For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
سود و زیاں کیوں ہو ۔ پنّالال سریواستو نورؔ
۱
تپش ہو، سوزِ غم ہو، عشق میں لیکن فغاں کیوں ہو
یہ مانا آگ لازم ہے، مگر اس میں دھواں کیوں ہو
۲
لُٹا دی اپنے ہاتھوں جب متاعِ سیم و زر میں نے
تو پھر سنگ ریزاں پر غمِ سود و زیاں کیوں ہو
۳
نگاہِ اوّلیں تو اِنتہائی کیف پرور تھی
وہی دِل میں اُتر کر عمر بھر کو نیشِ جاں کیوں ہو
۴
مرے دل کے علاوہ اور بھی تو وسعتیں ہوں گی
ہمہ آشوب و ہنگامہ یہیں کیوں ہو، یہاں کیوں ہو
۵
مرے زخمِ جِگر کی نوعِیّت کو دیکھ کر یارب
اُنھیں کے دست و بازو پر بھلا سب کو گماں کیوں ہو
۶
ستم مائل وہ ہوں تو خود پہ رشک آ جائے ہے مجھ کو
سِتم پھر غیر پر مانا برائے اِمتحاں کیوں ہو
۷
عطائے غم میں تفریق چاہے میری خودداری
جو سب کی داستانِ غم ہو میری داستاں کیوں ہو
۸
نہ جیتے جی شفا بخشی، نہ جینے کی دعا مانگی
کوئی پھر نورؔ میّت پر ہماری نوحہ خواں کیوں ہو
सूद ओ ज़ियां क्यूं हो – पन्नालाल स्रीवास्तव नूर
१
तपिश हो, सोज़-ए ग़म हो, इश्क़ में लैकिन फ़ुग़ां क्यूं हो
ये माना आग लाज़िम है, मगर इस में धुआं क्यूं हो
२
लुटा दी अपने हाथौं जब मता’-ए सीम ओ ज़र मैं ने
तो फीर संग-रेज़ां पर ग़म-ए सूद ओ ज़ियां क्यूं हो
३
निगाह-ए अव्वलीं तो इन्तेहाई कैफ़ परवर थी
वही दिल में उतर कर उम्र भर को नीश-ए जां क्यूं हो
४
मेरे दील के अलावा और भी तो वुस’अतें होंगी
हमा’ आशोब ओ हंगामा यहीं क्यूं हो, यहां क्यूं हो
५
मेरे ज़ख़्म-ए जिगर की नौ’इय्यत को देख कर यारब
उन्हीं के दस्त ओ बाज़ू पर भला सब को गुमां क्यूं हो
६
सितम मा’एल वो हों तो ख़ुद पे रश्क आ जाए है मुझ को
सितम फिर ग़ैर पर माना बराये इम्तेहां क्यूं हो
७
अता-ए ग़म में तफ़्रीक़ चाहे मेरी ख़ुद-दारी
जो सब की दास्तान-ए ग़म हो मेरी दास्तां क्यूं हो
८
न जीते जी शिफ़ा बख़्शी, न जीने का दुआ मांगी
कोई फिर नूर मय्यत पर हमारी नौहा-ख़्वां क्यूं हो
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. This Ghazal is taken from a small booklet published in 1969 by Ghalib shataabdi naagarik samiti, jabalpur. Ghalib Centennial Citizens Committee! pannalal srivastav noor BA LLB, ex-mayor of jabalpur, ex-chair of anjuman-e taraqqi-e urdu, jabalpur. I pick this Khiraaj as representative of the wide following that urdu had even in 1969! How rapidly was the language murdered! This is one of several Ghazal modeled after “na ho jab dil hi seene meN to phir muNh meN zabaaN kyuN ho”. The ‘samiti’ held several mushaa’era over a two year period using one Ghazal or the other of Ghalib’s as a model.
