For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the “Roman” or “Notes” tab.
Recitation
کس کو ہے تابِ بیاں دوستو ۔ گوپال مِتّل
۱
صبح محشر قریب آ گئی ہے تو کیا، اس قدر بھی ہو کیوں سرگراں دوستو
رقص جاری رہے، دور چلتا رہے، ایک شب ہے ابھی درمیاں دوسو
۲
مرگِ دل پر قناعت بڑی چیز ہے، کوئی شکوہ نہیں اور ہو بھی اگر
اب پذیرائی کی کس سے امید ہے، اور کس کو ہے تابِ بیاں دوستو
۳
مجھ کو اِنکار کی اِس سے ہمّت کہاں، کشتنی بھی وہ ہوگا جو مقتول ہے
پر جو تم نے کہا تھا کہ دامن ہمارا، ہے دامانِ امن و اماں دوستو
۴
اب تو بندہ نوازی ہے اُس کی اگر، ہم فقیروں سے ہنس کر کوئی بول لے
ناز کس کو ہے جنسِ ہنر پر یہاں، آج یہ جنس ہے رائیگاں دوستو
۵
خیر یوں تو بناتے رہو آشیاں، سعی لازم ہے گو رائیگاں ہی سہی
پر سمجھ لو کہ بجلی ہی دشمن نہیں، سیلِ رحمت بھی ہے بے اماں دوستو
किस को है ताब-ए बयां दोस्तो – गोपाल मित्तल
१
सुबह महशर क़रीब आ गई है तो क्या, इस क़दर भी हो क्यूं सरगरां दोस्तो
रक़्स जारी रहे, दौर चलता रहे, एक शब है अभी दर्मियां दोस्तो
२
मर्ग-ए दिल पर क़िना’अत बढी चीज़ है, कोई शिक्वा नहीं और हो भी अगर
अब पज़ेराई की किस से उम्मीद है, और किस को है ताब-ए बयां दोस्तो
३
मुझ को इन्कार की इस से हिम्मत कहां, कुश्तनी भी वो होगा जो मक़्तूल है
पर जो तुम ने कहा था के दामन हमारा, है दामान-ए अम्न ओ अमां दोस्तो
४
अब तो बन्दा-नवाज़ी है उस की अगर, हम फ़क़ीरौं से हंस कर कोई बोल ले
नाज़ किस को है जिन्स-ए हुनर पर यहां, आज ये जिन्स है रा’एगां दोस्तो
५
ख़ैर यूं तो बनाते रहो आशियां, स’ई लाज़िम है गो राएगां हि सही
पर समझ लो के बिज्ली ही दुश्मन नहीं, सैल-ए रहमत भी है बे-अमां दोस्तो
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. gopal mittal (1901-1993), maalerkoTla, punjab. College in lahore. Later, lived in dehli as a poet, writer and editor of literary magazine. His usual style is to write intellectual, agnostic and irreverant Ghazal/nazm. This Ghazal is from a collection dated 1970. I am not sure who this Ghazal is directed towards.
1
sub’h mahshar1 qariib2 aa gaii hai to kya, is qadar3 bhi ho kyuN sargaraaN4 dosto
raqs5 jaari6 rahe, daur7 chalta rahe, aek shab8 hai abhi darmiyaaN9 dosto 1.tumult, day of judgement, calamity 2.near 3.so much 4.sad 5.dance 6.continue 6.circulation (of the cup of wine) 8.night 9.in between
Here ‘sub’h mahshar’ is not used to literally mean ‘dawn of tumult/calamity’ but to mean ‘the arrival of calamities’. Thus, why are you so sad, friends at the impending arrival of calamities. Keep dancing and let the cup of wine keep circulating. There is only the night left between us and dawn. In urdu progressive poetry night is used to mean oppression and dawn to mean the arrival of social justice.
2
marg1-e dil par qinaa’at2 baRi cheez hai, koii shikva3 nahiN aur ho bhi agar4
ab pazeraaii5 ki kis se ummeed6 hai, aur kis ko hai taab-e-bayaaN7 dosto 1.death 2.forbearance, patience 3.complaint 4.if 5.welcoming, acceptance 6.hope 7.strength/patience to bear the burden of speech
‘marg-e dil’ is literally ‘death of the heart’ but is used here to mean ‘killing of love/hope’ as in the beloved spurning the poet/lover’s advances or the powerful rejecting appeals of the masses. It is a big task to bear the rejection of love/appeals with patience. Do not complain and even if you do how can you hope for any acceptance and who has the forbearance to carry the burden of your speech/complaint.
3
mujh ko inkaar1 ki is se himmat2 kahaaN, kushtani3 hi vo hoga jo maqtool4 hai
par jo tum ne kahaa tha keh daaman5 hamaara, hai daamaan-e amn6 o amaaN7 dosto 1.refusal, denial 2.courage 3.deserving of being killed 4.one who has been killed 5.hem of the robe 6.peace 7.safety, protection
How can I summon the courage to deny that the one was killed deserved it. But you O friend, had said that your embrace was an offer of peace and security.
