For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
صرف ہوئی اضطراب میں ۔ مصطفےٰ خاں شیفتہؔ
۱
ناچار میں خموش وہ ناحق عتاب میں
طاقت تھی جتنی صرف ہوئی اضطراب میں
۲
بوسے کیئے قبول تو گنتی بھی چھوڑ دو
ایسا نہ ہو کہیں پڑے جھگڑا حساب میں
۳
بیباک کس قدر ہے کہ ڈوبا ہوا ہے سب
دامن لہو میں اور گریباں شراب میں
۴
شاید کہ پڑ گئی ہے کسی شیخ کی نظر
ہم بے دھڑک جو کرتے ہیں توبہ شباب میں
۵
آخر جہان میں شبِ تاریک بھی تو ہے
اچھا نہ آئیں آپ شبِ ماہتاب میں
۶
اے آفتِ زمانہ ترے دور میں شکیب
بلبل کو باغ میں ہے نہ ماہی کو آب میں
۷
ہوتا ہے اژدہامِ تمنّا اُسی قدر
ہوتی ہے جتنی دیر کشادِ نقاب میں
۸
جور و ستم عیاں ہے وفا و کرم نہاں
لڑتے ہیں جاگتے میں مناتے ہیں خواب میں
۹
بیباک شیوہ، شوخ طبیعت، زباں دراز
ملزم ہوا ہے پر نہیں عاجز جواب میں
۱۰
اُس نے دمِ وداع کیئے عہدِ التفات
افسوس میں نے کچھ نہ سنا اضطراب میں
۱۱
تکلیف شیفتہؔ ہوئی تم کو مگر حضور
اس وقت اتفاق سے وہ ہیں عتاب میں
सर्फ़ हुई इज़्तेराब में – मुस्तफ़ा ख़ां शेफ़्ता
१
नाचार मैं ख़मोश, वो नाहक़ इताब में
ताक़त थी जितनी सर्फ़ हुई इज़्तेराब में
२
बोसे किये क़ुबूल तो गिनती भी छोढ दो
ऐसा न हो कहीं पढे झगढा हिसाब में
३
बेबाक किस क़दर है के डूबा हुआ है सब
दामन लहू में और गरेबां शराब में
४
शा’एद के पढ गई है किसी शैख़ की नज़र
हम बेधढक जो करते हैं तौबा शबाब में
५
आख़र जहान में शब-ए तारीक भी तो है
अच्छा न आएं आप शब-ए माहताब में
६
अए आफ़त-ए ज़माना तेरे दौर में शकेब
बुल्बुल को बाग़ में है न माही को आब में
७
होता हे इज़्श्देहाम-ए तमन्ना उसी क़दर
होती है जितनी देर कुशाद-ए नक़ाब में
८
जौर ओ सितम अयां है वफ़ा ओ करम नेहां
लढते हैं जागते में मनाते है ख़्वाब में
९
बेबाक शेवा, शूख़ तबी’यत, ज़बां दराज़
मुल्ज़िम हुआ है पर नहीं आजेज़ जवाब में
१०
उस ने दम-ए विदा किये अहद-ए इल्तेफ़ात
अफ़्सोस मैं ने कुछ न सुना इज़्तेराब में
११
तक्लीफ़ शेफ़्ता हुई तुम को मगर हुज़ूर
इस वक़्त इत्तेफ़ाक़ से वो हैं इताब 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
naachaar1 maiN Khamosh, vo naahaq2 itaab3 meN
taaqat4 thi jitni sarf5 hui izteraab6 meN 1.weak, powerless 2.unjustified 3.anger 4.strength 5.sped 6.restlessness, eagerness
I was weak and remained silent, she was angry for no reason at all. Whatever strength I had, had been spent in restlessness/eagerness (of waiting for her).
2
bosay1 kiye qubool2 to ginti3 bhi chhoR do
aisa na ho kahiiN paRe jhagRa hisaab4 meN 1.kisses 2.accepted 3.counting 4.keeping count
You have accepted being kissed, so do not count either, lest there be a disagreement in keeping count.
