For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the “Roman” or “Notes” tab.
Recitation
k.l. saigal
دیدۂ تر یاد آیا ۔ مرزا غالب
۱
پھر مجھے دیدۂ تر یاد آیا
دل جگر تشنۂ فریاد آیا
۲
دم لیا تھا نہ قیامت نے ہنوز
پھر ترا وقتِ سفر یاد آیا
۳
سادگیہائے تمنّا یعنی
پھر وہ نیرنگِ نظر یاد آیا
۴
عذرِ وا ماندگی ائے حسرتِ دل
نالہ کرتا تھا جگر یاد آیا
۵
زندگی یوں بھی گزر ہی جاتی
کیوں ترا راہ گزر یاد آیا
۶
آہ وہ جرأتِ فریاد کہاں
دل سے تنگ آ کے جگر یاد آیا
۷
پھر ترے کوچے کو جاتا ہے خیال
دلِ گم گشتہ مگر یاد آیا
۸
کوئی ویرانی سی ویرانی ہے
دشت کو دیکھ کے گھر یاد آیا
۹
کیا ہی رضواں سے لڑائی ہوگی
گھر ترا خلد میں گر یاد آیا
۱۰
میں نے مجنوں پہ لڑکپن میں اسد
سنگ اٹھایا تھا کہ سر یاد آیا
दीदा-ए तर याद आया – मिर्ज़ा ग़ालिब
1
फिर मुझे दीदा-ए तर याद आया
दिल जिगर-तिशना-ए फ़रयाद आया
2
दम लिया था न क़ियामत ने हनूज़
फिर तिरा वक़त-ए सफ़र याद आया
3
सादगीहा-ए तमन्ना यानी
फिर वो नैरंग-ए नज़र याद आया
4
उज़्र-ए वा-मांदगी अय हसरत-ए दिल
नाला करता था जिगर याद आया
5
ज़िंदगी यूँ भी गुज़र ही जाती
क्यूँ तिरा राह-गुज़र याद आया
6
आह वो जुरअत-ए फ़रयाद कहाँ
दिल से तंग आ के जिगर याद आया
7
फिर तिरे कूचे को जाता है ख़याल
दिल-ए गुम-गशता मगर याद आया
8
कोई वीरानी-सी वीरानी है
दश्त को देख के घर याद आया
9
क्या ही रिज़्वाँ से लड़ाई होगी
घर तेरा ख़ुल्द में गर याद आया
10
मैं ने मज्नूँ पे लड़क्पन में असद
संग उठाया था कि सर याद आया
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mirza asadullah KhaaN Ghalib (1797-1869). I dare not write any introduction. On more than one occasion Ghalib has warned his readers that he needs no introduction or even address. I humbly comply. badri raina, retired professor of English, dehli University, poet, writer, columnist and a dear friend has translated several Ghalib Ghazal and published them as a book. See other Ghazal composed in this theme and linked to ‘deeda-e tar yaad aaya’ – Theme Index – Ghalib naqsh-e qadam
1
phir mujhe diidah-e tar1 yaad aayaa
dil, jigar tishnah2-e faryaad3 aayaa1.moist (crying) eye 2.thirsty 3.lamentation, appeal
Three possible variations on interpreting this. (a) The heart and the jigar/liver are thirsty for lamentation, they WANT to lament i.e. lamentation is a desirable thing. That brings to mind wet/tearful eyes. (b) Once again, my tearful eyes came to mind and the heart and liver became eager to weep. (c) Once again I remembered HER tearful eyes and it tore my heart/liver.
2
dam liyaa1 thaa nah qiyaamat2 ne hanuuz3
phir tiraa vaqt-e safar4 yaad aayaa1.take rest, pause 2.doomsday 3.not yet 4.time of departure
There is a lot of distress (equivalent to doomsday) going on constantly in the poet/lover’s life. It has just abated/paused a bit when he suddenly remembers the time of her departure … and it is doomsday all over again! There is at least one interpretation which says that the “vaqt-e safar” is meant to be the moment of death and refers to the death of Ghalib’s young nephew, Arif.
