For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
تقاضا کہیں جسے ۔ مُنشی نوبت رائے نظر لکھنوی
۱
اِک مختصر سا لفظ تمنّا کہیں جسے
ہے وہ طلسمِ شوق کہ دنیا کہیں جسے
۲
دل جانتا ہے گریۂ حسرت کا زور شور
قطرہ میں ہے وہ جوش کہ دریا کہیں جسے
۳
ٹوٹے وہ توبہ حضرتِ واعظ کے سامنے
مُہرِ دہانِ ساغر و مینا کہیں جسے
۴
کیا زخمِ تیغِ ناز ہے وحشت میں دل کُشا
اتنا تو ہو وسیع کہ صحرا کہیں جسے
۵
دل مانگنے میں عار اُنھیں فرطِ ناز سے
نظریں وہ پڑ رہی ہیں، تقاضا کہیں جسے
۶
کیا آنکھ اُٹھاؤں حسنِ نظر سوز کی طرف
حائل ہے وہ حجاب کہ پردا کہیں جسے
۷
یوں دیکھتے نہیں وہ مری بے قراریاں
تڑپوں اب اس طرح کہ تماشا کہیں جسے
۸
اب مجھ میں کیا رہا ہے بجز حسرتِ وصال
اتنی سی جان ہے کہ تمنّا کہیں جسے
۹
کیوں غش نہ ہوں میں دردِ محبّت پہ اے نظرؔ
یہ وہ چمک ہے، برقِ تجلّیٰ کہیں جسے
तक़ाज़ा कहें जिसे – मुंशी नौबत राए नज़र लखनवी
१
एक मुख़्तसर सा लफ़्ज़ तमन्ना कहें जिसे
है वो तिलस्म-ए शौक़ के दुनिया कहें जिसे
२
दिल जांता है गिरिया-ए हस्रत का ज़ोर शोर
क़त्रे में है वो जोश के दर्या कहें जिसे
३
टूटे वो तौबा हज़्रत-ए वा’एज़ के सामने
मोहर-ए दहान-ए साग़र ओ मीना कहें जिसे
४
क्या ज़ख़्म-ए तेग़-ए नाज़ है वहशत में दिल-कुशा
इतना तो हो वस’ई के सहरा कहें जिसे
५
दिल मांगने में आ’र उन्हें फ़र्त-ए नाज़ से
नज़्रें वो पढ रही हैं तक़ाज़ा कहें जिसे
६
क्या आंख उठाऊं हुस्न-ए नज़र सोज़ की तरफ़
हा’एल है वो हिजाब के पर्दा कहें जिसे
७
यूं देखते नहीं वो मेरी बेक़रारियां
तढपूं अब इस तरह के तमाशा कहें जिसे
८
अब मुझ में क्या रहा है बजुज़ हस्रत-ए विसाल
इतनी सि जान है के तमाशा कहें जिसे
९
क्यूं ग़श न हूं मैं दर्द-ए मोहब्बत पे अए नज़र
ये वो चमक है बर्क़-ए तजल्ला कहें जिसे
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. munshi naubat rai nazar lakhnavi (1864-1923). Well recognized poet with a published diivaan and the editor of several literary magazines including adeeb. He has several Ghazal modeled after Ghalib, with this one after ‘aisa kahaaN se laa’uN keh tujh se kaheN jise’.
1
ek muKhtasar1 sa lafz2 tamanna3 kaheN jise
hai vo tilasm4-e shauq5 keh duniya kaheN jise 1.short 2.word 3.yearning, longing 4.magic, enchantment 5.desire
It is a very short word that we call yearning but it is that enchantment of desire which we call the world. World/duniya here is used to mean entrapment in material attractions or perhaps maaya.
2
dil jaanta hai giriya1-e hasrat2 ka zor-shor3
qatre4 meN hai vo josh5 keh darya kaheN jise 1.mourning, wailing 2.yearning 3.loudness, impact 4.drop 5.passion 6.sea
Ghalib also said …
qatre meN dajla dikhaai na de aur juzv meN kul
khel laRkoN ka hua diida-e biina na hua
The drop should reflect the complete characteristics of the ocean, the part of the whole. For naubat rai also the drop relects the power/expanse of the sea. He knows the impact of his wailing with the pain of yearning.
