For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
سکھایا ہے مسلماں ہونا ۔ پنڈت امرناتھ مدن ساحرؔ دہلوی
۱
دل کی تسکین کو کافی ہے پریشاں ہونا
ہے توکُّل بخدا بے سر و ساماں ہونا
۲
یوں تو ہر دین میں ہے صاحبِ ایماں ہونا
ہم کو اِک بُت نے سکھایا ہے مسلماں ہونا
۳
اے پری رو ترے دیوانے کا ایماں کیا ہے
ایک نگاہِ غلط انداز پہ قرباں ہونا
۴
کُور ہے چشم جسے دعویِٰ بینائی ہے
شرطِ اوّل ہے جہاں دیدۂ حیراں ہونا
۵
ہم سے رندانِ بلا نوش کا ہے شُربِ مدام
دُرد آشامِ مئے کلفتِ ہجراں ہونا
۶
وقفِ تسلیم و رضا چاہیے دل عاشق کا
ساحرؔ آسان نہیں بندۂ جاناں ہونا
सिखाया है मुसलमां होना – पंडित अमरनाथ साहर देहलवी
१
दिल की तस्कीन को काफ़ी है परेशां होना
है तवक्कुल ब ख़ुदा बे-सर-ओ-सामां होना
२
यूं तो हर दीन में है साहब-ए ईमां होना
हमको एक बुत ने सिखाया है मुसलमां होना
३
अए परी-रू तेरे दीवाने का ईमां क्या है
एक निगाह-ए गलत अंदाज़ पे कुर्बां होना
४
कोर है चश्म जिसे दावा-ए बीनाई है
शर्त-ए अव्वल है जहां दीदा-ए हैरां होना
५
हम से रिंदान-ए बलानोश का है शुरब-ए मुदाम
दुर्द-ए आशाम-ए मए कुल्फ़त-ए हिज्रां होना
६
वक़्फ़-ए तस्लीम ओ रज़ा चाहिए दिल आशेक़ का
साहिर आसां नहीं बन्दा-ए जानां होना
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. panDit amarnath sahir dehlavi (1863-1962) was deeply affected by the cultural degeneration following the 1857 war. He turned to themes of mysticism in his poetry. He was a scholar of sanskrit, arabi and faarsi. This is one of a series of Ghazal styled after Ghalib’s, ‘aadmi ko bhi mayassar nahiN insaaN hona’ and is linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’ as well as to ‘Ghalib-kashmiri panDit’, which is a collection of urdu Ghazal composed by kashmiri panDits with the same radeef-qaafiya as selected Ghazal of Ghalib.
1
dil ki taskeen1 ko kaafi2 hai pareshaaN3 hona
hai tavakkul4 ba-Khuda be-sar-o-samaaN5 hona 1.satisfaction, contentment, tranquility 2.enough 3.worried, used in the sense of ‘hairaaN’ – puzzled, enchanted 4.acceptance, faith in the divine 5.devoid of possession/attachment
For the comfort of the heart/soul it is enough to be puzzled/enchanted/enamoured (by the glory of the cosmos). By god, for complete faith in the divine it is necessary to shed all attachment to the material world.
2
yuN to har deen1 meN hai saahib-e-eemaaN2 hona
hamko ek but3 ne sikhaaya hai musalmaaN hona 1.religion 2.possessor of faith 3.idol
Normally, idol/idol worship and islam are antithetical to each other, but sahir, as he has done in many other places, reaches out and claims universal truth to be emobodied in all faiths. Thus, even an idol can teach him how to be a muslim. Every religion says that one should be a master of faith, but I am different – an idol has taught me how to be a muslim.
3
aye pari-ruu1 tere diwaane2 ka eemaaN3 kya hai
ek nigaah4-e Ghalat-andaaz5 pe qurbaN6 hona 1.fairy faced 2.mad, madly in love, admirer 3.faith 4.glance 5.titillating, teasing 6.offering
O fairy-faced belove, what can be the faith of your admirer but to offer his life for one teasing glance from you.
