aaNchal ko to sarkaao keh kuchh raat kaTe-manohar laal bahaar

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

آنچل کو تو سرکاو کہ کچھ رات کٹے ۔ منوہر لال بہارؔ

۱

آتشِ حسن سے گرماو کہ کچھ رات کٹے

رُخ سے آنچل کو تو سرکاو کہ کچھ رات کٹے

۲

مستیاں آنکھ کی برساو کہ کچھ رات کٹے

اپنے پیمانوں کو چھلکاو کہ کچھ رات کٹے

۳

روزِ روشن کی طرح چمکے تمہارا چہرہ

زلفِ خمدار کو سرکاو کہ کچھ رات کٹے

۴

دیکھ کر رشک سے ہم کو یہ جلی جاتی ہے

شمع کو بزم سے اُٹھواو کہ کچھ رات کٹے

۵

آ کے اُلٹو مرے اوراقِ حیاتِ ماضی

قصّۂ عشق کو دہراو کہ کچھ رات کٹے

۶

یوں خموشی سے تمہاری مرا دم گھٹتا ہے

آ کے جذبات سے ٹکراو کہ کچھ رات کٹے

۷

تم کو معلوم نہیں درد کی لذّت کیا ہے

دلِ بیتاب کو تڑپاو کہ کچھ رات کٹے

۸

خواب سے آج ہے محروم بہارِؔ بیتاب

اِس طرح زلف کو لہراو کہ کچھ رات کٹے

आंचल को तो सरकाओ के कुछ रात कटे-मनोहर लाल बहार

आतिश-ए हुस्न से गरमाओ के कुछ रात कटे

रुख़ से आंचल को तो सरकाओ के कुछ रात कटे

मस्तियां आंख कि बरसाओ के कुछ रात कटे

अपने पैमानौं को छल्काओ के कुछ रात कटे

रोज़-ए रौशन कि तरह चमके तुम्हारा चेहरा

ज़ुल्फ़-ए ख़मदार को सरकाओ के कुछ रात कटे

देख कर रश्क से हम को ये जली जाती है

शम’अ को बज़्म से उठवाओ के कुछ रात कटे

आ के उल्टो मेरे औराक़-ए हयात-ए माज़ी

क़िस्सा-ए इश्क़ को दोहराओ के कुछ रात कटे

यूं ख़मोशी से तुम्हारी मेरा दम घुटता है

आ के जज़्बात से टक्राओ के कुछ रात कटे

तुम को मालूम नहीं दर्द कि लज़्ज़त क्या है

दिल-ए बेताब को तढपाओ के कुछ रात कटे

ख़्वाब से आज है महरूम बहार-ए बेताब

इस तरह ज़ुल्फ़ को लहराओ के कुछ रात कटे

 

Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. manohar lal bahaar (1912-????), whose father, rai shahed lal taught him urdu and farsi at home was invited to mushaa’era in hyderabad regularly. His collection ‘bahaaristan’ was published in 1977. There are at least 4 additional collections of his poetry. He retired as a high-level official in the Department of Agriculture, Andhra Pradesh. This Ghazal modeled after maKhdoom’s celebrated Ghazal with the celebrated misra ‘Gham-zado teeshe ko chamkaao keh kuch raat kaTe’ is linked to the poet, hyderabadi shu’ara on the Theme page and ‘keh kuchh raat kaTe’ on the ‘refrain’ page’.
1
aatish1-e husn2 se garmaao3 keh kuchh raat kaTe4
ruKh5 se aaNchal6 ko to sarkaao7 keh kuchh raat kaTe   
1.fire 2.beauty 3.warm up 4.pass 5.face 6.shawl, veil 7.move aside
The night is cold and difficult to get through/pass. The beloved is veiled. If she were to let the veil slip a little, the fire of her beauty will be enough to warm up the night and make it a little easier to pass.

2
mastiyaaN1 aaNkh ki barsaao2 keh kuchh raat kaTe
apne paimaanoN3 ko chhalkaao4 keh kuchh raat kaTe   
1.intoxication 2.rain down 3.cups, measures 4.spill over
The beloved has intoxicating eyes. The intoxication of her eyes will make it a little easier to pass the night. He is using paimaane/cups to mean her eyes. If she lets the wine of her eyes spill over then the night will pass easier.

3
roz1-e raushan2 ki tarah3 chamke4 tumhaara chehra5
zulf6-e Khamdaar7 ko sarkaao8 keh kuchh raat kaTe
1.day 2.bright 3.like, similar to 4.shine 5.face 6.hair 7.curly 8.move aside
The beloved has curly hair, especially her forelocks. They dangle on her face, partly as style, partly as a veil. If she were to move her forelocks aside then her face would shine brightly like the day and the night will pass.

4
dekh kar rashk1 se hum ko ye jali2 jaati hai
sham’a3 ko bazm4 se uThvaao keh kuchh raat kaTe   
1.envy, jealousy 2.burn 3.candle 4.gathering
There is a nice double use of the word ‘jali’ – it can be burning to give light or burning with jealousy. The candle/sham’a is placed before the poet while he is reciting. His Ghazal is so good that he becomes the centre of attention of the gathering making the sham’a jealous. It burns with jealousy. He suggests that it be taken out of the gathering so that night will pass peacefully.

5
aa ke ulTo1 mere auraaq2-e hayaat3-e maazi4
qissa5-e ishq ko dohraaao6 keh kuchh raat kaTe   
1.turn over 2.pages 3.life 4.past 5.story 6.repeat
This could be addressed to the beloved although it could be any of his friends who are also suffering through the night. Come and turn the pages of my past life. Repeat/re-tell the story of my love so that the night may pass.

