For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
رُخِ یار دیکھ کر ۔ مرزا تقی بیگ مائلؔ دہلوی
۱
آیا بھی برقِ طور کو سَو بار دیکھ کر
لایا نہ پھر بھی تاب رُخِ یار دیکھ کر
۴
لے لے کے نقدِ جاں تیرے کوچے میں آئے تو
آنکھیں کھلیں خدا کو خریدار دیکھ کر
۵
یہ تو کہاں ہیں عارض و گیسو ترے کہاں
لڑتے ہیں کس کو کافر و دیندار دیکھ کر
۶
جانا کہ خاک و آب میں ہے جلوہ گر وہی
مانا خدا کو صورتِ دلدار دیکھ کر
۷
ہم سجدہ کرتے کرتے کئی بار رک گئے
کعبہ میں بتکدہ کے سے آثار دیکھ کر
۱۲
دردِ فراقِ بتکدہ اک بار مِٹ گیا
کعبہ میں ہر طرف ترے انوار دیکھ کر
۱۵
عشاق کی نماز کا کوئی نہیں ہے وقت
کرتے ہیں سجدہ یہ تو رُخِ یار دیکھ کر
۱۷
پٹکے سے کہہ رہے ہیں کہ اللہ رے نصیب
اُن کی کمر کا واقفِ اسرار دیکھ کر
۲۰
نصبت ہے مجھ کو کعبہ سے گو سنگِ راہ ہوں
چلتے نہیں ہو مائلِ دیندار دیکھ کر
रुख़-ए यार देख कर – मिर्ज़ा तक़ी बेग मा’एल देहलवी
१
आया भी बर्क़-ए तूर को सौ बार देख कर
लाया न फिर भी ताब रुख़-ए यार देख कर
४
ले ले के नक़्द-ए जां तेरे कूचे में आये तो
आंखें खुलीं ख़ुदा को ख़रीदार देख कर
५
ये तो कहां हैं आरेज़ ओ गेसू तेरे कहां
लढते हैं किस को काफ़र ओ दींदार देख कर
६
जाना के ख़ाक ओ आब में है जल्वा-गर वही
माना ख़ुदा को सूरत-ए दिल्दार देख कर
७
हम सज्दा करते करते कई बार रुक गये
का’बे में बुतकदे के से आसार देख कर
१२
दर्द-ए फ़िराक़-ए बुतकदा एक बार मिट गया
का’बे में हर तरफ़ तेरे अन्वार देख कर
१५
उश्शाक़ कि नमाज़ का कोई नहीं है वक़्त
करते हैं सज्दा ये तो रुख़-ए यार देख कर
१७
पटके से कह रहे हैं के अल्लाह रे नसीब
उन की कमर का वाक़फ़-ए अस्रार देख कर
२०
निस्बत है मुझ को का’बे से गो संग-ए राह हूं
चलते नहीं हो मा’एल-ए दींदार देख कर
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mirza taqi beg maa’el dehlavi (1850-1931) has a large corpus with quite a few of his Ghazal composed in the style of Ghalib. He started composing at the age of 14 and it is reported that he met with Ghalib several times but did not seek or receive any tutoring. Perhaps he considered that presumptuous because he was too young and Ghalib was in his final years. He moved to jaipur in 1875 and lived there until his passing. His work, scattered among many friends was collected and published as his ‘kulliyaat’ – complete works – in three volumes, under the sponsorship of the rajasthan sahitya academy. This is one of several Ghazal composed with the qaafiya/radeef of ‘zarf-e qadah-Khwaar dekh kar’ and is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
aaya bhi barq1-e tuur2 ko sau baar dekh kar
laaya na phir bhi taab3 ruKh4-e yaar5 dekh kar 1.lightning 2.mount tuur 3.ability to bear 4.face 5.beloved, god
This is the story of moosa who went up mount tuur asking to see god. There was a manifestation in the form of a lightning strike but moosa fainted because he could not bear the sight. The poet/lover claims that he has been up mount tuur a hundred times and seen the brilliance of the lightning flash, but still, he does not have the strength to bear the sight of the beloved’s face.
4
le le ke naqd1-e jaaN2 tere kooche3 meN aaye to
aaNkheN khuliiN Khuda ko Khariidaar4 dekh kar 1.value, essence 2.life 3.street 4.buyer, admirer
Lovers come to the street of the beloved offering their lives. When they came, their eyes opened wide (in amazement or in revelation of truth) when they saw that god himself was one of the admirers of her beauty. In urdu poetic tradition the creator is often described as enamoured with the beauty of his own creation.
