For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
زندگی راہ پر نہیں آتی ۔ شیام موہن لال جگرؔ بریلوی
۱
موت جب تک نظر نہیں آتی
زندگی راہ پر نہیں آتی
۲
ترکِ تدبیر بھی نہیں آساں
راس تدبیر اگر نہیں آتی
۳
مرکزِ دل پہ جو نہیں قائم
وہ نظر راہ پر نہیں آتی
۴
دل کو لذّت شناسِ غم کر لیں
موت ہم کو اگر نہیں آتی
۵
جس نے تیری نظر کو دیکھ لیا
اُس کو دنیا نظر نہیں آتی
۶
وہ کبھی مہربان ہو جاتا
ایسی صورت نظر نہیں آتی
۷
جیتے جی کے ہیں سارے ہنگامے
مر کے پھر کچھ خبر نہیں آتی
۸
آہ کیا ہو گیا زمانے کو
اب مُروّت نظر نہیں آتی
۹
ہے اُنہیں تو وقار عجز و نیاز
وہ تمنّا جو بر نہیں آتی
۱۰
زندگی سے نباہے جائیں گے
موت جب تک نظر نہیں آتی
۱۱
اشکِ پیہم جگرؔ نہیں تھمتے
راہ پر چشمِ تر نہیں آتی
ज़िंदगी राह पर नहीं आती – श्याम मोहन लाल जिगर बरेलवी
१
मौत जब तक नज़र नहीं आती
ज़िंदगी राह पर नहीं आती
२
तर्क-ए तदबीर भी नहीं आसाँ
रास तदबीर अगर नहीं आती
३
मरकज़-ए दिल पे जो नहीं क़ा’एम
वो नज़र राह पर नहीं आती
४
दिल को लज़्ज़त-शनास-ए ग़म कर लें
मौत हम को अगर नहीं आती
५
जिस ने तेरी नज़र को देख लिया
उस को दुनिया नज़र नहीं आती
६
वो कभी मेहरबान हो जाता
ऐसी सूरत नज़र नहीं आती
७
जीते जी के हैं सारे हंगामे
मर के फिर कुछ ख़बर नहीं आती
८
आह क्या हो गया ज़माने को
अब मुरव्वत नज़र नहीं आती
९
है उन्हें तो वक़ार-ए इज्ज़-ओ-नियाज़
वो तमन्ना जो बर नहीं आती
१०
ज़िंदगी से निबाहे जाएँगे
मौत जब तक नज़र नहीं आती
११
अश्क-ए पैहम जिगर नहीं थमते
राह पर चश्म-ए तर नहीं आती
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. shyaam mohan lal jigar barelavi (1890-1976). He had a long line of urdu and faarsi scholars on both sides of his family. He learnt urdu and faarsi from this grandfather at home and later matriculation in 1911 and BA in 1916 (urdu, faarsi and philosophy). He also followed the family tradition as an educator in schools but soon changed to government administration, progressing to become a Collector, but resigned to participate in the freedom movement, later working as a professor in a junior college. He has several collections of Ghazal and rubaaii to his credit. This Ghazal is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
maut1 jab tak nazar2 nahiN aati
zindagi raah3 par nahiN aati 1.death 2.be seen, visible 3.raah par aana-come to the straight and narrow, be good
Unless we see/visualize death, life does not come to a focused path.
2
tark1-e tadbiir2 bhi nahiN aasaaN3
raas4 tadbiir2 agar nahiN aati 1.give up, quit 2.methodology, plan 3.easy 4.compatible, agreeable
This is a classic tussle between fate and free will. Plan/methodology-tadbiir represents free will. In usual poetic convention, ‘tadbiir’ is not successful, does not achieve the desired goal (taqdiir-fate determines what you achieve). Faced with failure, the poet wants to give up trying, give up making plans. But even that is not possible unless the plan to give up is compatible with your nature/fate.
3
markaz1-e dil peh jo nahiN qaa’em2
vo nazar3 raah4 par nahiN aati 1.centre, focus 2.steadfast, firm 3.eye, sight 4. raah par aana-come to the straight and narrow, be good
The focus of the heart maybe universal love, mystical love, truth. The eye that is not steadfast towards the focus of the heart cannot follow the straight and narrow path. It wanders aimlessly without a goal.
4
dil ko lazzat1-shanaas2-e Gham kar leN
maut3 ham ko agar nahiN aati 1.pleasure, joy 2.familiar, intimate 3.death
In fatalistic convention, you do not get any joy or any relief from pain as long as you are alive. Said Ghalib …
qaid-e-hayaat-o-band-e-Gham asl meN donoN ek haiN
maut se pahle aadmii Gham se nijaat paae kyuN
But here the poet says, if does does not come i.e., if you don’t die, then what can you do – make the heart familiar with the ‘pleasure of pain’. In poetic convention the pain of love is considered to be of high value and something to be proud of.
5
jis ne teri nazar1 ko dekh liya
us ko duniya nazar2 nahiN aati 1.glance 2.to see
The one who has seen your glance, does not see anything else in the world i.e., he is so captivated by the beloved’s glance that he is blind to the world.
6
voh1 kabhi mehrbaan2 ho jaata
aisi soorat3 nazar4 nahiN aati 1.implied-beloved 2.kind, showing favours 3.method, possibility 4.to see
The poet/lover does not see any way/possibility that the beloved would begin to show favours towards him.
7
jiite ji ke haiN saare haNgaame1
mar ke phir kuchh Khabar2 nahiN aati 1.activity, tumult 2.awareness, news
As long as we are alive there is all this tumult. Once dead, we are not aware of anything.
