For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
گردِ غم دیکھتے ہیں ۔ نریش کمار شادؔ
۱
کسی رُخ پہ جب گردِ غم دیکھتے ہیں
تو اپنی ہی تصویر ہم دیکھتے ہیں
۲
بڑی بدنصیبی ہے اہلِ نظر کی
خوشی میں بھی آثارِ غم دیکھتے ہیں
۳
بہت دیکھ کر ہم بھی اُس ماہ وش کو
یہ محسوس کرتے ہیں کم دیکھتے ہیں
۴
اری زندگی! ہم تری اُلجھنوں میں
حسینوں کی زُلفوں کے خم دیکھتے ہیں
۵
کسی کی نگاہوں کی بیگانگی میں
ہمیں جانتے ہیں جو ہم دیکھتے ہیں
۶
گناہوں پہ ہوتے ہیں جب منفعل ہم
تذبذب میں چشمِ کرم دیکھتے ہیں
۷
ستم ہے اُسے شادؔ کہتی ہے دنیا
ہم اکثر جسے محوِ غم دیکھتے ہیں
गर्द-ए ग़म देखते हैं – नरेश कुमार शाद
१
किसी रुख़ पे जब गर्द-ए ग़म देखते हैं
तो अपनी ही तस्वीर हम देखते हैं
२
बढी बदनसीबी है अहल-ए नज़र की
ख़ुशी में भी आसार-ए ग़म देखते हैं
३
बहुत देख कर हम भी उस माह-वश को
ये महसूस करते हैं कम देखते हैं
४
अरी ज़िंदगी! हम तेरी उल्झनौं में
हसीनौं कि ज़ुल्फ़ौं के ख़म देखते हैं
५
किसी की निगाहौं कि बेगानगी में
हमीं जांते हैं जो हम देखते हैं
६
गुनाहौं पे होते हैं जब मुनफ़’एल हम
तज़ब्ज़ुब में चश्म-ए करम देखते हैं
७
सितम है उसे शाद कहती है दुनिया
हम अक्सर जिसे महव-ए ग़म देखते हैं
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. naresh kumar shaad (1927-1969) prolific poet, writer, translator. Member Progressive Writers’ Association. Socialist/Communist. Educated and worked in rawalpindi and lahore before partition and then moved to India. In many ash’aar there are subtly hidden meanings sympathetic to the plight of the deprived masses. This Ghazal is modeled after Ghalib’s jahaaN tera naqsh-e qadam dekhte haiN.
1
kisi ruKh pe jab gard-e Gham dekhte haiN
to apni hi tasviir hum dekhte haiN There are at least two possible ways of interpreting this, as empathy or as self-pity. I prefer the former. Whenever we (poets, comrades, thinking people) see the dust/cloud of pain on any face, we see ourselves in it i.e. we feel their pain, we feel as if we are affected too. The self-pity part is that we are reminded of our own pain.
2
baRi bad-nasiibi1 hai ahl-e-nazar2 ki
Khushi meN bhi aasaar3-e Gham dekhte haiN 1.misfortune 2.people of discriminating sight, ability to see through 3.effects
‘ahl-e nazar’ are fellow poets, comrades. They are able to see prosperity and well being among a section of society. But they can see through this happiness and prosperity and see all the pain and deprivation that made this possible. It is our misfortune that we can see the effects of exploitation in this prosperity.
3
bahut dekh kar hum bhi us maah-vash1 ko
ye mahsoos2 karte haiN, kam dekhte haiN 1.moon faced, beautiful, beloved 2.feel
However much we see the beloved, we still feel that it is not enough.
4
ari zindagi! hum teri uljhanoN1 meN
hasiinoN2 ki zulfoN3 ke Kham4 dekhte haiN 1.twists and turns, misfortunes, contradictions 2.beauties, beloved 3.hair 4.curls
This could be a reflection on poets on who still write about the beloved when there is all this misery around them. Instead of writing about the contradictions and misfortunes of life, we write about the curls about the beloved.
