Recitation
دھمکی میں مر گیا – مرزا غالب
١
دھمکی میں مر گیا جو نہ بابِ نبرد تھا
عشقِ نبرد پیشہ طلبگارِ مرد تھا
٢
تھازندگی میں مرگ کا کھٹکا لگا ہوا
اڑنے سے پیشتر بھی مرا رنگ زرد تھا
٣
تالیفِ نسخہ ہائے وفا کر رہا تھا میں
مجموعۂ خیال ابھی فرد فرد تھا
٤
دل تا جگر کہ ساحلِ دریائے خوں ہے اب
اس رہگزر میں جلوۂ گل آگے گرد تھا
٥
جاتی ہے کوئی کشمکش اندوۂ عشق کی
دل بھی اگر گیا تو وہی دل کا درد تھا
٦
احباب چارہ سازیِ وحشت نہ کر سکے
زنداں میں بھی خیال بیاباں نورد تھا
٧
یہ لاشِ بے کفن اسدِ خستہ جاں کی ہے
حق مغفرت کرے عجب آزاد مرد تھا
धमकी में मर गया – मिर्ज़ा ग़ालिब
1
धमकी में मर गया जो न बाब-ए नबर्द था
इश्क़-ए नबर्द-पेशा तलबगार-ए मर्द था
2
था ज़िंदगी में मरग का खटका लगा हुआ
उड़ने से पेशतर भी मिरा रंग ज़र्द था
3
तालीफ़-ए नुसख़हहा-ए वफ़ा कर रहा था मैं
मजमूअह-ए ख़याल अभी फ़र्द फ़र्द था
4
दिल ता जिगर कि साहिल-ए दरया-ए ख़ूँ है अब
उस रहगुज़र में जलवा-ए गुल आगे गर्द था
5
जाती है कोई कशमकश अंदोह-ए इश्क़ की
दिल भी अगर गया तो वही दिल का दर्द था
6
अहबाब चारा-साज़ी-ए वहशत न कर सके
ज़िंदाँ में भी ख़याल बयाबाँ-नवर्द था
7
ये लाश-ए बे-कफ़न असद-ए ख़सता-जाँ की है
हक़ मग़फ़रत करे अजब आज़ाद मर्द था
dhamki meN mar gaya – mirza Ghalib
Click on any she’r for meanings and discussion.
1
dhamki1 meN mar gayaa jo na2 baab3-e nabard4 thaa
ishq5-e nabard-peshah6 talabgaar7-e mard8 thaa1.threat, fear 2.not 3.door, entrance 4.conflict, war 5.Passion (personifed) of 6.profession of fighting 7.demanding of 8.manhood
Passion is a professional warrior. Confronting passion demands manhood. He was not even at the door of conflict and died of a mere threat. Raina’s rendition has an interesting take on this. In Raina, “ishq” takes the form of “Life” itself. Thus “dhamki” becomes fear of death. He died of the fear of dying! Reminds me of Shakespeare – the valiant seldom die but once.
2
thaa zindagii meN marg1 kaa khaTkaa2 lagaa huaa
uRne se peshtar3 bhii miraa raNg zard4 thaa1.death 2.apprehension, fear 3.before 4.pale
All life long I had the apprehension of death. raNg uRna is to become fearful as is raNg zard hona. The play of words in the second misra is beautiful. I was fearful even before I became more fearful.
3
taaliif1-e nusKha’haa2-e vafaa3 kar rahaa thaa maiN
majmuua4-e Khayaal abhii fard fard5 thaa1.compilation 2.recipe, prescription, model 3.faith, promise 4.collection 5.individual, separate, scattered
I was (am) compiling the recipe of faith/love. What do I know, there is no coherent picture, they are all scattered thoughts and they don’t seem to work (I am still lovelorn).
4
dil taa1 jigar keh saahil2-e daryaa3-e KhooN hai ab
us rahguzar4 meN jalva5-e gul aage6 gard7 thaa1.till (from-to) 2.shoreline 3.river (of blood) 4.path 5.face, beauty 6.before now 7.dust
Now (ab i.e.now that I am in love) there is a river of blood that flows from the heart to the liver. Before this, this pathway was so beautiful that compared to it the beauty of the rose was like dust.
5
jaatii hai koii kashmakash1 andoh2-e ishq kii
dil bhii agar gayaa to vohii dil kaa dard thaa1.struggle, push and pull 2.grief
Does the struggle of the grief of love ever go away? Of course not. Even if I give my heart (to the beloved) the heartache remains.
6
ahbaab1 chaarah-saazii2-e vahshat3 nah kar sake
zindaaN4 meN bhii Khayaal biyaabaaN5-navard6 thaa1.friends 2.cure, ministering 3.madness of passion 4.prison 5.wilderness 6.wandering
The lover was so mad with passion that his friends who could not minister to his ailment, put him in “padded cell”. But even there, they could not cure him for his mind was still free to roam/wander in the wilderness (of love).
