For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
آب و گِل میں ہے ۔ پنڈت آنند موہن گلزارؔ دہلوی
۱
ہم کہاں ہیں دیکھئے اور شیخ کس منزل میں ہے
داغ ہے اُس کی جبیں پر اور ہمارے دل میں ہے
۲
رات کیا گزری کسی پر اب جو ہنگامِ سحر
زیرِ لب کچھ ذکر اپنا کوچۂ قاتل میں ہے
۳
دیکھتے ہو کُل چمن گُل چینیوں کے ظل میں ہے
کچھ بتاؤ نونہالو کیا تمہارے دل میں ہے
۴
موت کی بادِ مخالف نے یہ ثابت کر دیا
کاروبارِ عیشِ دنیا آخری منزل میں ہے
۵
پھر نظر غیروں کی سوئے آشیاں پڑنے لگی
سرفروشی کی تمنّا موجزن پھر دل میں ہے
۶
اب یہ لازم ہے جنونِ عاشقی ہو سرخ رُو
ہر خرد کا مدعی دیوانگی کے ظل میں ہے
۷
جان دینا پھر مصیبت، جان بچنا پھر محال
چاہنے والا تمہارا کس قدر مشکل میں ہے
۸
کہہ رہی ہے آج اُردو بھی زبانِ حال سے
ذکر میرا مجھ سے بہتر ہے کہ اُس محفل میں ہے
۹
حضرتِ گلزارؔ نے اپنے حریفوں سے کہا
تخمِ اُردو خاندانی میرے آب و گِل میں ہے
आब ओ गिल में है – पंडित आनंद मोहन गुल्ज़ार देहलवी
१
हम कहां हैं देखिये और शैख़ किस मंज़िल में है
दाग़ है उस की जबीं पर और हमारे दिल में है
२
रात क्या गुज़री किसी पर अब जो हंगाम-ए सहर
ज़ेर-ए लब कुछ ज़ीक्र अपना कूचा-ए क़ातिल में है
३
देखते हो कुल चमन गुल-चीनियौं के ज़िल में है
कुछ बताओ नौनेहालो क्या तुम्हारे दिल में है
४
मौत की बाद-ए मुख़ालिफ़ ने ये साबित कर दिया
कारोबार-ए ऐश-ए दुनिया आख़री मंज़िल में है
५
फिर नज़र ग़ैरौं कि सू-ए आशियां पढने लगी
सरफ़रोशी की तमन्ना मौजज़न फिर दिल में है
६
अब ये लाज़िम है जुनून-ए आशेक़ी हो सुर्ख़-रू
हर ख़िरद का मुद्द’ई दीवानगी के ज़िल में है
७
जान देना फिर मुसीबत, जान बचना फिर महाल
चाहने वाला तुम्हारा किस क़दर मुश्किल में है
८
कह रही है आज उर्दू भी ज़बान-ए हाल से
ज़िक्र मेरा मुझ से बेहतर है के उस महफ़िल में है
९
हज़्रत-ए गुल्ज़ार ने अपने हरीफ़ौं से कहा
तुख़्म-ए उर्दू ख़ानदानी मेरे आब ओ गिल में है
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. anand mohan gulzar dehlavi (1926-2020), a kashmiri panDit, a scholar and lover of urdu and totally committed to communal harmony. Over his long and fruitful life has written with much love and admiration about many illustrious figures – political, religious and literary. This Ghazal, with the same radeef-qaafiya as Ghalib’s ‘ye bhi mere dil meN hai’ is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam and also to Ghalib-kashmiri panDit on the Theme page.
1
ham kahaaN haiN dekhiye aur shaiKh kis manzil1 meN hai
daaGh2 hai us ki jabiiN3 par aur hamaare dil meN hai 1.stage towards the destination 2.stain, mark 3.forehead
Some people who perform namaaz/sijda regularly get a mark on their forehead due to internal bleeding from frequent impact. This is considered a sign of piety and honour. Here, gulzar turns tables on this thought. People who have the wound of love in their heart have reached a higher/further stage towards the destination (of union with god) that the shaiKh who just has stain on his forehead.
2
raat kya guzri1 kisi par ab jo haNgaam2-e sahar3
zer-e-lab4 kuchh zikr5 apna koocha6-e qaatil7 meN hai 1.happened, passed 2.at the time of 3.dawn 4.under the lips i.e., whispering 5.mention, talk 6.street 7.killer, beloved
Lovers gather in the street of the beloved. The poet/lover has spent an agitated night wailing in sorrow. His wailing has reached the ears of the beloved; he wonders how the night has passed for her and how she has been affected by it. The word of the effect of the beloved travels to the gathering of the lovers in the street and they start whispering about him, either in admiration or in jealousy.
