Recitation
ستم زدگان ۔ مرزا غالب
١
کیا تنگ ہم ستم زدگاں کا جہان ہے
جس میں کہ ایک بیضۂ مور آسمان ہے
٢
ہے کائنات کو حرکت تیرے ذوق سے
پرتو سے آفتاب کے ذرّے میں جان ہے
٣
حالانکہ ہے یہ سیلیِ خارا سے لالہ رنگ
غافل کو میرے شیشے پہ مے کا گمان ہے
٤
کی اس نے گرم سینۂ اہلِ ہوس میں جا
آوے نہ کیوں پسند کہ ٹھنڈا مکان ہے
٥
کیا خوب تم نے غیر کو بوسہ نہیں دیا
بس چپ رہو ہمارے بھی منہ میں زبان ہے
٦
بیٹھا ہے جو کہ سایۂ دیوارِ یار میں
فرماں روائے کشورِ ہندوستان ہے
٧
ہستی کا اعتبار بھی غم نے مٹا دیا
کس سے کہوں کہ داغ جگر کا نشان ہے
٨
ہے بارے اعتمادِ وفا داری اس قدر
غالب ہم اس میں خوش ہیں کہ نا مہربان ہے
सितम-ज़दगान – मिर्ज़ा ग़ालिब
1
क्या तंग हम सितम-ज़दगाँ का जहान है
जिस में कि एक बैज़ा‐ए मोर आसमान है
2
है काइनात को हरकत तेरे ज़ौक़ से
परतव से आफ़ताब के ज़र्रे में जान है
3
हालांकि है ये सीली‐ए ख़ारा से लाला रंग
ग़ाफ़िल को मेरे शीशे पे मै का गुमान है
4
की उस ने गरम सीना‐ए अह्ल‐ए हवस में जा
आवे न क्यूँ पसंद कि ठंडा मकान है
5
क्या ख़ूब तुम ने ग़ैर को बोसा नहीं दिया
बस चुप रहो हमारे भी मुंह में ज़बान है
6
बैठा है जो कि साया‐ए दीवार‐ए यार में
फ़र्मां-रवा‐ए किशवर‐ए हिंदूस्तान है
7
हस्ती का एतबार भी ग़म ने मिटा दिया
किस से कहूँ कि दाग़ जिगर का निशान है
8
है बारे एतमाद‐ए वफ़ा-दारी इस क़दर
ग़ालिब हम इस में ख़ुश हैं कि ना-मेहरबान है
sitamzadagaan – mirza Ghalib
Click on any she’r for word meanings and discussion.
1
kyaa tang1 ham sitam-zadagaaN2 kaa jahaan3 hai
jis meN kih ek baizah4-e mor5 aasmaan hai1.tight, narrow, small 2.victims of injustice, oppression 3.world 4.egg, (egg shell) 5.ant
How small and confining is this world for us, the victims of oppression. It is like an ant’s egg shell (the sky is confining, closing in on us, is oppressive). Who are the “us” – the lovers, of course. But it could also be all humanity from which a Sufiyana interpretation of the futility of this material world follows.
2
hai kaainaat1 ko harakat2 tere zauq3 se
partav4 se aaftaab5 ke zarre6 meN jaan hai1.universe, creation 2.movement, life 3.taste 4.reflection 5.sun 6.specks, particles
Just like the sun’s rays give life to every speck, so does “your zauq/taste/pleasure/goodness” give life to the most insignificant particles. The “you” in “your zauq” can be the beloved or god and the particles/specks/zarra are the lovers.
3
haalaaNke1 hai yeh siilii2-e Khaaraa3 se laalah-raNg4
Ghaafil5 ko mere shiishe pah mai6 kaa gumaan7 hai1.even though 2.blow 3.stone, flint 4.tulip coloured (red) 5.careless, unmindful 6.wine 7.suspicion
The poet/lover has arrived at the assembly/party of the beloved. Everyone is flushed, red from drinking/enjoying wine. But the poet/lover has received a blow that has caused redness and the careless observer thinks that he too has been enjoying wine, when the truth is that he has been deprived.
4
kii us ne garm siinah-e ahl-e havas1 meN jaa
aave nah kyuuN pasand kih ThanDaa makaan hai1.people of lust, rival(s)
The beloved has made (comfortable/warm place) room for herself in the heart of the lustful people. This is a derisive statement. They are not true loves, they are lecherous/lustful pretenders (only the poet is the true lover). Why would she not like that place it is cool i.e. it is devoid of any heat of passion – a double strike against the rival!
5
kyaa Khoob1 tum ne Ghair2 ko bosah3 nahiiN diyaa
bas chup raho hamaare bhii muNh meN zabaan hai1.how nice 2.other, rival 3.kiss
How nice, you tell me that you have not kissed the rival … (but I know the truth). Do be quiet, I too have a tongue in my mouth i.e. I can speak and reveal the truth.
6
baiThaa hai jo ke saaya1-e diivaar-e yaar2 meN
farmaaN-ravaa3-e kishvar4-e hindostaan hai1.shade, shadow, protection 2.wall of the beloved 3.one who issues decrees/orders 4.domain
To sit in the shadow of the wall of the beloved is to have a favoured position, protection and patronage. Such patronage and favour is enough to make the lover the emperor of Hindostan! The one who issues decrees is the emperor. On the other had this she’r might be construed as addressed to the emperor – O emperor even you sit in the shadow of the wall of the beloved.
7
hastii1 kaa itibaar2 bhii Gham ne miTaa diyaa
kis se kahuuN ke daaGh3 jigar kaa nishaan hai1.existence 2.confidence, credibility 3.scar, wound
There is a lot of convention/implication and therefore ambiguity in this she’r. The poet/lover has suffered a lot of sorrow, so much so that his liver (seat of fortitude) has melted away and only a scar/wound is left. I have suffered so much sorrow that any credibility that “it” ever existed has been erased. How can I tell anyone that this scar is the mark left by my liver!
