For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
غم سوا نہ ہوا ۔ منوہر لال بہارؔ
۱
زندگی تیرا حق ادا نہ ہوا
غم تو یہ ہے کہ غم سوا نہ ہوا
۲
کیا ضرورت ہے ہم کو مرہم کی
زخم اچھا ہوا ہوا نہ ہوا
۳
ساتھ اُمید نے بھی چھوڑ دیا
کوئی بیکس کا آسرا نہ ہوا
۴
تیرے دامن پہ حرف آئے گا
گر میرے حق میں فیصلہ نہ ہوا
۵
زندگی تیرگی میں بھٹکے گی
دل کا روشن اگر دیا نہ ہوا
۶
غرق کشتی ہوئی ہے ساحل پر
مجھ پہ احسانِ ناخدا نہ ہوا
۷
قیدِ ہستی سے ہو گیا آزاد
قیدِ غم سے مگر رہا نہ ہوا
۸
تیری صورت تجھے دکھا دیتے
آہ دل اپنا آئینہ نہ ہوا
۹
نام میرا بہار ہے لیکن
کوئی موسم بہارؔ کا نہ ہوا
ग़म सिवा न हुआ – मनाहर लाल बहार
१
ज़िंदगी तेरा हक़ अदा न हुआ
ग़म तो ये है के ग़म सिवा न हुआ
२
क्या ज़रूरत है हम को मरहम की
ज़ख़्म अच्छा हुआ हुआ न हुआ
३
साथ उम्मीद ने भी छोढ दिया
कोई बेकस का आस्रा न हुआ
४
तेरे दामन पे हर्फ़ आएगा
गर मेरे हक़ में फ़ैस्ला न हुआ
५
ज़िंदगी तीरगी में भटकेगी
दिल का रौशन अगर दिया न हुआ
६
ग़र्क़ किश्ती हुई है साहिल पर
मुझ पे एहसान-ए नाख़ुदा न हुआ
७
क़ैद-ए हस्ती से हो गया आज़ाद
क़ैद-ए ग़म से मगर रेहा न हुआ
८
तेरी सूरत तुझे दिखा देते
आह दिल अपना आईना न हुआ
९
नाम मेरा बहार है लैकिन
काई मोसम बहार का न हुआ
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. manohar lal bahaar (1912-????), whose father, rai shahed lal taught him urdu and farsi at home was invited to mushaa’era in hyderabad regularly. His collection ‘bahaaristan’ was published in 1977. He retired as a high-level official in the Department of Agriculture, Andhra Pradesh. This is one of several Ghazal he composed in the style of Ghalib. This one is based on the style of Ghalib’s leading Ghazal – ‘dard minnat-kash-e davaa na hua’.
1
zindagi tera haq1 ada2 na hua
Gham to ye hai ke Gham siva3 na hua 1.rights, dues 2.paid, fufilled 3.beyond, increase
I could not fill my obligations to life, could not give all that it was its due. The sad part is that sorrow/pain did not increase even more. It should be remembered that in urdu poetic convention the pain of love is highly valued – the more the better.
2
kya zaroorat1 hai hum ko marham ki
zaKhm2 achchha hua hua na hua 1.necessity, need 2.wound (of love)
What need do I have of any salve. If the wound is cured, it is cured. If not, it is all right.
3
saath ummeed1 ne bhi chhoR diya
koii bekas2 ka aasra3 na hua 1.hope 2.helpless 3.support, sympathizer
Even hope abandoned me. There was none left who would support the helpless.
4
tere daaman1 pe harf2 aayega
gar3 mere haq4 meN faisla5 na hua 1.hem of the robe/skirt 2.word 3.if 4.rights, used here to mean – in my favour 5.decision, judgement.
‘daaman pe harf aana’ is an expression used to mean – ‘reputation will be maligned’. Thus, your reputation (O god) will be maligned if judgement is not made in my favour.
5
zindagi tiiragi meN bhaTkegi
dil ka raushan agar diya na hua 1.darkness 2.wander, stumble 3.lit, bright
Life will continue to stumble in darkness if the lamp of the heart does not light up i.e., if feelings of universal love are not developed in the heart.