3
dekhte ho kul1 chaman gul-chiiniyoN2 ke zil3 meN hai
kuchh bataao naunehaalo4 kya tumhaare dil meN hai 1.all, whole 2.flower pickers 3.shadow-used here to mean domination 4.new/fresh shoots
Can’t you see that the whole garden is under the thumb of flower-pickers. O young shoots, tell me what’s in your heart/on your mind i.e., fresh shoots would be fearful that their blooms would be picked off.
4
maut1 ki baad2-e muKhaalif3 ne ye saabit4 kar diya
kaarobaar5-e aish6-e duniya aaKhiri7 manzil8 meN hai 1.death 2.wind, breeze 3.opposing 4.prove 5.activity, work 6.luxury, pleasure 7.final 8.stage
Life is a journey. The winds of death are blowing against the traveler. This proves that the activity of pleasure/enjoyment of material luxuries of this world is at an end. Just another way of reminding readers/listeners of spiritual needs.
5
phir nazar1 GhairoN2 ki suu3-e aashiyaaN4 paRne lagi
sarfaroshi5 ki tamanna6 mauj-zan7 phir dil meN hai 1.sight, looks 2.rivals, enemies 3.towards 4.nest, home 5.rebellion, head-offering, willingness to die 6.desire 7.high waves, high tide
Often poets/lovers are portrayed as birds/nightingales singing love songs to the rose and building nests for themselves in the garden. The bird-catcher is portrayed as the enemy catching and caging birds, keeping them away from the rose. Thus, once again the enemy has his eyes on our nests/aashiyaana. Once again the desire to revolt/resist is running high.
6
ab ye laazim1 hai junoon2-e aashiqi ho surKh-ruu3
har Khirad4 ka mudd’aii5 diivaanagi ke zil6 meN hai 1.necessary, inevitable 2.frenzy 3.glowing faces, victorious looks 4.knowledge, reason 5.desirous, seeker 6.shadow-used here to mean patronage or may be domination
This is the classical battle between reason and love. The poet seems to subscribe to the view that love should prevail over reason. Thus, it is inevitable that the face of the frenzy of love will glow with joy. Everyone who seeks reason/rationality is under the shadow/patronage of ‘diivaanagi’-frenzy of love.
7
jaan dena phir musiibat1, jaan bachna2 phir mahaal3
chaahne vaala tumhaara kis qadar4 mushkil5 meN hai 1.problematic 2.save, protect 3.difficult 4.so much 5.difficulty
On the one hand it is difficult to give up life (because the beloved does not let him die) and it is equally difficult to save his life (because the beloved does not let him live). Just see what difficulty your lover is in.
8
kah rahi hai aaj urdu bhi zabaan1-e haal2 se
zikr3 mera mujh se behtar4 hai keh us mahfil5 meN hai 1.language 2.condition, status 3.narrative, story, talk 4.better 5.gathering
The second misra is a direct quote from Ghalib. My guess is that this Ghazal was read around Ghalib Centennial celebrations in 1969. During those days there was a lot of talk about urdu and its place in India. The poet implies that it was all talk and no action. Thus, urdu speaks in the language of its actual condition that at least the mention of my name is better than me, because it comes up in ‘that’ gathering – the beloved’s gathering – the gathering of powerful politicians.
9
hazrat1-e gulzaar2 ne apne hariifoN3 se kaha
tuKhm4-e urdu Khaandaani5 mere aab-o-gil6 meN hai 1.salutation meaning ‘honourable’ 2.pen-name of the poet 3.rivals 4.seed 5.familial, inherited 6.literally-clay and water i.e., basic ingredient, basic nature
There were several generations of urdu poets in gulzar’s family including both is parents and his older brother. The honourable gulzar said to his rivals – the seed of urdu is planted by familial inheritance in my clay and water i.e., nature.
anand mohan gulzar dehlavi (1926-2020), a kashmiri panDit, a scholar and lover of urdu and totally committed to communal harmony. Over his long and fruitful life has written with much love and admiration about many illustrious figures – political, religious and literary. This Ghazal, with the same radeef-qaafiya as Ghalib’s ‘ye bhi mere dil meN hai’ is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam and also to Ghalib-kashmiri panDit on the Theme page.
1
ham kahaaN haiN dekhiye aur shaiKh kis manzil1 meN hai
daaGh2 hai us ki jabiiN3 par aur hamaare dil meN hai
1.stage towards the destination 2.stain, mark 3.forehead
Some people who perform namaaz/sijda regularly get a mark on their forehead due to internal bleeding from frequent impact. This is considered a sign of piety and honour. Here, gulzar turns tables on this thought. People who have the wound of love in their heart have reached a higher/further stage towards the destination (of union with god) that the shaiKh who just has stain on his forehead.
