For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
زمانے پر عیاں کیوں ہو ۔ مہندر چندر نقشؔ
۱
تری اِس بے قراری کا اُسے اے دل گماں کیوں ہو
کوئی ناآشنائے غم کسی کا رازداں کیوں ہو
۲
قیامت ہے قیامت! یوں ترا مل کر بچھڑ جانا
مگر یہ درد اب سارے زمانے پر عیاں کیوں ہو
۳
دلاسے دیں گے وہ جاں نواز و پُر سکوں نظریں
تو پھر بیتاب دل میں آرزوؤں کا جہاں کیوں ہو
۴
تغافل جس کا شیوہ ہو، تجاہل جس کی عادت ہو
وہ ہم پر ملتفت کیوں ہو، وہ ہم پر مہرباں کیوں ہو
۵
کسی کی خامشی دل کی حقیقت کھول دیتی ہے
زباں ہے ہر نظر آخر محبّت بے زباں کیوں ہو
۶
میں آخر کیا کروں تنہائیاں ہیں میری قسمت میں
مری خلوت پسندی اہلِ محفل پر گراں کیوں ہو
۷
جسے اے نقشؔ سن کر آنکھ میں آنسو نہ بھر آئیں
وہ افسانہ کسی مجبورِ غم کی داستاں کیوں ہو
ज़माने पर अयां क्यूं हो – महेश चंद्र नक़्श
१
तेरी इस बेक़रारी का उसे अए दिल गुमां क्यूं हो
कोई ना-आश्ना-ए ग़म किसी का राज़दां क्यूं हो
२
क़यामत है क़यामत! यूं तेरा मिल कर बिछढ जाना
मगर ये दर्द अब सारे ज़माने पर अयां क्यूं हो
३
दिलासे देंगे वो जां-नवाज़ ओ पुर-सुकूं नज़्रें
तो फिर बेताब दिल में आर्ज़ूऔं का जहां क्यूं हो
४
तग़ाफ़ुल जिस का शेवा हो, तजाहुल जिस कि आदत हो
वो हम पर मुल्तफ़ित क्यूं हो, वो हम पर मेहरबां क्यूं हो
५
किसी की ख़ामुशी दिल की हक़ीक़त खोल देती है
ज़बां है हर नज़र, आख़ेर मोहब्बत बेज़बां क्यूं हो
६
मैं आख़ेर क्या करूं तन्हाईयां हैं मेरी क़िस्मत में
मेरी ख़ल्वत-पसंदी अहल-ए महफ़िल पर गरां क्यूं हो
७
जिसे अए नक़्श सुन कर आंख में आंसू न भर आएं
वो अफ़्साना किसी मजबूर-ए ग़म की दास्तां क्यूं हो
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mahesh chandr naqsh (1928-1980) meeraTh and dehli. He worked as a sub-inspector in the dehli transport corporation. There are at least four collections of Ghazal and qitaat to his credit. But there are no bio sketches in any of his publications, however there is a reference to an interview on a dehli TV station in which he was asked when he got time to compose. After a moment of thought he replied, I do it constantly – on or off the job. There is no indication of how he became interested in urdu. This Ghazal, in the same radeef-qaafiya as Ghalib’s ‘muNh meN zabaaN kyuN ho’, is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
teri is beqaraari1 ki use aye dil gumaaN2 kyuN ho
koii naa-aashna3-e Gham kisi ka raazdaaN4 kyuN ho 1.restlessness, pain 2.suspicion 3.unfamiliar, inexperienced 4.confidante
The ‘use’ in the first misra and ‘koii’ in the second misra, both refer to the beloved. Why should the beloved suspect that you are suffering in restlessness/pain. How can one who has never known/experienced sorrow become your confidante/sympathizer.
2
qayaamat1 hai qayaamat! yuN tera mil kar bichhaR2 jaana
magar ye dard ab saare zamaane3 par ayaaN4 kyuN ho 1.calamity 2.separated, parted 3.world 4.revealed, visible
The beloved’s meeting the poet/lover and then getting separated (or separating herself) is indeed a calamity. But why should this pain be revealed to the world i.e., the poet should suffer this pain stoically without revealing it to anyone.
3
dilaase1 deNge vo jaaN-navaaz2 o pur-sukooN3 nazreN4
to phir betaab5 dil meN aarzuoN6 ka jahaaN7 kyuN ho 1.consolation 2.life giving 3.full of tranquility 4.eyes, glances 5.restless, eager 6.desires 7.world
This is talking about the beloved’s eyes/glances. Her glances are life giving and tranquility granting. Why then, is my restless heart still a world of desires. The implication is that the beloved’s glances may be all they are said to be, but they still cause restless desire.
4
taGhaaful1 jis ka sheva2 ho, tajaahul3 jis ki aadat4 ho
vo ham par multafit5 kyuN ho, vo ham par mehrbaaN6 kyuN ho 1.inattention, indifference 2.nature 3.ignoring, forgetting 4.habit 5.grant favours 6.kind
This is talking about the beloved’s nature and habits. Why should the one whose nature it is to be indifferent, whose habit it is to ignore suddenly show favours and become kind.
