aali gohar mile-dwarka das sho’la

For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.

عالی گہر ملے ۔ دوارکا داس شعلہؔ

۱

جس بدنسیب کو نہ سکوں عمر بھر ملے

اُس کی بلا سے اس کو اگر دادگر ملے

۲

آخر یہ عزمِ ترکِ ملاقات کیا ہوا

ملنا نہ چاہتے تھے ہم اُن سے مگر ملے

۳

کٹ جائے بیخودی ہی میں شاید شبِ طویل

تم ایسا زندگی میں اگر ہم سفر ملے

۴

کھوئے گئے بہ سلسلۂ شوق ہم کہاں

کچھ تو پتہ چلے ہمیں کچھ تو خبر ملے

۵

تسکیں کا ایک لمحہ میسّر نہ آ سکا

ملنے کو یوں تو آپ سے ہم عمر بھر ملے

۶

کچھ نامرادِ عشق تھے کچھ نامرادِ زیست

ہم کو تو نامراد ملے جس قدر ملے

۷

اُن کی سُنیں گے اپنی کہیں گے بہ فرطِ شوق

ہم کو بلا کشانِ محبت اگر ملے

۸

پتھر میں بھی کرے نہ اگر گھر تو بات کیا

ہاں ایک بار ان کی نظر سے نظر ملے

۹

شعلہؔ نے اس غزل کے لئے چاہی معذرت

کل خواب میں جو غالبِ عالی گہر ملے

 

आली गोहर मिले – द्वार्का दास शो’ला

जिस बदनसीब को ना सुकूं उम्र भर मिले

उसकी बला से उसको अगर दाद-गर मिले

आख़ेर ये अज़्म-ए तर्क-ए मुलाक़ात क्या हुआ

मिलना न चाहते थे हम उनसे मगर मिले

कट जाए बेख़ुदी ही में शायद शब-ए तवील

तुम ऐसा ज़िन्दगी में अगर हम-सफ़र मिले

खोए गए ब-सिलसिला-ए शौक़ हम कहां

कुछ तो पता चले हमें कुछ तो ख़बर मिले

तस्कीं का एक लम्हा मयस्सर न आ सका

मिलने को यूं तो आपसे हम उम्र भर मिले

कुछ ना-मुराद-ए इश्क़ थे कुछ नामुराद-ए ज़ीस्त

हमको तो नामुराद मिले जिस क़दर मिले

उनकी सुनेंगे अपनी कहेंगे ब-फ़र्त-ए शोक़

हमको बला-कशान-ए मोहब्बत अगर मिले

पत्थर में भी करें ना अगर घर तो बात क्या

हां एक बार उनकी नज़र से नज़र मिले

शो’ला ने इस ग़ज़ल के लिए चाही मा’ज़रत

कल ख़्वाब में जो ग़ालिब-ए आली गोहर मिले

 

Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. dwarka das sho’la (1910-1983), lahore and later punjab and dehli. He started learning urdu because he liked ‘urdu-vaale’ around him. He inherited a pharmacy business and grew it enough to get a mention in Who’s Who, India Trade Directory, 1942. He received formal schooling only up to 8th grade because his father recruited him in the family business. While washing bottles/vials he kept humming ash’aar. Later, hafiz jalandhari became his ustaad. He says they clicked because hafiz jaalandhari was equally unschooled and talked in panjabi. This Ghazal composed in the zamin of Ghalib’s ‘agar naama-bar mile’ is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
jis bad-naseeb1 ko na sukooN2 umr-bhar3 mile
us ki balaa4 se us ko agar5 daad-gar6 mile   
1.unfortunate 2.tranquility, happiness 3.all life long 4.as an expression here it means – of what use is it 5.if 6.judge, justice
The implication is that the lover is unfortunate. All life long the beloved ignores him and he does not get any happiness out of his love. Of what use is it to him if he gets justice on the day of judgement (on the day of judgement is implied).

2
aaKhir ye azm1-e tark2-e mulaaqaat3 kya hua
milna na chaahte the hum un se magar4 mile  
1.resolve, determination 2.renounce, quit 3.meeting 4.but
The poet/lover has been ignored and is now disillusioned. He has resolved never to try to meet the beloved. But his weakness (in love) is such that even if he does not want to meet her, he does.

3
kaT1 jaaye beKhudi2 hi meN shaa’ed3 shab4-e taveel5
tum aisa6 zindagi meN agar7 ham-safar8 mile   
1.pass, go by 2.dazed, intoxication 3.perhaps 4.night 5.long 6.like you 7.if 8.companion
In this she’r too he is expressing frustration with the beloved. Perhaps the long night (of suffering) too will pass in a dazed state of intoxication, if, in life I get a companion like you.

4
khoye1 gaye ba-silsila2-e shauq3 ham kahaaN
kuchh to pata4 chale hameN, kuchh to Khabar5 mile   
1.lost 2.in connection with 3.desire, love 4.clues, indications 5.awareness
The poet/lover has spent his life completely lost because of his desire (for the beloved). He wishes that in this state he should have some clues, some awareness of what is going on with him/his life.

5
taskiiN1 ka ek lamha2 mayassar3 na aa saka
milne ko yuN to aap se ham umr-bhar4 mile  
1.tranquility, peace 2.moment 3.available 4.all life long
The poet/lover did not get even one moment of peace even though, so to speak, he was able to meet/see the beloved many times throughout his life.

