For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
اہلِ نظر دل کہیں جسے ۔ تلوک چند محرومؔ
۱
وہ دل کہاں ہے اہلِ نظر دل کہیں جسے
یعنی نیازِ عشق کے قابل کہیں جسے
۲
زنجیر غم ہے خود مری خواہش کا سلسلہ
یا زلفِ خم بہ خم کہ سلاسل کہیں جسے
۳
ملتا ہے مشکلوں سے کسی کے حضور کا
وہ ایک لحظہ زیست کا حاصل کہیں جسے
۴
کشتی شکستگان یمِ اضطراب کو
تیرا ہی ایک نام ہے ساحل کہیں جسے
۵
پاتی نہیں فروغ بجز سوز و سازِ عشق
شمع حیات در خورِ محفل کہیں جسے
۶
اُس دل کو شاد رکھنے کی خدمت ملی مجھے
غم ہائے روزگار کی منزل کہیں جسے
۷
اس دورِ قدر دانِ سخن میں یہ اتفاق
شاعر وہی ہے رونقِ محفل کہیں جسے
۸
محرومؔ چاک سینۂ ہر گل میں ہے وہ چیز
تاثیرِ نالہ ہائے عنادل کہیں جسے
अहल-ए नज़र दिल कहें जिसे – तिलोक चंद महरूम
१
वो दिल कहाँ है अहल-ए नज़र दिल कहें जिसे
या’नी नियाज़-ए इश्क़ के क़ाबिल कहें जिसे
२
ज़ंजीर-ए ग़म है ख़ुद मेरी ख़्वाहश का सिलसिला
या ज़ुल्फ़-ए ख़म-ब-ख़म के सलासिल कहें जिसे
३
मिलता है मुश्किलौं से किसी के हुज़ूर का
वो एक लहज़ा ज़ीस्त का हासिल कहें जिसे
४
कश्ती-शिकस्तगान-ए यम-ए इज़्तेराब को
तेरा ही एक नाम है साहिल कहें जिसे
५
पाती नहीं फ़रोग़ ब-जुज़ सोज़-ओ-साज़-ए इश्क़
शम’अ-ए हयात दर-ख़ुर-ए महफ़िल कहें जिसे
६
उस दिल को शाद रखने की ख़िदमत मिली मुझे
ग़म-हा-ए रोज़गार की मंज़िल कहें जिसे
७
इस दौर-ए क़द्र-दान-ए सुख़न में ये इत्तफ़ाक़
शा’एर वही है रौनक़-ए महफ़िल कहें जिसे
८
महरूम चाक-ए सीना-ए हर-गुल में है वो चीज़
तासीर-ए नाला-हा-ए अनादिल कहें जिसे
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. tilok chand mahroom (1887-1955) and his son jagan nath azad are an illustrious father-son team of urdu shu’ara. From miaNvaali (now in pakistan), they migrated to India in 1948, after unsuccessfully trying to remain in lahore. This Ghazal is modeled after Ghalib’s ‘aisa kahaaN se laa’uN keh tujh sa kaheN jise’.
1
vo dil kahaaN hai ahl-e-nazar1 dil kaheN jise
ya’ani niyaaz2-e ishq ke qaabil3 kaheN jise 1.people of vision/discriminating/discerning eye 2.devotional offering 3.good enough, deserving
Where is the heart that people of discerning eye can call a heart i.e. the heart that deserves to be offered at the altar of love.
2
zanjiir-e Gham hai Khud meri Khwaahish1 kaa silsila2
yaa zulf3-e Kham-ba-Kham4 keh salaasil5 kaheN jise 1.wishes, desires 2.continuity, sequence 3.hair 4.curl by curl 5.manacles, shackles
The sequence of my desires has itself become my chain that binds me to sorrow i.e., attachment to this material world is the cause of sorrow. Other than that, it is the curly hair of the beloved that can be called shackles or manacles.
3
miltaa hai mushkiloN se kisii ke huzuur1 kaa
vo ek lahza2 ziist3 kaa haasil4 kaheN jise 1.presence 2.moment 3.life 4.main benefit/purpose/goal
It is with great difficulty that you can get that one moment in the presence of the beloved (or god) which can be called the essence/purpose of life.
4
kashti-shikastgaan1-e yam2-e izteraab3 ko
teraa hii ek naam hai saahil4 kaheN jise 1.wrecked boats 2.river 3.restlessness, pain 4.shore
In our journey over the river of sorrow (life) our boat is wrecked, and we are drowning. It is only your (god’s) name that can be considered/called upon to be our shore/saviour.
5
paatii nahiiN faroGh1 bajuz2 soz-o-saaz3-e ishq
sham’a4-e hayaat5 dar-Khur6-e mahfil7 kaheN jise 1.increase, brilliance 2.except for 3.pain and pleasure 4.lamp 5.life 6.deserving of 7.gathering, assembly
A lamp is normally placed in a place of prominence in a gathering. The lamp of life cannot increase in brilliance except through the pain and pleasure of (universal) love. Only such a lamp which has received brilliance like this can be considered deserving of being placed in an honourable position in society.
