For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
Elizabeth Kurian mona
سب کو بتایا نہ کرو ۔ الزبت کرین موناؔ
۱
یوں دبے پانؤ مِرے ذہن میں آیا نہ کرو
تم نے چھوڑا ہے مجھے، اب تو ستایا نہ کرو
۲
جب تمہیں علم ہے وعدے نہ نبھا پاؤگے
جھوٹی قسمیں مِرے سر کی یوں ہی کھایا نہ کرو
۳
غیر سے ملتے ہو ، مجھ کو یہ خبرہے لیکن
میری محفل میں انہیں ساتھ تو لایا نہ کرو
۴
الوداع کہہ کے چلی جاےگی یہ شام ابھی
تیرگی میں ہے سکوں، شمع جلایا نہ کرو
۵
میں نہ قابل، نہ سہی، تم کو تغافل ہی سہی
اپنی نظروں سےمجھے، یوں بھی گرایا نہ کرو
۶
چاہنا تم کو مِری بھول تھی، مانا پھر بھی
تم مجھے بھول سے بھی، دل سے بھلایا نہ کرو
۷
لوگ کہتے ہیں کہ موناؔ ہے بڑی دیوانی
بات یہ سچ ہے مگر، سب کو بتایا نہ کرو
सब को बताया न करो – एलिज़बेत कुरियन मोना
१
यूँ दबे पाँव मेरे ज़हन में आया न करो
तुम ने छोड़ा है मुझे, अब तो सताया न करो
२
जब तुम्हें इल्म है वादे न निभा पाओगे
झूटी क़स्में मेरे सर की यूँ ही खाया न करो
३
ग़ैर से मिलते हो, मुझ को ये ख़बर है लेकिन
मेरी महफ़िल में उन्हें साथ तो लाया न करो
४
अलविदा कह के चली जाएगी ये शाम अभी
तीरगी में है सुकूं, शम’अ जलाया न करो
५
मैं न क़ाबिल, न सही, तुम को तग़ाफुल ही सही
अपनी नज़रों से मुझे यूँ भी गिराया न करो
६
चाहना तुम को मेरी भूल थी माना फिर भी
तुम मुझे भूल से भी दिल से भुलाया न करो
७
लोग कहते हैं के ‘मोना’ है बड़ी दीवानी
बात ये सच है मगर सब को बताया न करो
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. Elizabeth Kurian ‘Mona’ (1949-living) is a poet in many languages – urdu, English, hindi, and her mother tongue malayalam, with published books in each. A true blue hyderabadi, she is a late comer to urdu, but apparently good at it as well as in love with it. She learnt urdu through a correspondence course offered by jaami’a-e millia islamia, dehli. She has written four urdu books of Ghazal/nazms. She took early retirement from a management position in Reserve Bank of India and now lives in her hometown, hyderabad and pursues her passion in poetry.
1
yuN dabe-paauN1 mere zahn2 meN aaya na karo
tum ne chhoRa hai mujhe, ab to sataaya na karo 1.treading softly, secretly, furtively 2.mind, heart
Do not come back into my heart so furtively. You have left me, do not torture me like this, now.
2
jab tumheN ilm1 tha v’aade2 na nibha3 paaoge
jhooTi qasmeN mere sar ki yuN hi khaaya na karo 1.knowledge 2.promises 3.fulfil
When you knew that you could not keep your commitments, why do you swear by me with false promises.
3
Ghair se milte ho, mujh ko ye Khabar hai laikin
meri mahfil meN unheN saath to laaya na karo 1.other, rival 2.news, awareness 3.gathering
I am aware that you have trysts with the rival. At least do not bring them to my party.
4
alvida1 kah ke chali jaayegi ye shaam2 abhi
tiiragi3 meN hai sukooN4, sham’a jalaaya na karo 1.farewell 2.night 3.darkness 4.contentment, tranquility, peace
Here, a dark night is considered more intimate and satisfactory. Thus, the night will bid farewell and depart soon. There is comfort in darkness, do not light a lamp now.
5
maiN na qaabil, na sahi, tum ko taGhaaful hi sahi
apni nazroN se mujhe yuN bhi giraaya na karo 1.suitable, capable 2.unmindfulness, lack of interest
‘nazroN se giraana’ is an expression that means to insult, to discard. You may not consider me suitable for you, equal to your demands, you may have no interest in this relationship, but at least, do not insult me thus.
6
chaahna tum ko meri bhool1 thi maana phir bhi
tum mujhe bhool-se2 bhi dil se bhulaaya na karo 1.mistake 2.even by mistake
Loving you was my mistake, I agree. But you should never forget me even by mistake.
7
log kahte haiN keh mona1 hai baRi diivaani
baat ye such hai, magar1 sab ko bataaya na karo 1.pen-name of poet 2.but
People say that mona is a simpleton. This may be true, but do not go about telling everyone.
Elizabeth Kurian ‘Mona’ (1949-living) is a poet in many languages – urdu, English, hindi, and her mother tongue malayalam, with published books in each. A true blue hyderabadi, she is a late comer to urdu, but apparently good at it as well as in love with it. She learnt urdu through a correspondence course offered by jaami’a-e millia islamia, dehli. She has written four urdu books of Ghazal/nazms. She took early retirement from a management position in Reserve Bank of India and now lives in her hometown, hyderabad and pursues her passion in poetry.
1
yuN dabe-paauN1 mere zahn2 meN aaya na karo
tum ne chhoRa hai mujhe, ab to sataaya na karo
1.treading softly, secretly, furtively 2.mind, heart
Do not come back into my heart so furtively. You have left me, do not torture me like this, now.
2
jab tumheN ilm1 tha v’aade2 na nibha3 paaoge
jhooTi qasmeN mere sar ki yuN hi khaaya na karo
1.knowledge 2.promises 3.fulfil
When you knew that you could not keep your commitments, why do you swear by me with false promises.
3
Ghair se milte ho, mujh ko ye Khabar hai laikin
meri mahfil meN unheN saath to laaya na karo
1.other, rival 2.news, awareness 3.gathering
I am aware that you have trysts with the rival. At least do not bring them to my party.
4
alvida1 kah ke chali jaayegi ye shaam2 abhi
tiiragi3 meN hai sukooN4, sham’a jalaaya na karo
1.farewell 2.night 3.darkness 4.contentment, tranquility, peace
Here, a dark night is considered more intimate and satisfactory. Thus, the night will bid farewell and depart soon. There is comfort in darkness, do not light a lamp now.
5
maiN na qaabil, na sahi, tum ko taGhaaful hi sahi
apni nazroN se mujhe yuN bhi giraaya na karo
1.suitable, capable 2.unmindfulness, lack of interest
‘nazroN se giraana’ is an expression that means to insult, to discard. You may not consider me suitable for you, equal to your demands, you may have no interest in this relationship, but at least, do not insult me thus.
6
chaahna tum ko meri bhool1 thi maana phir bhi
tum mujhe bhool-se2 bhi dil se bhulaaya na karo
1.mistake 2.even by mistake
Loving you was my mistake, I agree. But you should never forget me even by mistake.
7
log kahte haiN keh mona1 hai baRi diivaani
baat ye such hai, magar1 sab ko bataaya na karo
1.pen-name of poet 2.but
People say that mona is a simpleton. This may be true, but do not go about telling everyone.
