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Recitation
recitation by gulzar
یادِ غالب ۔ سمپورن سنگھ گلزار
بَلّی ماراں كے محلے کی وہ پیچیدہ دلیلوں کی سی گلیاں
سامنے ٹال کی نُکّڑ پہ بٹیروں كےقصیدے
گڑگڑاتی ہوئی پان کی پیکوں کی وہ داد وہ واہ وا
چند دروازوں پہ لٹکے ہوئے بوسیدہ سے کچھ ٹاٹ كے پردے
ایک بکری کے ممیانے کی آواز
اور دھندلائی ہوئی شام كے بے نور اندھیرے سائے
ایسے دیواروں سے منه جوڑ كے چلتے ہیں یہاں
چوڑی والاں کے کٹرے کی بڑی بی جیسے
اپنی بجھتی ہوئی آنکھوں سے دروازے ٹٹولے
اِسی بے نوراندھیری سی گلی قاسم سے
ایک ترتیب چراغوں کی شروع ہوتی ہے
ایک قرآنِ سخن کا بھی ورق کھلتا ہے
اسداللہ خاں غالب کا پتہ ملتا ہے
याद-ए ग़ालिब
बल्लीमारां के मोहल्ले की वो पेचीदा दलीलौं की सी गालियां
सामने टाल की नुक्कड़ पे बटेरों के क़सीदे
गुड़गुड़ाती हुई पान की पीकों की वो दाद वो वाह वा
चंद दरवाज़ों पे लटके हुए बोसीदा से कुछ टाट के परदे
एक बकरी के मिमियाने की आवाज़
और धुन्दलाई हुई शाम के बेनूर अंधेरे साए
ऐसे दीवारौं से मुंह जोड़ के चलते हैं यहां
चूड़ी वालां के कटरे की बड़ी बी जैसे
अपनी बुझती हुई आंखौं से दरवाज़े टटोले
इसी बेनूर अंधेरी सी गली क़ासिम से
एक तरतीब चराग़ों की शुरू होती है
एक क़ुर’आन-ए सुख़न का भी वरक़ खुलता है
असदुल्लाह ख़ाँ ग़ालिब का पता मिलता है
yaad-e Ghalib – gulzar
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. sampooran siNgh kalra gulzar (1938-living). urud poet, lover of urdu, lyricist, produced TV serial mirza Ghalib in 1988. This tribute to Ghalib was used in the serial. I am dating it 1988, though it could have been written in 1969.
balli-maraaN1 ke mohalle ki vo pechida2 dalilauN3 ki si galiyaaN
samne Taal ki nukkaR pe baTerauN4 ke qaside5
guRguRaati hui paan ki peekauN ki vo daad6 vo vaah va
chand7 darvazauN pe laTke hue bosida8 se kuchh TaaT ke parde
ek bakri ke mimiyaane ki aavaaz1.an area in old Dehli where Ghalib lived 2.complex 3.arguments 4.quail 5.ode written in praise, bird song 6.praise 7.a few 8.decayed
Ghalib is known for verse with complex (almost convoluted) logic. gulzar is comparing (lovingly and with respect) the convoluted streets of Old Dehli with the logic in Ghalib’s she’r. Through the convoluted streets of ballimaraan, around the corner, beyond the firewood stall, where quails in their cages sing eulogies as if gurgling vaah-vaah through mouthfuls of paan, a few torn gunny sacks for curtains, the bleating of a goat …
aur dhundlaai1 hui shaam ke be-noor2 andhere saae
aise divaarauN se muNh joR ke chalte haiN yahaN
chooRi-valaan3 ke kaTre4 ki baRi-bee jaise
apni bujhti5 hui aaNkhauN se darvaaze TaTole6 1.hazy 2.dark 3.a street name, named after bangle sellers of the street 4.cubby hole, small room/space in somebody’s house 5.fading 6.search/feel (with fingers)
The picture is one of an old woman renting space in somebody’s house in a narrow street and because of her fading eyesight she runs her fingers along the wall to find the door. In the hazy late evening, dark shadows walk along the walls just like this old woman.
isi be-noor andheri si gali qasim se
ek tartib1 charaGhauN ki shuru hoti hai
ek quraan-e suKhan2 ka bhi varaq3 khulta hai
asadullah KhaaN Ghalib ka pata milta hai1.arrangement, order 2.great/holy book of verse 3.leaf of a book gulzar likens the book of verses of Ghalib to the Qura’an in stature.
In this very alley named Qasim, devoid of light, you come upon an arrangement of devotional lamps and a page of a great book of verse opens. This is where you find the wherabouts of asadullah KhaaN Ghalib!
sampooran siNgh kalra gulzar (1938-living). urud poet, lover of urdu, lyricist, produced TV serial mirza Ghalib in 1988. This tribute to Ghalib was used in the serial. I am dating it 1988, though it could have been written in 1969.
balli-maraaN1 ke mohalle ki vo pechida2 dalilauN3 ki si galiyaaN
samne Taal ki nukkaR pe baTerauN4 ke qaside5
guRguRaati hui paan ki peekauN ki vo daad6 vo vaah va
chand7 darvazauN pe laTke hue bosida8 se kuchh TaaT ke parde
ek bakri ke mimiyaane ki aavaaz
1.an area in old Dehli where Ghalib lived 2.complex 3.arguments 4.quail 5.ode written in praise, bird song 6.praise 7.a few 8.decayed
Ghalib is known for verse with complex (almost convoluted) logic. gulzar is comparing (lovingly and with respect) the convoluted streets of Old Dehli with the logic in Ghalib’s she’r. Through the convoluted streets of ballimaraan, around the corner, beyond the firewood stall, where quails in their cages sing eulogies as if gurgling vaah-vaah through mouthfuls of paan, a few torn gunny sacks for curtains, the bleating of a goat …
aur dhundlaai1 hui shaam ke be-noor2 andhere saae
aise divaarauN se muNh joR ke chalte haiN yahaN
chooRi-valaan3 ke kaTre4 ki baRi-bee jaise
apni bujhti5 hui aaNkhauN se darvaaze TaTole6
1.hazy 2.dark 3.a street name, named after bangle sellers of the street 4.cubby hole, small room/space in somebody’s house 5.fading 6.search/feel (with fingers)
The picture is one of an old woman renting space in somebody’s house in a narrow street and because of her fading eyesight she runs her fingers along the wall to find the door. In the hazy late evening, dark shadows walk along the walls just like this old woman.
isi be-noor andheri si gali qasim se
ek tartib1 charaGhauN ki shuru hoti hai
ek quraan-e suKhan2 ka bhi varaq3 khulta hai
asadullah KhaaN Ghalib ka pata milta hai
1.arrangement, order 2.great/holy book of verse 3.leaf of a book
gulzar likens the book of verses of Ghalib to the Qura’an in stature. In this very alley named Qasim, devoid of light, you come upon an arrangement of devotional lamps and a page of a great book of verse opens. This is where you find the wherabouts of asadullah KhaaN Ghalib!
