For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
زلفِ دوتا میرے بعد ۔۱۰۔۱۸۔ منشی رگھوناتھ سنگھ ہاجرؔ دہلوی
۱۰
جیتے جی ذکرِ محبت سے وہ بیزار رہا
قائلِ عشق ہوا بھی تو ہوا میرے بعد
۱۱
اب ضرورت نہ رہی فکرِ ستم کی اُن کو
کون کرتا ہے تقاضائے جفا میرے بعد
۱۲
مٹ گیا صفحۂ عالم سے نشانِ اُلفت
ہو گئی ختم رہ و رسمِ وفا میرے بعد
۱۳
کُھل گئی میری وفاؤں کی حقیقت اُن پر
اِمتحاں عشقِ عدو کا جو لیا میرے بعد
۱۴
مٹ گیا تو بھی محبت کا فسانہ نہ مٹا
ان کی محفل میں میرا ذکر رہا میرے بعد
۱۵
عمر بھر اُن کو رہا میری وفا کا ماتم
منعقد جلسۂ عشرت نہ کیا میرے بعد
۱۶
بات بے شک نہ کرو یہ تو بتا دو مجھ کو
گالیاں دو گے کسے ہو کے خفا میرے بعد
۱۷
جیتے جی اس نے کبھی بات نہ پوچھی میری
نالہ کر کر کے کیا حشر بپا میرے بعد
۱۸
فرطِ غم سے نہ رہی حسرتِ تزئینِ جمال
اب وہ آئینہ سے رہتے ہیں خفا میرے بعد
ज़ुल्फ़-ए दोता मेरे बाद – १०-१८- मुंशी रघुनाथ सिंह हाजेर देहलवी
१०
जीते जी ज़िक्र-ए मोहब्बत से वो बेज़ार रहा
क़ा’एल-ए इश्क़ हुआ भी तो हुआ मेरे बाद
११
अब ज़रूरत न रही फ़िक्र-ए सितम की उन को
कौन करता है तक़ाज़ा-ए जफ़ा मेरे बाद
१२
मिट गया सफ़’ह-ए आलम से निशान-ए उल्फ़त
हो गई ख़त्म रह-ओ-रस्म-ए वफ़ा मेरे बाद
१३
खुल गई मेरी वफ़ाऔं की हक़ीक़त उन पर
इम्तेहां इश्क़-ए अदू का जो लिया मेरे बाद
१४
मिट गया तो भी मोहब्बत का फ़साना न मिटा
उन की महफ़िल में मेरा ज़िक्र रहा मेरे बाद
१५
उम्र भर उन को रहा मेरी वफ़ा का मातम
मुन’अक़िद जलसा-ए इश्रत न किया मेरे बाद
१६
बात बे शक न करो ये तो बता दो मुझ को
गालियाँ दो गे किसे हो के ख़फ़ा मेरे बाद
१७
जीते जी उस ने कभी बात न पूछी मेरी
नाला कर कर के किया हश्र बपा मेरे बाद
१८
फ़र्त-ए ग़म से न रही हसरत-ए तज़’ईन-ए जमाल
अब वो आईने से रहते हैं ख़फ़ा मेरे बाद
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. munshi raghunath siNgh haajir dehlavi (1884-1922). Both father and grandfather were poets and scholars of urdu and faarsi. He started composing at the age of 13-14. His father died in 1906 and he moved to bhopal for work and returned to dehli in 1910 to re-start his family practice, establishing a clinic named ‘daar-ul-shifa’. He died in 1922 before he could publish his diivaan, but his son collected his papers and published it. His brother, kaviraj raghunandan singh saahir wrote the preface. In addition to his diivan, there is a collection of his Ghazal called, ‘Ghalib aur haajir’, all composed in the zamin of Ghalib. This Ghazal in the zamin of ‘lab-e saaqi meN salaa mere baad’ is posted in 3 parts and is linked to that category under the icon ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’, on the Theme Index page.