2
raat kya guzri1 kisi par ab jo haNgaam2-e sahar3
zer-e-lab4 kuchh zikr5 apna koocha6-e qaatil7 meN hai
1.happened, passed 2.at the time of 3.dawn 4.under the lips i.e., whispering 5.mention, talk 6.street 7.killer, beloved
Lovers gather in the street of the beloved. The poet/lover has spent an agitated night wailing in sorrow. His wailing has reached the ears of the beloved; he wonders how the night has passed for her and how she has been affected by it. The word of the effect of the beloved travels to the gathering of the lovers in the street and they start whispering about him, either in admiration or in jealousy.
3
dekhte ho kul1 chaman gul-chiiniyoN2 ke zil3 meN hai
kuchh bataao naunehaalo4 kya tumhaare dil meN hai
1.all, whole 2.flower pickers 3.shadow-used here to mean domination 4.new/fresh shoots
Can’t you see that the whole garden is under the thumb of flower-pickers. O young shoots, tell me what’s in your heart/on your mind i.e., fresh shoots would be fearful that their blooms would be picked off.
4
maut1 ki baad2-e muKhaalif3 ne ye saabit4 kar diya
kaarobaar5-e aish6-e duniya aaKhiri7 manzil8 meN hai
1.death 2.wind, breeze 3.opposing 4.prove 5.activity, work 6.luxury, pleasure 7.final 8.stage
Life is a journey. The winds of death are blowing against the traveler. This proves that the activity of pleasure/enjoyment of material luxuries of this world is at an end. Just another way of reminding readers/listeners of spiritual needs.
5
phir nazar1 GhairoN2 ki suu3-e aashiyaaN4 paRne lagi
sarfaroshi5 ki tamanna6 mauj-zan7 phir dil meN hai
1.sight, looks 2.rivals, enemies 3.towards 4.nest, home 5.rebellion, head-offering, willingness to die 6.desire 7.high waves, high tide
Often poets/lovers are portrayed as birds/nightingales singing love songs to the rose and building nests for themselves in the garden. The bird-catcher is portrayed as the enemy catching and caging birds, keeping them away from the rose. Thus, once again the enemy has his eyes on our nests/aashiyaana. Once again the desire to revolt/resist is running high.
6
ab ye laazim1 hai junoon2-e aashiqi ho surKh-ruu3
har Khirad4 ka mudd’aii5 diivaanagi ke zil6 meN hai
1.necessary, inevitable 2.frenzy 3.glowing faces, victorious looks 4.knowledge, reason 5.desirous, seeker 6.shadow-used here to mean patronage or may be domination
This is the classical battle between reason and love. The poet seems to subscribe to the view that love should prevail over reason. Thus, it is inevitable that the face of the frenzy of love will glow with joy. Everyone who seeks reason/rationality is under the shadow/patronage of ‘diivaanagi’-frenzy of love.
7
jaan dena phir musiibat1, jaan bachna2 phir mahaal3
chaahne vaala tumhaara kis qadar4 mushkil5 meN hai
1.problematic 2.save, protect 3.difficult 4.so much 5.difficulty
On the one hand it is difficult to give up life (because the beloved does not let him die) and it is equally difficult to save his life (because the beloved does not let him live). Just see what difficulty your lover is in.
8
kah rahi hai aaj urdu bhi zabaan1-e haal2 se
zikr3 mera mujh se behtar4 hai keh us mahfil5 meN hai
1.language 2.condition, status 3.narrative, story, talk 4.better 5.gathering
The second misra is a direct quote from Ghalib. My guess is that this Ghazal was read around Ghalib Centennial celebrations in 1969. During those days there was a lot of talk about urdu and its place in India. The poet implies that it was all talk and no action. Thus, urdu speaks in the language of its actual condition that at least the mention of my name is better than me, because it comes up in ‘that’ gathering – the beloved’s gathering – the gathering of powerful politicians.
9
hazrat1-e gulzaar2 ne apne hariifoN3 se kaha
tuKhm4-e urdu Khaandaani5 mere aab-o-gil6 meN hai
1.salutation meaning ‘honourable’ 2.pen-name of the poet 3.rivals 4.seed 5.familial, inherited 6.literally-clay and water i.e., basic ingredient, basic nature
There were several generations of urdu poets in gulzar’s family including both is parents and his older brother. The honourable gulzar said to his rivals – the seed of urdu is planted by familial inheritance in my clay and water i.e., nature.
