For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
آگ لگائی نقاب میں ۔ مصطفےٰ خاں شیفتہؔ
۱
شوخی نے تیرے لطف نہ رکھا حجاب میں
جلوے نے تیرے آگ لگائی نقاب میں
۲
آ نغمہ گر ہو چرخ میں لا آسمان کو
آ رقص کر زمین کو ڈال اضطراب میں
۳
سو مہر کا فروغ ہے واں جلوہ گاہ میں
سو باغ کی شمیم ہے واں رختِ خواب میں
۴
وہ قطرہ ہوں کہ موجۂ دریا میں گم ہوا
وہ سایہ ہوں کہ محو ہوا آفتاب میں
۵
اُس صوتِ جاں نواز کا ثانی بنا نہیں
کیا ڈھونڈتے ہو بربط و عود و رباب میں
۶
اے وائے روزِ حشر اگر ہم سے ہو سوال
جو کچھ کیا ہے ہم نے شبِ ماہتاب میں
۷
آتا ہے کون کون کہ آتے ہیں اب نظر
دربان انفعال میں، حاجب حجاب میں
۸
شرمِ گنہ نہ بیمِ عقوبت یہ رنج ہے
ہے ہے اُٹھائی اُس نے اذیّت عتاب میں
۹
پوچھی تھی ہم نے وجہ ملاقاتِ مدّعی
اک عمر ہو گئی اُنھیں فکرِ جواب میں
۱۰
لڑتی نہ جائے آنکھ جو ساقی سے شیفتہؔ
ہم کو تو خاک لطف نہ آئے شراب میں
आग लगाई नक़ाब में – मुस्तफ़ा ख़ां शेफ़्ता
१
शूख़ी ने तेरे लुत्फ़ न रक्खा हिजाब में
जल्वे ने तेरे आग लगाई नक़ाब में
२
आ नग़्मा-गर हो चर्ख़ में ला आसमान को
आ रक़्स कर ज़मीन को डाल इज़्तेराब में
३
सौ महर का फ़रोग़ है वां जल्वा-गाह में
सौ बाग़ कि शमीम है वां रख़्त-ए ख़्वाब में
४
वो क़तरा हूँ के मौजा-ए दरिया में गुम हुआ
वो साया हूँ के महव हुआ आफ़्ताब में
५
उस सौत-ए जाँ-नवाज़ का सानी बना नहीं
क्या ढूँडते हो बरबत ओ ऊद ओ रबाब में
६
अए वाए रोज़-ए हश्र अगर हम से हो सवाल
जो कुछ किया है हम ने शब-ए माहताब में
७
आता है कौन कौन के आते हैं अब नज़र
दरबान इन्फ़े’आल में हाजब हिजाब में
८
शर्म-ए गुनह न बीम-ए उक़ूबत, ये रंज है
है है उठाई उस ने अज़िय्यत इताब में
९
पूछी थी हम ने वजह-ए मुलाक़ात-ए मुद्दई
एक उम्र हो गई उन्हें फ़िक्र-ए जवाब में
१०
लढती न जाए आँख जो साक़ी से शेफ़्ता
हम को तो ख़ाक लुत्फ़ न आए शराब में
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mustafa KhaaN shefta (1809-1869) contemporary and close friend of Ghalib. Nawab of jahaaNgirabad and bulandshahr. He was framed and sentenced to seven years imprisonment after 1857. His sentence was commuted but he lost his property and pension. Much of his work is reported to have been lost in 1857. His historical notes of poets and their compositions of the time ‘gulshan-e be-Khaar’ is quite valuable. This Ghazal in the zamin of Ghalib’s, ‘saaqi ne kuchh mila na diya ho sharaab meN’ is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam for completeness and to Ghalib peshrau ham-asr. There are several Ghazal of shefta in the same radeef/qaafiya. I cannot figure out which one was recited at the mushaa’era in the Red Fort.
1
shooKhi1 ne teray lutf2 na rakkha hijaab3 meN
jalve4 ne tere aag lagaaii naqaab5 meN 1.playfulness 2.pleasure 3.veil 4.splendour, lustre, manifestation 5.veil
Your playfulness/mischief could not derive full pleasure because of the veil. So, your splendour burnt the veil (to reveal your glory and playfulness).
