For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
چشمِ تر ملے ۔ بشویشور پرشاد مُنوّر لکھنوی
۱
دل خون روئے کوئی اگر چشمِ تر ملے
سینہ ہو شق، جو چاک کسی کا جگر ملے
۲
طوفان حشر خیز اگر ہوں تو کیا عجب
دریا میں جب حباب بھی شوریدہ سر ملے
۳
دنیائے بے ثبات کی تصویر کھنچ گئی
تارے جو ڈوبتے ہوئے وقتِ سحر ملے
۴
ملتے ہیں بے دلی سے تو ملنا ہے کیا ضرور
سو بار ہم ملیں کوئی دل سے اگر ملے
۵
کھلتے ہی آنکھ قوتِ پرواز چھن گئی
کیا جانے کس گھڑی تھے ہمیں بال و پر ملے
۶
پایا فنائے غنچۂ نو خیز سے سبق
یعنی ملے حیات اگر، مختصر ملے
चश्म-ए तर मिले – बिश्वेश्वर पर्शाद मुनव्वर लखनवी
१
दिल ख़ून रोए कोई अगर चश्म-ए तर मिले
सीना हो शक़, जो चाक किसी का जिगर मिले
२
तूफ़ान हश्र-ख़ेज़ अगर हों तो क्या अजब
दर्या में जब हबाब भी शोरीदा-सर मिले
३
दुनिया-ए बे-सबात की तस्वीर खिंच गई
तारे जो डूब्ते हुए वक़्त-ए सहर मिले
४
मिलते हैं बे-दिली से तो मिलना है क्या ज़रूर
सौ बार हम मिलें कोई दिल से अगर मिले
५
खुलते ही आंख क़ुव्वत-ए पर्वाज़ छिन गई
क्या जाने किस घढी थे हमें बाल ओ पर मिले
६
पाया फ़ना-ए ग़ुंचा-ए नौ-ख़ेज़ से सबक़
या’नी मिले हयात अगर, मुख़्तसर मिले
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. munshi bishweshwar prasad munavvar lakhnavi (1897-1970). 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 himself re-composed the bhagwad gita in chaste urdu. 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 one of several Ghazal that he composed in the zamin of Ghalib. This one of ‘salaam kahiyo agar naama-bar mile’.
1
dil Khoon roye koii agar1 chashm2-e tar3 mile
seena ho shaq4, jo chaak5 kisi ka jigar6 mile 1.of 2.eyes 3.wet, moist, teary 4.torn 5.torn, broken 6.liver/heart
This could either be a description of his own feelings or a prescriptive statement. The heart bleeds when I see someone teary eyed. My bosom is torn when I see someone broken-hearted.
2
toofaan1 hashr-Khez2 agar hoN to kya ajab3
darya meN jab habaab4 bhi shoriida-sar5 mile 1.storm 2.doomsday/devastation spreading 3.surprising 4.bubbles 5.dissheveled, mad
The poet sees bubbles on the see like the dissheveled hair of a mad/passionate person. Storms rise from the see. So, why is surprising, if storms are devastating. This could well be interpreted to mean, if the people are sad/sorrowful/deprived, why then is it surprising that protests are strong/devastating.
3
duniya-e be-sabaat1 ki tasviir khinNch gaii
taare jo Doobte hue vaqt-e sahar2 mile 1.not permanent, passing, transient 2.dawn
When the poet sees stars disappearing from the sky at dawn, he is reminded, of he see the picture of a fleeting/passing/transient world.
4
milte haiN be-dili1 se to milna hai kya zaroor2
sau baar ham mileN koii dil se agar mile 1.without feeling, insincere 2.necessary
If you are to meet without sincerity/love, why is necessary to meet. I will meet anyone a hundred times, if they meet with sincere feelings.
5
khulte his aaNkh quvvat1-e parvaaz2 chhin gaii
kya jaane kis ghaRi3 the hameN baal-o-par4 mile 1.strength 2.flight 3.moment 4.feathers and wings
‘aaNkh khulna’ could either by the moment of birth or of coming of age – maturity. Thus, as soon as I came of age, the power of flight was snatched from me. I don’t know what unlucky/inauspicious time it was that I was given feathers and wings. I cannot use them.
6
paaya fanaa1-e Ghuncha2-e nau-Khez3 se sabaq4
yaa’ni5 mile hayaat6 agar, muKhtasar7 mile 1.annihilation, destruction 2.bud 3.newly formed 4.lesson 5.meaning 6.life 7.brief
Looking at the disappearance/annihilation of the newly blossoming bud I learnt that whatever life we get, will be brief. This could be an admiration of the brief but fragrant life of a bloom or an expression of sorrow that life is so brief or even a statement to draw a lesson from and make life productive/fragrant during its brief period.
munshi bishweshwar prasad munavvar lakhnavi (1897-1970). 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 himself re-composed the bhagwad gita in chaste urdu. 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 one of several Ghazal that he composed in the zamin of Ghalib. This one of ‘salaam kahiyo agar naama-bar mile’.
1
dil Khoon roye koii agar1 chashm2-e tar3 mile
seena ho shaq4, jo chaak5 kisi ka jigar6 mile
1.of 2.eyes 3.wet, moist, teary 4.torn 5.torn, broken 6.liver/heart
This could either be a description of his own feelings or a prescriptive statement. The heart bleeds when I see someone teary eyed. My bosom is torn when I see someone broken-hearted.
2
toofaan1 hashr-Khez2 agar hoN to kya ajab3
darya meN jab habaab4 bhi shoriida-sar5 mile
1.storm 2.doomsday/devastation spreading 3.surprising 4.bubbles 5.dissheveled, mad
The poet sees bubbles on the see like the dissheveled hair of a mad/passionate person. Storms rise from the see. So, why is surprising, if storms are devastating. This could well be interpreted to mean, if the people are sad/sorrowful/deprived, why then is it surprising that protests are strong/devastating.
3
duniya-e be-sabaat1 ki tasviir khinNch gaii
taare jo Doobte hue vaqt-e sahar2 mile
1.not permanent, passing, transient 2.dawn
When the poet sees stars disappearing from the sky at dawn, he is reminded, of he see the picture of a fleeting/passing/transient world.
4
milte haiN be-dili1 se to milna hai kya zaroor2
sau baar ham mileN koii dil se agar mile
1.without feeling, insincere 2.necessary
If you are to meet without sincerity/love, why is necessary to meet. I will meet anyone a hundred times, if they meet with sincere feelings.
5
khulte his aaNkh quvvat1-e parvaaz2 chhin gaii
kya jaane kis ghaRi3 the hameN baal-o-par4 mile
1.strength 2.flight 3.moment 4.feathers and wings
‘aaNkh khulna’ could either by the moment of birth or of coming of age – maturity. Thus, as soon as I came of age, the power of flight was snatched from me. I don’t know what unlucky/inauspicious time it was that I was given feathers and wings. I cannot use them.
6
paaya fanaa1-e Ghuncha2-e nau-Khez3 se sabaq4
yaa’ni5 mile hayaat6 agar, muKhtasar7 mile
1.annihilation, destruction 2.bud 3.newly formed 4.lesson 5.meaning 6.life 7.brief
Looking at the disappearance/annihilation of the newly blossoming bud I learnt that whatever life we get, will be brief. This could be an admiration of the brief but fragrant life of a bloom or an expression of sorrow that life is so brief or even a statement to draw a lesson from and make life productive/fragrant during its brief period.