4
ab to banda-navaazi1 hai us ki agar2, ham faqiiroN3 se haNs kar koii bol le
naaz4 kis ko hai jins5-e hunar6 par yahaaN, aaj ye jins hai raa’egaaN7 dosto 1.kindness towards the slave/oppressed 2.if 3.destitute 4.pride 5.commodity of 6.talent 7.useless, ineffective
Now if the show any kindness towards us (the destitute), they smile and offer a few words (of appreciation). Who (among us) is proud of their talent any more. This commodity is ineffective now. Is he reflecting on how poets are valued/treated, or more generally about all talent?
5
Khair1 yuN to banaate raho aashiyaaN2, sa’ii3 laazim4 hai go5 raa’egaaN6 hi sahi
par samajh lo keh bijli hi dushman nahiN, sail7-e rahmat8 bhi hai ba-amaaN9 dosto 1.after all, if you must 2.nest 3.effort 4.necessary 5.even if 6.ineffective 7.flood 8.benevolence 9.without safety/protection
Keep making a nest, if you must. Effort is necessary even if it is ineffective. But understand that not just that the lightning is an enemy, a flood of benevolence will also not offer any protection. In urdu poetic tradition lightning always strikes the nest and burns it up. Thus, it is not just calamities that you have to watch out for, even friends, or those who promised to protect you cannot be relied on.
gopal mittal (1901-1993), maalerkoTla, punjab. College in lahore. Later, lived in dehli as a poet, writer and editor of literary magazine. His usual style is to write intellectual, agnostic and irreverant Ghazal/nazm. This Ghazal is from a collection dated 1970. I am not sure who this Ghazal is directed towards.
1
sub’h mahshar1 qariib2 aa gaii hai to kya, is qadar3 bhi ho kyuN sargaraaN4 dosto
raqs5 jaari6 rahe, daur7 chalta rahe, aek shab8 hai abhi darmiyaaN9 dosto
1.tumult, day of judgement, calamity 2.near 3.so much 4.sad 5.dance 6.continue 6.circulation (of the cup of wine) 8.night 9.in between
Here ‘sub’h mahshar’ is not used to literally mean ‘dawn of tumult/calamity’ but to mean ‘the arrival of calamities’. Thus, why are you so sad, friends at the impending arrival of calamities. Keep dancing and let the cup of wine keep circulating. There is only the night left between us and dawn. In urdu progressive poetry night is used to mean oppression and dawn to mean the arrival of social justice.
2
marg1-e dil par qinaa’at2 baRi cheez hai, koii shikva3 nahiN aur ho bhi agar4
ab pazeraaii5 ki kis se ummeed6 hai, aur kis ko hai taab-e-bayaaN7 dosto
1.death 2.forbearance, patience 3.complaint 4.if 5.welcoming, acceptance 6.hope 7.strength/patience to bear the burden of speech
‘marg-e dil’ is literally ‘death of the heart’ but is used here to mean ‘killing of love/hope’ as in the beloved spurning the poet/lover’s advances or the powerful rejecting appeals of the masses. It is a big task to bear the rejection of love/appeals with patience. Do not complain and even if you do how can you hope for any acceptance and who has the forbearance to carry the burden of your speech/complaint.
3
mujh ko inkaar1 ki is se himmat2 kahaaN, kushtani3 hi vo hoga jo maqtool4 hai
par jo tum ne kahaa tha keh daaman5 hamaara, hai daamaan-e amn6 o amaaN7 dosto
1.refusal, denial 2.courage 3.deserving of being killed 4.one who has been killed 5.hem of the robe 6.peace 7.safety, protection
How can I summon the courage to deny that the one was killed deserved it. But you O friend, had said that your embrace was an offer of peace and security.
4
ab to banda-navaazi1 hai us ki agar2, ham faqiiroN3 se haNs kar koii bol le
naaz4 kis ko hai jins5-e hunar6 par yahaaN, aaj ye jins hai raa’egaaN7 dosto
1.kindness towards the slave/oppressed 2.if 3.destitute 4.pride 5.commodity of 6.talent 7.useless, ineffective
Now if the show any kindness towards us (the destitute), they smile and offer a few words (of appreciation). Who (among us) is proud of their talent any more. This commodity is ineffective now. Is he reflecting on how poets are valued/treated, or more generally about all talent?
5
Khair1 yuN to banaate raho aashiyaaN2, sa’ii3 laazim4 hai go5 raa’egaaN6 hi sahi
par samajh lo keh bijli hi dushman nahiN, sail7-e rahmat8 bhi hai ba-amaaN9 dosto
1.after all, if you must 2.nest 3.effort 4.necessary 5.even if 6.ineffective 7.flood 8.benevolence 9.without safety/protection
Keep making a nest, if you must. Effort is necessary even if it is ineffective. But understand that not just that the lightning is an enemy, a flood of benevolence will also not offer any protection. In urdu poetic tradition lightning always strikes the nest and burns it up. Thus, it is not just calamities that you have to watch out for, even friends, or those who promised to protect you cannot be relied on.
