For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
ستاروں کی ضیا میرے بعد ۔ بیگم ممتاز مرزا ممتازؔ
۱
نالہ و شیون و ماتم ہے بپا میرے بعد
خاک آڑاتی ہوئی پھرتی ہے صبا میرے بعد
۲
یوں بھٹکتی ہوئی پھرتی ہے جفا میرے بعد
جیسے دنیا میں نہیں رسمِ وفا میرے بعد
۳
صرصر ہے نہ طوفاں ہے نہ ہیں برق و شرر
جیسے ہر عہدِ ستم ختم ہوا میرے بعد
۴
رات کجلا گئی مہتاب نے رُخ پھیر لیا
پھیکی پھیکی ہے ستاروں کی ضیا میرے بعد
۵
جیسے مجھ ہی سے تو تھی تیرے چمن کی زینت
پھول پژمردہ ہیں، آوارہ صبا میرے بعد
सितारौं की ज़िया मेरे बाद – बेगम मुम्ताज़ मिर्ज़ा मुम्ताज़
१
नाला-ओ-शेवन-ओ-मातम है बपा मेरे बाद
ख़ाक उढती हुई फिरती है सबा मेरे बाद
२
यूँ भटकती हुई फिरती है जफ़ा मेरे बाद
जैसे दुनिया में नहीं रस्म-ए वफ़ा मेरे बाद
३
सरसर है न तूफ़ाँ है न हैं बर्क़-ओ-शरर
जैसे हर अहद-ए सितम ख़त्म हुआ मेरे बाद
४
रात कजला गई महताब ने रुख़ फेर लिया
फीकी-फीकी है सितारौं की ज़िया मेरे बाद
५
जैसे मुझ ही से तो थी तेरे चमन की ज़ीनत
फूल पज़्श्मुर्दा हैं, आवारा सबा मेरे बाद
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. begum mumtaaz miirza mumtaaz (1929-1997) dehli. There is precious little information about her beyond her poetry. She apparently was born and lived in dehli all her life. She was very popular in the mushaa’era circuit because of her musical compositions and lyrical tarannum. I could find only one collection of Ghazal. This Ghazal is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
naala1-o-shevan2-o-maatam3 hai bapaa4 mere baad
Khaak5 uRaati hui phirti hai sabaa6 mere baad 1.lament 2.wailing 3.mourning 4.underway, undertaken, happening 5.dust 6.morning breeze.
Lamentation, wailing, and mourning are underway after me, the morning breeze too roams, blowing dust after me. The poet vividly portrays a desolate scene of grief and mourning in the aftermath of their passing. Normally, baad-e sabaa-the morning breeze would tickle roses into blooming and blow in fragrance. But now that the poet is gone, all it blows in is dust.
2
yuN1 bhaTakti2 hui phirti hai jafaa3 mere baad
jais’e duniya meN nahiN rasm4-e vafaa5 mere baad 1.like this 2.wandering aimlessly 3.cruelty 4.tradition 5.steadfast loyalty
Cruelty wanders aimlessly after me, as if the tradition of loyalty no longer exists in the world after me. Traditionally the beloved inflicts cruelty on the lover and the lover bears it happily without complaint. Now that the poet/lover is gone there is no appropriate target left for cruelty. Hence it wanders aimlessly as if the whole tradition of steadfast loyalty and bearing the cruelty of the beloved has vanished from earth.
3
sarsar1 hai na toofaaN2 hai na haiN barq3-o-sharar4
jaise5 har ahd-e-sitam6 Khatm hua mere baad 1.whirlwind 2.storm 3.lightning 4.sparks, fire 5.as if 6.era of tyranny
There’s no whirlwind, no storm, no lightning, or sparks, as if every era of tyranny has ended after me. Fate had targetted all calamities/tyrannies towards the poet/lover – including winds, storms, lightning and fire. There is no one else capable of bearing these calamities. Hence, fate has decided not to send them down. The era of tyranny is over.
