For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
قبلہ نما کہتے ہیں ۔ مرزا اسداللہ خاں غالبؔ
۱
کی وفا ہم سے تو غیر اُس کو جفا کہتے ہیں
ہوتی آئی ہے کہ اچھوں کو برا کہتے ہیں
۲
آج ہم اپنی پریشانیِ خاطر اُن سے
کہنے جاتے تو ہیں پر دیکھیے کیا کہتے ہیں
۳
اگلے وقتوں کے ہیں یہ لوگ انہیں کچھ نہ کہو
جو مے و نغمہ کو اندوہ ربا کہتے ہیں
۴
دل میں آ جاے ہے ہوتی ہے جو فرصت غش سے
اور پھر کون سے نالے کو رسا کہتے ہیں
۵
ہے پرے سرحدِ اِدراک سے اپنا مسجُود
قبلے کو اہل نظر قبلہ نما کہتے ہیں
۶
پائے افگار پہ جب سے تجھے رحم آیا ہے
خارِ رہ کو ترے ہم مہر گیا کہتے ہیں
۷
اک شرر دل میں ہے اس سے کوئی گھبرائے گا کیا
آگ مطلوب ہے ہم کو جو ہوا کہتے ہیں
۸
دیکھیے لاتی ہے اس شوخ کی نخوت کیا رنگ
اس کی ہر بات پہ ہم نامِ خدا کہتے ہیں
۹
وحشتؔ و شیفتہؔ اب مرثیہ کہویں شاید
مر گیا غالبؔ آشفتہ نوا کہتے ہیں
क़िब्ला-नुमा कहते हैं – मिर्ज़ा असद-उल्लाह ख़ां ग़ालिब
१
की वफ़ा हम से तो ग़ैर उस को जफ़ा कहते हैं
होती आई है के अच्छों को बुरा कहते हैं
२
आज हम अपनी परेशानी-ए ख़ातर उन से
कहने जाते तो हैं पर देखिए क्या कहते हैं
३
अगले वक़्तों के हैं ये लोग इन्हें कुछ न कहो
जो मय ओ नग़्मा को अंदोह-रुबा कहते हैं
४
दिल में आ जाए है होती है जो फ़ुर्सत ग़श से
और फिर कौन से नाले को रसा कहते हैं
५
है परे सरहद-ए इद्राक से अपना मस्जूद
क़िब्ले को अहल-ए नज़र क़िब्ला-नुमा कहते हैं
६
पा-ए अफ़्गार पे जब से तुझे रहम आया है
ख़ार-ए रह को तेरे हम मेहर-गिया कहते हैं
७
एक शरर दिल में है उस से कोई घबराएगा क्या
आग मत्लूब है हम को जो हवा कहते हैं
८
देखिए लाती है उस शूख़ की नख़्वत क्या रंग
उस की हर बात पे हम नाम-ए ख़ुदा कहते हैं
९
‘वहशत’ ओ ‘शेफ़्ता’ अब मर्सिया कहवें शायद
मर गया ‘ग़ालिब’-ए आशुफ़्ता-नवा कहते हैं
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 to1847.
1
kii vafaa1 ham se to Ghair2 is ko jafaa3 kahte haiN
hoti aaii hai keh achchhoN ko buraa kahte haiN 1.fidelity, keeping promise 2.other, rival 3.torment
When the beloved keeps her promise, visits him or is kind to the poet/lover, then the rival calls it torment. Such has been the way of the world, that good are called bad. Calling the kind act of the beloved torment is an example of this age old practice.
2
aaj ham apni pareshaani1-e Khaatir2 un se
kahne jaate to haiN par dekhiye kya kahte haiN 1.distress, misery 2.mind, mood
I am going to her to speak of the distress of my mind. Let us see what she has to say.