5
ye to kahaaN haiN aariz1 o gesu2 tere kahaaN
laRte haiN kis ko kaafir3 o diiNdaar4 dekh kar 1.face, beauty 2.hair 3.non-believers 4.believers
The ‘aariz o gesu’ – face and hair of the beloved are a very significant aspect of the beloved’s beauty. Thus, “they” are nowhere i.e., “they” don’t count for much compared to your beauty. Who are the “they”. They are the believers and non-believers. They don’t count for anything because they are fighting over trivia and don’t see/understand your real beauty.
6
jaana1 keh Khaak2 o aab3 meN hai jalva-gar4 vahi
maana5 Khuda ko soorat-e dildaar6 dekh kar 1.came to know/understand, realize 2.clay, dust 3.water 4.manifesting, appearing 5.convince of 6.beloved
I realized that it is he who is manifest in clay and water. Of course, the story is that humans were made of clay and water. Thus, the divine is manifest in humans too. The other possibility is that “Khaak o aab – clay and water” refers to the idol made of clay and water, the idol being the beloved. I became convinced of the existence/goodness of god upon seeing the face/beauty of the beloved.
7
ham sajda1 karte karte kaii baar ruk gaye
kaa’be meN butkade2 ke se aasaar3 dekh kar 1.ritual devotional prostration 2.idol house, temple 3.signs, indications
The poet/devotee is at the k’aaba ready to offer prayers with ritual prostration. But he sees signs/clues of ‘but-kada’ – idol house i.e., he feels the presence of idols. The idol is also a manifestation of the divine. So, he hesitates in offering ritual prostration. Said sa’eed shahiidi …
k’aabe ka ehteraam bhi meri nazar meN hai
sar kis taraf jhukaauN tujhe dekhne ke b’aad
12
dard1-e firaaq2-e but-kada3 ek baar miT4 gaya
kaa’be meN har taraf5 tere anvaar6 dekh kar 1.pain 2.separation 3.idol house 4.erased 5.in every direction 6.rays of light, brilliance
The pain of separation from the idol house instantly disappeared upon seeing the brilliance of the beloved everywhere in the k’aaba.
15
ushshaaq1 ki namaaz2 ka koii nahiN vaqt
karte haiN sajda3 ye to ruKh4-e yaar5 dekh kar 1.lovers 2.prayer 3.ritual devotional prostration 4.face 5.friend, beloved, god
True lovers are not bound by the rituals of time in offering namaaz/prayers. They bow down in obeisance when they see the face of the beloved/god. Said Ghalib …
maqsood-e maa ze dair o haram juz habiib niist
har jaa kuneem sajda bad’an aastaaN rasad
urdu translation (shahed)
sajda hai bas habiib ka ho dayr ya haram
jaata us aastaaN pe hai, chaahe karo jahaaN
17
paTke1 se kah rahe haiN keh allaah re nasiib2
un ki kamar ka vaaqif-e-asraar3 dekh kar 1.waist band 2.fortune 3.familiar with mysteries
In urdu poetic tradition the beloved has a very thin waist and at the height of beauty, no waist at all. Thus, her waist-band is familiar with this secret and she coquettishly declares that it has such good fortune. On a lighter note, reflecting the rivalry between lukhnau and hyderabad …
suna hai keh lukhnow meN ullu ke paTThe, rag-e gul se bulbul ke par baandhte haiN
suna hai keh unke kamar hi nahiN hai, na jaane vo naaRa kidhar baandhte haiN
20
nisbat1 hai mujh ko kaa’be se go2 saNg-e-raah3 huN
chalte nahiN ho maa’el4 diiNdaar5 dekh kar 1.relationship, association 2.even though 3.rock blocking the path 4.pen-name of the poet 5.honest
My association, my goal is with the k’aaba (the beloved’s abode), even though I am rock in the path towards it. O maa’el, why don’t you walk just like the honest folk you see walking the path.
mirza taqi beg maa’el dehlavi (1850-1931) has a large corpus with quite a few of his Ghazal composed in the style of Ghalib. He started composing at the age of 14 and it is reported that he met with Ghalib several times but did not seek or receive any tutoring. Perhaps he considered that presumptuous because he was too young and Ghalib was in his final years. He moved to jaipur in 1875 and lived there until his passing. His work, scattered among many friends was collected and published as his ‘kulliyaat’ – complete works – in three volumes, under the sponsorship of the rajasthan sahitya academy. This is one of several Ghazal composed with the qaafiya/radeef of ‘zarf-e qadah-Khwaar dekh kar’ and is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
aaya bhi barq1-e tuur2 ko sau baar dekh kar
laaya na phir bhi taab3 ruKh4-e yaar5 dekh kar
1.lightning 2.mount tuur 3.ability to bear 4.face 5.beloved, god
This is the story of moosa who went up mount tuur asking to see god. There was a manifestation in the form of a lightning strike but moosa fainted because he could not bear the sight. The poet/lover claims that he has been up mount tuur a hundred times and seen the brilliance of the lightning flash, but still, he does not have the strength to bear the sight of the beloved’s face.