3
saadagiihaa1-e tamannaa2 yanii
phir vo nairaNg3-e nazar yaad aayaa1.simplicities (plural), naïveté 2.desire, love 3.magical, enchanting
The poet/lover considers himself to be a simpleton. Look at my naïveté, again I remember that bewitching glance, knowing full well that she will never come … or … once again I recalled that bewitching glance and in spite of a long history of disappointment, because of my gullibility, I again longed for her.
4
uzr1-e vaa-maaNdagii2 ay hasrat3-e dil
naalah4 kartaa thaa jigar5 yaad aayaa1.excuse, forgive 2.lagging behind, failure, helplessness 3.longing 4.wailing, pleading 5.liver
In urdu, liver is sometimes used as “backbone” is used in English – to have courage to do something. The longing in the heart is such that it wants to raise a cry and wail. But the poet/lover suddenly remembers his “liver” i.e. becomes aware that he has no courage, so he stops wailing and begs the heart to forgive him.
5
zindagii yuuN bhii guzar hii jaatii
kyuuN tiraa raah-guzar1 yaad aayaa1.the path on which she frequently travels
The poet/lover would have been able to spend/endure life one way or another, in spite of his many difficulties. But then he remembers the path that she took and it is full of painful memories for him and he can no longer endure life.
6
aah1 vuh jur’at2-e faryaad3 kahaaN
dil se tang4 aa ke jigar yaad aayaa1.alas 2.courage, daring 3.lamentation, cry for help 4.irritated
The poet lover is irritated that the heart (emotions, longing) call for him to lament and cry out loud. He is irritated because he no longer has the courage/daring to cry out loud, because he has lost his jigar/backbone/courage.
7
phir tire kuuche1 ko jaataa hai Khayaal
dil-e gum-gashtah2 magar3 yaad aayaa1.street 2.lost 3.perhaps or again (lead to different interpretation)
The poet/lover’s mind turns towards her street, perhaps because he remembers his heart, which he lost there … or … his mind turns towards her street but then again (suddenly) he remembers (his lost) heart and reins back his thought.
8
koii veeraani1 si veeraani hai
dasht2 ko dekh ke ghar yaad aayaa1.desolation, ruins 2.desert
The poet’s home is in ruins (because he has no means). There is such desolate desolation in the desert that he is reminded of the of his home.
9
kyaa hii rizvaaN1 se laRaaii hogii
ghar tera Khuld2 meN gar yaad aayaa1.gatekeeper of heaven 2.paradise
The poet/lover will go to heaven after death. In spite of the many “blessings” of heaven, he will remember her house – because her company is better than heaven. When he mentions the charm of her house to the rizvaan, a big fight will ensue (because the rizvaaN believes that there is no place like heaven).
10
maiN ne majnuN pe laRakpan meN asad1
saNg2 uThaayaa thaa kih sar yaad aayaa3 1.asadullah Khan Ghalib – sometimes Ghalib uses “asad” as his pen-name 2.rock 3.literally “remember my head” but also means, regain my senses
In Urdu poetic legend majnuN is a mad man roaming around in search of laila. Street urchins throw rocks at him for fun. The poet/lover recalls his own boyhood days when he picked up a rock to throw at majnuN when he regained his senses and had a premonition about his own (future) condition of unrequited love.
mirza asadullah KhaaN Ghalib (1797-1869). I dare not write any introduction. On more than one occasion Ghalib has warned his readers that he needs no introduction or even address. I humbly comply. badri raina, retired professor of English, dehli University, poet, writer, columnist and a dear friend has translated several Ghalib Ghazal and published them as a book. See other Ghazal composed in this theme and linked to ‘deeda-e tar yaad aaya’ – Theme Index – Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
phir mujhe diidah-e tar1 yaad aayaa
dil, jigar tishnah2-e faryaad3 aayaa
1.moist (crying) eye 2.thirsty 3.lamentation, appeal
(1) The heart and the jigar/liver are thirsty for lamentation, they WANT to lament i.e. lamentation is a desirable thing. That brings to mind wet/tearful eyes. (2) Once again, my tearful eyes came to mind and the heart and liver became eager to weep. (3) Once again I remembered HER tearful eyes and it tore my heart/liver.
2
dam liyaa1 thaa nah qiyaamat2 ne hanuuz3
phir tiraa vaqt-e safar4 yaad aayaa
1.take rest, pause 2.doomsday 3.not yet 4.time of departure
There is a lot of distress (equivalent to doomsday) going on constantly in the poet/lover’s life. It has just abated/paused a bit when he suddenly remembers the time of her departure … and it is doomsday all over again! There is at least one interpretation which says that the “vaqt-e safar” is meant to be the moment of death and refers to the death of Ghalib’s young nephew, Arif.