6
yuN Khamoshi1 se tumhaari mera dam ghuTta2 hai
aa ke jazbaat3 se Takraao4 keh kuchh raat kaTe   
1.silence 2.suffocating 3.sentiments, feelings 4.clash
The beloved’s silence suffocates him. He begs her to come and play with (or even hurt) his feelings so that the night may pass. Recall that in poetic tradition even hurt feelings are considered valuable and are treasured. It is the indifference of the beloved that kills.

7
tum ko maaloom1 nahiN dard2 ki lazzat3 kya hai
dil-e betaab4 ko taRpaao5 keh kuchh raat kaTe   
1.awareness, knowledge 2.pain 3.pleasure, enjoyment 4.restless 5.torture
You do not know how much I enjoy the pain you give me. Come and torture my restless heart so that the night may pass.

8
Khwaab1 se aaj hai mahroom2 bahaar3-e betaab4
is tarah5 zulf6 ko lahraao7 keh kuchh raat kaTe   
1.sleep 2.deprived 3.pen-name of the poet 4.restless 5.like, similar to 6.hair 7.wave, spread out
The restless bahaar is deprived of sleep tonight. Come and spread your hair out in such a way that the night may pass.

manohar lal bahaar (1912-????), whose father, rai shahed lal taught him urdu and farsi at home was invited to mushaa’era in hyderabad regularly.  His collection ‘bahaaristan’ was published in 1977.  There are at least 4 additional collections of his poetry.  He retired as a high-level official in the Department of Agriculture, Andhra Pradesh.  This Ghazal modeled after maKhdoom’s celebrated Ghazal with the celebrated misra ‘Gham-zado teeshe ko chamkaao keh kuch raat kaTe’ is linked to the poet, hyderabadi shu’ara on the Theme page and ‘keh kuchh raat kaTe’ on the ‘refrain’ page’.
1
aatish1-e husn2 se garmaao3 keh kuchh raat kaTe4
ruKh5 se aaNchal6 ko to sarkaao7 keh kuchh raat kaTe

1.fire 2.beauty 3.warm up 4.pass 5.face 6.shawl, veil 7.move aside

The night is cold and difficult to get through/pass.  The beloved is veiled.  If she were to let the veil slip a little, the fire of her beauty will be enough to warm up the night and make it a little easier to pass.
2
mastiyaaN1 aaNkh ki barsaao2 keh kuchh raat kaTe
apne paimaanoN3 ko chhalkaao4 keh kuchh raat kaTe

1.intoxication 2.rain down 3.cups, measures 4.spill over

The beloved has intoxicating eyes.  The intoxication of her eyes will make it a little easier to pass the night.  He is using paimaane/cups to mean her eyes.  If she lets the wine of her eyes spill over then the night will pass easier.
3
roz1-e raushan2 ki tarah3 chamke4 tumhaara chehra5
zulf6-e Khamdaar7 ko sarkaao8 keh kuchh raat kaTe

1.day 2.bright 3.like, similar to 4.shine 5.face 6.hair 7.curly 8.move aside

The beloved has curly hair, especially her forelocks.  They dangle on her face, partly as style, partly as a veil.  If she were to move her forelocks aside then her face would shine brightly like the day and the night will pass.
4
dekh kar rashk1 se hum ko ye jali2 jaati hai
sham’a3 ko bazm4 se uThvaao keh kuchh raat kaTe

1.envy, jealousy 2.burn 3.candle 4.gathering

There is a nice double use of the word ‘jali’ – it can be burning to give light or burning with jealousy.  The candle/sham’a is placed before the poet while he is reciting.  His Ghazal is so good that he becomes the centre of attention of the gathering making the sham’a jealous.  It burns with jealousy.  He suggests that it be taken out of the gathering so that night will pass peacefully.
5
aa ke ulTo1 mere auraaq2-e hayaat3-e maazi4
qissa5-e ishq ko dohraaao6 keh kuchh raat kaTe

1.turn over 2.pages 3.life 4.past 5.story 6.repeat

This could be addressed to the beloved although it could be any of his friends who are also suffering through the night.  Come and turn the pages of my past life.  Repeat/re-tell the story of my love so that the night may pass.
6
yuN Khamoshi1 se tumhaari mera dam ghuTta2 hai
aa ke jazbaat3 se Takraao4 keh kuchh raat kaTe

1.silence 2.suffocating 3.sentiments, feelings 4.clash

The beloved’s silence suffocates him.  He begs her to come and play with (or even hurt) his feelings so that the night may pass.  Recall that in poetic tradition even hurt feelings are considered valuable and are treasured.  It is the indifference of the beloved that kills.
7
tum ko maaloom1 nahiN dard2 ki lazzat3 kya hai
dil-e betaab4 ko taRpaao5 keh kuchh raat kaTe

1.awareness, knowledge 2.pain 3.pleasure, enjoyment 4.restless 5.torture

You do not know how much I enjoy the pain you give me.  Come and torture my restless heart so that the night may pass.
8
Khwaab1 se aaj hai mahroom2 bahaar3-e betaab4
is tarah5 zulf6 ko lahraao7 keh kuchh raat kaTe

1.sleep 2.deprived 3.pen-name of the poet 4.restless 5.like, similar to 6.hair 7.wave, spread out

The restless bahaar is deprived of sleep tonight.  Come and spread your hair out in such a way that the night may pass.