1
tapish1 ho, soz2-e Gham3 ho, ishq meN laikin fuGhaaN4 kyuN ho
ye maana aag laazim5 hai, magar is meN dhuaaN kyuN ho 1.restlessness 2.pain 3.sorrow/love 4.wailing 5.necessary
Poetic tradition says that the poet/lover must suffer quietly so as not to malign the name of the beloved. Yes, there is restlessness, there is pain but why should there be (loud) wailing. I agree that fire is necessary/unavoidable, but why should there be smoke (that everyone can see).
2
luTa di apne haathoN jab mataa1-e seem-o-zar2 maiN ne
to phir saNg-rezaaN3 par Gham-e sood-o-ziyaaN4 kyuN ho 1.treasure 2.silver and gold 3.pebbles 4.profit and loss
I have willingly lost/given away/given up my treasure of silver and gold. Why then should I be sorrowful/worry about profit and loss over pebbles i.e. I have given away my heart and soul, why should I worry about worldly goods.
3
nigaah1-e avvaliN2 to intehaaii3 kaif-parvar4 thi
vahi dil meN utar kar umr bhar ko niish5-e jaaN kyuN ho 1.sight, glance 2.first 3.extremely 4.comfort/pleasure giving 5.wound, cut
This could either be the poet/lover seeing the beloved for the first time or the beloved’s first glance of him. In either case, this was extremely comforting/pleasurable. Then why has it descended into the heart and become a lifelong wound of the soul.
4
mere dil ke alaava1 aur bhi to vus’ateN2 hoNgi
hama’3 aashob4 o haNgaama5 yahiN kyuN ho, yahaaN kyuN ho 1.in addition to 2.open spaces 3.all 4.dread, uproar 5.disturbance
The poet/lover thinks that all calamities of the world visit his heart. Are there not any other open spaces where they can go!
5
mere zaKhm1-e jigar2 ki nau’iyyat3 ko dekh kar yaarab4
unhiN ke dast-o-baazu5 par bhala sub ko gumaaN6 kyuN ho 1.wound 2.liver/heart 3.condition, state 4.my lord 5.hands and arms 6.suspicion
Everyone can see the condition of the poet/lover’s wound of the heart, and they immediately suspect the arms and hands of the beloved i.e. that she caused this wound. He wonders why it has to be so.
6
sitam1 maa’el2 vo hoN to Khud pe rashk3 aa jaaye hai mujh ko
sitam1 phir Ghair4 par maana baraaye5 imtehaaN kyuN ho 1.cruelty 2.inclined towards 3.envy 4.other, rival 5.for the sake of, with the intention of
If the beloved is inclined towards torturing the poet/lover he is happy to the point of being envious of himself, considering himself very fortunate. Then why should she torture the rival even if only with the intention of testing him. He would rather bear it all himself.
7
ataa1-e Gham2 meN tafreeq3 chaahe meri Khud-daari4
jo sub ki daastaan5-e Gham ho meri daastaaN kyuN ho 1.grant 2.sorrow/pain (of love) 3.differentiation, uniqueness 4.self-respect 5.story
It is the beloved who is granting the pain of love. The poet/lover is happy to accept it, but he would like to have unique/monopolistic claim to it. Why should the story of my pain be the same as that of others.
8
na jeete ji shifa1 baKhshi2, na jeene ki dua maaNgi
koi phir noor3 mayyat4 par hamaari nauha-KhwaaN5 kyuN ho 1.cure, remedy 2.grant 3.pen-name of the poet 4.funeral 5.wailing
The poet/lover is dead (but he can still observe his own funeral and write about it). The beloved has not bothered to come to the funeral or weep. The poet/lover is not surprised. After all she never offered a remedy of his pain (of love) not did she pray for his life as he lay dying. Whey should she now come to the funeral to wail.
This Ghazal is taken from a small booklet published in 1969 by Ghalib shataabdi naagarik samiti, jabalpur. Ghalib Centennial Citizens Committee! pannalal srivastav noor BA LLB, ex-mayor of jabalpur, ex-chair of anjuman-e taraqqi-e urdu, jabalpur. I pick this Khiraaj as representative of the wide following that urdu had even in 1969! How rapidly was the language murdered! This is one of several Ghazal modeled after “na ho jab dil hi seene meN to phir muNh meN zabaaN kyuN ho”. The ‘samiti’ held several mushaa’era over a two year period using one Ghazal or the other of Ghalib’s as a model.