3
agle-vaqtoN1 ke haiN ye log inheN kuchh na kaho
jo mai2 o naGhma3 ko andoh-rubaa4 kahte haiN 1.past times 2.wine 3.song 4.grief overcoming
Most interpretations stick with ‘agle-vaqt’ as ‘past times’. I look at a different possibility also. Conventional interpretation – don’t say anything bad about these people of past times. They say that wine and song overcome grief. They don’t, but leave these well-meaning people alone. On the other hand, if ‘agle vaqoN ke log’ are futuristis, looking ahead, breaking from earlier traditions, then earlier traditions have been critical of wine and song, but these futurists know better. They say that wine and song overcome grief. They are right. Leave them alone.
4
dil meN aa jaa’e hai hoti hai jo fursat1 Ghash2 se
aur phir kaun se naale3 ko rasaa4 kahte haiN 1.relief, free moment 2.fainting spell 3.wailing 4.far-reaching, effective
The poet/lover laments and wails because of separation from the beloved. The intensity of his wails causes him to pass out/faint. When he gets a moment’s respite from his fainting spell, the beloved comes back to his mind. Now tell me, if this is not a effective wail (reaching its goal), then what is!
5
hai pare1 sarhad2-e idraak3 se apnaa masjuud4
qible5 ko ahl-e-nazar6 qibla-numaa7 kahte haiN 1.beyond 2.boundaries 3.knowledge 4.object of worship 5.direction of k’aaba, k’aaba 6.discerning people 7.showing the direction of the k’aaba, compass
The implication is that the poet/philosopher does not bow towards the k’aaba but the object of his worship is beyond knowledge/understanding, beyond the material structure of the k’aaba. Those who know, those who have a discering eye, consider the k’aaba to be a compass that points beyond.
6
paa1-e afgaar2 pe jab se tujhe rahm3 aayaa hai
Khaar4-e rah5 ko tere, ham mehr-giyaa6 kahte haiN 1.feet 2.cut, wounded 3.pity 4.thorns 5.pathway, beloved’s street 6.also written as ‘mehr-giyaah’ – fragrant, legendary grass, possessing which makes you liked/loved
The poet/lover has traveled along a thorny path to see the beloved. She took pity on his wounded feet. Ever since then, he consider thorns in his path to be like the legendary ‘love-grass’.
7
ek sharar1 dil meN hai us se koi ghabraa’ega kya
aag matluub2 hai ham ko, jo havaa kahte haiN 1.spark 2.real purpose, desire
There is just a spark in my heart, why would anyone be fearful of it. When I ask for air to be blown, it is because my purpose is that this spark be developed into a fire (of passion). ‘Asking for air’ could well be the act of breathing. We breathe, stay alive, to develop the spark in our hearts into a raging fire. Do not be afraid of the spark, develop it into a fire/passion.
8
dekhiye laati hai us shooKh1 ki naKhvat2 kya raNg
us ki har baat pe ham naam-e Khuda kahte haiN 1.mischievous, playful (beloved) 2.pride
Let us see what colour/style/result comes of the pride/arrogance (of beauty) of the playful/mischievous beloved. Every action of hers makes us cry out for god (as in god help me). Other interpreters have said that whenever we look at her we say, ‘praise be to god’, which gives the she’r the opposite flavour.
9
vahshat1 o sheftaa2 ab marsiya3 kahveN shaa’ed
mar gayaa Ghaalib-e aashufta4-navaa5 kahte haiN 1.Ghulaam ali KhaaN vahshat 2.mustafa KhaaN bahadur sheftaa – both close friends and shaagird of Ghalib 3.elegy 4.distracted, incoherent 5.voice
It is interesting that all three words – vahshat, shefta and aasufta have the same root. They say that Ghalib of the incoherent voice/words is dead. Now perhaps vahshat and shefta will recite an elegy in his memory.
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 to1847.
1
kii vafaa1 ham se to Ghair2 is ko jafaa3 kahte haiN
hoti aaii hai keh achchhoN ko buraa kahte haiN
1.fidelity, keeping promise 2.other, rival 3.torment
When the beloved keeps her promise, visits him or is kind to the poet/lover, then the rival calls it torment. Such has been the way of the world, that good are called bad. Calling the kind act of the beloved torment is an example of this age old practice.