4
le le ke naqd1-e jaaN2 tere kooche3 meN aaye to
aaNkheN khuliiN Khuda ko Khariidaar4 dekh kar
1.value, essence 2.life 3.street 4.buyer, admirer
Lovers come to the street of the beloved offering their lives. When they came, their eyes opened wide (in amazement or in revelation of truth) when they saw that god himself was one of the admirers of her beauty. In urdu poetic tradition the creator is often described as enamoured with the beauty of his own creation.
5
ye to kahaaN haiN aariz1 o gesu2 tere kahaaN
laRte haiN kis ko kaafir3 o diiNdaar4 dekh kar
1.face, beauty 2.hair 3.non-believers 4.believers
The ‘aariz o gesu’ – face and hair of the beloved are a very significant aspect of the beloved’s beauty. Thus, “they” are nowhere i.e., “they” don’t count for much compared to your beauty. Who are the “they”. They are the believers and non-believers. They don’t count for anything because they are fighting over trivia and don’t see/understand your real beauty.
6
jaana1 keh Khaak2 o aab3 meN hai jalva-gar4 vahi
maana5 Khuda ko soorat-e dildaar6 dekh kar
1.came to know/understand, realize 2.clay, dust 3.water 4.manifesting, appearing 5.convince of 6.beloved
I realized that it is he who is manifest in clay and water. Of course, the story is that humans were made of clay and water. Thus, the divine is manifest in humans too. The other possibility is that “Khaak o aab – clay and water” refers to the idol made of clay and water, the idol being the beloved. I became convinced of the existence/goodness of god upon seeing the face/beauty of the beloved.
7
ham sajda1 karte karte kaii baar ruk gaye
kaa’be meN butkade2 ke se aasaar3 dekh kar
1.ritual devotional prostration 2.idol house, temple 3.signs, indications
The poet/devotee is at the k’aaba ready to offer prayers with ritual prostration. But he sees signs/clues of ‘but-kada’ – idol house i.e., he feels the presence of idols. The idol is also a manifestation of the divine. So, he hesitates in offering ritual prostration. Said sa’eed shahiidi …
k’aabe ka ehteraam bhi meri nazar meN hai
sar kis taraf jhukaauN tujhe dekhne ke b’aad
12
dard1-e firaaq2-e but-kada3 ek baar miT4 gaya
kaa’be meN har taraf5 tere anvaar6 dekh kar
1.pain 2.separation 3.idol house 4.erased 5.in every direction 6.rays of light, brilliance
The pain of separation from the idol house instantly disappeared upon seeing the brilliance of the beloved everywhere in the k’aaba.
15
ushshaaq1 ki namaaz2 ka koii nahiN vaqt
karte haiN sajda3 ye to ruKh4-e yaar5 dekh kar
1.lovers 2.prayer 3.ritual devotional prostration 4.face 5.friend, beloved, god
True lovers are not bound by the rituals of time in offering namaaz/prayers. They bow down in obeisance when they see the face of the beloved/god. Said Ghalib …
maqsood-e maa ze dair o haram juz habiib niist
har jaa kuneem sajda bad’an aastaaN rasad
urdu translation (shahed)
sajda hai bas habiib ka ho dayr ya haram
jaata us aastaaN pe hai, chaahe karo jahaaN
17
paTke1 se kah rahe haiN keh allaah re nasiib2
un ki kamar ka vaaqif-e-asraar3 dekh kar
1.waist band 2.fortune 3.familiar with mysteries
In urdu poetic tradition the beloved has a very thin waist and at the height of beauty, no waist at all. Thus, her waist-band is familiar with this secret and she coquettishly declares that it has such good fortune. On a lighter note, reflecting the rivalry between lukhnau and hyderabad …
suna hai keh lukhnow meN ullu ke paTThe, rag-e gul se bulbul ke par baandhte haiN
suna hai keh unke kamar hi nahiN hai, na jaane vo naaRa kidhar baandhte haiN
20
nisbat1 hai mujh ko kaa’be se go2 saNg-e-raah3 huN
chalte nahiN ho maa’el4 diiNdaar5 dekh kar
1.relationship, association 2.even though 3.rock blocking the path 4.pen-name of the poet 5.honest
My association, my goal is with the k’aaba (the beloved’s abode), even though I am rock in the path towards it. O maa’el, why don’t you walk just like the honest folk you see walking the path.
