For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
زندانِ آب و گِل میں ہے ۔ شیام موہن لال جگرؔ بریلوی
۱
اللہ اللہ کیا کرامت قربتِ منزل میں ہے
دل ہے منزل میں خدا جانے کہ منزل دل میں ہے
۲
ہوگیا طولِ اسیری سے ہمیں بے حد عزیز
دلکشی سی دلکشی زندانِ آب و گِل میں ہے
۳
اے فدائے حُسنِ ظاہر، اے گدائے لطفِ غیر
دیکھ کیا دولتِ بیدار تیرے دل میں ہے
۴
ایک وہ ہیں گل بداماں ہیں جو ہنگامِ سحر
اور اک ہم ہیں کہ رونے ہی کی حسرت دل میں ہے
۵
کیا بتاؤں کون ہے کس رنگ میں کس بھیس میں
اس قدر احساس تو ہوتا ہے کوئی دل میں ہے
۶
مجھ کو دیوانہ کوئی سمجھے جگرؔ یا خود پرست
ہوں پرستار اُس حقیقت کا جو میرے دل میں ہے
ज़िन्दान-ए आब ओ गिल में है – श्याम मोहन लाल जिगर बरेलवी
१
अल्लाह अल्लाह क्या करामत क़ुर्बत-ए मंज़िल में है
दिल है मंज़िल में, ख़ुदा जाने के मंज़िल दिल में है
२
हो गया तूल-ए असीरी से हमें बे-हद अज़ीज़
दिलकशी सी दिलकशी ज़िन्दान-ए आब ओ गिल में है
३
अए फ़िदा-ए हुस्न-ए ज़ाहेर, अए गदा-ए लुत्फ़-ए ग़ैर
देख क्या दौलत-ए बेदार तेरे दिल में है
४
एक वो हैं गुल-ब-दामां हैं जो हंगाम-ए सहर
और एक हम हैं के रोने ही कि हस्रत दिल में है
५
क्या बताऊं कौन है किस रंग में किस भेस में
इस क़दर एहसास तो होता है कोई दिल में है
६
मुझ को दीवाना कोई समझे जिगर या ख़ुद-परस्त
हूं परस्तार उस हक़ीक़त का जो मेरे दिल में है
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. shyaam mohan laal jigar barelavi (1890-1976) Ghazal, nazm, rubaaii, masnavi and critical treatises as well as linguistics. In addition to poetic collections, he has writes about issues of literary style in sehat-e zabaan, autobiography in hadees-e Khudi. His father, rai kanhaiya laal, was poet and a shaagird of Ghulam hasnain qadr who himself was a disciple of Ghalib. He learnt urdu and faarsi from a local ustaad, then high school and BA in philosophy and faarsi. Started out teaching in a school, went into government administration and progressed to become deputy collector. Early retirement, pension and teaching jobs followed but remained in straitened circumstances. This Ghazal is linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’.
1
allaah allaah kya karaamat1 qurbat2-e manzil3 meN hai
dil hai manzil meN, Khuda jaane keh manzil dil meN hai 1.miracle 2.nearness 3.destination, goal
The destination/goal of the poet/sufi is the divine, who is in his heart i.e., his destination is very near. By god look at the miracle of the nearness of the destination. His heart desires the goal i.e., ‘it is in his goal’ and god knows that his destination is in his heart. The circularity of this arrangement is the miracle.
2
ho gaya tuul1-e asiiri2 se hameN be-had3 aziiz4
dilkashi5 si dilkashi zindaan6-e aab7 o gil8 meN hai 1.length 2.imprisonment, bondage 3.without limits, excessive 4.fondness 5.pleasure 6.prison 7.water 8.clay
It is considered that humans were created out of clay and water. This is used here as symbolic of the material world. The material world is considered a prison from which the soul seeks release. The material world has become very dear to us due to familiarity of long imprisonment in it. There is so much pleasure in this world of clay and water.
3
aye fida1-e husn2-e zaahir3, aye gadaa4-e lutf5-e Ghair6
dekh kya daulat7-e bedaar8 tere dil meN hai 1.intense devotee ready to make a sacrificial offering 2.beauty 3.apparent, superficial 4.beggar, seeker 5.lutf 6.other 7.wealth 8.awake, aware,informed
This is addressed to the person who is devoted to ‘husn-e zaahir’ – superficial beauty … and is a seeker of the attractions of the material world. Just consider the informed wealth that is in your heart.
