For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
اپنے حساب میں ۔ سوہن لال راہیؔ
۱
کلیوں میں تازگی ہے نہ خوشبو گلاب میں
پہلی سی روشنی کہاں جامِ شراب میں
۲
پوچھو نہ مجھ سے عشق و محبت کے سلسلے
لذّت سی مل رہی ہے مجھے ہر عذاب میں
۳
یہ راز جانتی نہ تھی تاروں کی روشنی
کتنا حسین چاند چھپا تھا نقاب میں
۴
دو کانپتے لرزتے لبوں کی نوازشیں
لہرا کے ڈھل گئیں مرے جام شراب میں
۵
ہم ہیں گناہ گار مگر اس قدر نہیں
جتنے گناہ آئے ہیں اپنے حساب میں
۶
لکھی گئی جو میرے ہی خوابوں کے خون سے
راہیؔ مرا ہی نام نہیں اُس کتاب میں
अपने हिसाब में – सोहन लाल राही
१
कलियौं में ताज़गी है न ख़ुश्बू गुलाब में
पहली सी रौशनी कहाँ जाम-ए शराब में
२
पूछो न मुझ से इश्क़-ओ-मोहब्बत के सिलसिले
लज़्ज़त सी मिल रही है मुझे हर अज़ाब में
३
ये राज़ जानती न थी तारौं की रौशनी
कितना हसीन चाँद छुपा था नक़ाब में
४
दो काँपते लरज़ते लबौं की नवाज़िशें
लहरा के ढल गईं मेरे जाम-ए शराब में
५
हम हैं गुनाहगार मगर इस क़दर नहीं
जितने गुनाह आए हैं अपने हिसाब में
६
लिक्खी गई जो मेरे ही ख़्वाबों के ख़ून से
राही मेरा ही नाम नहीं उस किताब में
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. sohan lal raahi (1939-xxxx) lasaara, jalandhar, India. Early education in rural punjab. Started writing poetry in 1950. Founded bazm-e adab, 1953. Moved to the UK in 1963. Worked for BBC. Founded a music company in 1995. More than six collections of verse. This Ghazal is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
kaliyoN1 meN taazagii2 hai na Khushbuu gulaab meN
pahlii sii raushnii3 kahaaN jaam4-e sharaab meN 1.buds 2.freshness 3.light, brilliance, sparkle 4.cup
The poet appears to bemoan the lost glory of past days. Neither is their freshness in buds nor fragrance in roses. Where is the past brilliance of the cup of wine.
2
puuchho na mujh se ishq-o-mohabbat ke silsile’1
lazzat2 sii mil rahii hai mujhe’ har azaab3 meN 1.continuity, repeated happenings 2.pleasure, joy 3.punishment, torture
In urdu poetic tradition, the beloved always tortures the poet/lover and he takes pleasure in it because that is the only sign that she notices him. Thus, do not ask me about the continuing story of love; I get such pleasure from every punishment/torture.
3
ye raaz1 jaantii na thii taaroN kii raushnii2
kitnaa hasiin3 chaand chhupaa thaa naqaab4 meN 1.secret 2.light 3.beautiful 4.veil
The beloved is beautiful like the bright moon. She is also veiled. Hence stars can only see the moon in the sky but they cannot see the ‘moon’ hidden behind the veil. Hence, the do not know this secret.
4
do kaaNpte’1 larazte’2 laboN kii navaazisheN3
lahraa4 ke Dhal5 ga’iiN mere’ jaam6-e sharaab meN 1.shivering 2.quivering 3.favours, kindness 4.swing, wave 5.dissolve 6.cup
Here kaaNpte’ and larazte’ are not used in the sense of shivering in cold or trembling with fear … but in the sense of lips quivering because of coyness, passion and love. The beloved in the form of the saaqi/cupbearer is bringing the poet/lover a cup of wine. This sets up gentle ripples in the cup. These ripples are but the passionate quivering of the lips of the beloved that are dissoved in the wine.
