For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
begum aKhtar
abida parveen
suresh waDkar
ابنِ مریم – مرزا غالب
١
ابنِ مریم ہوا کرے کوئی
میرے دکھ کی دوا کرے کوئی
٢
شرع و آئین پر مدار سہی
ایسے قاتل کا کیا کرے کوئی
٣
چال جیسے کڑی کمان کا تیر
دل میں ایسے کے جاکرے کوئی
٤
بات پر واں زبان کٹتی ہے
وہ کہیں اور سنا کرے کوئی
٥
بک رہا ہوں جنوں میں کیا کیا کچھ
کچھ نہ سمجھے خدا کرے کوئی
٦
نہ سنو گر براکہے کوئی
نہ کہو گر برا کرے کوئی
٧
روک لو گر غلط چلے کوئی
بخش دو گر خطاکرے کوئی
٨
کون ہے جو نہیں ہے حاجت مند
کس کی حاجت روا کرے کوئی
٩
کیا کیا خضر نے سکندر سے
اب کسے رہ نما کرے کوئی
١٠
جب توقّع ہی اْٹھ گئی غالب
کیوں کسی کا گلاکرے کوئی
इब्न‐ए मरयम – मिरज़ा ग़ालिब
1
इब्न‐ए मरयम हुआ करे कोई
मेरे दुख की दवा करे कोई
2
शर‐ओ‐आईन पर मदार सही
ऐसे क़ातिल का क्या करे कोई
3
चाल जैसे कड़ी कमान का तीर
दिल में ऐसे के जा करे कोई
4
बात पर वाँ ज़बान कटती है
वो कहें और सुना करे कोई
5
बक रहा हूँ जुनूँ में क्या क्या कुछ
कुछ न समझे ख़ुदा करे कोई
6
न सुनो गर बुरा कहे कोई
न कहो गर बुरा करे कोई
7
रोक लो गर ग़लत चले कोई
बख़श दो गर ख़ता करे कोई
8
कौन है जो नहीं है हाजत-मंद
किस की हाजत रवा करे कोई
9
क्या किया ख़िज़्र ने सिकंदर से
अब किसे रा-नुमा करे कोई
10
जब तवक़्क़ु ही उठ गई ग़ालिब
क्यूँ किसी का गिला करे कोई
1
ibn-e maryam1 huaa kare koii
mere dukh kii davaa kare koii1.son of Mary, Jesus, one who cures miraculously
I wish someone had the mirculous powers of Jesus and could cure my ills, for it will take a miracle to cure them. It can also mean – Oh it is easy to become the son of Mary (acquire miraculous powers), but the real test is if they can cure MY ills.
2
shar’a1-o-aa’iin2 par madaar3 sahii
aise qaatil kaa kyaa kare koii1.Islamic jurisprudence 2.constitutional law, custom 3.revolve around, depend upon
It may indeed be that judgement depends upon shar’a and on the law, but what can we do about someone who can kill “like this” i.e.just by looks.
3
chaal1 jaise kaRii2 kamaan3 kaa tiir
dil meN aise ke jaa4 kare koii1.gait, walk, ways 2.taut, stretched, bent 3.bow 4.place
Her ways are like an arrow shot from a fully drawn bow. The challenge is to make a place in the heart of someone like this!
4
baat par1 vaaN2 zabaan kaTtii3 hai
vuh kaheN4 aur sunaa kare koii1.used in the sense of “baat, baat par” – again and again, on any triviality, under any excuse 2.over there 3.zabaan kaTna can mean to be interrupted, to be insulted, to be overridden 4.used in the sense of heaping abuse
There (beloved’s presence) I get insulted all the time, for any and all trivialities. The order of the day is that she heaps abuse and I bear it.
5
bak1 rahaa huuN junuuN2 meN kyaa kyaa kuchh
kuchh nah samjhe3 Khudaa kare koii1.babbling 2.passion, madness 3.kuchh na samjhe can either mean, not understand anything or not take offence at
The poet/lover is mad with intensity of passion and is babbling. May god that no one understand me/or no one (especially the beloved) take offence. There is a pleasant circular witticism in this. He is mad and yet aware of his madness (therefore not mad).
6
nah suno gar buraa kahe koii
nah kaho gar buraa kare koiiOn the surface this is a very simple she’r, both structurally and linguistically, often interpreted as “hear no evil, speak no evil”. But alternative interpretation is, “you have been speaking/reciting verse, someone heaps abuse on you – don’t listen to the abuse, keep speaking your bit”. The second misra goes something like, “you have been speaking/reciting and someone picks it up and does something bad with it, then stop speaking to make sure that something bad does not happen”.
7
rok lo gar Ghalat chale1 koii
baKhsh2 do gar Khataa3 kare koii1.going down the wrong path 2.forgive 3.error
Structurally and in content similar to the previous one, with a simple interpretation – stop someone from going down the wrong path and forgive them if they do.
8
kaun hai jo nahiiN hai haajat1-mand2
kis kii haajat ravaa3 kare koii1.need, want 2.slowed by/surrounded by 3.to make current/acceptable, to solve
Rhetorically stating that everyone has unfulfilled needs/desires. How can they fulfil your desires – the implication being that only god can.
9
kyaa kiyaa Khizr1 ne sikandar2 se
ab kise rah-numaa3 kare koii1.legendary old man 2.Alexander 3.guide
Legend has it that Khizr was a guide to Alexander and they were looking for the elixir of immortality. Khizr abandoned Alexander, found the spring himself, drank of it and is now immortal. Alexander on the other hand, died young. If Khizr did this, how can we choose a guide/leader.