2
aaj ham apni pareshaani1-e Khaatir2 un se
kahne jaate to haiN par dekhiye kya kahte haiN
1.distress, misery 2.mind, mood
I am going to her to speak of the distress of my mind. Let us see what she has to say.
3
agle-vaqtoN1 ke haiN ye log inheN kuchh na kaho
jo mai2 o naGhma3 ko andoh-rubaa4 kahte haiN
1.past times 2.wine 3.song 4.grief overcoming
Most interpretations stick with ‘agle-vaqt’ as ‘past times’. I look at a different possibility also. Conventional interpretation – don’t say anything bad about these people of past times. They say that wine and song overcome grief. They don’t, but leave these well-meaning people alone. On the other hand, if ‘agle vaqoN ke log’ are futuristis, looking ahead, breaking from earlier traditions, then earlier traditions have been critical of wine and song, but these futurists know better. They say that wine and song overcome grief. They are right. Leave them alone.
4
dil meN aa jaa’e hai hoti hai jo fursat1 Ghash2 se
aur phir kaun se naale3 ko rasaa4 kahte haiN
1.relief, free moment 2.fainting spell 3.wailing 4.far-reaching, effective
The poet/lover laments and wails because of separation from the beloved. The intensity of his wails causes him to pass out/faint. When he gets a moment’s respite from his fainting spell, the beloved comes back to his mind. Now tell me, if this is not a effective wail (reaching its goal), then what is!
5
hai pare1 sarhad2-e idraak3 se apnaa masjuud4
qible5 ko ahl-e-nazar6 qibla-numaa7 kahte haiN
1.beyond 2.boundaries 3.knowledge 4.object of worship 5.direction of k’aaba, k’aaba 6.discerning people 7.showing the direction of the k’aaba, compass
The implication is that the poet/philosopher does not bow towards the k’aaba but the object of his worship is beyond knowledge/understanding, beyond the material structure of the k’aaba. Those who know, those who have a discering eye, consider the k’aaba to be a compass that points beyond.
6
paa1-e afgaar2 pe jab se tujhe rahm3 aayaa hai
Khaar4-e rah5 ko tere, ham mehr-giyaa6 kahte haiN
1.feet 2.cut, wounded 3.pity 4.thorns 5.pathway, beloved’s street 6.also written as ‘mehr-giyaah’ – fragrant, legendary grass, possessing which makes you liked/loved
The poet/lover has traveled along a thorny path to see the beloved. She took pity on his wounded feet. Ever since then, he consider thorns in his path to be like the legendary ‘love-grass’.
7
ek sharar1 dil meN hai us se koi ghabraa’ega kya
aag matluub2 hai ham ko, jo havaa kahte haiN
1.spark 2.real purpose, desire
There is just a spark in my heart, why would anyone be fearful of it. When I ask for air to be blown, it is because my purpose is that this spark be developed into a fire (of passion). ‘Asking for air’ could well be the act of breathing. We breathe, stay alive, to develop the spark in our hearts into a raging fire. Do not be afraid of the spark, develop it into a fire/passion.
8
dekhiye laati hai us shooKh1 ki naKhvat2 kya raNg
us ki har baat pe ham naam-e Khuda kahte haiN
1.mischievous, playful (beloved) 2.pride
Let us see what colour/style/result comes of the pride/arrogance (of beauty) of the playful/mischievous beloved. Every action of hers makes us cry out for god (as in god help me). Other interpreters have said that whenever we look at her we say, ‘praise be to god’, which gives the she’r the opposite flavour.
9
vahshat1 o sheftaa2 ab marsiya3 kahveN shaa’ed
mar gayaa Ghaalib-e aashufta4-navaa5 kahte haiN
1.Ghulaam ali KhaaN vahshat 2.mustafa KhaaN bahadur sheftaa – both close friends and shaagird of Ghalib 3.elegy 4.distracted, incoherent 5.voice
It is interesting that all three words – vahshat, shefta and aasufta have the same root. They say that Ghalib of the incoherent voice/words is dead. Now perhaps vahshat and shefta will recite an elegy in his memory.