5
ham haiN gunaahgaar1 magar2 is qadar3 nahiiN
jitne’ gunaah aa’e haiN apne’ hisaab4 meN 1.sinner 2.but 3.so much 4.account, attributed to
The poet admits that he has sinned. But someone has stacked up the list of his sins with transgressions that he claims cannot be attributed to him. Who it is that has done so is not clear … probably the beloved in denying the wrongs that she has done to him, turns around and attributes wrongdoing to him.
6
likkhii ga’ii jo mere’ hii KhwaaboN1 ke Khuun2 se
raahii3 meraa hii naam nahiiN uss kitaab meN 1.dreams, aspirations 2.blood, used here for the ‘killing’ of dreams 3.pen-name
The dreams and aspirations of the poet/raahi have been quashed and bloodied. This blood has been used to write the book of stories of life and the life of all other lovers. But his name is prominently absent from the book. This reminds me of Bertold Brecht’s poem. See its translation on this site – taariiKh mazdoor ki zabaani
sohan lal raahi (1939-xxxx) lasaara, jalandhar, India. Early education in rural punjab. Started writing poetry in 1950. Founded bazm-e adab, 1953. Moved to the UK in 1963. Worked for BBC. Founded a music company in 1995. More than six collections of verse. This Ghazal is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
kaliyoN1 meN taazagii2 hai na Khushbuu gulaab meN
pahlii sii raushnii3 kahaaN jaam4-e sharaab meN
1.buds 2.freshness 3.light, brilliance, sparkle 4.cup
The poet appears to bemoan the lost glory of past days. Neither is their freshness in buds nor fragrance in roses. Where is the past brilliance of the cup of wine.
2
puuchho na mujh se ishq-o-mohabbat ke silsile’1
lazzat2 sii mil rahii hai mujhe’ har azaab3 meN
1.continuity, repeated happenings 2.pleasure, joy 3.punishment, torture
In urdu poetic tradition, the beloved always tortures the poet/lover and he takes pleasure in it because that is the only sign that she notices him. Thus, do not ask me about the continuing story of love; I get such pleasure from every punishment/torture.
3
ye raaz1 jaantii na thii taaroN kii raushnii2
kitnaa hasiin3 chaand chhupaa thaa naqaab4 meN
1.secret 2.light 3.beautiful 4.veil
The beloved is beautiful like the bright moon. She is also veiled. Hence stars can only see the moon in the sky but they cannot see the ‘moon’ hidden behind the veil. Hence, the do not know this secret.
4
do kaaNpte’1 larazte’2 laboN kii navaazisheN3
lahraa4 ke Dhal5 ga’iiN mere’ jaam6-e sharaab meN
1.shivering 2.quivering 3.favours, kindness 4.swing, wave 5.dissolve 6.cup
Here kaaNpte’ and larazte’ are not used in the sense of shivering in cold or trembling with fear … but in the sense of lips quivering because of coyness, passion and love. The beloved in the form of the saaqi/cupbearer is bringing the poet/lover a cup of wine. This sets up gentle ripples in the cup. These ripples are but the passionate quivering of the lips of the beloved that are dissoved in the wine.
5
ham haiN gunaahgaar1 magar2 is qadar3 nahiiN
jitne’ gunaah aa’e haiN apne’ hisaab4 meN
1.sinner 2.but 3.so much 4.account, attributed to
The poet admits that he has sinned. But someone has stacked up the list of his sins with transgressions that he claims cannot be attributed to him. Who it is that has done so is not clear … probably the beloved in denying the wrongs that she has done to him, turns around and attributes wrongdoing to him.
6
likkhii ga’ii jo mere’ hii KhwaaboN1 ke Khuun2 se
raahii3 meraa hii naam nahiiN uss kitaab meN
1.dreams, aspirations 2.blood, used here for the ‘killing’ of dreams 3.pen-name
The dreams and aspirations of the poet/raahi have been quashed and bloodied. This blood has been used to write the book of stories of life and the life of all other lovers. But his name is prominently absent from the book. This reminds me of Bertold Brecht’s poem. See its translation on this site – taariiKh mazdoor ki zabaani.
