For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
گاندھی ۔ گوپال مِتّل
۱
ایسی کچھ زندگیاں ہیں جنہیں ملتا ہے ثبات
یہ جہاں یوں تو جہانِ گزراں ہوتا ہے
۲
جو ستارہ بھی چمکتا ہے سرِ عرشِ خیال
چند لمحوں کے لئے نور فشاں ہوتا ہے
۳
حسن آشوبِ جہاں ہے مگر اس کے باوصف
کچھ ہی مُدّت کے لئے آفتِ جاں ہوتا ہے
۴
میں نہیں محرمِ اسرارِ مشیت لیکن
بسا اوقات مرے دل کو گماں ہوتا ہے
۵
تُو نے از خود ہی اُسے چھین لیا تھا بڑھ کر
ملک الموت پہ جو لمحہ گراں ہوتا ہے
۶
’آنچہ خوباں ہمہ دارند تو تنہا داری‘
آج اِس مصرعے کا مفہوم عیاں ہوتا ہے
۷
آسماں حیرتیِ عظمتِ انساں بن کر
اوج سے جانبِ پستی نگراں ہوتا ہے
۸
سوچتا ہے کہ میں اب منبع الہام نہیں
چشمۂ فیض تو دھرتی سے رواں ہوتا ہے
۹
کیا ٹھکانے سے لگی ہے تری کشتیِ حیات
تجھ کو معلوم تھا جو مصرفِ جاں ہوتا ہے
गांधी – गोपाल मित्तल
१
ऐसी कुछ ज़िन्दगियां हैं जिन्हें मिलता है सबात
ये जहां युं तो जहान-ए गुज़रां होता है
२
जो सितारा भी चमकता है सर-ए अर्श-ए ख़याल
चंद लम्हौं के लिये नूर फ़शां होता है
३
हुस्न आशोब-ए जहां है मगर इस के बा-वस्फ़
कुछ हि मुद्दत के लिये आफ़त-ए जां होता है
४
मैं नहीं महरम-ए अस्रार-ए मशिय्यत लैकिन
बसा-औक़ात मेरे दिल को गुमां होता है
५
तू ने अज़-ख़ुद हि उसे छीन लिया था बढ़ कर
मलक-उल-मौत पे जो लम्हा गिरां होता है
६
“आं-चे ख़ुबां हमा दारंद तु तन्हा दारी”
आज इस मिस्रे का मफ़हूम अयां होता है
७
आसमां हैरती-ए अज़्मत-ए इन्सां बन कर
औज से जानिब-ए पस्ती निगरां होता है
८
सोचता है के मैं अब मन्ब’अ-ए इल्हाम नहीं
चश्मा-ए फ़ैज़ तो घरती से रवां होता है
९
क्या ठिकाने से लगी है तेरी किश्ती-ए हयात
तुझ को मा’लूम था जो मसरफ़-ए जां होता है
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. gopal mittal (1901-1993), maalerkoTla, 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 beautiful tribute to gandhi and is linked to that icon on the Theme page.
1
aisi kuchh zindagiyaaN haiN jinheN milta hai sabaat1
ye jahaaN2 yuN to jahaan-e guzaraaN3 hota hai 1.permanence, immortality 2.world 3.passing, fleeting
There are a few lives that achieve immortality. Otherwise, this is a world of fleeting existence. It is only people like gandhi who achieve immortality.
2
jo sitaara bhi chamakta hai sar-e arsh1-e Khayaal2
chand3 lamhoN4 ke liye noor-fashaaN5 hota hai 1.sky, heaven 2.thought, imagination 3.a few 4.moments 5.light spreading
Any star that shines in the sky, spreads light but for a few moments, but it is ‘non-showy/substantive’ lives like gandhi that achieve immortality.
3
husn aashob1-e jahaaN2 hai magar3 is ke ba-vasf4
kuchh hi muddat5 ke liye aafat6-e jaaN hota hai 1.calamity, conquering, destroying 2.world 3.but 4.inspite of 5.time, period
Beauty conquers the world, but in spite of its conquest its effect is shortlived. Once again, the emphasis turns back towards the immortality of gandhian thought. Its conquest of the world is long lasting (or so gopal mittal thought, until proven wrong by the current conditions).
4
maiN nahiN mahram1-e asraar2-e mashiyyat3 laikin
basaa-auqaat4 mere dil ko gumaaN5 hota hai 1.familiar, intimate 2.secrets, meanings 3.god’s will 4.sometimes 5.suspicion
I am not familiar with the secrets of nature (of the divine) but sometimes I have a suspiction that …
5
tuu ne az-Khud1 hi usay chhiin liya tha baRh kar
malak-ul-maut2 pe jo lamha3 giraaN4 hota hai 1.by yourself 2.angel of death 3.moment 4.heavy, difficult
… you yourselves stepped forward and seized that moment that was hard even for the angel of death i.e., gandhi was willing to lay down his life at the critical moment.
