For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
محتاجِ بیاں کیوں ہو ۔ پریم چندر سریواستو مظہرؔ
۱
دیارِ عشق میں آ کر غمِ سود و زیاں کیوں ہو
کسی کو دے کے دل کوئی نوا سنجِ فغاں کیوں ہو
۲
مجھی سے عہد و پیمانِ وفا کی بات کر ہمدم
مزاجِ یارِ نازک پر بھی یہ بارِ گراں کیوں ہو
۳
عجب گمراہ کُن حرص و ہوس کی رہنمائی ہے
سکونِ قلب کا جُویا رواں کیوں ہو دواں کیوں ہو
۴
مثالِ نورِ مہر و ماہ خود چھائے گا عالم پر
ہمارا جذبۂ حق ہو کے محتاجِ بیاں کیوں ہو
۵
رہِ ہستی میں کتنے کُفر ساماں حسن بکھرائے
کسی کی خود نمائی ہو، ہمارا اِمتحاں کیوں ہو
۶
گُلوں سے دِل کو بہلاؤں مگر کانٹوں سے بھی کھیلوں
جمالِ یار کی کوئی بھی صورت رائگاں کیوں ہو
۷
خزاں پر ہے، نہ فصلِ گُل پہ، مظہر اِختیار اُس کا
شکائت باغباں کی کیا ہو، شکرِ باغباں کیوں ہو
मोहताज-ए बयां क्यूं हो – प्रेम चंद्र स्रीवास्तव मज़्हर
१
दयार-ए इश्क़ में आ कर ग़म-ए सूद ओ ज़ियां क्यूं हो
किसी को दे के दिल कोई नवासंज-ए फ़ुग़ां क्यूं हो
२
मुझी से अहद ओ पैमान-ए वफ़ा की बात कर हमदम
मिज़ाज-ए यार-ए नाज़ुक पर भी ये बार-ए गिरां क्यूं हो
३
अजब गुमराह-कुन हिर्स ओ हवस की रहनुमाई है
सुकून-ए क़ल्ब का जूया रवां क्यूं हो दवां क्यूं हो
४
मिसाल-ए नूर-ए महर ओ माह ख़ुद छाएगा आलम पर
हमारा जज़्बा-ए हक़ हो के मोहताज-ए बयां क्यूं हो
५
रह-ए हस्ती में कितने कुफ़्र सामां हुस्न बिख्राये
किसी की ख़ुद-नुमाई हो हमारा इम्तेहां क्यूं हो
६
गुलौं से दिल को बहलाऊं मगर कांटौं से भी खेलूं
जमाल-ए यार की कोई भि सूरत रायगां क्यूं हो
७
ख़िज़ां पर है न फ़स्ल-ए गुल पे, मज़हर एख़्तियार उस का
शिकायत बाग़बां की क्या हो, शुक्र-ए बाग़बां 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. premchandr srivastav mazhar, PhD, principal of a local college, editorial board member for this booklet, chairman of the jabalpur branch of ‘anjuman-e taraqqi-e urdu’. I pick this Ghazal 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
dayaar1-e ishq meN aa kar Gham2-e suud-o-ziyaaN3 kyuN ho
kisi ko de ke dil koii navaasanj4-e fuGhaaN5 kyuN ho 1.realm, domain 2.sorrow, worry 3.profit and loss 4.maker of selective/refined sound 5.wailing, lamentation
In the domain of love why should anyone be worried about profit and loss. Having given away his heart, why should anyone lament and wail.
2
mujhi se ahd-o-paimaan1-e vafa2 ki baat kar hamdam3
mizaaj4-e yaar5-e naazuk6 par bhi ye baar7-e giraaN8 kyuN ho 1.promise and determination 2.fidelity, keeping faith 3.friend 4.nature, character 5.beloved 6.delicate, sensitive 7.burden 8.heavy
Talk only with me (not with the beloved) about the promise and determination of fidelity, my friend. Why put this heavy burden on the sensitive nature of the beloved.
3
ajab1 gumraah-kun2 hirs-o-havas3 ki rahnumaaii4 hai
sukoon5-e qalb6 ki jooya7 ravaaN8 kyuN ho davaaN8 kyuN ho 1.strange 2.misdirect, deceive 3.greed and lust 4.guidance 5.tranquility, peace 6.heart 7.seeker 8.ravaaN-davaaN is a phrase meaning hither-thither, here and there, active
The guidance offered by greed and lust is strangely misguided/deceptive. Why should the seeker of peace of mind look here and there. All he has to do is look inside.
4
misaal1-e noor2-e mahr-o-maah3 Khud chhayega aalam4 par
hamaara jazba-e-haq5 ho ke mohtaaj6-e bayaaN7 kyuN ho 1.similar to, like 2.light 3.sun and moon 4.world 5.true love 6.dependent 7.words, speech
It will spread over the world like the light of the sun and moon. Why should our true love be dependent on speech … it will be self-evident, why do I have to say it.