8
hai baare1 itimaad2-e vafaa-daarii3 is qadar4
Ghalib hum is meN Khush haiN kih naa-mehrbaan5 hai1.one time, all at once 2.confidence 3.keeping faith 4.so much 5.unkind
In Ghazal convention the beloved is unkind to the lover but the lover stays faithful and cheerfully accepts all cruelty. This has been going on for a while and now all of a sudden she is confident that he will never forsake his love and dishes out cruelty. The lover is happy in it. Alternatively, in the first misra the lover has gone through so much practice that he is finally confident in himself that he will be able to bear it all without forsaking his love. So he is happy to be at the receiving end of all cruelty.
sitamzadagaan – mirza Ghalib
1
kyaa tang1 ham sitam-zadagaaN2 kaa jahaan3 hai
jis meN kih ek baizah4-e mor5 aasmaan hai
1.tight, narrow, small 2.victims of injustice, oppression 3.world 4.egg, (egg shell) 5.ant
How small and confining is this world for us, the victims of oppression. It is like an ant’s egg shell (the sky is confining, closing in on us, is oppressive). Who are the “us” – the lovers, of course. But it could also be all humanity from which a Sufiyana interpretation of the futility of this material world follows.
2
hai kaainaat1 ko harakat2 tere zauq3 se
partav4 se aaftaab5 ke zarre6 meN jaan hai
1.universe, creation 2.movement, life 3.taste 4.reflection 5.sun 6.specks, particles
Just like the sun’s rays give life to every speck, so does “your zauq/taste/pleasure/goodness” give life to the most insignificant particles. The “you” in “your zauq” can be the beloved or god and the particles/specks/zarra are the lovers.
3
haalaaNke1 hai yeh siilii2-e Khaaraa3 se laalah-raNg4
Ghaafil5 ko mere shiishe pah mai6 kaa gumaan7 hai
1.even though 2.blow 3.stone, flint 4.tulip coloured (red) 5.careless, unmindful 6.wine 7.suspicion
The poet/lover has arrived at the assembly/party of the beloved. Everyone is flushed, red from drinking/enjoying wine. But the poet/lover has received a blow that has caused redness and the careless observer thinks that he too has been enjoying wine, when the truth is that he has been deprived.
4
kii us ne garm siinah-e ahl-e havas1 meN jaa
aave nah kyuuN pasand kih ThanDaa makaan hai
1.people of lust, rival(s)
The beloved has made (comfortable/warm place) room for herself in the heart of the lustful people. This is a derisive statement. They are not true loves, they are lecherous/lustful pretenders (only the poet is the true lover). Why would she not like that place it is cool i.e. it is devoid of any heat of passion – a double strike against the rival!
5
kyaa Khoob1 tum ne Ghair2 ko bosah3 nahiiN diyaa
bas chup raho hamaare bhii muNh meN zabaan hai
1.how nice 2.other, rival 3.kiss
How nice, you tell me that you have not kissed the rival … (but I know the truth). Do be quiet, I too have a tongue in my mouth i.e. I can speak and reveal the truth.
6
baiThaa hai jo ke saaya1-e diivaar-e yaar2 meN
farmaaN-ravaa3-e kishvar4-e hindostaan hai
1.shade, shadow, protection 2.wall of the beloved 3.one who issues decrees/orders 4.domain
To sit in the shadow of the wall of the beloved is to have a favoured position, protection and patronage. Such patronage and favour is enough to make the lover the emperor of Hindostan! The one who issues decrees is the emperor. On the other had this she’r might be construed as addressed to the emperor – O emperor even you sit in the shadow of the wall of the beloved.
7
hastii1 kaa itibaar2 bhii Gham ne miTaa diyaa
kis se kahuuN ke daaGh3 jigar kaa nishaan hai
1.existence 2.confidence, credibility 3.scar, wound
There is a lot of convention/implication and therefore ambiguity in this she’r. The poet/lover has suffered a lot of sorrow, so much so that his liver (seat of fortitude) has melted away and only a scar/wound is left. I have suffered so much sorrow that any credibility that “it” ever existed has been erased. How can I tell anyone that this scar is the mark left by my liver!
8
hai baare1 itimaad2-e vafaa-daarii3 is qadar4
Ghalib hum is meN Khush haiN kih naa-mehrbaan5 hai
1.one time, all at once 2.confidence 3.keeping faith 4.so much 5.unkind
In Ghazal convention the beloved is unkind to the lover but the lover stays faithful and cheerfully accepts all cruelty. This has been going on for a while and now all of a sudden she is confident that he will never forsake his love and dishes out cruelty. The lover is happy in it. Alternatively, in the first misra the lover has gone through so much practice that he is finally confident in himself that he will be able to bear it all without forsaking his love. So he is happy to be at the receiving end of all cruelty.
sitamzadagaan – mirza Ghalib – Raina’s Rendition
1
How small this various world to those who are but ill content
For us the sky could verily be the eggshell of an ant
2
Countless worlds in your pursuit take motion, one by one
Just as specks have radiant life because of the radiant sun
3
The brittle heart that broken lay upon the path was mine
They looked at the pool of red, and said, “What a wasted cup of wine”
4
You do maintain no rival did obtain a kiss from you
Ah, hold it here, for you must know, I know a thing or two
5
This eviol world made her succumb out of sheer desire
Well may she like her cool abode, so quickly drained of fire
8
O Ghalib, I am content in that she treats me callously
For, could she not trust my love for her she couldn’t so callous be
