For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
یہ خیال اچھا ہے ۔ مرزا غالبؔ
۱
حسنِ مہ گرچہ بہ ہنگامِ کمال اچھا ہے
اس سے میرا مہہ خورشید جمال اچھا ہے
۲
بوسہ دیتے نہیں اور دل پہ ہے ہر لحظہ نگاہ
جی میں کہتے ہیں کہ مفت آئے تو مال اچھا ہے
۳
اور بازار سے لے آئے اگر ٹوٹ گیا
ساغرِ جم سے مرا جامِ سفال اچھا ہے
۴
بے طلب دیں تو مزا اس میں سوا ملتا ہے
وہ گدا جس کو نہ ہو خوئے سوال اچھا ہے
۵
اُن کے دیکھے سے جو آ جاتی ہے منہ پر رونق
وہ سمجھتے ہیں کہ بیمار کا حال اچھا ہے
۶
دیکھیے پاتے ہیں عشاق بتوں سے کیا فیض
اک برہمن نے کہا ہے کہ یہ سال اچھا ہے
۷
ہم سخن تیشہ نے فرہاد کو شیریں سے کیا
جس طرح کا کہ کسی میں ہو کمال اچھا ہے
۸
قطرہ دریا میں جو مل جاے تو دریا ہو جائے
کام اچھا ہے وہ جس کا کہ مآل اچھا ہے
۹
خضر سلطاں کو رکھے خالق اکبر سرسبز
شاہ کے باغ میں یہ تازہ نہال اچھا ہے
۱۰
ہم کو معلوم ہے جنت کی حقیقت لیکن
دل کے خوش رکھنے کو غالبؔ یہ خیال اچھا ہے
ये ख़याल अच्छा है – मिर्ज़ा ग़ालिब
१
हुस्न-ए मह गरचे ब-हंगाम-ए कमाल अच्छा है
उस से मेरा मह-ए ख़ुर्शीद-जमाल अच्छा है
२
बोसा देते नहीं और दिल पे है हर लहज़ा निगाह
जी में कहते हैं के मुफ़्त आए तो माल अच्छा है
३
और बाज़ार से ले आए अगर टूट गया
साग़र-ए जम से मेरा जाम-ए सिफ़ाल अच्छा है
४
बे-तलब दें तो मज़ा उस में सिवा मिलता है
वो गदा जिस को न हो ख़ू-ए सवाल अच्छा है
५
उन के देखे से जो आ जाती है मुँह पर रौनक़
वो समझते हैं के बीमार का हाल अच्छा है
६
देखिए पाते हैं उश्शाक़ बुतों से क्या फ़ैज़
एक बरहमन ने कहा है के ये साल अच्छा है
७
हम-सुख़न तीशे ने फ़रहाद को शीरीं से किया
जिस तरह का के किसी में हो कमाल अच्छा है
८
क़त्रा दर्या में जो मिल जाए तो दर्या हो जाए
काम अच्छा है वो जिस का कि म’आल अच्छा है
९
ख़िज़्र-सुल्ताँ को रखे ख़ालिक़-ए अक्बर सरसब्ज़
शाह के बाग़ में ये ताज़ा नेहाल अच्छा है
१०
हम को मालूम है जन्नत की हक़ीक़त लैकिन
दिल के ख़ुश रखने को ग़ालिब ये ख़याल अच्छा है
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mirza asadullah KhaaN Ghalib (1797-1869). I dare not write any introduction. On more than one occasion Ghalib has warned his readers that he needs no introduction or even address. I humbly comply. Also see the many Ghazal composed in this bahr/zamin by well-known and not so well-known poets over the years. kalidas gupta raza dates this Ghazal to 1847.
1
husn1-e mah2 garche3 ba-haNgaam4-e kamaal5 achchha hai
us se meraa mah2-e Khurshiid-jamaal6 achchha hai 1.beatuy 2.moon 3.even though 4.at the time of 5.being complete, full 6.glory of the sun i.e. bright as the sun
Even though the full moon is beautiful, but my beloved (my bright moon) which is as glorious as the sun, is even better.
2
bosa1 dete nahiiN aur dil pe hai har lahza2 nigaah3
jii meN kahte haiN keh muft aa’e to maal achchha hai 1.kiss 2.moment 3.glance, eyes
The beloved does not grant a kiss but eyes the poet/lover’s heart all the time. She probably thinks, if I can keep it (the heart) without paying anything (offering a kiss), then it is better.