3
bebaak1 kis qadar2 hai keh Dooba hua hai sub
daaman3 lahu4 meN aur garebaaN5 sharaab meN 1.bold, fearless 2.so much 3.hem of the garment 4.blood 5.collar
The collar is wet with wine because she has been spilling her drink down her face (drinking too much) and the hem of the garment is soaked in blood because she has killed her lover. Thus, see how bold she is. Her collar is soaked in wine and hem of her robe in blood.
4
shaa’ed1 ke paRh gaii hai kisi shaiKh ki nazar2
ham be-dhaRak3 jo karte haiN tauba4 shabaab5 meN 1.perhaps 2.glance, sight 3.unhesitating 4.repentence 5.youth
Youth and repent – that is an unusual combination. Perhaps a shaiKh has cast his (disapproving) glance at us that we are not hesitating in repenting even in youth.
5
aaKhir1 jahaan meN shab2-e taariik3 bhi to hai
achchha na aa’eN aap shab2-e maahtaab4 meN 1.after all 2.night 3.dark 4.full moon
In poetic convention the beloved promises to visit the lover some night. She keeps making excuses. This time she makes the excuse that the moon is full, it is bright outside and people might see her. The poet/lover responds … all right do not come during moonlit nights, but after all there are dark nights in this world. There is a similar thought in qamar jalalavi’s she’r …
maana ke un se raat ka vaada hai aye qamar
kaise vo aa sakeNge agar chaandni hui
6
aye aafat1-e zamaana2 tere daur3 meN shakeb4
bulbul ko baaGh meN hai na maahi5 ko aab6 meN 1.misfortune, calamity 2.times, fate 3.times, age 4.comfort, peace, tranquility
O calamitous times, no one is at peace in this age. Neither the bulbul in the garden nor fish in water.
7
hota hai izshdehaam1-e tamanna2 usi qadar3
hoti hai jitni der kushaad4-e naqaab5 meN 1.crowd, onslaught 2.desire 3.same quantity 4.opening 5.veil
There is as much onslaught of desire as there is delay in untying the knots of the veil.
8
jaur1 o sitam2 ayaaN3 hai vafa4 o karam5 nehaaN6
laRte haiN jaagte meN, manaate haiN Khwaab meN 1.oppression 2.cruelty 3.apparent, open 4.fidelity, promise 5.kindness 6.hidden
Oppression and cruelty openly, promises and kindness hidden; she quarrels while awake and makes up in dreams.
9
bebaak1 sheva2, shooKh3 tabi’yat4, zabaaN daraaz5
mulzim6 hua hai par nahiN aajiz7 javaab meN 1.daring, fearless 2.nature 3.mischievous 4.habits, character 5.long 6.tyrant 7.humble
She is fearless in nature, mischievous of habit and has a long tongue (talks disrespectfully). She is the tyrant but there is no regret/humility in her responses.
10
us ne dam1-e vida2 kiye ahd3-e iltefaat4
afsos5 maiN ne kuchh na suna izteraab6 meN 1.moment, time 2.departure, farewell 3.promise 4.favours 5.alas 6.restlessness
At the moment of bidding farewell she promised many favours. Alas, in my restlessness I did not hear what she said.
11
takliif1 shefta2 hui tum ko magar huzuur3
is vaqt ittefaaq4 se vo haiN itaab5 meN 1.inconvenience 2.pen-name of the poet 3.sir, mister 4.by chance 5.anger
The scenario appears to be thus … the poet/lover has come to the beloved’s; the doorman warns him … O shefta, this may be an inconvenience to you, sir, but be warned that at this time, by chance (by your bad luck) she is in an angry mood.
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
naachaar1 maiN Khamosh, vo naahaq2 itaab3 meN
taaqat4 thi jitni sarf5 hui izteraab6 meN
1.weak, powerless 2.unjustified 3.anger 4.strength 5.sped 6.restlessness, eagerness
I was weak and remained silent, she was angry for no reason at all. Whatever strength I had, had been spent in restlessness/eagerness (of waiting for her).