2
aa naGhma-gar1 ho charKh2 meN laa aasmaan ko
aa raqs3 kar zamiin ko Daal izteraab4 meN 1.sing song/Ghazal 2.used here to mean rotation, turning around 3.dance 4.restlessness
This is probably addressed to the beloved. Come and sing and cause the sky to start turning round i.e., her song will be so powerful that the sky will start turning. Come dance and cause the earth to become restless.
3
sau mahr1 ka faroGh2 hai vaaN jalva-gaah3 meN
sau baaGh ki shamiim4 hai vaaN raKht5-e Khwaab6 meN 1.sun 2.brilliance 3.a place where the beloved manifests herself 4.fragrance 5.covering, garment 6.sleep
Where the beloved appears (unveiled) there is a brilliance of a hundred suns. Where the beloved sleeps there is a fragrance of a hundred gardens in her garment.
4
vo qatra1 huN keh mauja2-e dariya3 meN gum4 hua
vo saaya5 huN keh mahv6 hua aaftaab7 meN 1.drop 2.wave 3.ocean 4.lost 5.shade 6.forgotten 7.sun
I am like an insignificant drop that gets lost in the waves of the ocean. I am like the shade that disappears in the sun.
5
us saut1-e jaaN-navaaz2 ka saani3 banaa nahiN
kya DhooNDte ho barbat4 o ood5 o rabaab6 meN 1.sound 2.life-giving 3.second, equal 4.harp 5.lute 6.sitar
This is about the beloved’s voice. The sound of her life-giving voice has no equal. Why look for an equal in the sound of musical instruments.
6
aye vaae1 roz-e hashr2 agar ham se ho savaal3
jo kuchh kiya hai ham ne shab4-e maahtaab5 meN 1.an expression used here to mean – I dread/fear 2.day of judgement 3.question 4.night of 5.full moon
Full moon is associated with revelry- drink, music and dance. The poet/reveler is fearful that on the day of judgement he may be asked to account for his actions on full moon nights.
7
aata hai kaun kaun keh aate haiN ab nazar1
darbaan2 infe’aal3 meN haajeb4 hijaab5 meN 1.appear 2.doorkeeper 3.embarrassed, shameful 4.curtain holder 5.veiled
The poet/lover is jealous in speculating who all comes to call on the beloved. He is either asking the doorman or simply his coming is causing the doorman to be sheepish. It seems that the doorkeeper appears embarrassed and the person who holds up the curtain looks like he would rather go into hiding. That indicates that they are ashamed of talking about to their current visitor – the poet/lover.
8
sharm1-e gunah2 na biim3-e uqoobat4, ye ranj5 hai
hai hai6 uThaii us ne aziyyat7 itaab8 meN 1.shame 2.sin 3.fear 4.judgement, afterlife 5.sadness 6.alas 7.trouble 8.anger
The poet/lover seems uncaring about his sins nor is he fearful of the impending punishment in the afterlife. He is much more concerned that the beloved had to go to the trouble of getting angry at him (or maybe someone else).
9
poochhi thi ham ne vaj’h1-e mulaaqaat2-e muddaii3
ek umr4 ho gaii unheN fikr5-e javaab6 meN 1.reason 2.meeting 3.plaintiff, one who requests 4.lifetime 5.worrying 6.answer
The one who came to her door asking (to meet her) must have been the rival. The poet/lover asked the beloved the reason why she met the one who came asking at the door. She cannot think of a suitable answer. It is taking her a lifetime of worring to produce one.
10
laRti na jaa’e aaNkh jo saaqi se shefta1
ham ko to Khaak2 lutf3 na aa’e sharaab meN 1.pen-name of the poet 2.dust, no value 3.pleasure
O shefta, unless I keep looking at the saaqi squarely in the eye, I get no pleasure from the wine she serves up.
mustafa KhaaN shefta (1809-1869) contemporary and close friend of Ghalib. Nawab of jahaaNgirabad and bulandshahr. He was framed and sentenced to seven years imprisonment after 1857. His sentence was commuted but he lost his property and pension. Much of his work is reported to have been lost in 1857. His historical notes of poets and their compositions of the time ‘gulshan-e be-Khaar’ is quite valuable. This Ghazal in the zamin of Ghalib’s, ‘saaqi ne kuchh mila na diya ho sharaab meN’ is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam for completeness and to Ghalib peshrau ham-asr. There are several Ghazal of shefta in the same radeef/qaafiya. I cannot figure out which one was recited at the mushaa’era in the Red Fort.
