Recitation
دو عالم کی امیں – مرزا غالب
۱
دہر جز جلوۂ یکتائیِ معشوق نہیں
ہم کہاں ہوتے اگر حسنْ نہ ہوتا خودبیں
۲
ہرزہ ہے نغمۂ زیر و بمِ ہستی وعدم
لغو ہے آئینۂ فرقِ جنون و تمکیں
۳
لافِ دانش غلط و نفع عبادت معلوم
درْدِ یک ساغرِغفلت ہے چہ دنیا و چہ دیں
۴
جلوہ پرداز ہو نقشِ قدم اْس کاجس جا
وہ کفِ خاک ہے ناموسِ دوعالم کی امیں
۵
نسبتِ نام سے اُسکے ہے یہ رتبہ کہ رہے
ابدأ پشتِ فلک خم شدۂ نازِ زمیں
दो आलम की अमीं – मिर्ज़ा ग़ालिब
1
दहर् जुज़ जलवा-ए यकताई-ए म’आशूक़ नहीं
हम कहां होते अगर हुस्न न होता ख़ुद बीं
2
हरज़ा है नग़मा-ए ज़ेर-ओ-बम-ए हस्ती-ओ-अदम
लग़ु है आईना-ए फ़र्क़-ए जुनून-ओ-तम्कीं
3
लाफ़-ए दानिश ग़लत ओ ऩफा’-ए इबादत म’आलूम
दूर्द-ए यक साग़र-ए ग़फ़लत है, चे दुनिया ओ चे दीं
4
जलवा परदाज़ हो नक़्श-ए क़दम उसका जिस जा
वो कफ़-ए ख़ाक है नामूस-ए दो आलम की अमीं
5
निसबत-ए नाम से उसके है ये रुतबा के रहे
अबदन पुष्त-ए फ़लक ख़म शुदा-ए नाज़-ए ज़मीं
do aalam ki ameeN – mirza Ghalib
Click on any she’r for meanings and discussion.
1
dahr1 juz2 jalva3-e yaktaaii4-e ma’ashooq5 nahiN
hum kahaaN hotey agar husn6 na hota Khud-beeN7 1.temporal world 2.except for 3.face, manifestation of 4.one-ness, uniqueness 5.beloved, god 6.beauty, “supreme beauty”, god 7.self-regarding
This is a strong expression of the Sufi tradition of vahdat-al-vujood – unity of existence/creation with creator, also the Hindu philosophy of advaita. The temporal world is nothing but a manifestation of the “supreme beloved”. Where would we have been if the “supreme beauty” were not self-regarding. Thus there is a mutual dependence – in order to manifest itself god had to create the temporal world. The world is nothing but the act of god reflecting upon, looking at itself.
2
harza1 hai naGhma-e zer-o-bam2-e hasti-o-adam3
laGhu4 hai aaiina5-e farq6-e junoon7-o-tamkeeN81.useless 2.ups and downs 3.existence and non-existence 4.absurd, meaningless 5.mirror (a reflection of inner truth, reality) 6.difference 7.mad passion, intense longing 8.dignified self-possession
It is useless to sing songs of the ups and downs of being and non-being. It is absurd to differentiate between madness/restlessness and self-possession. There is no difference. They all lead to the same thing – knowledge of and unity with the creator.
3
laaf1-e daanish2 Ghalat o nafa’3-e ibaadat4 ma’aloom
durd5-e yak saaGher6-e Ghaflat7 hai, cheh8 duniya o cheh deeN91.bragging, boasting 2.wisdom 3.earning, profit, result, fruit 4.worship 5.draught, drink 6.flask 7.torpor, trance, being lost 8.whether 9.faith
It is wrong to claim that you know; the fruits of worship at unknown. Whether it is this world or (faith in) the next, both are but a drink of the flask of trance.
4
jalva1 pardaaz2 ho naqsh3-e qadam4 uska jis jaa5
vo kaf6-e Khaak7 hai naamoos8-e do aalam9 ki ameeN10 1.manifestation, appearance 2.to write, to show 3.prints 4.steps, feet 5.place 6.fistful 7.dust 8.dignity 9.two (both) worlds, here and hereafter 10.protector, keeper
The fistful of dust under “his” footprints are the protector of the dignity of the here and hereafter. Whose footprints … that is revealed in the next she’r.
