For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
مرے خط کے جواب میں ۔ روپا مہتا نغمہؔ
۱
رہ لو خیال میں کبھی آ جاؤ خواب میں
مجھ سے ملو بھی تم تو ملو سو حجاب میں
۲
یہ معجزہ دکھائے محبت کبھی ہمیں
آ جائیں سامنے مرے خط کے جواب میں
۳
دل کے کہے پہ چلنے کا اِنعام یہ ملا
دریا سے بچ کے ڈوب گئے ہم سراب میں
۴
خوشیاں کبھی نصیب میں اتنی لکھی نہ تھیں
شائد خدا سے بھول ہوئی ہے حساب میں
۵
نغمہؔ مری غزل ہے مہکتا ہوا چمن
خوشبو کہاں سے آئے گی ایسی گلاب میں
मेरे ख़त के जवाब में – रूपा महता नग़्मा
१
रह लो ख़याल में कभी आ जाओ ख़्वाब में
मुझ से मिलो भी तुम तो मिलो सौ हिजाब में
२
ये मो’जेज़ा दिखाए मोहब्बत कभी हमें
आ जाएं सामने मेरे ख़त के जवाब में
३
दिल के कहे पे चलने का इन’आम ये मिला
दर्या से बच के डूब गये हम सराब में
४
ख़ुशियां कभी नसीब में इतनी लिखी न थीं
शा’एद ख़ुदा से भूल हुई है हिसाब में
५
नग़्मा मेरी ग़ज़ल है महकता हुआ चमन
ख़ुशबू कहां से आएगी ऐसी गुलाब में
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. roopa mehta naGhma (xxxx-living), saurashTra, mumbai. I don’t know much about the poet other than the little that ali sardar jafri wrote in a preface to her collection. I would dearly love to learn how she came to urdu. A good portion of her Ghazal are about broken love but told from a woman’s point of view and in female gendered language. They force me to reflect on the incessant depiction of the (female) beloved as the oppressor. This Ghazal in the zamin of Ghalib’s ‘saaqi ne kuchh mila na diya ho sharaab meN’ is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
rah lo Khayaal meN kabhi aa jaao Khwaab meN
mujh se milo bhi tum to milo sau hijaab1 meN 1.veil, curtain
Sometimes you dwell in my thoughts and at others you appear in my dreams. Whenever you meet with me, you are behind a hundred veils.
2
ye mo’jeza1 dikhaa’e mohabbat kabhi hameN
aa jaa’eN saamne mere Khat ke javaab meN 1.miracle
May love show me this miracle some time. May he come himself in answer to my letters. There are many delightful ash’aar in the Ghazal linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam. Here are two examples. There are many more …
raghubiir saran divaakar raahi …
Ghusse meN, barhami meN, Ghazab meN, itaab meN
Khud aa gaye haiN vo, mere Khat ke javaab meN
darshan dayaal parvaaz …
itna to ho hi sakta tha Khat ke javaab meN
ek baar bhej deta Khuda un ko Khwaab meN
3
dil ke kahe pe chalne ka in’aam1 ye mila
darya se bach ke Doob gaye ham saraab2 meN 1.reward 2.mirage
The affairs of the heart invariable lead to disaster. Thus, this was the reward for following the heart. I escaped the sea but drowned in the mirage.
4
KhushiyaaN kabhi nasiib1 meN itni likhi na thiiN
shaa’ed2 Khuda se bhool3 hui hai hisaab4 meN 1.fate 2.perhaps 3.mistake 4.reckoning, counting
So much joy was never seen written in my fate. Perhaps god miscounted.
5
naGhma1 meri Ghazal hai mahakta2 hua chaman
Khushbu kahaaN se aa’egi aisi gulaab meN 1.pen-name of the poet 2.fragrant
O naGhma, my Ghazal is like a redolent garden. How can one rose have such fragrance.
roopa mehta naGhma (xxxx-living), saurashTra, mumbai. I don’t know much about the poet other than the little that ali sardar jafri wrote in a preface to her collection. I would dearly love to learn how she came to urdu. A good portion of her Ghazal are about broken love but told from a woman’s point of view and in female gendered language. They force me to reflect on the incessant depiction of the (female) beloved as the oppressor. This Ghazal in the zamin of Ghalib’s ‘saaqi ne kuchh mila na diya ho sharaab meN’ is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
rah lo Khayaal meN kabhi aa jaao Khwaab meN
mujh se milo bhi tum to milo sau hijaab1 meN
1.veil, curtain
Sometimes you dwell in my thoughts and at others you appear in my dreams. Whenever you meet with me, you are behind a hundred veils.
2
ye mo’jeza1 dikhaa’e mohabbat kabhi hameN
aa jaa’eN saamne mere Khat ke javaab meN
1.miracle
May love show me this miracle some time. May he come himself in answer to my letters. There are many delightful ash’aar in the Ghazal linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam. Here are two examples. There are many more …
raghubiir saran divaakar raahi …
Ghusse meN, barhami meN, Ghazab meN, itaab meN
Khud aa gaye haiN vo, mere Khat ke javaab meN
darshan dayaal parvaaz …
itna to ho hi sakta tha Khat ke javaab meN
ek baar bhej deta Khuda un ko Khwaab meN
3
dil ke kahe pe chalne ka in’aam1 ye mila
darya se bach ke Doob gaye ham saraab2 meN
1.reward 2.mirage
The affairs of the heart invariable lead to disaster. Thus, this was the reward for following the heart. I escaped the sea but drowned in the mirage.
4
KhushiyaaN kabhi nasiib1 meN itni likhi na thiiN
shaa’ed2 Khuda se bhool3 hui hai hisaab4 meN
1.fate 2.perhaps 3.mistake 4.reckoning, counting
So much joy was never seen written in my fate. Perhaps god miscounted.
5
naGhma1 meri Ghazal hai mahakta2 hua chaman
Khushbu kahaaN se aa’egi aisi gulaab meN
1.pen-name of the poet 2.fragrant
O naGhma, my Ghazal is like a redolent garden. How can one rose have such fragrance.
