For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
آتا نہیں انساں ہونا ۔ جگدیش سہائے سکسینا
۱
اہل دنیا نے سکھایا مجھے حیراں ہونا
کیسے انساں ہیں کہ آتا نہیں انساں ہونا
۲
کیا تری زلفِ سیہ تاب کو اے مایۂ ناز
غمِ اُلفت سے بھی آتا ہے پریشاں ہونا
۳
غیرتِ مہر کہا اُن کو تو ہنس کر بولے
کیسے منظور ہو اب شمع شبستاں ہونا
۴
اور حسنِ غمِ ہستی کو بڑھا دیتا ہے
شوقِ گیسو میں ترے دل کا پریشاں ہونا
۵
نہ بہاروں سے غرض ہے نہ خِزاں سے مطلب
سیکھ لے مجھ سے کوئی خار بداماں ہونا
۶
میری دانست میں توہینِ گنہ گاری ہے
اے گنہ گار گناہوں پہ پشیماں ہونا
۷
قعرِ دریا میں بھی اک ساحلِ راحت ہے نہاں
بھول ہے موجۂ طوفاں سے ہراساں ہونا
आता नहीं इंसाँ होना – जगदीश सहाए सक्सेना
१
अहल-ए दुनिया ने सिखाया मुझे हैराँ होना
कैसे इंसाँ हैं के आता नहीं इंसाँ होना
२
क्या तेरी ज़ुल्फ़-ए सियह-ताब को अए माया-ए नाज़
ग़म-ए उल्फ़त से भी आता है परेशाँ होना
३
ग़ैरत-ए महर कहा उन को तो हँस कर बोले
कैसे मंज़ूर हो अब शम’अ-ए शबिस्ताँ होना
४
और हुस्न-ए ग़म-ए हस्ती को बढ़ा देता है
शौक़-ए गेसू में तेरे दिल का परेशाँ होना
५
न बहारों से ग़रज़ है न ख़िज़ाँ से मतलब
सीख ले मुझ से कोई ख़ार-ब-दामाँ होना
६
मेरी दानिस्त में तौहीन-ए गुनहगारी है
अए गुनहगार गुनाहों पे पशेमाँ होना
७
क़ा’र-ए दरिया में भी एक साहिल-ए राहत है निहाँ
भूल है मौजा-ए तूफ़ाँ से हिरासाँ होना
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. jagdish sahay saxena shahjahaaNpuri (xxxx-xxxx). I do not know any more than his name. His collection was published in 1974 with the preface written by baalmukund arsh malsiani. From this it appears that he was active in the mushaa’era circuit at the time of publication. He is listed as vakil in shahjahaaNpur. The collection contains several Ghazal in the zamin of Ghalib which are being prepared for posting and linking to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’. This Ghazal is linked to Ghalib’s ‘mayassar nahiN insaaN hona’.
1
ahl1-e duniya ne sikhaaya mujhe hairaaN2 hona
kaise insaaN haiN keh aata nahiN insaaN hona 1.people of 2.perplexed
People of the world surprise me. What kind of humans are these that don’t know how to be human.
2
kya teri zulf1-e siyah-taab2 ko aye maaya3-e naaz4
Gham-e ulfat5 se bhi aata hai pareshaaN6 hona 1.hair 2.dark black 3.treasure 4.pride, coquetry 5.love 6.scattered, spread
The beloved is a treasure-house of coquetry. Spreading of dark hair can be a sign of coquetry. Spreading of hair can also be a sign of distress/sorrow. Thus, the poet questions the beloved … does your hair know how to spread out in the sorrow of love i.e., do you ever experience the sorrow of love.
3
Ghairat1-e mahr2 kaha un ko to haNs kar bole
kaise manzoor3 ho ab sham’a-e shabistaaN4 hona 1.shame, envy 2.sun 3.acceptable 4.bed-chamber
The beloved shines brilliantly because of her beauty. The poet, praising her brilliance/beauty calls her ‘envy of sun’. It seems (I am guessing, I have never come across this phrase being used in this way) that the beloved is also called ‘lamp of the bed-chamber’. Thus, she laughs and says, how can I now accept being called the lamp of the bed-chamber. The implication is that by paying this compliment the poet/lover is missing out on the opportunity of the beloved adorning his bed-chamber.