6
us dil ko shaad1 rakhne kii Khidmat2 milii mujhe
Gham-haa3-e rozgaar4 ki manzil5 kaheN jise 1.happy 2.service, responsibility 3.plural for Gham, sorrows 4.daily life 5.destination, goal
The destination/goal of the sorrows of daily life is the heart. The poet has the responsibility to keep that heart happy. It is not explicity said whether it is the poet’s own heart or the heart of a fellow human being who is suffering. Of course, it is unlikely to be the beloved’s heart. That can never be the target of sorrows of life.
7
is daur1-e qadr-daan2-e suKhan3 meN ye ittefaaq4
shaa’er vahii hai raunaq5-e mahfil6 kaheN jise 1.era, times 2.those who respect/value 3.versification, shaa’eri 4.agreement 5.light, brilliance, centre of attention 6.gathering
In these times, there is agreement among people who understand and value shaa’eri, that he who is the life of the gathering, is a real poet.
8
mahruum1 chaak2-e siina3-e har-gul4 meN hai vo chiiz
taasiir5-e naala-haa6-e anaadil7 kaheN jise 1.pen-name of poet 2.tear, wound 3.bosom 4.every rose 5.effect, impact 6.plural of naala, wailings 7.plural of andaliib, bulbul
In urdu poetic tradition the bulbul and the rose are lovers who are kept apart by the bird-catcher and the flower-picker. When the rose blooms, it is as if its bosom is torn open. In the tear of the bosom of every rose is that thing which is the effect of wailing of the bulbul because it is forlorn with loss of love and home. The rose feels that pain.
tilok chand mahroom (1887-1955) and his son jagan nath azad are an illustrious father-son team of urdu shu’ara. From miaNvaali (now in pakistan), they migrated to India in 1948, after unsuccessfully trying to remain in lahore. This Ghazal is modeled after Ghalib’s ‘aisa kahaaN se laa’uN keh tujh sa kaheN jise’.
1
vo dil kahaaN hai ahl-e-nazar1 dil kaheN jise
ya’ani niyaaz2-e ishq ke qaabil3 kaheN jise
1.people of vision/discriminating/discerning eye 2.devotional offering 3.good enough, deserving
Where is the heart that people of discerning eye can call a heart i.e. the heart that deserves to be offered at the altar of love.
2
zanjiir-e Gham hai Khud meri Khwaahish1 kaa silsila2
yaa zulf3-e Kham-ba-Kham4 keh salaasil5 kaheN jise
1.wishes, desires 2.continuity, sequence 3.hair 4.curl by curl 5.manacles, shackles
The sequence of my desires has itself become my chain that binds me to sorrow i.e., attachment to this material world is the cause of sorrow. Other than that, it is the curly hair of the beloved that can be called shackles or manacles.
3
miltaa hai mushkiloN se kisii ke huzuur1 kaa
vo ek lahza2 ziist3 kaa haasil4 kaheN jise
1.presence 2.moment 3.life 4.main benefit/purpose/goal
It is with great difficulty that you can get that one moment in the presence of the beloved (or god) which can be called the essence/purpose of life.
4
kashti-shikastgaan1-e yam2-e izteraab3 ko
teraa hii ek naam hai saahil4 kaheN jise
1.wrecked boats 2.river 3.restlessness, pain 4.shore
In our journey over the river of sorrow (life) our boat is wrecked, and we are drowning. It is only your (god’s) name that can be considered/called upon to be our shore/saviour.
5
paatii nahiiN faroGh1 bajuz2 soz-o-saaz3-e ishq
sham’a4-e hayaat5 dar-Khur6-e mahfil7 kaheN jise
1.increase, brilliance 2.except for 3.pain and pleasure 4.lamp 5.life 6.deserving of 7.gathering, assembly
A lamp is normally placed in a place of prominence in a gathering. The lamp of life cannot increase in brilliance except through the pain and pleasure of (universal) love. Only such a lamp which has received brilliance like this can be considered deserving of being placed in an honourable position in society.
6
us dil ko shaad1 rakhne kii Khidmat2 milii mujhe
Gham-haa3-e rozgaar4 ki manzil5 kaheN jise
1.happy 2.service, responsibility 3.plural for Gham, sorrows 4.daily life 5.destination, goal
The destination/goal of the sorrows of daily life is the heart. The poet has the responsibility to keep that heart happy. It is not explicity said whether it is the poet’s own heart or the heart of a fellow human being who is suffering. Of course, it is unlikely to be the beloved’s heart. That can never be the target of sorrows of life.
7
is daur1-e qadr-daan2-e suKhan3 meN ye ittefaaq4
shaa’er vahii hai raunaq5-e mahfil6 kaheN jise
1.era, times 2.those who respect/value 3.versification, shaa’eri 4.agreement 5.light, brilliance, centre of attention 6.gathering
In these times, there is agreement among people who understand and value shaa’eri, that he who is the life of the gathering, is a real poet.
8
mahruum1 chaak2-e siina3-e har-gul4 meN hai vo chiiz
taasiir5-e naala-haa6-e anaadil7 kaheN jise
1.pen-name of poet 2.tear, wound 3.bosom 4.every rose 5.effect, impact 6.plural of naala, wailings 7.plural of andaliib, bulbul
In urdu poetic tradition the bulbul and the rose are lovers who are kept apart by the bird-catcher and the flower-picker. When the rose blooms, it is as if its bosom is torn open. In the tear of the bosom of every rose is that thing which is the effect of wailing of the bulbul because it is forlorn with loss of love and home. The rose feels that pain.
