For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
آئینہ دارِ نغمہ ہے ۔ گوپال مِتّل
۱
جو شعاعِ لب ہے موج نو بہارِ نغمہ ہے
خامشی بھی آپ کی آئینہ دارِ نغمہ ہے
۲
گوش اک مُدّت سے محرومِ سماعت ہے مگر
دل عجب ناداں ہے اب تک اعتبارِ نغمہ ہے
۳
فرق یہ ہے نطق کے سانچے میں ڈھل سکتا نہیں
ورنہ جو آنسو ہے دُرّ شاہوارِ نغمہ ہے
۴
مُنکرِ سازِ مسرّت ہُوں تو کافر ہُوں مگر
ہم نفس مِضرابِ غم پر اِنحصارِ نغمہ ہے
۵
اے کہ شِکوہ تھا تجھے سنگیں مزاجی کا مری
دیکھ اس پتھر میں بھی موجِ شرارِ نغمہ ہے
आईना-दार-ए नग़्मा है – गोपाल मित्तल
१
जो शुआ-ए लब है मौज-ए नौ-बहार-ए नग़्मा है
ख़ामुशी भी आप की आईना-दार-ए नग़्मा है
२
गोश एक मुद्दत से महरूम-ए समा’अत है मगर
दिल अजब नादाँ है अब तक ए’तेबार-ए नग़्मा है
३
फ़र्क़ ये है नुत्क़ के साँचे में ढल सकता नहीं
वर्ना जो आँसू है दुर्र-ए शाह-वार-ए नग़्मा है
४
मुन्किर-ए साज़-ए मसर्रत हूँ तो काफ़र हूँ मगर
हम-नफ़स मिज़्राब-ए ग़म पर इन्हसार-ए नग़्मा है
५
अए कि शिक्वा था तुझे संगीं-मिज़ाजी का मेरी
देख इस पत्थर में भी मौज-ए शरार-ए नग़्मा है
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. gopal mittal (1901-1993), maaler koTla, punjab. College in lahore. Later, lived in dehli as a poet, writer and editor of literary magazine. His usual style is to write intellectual, agnostic and irreverant Ghazal/nazam. Here he pays an indirect tribute Ghalib composing in one Ghalib’s less well-known Ghazal, ‘shiisha-e mai sarv-e sabz-e juu-e baar-e naGhma hai’.
1
jo shua1-e lab2 hai mauj3-e nau-bahaar4-e naGhma5 hai
Khaamushi bhi aap ki aaiina-daar6-e naGhma hai 1.ray of light 2.lips 3.wave 4.fresh/new spring 5.song 6.showing reflection in a mirror, holding a mirror
‘shua-e lab’ – ray of light of the lips might mean a bright smile or beautiful words coming out of the mouth. Thus, the beloved’s smile or words that come out of her mouth are like a wave/tide of a song of fresh spring. Even your silence reflects a song.
2
gosh1 ek muddat2 se mahroom3-e samaa’at4 hai magar
dil ajab5 naadaaN6 hai ab tak e’tebaar7-e naGhma hai 1.ears 2.long time 3.deprived of 4.hearing 5.strange 6.simpleton 7.trusting
My ears have been deprived of your sounds for a long time i.e. I have not heard anything from the you, O, beloved. But the heart is a strange simpleton, it still trusts your sweet sounds.
3
farq1 ye hai nutq2 ke saaNche3 meN Dhal4 sakta nahiN
varna5 jo aaNsu hai durr6-e shaah-vaar7-e naGhma hai 1.difference 2.sound 3.mould 4.cast 5.otherwise 6.pearl 7.fit for kings
The problem is that my tears, even though they are like pearls fit for royalty, cannot be cast in the mould of sound i.e. the poet states that his sentiments/emotions are strong, but he does not express them in Ghazal.
4
munkir1-e saaz2-e masarrat3 huN to kaafir4 huN magar
ham-nafas5, mizraab6-e Gham7 par inhesaar8-e naGhma hai 1.denier 2.musical instrument, music 3.joy 4.blameworthy, transgressor 5.friend 6.pluck worn on finger to play string instruments 7.pain, sorrow 8.dependence
I do not deny the pleasure of joyful music/song/Ghazal. If I do, you can declare me a transgressor. But, my friend, my song depends on the pluck/mizraab of pain/sorrow that I see all around me. Under such conditions how can I write about love.
5
aye ke shikva1 tha tujhe saNgiN-mizaaji2 ka meri
dekh is patthar meN bhi mauj3-e sharaar4-e naGhma hai 1.complaint 2.hard nature, hard heartedness 3.wave, abundance 4.sparks
You, who complain of my hard-heartedness, see, even in this stone there are sparks of song.
gopal mittal (1901-1993), maaler koTla, punjab. College in lahore. Later, lived in dehli as a poet, writer and editor of literary magazine. His usual style is to write intellectual, agnostic and irreverant Ghazal/nazam. Here he pays an indirect tribute Ghalib composing in one Ghalib’s less well-known Ghazal, ‘shiisha-e mai sarv-e sabz-e juu-e baar-e naGhma hai’.
1
jo shua1-e lab2 hai mauj3-e nau-bahaar4-e naGhma5 hai
Khaamushi bhi aap ki aaiina-daar6-e naGhma hai
1.ray of light 2.lips 3.wave 4.fresh/new spring 5.song 6.showing reflection in a mirror, holding a mirror
‘shua-e lab’ – ray of light of the lips might mean a bright smile or beautiful words coming out of the mouth. Thus, the beloved’s smile or words that come out of her mouth are like a wave/tide of a song of fresh spring. Even your silence reflects a song.
2
gosh1 ek muddat2 se mahroom3-e samaa’at4 hai magar
dil ajab5 naadaaN6 hai ab tak e’tebaar7-e naGhma hai
1.ears 2.long time 3.deprived of 4.hearing 5.strange 6.simpleton 7.trusting, respected
My ears have been deprived of your sounds for a long time i.e. I have not heard anything from the you, O, beloved. But the heart is a strange simpleton, it still trusts your sweet sounds.
3
farq1 ye hai nutq2 ke saaNche3 meN Dhal4 sakta nahiN
varna5 jo aaNsu hai durr6-e shaah-vaar7-e naGhma hai
1.difference 2.sound 3.mould 4.cast 5.otherwise 6.pearl 7.fit for kings
The problem is that my tears, even though they are like pearls fit for royalty, cannot be cast in the mould of sound i.e. the poet states that his sentiments/emotions are strong, but he does not express them in Ghazal.
4
munkir1-e saaz2-e masarrat3 huN to kaafir4 huN magar
ham-nafas5, mizraab6-e Gham7 par inhesaar8-e naGhma hai
1.denier 2.musical instrument, music 3.joy 4.blameworthy, transgressor 5.friend 6.pluck worn on finger to play string instruments 7.pain, sorrow 8.dependence
I do not deny the pleasure of joyful music/song/Ghazal. If I do, you can declare me a transgressor. But, my friend, my song depends on the pluck/mizraab of pain/sorrow that I see all around me. Under such conditions how can I write about love.
5
aye ke shikva1 tha tujhe saNgiN-mizaaji2 ka meri
dekh is patthar meN bhi mauj3-e sharaar4-e naGhma hai
1.complaint 2.hard nature, hard heartedness 3.wave, abundance 4.sparks
You, who complain of my hard-heartedness, see, even in this stone there are sparks of song.