3
aur baazaar se le aa’e agar TuuT gayaa
saaGhar1-e jam2 se meraa jaam3-e sifaal4 achchha hai 1.cup 2.short for jamshed, legendary Persian king 3.cup 4.clay
The cup of jamshed is legendary/mythological. It is said that it was filled with the elixir of immortaly and one could look into it and see all seven heavens. Thus, my clay cup is better than the mythical cup of jamshed. If the latter is broken, you cannot replace it. But, if mine is broken, I can get another from the the bazaar.
4
be-talab1 deN to mazaa us meN sivaa2 miltaa hai
vo gadaa3 jis ko na ho Khuu4-e savaal5 achchha hai 1.without asking 2.beyond, more 3.beggar, mendicant 4.habit, inclination 5.asking, begging
This reminds me of Ghalib’s own …
taa’at meN taa rahe na mai o aNgabiiN ki laag
dozaKh meN Daal do koii le kar behisht ko
Thus, if it is given without asking, then the pleasure is even more. The beggar who is not inclined to ask/beg is better.
5
un ke dekhe se jo aa jaatii hai muNh par raunaq1
vo samajhte haiN ki biimaar2 kaa haal achchha hai 1.brilliance, glory 2.sick (dying in the pain of love)
The poet/lover is on his death-bed. Hearing of this condition, the beloved visits to see him just before he dies. On seeing her, his face brightens up and she thinks that his condition is fine. This makes her even more annoyed at having had to make this trip unnecessarily.
6
dekhiye paate haiN ushshaaq1 butoN2 se kyaa faiz3
ek barhaman4 ne kahaa hai keh ye saal achchha hai 1.lovers, admirers 2.idols, beloved 3.benevolence, kindness 4.used here to mean priest/astrologer/fortune-teller
Let us see what kindness admirers receive from the beloved. A furtune-teller has said that this year is going to be better.
7
ham-suKhan1 tiishe2 ne farhaad ko shiiriiN se kiyaa
jis tarah kaa keh kisii meN ho kamaal3 achchha hai 1.conversing, talking to each other 2.pick-axe, chisel 3.skill
The legend of shirin-farhaad is a tragic Romeo-Juliet story. farhaad, a young sculptor is commissioned to decorate the palace of shirin, the princess. They fall in love. The king, shirin’s husband, agrees to let them marry on condition that farhaad carve a channel through the mountain ‘be-sutoon’ and bring water into town, knowing that this was an impossible task. Ghalib says that the skill of chiseling is what gave farhaad access to shirin. Whatever kind of skill one has, if it is of high quality, then it is better.
8
qatra1 dariyaa meN jo mil jaa’e to dariyaa ho jaa’e
kaam achchha hai vo jis kaa keh ma’aal2 achchha hai 1.drop 2.result, end
This reminds me of Ghalib’s …
ishrat-e qatra hai darya meN fanaa ho jaana
dard ka had se guzarna hai davaa ho jaana
When the drop finally merges with the ocean (the soul becomes one with the great soul/cosmos/creator), then it becomes the ocean. Thus the effort which leads to such a good result is better.
9
Khizr-sultaaN1 ko rakhe Khaaliq-e-akbar2 sarsabz3
shaah4 ke baaGh meN ye taaza5 nehaal6 achchha hai 1.a son of bahaadur shaah zafar 2.great creator 3.green, prosperous 4.emperor 5.fresh, new 6.plant, tree
kalidas gupta raza has dated this Ghazal to 1847. Another great Ghalib scholar, maalik raam, writes that this she’r was composed in 1831, upon the birth of Khizr sultaan and later inserted into this Ghazal when a tarahi mushaa’era was organized for Ghazal in this style. He also suggests that “akbar” here also refers to the father of bahaadur shaah zafar. Thus, may Khizr sultaan prosper with the blessings of god and his grandfather, akbar. This new plant in the emperor’s garden is good.
10
ham ko m’aaluum hai jannat kii haqiiqat1 laikin
dil ke Khush rakhne ko Ghaalib ye Khayaal achchha hai 1.reality, truth
We know the reality of paradise, O, Ghalib, but to keep the heart happy, this is a good thought. I marvel at the freedom that poets enjoyed in the highest court without being censured or receiving a fatvah.
mirza asadullah KhaaN Ghalib (1797-1869). I dare not write any introduction. On more than one occasion Ghalib has warned his readers that he needs no introduction or even address. I humbly comply. Also see the many Ghazal composed in this bahr/zamin by well-known and not so well-known poets over the years. kalidas gupta raza dates this Ghazal to 1847.
1
husn1-e mah2 garche3 ba-haNgaam4-e kamaal5 achchha hai
us se meraa mah2-e Khurshiid-jamaal6 achchha hai
1.beatuy 2.moon 3.even though 4.at the time of 5.being complete, full 6.glory of the sun i.e. bright as the sun
Even though the full moon is beautiful, but my beloved (my bright moon) which is as glorious as the sun, is even better.
