For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
آبلہ پا میرے بعد ۔ بہادر شاہ ظفرؔ
۱
قدر اے عشق رہے گی تری کیا میرے بعد
کہ تجھے کوئی نہیں پوچھنے کا میرے بعد
۲
زخم پر دل کے گوارا ہے مجھے گو یہ نمک
کون چکّھے گا محبّت کا مزا میرے بعد
۳
درِ جاناں سے میری خاک نہ کرنا برباد
دیکھ جانا نہ ادھر بادِ صبا میرے بعد
۴
خارِ صحرائے جنوں یوں ہی اگر تیز رہے
کوئی آئے گا نہیں آبلہ پا میرے بعد
۵
میرے دم تک ہے ترا اے دلِ بیمار علاج
کوئی کرنے کا نہیں تیری دوا میرے بعد
۶
اُس ستمگر نے مجھے جرمِ وفا پر مارا
کوئی لینے کا نہیں نامِ وفا میرے بعد
۷
اے ظفرؔ کیونکہ محبّت کو نہ ہو غم میرا
کوئی غمخوارِ محبّت نہ ہوا میرے بعد
आब्ला पा मेरे बाद – बहादुर शाह ज़फ़र
१
क़द्र अए इश्क़ रहेगी तेरी क्या मेरे बाद
के तुझे कोई नहीं पूछने का मेरे बाद
२
ज़ख़्म पर दिल के गवारा है मुझे गो ये नमक
कौन चक्खेगा मोहब्बत का मज़ा मेरे बाद
३
दर-ए जानां से मेरी ख़ाक न करना बर्बाद
देख जाना न उधर बाद-ए सबा मेरे बाद
४
ख़ार-ए सहरा-ए जुनूं यूं हि अगर तेज़ रहे
कोई आयेगा नहीं आब्ला-पा मेरे बाद
५
मेरे दम तक है तेरा अए दिल-ए बीमार इलाज
कोई करने का नहीं तेरी दवा मेरे बाद
६
उस सितमगर ने मुझे जुर्म-ए वफ़ा पर मारा
कोई लेने का नहीं नाम-ए वफ़ा मेरे बाद
७
अए ज़फ़र क्यूंके मोहब्बत को न हो ग़म मेरा
कोई ग़म्ख़ार-ए मोहब्बत न हुआ मेरे बाद
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. bahaadur shaah zafar (1775-1862) became titular/nominal emperor of India in 1837. He was a scholar of faarsi and arabi and started composing at an early age. zauq and after zauq’s death in 1854, Ghalib became his ustaad. zafar used to hold frequent mushaa’era in the Red Fort. This Ghazal, in the same style of Ghalib’s “lab-e saaqi meN salaa mere b’aad”, dated 1821. I am not sure if there was any influence/connection. Never-the-less, I have linked it to ‘Ghalib peshrau ham asr’ simply because it is enjoyable to compare how different shu’ara use the same radeef. There are clearly many before both Ghalib and zafar who composed in the same radeef-qaafia zafar keeps moving from being romantic, self-pitying to sufiyaana.
1
qadr1 aye ishq rahegi teri kya mere b’aad
keh tujhe koii nahiN poochhne2 ka mere b’aad 1.value, respect 2.ask about, inquire after
O Love, who will value/respect you (the traditions of love) after I am gone. Nobody will ask about you after me.
2
zaKhm1 par dil ke gavaara2 hai mujhe go ye namak
kaun chakkhega3 mohabbat ka maza4 mere b’aad 1.wound 2.tolerable, agreeable 3.taste 4.pleasure, enjoyment
zaKhm pe namak chhiRakna is rubbing salt into the wound i.e., make it even more painful. The poet/lover claims that it is quite acceptable to him to bear such pain (because he values the traditions of love). Who will enjoy the taste of love (i.e., the pain) after me.
3
dar1-e jaanaaN2 se meri Khaak3 na karna barbaad4
dekh jaana na udhar baad-e-sabaa5 mere b’aad 1.door 2.beloved 3.dust 4.destroy, used here to mean scatter/blow away 5.morning breeze
The poet/lover is dead and turned to dust (but this does not prevent him from composing/reciting verse). His dust has been strewn around the door of the beloved. He beseeches/cautions/warns the morning breeze not to blow there and scatter his dust away from the beloved’s door.
4
Khaar1-e sahra2-e junooN3 yuN hi agar4 tez5 rahe
koii aayega nahiN aabla-paa6 mere b’aad 1.thorns 2.desert 3.passion 4.if 5.sharp 6.blister-footed
The convention is that the mad/passionate lover wanders the desert looking for his beloved (like majnuN of the laila-majnuN legend). His feet get blisters and boils which are pricked by desert thorns and bleed. Says this poet/lover – if the thorns of the desert remain as sharp as they are, no other lover with blistered feet will come to the desert. Only he has been capable of tolerating that pain.