5
kisi ki Khaamoshi1 dil ki haqiiqat2 khol deti hai
zabaaN hai har nazar3, aaKhir mohabbat be-zabaaN4 kyuN ho 1.silence 2.truth-used here to mean real (hidden) secret 3.glance 4.speechless
It is poetic convention that the lover loves and suffers in silence. But his silence can reveal his inner reality. Every glance is a tongue. If this is so, then why would love be speechless.
6
maiN aaKhir kya karuN tanhaaiiyaaN1 haiN meri qismat meN
meri Khalvat-pasandi2 ahl-e-mahfil3 par giraaN4 kyuN ho 1.being alone 2.privacy prefering 3.people of the gathering 4.burden, bothersome
All the lovers throng in the gathering – the mahfil, but the poet/lover keeps away. What can I do, being alone is my fate. Why should my privacy preference bother others.
7
jise aye naqsh1 sun kar aaNkh meN aaNsu na bhar aayeN
vo afsaana2 kisi majboor3-e Gham ki daastaaN4 kyuN ho 1.pen-name of the poet 2.story 3.oppressed 4.story
Someone is relating the story of the oppressed lover. It is sure to bring tears to the eyes … eyes overflowing with tears. Why should it be thus. Why can’t such stories not be cheerful.
mahesh chandr naqsh (1928-1980) meeraTh and dehli. He worked as a sub-inspector in the dehli transport corporation. There are at least four collections of Ghazal and qitaat to his credit. But there are no bio sketches in any of his publications, however there is a reference to an interview on a dehli TV station in which he was asked when he got time to compose. After a moment of thought he replied, I do it constantly – on or off the job. There is no indication of how he became interested in urdu. This Ghazal, in the same radeef-qaafiya as Ghalib’s ‘muNh meN zabaaN kyuN ho’, is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
teri is beqaraari1 ki use aye dil gumaaN2 kyuN ho
koii naa-aashna3-e Gham kisi ka raazdaaN4 kyuN ho
1.restlessness, pain 2.suspicion 3.unfamiliar, inexperienced 4.confidante
The ‘use’ in the first misra and ‘koii’ in the second misra, both refer to the beloved. Why should the beloved suspect that you are suffering in restlessness/pain. How can one who has never known/experienced sorrow become your confidante/sympathizer.
2
qayaamat1 hai qayaamat! yuN tera mil kar bichhaR2 jaana
magar ye dard ab saare zamaane3 par ayaaN4 kyuN ho
1.calamity 2.separated, parted 3.world 4.revealed, visible
The beloved’s meeting the poet/lover and then getting separated (or separating herself) is indeed a calamity. But why should this pain be revealed to the world i.e., the poet should suffer this pain stoically without revealing it to anyone.
3
dilaase1 deNge vo jaaN-navaaz2 o pur-sukooN3 nazreN4
to phir betaab5 dil meN aarzuoN6 ka jahaaN7 kyuN ho
1.consolation 2.life giving 3.full of tranquility 4.eyes, glances 5.restless, eager 6.desires 7.world
This is talking about the beloved’s eyes/glances. Her glances are life giving and tranquility granting. Why then, is my restless heart still a world of desires. The implication is that the beloved’s glances may be all they are said to be, but they still cause restless desire.
4
taGhaaful1 jis ka sheva2 ho, tajaahul3 jis ki aadat4 ho
vo ham par multafit5 kyuN ho, vo ham par mehrbaaN6 kyuN ho
1.inattention, indifference 2.nature 3.ignoring, forgetting 4.habit 5.grant favours 6.kind
This is talking about the beloved’s nature and habits. Why should the one whose nature it is to be indifferent, whose habit it is to ignore suddenly show favours and become kind.
5
kisi ki Khaamoshi1 dil ki haqiiqat2 khol deti hai
zabaaN hai har nazar3, aaKhir mohabbat be-zabaaN4 kyuN ho
1.silence 2.truth-used here to mean real (hidden) secret 3.glance 4.speechless
It is poetic convention that the lover loves and suffers in silence. But his silence can reveal his inner reality. Every glance is a tongue. If this is so, then why would love be speechless.
6
maiN aaKhir kya karuN tanhaaiiyaaN1 haiN meri qismat meN
meri Khalvat-pasandi2 ahl-e-mahfil3 par giraaN4 kyuN ho
1.being alone 2.privacy prefering 3.people of the gathering 4.burden, bothersome
All the lovers throng in the gathering – the mahfil, but the poet/lover keeps away. What can I do, being alone is my fate. Why should my privacy preference bother others.
7
jise aye naqsh1 sun kar aaNkh meN aaNsu na bhar aayeN
vo afsaana2 kisi majboor3-e Gham ki daastaaN4 kyuN ho
1.pen-name of the poet 2.story 3.oppressed 4.story
Someone is relating the story of the oppressed lover. It is sure to bring tears to the eyes … eyes overflowing with tears. Why should it be thus. Why can’t such stories not be cheerful.
