For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
تغافل کا گماں کیوں ہو ۔ رام کرشن مضطرؔ
۱
زمانہ اہلِ غم کا ہم مِزاج و ہم زباں کیوں ہو
ہماری داستاں سارے جہاں کی داستاں کیوں ہو
۲
خیالِ بیش و کم، اندیشۂ سُود و زیاں کیوں ہو
محبّت مبتلائے رنج و فکرِ این و آں کیوں ہو
۳
شعورِ زیست بخشا ہے جسے دورِ حوادث نے
وہ اِنساں بے نیازِ اِنقلاباتِ جہاں کیوں ہو
۴
ہمارے خونِ دل کی سرخیاں ہیں اس کی تابش میں
نشانِ کارواں معدومِ گردِ کارواں کیوں ہو
۵
جسے ہم نے ہزاروں مشکلیں حل کر کے سمجھا ہے
وہ رازِ زِندگی اپنی نگاہوں سے نہاں کیوں ہو
۶
اگر رنگِ تلطف ہو تمہاری شوخ نظروں میں
تو پھر ہم کو توجہ پر تغافل کا گماں کیوں ہو
۷
یہ اُن کا نام لے کر بوالہوس کیوں آہ کرتا ہے
نہیں جب آگ ہی دل میں تو ہونٹوں پر دُھواں کیوں ہو
۸
جو حسن و عشق کے اسرار میرے دل میں رہتے ہیں
بیاں اُن کا بہ اندازِ حدیثِ دیگراں کیوں ہو
۹
مری آنکھوں میں آ جاؤ مرے دل میں سما جاؤ
محبّت ہے اگر مجھ سے تو پھر دامن کشاں کیوں ہو
۱۰
کہا مانے اگر میرا دلِ دیوانہ اے مضطرؔ
قتیلِ مہ وشاں کیوں ہو ہلاکِ گُل رخاں کیوں ہو
तग़ाफ़ुल का गुमां क्यूं हो – राम क्रिष्ण मुज़्तर
१
ज़माना अहल-ए ग़म का हम-मिज़ाज ओ हम-ज़बां क्यूं हो
हमारी दास्तां सारे जहां की दास्तां क्यूं हो
२
ख़याल-ए बेश ओ कम, अंदेशा-ए सूद ओ ज़ियां क्यूं हो
मोहब्बत मुब्तला-ए रंज ओ फ़िक्र-ए ईन-ओ-आं क्यूं हो
३
श’ऊर-ए ज़ीस्त बख़्शा है जिसे दौर-ए हवादिस ने
वो इंसां बे-निथाज़-ए इन्क़ेलाबात-ए जहां क्यूं हो
४
हमारे ख़ून-ए दिल की सुर्ख़ियां हैं इस की ताबिश में
निशान-ए कारवां मा’दूम-ए गर्द-ए कारवां क्यूं हो
५
जिसे हम ने हज़ारौं मुश्किलें हल कर के समझा है
वो राज़-ए ज़िंदगी अपनी निगाहौं से नेहां क्यूं हो
६
अगर रंग-ए तलत्तुफ़ हो तुम्हारी शूख़ नज़्रौं में
तो फिर हम को तवज्जोह पर तग़ाफ़ुल का गुमां क्यूं हो
७
ये उन का नाम ले कर बुल-हवस क्यूं आह करता है
नहीं जब आग हि दिल में तो होंटौं पर धुआं क्यूं हो
८
जो हुस्न ओ इश्क़ के अस्रार मेरे दिल में रहते हैं
बयां उन का ब-अंदाज़-ए हदीस-ए दीगरां क्यूं हो
९
मेरी आंखौं में आ जाओ मेरे दिल में समा जाओ
मोब्बत है अगर मुझ से तो फिर दामन-कशां क्यूं हो
१०
कहा माने अगर मेरा दिल-ए दीवाना अए मुज़्तर
क़तील-ए मह-वशां क्यूं हो हलाक-ए गुल-रुख़ां क्यूं हो
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. ram krishn muztar (1927-1984) buland shahr. He was adopted by a childless uncle and aunt, but they died while he was still very young. He did not have much interest in being a landlord and lost inherited lands to squatters but did his undergraduate in faarsi (with honours) from punjab university with further education from the Iranian Cultural House in dehli, in the late 1950s. Worked for milaap, dehli, an urdu daily newspaper/magazine. This Ghazal is linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’ under ‘zabaaN kyuN ho’.
1
zamaana1 ahl-e-Gham2 ka ham-mizaaj3 o ham-zabaaN4 kyuN ho
hamaari daastaaN5 saare jahaaN6 ki daastaaN kyuN ho 1.present times 2.sorrowful people, lovers 3.sharing feelings 4.speaking the same language, sympathize 5.story 6.world
Why should we expect the present order to share the feelings of disappionted lovers. Why should it sympathize with them. Why should their story become the story of the world.