6
‘‘aaN-che1 KhoobaaN2 hama-daarand3 tu tanha4 daari5’’
aaj is misre6 ka mafhoom7 ayaaN8 hota hai 1.everything that 2.good people 3.all (goodness) have/posses 4.alone, by yourself 5.have, possess 6.one line of a she’r 7.meaning 8.revealed, apparent
The first misra is a quote of a faarsi she’r of amir Khusro …
sheva o shakl o shamaa’el o harkaat o sakanaat
aaN-che KhoobaaN hama-daarand tu tanha daari
All the goodness that all good people possess, you (gandhi) possessed by yourself i.e., all goodness was collected in you. Today, the meaning of this line is revealed.
7
aasmaaN hairati1-e azmat2-e insaaN ban kar
auj3 se jaanib4-e pasti5 nigaraaN6 hota hai 1.amazed 2.greatness 3.heights 4.towards 5.lowlands, earth 6.to see, set sight towards
The sky, amazed at the greatness of humans, from its heights, looks at the earth (because of the greatness of gandhi).
8
sochta hai keh maiN ab manb’a1-e ilhaam2 nahiN
chashma3-e faiz4 to dharti se ravaaN5 hota hai 1.fountainhead, source 2.revelations (of wisdom/goodness) 3.spring, source 4.benevolence/goodness 5.flows
The sky in its amazement thinks that it is no longer the only source of goodness. The spring of benevolence/goodness now flows from the earth.
9
kya Thikaane1 se lagi hai teri kishti-e hayaat2
tujh ko m’aloom3 tha jo masraf4-e jaaN hota hai 1.place, goal 2.life 3.knowledge 4.use
The boat of your life has found such a wonderful resting place (achieving its goal). You knew the real meaning of the use of life (in service of humanity).
gopal mittal (1901-1993), maalerkoTla, 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 beautiful tribute to gandhi and is linked to that icon on the Theme page.
1
aisi kuchh zindagiyaaN haiN jinheN milta hai sabaat1
ye jahaaN2 yuN to jahaan-e guzaraaN3 hota hai
1.permanence, immortality 2.world 3.passing, fleeting
There are a few lives that achieve immortality. Otherwise, this is a world of fleeting existence. It is only people like gandhi who achieve immortality.
2
jo sitaara bhi chamakta hai sar-e arsh1-e Khayaal2
chand3 lamhoN4 ke liye noor-fashaaN5 hota hai
1.sky, heaven 2.thought, imagination 3.a few 4.moments 5.light spreading
Any star that shines in the sky, spreads light but for a few moments, but it is ‘non-showy/substantive’ lives like gandhi that achieve immortality.
3
husn aashob1-e jahaaN2 hai magar3 is ke ba-vasf4
kuchh hi muddat5 ke liye aafat6-e jaaN hota hai
1.calamity, conquering, destroying 2.world 3.but 4.inspite of 5.time, period
Beauty conquers the world, but in spite of its conquest its effect is shortlived. Once again, the emphasis turns back towards the immortality of gandhian thought. Its conquest of the world is long lasting (or so gopal mittal thought, until proven wrong by the current conditions).
4
maiN nahiN mahram1-e asraar2-e mashiyyat3 laikin
basaa-auqaat4 mere dil ko gumaaN5 hota hai
1.familiar, intimate 2.secrets, meanings 3.god’s will 4.sometimes 5.suspicion
I am not familiar with the secrets of nature (of the divine) but sometimes I have a suspiction that …
5
tuu ne az-Khud1 hi usay chhiin liya tha baRh kar
malak-ul-maut2 pe jo lamha3 giraaN4 hota hai
1.by yourself 2.angel of death 3.moment 4.heavy, difficult
… you yourselves stepped forward and seized that moment that was hard even for the angel of death i.e., gandhi was willing to lay down his life at the critical moment.
6
‘‘aaN-che1 KhoobaaN2 hama-daarand3 tu tanha4 daari5’’
aaj is misre6 ka mafhoom7 ayaaN8 hota hai
1.everything that 2.good people 3.all (goodness) have/posses 4.alone, by yourself 5.have, possess 6.one line of a she’r 7.meaning 8.revealed, apparent
The first misra is a quote of a faarsi she’r of amir Khusro …
sheva o shakl o shamaa’el o harkaat o sakanaat
aaN-che KhoobaaN hama-daarand tu tanha daari
All the goodness that all good people possess, you (gandhi) possessed by yourself i.e., all goodness was collected in you. Today, the meaning of this line is revealed.
7
aasmaaN hairati1-e azmat2-e insaaN ban kar
auj3 se jaanib4-e pasti5 nigaraaN6 hota hai
1.amazed 2.greatness 3.heights 4.towards 5.lowlands, earth 6.to see, set sight towards
The sky, amazed at the greatness of humans, from its heights, looks at the earth (because of the greatness of gandhi).
8
sochta hai keh maiN ab manb’a1-e ilhaam2 nahiN
chashma3-e faiz4 to dharti se ravaaN5 hota hai
1.fountainhead, source 2.revelations (of wisdom/goodness) 3.spring, source 4.benevolence/goodness 5.flows
The sky in its amazement thinks that it is no longer the only source of goodness. The spring of benevolence/goodness now flows from the earth.
9
kya Thikaane1 se lagi hai teri kishti-e hayaat2
tujh ko m’aloom3 tha jo masraf4-e jaaN hota hai
1.place, goal 2.life 3.knowledge 4.use
The boat of your life has found such a wonderful resting place (achieving its goal). You knew the real meaning of the use of life (in service of humanity).