4
koor1 hai chashm2 jise daa’va3-e beenaaii4 hai
shart5-e avval6 hai jahaaN7, deeda8-e hairaaN9 hona 1.blind 2.eyes 3.claim, assert 4.sight, understanding 5.condition 6.first 7.world 8.eye 9.puzzled, enchanted
The eye that claims that it can see (the divine) is blind. O world, the first condition is that you be puzzled/enchanted by the glory of the cosmos
5
ham se rindaan1-e balaa-nosh2 ka hai shurb3 mudaam4
durd5 aashaam6-e mai7-e kulfat8-e hijraaN9 hona 1.wine lover, reveler 2.heavy drinker 3.drink, juice 4.always 5.dredges, bottom layer (considered strong) 7.wine 8.sorrow, pain 9.separation (from the divine)
This has strong sufiyaana tones. He is a wine lover, heavy drinker and his drink is always the strong dregs of the wine of the pain of separation from the divine.
6
vaqf1-e tasleem2 o raza3 chaahiye dil aashiq ka
saahir4 aasaN5 nahiN banda6-e jaanaaN7 hona 1.dedicated to 2.acceptance, submission 3.agreeing (to the will of the divine) 4.pen-name of the poet 5.easy 6.devotee 7.(divine) beloved
O sahir, it is not easy to be a true devotee of the divine. You have to completely dedicate your heart to accepting and agreeing with the will of god.
panDit amarnath sahir dehlavi (1863-1962) was deeply affected by the cultural degeneration following the 1857 war. He turned to themes of mysticism in his poetry. He was a scholar of sanskrit, arabi and faarsi. This is one of a series of Ghazal styled after Ghalib’s, ‘aadmi ko bhi mayassar nahiN insaaN hona’ and is linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’ as well as to ‘Ghalib-kashmiri panDit’, which is a collection of urdu Ghazal composed by kashmiri panDits with the same radeef-qaafiya as selected Ghazal of Ghalib.
1
dil ki taskeen1 ko kaafi2 hai pareshaaN3 hona
hai tavakkul4 ba-Khuda be-sar-o-samaaN5 hona
1.satisfaction, contentment, tranquility 2.enough 3.worried, used in the sense of ‘hairaaN’ – puzzled, enchanted 4.acceptance, faith in the divine 5.devoid of possession/attachment
For the comfort of the heart/soul it is enough to be puzzled/enchanted/enamoured (by the glory of the cosmos). By god, for complete faith in the divine it is necessary to shed all attachment to the material world.
2
yuN to har deen1 meN hai saahib-e-eemaaN2 hona
hamko ek but3 ne sikhaaya hai musalmaaN hona
1.religion 2.possessor of faith 3.idol
Normally, idol/idol worship and islam are antithetical to each other, but sahir, as he has done in many other places, reaches out and claims universal truth to be emobodied in all faiths. Thus, even an idol can teach him how to be a muslim. Every religion says that one should be a master of faith, but I am different – an idol has taught me how to be a muslim.
3
aye pari-ruu1 tere diwaane2 ka eemaaN3 kya hai
ek nigaah4-e Ghalat-andaaz5 pe qurbaN6 hona
1.fairy faced 2.mad, madly in love, admirer 3.faith 4.glance 5.titillating, teasing 6.offering
O fairy-faced belove, what can be the faith of your admirer but to offer his life for one teasing glance from you.
4
koor1 hai chashm2 jise daa’va3-e beenaaii4 hai
shart5-e avval6 hai jahaaN7, deeda8-e hairaaN9 hona
1.blind 2.eyes 3.claim, assert 4.sight, understanding 5.condition 6.first 7.world 8.eye 9.puzzled, enchanted
The eye that claims that it can see (the divine) is blind. O world, the first condition is that you be puzzled/enchanted by the glory of the cosmos.
5
ham se rindaan1-e balaa-nosh2 ka hai shurb3 mudaam4
durd5 aashaam6-e mai7-e kulfat8-e hijraaN9 hona
1.wine lover, reveler 2.heavy drinker 3.drink, juice 4.always 5.dredges, bottom layer (considered strong) 7.wine 8.sorrow, pain 9.separation (from the divine)
This has strong sufiyaana tones. He is a wine lover, heavy drinker and his drink is always the strong dregs of the wine of the pain of separation from the divine.
6
vaqf1-e tasleem2 o raza3 chaahiye dil aashiq ka
saahir4 aasaN5 nahiN banda6-e jaanaaN7 hona
1.dedicated to 2.acceptance, submission 3.agreeing (to the will of the divine) 4.pen-name of the poet 5.easy 6.devotee 7.(divine) beloved
O sahir, it is not easy to be a true devotee of the divine. You have to completely dedicate your heart to accepting and agreeing with the will of god.