2
bosay1 kiye qubool2 to ginti3 bhi chhoR do
aisa na ho kahiiN paRe jhagRa hisaab4 meN
1.kisses 2.accepted 3.counting 4.keeping count
You have accepted being kissed, so do not count either, lest there be a disagreement in keeping count.
3
bebaak1 kis qadar2 hai keh Dooba hua hai sub
daaman3 lahu4 meN aur garebaaN5 sharaab meN
1.bold, fearless 2.so much 3.hem of the garment 4.blood 5.collar
The collar is wet with wine because she has been spilling her drink down her face (drinking too much) and the hem of the garment is soaked in blood because she has killed her lover. Thus, see how bold she is. Her collar is soaked in wine and hem of her robe in blood.
4
shaa’ed1 ke paRh gaii hai kisi shaiKh ki nazar2
ham be-dhaRak3 jo karte haiN tauba4 shabaab5 meN
1.perhaps 2.glance, sight 3.unhesitating 4.repentence 5.youth
Youth and repent – that is an unusual combination. Perhaps a shaiKh has cast his (disapproving) glance at us that we are not hesitating in repenting even in youth.
5
aaKhir1 jahaan meN shab2-e taariik3 bhi to hai
achchha na aa’eN aap shab2-e maahtaab4 meN
1.after all 2.night 3.dark 4.full moon
In poetic convention the beloved promises to visit the lover some night. She keeps making excuses. This time she makes the excuse that the moon is full, it is bright outside and people might see her. The poet/lover responds … all right do not come during moonlit nights, but after all there are dark nights in this world. There is a similar thought in qamar jalalavi’s she’r …
maana ke un se raat ka vaada hai aye qamar
kaise vo aa sakeNge agar chaandni hui
6
aye aafat1-e zamaana2 tere daur3 meN shakeb4
bulbul ko baaGh meN hai na maahi5 ko aab6 meN
1.misfortune, calamity 2.times, fate 3.times, age 4.comfort, peace, tranquility
O calamitous times, no one is at peace in this age. Neither the bulbul in the garden nor fish in water.
7
hota hai izshdehaam1-e tamanna2 usi qadar3
hoti hai jitni der kushaad4-e naqaab5 meN
1.crowd, onslaught 2.desire 3.same quantity 4.opening 5.veil
There is as much onslaught of desire as there is delay in untying the knots of the veil.
8
jaur1 o sitam2 ayaaN3 hai vafa4 o karam5 nehaaN6
laRte haiN jaagte meN, manaate haiN Khwaab meN
1.oppression 2.cruelty 3.apparent, open 4.fidelity, promise 5.kindness 6.hidden
Oppression and cruelty openly, promises and kindness hidden; she quarrels while awake and makes up in dreams.
9
bebaak1 sheva2, shooKh3 tabi’yat4, zabaaN daraaz5
mulzim6 hua hai par nahiN aajiz7 javaab meN
1.daring, fearless 2.nature 3.mischievous 4.habits, character 5.long 6.tyrant 7.humble
She is fearless in nature, mischievous of habit and has a long tongue (talks disrespectfully). She is the tyrant but there is no regret/humility in her responses.
10
us ne dam1-e vida2 kiye ahd3-e iltefaat4
afsos5 maiN ne kuchh na suna izteraab6 meN
1.moment, time 2.departure, farewell 3.promise 4.favours 5.alas 6.restlessness
At the moment of bidding farewell she promised many favours. Alas, in my restlessness I did not hear what she said.
11
takliif1 shefta2 hui tum ko magar huzuur3
is vaqt ittefaaq4 se vo haiN itaab5 meN
1.inconvenience 2.pen-name of the poet 3.sir, mister 4.by chance 5.anger
The scenario appears to be thus … the poet/lover has come to the beloved’s; the doorman warns him … O shefta, this may be an inconvenience to you, sir, but be warned that at this time, by chance (by your bad luck) she is in an angry mood.