2
Khayaal1-e besh-o-kam2, andesha3-e sood-o-ziyaaN4 kyuN ho
mohabbat mubtala5-e ranj6 o fikr7-e iin-o-aaN8 kyuN ho 1.thought of 2.more and less 3.apprehension 4.profit and loss 5.caught up in 6.sorrow 7.worried about 8.this and that, mundane
Why should love entertain thoughts of more and less; be apprehensive of profit and loss; get caught up in sorrow and worry about the mundane i.e., love is beyond material considerations and into lofty spiritual thought.
3
shu’oor1-e zeest2 baKhsha3 hai jise daur4-e havaadis5 ne
vo insaaN be-niyaaz6-e inqelaabaat7-e jahaaN8 kyuN ho 1.wisdom, knowledge 2.life 3.granted 4.age, period, times 5.occurances, misfortunes 6.unmindful 7.changes, reversals 8.world
Why would the person who has been granted wisdom/knowledge of life by the misfortunes of the times be unmindful of the changes/reversals in the ways of the world.
4
hamaare Khoon-e dil ki surKhiyaaN1 haiN is ki taabish2 meN
nishaan3-e kaarvaaN4 maa’doom5-e gard6-e kaarvaaN kyuN ho 1.redness 2.brilliance, splendour 3.clue, indication 4.caravan, traveling party 5.disappear, hidden, non-existent 6.dust
A caravan can be observed by the clue of rising dust. The poet/seeker has had a hand in setting the course of the caravan. The redness of the blood of his heart is mingled in the shining dust that rises from the caravan. Why then should it disappear from his sight i.e., why should the caravan leave him behind.
5
jise ham ne hazaaroN mushkileN hal1 kar ke samjha hai
vo raaz2-e zindagi apni nigaahoN3 se nehaaN4 kyuN ho 1.solve, overcome 2.secret, mystery 3.sight, eyes 4.hidden
Why should the mystery of life which we have understood after solving many problems, still remain hidden from our eyes. This could be a reference to our inability to see/comprehend divinity.
6
agar raNg1-e talattuf2 ho tumhaari shooKh3 nazroN4 meN
to phir ham ko tavajjoh5 par taGhaaful6 ka gumaaN7 kyuN ho 1.character, nature 2.kindness, favours 3.playful, mischievous 4.glances 5.attention 6.indifference 7.suspicion
If your (beloved’s) playful glances had any hint of showing favourable feelings, then why would the lover suspect her attention to be a form of indifference.
7
ye un ka naam le kar bul-havas1 kyuN aah2 karta hai
nahiN jab aag3 hi dil meN to hoNToN4 par dhuaaN5 kyuN ho 1.lecher, lustful 2.sigh 3.fire 4.lips 5.smoke
In poetic tradition the lover/poet is driven by pure love and the rival by mere lust. He does not have the fire of love in his heart. A sigh is a sign of this fire escaping from the lips. Why should the lustful rival take your name and sigh. When there is no fire in his heart, why should smoke come out of his lips.
8
jo husn1 o ishq2 ke asraar3 meray dil meN rahte haiN
baayaaN4 un ka ba-andaaz5-e hadiis6-e diigaraaN7 kyuN ho 1.beauty, beloved 2.love, poet/lover 3.secrets, mysteries 4.narration, description 5.in the style of 6.story 7.others, rivals
The mysteries/secrets of beauty and love that are in the heart of the poet/narrator are unique; that no one else knows. Why then should the narration of this story be in the same style as that of other stories.
9
meri aaNkhoN meN aa jaao mere dil meN samaa jaao
mohabbat hai agar mujh se to phir daaman-kashaaN1 kyuN ho 1.pulling back the hem of the garment, pulling back, aloof
The poet appeals to the beloved – come into my eyes, fill my heart. If you have love for me, why should you pull back.
10
kaha maane1 agar2 mera dil-e diivaana aye muztar3
qateel4-e mah-vashaaN5 kyuN ho, halaak6-e gul-ruKhaaN7 kyuN ho 1.listen to what is said, heed 2.if 3.pen-name of the poet 4.killed by 5.moon-like 6.killed by 7.rose-faced
If my foolish heart were to heed what I have to say, why would it fall for moon-like beauties or get killed by the rose-faced beloved.
ram krishn muztar (1927-1984) buland shahr. He was adopted by a childless uncle and aunt, but they died while he was still very young. He did not have much interest in being a landlord and lost inherited lands to squatters but did his undergraduate in faarsi (with honours) from punjab university with further education from the Iranian Cultural House in dehli, in the late 1950s. Worked for milaap, dehli, an urdu daily newspaper/magazine. This Ghazal is linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’ under ‘zabaaN kyuN ho’.