2
bosa1 dete nahiiN aur dil pe hai har lahza2 nigaah3
jii meN kahte haiN keh muft aa’e to maal achchha hai
1.kiss 2.moment 3.glance, eyes
The beloved does not grant a kiss but eyes the poet/lover’s heart all the time. She probably thinks, if I can keep it (the heart) without paying anything (offering a kiss), then it is better.
3
aur baazaar se le aa’e agar TuuT gayaa
saaGhar1-e jam2 se meraa jaam3-e sifaal4 achchha hai
1.cup 2.short for jamshed, legendary Persian king 3.cup 4.clay
The cup of jamshed is legendary/mythological. It is said that it was filled with the elixir of immortaly and one could look into it and see all seven heavens. Thus, my clay cup is better than the mythical cup of jamshed. If the latter is broken, you cannot replace it. But, if mine is broken, I can get another from the the bazaar.
4
be-talab1 deN to mazaa us meN sivaa2 miltaa hai
vo gadaa3 jis ko na ho Khuu4-e savaal5 achchha hai
1.without asking 2.beyond, more 3.beggar, mendicant 4.habit, inclination 5.asking, begging
This reminds me of Ghalib’s own …
taa’at meN taa rahe na mai o aNgabiiN ki laag
dozaKh meN Daal do koii le kar behisht ko
Thus, if it is given without asking, then the pleasure is even more. The beggar who is not inclined to ask/beg is better.
5
un ke dekhe se jo aa jaatii hai muNh par raunaq1
vo samajhte haiN ki biimaar2 kaa haal achchha hai
1.brilliance, glory 2.sick (dying in the pain of love)
The poet/lover is on his death-bed. Hearing of this condition, the beloved visits to see him just before he dies. On seeing her, his face brightens up and she thinks that his condition is fine. This makes her even more annoyed at having had to make this trip unnecessarily.
6
dekhiye paate haiN ushshaaq1 butoN2 se kyaa faiz3
ek barhaman4 ne kahaa hai keh ye saal achchha hai
1.lovers, admirers 2.idols, beloved 3.benevolence, kindness 4.used here to mean priest/astrologer/fortune-teller
Let us see what kindness admirers receive from the beloved. A furtune-teller has said that this year is going to be better.
7
ham-suKhan1 tiishe2 ne farhaad ko shiiriiN se kiyaa
jis tarah kaa keh kisii meN ho kamaal3 achchha hai
1.conversing, talking to each other 2.pick-axe, chisel 3.skill
The legend of shirin-farhaad is a tragic Romeo-Juliet story. farhaad, a young sculptor is commissioned to decorate the palace of shirin, the princess. They fall in love. The king, shirin’s husband, agrees to let them marry on condition that farhaad carve a channel through the mountain ‘be-sutoon’ and bring water into town, knowing that this was an impossible task. Ghalib says that the skill of chiseling is what gave farhaad access to shirin. Whatever kind of skill one has, if it is of high quality, then it is better.
8
qatra1 dariyaa meN jo mil jaa’e to dariyaa ho jaa’e
kaam achchha hai vo jis kaa keh ma’aal2 achchha hai
1.drop 2.result, end
This reminds me of Ghalib’s …
ishrat-e qatra hai darya meN fanaa ho jaana
dard ka had se guzarna hai davaa ho jaana
When the drop finally merges with the ocean (the soul becomes one with the great soul/cosmos/creator), then it becomes the ocean. Thus the effort which leads to such a good result is better.
9
Khizr-sultaaN1 ko rakhe Khaaliq-e-akbar2 sarsabz3
shaah4 ke baaGh meN ye taaza5 nehaal6 achchha hai
1.a son of bahaadur shaah zafar 2.great creator 3.green, prosperous 4.emperor 5.fresh, new 6.plant, tree
kalidas gupta raza has dated this Ghazal to 1847. Another great Ghalib scholar, maalik raam, writes that this she’r was composed in 1831, upon the birth of Khizr sultaan and later inserted into this Ghazal when a tarahi mushaa’era was organized for Ghazal in this style. He also suggests that “akbar” here also refers to the father of bahaadur shaah zafar. Thus, may Khizr sultaan prosper with the blessings of god and his grandfather, akbar. This new plant in the emperor’s garden is good.
10
ham ko m’aaluum hai jannat kii haqiiqat1 laikin
dil ke Khush rakhne ko Ghaalib ye Khayaal achchha hai
1.reality, truth
We know the reality of paradise, O, Ghalib, but to keep the heart happy, this is a good thought. I marvel at the freedom that poets enjoyed in the highest court without being censured or receiving a fatvah.