10
jiite ji1 zikr2-e mohabbat se voh bezaar3 raha
qaa’el4-e ishq huaa bhi to huaa mere baad 1.during my lifetime 2.mention, talk 3.indifferent, tired, uninterested 4.convinced
As long as the poet was alive, he talked to the beloved about his love for her, whenever he got a chance. And always she showed no interest. Now, she is convinced of the sincerity of his love, but only after he is dead; not of much use to the dead poet/lover.
11
ab zaruurat1 na rahi fikr2-e sitam3 ki un ko
kaun karta hai taqaaza4-e jafaa5 mere baad 1,necessity 2.worry 3.cruelty 4.demand 5.torture
The true lover always asks to be tortured at the hands of the beloved. She has to worry about inventing new methods of torture. Now that the poet/lover is dead there is no ‘true lover’ left and there is no one demanding that he be tortured. Thus, the beloved no longer has to worry about inflicting new cruelties.
12
miT1 gayaa saf’ha2-e aalam3 se nishaan4-e ulfat5
ho ga’ii Khatm6 rah-o-rasm7-e vafaa8 mere baad 1.erased, disappeared 2.page 3.world 4.mark, trace 5.love 6.finished 7.custome and tradition 8.love, fidelity
All traces of love have disappeared fromt the page of history (of the world). After me the customs and traditions of love and fidelity have been lost.
13
khul ga’ii1 meri vafaaoN2 ki haqiiqat3 unn par
imtehaaN4 ishq-e adu5 ka jo liya mere baad 1.exposed, revealed 2.faithfulness, fidelity 3.truth 4.test 5.enemy, rival
The poet/lover is dead. The beloved puts the rival’s love to a test. He fails miserably. That reveals to her the truth/sincerity of the poet/lover’s loyalty.
14
miT1 gayaa to bhi mohabbat ka fasaana2 na miTaa1
unn ki mahfil3 meN mera zikr4 rahaa mere baad 1.erased, disappeared 2.legend 3.gathering 4.mention, narration
Even if the poet/lover himself disappeared (died) the legend of love was not forgotten. In the beloved’s gatherings there was always talk of the poet/lover.
15
umr bhar1 unn ko rahaa meri vafaa2 ka maatam3
mun’aqid4 jalsa5-e ishrat6 na kiyaa mere baad 1.life-long 2.loyalty, fidelity 3.mourning 4.arrange, organize 5.celebration 6.pleasure, joy
The beloved mourned (the loss of) the poet/lover’s fidelity all her life. She could never bring herself to organize any celebration of joy after his death.
16
baat1 be-shak2 na karo ye to bataa3 do mujh ko
gaaliyaaN do ge kis’e ho ke Khafaa4 mere baad 1.talk, converse 2.no doubt, if you like 3.tell 4.upset
Do not talk to me, if you like, but tell me this much – who will you scold when you get upset, after I am gone.
17
jiite ji1 uss ne kabhi baat2 na poochhi meri
naala3 kar kar ke kiya hashr4 bapaa5 mere baad 1.life long 2.used here to mean inquire after 3.wailing 4.doomsday, tumult 5.make happen
As long as I lived, she never asked about me, but after me she wailed repeatedly and raised a doomsday like tumult.
18
fart1-e Gham se na rahi hasrat2-e taz’iin3-e jamaal4
ab voh aaiine se raht’e haiN Khafaa5 mere baad 1.plenty, profusion 2.yearning 3.adornment 4.beauty 5.upset
Because of profusion of sorrow (at my death) she no longer yearns to adorn her beauty. Now she is upset with the mirror after me.
munshi raghunath siNgh haajir dehlavi (1884-1922). Both father and grandfather were poets and scholars of urdu and faarsi. He started composing at the age of 13-14. His father died in 1906 and he moved to bhopal for work and returned to dehli in 1910 to re-start his family practice, establishing a clinic named ‘daar-ul-shifa’. He died in 1922 before he could publish his diivaan, but his son collected his papers and published it. His brother, kaviraj raghunandan singh saahir wrote the preface. In addition to his diivan, there is a collection of his Ghazal called, ‘Ghalib aur haajir’, all composed in the zamin of Ghalib. This Ghazal in the zamin of ‘lab-e saaqi meN salaa mere baad’ is posted in 3 parts and is linked to that category under the icon ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’, on the Theme Index page.