7yih laash1-e be-kafan2 asad-e Khastah3-jaaN kii hai
haq4 maGfharat5 kare ajab6 aazaad7 mard thaa1.corpse 2.without a shroud, uncared for, unlamented 3.brittle, frail, easily smashed 4.truth, god 5.salvation, forgiveness 6.strange, unusual, unique 7.free (thinking)
It is not unusual in Urdu poetry for the poet to write about his own funeral (as if a dead person is writing). be-kafan laash is an uncared for, unclaimed corpse. This unclaimed corpse is that frail Asad (Ghalib). May god give him salvation, he was such a wonderful free thinker!
dhamki meN mar gaya – mirza Ghalib
1
dhamki1 meN mar gayaa jo na2 baab3-e nabard4 thaa
ishq5-e nabard-peshah6 talabgaar7-e mard8 thaa
1.threat, fear 2.not 3.door, entrance 4.conflict, war 5.Passion (personifed) of 6.profession of fighting 7.demanding of 8.manhood
Passion is a professional warrior. Confronting passion demands manhood. He was not even at the door of conflict and died of a mere threat. Raina’s rendition has an interesting take on this. In Raina, “ishq” takes the form of “Life” itself. Thus “dhamki” becomes fear of death. He died of the fear of dying! Reminds me of Shakespeare – the valiant seldom die but once.
2
thaa zindagii meN marg1 kaa khaTkaa2 lagaa huaa
uRne se peshtar3 bhii miraa raNg zard4 thaa
1.death 2.apprehension, fear 3.before 4.pale
All life long I had the apprehension of death. raNg uRna is to become fearful as is raNg zard hona. The play of words in the second misra is beautiful. I was fearful even before I became more fearful.
3
taaliif1-e nusKha’haa2-e vafaa3 kar rahaa thaa maiN
majmuua4-e Khayaal abhii fard fard5 thaa
1.compilation 2.recipe, prescription, model 3.faith, promise
4.collection 5.individual, separate, scattered
I was (am) compiling the recipe of faith/love. What do I know, there is no coherent picture, they are all scattered thoughts and they don’t seem to work (I am still lovelorn).
4
dil taa1 jigar keh saahil2-e daryaa3-e KhooN hai ab
us rahguzar4 meN jalva5-e gul aage6 gard7 thaa
1.till (from-to) 2.shoreline 3.river (of blood) 4.path 5.face, beauty 6.before now 7.dust
Now (ab i.e.now that I am in love) there is a river of blood that flows from the heart to the liver. Before this, this pathway was so beautiful that compared to it the beauty of the rose was like dust.
5
jaatii hai koii kashmakash1 andoh2-e ishq kii
dil bhii agar gayaa to vohii dil kaa dard thaa
1.struggle, push and pull 2.grief
Does the struggle of the grief of love ever go away? Of course not. Even if I give my heart (to the beloved) the heartache remains.
6
ahbaab1 chaarah-saazii2-e vahshat3 nah kar sake
zindaaN4 meN bhii Khayaal biyaabaaN5-navard6 thaa
1.friends 2.cure, ministering 3.madness of passion 4.prison 5.wilderness 6.wandering
The lover was so mad with passion that his friends who could not minister to his ailment, put him in “padded cell”. But even there, they could not cure him for his mind was still free to roam/wander in the wilderness (of love).
7
yih laash1-e be-kafan2 asad-e Khastah3-jaaN kii hai
haq4 maGfharat5 kare ajab6 aazaad7 mard thaa
1.corpse 2.without a shroud, uncared for, unlamented 3.brittle, frail, easily smashed 4.truth, god 5.salvation, forgiveness 6.strange, unusual, unique 7.free (thinking)
It is not unusual in Urdu poetry for the poet to write about his own funeral (as if a dead person is writing). be-kafan laash is an uncared for, unclaimed corpse. This unclaimed corpse is that frail Asad (Ghalib). May god give him salvation, he was such a wonderful free thinker!
dhamki meN mar gaya – Raina’s Ghalib
2
The fear of death did constantly my consciousness surmount
Upon me crept that ghastly pale long ere the final count
3
When I was but beginning to grasp the gimmicks of the game
She turned about, and squarely denied my very name
5
Never does this silken snare of love afford any respite
First yield the heart, and then lament the heart, forsaken quite
6
My friends who, out of warm concern, confined me to this cell,
Could ill confine my cactus mind which does with the desert dwell
7
The dead man hence without a shroud – it is Asad passing by
Now hold your breath, and witness how the freedom lovers die