6
Gharq1 kishti hui hai saahil2 par
mujh pe ehsaan3-e naaKhuda4 na hua 1.drowned 2.shoreline 3.obligation 4.boatman, oarsman
The boat of life sank near the shoreline. The boatman failed to row/steer it to safety. That is just as good. If he had succeeded then, I would have been under his obligation. As such, I was not burdened under his favours. This is in the spirit as Ghalib’s …
dard minnat-kash-e davaa na hua
maiN na achchha hua, bura na hua
7
qaid1-e hasti2 se ho gaya aazaad
qaid1-e Gham se magar3 reha4 na hua 1.imprisonment, confinement 2.existence, life 3.but 4.released
This reflects one of two opposite conventions. This one says that even in death you are not released from pain/sorrow. The other one reflected in Ghalib’s …
Gham-e hasti ka asad kis se ho juz marg ilaaj
… implies that you are released from sorrow only after death, not in this life.
8
teri soorat tujhe dikha dete
aah! dil apna aaiina na hua It is conventional that a clean/unblemished heart reflects the image of god. Thus, the shaa’er says – we could have shown you your image (in our heart), but alas, my heart was not as ublemished as a mirror.
9
naam mera bahaar1 hai laikin
koii mosam2 bahaar1 ka na hua 1.spring, joy, also pen-name of the poet 2.season
The poet uses his taKhallus to good effect. He says, my name is bahaar, but there was not time in my life (no season) which was a season of spring/joy.
manohar lal bahaar (1912-????), whose father, rai shahed lal taught him urdu and farsi at home was invited to mushaa’era in hyderabad regularly. His collection ‘bahaaristan’ was published in 1977. He retired as a high-level official in the Department of Agriculture, Andhra Pradesh. This is one of several Ghazal he composed in the style of Ghalib. This one is based on the style of Ghalib’s leading Ghazal – ‘dard minnat-kash-e davaa na hua’.
1
zindagi tera haq1 ada2 na hua
Gham to ye hai ke Gham siva3 na hua
1.rights, dues 2.paid, fufilled 3.beyond, increase
I could not fill my obligations to life, could not give all that it was its due. The sad part is that sorrow/pain did not increase even more. It should be remembered that in urdu poetic convention the pain of love is highly valued – the more the better.
2
kya zaroorat1 hai hum ko marham ki
zaKhm2 achchha hua hua na hua
1.necessity, need 2.wound (of love)
What need do I have of any salve. If the wound is cured, it is cured. If not, it is all right.
3
saath ummeed1 ne bhi chhoR diya
koii bekas2 ka aasra3 na hua
1.hope 2.helpless 3.support, sympathizer
Even hope abandoned me. There was none left who would support the helpless.
4
tere daaman1 pe harf2 aayega
gar3 mere haq4 meN faisla5 na hua
1.hem of the robe/skirt 2.word 3.if 4.rights, used here to mean – in my favour 5.decision, judgement.
‘daaman pe harf aana’ is an expression used to mean – ‘reputation will be maligned’. Thus, your reputation (O god) will be maligned if judgement is not made in my favour.
5
zindagi tiiragi meN bhaTkegi
dil ka raushan agar diya na hua
1.darkness 2.wander, stumble 3.lit, bright
Life will continue to stumble in darkness if the lamp of the heart does not light up i.e., if feelings of universal love are not developed in the heart.
6
Gharq1 kishti hui hai saahil2 par
mujh pe ehsaan3-e naaKhuda4 na hua
1.drowned 2.shoreline 3.obligation 4.boatman, oarsman
The boat of life sank near the shoreline. The boatman failed to row/steer it to safety. That is just as good. If he had succeeded then, I would have been under his obligation. As such, I was not burdened under his favours. This is in the spirit as Ghalib’s …
dard minnat-kash-e davaa na hua
maiN na achchha hua, bura na hua
7
qaid1-e hasti2 se ho gaya aazaad
qaid1-e Gham se magar3 reha4 na hua
1.imprisonment, confinement 2.existence, life 3.but 4.released
This reflects one of two opposite conventions. This one says that even in death you are not released from pain/sorrow. The other one reflected in Ghalib’s …
Gham-e hasti ka asad kis se ho juz marg ilaaj
… implies that you are released from sorrow only after death, not in this life.
8
teri soorat tujhe dikha dete
aah! dil apna aaiina na hua
It is conventional that a clean/unblemished heart reflects the image of god. Thus, the shaa’er says – we could have shown you your image (in our heart), but alas, my heart was not as ublemished as a mirror.
9
naam mera bahaar1 hai laikin
koii mosam2 bahaar1 ka na hua
1.spring, joy, also pen-name of the poet 2.season
The poet uses his taKhallus to good effect. He says, my name is bahaar, but there was not time in my life (no season) which was a season of spring/joy.
