For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
اشعار میں معنی نہ سہی ۔ مرزا اسداللہ خاں غالبؔ
۱
نہ ہوئی گر مرے مرنے سے تسلّی نہ سہی
امتحاں اور بھی باقی ہو تو یہ بھی نہ سہی
۲
خار خار المِ حسرتِ دیدار تو ہے
شوق گلچینِ گلستانِ تسلّی نہ سہی
۳
مے پرستاں خم مے منہ سے لگائے ہی بنے
ایک دن گر نہ ہوا بزم میں ساقی نہ سہی
۴
نفسِ قیس کہ ہے چشم و چراغِ صحرا
گر نہیں شمعِ سیہ خانۂ لیلی نہ سہی
۵
ایک ہنگامہ پہ موقوف ہے گھر کی رونق
نوحۂ غم ہی سہی نغمۂ شادی نہ سہی
۶
نہ ستائش کی تمنّا نہ صلے کی پروا
گر نہیں ہیں مرے اشعار میں معنی نہ سہی
۷
عشرتِ صحبتِ خوباں ہی غنیمت سمجھو
نہ ہوئی غالبؔ اگر عمرِ طبیعی نہ سہی
अश’आर में मा’नी न सही – मिर्ज़ा असद-उल-लाह ख़ां ग़ालिब
१
न हुई गर मेरे मरने से तसल्ली न सही
इम्तेहाँ और भी बाक़ी हो तो ये भी न सही
२
ख़ार-ख़ार-ए अलम-ए हस्रत-ए दीदार तो है
शौक़ गुल-चीन-ए गुलिस्तान-ए तसल्ली न सही
३
मय-परस्ताँ ख़ुम-ए मय मुँह से लगाए ही बने
एक दिन गर न हुआ बज़्म में साक़ी न सही
४
नफ़स-ए क़ैस के है चश्म-ओ-चराग़-ए सहरा
गर नहीं शम’अ-ए सियह-ख़ाना-ए लैली न सही
५
एक हंगामे पे मौक़ूफ़ है घर की रौनक़
नौहा-ए ग़म ही सही नग़्मा-ए शादी न सही
६
न सताएश की तमन्ना न सिले की पर्वा
गर नहीं हैं मेरे अश’आर में मु’आनी न सही
७
इश्रत-ए सोहबत-ए ख़ूबाँ ही ग़नीमत समझो
न हुई ग़ालिब अगर उम्र-ए तबी’ई न सही
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mirza asadullah KhaaN Ghalib (1797-1869). I dare not write any introduction. On more than one occasion Ghalib has warned his readers that he needs no introduction or even address. I humbly comply. This Ghazal dated 1821 is from a period when Ghalib used to compose Ghazal with obscure meanings. It has a she’r (no. 6) that is considered a reapartee to aGha jaan aish dehlavi’s criticism.
1
na hui gar1 mere marne se tasalli2 na sahi
imtehaaN3 aur bhi baaqi4 ho to ye bhi na sahi 1.if 2.tranquility, peace, relief 3.trials 4.remaining
I see ways of interpreting this. (a) The poet/lover has gone through many trials and tribulations hoping to get relief after death. This appears not be the case. He is resigned to the situation. Not getting relief is yet another trial. Thus, if there are more trials remaining that I have to go through, then let this (lack of relief) be another one of those. (b) He has offered to die for her. But she is not satisfied with his death and wants to continue to torture him. Thus, if she is not satisfied with killing me and wants to subject me to more trials, then so be it. (c) The beloved has killed him but is still not satisfied. She is going find ways to torture him even after his death. Thus, if she is not satisfied with just killing me, so be it. If she is going to subject me to more torture, so be it.
2
Khaar-Khaar1-e alam2-e hasrat3-e diidaar4 to hai
shauq5 gul-chiin6-e gulistaan7-e tasalli8 na sahi 1.many thorns, pain 2.sorrow 3.longing 4.sight 5.desire 6.flower picker 7.garden 8.tranquility, delight, joy
‘tasalli’ is like flowers. ‘shauq’ is desire. Desire has not been able to pick flowers from the garden of joy i.e., the poet/lover’s wish has not been realized. What wish? He wanted to be able to see the beloved. So, all he is left with is the pain of the sorrow of the longing of a sight of the beloved. But he treasures that pain because it reminds him of her no matter if he has not been able to get the joy of actually seeing her.
3
mai-parastaaN1 Khum2-e mai3 muNh se lagaa’e hi bane4
ek din gar5 na hua bazm6 meN saaqi na sahi 1.wine worshippers 2.cask, barrel 3.wine 4.can work 5.if 6.gathering
Wine worshippers gather in the tavern and generally would be served wine in cups by the saaqi. But today for some unstated reason, the saaqi has not shown up. They are non-plussed, not knowing what to do. Ghalib suggests that the only way it will work is if they put their lips directly to the barrell. What if the saaqi is absent on one day.
4
nafas1-e qais2 keh hai chashm-o-charaaGh3-e sahra4
gar5 nahiN sham’a6-e siyah-Khaana7-e laili8 na sahi 1.breath 2.another name of majnuN 3.dearly loved, light of the eyes 4.desert 5.if 6.lamp, candle 7.dark tent 8.pronounce laili to comply with qaafiya requirements
qais/majnuN is a mad/passionate lover. His breath is fiery because of his passion. Thus, it is literally the ‘charaaGh-e sahra’ but it is also the beloved of the desert. Thus, he has at least that, what does it matter if he is unable to light up the tent of laila.