10
jab tavaqq’o1 hii uTh gaii Ghalib
kyuuN kisii kaa gilaa2 kare koii1.expectation, hope 2.complaint, appeal
When all hope is lost, what is the use of complaining? But Hope/Expectation is personified (and is feminine) so the she’r has undertones of the beloved getting up to leave. If the beloved herself is leaving then why complain about others.
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. There are three Ghazal of Ghalib with the same qaafiya-radeef ‘aa kare koii’. All three are linked to the category, ‘ibn-e mariam hua kare koii’ dated 1847. Two other Ghazal are dated 1821 and are of a period when Ghalib was young (24 years old) and still composed in a style difficult to comprehend. There are numerous other Ghazal by other poets composed in the same qaafiya-radeef all linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’.
1
ibn-e maryam1 huaa kare koii
mere dukh kii davaa kare koii
1.son of Mary, Jesus, one who cures miraculously
I wish someone had the mirculous powers of Jesus and could cure my ills, for it will take a miracle to cure them. It can also mean – Oh it is easy to become the son of Mary (acquire miraculous powers), but the real test is if they can cure MY ills.
2
shar’a1-o-aa’iin2 par madaar3 sahii
aise qaatil kaa kyaa kare koii
1.Islamic jurisprudence 2.constitutional law, custom 3.revolve around, depend upon
It may indeed be that judgement depends upon shar’a and on the law, but what can we do about someone who can kill “like this” i.e.just by looks.
3
chaal1 jaise kaRii2 kamaan3 kaa tiir
dil meN aise ke jaa4 kare koii
1.gait, walk, ways 2.taut, stretched, bent 3.bow 4.place
Her ways are like an arrow shot from a fully drawn bow. The challenge is to make a place in the heart of someone like this!
4
baat par1 vaaN2 zabaan kaTtii3 hai
vuh kaheN4 aur sunaa kare koii
1.used in the sense of “baat, baat par” – again and again, on any triviality, under any excuse 2.over there 3.zabaan kaTna can mean to be interrupted, to be insulted, to be overridden 4.used in the sense of heaping abuse
There (beloved’s presence) I get insulted all the time, for any and all trivialities. The order of the day is that she heaps abuse and I bear it.
5
bak1 rahaa huuN junuuN2 meN kyaa kyaa kuchh
kuchh nah samjhe3 Khudaa kare koii
1.babbling 2.passion, madness 3.kuchh na samjhe can either mean, not understand anything or not take offence at
The poet/lover is mad with intensity of passion and is babbling. May god that no one understand me/or no one (especially the beloved) take offence. There is a pleasant circular witticism in this. He is mad and yet aware of his madness (therefore not mad).
6
nah suno gar buraa kahe koii
nah kaho gar buraa kare koii
On the surface this is a very simple she’r, both structurally and linguistically, often interpreted as “hear no evil, speak no evil”. But alternative interpretation is, “you have been speaking/reciting verse, someone heaps abuse on you – don’t listen to the abuse, keep speaking your bit”. The second misra goes something like, “you have been speaking/reciting and someone picks it up and does something bad with it, then stop speaking to make sure that something bad does not happen”.
7
rok lo gar Ghalat chale1 koii
baKhsh2 do gar Khataa3 kare koii
1.going down the wrong path 2.forgive 3.error
Structurally and in content similar to the previous one, with a simple interpretation – stop someone from going down the wrong path and forgive them if they do.
8
kaun hai jo nahiiN hai haajat1-mand2
kis kii haajat ravaa3 kare koii
1.need, want 2.slowed by/surrounded by 3.to make current/acceptable, to solve
Rhetorically stating that everyone has unfulfilled needs/desires. How can they fulfil your desires – the implication being that only god can.
9
kyaa kiyaa Khizr1 ne sikandar2 se
ab kise rah-numaa3 kare koii
1.legendary old man 2.Alexander 3.guide
Legend has it that Khizr was a guide to Alexander and they were looking for the elixir of immortality. Khizr abandoned Alexander, found the spring himself, drank of it and is now immortal. Alexander on the other hand, died young. If Khizr did this, how can we choose a guide/leader.
10
jab tavaqq’o1 hii uTh gaii Ghalib
kyuuN kisii kaa gilaa2 kare koii
1.expectation, hope 2.complaint, appeal
When all hope is lost, what is the use of complaining? But Hope/Expectation is personified (and is feminine) so the she’r has undertones of the beloved getting up to leave. If the beloved herself is leaving then why complain about others.
ibn-e maryam – Raina’s Ghalib
1
Do not recount to me the miracles of the lord
Not until by some such miracle my ills are cured
2
The law indeed, does dire offence decry
But what about a culprit who murders with the eye?
4
I dare not venture to edge in a word
It suits her best to talk and to be heard
5
O the abominations I hurl in excess of pain
I pray to god may find no scandalous refrain
6
Take no heed of evil in syllables ill-meant
Circulate no evil deed with slanderous intent
7
Hold off the misguided from mistaken ways
Forgive the erring, forgive the one who strays
8
Consider, oh, the multitudinous ill
How many wants attend, how many fulfil
9
If Sikander turned the nectar down despite his guide
Then whom acknowledge master, by whom abide?
10
When faith and trust are vestiges in vain
Then why confound the heart, why complain?