1
shooKhi1 ne teray lutf2 na rakkha hijaab3 meN
jalve4 ne tere aag lagaaii naqaab5 meN
1.playfulness 2.pleasure 3.veil 4.splendour, lustre, manifestation 5.veil
Your playfulness/mischief could not derive full pleasure because of the veil. So, your splendour burnt the veil (to reveal your glory and playfulness).
2
aa naGhma-gar1 ho charKh2 meN laa aasmaan ko
aa raqs3 kar zamiin ko Daal izteraab4 meN
1.sing song/Ghazal 2.used here to mean rotation, turning around 3.dance 4.restlessness
This is probably addressed to the beloved. Come and sing and cause the sky to start turning round i.e., her song will be so powerful that the sky will start turning. Come dance and cause the earth to become restless.
3
sau mahr1 ka faroGh2 hai vaaN jalva-gaah3 meN
sau baaGh ki shamiim4 hai vaaN raKht5-e Khwaab6 meN
1.sun 2.brilliance 3.a place where the beloved manifests herself 4.fragrance 5.covering, garment 6.sleep
Where the beloved appears (unveiled) there is a brilliance of a hundred suns. Where the beloved sleeps there is a fragrance of a hundred gardens in her garment.
4
vo qatra1 huN keh mauja2-e dariya3 meN gum4 hua
vo saaya5 huN keh mahv6 hua aaftaab7 meN
1.drop 2.wave 3.ocean 4.lost 5.shade 6.forgotten 7.sun
I am like an insignificant drop that gets lost in the waves of the ocean. I am like the shade that disappears in the sun.
5
us saut1-e jaaN-navaaz2 ka saani3 banaa nahiN
kya DhooNDte ho barbat4 o ood5 o rabaab6 meN
1.sound 2.life-giving 3.second, equal 4.harp 5.lute 6.sitar
This is about the beloved’s voice. The sound of her life-giving voice has no equal. Why look for an equal in the sound of musical instruments.
6
aye vaae1 roz-e hashr2 agar ham se ho savaal3
jo kuchh kiya hai ham ne shab4-e maahtaab5 meN
1.an expression used here to mean – I dread/fear 2.day of judgement 3.question 4.night of 5.full moon
Full moon is associated with revelry- drink, music and dance. The poet/reveler is fearful that on the day of judgement he may be asked to account for his actions on full moon nights.
7
aata hai kaun kaun keh aate haiN ab nazar1
darbaan2 infe’aal3 meN haajeb4 hijaab5 meN
1.appear 2.doorkeeper 3.embarrassed, shameful 4.curtain holder 5.veiled
The poet/lover is jealous in speculating who all comes to call on the beloved. He is either asking the doorman or simply his coming is causing the doorman to be sheepish. It seems that the doorkeeper appears embarrassed and the person who holds up the curtain looks like he would rather go into hiding. That indicates that they are ashamed of talking about to their current visitor – the poet/lover.
8
sharm1-e gunah2 na biim3-e uqoobat4, ye ranj5 hai
hai hai6 uThaii us ne aziyyat7 itaab8 meN
1.shame 2.sin 3.fear 4.judgement, afterlife 5.sadness 6.alas 7.trouble 8.anger
The poet/lover seems uncaring about his sins nor is he fearful of the impending punishment in the afterlife. He is much more concerned that the beloved had to go to the trouble of getting angry at him (or maybe someone else).
9
poochhi thi ham ne vaj’h1-e mulaaqaat2-e muddaii3
ek umr4 ho gaii unheN fikr5-e javaab6 meN
1.reason 2.meeting 3.plaintiff, one who requests 4.lifetime 5.worrying 6.answer
The one who came to her door asking (to meet her) must have been the rival. The poet/lover asked the beloved the reason why she met the one who came asking at the door. She cannot think of a suitable answer. It is taking her a lifetime of worring to produce one.
10
laRti na jaa’e aaNkh jo saaqi se shefta1
ham ko to Khaak2 lutf3 na aa’e sharaab meN
1.pen-name of the poet 2.dust, no value 3.pleasure
O shefta, unless I keep looking at the saaqi squarely in the eye, I get no pleasure from the wine she serves up.
