For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
آپ کو اِتنا غُرُور تھا ۔ سکھ دیو شرما رشکؔ
۱
ہر سمت اِس جہان میں اُس کا ظہور تھا
پہچاننا مگر اُسے مشکل ضرور تھا
۲
اُس کے قریب تھا نہ کوئی اُس سے دُور تھا
بے وجہ بے قرار دلِ ناصبُور تھا
۳
دل میں لگی ہے آگ محبت کی خود بخود
اُن کا قُصُور تھا نہ ہمارا قُصُور تھا
۴
وہ چاند چودھویں کا نہ آیا ہمیں نظر
کہتے ہیں لوگ شہر میں دیکھا ضرُور تھا
۵
دیکھا کہ رفتہ رفتہ گیا حُسنِ تابدار
جس پر حضور آپ کو اِتنا غرور تھا
۶
جرمِ وفا کی پائی ہے میں نے سزا دُرُست
میری خطا تھی اِس میں مرا ہی قُصُور تھا
۷
وہ مستیِ شراب ہے اے رشکؔ اب کہاں
کل تک مرے وجود میں جس کا سُرُور تھا
आप को इतना ग़ुरूर था – सुख देव शर्मा रश्क
१
हर सम्त इस जहान में उस का ज़हूर था
पहचानना मगर उसे मुश्किल ज़रूर था
२
उस के क़रीब था न कोई, उस से दूर था
बे-वजह बे-क़रार दिल-ए नासबूर था
३
दिल में लगी है आग मोहब्बत की ख़ुद-ब-ख़ुद
उन का क़ुसूर था न हमारा क़ुसूर था
४
वो चांद चौधवीं का न आया हमें नज़र
कहते हैं लोग शहर में देखा ज़रूर था
५
देखा के रफ़्ता-रफ़्ता गया हुस्न-ए ताब-दार
जिस पर हुज़ूर आप को इतना ग़ुरूर था
६
जुर्म-ए वफ़ा की पाई है मैं ने सज़ा दुरुस्त
मेरी ख़ता थी, इस में मेरा ही क़ुसूर था
७
वो मस्ती-ए शराब है अए रश्क अब कहां
कल तक मरे वुजूद में जिस का सुरूर था
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. sukhdev siNgh sharma rashk (1935-xxxx), sialkoT district. adiib faazil and MA (urdu). His ustaad was raghubiir daas sahir sialkoTvi. He worked for All India Radio and progressed steadily and at the time of publication (1983) of his diivaan was Director of Urdu and English programs in the AIR jaalandhar office. This Ghazal in the style of Ghalib’s ‘itna Ghuroor tha’ is linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’.
1
har samt1 is jahaan2 meN uss kaa zuhuur3 tha
pahchaannaa4 magar use mushkil5 zaruur6 tha 1.direction 2.world 3.manifestation, image 4.recognizing 5.difficult 6.certainly
In every direction in this world, his presence was manifest, yet recognizing him was undoubtedly difficult. This speaks of the omnipresence of the divine (or a beloved) and the paradox of his/her elusive recognition.
2
uss ke qariib1 tha na koii, uss se duur tha
be-vajah2 be-qaraar3 dil-e naasabuur4 tha 1.near 2.without reason 3.restless 4.impatient
The poet creates some ambiguity by using the undefined pronoun ‘uss’. But because it relates dil-e naasabuur in the second misra, it can be taken to mean the ‘heart’. The heart looked/searched far and near but did not find what it was looking for. The restless heart got impatient, but that was not necessary, because what he was looking for was inside the heart all the time. Perhaps there is a reflection of qur’aanic phrases – the restless heart forgets ‘man ‘arafa nafsahu faqad ‘arafa rabbahu’ (he who knows himself knows his lord). The other ambiguity is that whatever the restless heart was looking for could either be the divine or the beloved.
3
dil meN lagii hai aag mohabbat kii Khud-ba-Khud1
un kaa qusuur2 tha na hamaaraa qusuur tha 1.by itself, spontaneously 2.fault
The fire of love ignited in the heart spontaneously. This was neither the fault of the lover nor the beloved. Neither took any action by intention/design. Said Ghalib …
ishq par zor nahiiN hai ye vo aatish Ghalib
keh lagaaye na lage aur bujhaaye na bane
4
vo chaand chaudhviN1 kaa na aayaa hameN nazar2
kahte haiN log shahr meN dekhaa zaruur3 tha 1.fourteenth 2.visible, seen 3.certainly, surely
The poet refers to the beloved as chaudhviiN ka chaand while the people of the town think of the full moon in the sky. They insist that they have seen it, but he does not has not been able to catch a glimpse of it. Thus, they mean two different things by chaudhviiN ka chaand.
5
dekha keh rafta-raftaa1 gayaa husn2-e taab-daar3
jis par huzuur4 aap ko itnaa Ghuroor5 tha 1.slowly, gradually 2.beauty 3.radiant 4.honorific address like your honour, the beloved 5.pride, arrogance
The poet/lover is saying ‘I told you so’ to the beloved. Her radiant beauty has gradually faded with age. He says – don’t you see it. You were so proud of it, now it is gone.
