For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
داستاں کیوں ہو ۔ بشویشور پرشاد مُنوّر لکھنوی
۱
یہ اتنی برہمی کیوں ہے یہ مجھ سے بد گماں کیوں ہو
جو میں تم کو سناتا ہوں وہ میری داستاں کیوں ہو
۲
الٰہی خیر کیا کوئی مصیبت آنے والی ہے
جو اک دنیا سے کھنچتا ہو وہ مجھ پر مہرباں کیوں ہو
۳
مری غیرت یہ خود آرائی گوارا کر نہیں سکتی
نہ جو میرا خدا ہو وہ خدائے دو جہاں کیوں ہو
۴
رخِ گیتی کا غازہ خاک ہے ان خوش نہادوں کی
وجودِ اہلِ دل اہلِ زمانہ پر گراں کیوں ہو
۵
زمانہ لمحہ لمحہ کام آتا ہے زمانے کے
منورؔ عمر اک میری ہی عمر رائیگاں کیوں ہو
दास्ताँ क्यूँ हो – बिश्वेश्वर प्रसाद मुनव्वर लखनवी
१
ये इतनी बरहमी क्यूँ है ये मुझ से बद-गुमाँ क्यूँ हो
जो मैं तुम को सुनाता हूँ वो मेरी दास्ताँ क्यूँ हो
२
इलाही ख़ैर क्या कोई मुसीबत आने वाली है
जो एक दुनिया से खिंचता हो वो मुझ पर मेहरबाँ क्यूँ हो
३
मेरी ग़ैरत ये ख़ुद-आराई गवारा कर नहीं सकती
न जो मेरा ख़ुदा हो वो ख़ुदा-ए दो-जहाँ क्यूँ हो
४
रुख़-ए गेती का ग़ाज़ा ख़ाक है इन ख़ुश-नहादों की
वजूद-ए अहल-ए दिल अहल-ए ज़माना पर गराँ क्यूँ हो
५
ज़माना लम्हा लम्हा काम आता है ज़माने के
‘मुनव्वर’ उम्र एक मेरी ही उम्र-ए-राएगाँ क्यूँ हो
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. munshi bishweshwar prasad munavvar lakhnavi (1897-1970). It is reported that he started composing in 1910. He was a scholar of arabi, faarsi, urdu, and hindi. His father, munshi dwarka prasad ufaq was also a great poet who recomposed the ramayan in urdu using the same qaafiya for more than 6000 ash’aar. He credits urdu with “saving the hindu religion” because of the many translations of hindu religious texts into urdu because that was the language that more north Indian hindus could relate to, rather than avadhi or sanskrit. This is a tribute to Ghalib composed in the same bahr/meter as Ghalib’s ‘kisi ko de ke dil koii nava-sanj-e fuGhaaN kyuN ho’. Considering the lifespan of the shaa’er and significant dates of commemoration of Ghalib, I date this at 1919.
1
ye itni barhami1 kyuN hai ye mujh se bad-gumaaN2 kyuN ho
jo maiN tum ko sunaata huN vo meri daastaaN3 kyuN ho 1.anger 2.suspicion, displeasure 3.story
The poet/lover has been telling a story to the beloved. It is probably a story of love and of the suffering of the lover. Maybe she reads hidden meanings into it and is displeased/suspicious that he is complaining. He promptly tries to explain it away … why is necessary that this be my story.
2
ilaahi1 Khair2 kya koi musibat aane vaali hai
jo ek duniya se khiNchta3 ho vo mujh par mehrbaaN4 kyuN ho 1.god 2.safety, well being, protection 3.withdraws, pulls back 4.kind
The beloved has been kind to the poet/lover and he grows suspicious and fearful, thinking that this is so unusual that it must be a bad omen and something is going to happen to him. His reaction is, O, god, protect/save me.
3
meri Ghairat1 ye Khud-aaraaii2 gavaara3 kar nahiN sakti
na jo mera Khuda ho vo Khuda-e do-jahaaN4 kyuN ho 1.dignity, self-respect 2.self-regard, self-adoration, ego 3.accept, tolerate 4.two worlds, here and hereafter, universe
If he is not my god then why should he be the god of the whole universe, which is one way of saying that god is universal and not exclusive any one community or religion. The poet’s self respect cannot accept the egotistical thought that his god is exclusively his own.