1
tapish1 ho, soz2-e Gham3 ho, ishq meN laikin fuGhaaN4 kyuN ho
ye maana aag laazim5 hai, magar is meN dhuaaN kyuN ho
1.restlessness 2.pain 3.sorrow/love 4.wailing 5.necessary
Poetic tradition says that the poet/lover must suffer quietly so as not to malign the name of the beloved. Yes, there is restlessness, there is pain but why should there be (loud) wailing. I agree that fire is necessary/unavoidable, but why should there be smoke (that everyone can see).
2
luTa di apne haathoN jab mataa1-e seem-o-zar2 maiN ne
to phir saNg-rezaaN3 par Gham-e sood-o-ziyaaN4 kyuN ho
1.treasure 2.silver and gold 3.pebbles 4.profit and loss
I have willingly lost/given away/given up my treasure of silver and gold. Why then should I be sorrowful/worry about profit and loss over pebbles i.e. I have given away my heart and soul, why should I worry about worldly goods.
3
nigaah1-e avvaliN2 to intehaaii3 kaif-parvar4 thi
vahi dil meN utar kar umr bhar ko niish5-e jaaN kyuN ho
1.sight, glance 2.first 3.extremely 4.comfort/pleasure giving 5.wound, cut
This could either be the poet/lover seeing the beloved for the first time or the beloved’s first glance of him. In either case, this was extremely comforting/pleasurable. Then why has it descended into the heart and become a lifelong wound of the soul.
4
mere dil ke alaava1 aur bhi to vus’ateN2 hoNgi
hama’3 aashob4 o haNgaama5 yahiN kyuN ho, yahaaN kyuN ho
1.in addition to 2.open spaces 3.all 4.dread, uproar 5.disturbance
The poet/lover thinks that all calamities of the world visit his heart. Are there not any other open spaces where they can go!
5
mere zaKhm1-e jigar2 ki nau’iyyat3 ko dekh kar yaarab4
unhiN ke dast-o-baazu5 par bhala sub ko gumaaN6 kyuN ho
1.wound 2.liver/heart 3.condition, state 4.my lord 5.hands and arms 6.suspicion
Everyone can see the condition of the poet/lover’s wound of the heart, and they immediately suspect the arms and hands of the beloved i.e. that she caused this wound. He wonders why it has to be so.
6
sitam1 maa’el2 vo hoN to Khud pe rashk3 aa jaaye hai mujh ko
sitam1 phir Ghair4 par maana baraaye5 imtehaaN kyuN ho
1.cruelty 2.inclined towards 3.envy 4.other, rival 5.for the sake of, with the intention of
If the beloved is inclined towards torturing the poet/lover he is happy to the point of being envious of himself, considering himself very fortunate. Then why should she torture the rival even if only with the intention of testing him. He would rather bear it all himself.
7
ataa1-e Gham2 meN tafreeq3 chaahe meri Khud-daari4
jo sub ki daastaan5-e Gham ho meri daastaaN kyuN ho
1.grant 2.sorrow/pain (of love) 3.differentiation, uniqueness 4.self-respect 5.story
It is the beloved who is granting the pain of love. The poet/lover is happy to accept it, but he would like to have unique/monopolistic claim to it. Why should the story of my pain be the same as that of others.
8
na jeete ji shifa1 baKhshi2, na jeene ki dua maaNgi
koi phir noor3 mayyat4 par hamaari nauha-KhwaaN5 kyuN ho
1.cure, remedy 2.grant 3.pen-name of the poet 4.funeral 5.wailing
The poet/lover is dead (but he can still observe his own funeral and write about it). The beloved has not bothered to come to the funeral or weep. The poet/lover is not surprised. After all she never offered a remedy of his pain (of love) not did she pray for his life as he lay dying. Whey should she now come to the funeral to wail.