5
nisbat1-e naam se uske hai ye rutba2 ke rahe
abadan3 pusht4-e falak5 Kham shuda6-e naaz7-e zamiN1.association 2.status, rank 3.until eternity, forever 4.back 5.sky 6.curved, bent over 7.pride
Normally you would think of the sky as having a higher status than the earth. But because of association with “his” name, the status of the earth has increased such that the sky is bent over in obeisance, forever. Whose name? Ghalib was known to be a devotee of Ali. One of the names of Ali is “Abu Turab” – meaning father of the earth. Thus, the earth has association with “his name” and so has acquired a high status.
do aalam ki ameeN – mirza Ghalib
1
dahr1 juz2 jalva3-e yaktaaii4-e ma’ashooq5 nahiN
hum kahaaN hotey agar husn6 na hota Khud-beeN7
1.temporal world 2.except for 3.face, manifestation of 4.one-ness, uniqueness 5.beloved, god 6.beauty, “supreme beauty”, god 7.self-regarding
This is a strong expression of the Sufi tradition of vahdat-al-vujood – unity of existence/creation with creator, also the Hindu philosophy of advaita. The temporal world is nothing but a manifestation of the “supreme beloved”. Where would we have been if the “supreme beauty” were not self-regarding. Thus there is a mutual dependence – in order to manifest itself god had to create the temporal world. The world is nothing but the act of god reflecting upon, looking at itself.
2
harza1 hai naGhma-e zer-o-bam2-e hasti-o-adam3
laGhu4 hai aaiina5-e farq6-e junoon7-o-tamkeeN8
1.useless 2.ups and downs 3.existence and non-existence 4.absurd, meaningless 5.mirror (a reflection of inner truth, reality) 6.difference 7.mad passion, intense longing 8.dignified self-possession
It is useless to sing songs of the ups and downs of being and non-being. It is absurd to differentiate between madness/restlessness and self-possession. There is no difference. They all lead to the same thing – knowledge of and unity with the creator.
3
laaf1-e daanish2 Ghalat o nafa’3-e ibaadat4 ma’aloom
durd5-e yak saaGher6-e Ghaflat7 hai, cheh8 duniya o cheh deeN9
1.bragging, boasting 2.wisdom 3.earning, profit, result, fruit 4.worship 5.draught, drink 6.flask 7.torpor, trance, being lost 8.whether 9.faith
It is wrong to claim that you know; the fruits of worship at unknown. Whether it is this world or (faith in) the next, both are but a drink of the flask of trance.
4
jalva1 pardaaz2 ho naqsh3-e qadam4 uska jis jaa5
vo kaf6-e Khaak7 hai naamoos8-e do aalam9 ki ameeN10
1.manifestation, appearance 2.to write, to show 3.prints 4.steps, feet 5.place 6.fistful 7.dust 8.dignity 9.two (both) worlds, here and hereafter 10.protector, keeper
The fistful of dust under “his” footprints are the protector of the dignity of the here and hereafter. Whose footprints … that is revealed in the next she’r.
5
nisbat1-e naam se uske hai ye rutba2 ke rahe
abadan3 pusht4-e falak5 Kham shuda6-e naaz7-e zamiN
1.association 2.status, rank 3.until eternity, forever 4.back 5.sky 6.curved, bent over 7.pride
Normally you would think of the sky as having a higher status than the earth. But because of association with “his” name, the status of the earth has increased such that the sky is bent over in obeisance, forever. Whose name? Ghalib was known to be a devotee of Ali. One of the names of Ali is “Abu Turab” – meaning father of the earth. Thus, the earth has association with “his name” and so has acquired a high status.
This Ghazal is NOT a part of Raina’s Ghalib. Thus no re-composition in English is available. But it is included here because it has a bearing on another Ghazal “naqsh-e qadam” which is a part of this series.