3
TooTe vo tauba1 hazrat2-e vaa’ez3 ke saamne
mohr4-e dahaan5-e saaGhar6 o miina7 kaheN jise 1.promise of reform, repentence 2.respected 3.preacher 4.seal 5.mouth 6.cup 7.flask
The poet/wine-lover has repented and promised abstinence. But now he has changed his mind and wants to break his promise. This promise took the shape of seals of his cup and flask of wine. He wants to unseal them in front of the respected preacher. There is a nice juxtaposition of breaking his promise and breaking the seal of the cup and flask.
4
kya zaKhm1-e teGh2-e naaz3 hai vahshat4 meN dil-kusha5
itna to ho vas’ii6 keh sahra7 kaheN jise 1.wound, cut 2.sword 3.coquetry, playfulness 4.passion, madness, frenzy 5.heart pleasing 6.wide, expansive 7.desert
The poet/lover is in a state of frenzy because of the intensity of his love. He has received cuts from the coquettish glances (sword) of the beloved. But he thinks it is not big/wide enough of satisfy his heart. He wants the wound so be as expansive as the desert.
5
dil maaNgne meN aa’r1 unheN fart2-e naaz3 se
nazreN4 vo paR rahiN haiN taqaaza5 kaheN jise 1.holding back, disdainful 2.excess 3.pride 4.glances 5.demand
The beloved is too proud to ask for the poet/lover’s heart. She holds back and may be even disdainful because of excessive pride but her eyes/glances tell a different story. They look like they are demanding his heart/love.
6
kya aaNkh uThaauN husn-e nazar-soz ki taraf
haa’el hai vo hijaab keh parda kaheN jise 1.beauty/glory 2.eye dazzling 3.towards 4.obstructing 5.veil 6.curtain
The beloved is beautiful and dazzles the eyes. So the poet/lover is mindful and does not raise his eyes towards her. It is as if there she is veiled like a curtain between them. At the mystical level, the beloved is god with immense glory and you cannot see him/her/it.
7
yuN1 dekhte nahiN vo meri beqaraariyaaN2
taRpuN3 ab is tarah4 keh tamaasha5 kaheN jise 1.used to mean-normally 2.restlessness 3.writhe/thrash/flail in pain 4.like, similar to 5.spectacle
Normally the beloved would not look at, would ignore the restlessness of the poet/lover. He wants writhe in pain and make a spectacle of himself to draw her attention.
8
ab mujh meN kya raha1 hai bajuz2 hasrat3-e visaal4
itni si jaan hai ke tamanna5 kaheN jise 1.used here to mean-remaining 2.except for 3.yearning 4.union 5.intense desire
What do I have left in me now except for a yearning for union with the beloved. I have just enough life left that I can call it desire.
9
kyuN Ghash1 na huN maiN dard-e mohabbat pe aye nazar2
ye vo chamak3 hai barq4-e tajalla5 kaheN jise 1.faint 2.pen-name of poet 3.flash, brilliance 4.lightning 5.enlightenment
At one level he is just talking about his pain of unrequited love which will cause him to faint. Such is the beauty of the beloved. But at another level he is referring to the story of moosa on mount tuur. He went up there asking to see god. Upon his insistence, there was a manifestation of the god in the shape of a lightning strike and moosa fainted. Ghalib derides this by saying …
girni thi hum pe barq-e tajalli na tuur par
dete haiN baada zarf-e qadah-Khwaar dekh kar
But naubat rai nazar seems to say that he would have fainted too, because of the intensity of his and the intense glory of god.
munshi naubat rai nazar lakhnavi (1864-1923). Well recognized poet with a published diivaan and the editor of several literary magazines including adeeb. He has several Ghazal modeled after Ghalib, with this one after ‘aisa kahaaN se laa’uN keh tujh se kaheN jise’.
1
ek muKhtasar1 sa lafz2 tamanna3 kaheN jise
hai vo tilasm4-e shauq5 keh duniya kaheN jise
1.short 2.word 3.yearning, longing 4.magic, enchantment 5.desire
It is a very short word that we call yearning but it is that enchantment of desire which we call the world. World/duniya here is used to mean entrapment in material attractions or perhaps maaya.