8
aah1 kya ho gaya zamaane2 ko
ab muravvat3 nazar4 nahiN aati 1.alas 2.times 3.respect, regard, consideration 4.see
Alas what has happened to the times. The old traditions of regard for humanity cannot be seen anywhere.
9
hai unheN to vaqaar1-e ijz-o-niyaaz2
voh tamanna3 jo bar4 nahiN aati 1.dignity 2.humility and supplication 3.desire 4.bar aana-to bear fruit
The poet has a desire that does not bear fruit i.e., the poet desires union with the beloved, but that is not going to happen. This same desire is an expression of the poet’s ‘ijz o niyaaz’ – humility and supplication, and it is a source of pride/dignity for the beloved.
10
zindagi se nibaahe1 jaa’eNge
maut2 jab tak nazar3 nahiN aati 1.fulfil obligations 2.death 3.see
We will keep fulfilling the obligations of life, until we see that death is imminent i.e., only after death will we be relieved of our obligations.
11
ashk1-e paiham2 jigar3 nahiN thamte4
raah5 par chashm-e-tar6 nahiN aati 1.tears 2.continuous 3.pen-name of the poet 4.stop 5.raah par aana-come to the straight and narrow, be good 6.moist/tearful eye
The poet/lover is so sorrowful that his tears do not stop flowing. O jigar, the tearful eye does not follow the straight and narrow path.
shyaam mohan lal jigar barelavi (1890-1976). He had a long line of urdu and faarsi scholars on both sides of his family. He learnt urdu and faarsi from this grandfather at home and later matriculation in 1911 and BA in 1916 (urdu, faarsi and philosophy). He also followed the family tradition as an educator in schools but soon changed to government administration, progressing to become a Collector, but resigned to participate in the freedom movement, later working as a professor in a junior college. He has several collections of Ghazal and rubaaii to his credit. This Ghazal is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
maut1 jab tak nazar2 nahiN aati
zindagi raah3 par nahiN aati
1.death 2.be seen, visible 3.raah par aana-come to the straight and narrow, be good
Unless we see/visualize death, life does not come to a focused path.
2
tark1-e tadbiir2 bhi nahiN aasaaN3
raas4 tadbiir2 agar nahiN aati
1.give up, quit 2.methodology, plan 3.easy 4.compatible, agreeable
This is a classic tussle between fate and free will. Plan/methodology-tadbiir represents free will. In usual poetic convention, ‘tadbiir’ is not successful, does not achieve the desired goal (taqdiir-fate determines what you achieve). Faced with failure, the poet wants to give up trying, give up making plans. But even that is not possible unless the plan to give up is compatible with your nature/fate.
3
markaz1-e dil peh jo nahiN qaa’em2
vo nazar3 raah4 par nahiN aati
1.centre, focus 2.steadfast, firm 3.eye, sight 4. raah par aana-come to the straight and narrow, be good
The focus of the heart maybe universal love, mystical love, truth. The eye that is not steadfast towards the focus of the heart cannot follow the straight and narrow path. It wanders aimlessly without a goal.
4
dil ko lazzat1-shanaas2-e Gham kar leN
maut3 ham ko agar nahiN aati
1.pleasure, joy 2.familiar, intimate 3.death
In fatalistic convention, you do not get any joy or any relief from pain as long as you are alive. Said Ghalib …
qaid-e-hayaat-o-band-e-Gham asl meN donoN ek haiN
maut se pahle aadmii Gham se nijaat paae kyuN
But here the poet says, if does does not come i.e., if you don’t die, then what can you do – make the heart familiar with the ‘pleasure of pain’. In poetic convention the pain of love is considered to be of high value and something to be proud of.
5
jis ne teri nazar1 ko dekh liya
us ko duniya nazar2 nahiN aati
1.glance 2.to see
The one who has seen your glance, does not see anything else in the world i.e., he is so captivated by the beloved’s glance that he is blind to the world.
6
voh1 kabhi mehrbaan2 ho jaata
aisi soorat3 nazar4 nahiN aati
1.implied-beloved 2.kind, showing favours 3.method, possibility 4.to see
The poet/lover does not see any way/possibility that the beloved would begin to show favours towards him.
7
jiite ji ke haiN saare haNgaame1
mar ke phir kuchh Khabar2 nahiN aati
1.activity, tumult 2.awareness, news
As long as we are alive there is all this tumult. Once dead, we are not aware of anything.
8
aah1 kya ho gaya zamaane2 ko
ab muravvat3 nazar4 nahiN aati
1.alas 2.times 3.respect, regard, consideration 4.see
Alas what has happened to the times. The old traditions of regard for humanity cannot be seen anywhere.
9
hai unheN to vaqaar1-e ijz-o-niyaaz2
voh tamanna3 jo bar4 nahiN aati
1.dignity 2.humility and supplication 3.desire 4.bar aana-to bear fruit
The poet has a desire that does not bear fruit i.e., the poet desires union with the beloved, but that is not going to happen. This same desire is an expression of the poet’s ‘ijz o niyaaz’ – humility and supplication, and it is a source of pride/dignity for the beloved.
10
zindagi se nibaahe1 jaa’eNge
maut2 jab tak nazar3 nahiN aati
1.fulfil obligations 2.death 3.see
We will keep fulfilling the obligations of life, until we see that death is imminent i.e., only after death will we be relieved of our obligations.
11
ashk1-e paiham2 jigar3 nahiN thamte4
raah5 par chashm-e-tar6 nahiN aati
1.tears 2.continuous 3.pen-name of the poet 4.stop 5.raah par aana-come to the straight and narrow, be good 6.moist/tearful eye
The poet/lover is so sorrowful that his tears do not stop flowing. O jigar, the tearful eye does not follow the straight and narrow path.