1
zamaana1 ahl-e-Gham2 ka ham-mizaaj3 o ham-zabaaN4 kyuN ho
hamaari daastaaN5 saare jahaaN6 ki daastaaN kyuN ho
1.present times 2.sorrowful people, lovers 3.sharing feelings 4.speaking the same language, sympathize 5.story 6.world
Why should we expect the present order to share the feelings of disappionted lovers. Why should it sympathize with them. Why should their story become the story of the world.
2
Khayaal1-e besh-o-kam2, andesha3-e sood-o-ziyaaN4 kyuN ho
mohabbat mubtala5-e ranj6 o fikr7-e iin-o-aaN8 kyuN ho
1.thought of 2.more and less 3.apprehension 4.profit and loss 5.caught up in 6.sorrow 7.worried about 8.this and that, mundane
Why should love entertain thoughts of more and less; be apprehensive of profit and loss; get caught up in sorrow and worry about the mundane i.e., love is beyond material considerations and into lofty spiritual thought.
3
shu’oor1-e zeest2 baKhsha3 hai jise daur4-e havaadis5 ne
vo insaaN be-niyaaz6-e inqelaabaat7-e jahaaN8 kyuN ho
1.wisdom, knowledge 2.life 3.granted 4.age, period, times 5.occurances, misfortunes 6.unmindful 7.changes, reversals 8.world
Why would the person who has been granted wisdom/knowledge of life by the misfortunes of the times be unmindful of the changes/reversals in the ways of the world.
4
hamaare Khoon-e dil ki surKhiyaaN1 haiN is ki taabish2 meN
nishaan3-e kaarvaaN4 maa’doom5-e gard6-e kaarvaaN kyuN ho
1.redness 2.brilliance, splendour 3.clue, indication 4.caravan, traveling party 5.disappear, hidden, non-existent 6.dust
A caravan can be observed by the clue of rising dust. The poet/seeker has had a hand in setting the course of the caravan. The redness of the blood of his heart is mingled in the shining dust that rises from the caravan. Why then should it disappear from his sight i.e., why should the caravan leave him behind.
5
jise ham ne hazaaroN mushkileN hal1 kar ke samjha hai
vo raaz2-e zindagi apni nigaahoN3 se nehaaN4 kyuN ho
1.solve, overcome 2.secret, mystery 3.sight, eyes 4.hidden
Why should the mystery of life which we have understood after solving many problems, still remain hidden from our eyes. This could be a reference to our inability to see/comprehend divinity.
6
agar raNg1-e talattuf2 ho tumhaari shooKh3 nazroN4 meN
to phir ham ko tavajjoh5 par taGhaaful6 ka gumaaN7 kyuN ho
1.character, nature 2.kindness, favours 3.playful, mischievous 4.glances 5.attention 6.indifference 7.suspicion
If your (beloved’s) playful glances had any hint of showing favourable feelings, then why would the lover suspect her attention to be a form of indifference.
7
ye un ka naam le kar bul-havas1 kyuN aah2 karta hai
nahiN jab aag3 hi dil meN to hoNToN4 par dhuaaN5 kyuN ho
1.lecher, lustful 2.sigh 3.fire 4.lips 5.smoke
In poetic tradition the lover/poet is driven by pure love and the rival by mere lust. He does not have the fire of love in his heart. A sigh is a sign of this fire escaping from the lips. Why should the lustful rival take your name and sigh. When there is no fire in his heart, why should smoke come out of his lips.
8
jo husn1 o ishq2 ke asraar3 meray dil meN rahte haiN
baayaaN4 un ka ba-andaaz5-e hadiis6-e diigaraaN7 kyuN ho
1.beauty, beloved 2.love, poet/lover 3.secrets, mysteries 4.narration, description 5.in the style of 6.story 7.others, rivals
The mysteries/secrets of beauty and love that are in the heart of the poet/narrator are unique; that no one else knows. Why then should the narration of this story be in the same style as that of other stories.
9
meri aaNkhoN meN aa jaao mere dil meN samaa jaao
mohabbat hai agar mujh se to phir daaman-kashaaN1 kyuN ho
1.pulling back the hem of the garment, pulling back, aloof
The poet appeals to the beloved – come into my eyes, fill my heart. If you have love for me, why should you pull back.
10
kaha maane1 agar2 mera dil-e diivaana aye muztar3
qateel4-e mah-vashaaN5 kyuN ho, halaak6-e gul-ruKhaaN7 kyuN ho
1.listen to what is said, heed 2.if 3.pen-name of the poet 4.killed by 5.moon-like 6.killed by 7.rose-faced
If my foolish heart were to heed what I have to say, why would it fall for moon-like beauties or get killed by the rose-faced beloved.