4
raat kajla1 ga’ii mahtaab2 ne ruKh3 pher liya4
phiiki-phiiki5 hai sitaroN ki ziya6 mere baad 1.darkened 2.full moon 3.face 4.turned away 5.pale, dim 6.radiance, light
The night has darkened even more; the moon has turned its face away; the light of the is dim after me. The poet metaphorically describes nature itself mourning her absence, symbolizing a loss of vitality and light.
5
jaise1 mujh hii se to thii ter’e chaman2 ki ziinat3
phool pazshmurdah4 haiN, aavaara5 sabaa6 mere baad 1.as if 2.garden 3.adornment 4.wilted, withered 5.wandering aimlessly 6.morning breeze
As if it was only me who adorned your garden, the flowers are withered, and the breeze roams aimlessly after me. ‘tera’ could be the beloved’s garden or indeed god’s garden i.e., the whole world. In both cases, the adornment of the garden was all due to the poet. Now that she is gone, flowers have wilted and the morning breeze does not blow in any fragrance. It wanders aimlessly.
begum mumtaaz miirza mumtaaz (1929-1997) dehli. There is precious little information about her beyond her poetry. She apparently was born and lived in dehli all her life. She was very popular in the mushaa’era circuit because of her musical compositions and lyrical tarannum. I could find only one collection of Ghazal. This Ghazal is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
naala1-o-shevan2-o-maatam3 hai bapaa4 mere baad
Khaak5 uRaati hui phirti hai sabaa6 mere baad
1.lament 2.wailing 3.mourning 4.underway, undertaken, happening 5.dust 6.morning breeze.
Lamentation, wailing, and mourning are underway after me, the morning breeze too roams, blowing dust after me. The poet vividly portrays a desolate scene of grief and mourning in the aftermath of their passing. Normally, baad-e sabaa-the morning breeze would tickle roses into blooming and blow in fragrance. But now that the poet is gone, all it blows in is dust.
2
yuN1 bhaTakti2 hui phirti hai jafaa3 mere baad
jais’e duniya meN nahiN rasm4-e vafaa5 mere baad
1.like this 2.wandering aimlessly 3.cruelty 4.tradition 5.steadfast loyalty
Cruelty wanders aimlessly after me, as if the tradition of loyalty no longer exists in the world after me. Traditionally the beloved inflicts cruelty on the lover and the lover bears it happily without complaint. Now that the poet/lover is gone there is no appropriate target left for cruelty. Hence it wanders aimlessly as if the whole tradition of steadfast loyalty and bearing the cruelty of the beloved has vanished from earth.
3
sarsar1 hai na toofaaN2 hai na haiN barq3-o-sharar4
jaise5 har ahd-e-sitam6 Khatm hua mere baad
1.whirlwind 2.storm 3.lightning 4.sparks, fire 5.as if 6.era of tyranny
There’s no whirlwind, no storm, no lightning, or sparks, as if every era of tyranny has ended after me. Fate had targetted all calamities/tyrannies towards the poet/lover – including winds, storms, lightning and fire. There is no one else capable of bearing these calamities. Hence, fate has decided not to send them down. The era of tyranny is over.
4
raat kajla1 ga’ii mahtaab2 ne ruKh3 pher liya4
phiiki-phiiki5 hai sitaroN ki ziya6 mere baad
1.darkened 2.full moon 3.face 4.turned away 5.pale, dim 6.radiance, light
The night has darkened even more; the moon has turned its face away; the light of the is dim after me. The poet metaphorically describes nature itself mourning her absence, symbolizing a loss of vitality and light.
5
jaise1 mujh hii se to thii ter’e chaman2 ki ziinat3
phool pazshmurdah4 haiN, aavaara5 sabaa6 mere baad
1.as if 2.garden 3.adornment 4.wilted, withered 5.wandering aimlessly 6.morning breeze
As if it was only me who adorned your garden, the flowers are withered, and the breeze roams aimlessly after me. ‘tera’ could be the beloved’s garden or indeed god’s garden i.e., the whole world. In both cases, the adornment of the garden was all due to the poet. Now that she is gone, flowers have wilted and the morning breeze does not blow in any fragrance. It wanders aimlessly.
