For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
آشنا نہ ہوا ۔ رام اوتار گپتا مضطرؔ
۱
رازِ ہستی سے آشنا نہ ہوا
نہ ہوا آدمی خدا نہ ہوا
۲
حرف رکھتا ہے جو نگاہوں پر
روبرو اُس کے آئنہ نہ ہوا
۳
تو تو شہ رگ کے پاس تھا لیکن
طے ہمیں سے یہ فاصلہ نہ ہوا
۴
رکھ دیا مجھ پہ فرضِ خدمتِ خلق
جب کوئی مجھ سا دوسرا نہ ہوا
۵
اُس کی دریا دلی خدا رکھے
عرض ہم سے ہی مدعا نہ ہوا
आश्ना न हुआ – राम अवतार गुप्ता मुज़्तर
१
राज़-ए हस्ती से आश्ना न हुआ
न हुआ आदमी ख़ुदा न हुआ
२
हर्फ़ रखता है जो निगाहों पर
रू-ब-रू इस के आइना न हुआ
३
तू तो शह-रग के पास था लैकिन
तय हमीं से ये फ़ास्ला न हुआ
४
रख दिया मुझ पे फ़र्ज़-ए ख़िद्मत-ए ख़ल्क़
जब कोई मुझ सा दूसरा न हुआ
५
उस की दर्या-दिली ख़ुदा रक्खे
अर्ज़ हम से ही मुद्द’आ न हुआ
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. raam avtaar gupta muztar sundailvi (1936-xxxx) was a well recognized poet in both urdu and hindi. He was exposed to the Progressive Writers’ Association be explicitly chose to be apolitical. His compositions are classical romantic in their themes. His work is published in two collections – seepiyoN ka samandar and safeer-e aaKhir-e shab. This Ghazal is the same radeef-qaafiya as Ghalib’s ‘dard minnat-kash-e davaa na hua’.
1
raaz1-e hasti2 se aashnaa3 na hua
na hua aadmi Khudaa na hua 1.secret, reason, meaning 2.existence, life 3.familiar, aware, know
Humans could not decipher the meaning of life. However much they tried, they could not become god. For a similar conclusion but entirely different reasoning see manohar lal shaarib …
sirf itna hua Khuda na hua
varna is aadmi se kya na hua
2
harf rakhtaa1 hai jo nigaahoN2 par
ruu-ba-ruu3 us ke aa’inaa na hua 1.harf rakhna is used as an expression meaning – blaming 2.eyes – used in the sense of other people’s eyes 3.face to face, in front of
Those who blame the eyes/looks (judgement) of others, do not have a mirror in front of them i.e., they don’t look at themselves.
3
tu to shah-rag1 ke paas thaa lekin
tai2 hamiN se ye faasla3 na hua 1.jugular vein 2.traverse, complete 3.distance
It is commonly believed that god is closer to us than the jugular vein. Thus, you were as close to us as the jugular vein. It is we who could not traverse even that distance to reach you.
4
rakh diyaa mujh pe farz1-e Khidmat2-e Khalq3
jab koi mujh saa doosraa na hua 1.responsibility, duty 2.service 3.creation
This is a different take from Ghalib’s (see, agar vaa na hua) …
dar-Khur-e qahr-o-Ghazab jab koii ham-saa na huaa
phir Ghalat kyaa hai keh ham-saa koii paidaa na huaa
Here the shaa’er avers … (god) placed the responsibility of service to humanity on me when there was none other like me i.e., I was the only one deserving of/capable of bearing this responsibility.
5
us ki dariyaa-dili1 Khudaa rakkhe
arz2 ham se hi muddu’aa3 na hua 1.open-heartedness, generosity, benevolence 2.present, submit 3.desire, wish
He is probably talking about the benevolence of god (not of the beloved). May god keep/preserve his benevolence. It is we who were deficient in submitting our desire.
raam avtaar gupta muztar sundailvi (1936-xxxx) was a well recognized poet in both urdu and hindi. He was exposed to the Progressive Writers’ Association be explicitly chose to be apolitical. His compositions are classical romantic in their themes. His work is published in two collections – seepiyoN ka samandar and safeer-e aaKhir-e shab. This Ghazal is the same radeef-qaafiya as Ghalib’s ‘dard minnat-kash-e davaa na hua’.
1
raaz1-e hasti2 se aashnaa3 na hua
na hua aadmi Khudaa na hua
1.secret, reason, meaning 2.existence, life 3.familiar, aware, know
Humans could not decipher the meaning of life. However much they tried, they could not become god. For a similar conclusion but entirely different reasoning see manohar lal shaarib …
sirf itna hua Khuda na hua
varna is aadmi se kya na hua
2
harf rakhtaa1 hai jo nigaahoN2 par
ruu-ba-ruu3 us ke aa’inaa na hua
1.harf rakhna is used as an expression meaning – blaming 2.eyes – used in the sense of other people’s eyes 3.face to face, in front of
Those who blame the eyes/looks (judgement) of others, do not have a mirror in front of them i.e., they don’t look at themselves.
3
tu to shah-rag1 ke paas thaa lekin
tai2 hamiN se ye faasla3 na hua
1.jugular vein 2.traverse, complete 3.distance
It is commonly believed that god is closer to us than the jugular vein. Thus, you were as close to us as the jugular vein. It is we who could not traverse even that distance to reach you.
4
rakh diyaa mujh pe farz1-e Khidmat2-e Khalq3
jab koi mujh saa doosraa na hua
1.responsibility, duty 2.service 3.creation
This is a different take from Ghalib’s (see, agar vaa na hua) …
dar-Khur-e qahr-o-Ghazab jab koii ham-saa na huaa
phir Ghalat kyaa hai keh ham-saa koii paidaa na huaa
Here the shaa’er avers … (god) placed the responsibility of service to humanity on me when there was none other like me i.e., I was the only one deserving of/capable of bearing this responsibility.
5
us ki dariyaa-dili1 Khudaa rakkhe
arz2 ham se hi muddu’aa3 na hua
1.open-heartedness, generosity, benevolence 2.present, submit 3.desire, wish
He is probably talking about the benevolence of god (not of the beloved). May god keep/preserve his benevolence. It is we who were deficient in submitting our desire.