3
saadagiihaa1-e tamannaa2 yanii
phir vo nairaNg3-e nazar yaad aayaa
1.simplicities (plural), naïveté 2.desire, love 3.magical, enchanting
The poet/lover considers himself to be a simpleton. Look at my naïveté, again I remember that bewitching glance, knowing full well that she will never come … or … once again I recalled that bewitching glance and in spite of a long history of disappointment, because of my gullibility, I again longed for her.
4
uzr1-e vaa-maaNdagii2 ay hasrat3-e dil
naalah4 kartaa thaa jigar5 yaad aayaa
1.excuse, forgive 2.lagging behind, failure, helplessness 3.longing 4.wailing, pleading 5.liver
In urdu, liver is sometimes used as “backbone” is used in English – to have courage to do something. The longing in the heart is such that it wants to raise a cry and wail. But the poet/lover suddenly remembers his “liver” i.e. becomes aware that he has no courage, so he stops wailing and begs the heart to forgive him.
5
zindagii yuuN bhii guzar hii jaatii
kyuuN tiraa raah-guzar1 yaad aayaa
1.the path on which she frequently travels
The poet/lover would have been able to spend/endure life one way or another, in spite of his many difficulties. But then he remembers the path that she took and it is full of painful memories for him and he can no longer endure life.
6
aah1 vuh jur’at2-e faryaad3 kahaaN
dil se tang4 aa ke jigar yaad aayaa
1.alas 2.courage, daring 3.lamentation, cry for help 4.irritated
The poet lover is irritated that the heart (emotions, longing) call for him to lament and cry out loud. He is irritated because he no longer has the courage/daring to cry out loud, because he has lost his jigar/backbone/courage.
7
phir tire kuuche1 ko jaataa hai Khayaal
dil-e gum-gashtah2 magar3 yaad aayaa
1.street 2.lost 3.perhaps or again (lead to different interpretation)
The poet/lover’s mind turns towards her street, perhaps because he remembers his heart, which he lost there … or … his mind turns towards her street but then again (suddenly) he remembers (his lost) heart and reins back his thought.
8
koii veeraani1 si veeraani hai
dasht2 ko dekh ke ghar yaad aayaa
1.desolation, ruins 2.desert
The poet’s home is in ruins (because he has no means). There is such desolate desolation in the desert that he is reminded of the of his home.
9
kyaa hii rizvaaN1 se laRaaii hogii
ghar tera Khuld2 meN gar yaad aayaa
1.gatekeeper of heaven 2.paradise
The poet/lover will go to heaven after death. In spite of the many “blessings” of heaven, he will remember her house – because her company is better than heaven. When he mentions the charm of her house to the rizvaan, a big fight will ensue (because the rizvaaN believes that there is no place like heaven).
10
maiN ne majnuN pe laRakpan meN asad1
saNg2 uThaayaa thaa kih sar yaad aayaa3
1.asadullah Khan Ghalib – sometimes Ghalib uses “asad” as his pen-name 2.rock 3.literally “remember my head” but also means, regain my senses
In Urdu poetic legend majnuN is a mad man roaming around in search of laila. Street urchins throw rocks at him for fun. The poet/lover recalls his own boyhood days when he picked up a rock to throw at majnuN when he regained his senses and had a premonition about his own (future) condition of unrequited love.
I remember – Raina’s Ghalib
1
Once again does my stifled grief surge into the eye
And once again to heart and soul seek utterance in a cry
2
Just when the pang of parting had dull’d down deceptively
Assailed that shattering thought again with fiercer agony
3
Consider, O innocence that so betrays me now
It is not the disdain I recall but the look of tender love
5
Diversions of other sorts could have bemused my days
Then why did I succumb to grief in the memory of your ways
7
Once again down that haunting lane meanders my mind
O that I should have recalled the heart I left behind
9
What mortal argument must ensue between myself and the Lord
Should I in paradise racall your superior abode
10
Once, as a child, I picked up a stone to fling at Majnu’s head
But, ere the playful deed was done, I recall’d my head instead