4
ek vo haiN gul1 ba-daamaaN2 haiN jo haNgaam3-e sahr4
aur ek ham haiN keh rone hi ki hasrat5 dil meN hai 1.roses 2.in the hem of the garment 3.time 4.dawn 5.longing
There are those who have gathered roses in the hem of their garment at the time of dawn. As opposed to their good fortune, the poet/lover has been wailing through the night and has a longing to keep crying.
5
kya bataauN kaun hai kis raNg1 meN kis bhes2 meN
is qadar3 ehsaas4 to hota hai koii dil meN hai 1.colour, nature, character 2.shape, form 3.this much 4.feeling
How can I tell you what it is and what shape it has, but this much I feel that there is someone in my heart.
6
mujh ko diivaana koii samjhe jigar1 ya Khud-parast2
huN parastaar3 us haqiiqat4 ka jo mere dil meN hai 1.pen-name of the poet 2.self-worshipping 3.devotee, worshipper 4.truth, reality
The poet asserts that god is in his heart and he is a devoteed of the divine spirit. Because he worships that which is inside him, people might consider him mad or self-worshipping, but he does not mind; he worships the reality which is in his heart.
shyaam mohan laal jigar barelavi (1890-1976) Ghazal, nazm, rubaaii, masnavi and critical treatises as well as linguistics. In addition to poetic collections, he has writes about issues of literary style in sehat-e zabaan, autobiography in hadees-e Khudi. His father, rai kanhaiya laal, was poet and a shaagird of Ghulam hasnain qadr who himself was a disciple of Ghalib. He learnt urdu and faarsi from a local ustaad, then high school and BA in philosophy and faarsi. Started out teaching in a school, went into government administration and progressed to become deputy collector. Early retirement, pension and teaching jobs followed but remained in straitened circumstances. This Ghazal is linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’.
1
allaah allaah kya karaamat1 qurbat2-e manzil3 meN hai
dil hai manzil meN, Khuda jaane keh manzil dil meN hai
1.miracle 2.nearness 3.destination, goal
The destination/goal of the poet/sufi is the divine, who is in his heart i.e., his destination is very near. By god look at the miracle of the nearness of the destination. His heart desires the goal i.e., ‘it is in his goal’ and god knows that his destination is in his heart. The circularity of this arrangement is the miracle.
2
ho gaya tuul1-e asiiri2 se hameN be-had3 aziiz4
dilkashi5 si dilkashi zindaan6-e aab7 o gil8 meN hai
1.length 2.imprisonment, bondage 3.without limits, excessive 4.fondness 5.pleasure 6.prison 7.water 8.clay
It is considered that humans were created out of clay and water. This is used here as symbolic of the material world. The material world is considered a prison from which the soul seeks release. The material world has become very dear to us due to familiarity of long imprisonment in it. There is so much pleasure in this world of clay and water.
3
aye fida1-e husn2-e zaahir3, aye gadaa4-e lutf5-e Ghair6
dekh kya daulat7-e bedaar8 tere dil meN hai
1.intense devotee ready to make a sacrificial offering 2.beauty 3.apparent, superficial 4.beggar, seeker 5.lutf 6.other 7.wealth 8.awake, aware,informed
This is addressed to the person who is devoted to ‘husn-e zaahir’ – superficial beauty … and is a seeker of the attractions of the material world. Just consider the informed wealth that is in your heart.
4
ek vo haiN gul1 ba-daamaaN2 haiN jo haNgaam3-e sahr4
aur ek ham haiN keh rone hi ki hasrat5 dil meN hai
1.roses 2.in the hem of the garment 3.time 4.dawn 5.longing
There are those who have gathered roses in the hem of their garment at the time of dawn. As opposed to their good fortune, the poet/lover has been wailing through the night and has a longing to keep crying.
5
kya bataauN kaun hai kis raNg1 meN kis bhes2 meN
is qadar3 ehsaas4 to hota hai koii dil meN hai
1.colour, nature, character 2.shape, form 3.this much 4.feeling
How can I tell you what it is and what shape it has, but this much I feel that there is someone in my heart.
6
mujh ko diivaana koii samjhe jigar1 ya Khud-parast2
huN parastaar3 us haqiiqat4 ka jo mere dil meN hai
1.pen-name of the poet 2.self-worshipping 3.devotee, worshipper 4.truth, reality
The poet asserts that god is in his heart and he is a devoteed of the divine spirit. Because he worships that which is inside him, people might consider him mad or self-worshipping, but he does not mind; he worships the reality which is in his heart.