5
rah1-e hasti2 meN kitne kufr-saamaaN3 husn4 bikhraaye
kisi ki Khud-numaaii5 ho hamaara imtehaaN6 kyuN ho 1.pathway 2.life 3.used here in the sense of temptations 4.beauty 5.self-exhibition 6.test
Let beauty spread any number of temptations on the path of life. It will be someone’s self-exhibition, why should it be our test.
6
guloN1 se dil ko bahlaauN magar kaaNToN se bhi kheluN
jamaal2-e yaar3 ki koii bhi suurat rayegaaN4 kyuN ho 1.roses, flowers 2.glory, beauty 3.friend, beloved, god 4.go to waste
I can entertain myself with flowers but also play with thorns. Why should any aspect of the glory of god be wasted.
7
KhizaaN1 par hai na fasl-e-gul2 pe, mazhar3 eKhtiyaar4 us ka
shikaayet5 baaGhbaaN se kya ho, shukr6-e baaGhbaaN kyuN ho 1.dry season, drought, autumn 2.season of flowers, spring 3.pen-name of poet 4.control, power 5.complaint 6.thanks, gratitude
The baaGhbaaN controls neither the fall nor the spring. Why complain about him or be beholden to him. This is a little confusing. Usually ‘baaGhbaaN’ would be used for god. But then it would be very unusual to say that god has no control over seasons. The poet must be using ‘baaGhbaaN’ for human being. Thus humans have no control over nature. Whey blame them or praise them. The implication is that that should go to god.
This Ghazal is taken from a small booklet published in 1969 by Ghalib shataabdi naagarik samiti, jabalpur. premchandr srivastav mazhar, PhD, principal of a local college, editorial board member for this booklet, chairman of the jabalpur branch of ‘anjuman-e taraqqi-e urdu’. I pick this Ghazal 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
dayaar1-e ishq meN aa kar Gham2-e suud-o-ziyaaN3 kyuN ho
kisi ko de ke dil koii navaasanj4-e fuGhaaN5 kyuN ho
1.realm, domain 2.sorrow, worry 3.profit and loss 4.maker of selective/refined sound 5.wailing, lamentation
In the domain of love why should anyone be worried about profit and loss. Having given away his heart, why should anyone lament and wail.
2
mujhi se ahd-o-paimaan1-e vafa2 ki baat kar hamdam3
mizaaj4-e yaar5-e naazuk6 par bhi ye baar7-e giraaN8 kyuN ho
1.promise and determination 2.fidelity, keeping faith 3.friend 4.nature, character 5.beloved 6.delicate, sensitive 7.burden 8.heavy
Talk only with me (not with the beloved) about the promise and determination of fidelity, my friend. Why put this heavy burden on the sensitive nature of the beloved.
3
ajab1 gumraah-kun2 hirs-o-havas3 ki rahnumaaii4 hai
sukoon5-e qalb6 ki jooya7 ravaaN8 kyuN ho davaaN8 kyuN ho
1.strange 2.misdirect, deceive 3.greed and lust 4.guidance 5.tranquility, peace 6.heart 7.seeker 8.ravaaN-davaaN is a phrase meaning hither-thither, here and there, active
The guidance offered by greed and lust is strangely misguided/deceptive. Why should the seeker of peace of mind look here and there. All he has to do is look inside.
4
misaal1-e noor2-e mahr-o-maah3 Khud chhayega aalam4 par
hamaara jazba-e-haq5 ho ke mohtaaj6-e bayaaN7 kyuN ho
1.similar to, like 2.light 3.sun and moon 4.world 5.true love 6.dependent 7.words, speech
It will spread over the world like the light of the sun and moon. Why should our true love be dependent on speech … it will be self-evident, why do I have to say it.
5
rah1-e hasti2 meN kitne kufr-saamaaN3 husn4 bikhraaye
kisi ki Khud-numaaii5 ho hamaara imtehaaN6 kyuN ho
1.pathway 2.life 3.used here in the sense of temptations 4.beauty 5.self-exhibition 6.test
Let beauty spread any number of temptations on the path of life. It will be someone’s self-exhibition, why should it be our test.
6
guloN1 se dil ko bahlaauN magar kaaNToN se bhi kheluN
jamaal2-e yaar3 ki koii bhi suurat rayegaaN4 kyuN ho
1.roses, flowers 2.glory, beauty 3.friend, beloved, god 4.go to waste
I can entertain myself with flowers but also play with thorns. Why should any aspect of the glory of god be wasted.
7
KhizaaN1 par hai na fasl-e-gul2 pe, mazhar3 eKhtiyaar4 us ka
shikaayet5 baaGhbaaN se kya ho, shukr6-e baaGhbaaN kyuN ho
1.dry season, drought, autumn 2.season of flowers, spring 3.pen-name of poet 4.control, power 5.complaint 6.thanks, gratitude
The baaGhbaaN controls neither the fall nor the spring. Why complain about him or be beholden to him. This is a little confusing. Usually ‘baaGhbaaN’ would be used for god. But then it would be very unusual to say that god has no control over seasons. The poet must be using ‘baaGhbaaN’ for human being. Thus humans have no control over nature. Whey blame them or praise them. The implication is that that should go to god.