2
dil jaanta hai giriya1-e hasrat2 ka zor-shor3
qatre4 meN hai vo josh5 keh darya kaheN jise
1.mourning, wailing 2.yearning 3.loudness, impact 4.drop 5.passion 6.sea
Ghalib also said …
qatre meN dajla dikhaai na de aur juzv meN kul
khel laRkoN ka hua diida-e biina na hua
The drop should reflect the complete characteristics of the ocean, the part of the whole. For naubat rai also the drop relects the power/expanse of the sea. He knows the impact of his wailing with the pain of yearning.
3
TooTe vo tauba1 hazrat2-e vaa’ez3 ke saamne
mohr4-e dahaan5-e saaGhar6 o miina7 kaheN jise
1.promise of reform, repentence 2.respected 3.preacher 4.seal 5.mouth 6.cup 7.flask
The poet/wine-lover has repented and promised abstinence. But now he has changed his mind and wants to break his promise. This promise took the shape of seals of his cup and flask of wine. He wants to unseal them in front of the respected preacher. There is a nice juxtaposition of breaking his promise and breaking the seal of the cup and flask.
4
kya zaKhm1-e teGh2-e naaz3 hai vahshat4 meN dil-kusha5
itna to ho vas’ii6 keh sahra7 kaheN jise
1.wound, cut 2.sword 3.coquetry, playfulness 4.passion, madness, frenzy 5.heart pleasing 6.wide, expansive 7.desert
The poet/lover is in a state of frenzy because of the intensity of his love. He has received cuts from the coquettish glances (sword) of the beloved. But he thinks it is not big/wide enough of satisfy his heart. He wants the wound so be as expansive as the desert.
5
dil maaNgne meN aa’r1 unheN fart2-e naaz3 se
nazreN4 vo paR rahiN haiN taqaaza5 kaheN jise
1.holding back, disdainful 2.excess 3.pride 4.glances 5.demand
The beloved is too proud to ask for the poet/lover’s heart. She holds back and may be even disdainful because of excessive pride but her eyes/glances tell a different story. They look like they are demanding his heart/love.
6
kya aaNkh uThaauN husn-e nazar-soz ki taraf
haa’el hai vo hijaab keh parda kaheN jise
1.beauty/glory 2.eye dazzling 3.towards 4.obstructing 5.veil 6.curtain
The beloved is beautiful and dazzles the eyes. So the poet/lover is mindful and does not raise his eyes towards her. It is as if there she is veiled like a curtain between them. At the mystical level, the beloved is god with immense glory and you cannot see him/her/it.
7
yuN1 dekhte nahiN vo meri beqaraariyaaN2
taRpuN3 ab is tarah4 keh tamaasha5 kaheN jise
1.used to mean-normally 2.restlessness 3.writhe/thrash/flail in pain 4.like, similar to 5.spectacle
Normally the beloved would not look at, would ignore the restlessness of the poet/lover. He wants writhe in pain and make a spectacle of himself to draw her attention.
8
ab mujh meN kya raha1 hai bajuz2 hasrat3-e visaal4
itni si jaan hai ke tamanna5 kaheN jise
1.used here to mean-remaining 2.except for 3.yearning 4.union 5.intense desire
What do I have left in me now except for a yearning for union with the beloved. I have just enough life left that I can call it desire.
9
kyuN Ghash1 na huN maiN dard-e mohabbat pe aye nazar2
ye vo chamak3 hai barq4-e tajalla5 kaheN jise
1.faint 2.pen-name of poet 3.flash, brilliance 4.lightning 5.enlightenment
At one level he is just talking about his pain of unrequited love which will cause him to faint. Such is the beauty of the beloved. But at another level he is referring to the story of moosa on mount tuur. He went up there asking to see god. Upon his insistence, there was a manifestation of the god in the shape of a lightning strike and moosa fainted. Ghalib derides this by saying …
girni thi hum pe barq-e tajalli na tuur par
dete haiN baada zarf-e qadah-Khwaar dekh kar
But naubat rai nazar seems to say that he would have fainted too, because of the intensity of his and the intense glory of god.