6
kuchh na-muraad1-e ishq the, kuchh na-muraad-e ziist2
ham ko to na-muraad1 mile, jis qadar3 mile    
1.disappointed, unfortunate 2.life 3.as many
The poet/lover feels that everyone in this world is disappointed in what they got. Some were unfortunate in love, others were disillusioned with life itself. However many people he met, he found only unfortunate ones among them.

7
unki suneNge apni kaheNge ba-fart1-e shauq2
ham ko balaa-kashaan3-e mohabbat agar4 mile    
1.because of an excess of 2.desire, enthusiasm 3.calamity stricken 4.if
The poet/lover considers himself a victim of love. If he were to meet others who have been similarly stricken by the calamity of love he would with an excess of enthusiasm tell them his story and listen to theirs.

8
patthar meN bhi kare na agar ghar to baat kya
haaN ek baar un ki nazar1 se nazar mile  
1.eyes
The poet/lover knows that the beloved is hard-hearted. She has a ‘patthar ka dil’. He has no hope that his glance will be able to penetrate that heart and make a home in it. Never-the-less he wishes that at least once his eyes be able to look directly into hers.

9
sho’la1 ne is Ghazal ke liye chaahi maa’zerat2
kal Khwaab meN jo Ghalib-e ‘aali-gohar3 mile   
1.pen-name of the poet 2.pardon, forgiveness 3.high caliber, great brilliance
sho’la has begged forgiveness for this Ghazal (composed in the style of Ghalib), when he met the brilliant Ghalib in his dreams the previous night.

dwarka das sho’la (1910-1983), lahore and later punjab and dehli.  He started learning urdu because he liked ‘urdu-vaale’ around him.  He inherited a pharmacy business and grew it enough to get a mention in Who’s Who, India Trade Directory, 1942.  He received formal schooling only up to 8th grade because his father recruited him in the family business.  While washing bottles/vials he kept humming ash’aar.  Later, hafiz jalandhari became his ustaad.  He says they clicked because hafiz jaalandhari was equally unschooled and talked in panjabi.  This Ghazal composed in the zamin of Ghalib’s ‘agar naama-bar mile’ is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
jis bad-naseeb1 ko na sukooN2 umr-bhar3 mile
us ki balaa4 se us ko agar5 daad-gar6 mile

1.unfortunate 2.tranquility, happiness 3.all life long 4.as an expression here it means – of what use is it 5.if 6.judge, justice

The implication is that the lover is unfortunate.  All life long the beloved ignores him and he does not get any happiness out of his love.  Of what use is it to him if he gets justice on the day of judgement (on the day of judgement is implied).
2
aaKhir ye azm1-e tark2-e mulaaqaat3 kya hua
milna na chaahte the hum un se magar4 mile

1.resolve, determination 2.renounce, quit 3.meeting 4.but

The poet/lover has been ignored and is now disillusioned.  He has resolved never to try to meet the beloved.  But his weakness (in love) is such that even if he does not want to meet her, he does.
3
kaT1 jaaye beKhudi2 hi meN shaa’ed3 shab4-e taveel5
tum aisa6 zindagi meN agar7 ham-safar8 mile

1.pass, go by 2.dazed, intoxication 3.perhaps 4.night 5.long 6.like you 7.if 8.companion

In this she’r too he is expressing frustration with the beloved.  Perhaps the long night (of suffering) too will pass in a dazed state of intoxication, if, in life I get a companion like you.
4
khoye1 gaye ba-silsila2-e shauq3 ham kahaaN
kuchh to pata4 chale hameN, kuchh to Khabar5 mile

1.lost 2.in connection with 3.desire, love 4.clues, indications 5.awareness

The poet/lover has spent his life completely lost because of his desire (for the beloved).  He wishes that in this state he should have some clues, some awareness of what is going on with him/his life.
5
taskiiN1 ka ek lamha2 mayassar3 na aa saka
milne ko yuN to aap se ham umr-bhar4 mile

1.tranquility, peace 2.moment 3.available 4.all life long

The poet/lover did not get even one moment of peace even though, so to speak, he was able to meet/see the beloved many times throughout his life.
6
kuchh na-muraad1-e ishq the, kuchh na-muraad-e ziist2
ham ko to na-muraad1 mile, jis qadar3 mile

1.disappointed, unfortunate 2.life 3.as many

The poet/lover feels that everyone in this world is disappointed in what they got.  Some were unfortunate in love, others were disillusioned with life itself.  However many people he met, he found only unfortunate ones among them.
7
unki suneNge apni kaheNge ba-fart1-e shauq2
ham ko balaa-kashaan3-e mohabbat agar4 mile

1.because of an excess of 2.desire, enthusiasm 3.calamity stricken 4.if

The poet/lover considers himself a victim of love.  If he were to meet others who have been similarly stricken by the calamity of love he would with an excess of enthusiasm tell them his story and listen to theirs.
8
patthar meN bhi kare na agar ghar to baat kya
haaN ek baar un ki nazar1 se nazar mile

1.eyes

The poet/lover knows that the beloved is hard-hearted.  She has a ‘patthar ka dil’.  He has no hope that his glance will be able to penetrate that heart and make a home in it.  Never-the-less he wishes that at least once his eyes be able to look directly into hers.
9
sho’la1 ne is Ghazal ke liye chaahi maa’zerat2
kal Khwaab meN jo Ghalib-e ‘aali-gohar3 mile

1.pen-name of the poet 2.pardon, forgiveness 3.high caliber, great brilliance

sho’la has begged forgiveness for this Ghazal (composed in the style of Ghalib), when he met the brilliant Ghalib in his dreams the previous night.