5
kisi ki nigaahoN1 ki begaanagi2 meN
hamiiN3 jaante haiN jo hum dekhte haiN 1.glance 2.othering, ignoring 3.only we
The beloved looks at the lover with a glance that she has her mind on something or someone else. Only he can know what he feels, no one else can. On the other hand, this could also be how the privileged look at the deprived and only the sensitive poet is able to see the meaning of this glance look.
6
gunaahoN pe hote haiN jab munfa’el1 hum
tazabzub2 meN chashm-e-karam3 dekhte haiN 1.regretful, shamed 2.restlessness, agitation, uncertainty 3.look of kindness
Whenever we are regretful of our transgressions, in our restlessness and fear we seek the look of kindness/forgiveness. This could mean that we turn towards god in fear. Further, this could be a statement of agreement or a sarcastic observation that thoughts of god are a result of fear.
7
sitam1 hai use shaad2 kahti hai duniya
hum aksar3 jise mahv4-e Gham dekhte haiN 1.injustice, irony 2.pen-name of poet, happy 3.often 4.engrossed, lost
It is ironical that he, who the world calls shaad/happy is often seen engrossed in sorrow.
naresh kumar shaad (1927-1969) prolific poet, writer, translator. Member Progressive Writers’ Association. Socialist/Communist. Educated and worked in rawalpindi and lahore before partition and then moved to India. In many ash’aar there are subtly hidden meanings sympathetic to the plight of the deprived masses. This Ghazal is modeled after Ghalib’s jahaaN tera naqsh-e qadam dekhte haiN.
1
kisi ruKh pe jab gard-e Gham dekhte haiN
to apni hi tasviir hum dekhte haiN
There are at least two possible ways of interpreting this, as empathy or as self-pity. I prefer the former. Whenever we (poets, comrades, thinking people) see the dust/cloud of pain on any face, we see ourselves in it i.e. we feel their pain, we feel as if we are affected too. The self-pity part is that we are reminded of our own pain.
2
baRi bad-nasiibi1 hai ahl-e-nazar2 ki
Khushi meN bhi aasaar3-e Gham dekhte haiN
1.misfortune 2.people of discriminating sight, ability to see through 3.effects
‘ahl-e nazar’ are fellow poets, comrades. They are able to see prosperity and well being among a section of society. But they can see through this happiness and prosperity and see all the pain and deprivation that made this possible. It is our misfortune that we can see the effects of exploitation in this prosperity.
3
bahut dekh kar hum bhi us maah-vash1 ko
ye mahsoos2 karte haiN, kam dekhte haiN
1.moon faced, beautiful, beloved 2.feel
However much we see the beloved, we still feel that it is not enough.
4
ari zindagi! hum teri uljhanoN1 meN
hasiinoN2 ki zulfoN3 ke Kham4 dekhte haiN
1.twists and turns, misfortunes, contradictions 2.beauties, beloved 3.hair 4.curls
This could be a reflection on poets on who still write about the beloved when there is all this misery around them. Instead of writing about the contradictions and misfortunes of life, we write about the curls about the beloved.
5
kisi ki nigaahoN1 ki begaanagi2 meN
hamiiN3 jaante haiN jo hum dekhte haiN
1.glance 2.othering, ignoring 3.only we
The beloved looks at the lover with a glance that she has her mind on something or someone else. Only he can know what he feels, no one else can. On the other hand, this could also be how the privileged look at the deprived and only the sensitive poet is able to see the meaning of this glance look.
6
gunaahoN pe hote haiN jab munfa’el1 hum
tazabzub2 meN chashm-e-karam3 dekhte haiN
1.regretful, shamed 2.restlessness, agitation, uncertainty 3.look of kindness
Whenever we are regretful of our transgressions, in our restlessness and fear we seek the look of kindness/forgiveness. This could mean that we turn towards god in fear. Further, this could be a statement of agreement or a sarcastic observation that thoughts of god are a result of fear.
7
sitam1 hai use shaad2 kahti hai duniya
hum aksar3 jise mahv4-e Gham dekhte haiN
1.injustice, irony 2.pen-name of poet, happy 3.often 4.engrossed, lost
It is ironical that he, who the world calls shaad/happy is often seen engrossed in sorrow.