5
mere dam1 tak hai tera aye dil-e biimaar2 ilaaj3
koii karne ka nahiN teri davaa4 mere b’aad 1.breath, life 2.sick, love-stricken 3.treatment, care 4.remedy, medication
Only as long as I live, is there someone to take care of you, O love-stricken heart. There will be none to cater to you after I am gone.
6
us sitamgar1 ne mujhe jurm2-e vafa3 par maara
koii lene ka nahiN naam-e vafa mere b’aad 1.tormentor, beloved 2.crime 3.faithfulness, fidelity
‘naam na lena’ is an expression meaning – come nowhere near something. Thus, no one will be faithful after me, because the beloved has killed me for the crime of faithfulness in love.
7
aye zafar1 kyuNkeh2 mohabbat ko na ho Gham3 mera
koii GhamKhwaar4-e mohabbat na hua mere b’aad 1.pen-name of the poet 2.because 3.sorrow 4.sympathizer, consoler
The poet/lover claims that Love itself will be sorrowful after his death. If someone goes to console Love after him, then it will get sorrowful. Hence, O zafar, no one will go to console Love after me.
bahaadur shaah zafar (1775-1862) became titular/nominal emperor of India in 1837. He was a scholar of faarsi and arabi and started composing at an early age. zauq and after zauq’s death in 1854, Ghalib became his ustaad. zafar used to hold frequent mushaa’era in the Red Fort. This Ghazal, in the same style of Ghalib’s “lab-e saaqi meN salaa mere b’aad”, dated 1821. I am not sure if there was any influence/connection. Never-the-less, I have linked it to ‘Ghalib peshrau ham asr’ simply because it is enjoyable to compare how different shu’ara use the same radeef. There are clearly many before both Ghalib and zafar who composed in the same radeef-qaafia zafar keeps moving from being romantic, self-pitying to sufiyaana.
1
qadr1 aye ishq rahegi teri kya mere b’aad
keh tujhe koii nahiN poochhne2 ka mere b’aad
1.value, respect 2.ask about, inquire after
O Love, who will value/respect you (the traditions of love) after I am gone. Nobody will ask about you after me.
2
zaKhm1 par dil ke gavaara2 hai mujhe go ye namak
kaun chakkhega3 mohabbat ka maza4 mere b’aad
1.wound 2.tolerable, agreeable 3.taste 4.pleasure, enjoyment
zaKhm pe namak chhiRakna is rubbing salt into the wound i.e., make it even more painful. The poet/lover claims that it is quite acceptable to him to bear such pain (because he values the traditions of love). Who will enjoy the taste of love (i.e., the pain) after me.
3
dar1-e jaanaaN2 se meri Khaak3 na karna barbaad4
dekh jaana na udhar baad-e-sabaa5 mere b’aad
1.door 2.beloved 3.dust 4.destroy, used here to mean scatter/blow away 5.morning breeze
The poet/lover is dead and turned to dust (but this does not prevent him from composing/reciting verse). His dust has been strewn around the door of the beloved. He beseeches/cautions/warns the morning breeze not to blow there and scatter his dust away from the beloved’s door.
4
Khaar1-e sahra2-e junooN3 yuN hi agar4 tez5 rahe
koii aayega nahiN aabla-paa6 mere b’aad
1.thorns 2.desert 3.passion 4.if 5.sharp 6.blister-footed
The convention is that the mad/passionate lover wanders the desert looking for his beloved (like majnuN of the laila-majnuN legend). His feet get blisters and boils which are pricked by desert thorns and bleed. Says this poet/lover – if the thorns of the desert remain as sharp as they are, no other lover with blistered feet will come to the desert. Only he has been capable of tolerating that pain.
5
mere dam1 tak hai tera aye dil-e biimaar2 ilaaj3
koii karne ka nahiN teri davaa4 mere b’aad
1.breath, life 2.sick, love-stricken 3.treatment, care 4.remedy, medication
Only as long as I live, is there someone to take care of you, O love-stricken heart. There will be none to cater to you after I am gone.
6
us sitamgar1 ne mujhe jurm2-e vafa3 par maara
koii lene ka nahiN naam-e vafa mere b’aad
1.tormentor, beloved 2.crime 3.faithfulness, fidelity
‘naam na lena’ is an expression meaning – come nowhere near something. Thus, no one will be faithful after me, because the beloved has killed me for the crime of faithfulness in love.
7
aye zafar1 kyuNkeh2 mohabbat ko na ho Gham3 mera
koii GhamKhwaar4-e mohabbat na hua mere b’aad
1.pen-name of the poet 2.because 3.sorrow 4.sympathizer, consoler
The poet/lover claims that Love itself will be sorrowful after his death. If someone goes to console Love after him, then it will get sorrowful. Hence, O zafar, no one will go to console Love after me.
