For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the “Roman” or “Notes” tab.
Recitation
لگتا ہے کہ تم ہو ۔ احمد سلمان
۱
شبنم ہے کہ دھوکا ہے کہ جھرنا ہے کہ تم ہو
دل دشت میں اک پیاس تماشہ ہے کہ تم ہو
۲
اِک لفظ میں بھٹکا ہوا شاعر ہے کہ میں ہوں
اِک غیب سے آیا ہوا مصرع ہے کہ تم ہو
۳
دروازہ بھی جیسے مری دھڑکن سے جڑا ہے
دستک ہی بتاتی ہے پرایا ہے کہ تم ہو
۴
اِک دھوپ سے اُلجھا ہوا سایہ ہے کہ میں ہوں
اِک شام کے ہونے کا بھروسہ ہے کہ تم ہو
۵
میں ہوں بھی تو لگتا ہے کہ جیسے میں نہیں ہوں
تم ہو بھی نہیں اور یہ لگتا ہے کہ تم ہو
लगतअ है के तुम हो – अहमद सल्मान
१
शब्नम है के धोका है के झरना है के तुम हो
दिल-दश्त में एक प्यास तमाशा है के तुम हो
२
एक लफ़्ज़ में भटका हुआ शा’एर है के मैं हूँ
एक ग़ैब से आया हुआ मिस्रा है के तुम हो
३
दरवाज़ा भी जैसे मेरी धड़कन से जुड़ा है
दस्तक ही बताती है पराया है के तुम हो
४
एक धूप से उलझा हुआ साया है के मैं हूँ
एक शाम के होने का भरोसा है के तुम हो
५
मैं हूँ भी तो लगता है के जैसे मैं नहीं हूँ
तुम हो भी नहीं और ये लगता है के तुम हो
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. ahmad salman (1964-????). Lives and writes in karachi. I don’t know much more than this about him. This Ghazal is a part of a collection of several with the refrain ‘lagta hai ke tum ho’. Enter this in the search box to see all – jaaN nisaar aKhtar, ahmad faraz, sarfaraz Khalid, ahmad salman and masooda hayaat.
1
shabnam hai keh dhoka hai keh jharna hai keh tum ho
dil-dasht1 meN ek pyaas tamaasha2 hai keh tum ho 1.heart like a desert, barren heart 2.display, manifestation
The poet’s heart is barren, thirsting for love. He imagines cooling, soothing thoughts like dew, waterfall but it all a deception/illusion. His heart is still thirsty but has a display of the beloved.
2
ek lafz1 meN bhaTka2 hua shaa’er hai keh maiN huuN
ek Ghaib3 se aaya hua misra4 hai keh tum ho 1.word 2.lost, wandering 3.unknown, mysterious, divine 4.one line of a she’r
The poet thinks of himself as a shaa’er lost in the jungle of words. Not coherent, not beautiful. But she is like a ‘misra’, composed/musical line descended from the divine.
3
darvaaza bhi jaise meri dhaRkan se juRa hai
dastak1 hi bataati hai paraaya hai keh tum ho 1.knock at the door
It is as if the door/knocker is connected to the poet’s heartbeat. The sound of the knocker at the door tells him if it is someone else or the beloved.
4
ek dhuup se uljha1 hua saaya hai keh maiN huuN
ek shaam keh hone ka bharosa2 hai keh tum ho 1.tangled, conflicted 2.dependability
The poet looks upon himself as weak and ineffective as if a shadow is trying to confront sunshine. It will always lose. But the beloved is strong/steady/dependable. This dependability is of her beauty not of her promise to return his love.
5
maiN huuN bhi to lagta hai keh jaise maiN nahiN huuN
tum ho bhi nahiN aur ye lagta hai keh tum ho He is present, but he is so inconsequential and lost and that he might as well not be there. But she is not present, still her presence is keenly felt.
ahmad salman (1964-????). Lives and writes in karachi. I don’t know much more than this about him. This Ghazal is a part of a collection of several others with the refrain ‘lagta hai keh tum ho’. Enter this in the search box to see all – jaaN nisaar aKhtar, ahmad faraz, sarfaraz Khalid, ahmad salman and masooda hayaat.
1
shabnam hai keh dhoka hai keh jharna hai keh tum ho
dil-dasht1 meN ek pyaas tamaasha2 hai keh tum ho
1.heart like a desert, barren heart 2.display, manifestation
The poet’s heart is barren, thirsting for love. He imagines cooling, soothing thoughts like dew, waterfall but it all a deception/illusion. His heart is still thirsty but has a display of the beloved.
2
ek lafz1 meN bhaTka2 hua shaa’er hai keh maiN huuN
ek Ghaib3 se aaya hua misra4 hai keh tum ho
1.word 2.lost, wandering 3.unknown, mysterious, divine 4.one line of a she’r
The poet thinks of himself as a shaa’er lost in the jungle of words. Not coherent, not beautiful. But she is like a ‘misra’, composed/musical line descended from the divine.
3
darvaaza bhi jaise meri dhaRkan se juRa hai
dastak1 hi bataati hai paraaya hai keh tum ho
1.knock at the door
It is as if the door/knocker is connected to the poet’s heartbeat. The sound of the knocker at the door tells him if it is someone else or the beloved.
4
ek dhuup se uljha1 hua saaya hai keh maiN huuN
ek shaam keh hone ka bharosa2 hai keh tum ho
1.tangled, conflicted 2.dependability
The poet looks upon himself as weak and ineffective as if a shadow is trying to confront sunshine. It will always lose. But the beloved is strong/steady/dependable. This dependability is of her beauty not of her promise to return his love.
5
maiN huuN bhi to lagta hai keh jaise maiN nahiN huuN
tum ho bhi nahiN aur ye lagta hai keh tum ho
He is present, but he is so inconsequential and lost and that he might as well not be there. But she is not present, still her presence is keenly felt.
