvi. He worked for All India Radio and progressed steadily and at the time of publication (1983) of his diivaan was Director of Urdu and English programs in the AIR jaalandhar office. This Ghazal in the style of Ghalib’s ‘saaqi ne kuchh mila na diya ho sharaab meN’ is linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’.
1
dekhiiN jo ham ne aap ke husn1 o shabaab2 meN
aisi tajalliyaaN3 haiN kahaaN maahtaab4 meN 1.beauty 2.youth 3.brilliance 4.full moon
The brilliance that we saw in your youth and beauty, how can there be that kind of brilliance in the full moon.
2
chhupta nahiN chhupaaye1 kisi ke shabaab2 o husn3
kuchh be-hijaabiyaaN4 bhi thiiN un ke hijaab5 meN 1.trying to hide/cover 2.youth 3.beauty 4.revealing, removing the veil 5.veil
Even if she tries to cover it up, the beloved’s youth and beauty cannot be hidden. There are just enough teasing removal of the veil in her veiling.
3
duniya meN ahl1-e husn2 o vafa3 aashna4 bhi haiN
ham ne paRha nahiN ye kisi bhi kitaab meN 1.people of 2.beauty 3.fidelity, steadfast commitment/lover 4.familiar, friends, intimate
Anywhere in this world, are any beautiful ones and true lovers ever intimate friends? I have never read this in any book.
4
parda1 hai ahl2-e dahr3 se tum ko jo is qadar4
milne ke vaaste5 kabhi aa jaao Khwaab meN 1.veil 2.people of 3.world 4.so much 5.for the sake of
The lover keeps begging the beloved to come meet him. She always has a ready excuse … she does not want anyone to see her come out to meet him. Thus, he protests … if you have such a strong desire to hide from the peering eyes of the world, at least come and meet me in my dreams.
5
saaqi, kare jo tez1 se bhi tez-tar2 ise
aisi bhi shai3 mila koii jaam4-e sharaab meN 1.strong 2.stronger 3.thing, ingredient 4.cup
O saaqi that which makes it stronger that strong, mix such an ingredient in the cup of wine.
6
taRpa1 na shaiKh2 tishna-laboN3 ko tu is qadar4
taaKhiir5 ye baja6 nahiN kaar-e-savaab7 meN 1.cause pain 2.preacher 3.thirsty lips 4.so much 5.delay 6.appropriate 7.virtuous act
Here ‘kaar-e-savaab’ – virtuous act is the serving of wine. I don’t see what the shaiKh has to do with it. He certainly is not the one who locks up all supplies of wine, nor is he going to serve it. The only thing he can do to cause delay is harangue wine-lovers at the tavern door. Thus, O shaiKh do not cause any more pain to thirsty wine-lovers. Any delay in this virtuous act in not appropriate.
7
sun kar mere savaal1 ko us naazniin2 ne
ek lafz3 bhi na muNh se nikaala javaab4 meN 1.question 2.damsel, beloved 3.word 4.answer
Hearing my question (request for a rendevouz), the beloved did not utter a single word in response.
8
ab tak bhi mujh ko yaad hai vo bhoolta nahiN
dekha tha ek Khwaab jo ahd1-e shabaab2 meN 1.time of 2.youth
To this day I remember it, I cannot forget, the dream that I had dreamt during the days of my youth.
9
aye rashk1, poochhta huN maiN tum se ye ek savaal2
kya tum bhi paakbaaz3 the ahd4-e shabaab5 meN 1.pen-name of the poet 2.question 3.observant, straight-laced 4.times of 5.youth
O rashk, I ask of you this one question … were you straight-laced during the days of your youth.
sukhdev siNgh sharma rashk (1935-xxxx), sialkoT district. adiib faazil and MA (urdu). His ustaad was raghubiir daas sahir sialkoTvi. He worked for All India Radio and progressed steadily and at the time of publication (1983) of his diivaan was Director of Urdu and English programs in the AIR jaalandhar office. This Ghazal in the style of Ghalib’s ‘saaqi ne kuchh mila na diya ho sharaab meN’ is linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’.
1
dekhiiN jo ham ne aap ke husn1 o shabaab2 meN
aisi tajalliyaaN3 haiN kahaaN maahtaab4 meN
1.beauty 2.youth 3.brilliance 4.full moon
The brilliance that we saw in your youth and beauty, how can there be that kind of brilliance in the full moon.
2
chhupta nahiN chhupaaye1 kisi ke shabaab2 o husn3
kuchh be-hijaabiyaaN4 bhi thiiN un ke hijaab5 meN
1.trying to hide/cover 2.youth 3.beauty 4.revealing, removing the veil 5.veil
Even if she tries to cover it up, the beloved’s youth and beauty cannot be hidden. There are just enough teasing removal of the veil in her veiling.
3
duniya meN ahl1-e husn2 o vafa3 aashna4 bhi haiN
ham ne paRha nahiN ye kisi bhi kitaab meN
1.people of 2.beauty 3.fidelity, steadfast commitment/lover 4.familiar, friends, intimate
Anywhere in this world, are any beautiful ones and true lovers ever intimate friends? I have never read this in any book.
4
parda1 hai ahl2-e dahr3 se tum ko jo is qadar4
milne ke vaaste5 kabhi aa jaao Khwaab meN
1.veil 2.people of 3.world 4.so much 5.for the sake of
The lover keeps begging the beloved to come meet him. She always has a ready excuse … she does not want anyone to see her come out to meet him. Thus, he protests … if you have such a strong desire to hide from the peering eyes of the world, at least come and meet me in my dreams.
5
saaqi, kare jo tez1 se bhi tez-tar2 ise
aisi bhi shai3 mila koii jaam4-e sharaab meN
1.strong 2.stronger 3.thing, ingredient 4.cup
O saaqi that which makes it stronger that strong, mix such an ingredient in the cup of wine.
6
taRpa1 na shaiKh2 tishna-laboN3 ko tu is qadar4
taaKhiir5 ye baja6 nahiN kaar-e-savaab7 meN
1.cause pain 2.preacher 3.thirsty lips 4.so much 5.delay 6.appropriate 7.virtuous act
Here ‘kaar-e-savaab’ – virtuous act is the serving of wine. I don’t see what the shaiKh has to do with it. He certainly is not the one who locks up all supplies of wine, nor is he going to serve it. The only thing he can do to cause delay is harangue wine-lovers at the tavern door. Thus, O shaiKh do not cause any more pain to thirsty wine-lovers. Any delay in this virtuous act in not appropriate.
7
sun kar mere savaal1 ko us naazniin2 ne
ek lafz3 bhi na muNh se nikaala javaab4 meN
1.question 2.damsel, beloved 3.word 4.answer
Hearing my question (request for a rendevouz), the beloved did not utter a single word in response.
8
ab tak bhi mujh ko yaad hai vo bhoolta nahiN
dekha tha ek Khwaab jo ahd1-e shabaab2 meN
1.time of 2.youth
To this day I remember it, I cannot forget, the dream that I had dreamt during the days of my youth.
9
aye rashk1, poochhta huN maiN tum se ye ek savaal2
kya tum bhi paakbaaz3 the ahd4-e shabaab5 meN
1.pen-name of the poet 2.question 3.observant, straight-laced 4.times of 5.youth
O rashk, I ask of you this one question … were you straight-laced during the days of your youth.
Excellent translation