6
jurm1-e vafaa2 kii paaii3 hai maiN ne sazaa4 durust5
merii Khataa6 thii, is meN meraa hii qusuur7 tha 1.crime 2.faithfulness, fidelity 3.received 4.punishment 5.correct, just 6.fault 7.mistake
The poet/lover is dejected because the indifference/rejection of the beloved. But he does not blame her. He takes full responsibility … this is just/deserving punishment for his steadfast fidelity. It is entirely his fault, it was all my mistake – he says.
7
vo mastii1-e sharaab hai aye rashk2 ab kahaaN
kal tak mere vujuud3 meN jis kaa suruur4 tha 1.intoxication 2.pen-name 3.being 4.joy, exhilaration
Where has that intoxication of wine gone, O rashk. Only yesterday it ussed to fill my very being with exhilaration. Something has changed. The poet leaves it to us to fill the blank. Has be gotten disillusioned with love, has be grown too old to care, is he burdened too much with the trials and tribulations of daily life.
sukhdev siNgh sharma rashk (1935-xxxx), sialkoT district. adiib faazil and MA (urdu). His ustaad was raghubiir daas sahir sialkoTvi. He worked for All India Radio and progressed steadily and at the time of publication (1983) of his diivaan was Director of Urdu and English programs in the AIR jaalandhar office. This Ghazal in the style of Ghalib’s ‘itna Ghuroor tha’ is linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’.
1
har samt1 is jahaan2 meN uss kaa zuhuur3 tha
pahchaannaa4 magar use mushkil5 zaruur6 tha
1.direction 2.world 3.manifestation, image 4.recognizing 5.difficult 6.certainly
In every direction in this world, his presence was manifest, yet recognizing him was undoubtedly difficult. This speaks of the omnipresence of the divine (or a beloved) and the paradox of his/her elusive recognition.
2
uss ke qariib1 tha na koii, uss se duur tha
be-vajah2 be-qaraar3 dil-e naasabuur4 tha
1.near 2.without reason 3.restless 4.impatient
The poet creates some ambiguity by using the undefined pronoun ‘uss’. But because it relates dil-e naasabuur in the second misra, it can be taken to mean the ‘heart’. The heart looked/searched far and near but did not find what it was looking for. The restless heart got impatient, but that was not necessary, because what he was looking for was inside the heart all the time. Perhaps there is a reflection of qur’aanic phrases – the restless heart forgets “man ‘arafa nafsahu faqad ‘arafa rabbahu” (he who knows himself knows his lord). The other ambiguity is that whatever the restless heart was looking for could either be the divine or the beloved.
3
dil meN lagii hai aag mohabbat kii Khud-ba-Khud1
un kaa qusuur2 tha na hamaaraa qusuur tha
1.by itself, spontaneously 2.fault
The fire of love ignited in the heart spontaneously. This was neither the fault of the lover nor the beloved. Neither took any action by intention/design. Said Ghalib …
ishq par zor nahiiN hai ye vo aatish Ghalib
keh lagaaye na lage aur bujhaaye na bane
4
vo chaand chaudhviN1 kaa na aayaa hameN nazar2
kahte haiN log shahr meN dekhaa zaruur3 tha
1.fourteenth 2.visible, seen 3.certainly, surely
The poet refers to the beloved as chaudhviiN ka chaand while the people of the town think of the full moon in the sky. They insist that they have seen it, but he does not has not been able to catch a glimpse of it. Thus, they mean two different things by chaudhviiN ka chaand.
5
dekha keh rafta-raftaa1 gayaa husn2-e taab-daar3
jis par huzuur4 aap ko itnaa Ghuroor5 tha
1.slowly, gradually 2.beauty 3.radiant 4.honorific address like your honour, the beloved 5.pride, arrogance
The poet/lover is saying ‘I told you so’ to the beloved. Her radiant beauty has gradually faded with age. He says – don’t you see it. You were so proud of it, now it is gone.
6
jurm1-e vafaa2 kii paaii3 hai maiN ne sazaa4 durust5
merii Khataa6 thii, is meN meraa hii qusuur7 tha
1.crime 2.faithfulness, fidelity 3.received 4.punishment 5.correct, just 6.fault 7.mistake
The poet/lover is dejected because the indifference/rejection of the beloved. But he does not blame her. He takes full responsibility … this is just/deserving punishment for his steadfast fidelity. It is entirely his fault, it was all my mistake – he says.
7
vo mastii1-e sharaab hai aye rashk2 ab kahaaN
kal tak mere vujuud3 meN jis kaa suruur4 tha
1.intoxication 2.pen-name 3.being 4.joy, exhilaration
Where has that intoxication of wine gone, O rashk. Only yesterday it ussed to fill my very being with exhilaration. Something has changed. The poet leaves it to us to fill the blank. Has be gotten disillusioned with love, has be grown too old to care, is he burdened too much with the trials and tribulations of daily life.