5
ek haNgaame1 pe mauqoof2 hai ghar ki raunaq3
nauha4-e Gham hi sahi naGhma5-e shaadi6 na sahi 1.clamour, noise, activity 2.dependent 3.brilliance, happy ambience 4.lamentation 5.song 6.celebration, joy
The ambience of a home depends on some activity of whatever kind. If it cannot be songs of celebration then let it be lamentation of sorrow.
6
na sataa’esh1 ki tamanna2 na sile3 ki parva4
gar5 nahiN haiN mere ash’aar meN mu’aani6 na sahi 1.praise 2.desire, longing 3.compensation, rewards 4.care 5.if 6.meaning
I do not long for praise, nor do I care for rewards. If there is no meaning in my verse, so be it. This is a polite way of saying, if you don’t understand my verse, it is your problem and is generally considered a response to hakim aGha jan aish’s ash’aar (see his Ghazal on this site) criticizing Ghalib for his difficult verse.
7
ishrat1-e sohbat2-e KhoobaaN3 hi Ghaniimat4 samjho
na hui Ghalib agar umr-e-taabi’i5 na sahi 1.pleasure 2.company 3.beauties, great 4.enough, used to mean consider this a blessing 5.expected life-span
Consider it a blessing that you got to spend time in the company of beauties. O Ghalib, what does it matter if you did not live for your expected life-span.
mirza asadullah KhaaN Ghalib (1797-1869). I dare not write any introduction. On more than one occasion Ghalib has warned his readers that he needs no introduction or even address. I humbly comply. This Ghazal dated 1821 is from a period when Ghalib used to compose Ghazal with obscure meanings. It has a she’r (no. 6) that is considered a reapartee to aGha jaan aish dehlavi’s criticism.
1
na hui gar1 mere marne se tasalli2 na sahi
imtehaaN3 aur bhi baaqi4 ho to ye bhi na sahi
1.if 2.tranquility, peace, relief 3.trials 4.remaining
I see ways of interpreting this. (a) The poet/lover has gone through many trials and tribulations hoping to get relief after death. This appears not be the case. He is resigned to the situation. Not getting relief is yet another trial. Thus, if there are more trials remaining that I have to go through, then let this (lack of relief) be another one of those. (b) He has offered to die for her. But she is not satisfied with his death and wants to continue to torture him. Thus, if she is not satisfied with killing me and wants to subject me to more trials, then so be it. (c) The beloved has killed him but is still not satisfied. She is going find ways to torture him even after his death. Thus, if she is not satisfied with just killing me, so be it. If she is going to subject me to more torture, so be it.
2
Khaar-Khaar1-e alam2-e hasrat3-e diidaar4 to hai
shauq5 gul-chiin6-e gulistaan7-e tasalli8 na sahi
1.many thorns, pain 2.sorrow 3.longing 4.sight 5.desire 6.flower picker 7.garden 8.tranquility, delight, joy
‘tasalli’ is like flowers. ‘shauq’ is desire. Desire has not been able to pick flowers from the garden of joy i.e., the poet/lover’s wish has not been realized. What wish? He wanted to be able to see the beloved. So, all he is left with is the pain of the sorrow of the longing of a sight of the beloved. But he treasures that pain because it reminds him of her no matter if he has not been able to get the joy of actually seeing her.
3
mai-parastaaN1 Khum2-e mai3 muNh se lagaa’e hi bane4
ek din gar5 na hua bazm6 meN saaqi na sahi
1.wine worshippers 2.cask, barrel 3.wine 4.can work 5.if 6.gathering
Wine worshippers gather in the tavern and generally would be served wine in cups by the saaqi. But today for some unstated reason, the saaqi has not shown up. They are non-plussed, not knowing what to do. Ghalib suggests that the only way it will work is if they put their lips directly to the barrell. What if the saaqi is absent on one day.
4
nafas1-e qais2 keh hai chashm-o-charaaGh3-e sahra4
gar5 nahiN sham’a6-e siyah-Khaana7-e laili8 na sahi
1.breath 2.another name of majnuN 3.dearly loved, light of the eyes 4.desert 5.if 6.lamp, candle 7.dark tent 8.pronounce laili to comply with qaafiya requirements
qais/majnuN is a mad/passionate lover. His breath is fiery because of his passion. Thus, it is literally the ‘charaaGh-e sahra’ but it is also the beloved of the desert. Thus, he has at least that, what does it matter if he is unable to light up the tent of laila.
5
ek haNgaame1 pe mauqoof2 hai ghar ki raunaq3
nauha4-e Gham hi sahi naGhma5-e shaadi6 na sahi
1.clamour, noise, activity 2.dependent 3.brilliance, happy ambience 4.lamentation 5.song 6.celebration, joy
The ambience of a home depends on some activity of whatever kind. If it cannot be songs of celebration then let it be lamentation of sorrow.
6
na sataa’esh1 ki tamanna2 na sile3 ki parva4
gar5 nahiN haiN mere ash’aar meN mu’aani6 na sahi
1.praise 2.desire, longing 3.compensation, rewards 4.care 5.if 6.meaning
I do not long for praise, nor do I care for rewards. If there is no meaning in my verse, so be it. This is a polite way of saying, if you don’t understand my verse, it is your problem and is generally considered a response to hakim aGha jan aish’s ash’aar (see his Ghazal on this site) criticizing Ghalib for his difficult verse.
7
ishrat1-e sohbat2-e KhoobaaN3 hi Ghaniimat4 samjho
na hui Ghalib agar umr-e-taabi’i5 na sahi
1.pleasure 2.company 3.beauties, great 4.enough, used to mean consider this a blessing 5.expected life-span
Consider it a blessing that you got to spend time in the company of beauties. O Ghalib, what does it matter if you did not live for your expected life-span.