4
ruKh1-e geti2 ka Ghaaza3 Khaak hai in Khush-nehaadoN4 ki
vajuud5-e ahl6-e dil ahl-e zamaana par garaaN7 kyuN ho 1.face 2.world 3.powder, adornment, make-up 4.good natured 5.existence 6.people of 7.heavy, disagreeable
ahl-e dil are ‘people of heart’ i.e. lovers. They are also ‘Khush nehaad’ i.e. good natured. Ghaaza is red/ochre in colour, like rouge. ‘geti ke ruKh ka Ghaaza is the colour on the horizon at twilight. This is the dust of the “people of love” who could be conventional romantic lovers or people of universal love of humanity. They are so good that their dust is the adornment of the world. So why should their existence/being be disagreeable to the people of the times i.e. world.
5
zamaana1 lamha-lamha2 kaam aata hai zamaane ke
munavaar3 umr4 ek meri hi umr-e raa’egaaN5 kyuN ho 1.times, present times, people of these times 2.minute by minute, all the time 3.pen-name of the poet 4.life 5.wasted
The shaa’er places high value on being useful to others. He observes that the world is always helping each other. He reflects critically on his own life. Why should my life alone should be the one that is wasted is not useful to others.
munshi bishweshwar prasad munavvar lakhnavi (1897-1970). It is reported that he started composing in 1910. He was a scholar of arabi, faarsi, urdu, and hindi. His father, munshi dwarka prasad ufaq was also a great poet who recomposed the ramayan in urdu using the same qaafiya for more than 6000 ash’aar. He credits urdu with “saving the hindu religion” because of the many translations of hindu religious texts into urdu because that was the language that more north Indian hindus could relate to, rather than avadhi or sanskrit. This is a tribute to Ghalib composed in the same bahr/meter as Ghalib’s ‘kisi ko de ke dil koii nava-sanj-e fuGhaaN kyuN ho’. Considering the lifespan of the shaa’er and significant dates of commemoration of Ghalib, I date this at 1919.
1
ye itni barhami1 kyuN hai ye mujh se bad-gumaaN2 kyuN ho
jo maiN tum ko sunaata huN vo meri daastaaN3 kyuN ho
1.anger 2.suspicion, displeasure 3.story
The poet/lover has been telling a story to the beloved. It is probably a story of love and of the suffering of the lover. Maybe she reads hidden meanings into it and is displeased/suspicious that he is complaining. He promptly tries to explain it away … why is necessary that this be my story.
2
ilaahi1 Khair2 kya koi musibat aane vaali hai
jo ek duniya se khiNchta3 ho vo mujh par mehrbaaN4 kyuN ho
1.god 2.safety, well being, protection 3.withdraws, pulls back 4.kind
The beloved has been kind to the poet/lover and he grows suspicious and fearful, thinking that this is so unusual that it must be a bad omen and something is going to happen to him. His reaction is, O, god, protect/save me.
3
meri Ghairat1 ye Khud-aaraaii2 gavaara3 kar nahiN sakti
na jo mera Khuda ho vo Khuda-e do-jahaaN4 kyuN ho
1.dignity, self-respect 2.self-regard, self-adoration, ego 3.accept, tolerate 4.two worlds, here and hereafter, universe
If he is not my god then why should he be the god of the whole universe, which is one way of saying that god is universal and not exclusive any one community or religion. The poet’s self respect cannot accept the egotistical thought that his god is exclusively his own.
4
ruKh1-e geti2 ka Ghaaza3 Khaak hai in Khush-nehaadoN4 ki
vajuud5-e ahl6-e dil ahl-e zamaana par garaaN7 kyuN ho
1.face 2.world 3.powder, rouge, make-up 4.good natured 5.existence 6.people of 7.heavy, disagreeable
ahl-e dil are ‘people of heart’ i.e. lovers. They are also ‘Khush nehaad’ i.e. good natured. Ghaaza is red/ochre in colour, like rouge. ‘geti ke ruKh ka Ghaaza is the colour on the horizon at twilight. This is the dust of the “people of love” who could be conventional romantic lovers or people of universal love of humanity. They are so good that their dust is the adornment of the world. So why should their existence/being be disagreeable to the people of the times i.e. world.
5
zamaana1 lamha-lamha2 kaam aata hai zamaane ke
munavaar3 umr4 ek meri hi umr-e raa’egaaN5 kyuN ho
1.times, present times, people of these times 2.minute by minute, all the time 3.pen-name of the poet 4.life 5.wasted
The shaa’er places high value on being useful to others. He observes that the world is always helping each other. He reflects critically on his own life. Why should my life alone should be the one that is wasted is not useful to others.