10
jiite ji1 zikr2-e mohabbat se voh bezaar3 raha
qaa’el4-e ishq huaa bhi to huaa mere baad
1.during my lifetime 2.mention, talk 3.indifferent, tired, uninterested 4.convinced
As long as the poet was alive, he talked to the beloved about his love for her, whenever he got a chance. And always she showed no interest. Now, she is convinced of the sincerity of his love, but only after he is dead; not of much use to the dead poet/lover.
11
ab zaruurat1 na rahi fikr2-e sitam3 ki un ko
kaun karta hai taqaaza4-e jafaa5 mere baad
1,necessity 2.worry 3.cruelty 4.demand 5.torture
The true lover always asks to be tortured at the hands of the beloved. She has to worry about inventing new methods of torture. Now that the poet/lover is dead there is no ‘true lover’ left and there is no one demanding that he be tortured. Thus, the beloved no longer has to worry about inflicting new cruelties.
12
miT1 gayaa saf’ha2-e aalam3 se nishaan4-e ulfat5
ho ga’ii Khatm6 rah-o-rasm7-e vafaa8 mere baad
1.erased, disappeared 2.page 3.world 4.mark, trace 5.love 6.finished 7.custome and tradition 8.love, fidelity
All traces of love have disappeared fromt the page of history (of the world). After me the customs and traditions of love and fidelity have been lost.
13
khul ga’ii1 meri vafaaoN2 ki haqiiqat3 unn par
imtehaaN4 ishq-e adu5 ka jo liya mere baad
1.exposed, revealed 2.faithfulness, fidelity 3.truth 4.test 5.enemy, rival
The poet/lover is dead. The beloved puts the rival’s love to a test. He fails miserably. That reveals to her the truth/sincerity of the poet/lover’s loyalty.
14
miT1 gayaa to bhi mohabbat ka fasaana2 na miTaa1
unn ki mahfil3 meN mera zikr4 rahaa mere baad
1.erased, disappeared 2.legend 3.gathering 4.mention, narration
Even if the poet/lover himself disappeared (died) the legend of love was not forgotten. In the beloved’s gatherings there was always talk of the poet/lover.
15
umr bhar1 unn ko rahaa meri vafaa2 ka maatam3
mun’aqid4 jalsa5-e ishrat6 na kiyaa mere baad
1.life-long 2.loyalty, fidelity 3.mourning 4.arrange, organize 5.celebration 6.pleasure, joy
The beloved mourned (the loss of) the poet/lover’s fidelity all her life. She could never bring herself to organize any celebration of joy after his death.
16
baat1 be-shak2 na karo ye to bataa3 do mujh ko
gaaliyaaN do ge kis’e ho ke Khafaa4 mere baad
1.talk, converse 2.no doubt, if you like 3.tell 4.upset
Do not talk to me, if you like, but tell me this much – who will you scold when you get upset, after I am gone.
17
jiite ji1 uss ne kabhi baat2 na poochhi meri
naala3 kar kar ke kiya hashr4 bapaa5 mere baad
1.life long 2.used here to mean inquire after 3.wailing 4.doomsday, tumult 5.make happen
As long as I lived, she never asked about me, but after me she wailed repeatedly and raised a doomsday like tumult.
18
fart1-e Gham se na rahi hasrat2-e taz’iin3-e jamaal4
ab voh aaiine se raht’e haiN Khafaa5 mere baad
1.plenty, profusion 2.yearning 3.adornment 4.beauty 5.upset
Because of profusion of sorrow (at my death) she no longer yearns to adorn her beauty. Now she is upset with the mirror after me.