4
aur husn1-e Gham-e hasti2 ko baRha deta hai
shauq3-e gesu4 meN tere dil ka pareshaaN5 hona 1.beauty 2.life 3.desire 4.hair 5.worried, sorrowful
‘Gham-e hasti’ – the sorrow of life is considered a valuable thing. It has its own beauty. And this beauty is enhanced even more by love for the beloved (as symbolized by the desire in the heart to touch her hair).
5
na bahaaroN1 se Gharaz2 hai na KhizaaN3 se matlab4
siikh le mujh se koi Khaar5-ba-daamaaN6 hona 1.spring 2.desire, want 3.dry season 4.concern 5.thorns 6.hem of the garment
Khaar-ba-daamaaN presents an image of the hem gathered up to create a ‘sack’ in which thorns are collected. Thus, the poet is not bothered with the changing seasons – the coming of spring or of the dry season. He is happy collecting thorns in his daaman. Thorns represent pain and a permanence of pain (because unlike flowers, thorns don’t wilt).
6
meri daanist1 meN tauhiin2-e gunahgaari3 hai
aye gunahgaar gunaahoN pe pashemaaN4 hona 1.understanding, knowledge 2.insult 3.sinning 4.repentant, embarrassed
This is what the poet understands/knows – O sinner, being repentant/embarrassed about your sins is an insult to the act of sinning. Said Ghalib …
aata hai daaGh-e hasrat-e dil ka shumaar yaad
mujh se mere gunah ka hisaab aye Khuda na maaNg
7
q’aar1-e dariya2 meN bhi ek saahil3-e raahat4 hai nehaaN5
bhuul6 hai mauja7-e toofaaN8 se hiraasaaN9 hona 1.bottom, depth 2.ocean 3.shore 4.comfort, peace 5.hidden 6.mistake 7.wave 8.storm 9.terrified, frightened
Even in the depths of the ocean, there is a ‘shore of comfort’ hidden. It is a mistake to be frightened of stormy waves. Does he mean – fear not, if you drown and sink to the bottom you will find peace!
jagdish sahay saxena shahjahaaNpuri (xxxx-xxxx). I do not know any more than his name. His collection was published in 1974 with the preface written by baalmukund arsh malsiani. From this it appears that he was active in the mushaa’era circuit at the time of publication. He is listed as vakil in shahjahaaNpur. The collection contains several Ghazal in the zamin of Ghalib which are being prepared for posting and linking to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’. This Ghazal is linked to Ghalib’s ‘mayassar nahiN insaaN hona’.
1
ahl1-e duniya ne sikhaaya mujhe hairaaN2 hona
kaise insaaN haiN keh aata nahiN insaaN hona
1.people of 2.perplexed
People of the world surprise me. What kind of humans are these that don’t know how to be human.
2
kya teri zulf1-e siyah-taab2 ko aye maaya3-e naaz4
Gham-e ulfat5 se bhi aata hai pareshaaN6 hona
1.hair 2.dark black 3.treasure 4.pride, coquetry 5.love 6.scattered, spread
The beloved is a treasure-house of coquetry. Spreading of dark hair can be a sign of coquetry. Spreading of hair can also be a sign of distress/sorrow. Thus, the poet questions the beloved … does your hair know how to spread out in the sorrow of love i.e., do you ever experience the sorrow of love.
3
Ghairat1-e mahr2 kaha un ko to haNs kar bole
kaise manzoor3 ho ab sham’a-e shabistaaN4 hona
1.shame, envy 2.sun 3.acceptable 4.bed-chamber
The beloved shines brilliantly because of her beauty. The poet, praising her brilliance/beauty calls her ‘envy of sun’. It seems (I am guessing, I have never come across this phrase being used in this way) that the beloved is also called ‘lamp of the bed-chamber’. Thus, she laughs and says, how can I now accept being called the lamp of the bed-chamber. The implication is that by paying this compliment the poet/lover is missing out on the opportunity of the beloved adorning his bed-chamber.
4
aur husn1-e Gham-e hasti2 ko baRha deta hai
shauq3-e gesu4 meN tere dil ka pareshaaN5 hona
1.beauty 2.life 3.desire 4.hair 5.worried, sorrowful
‘Gham-e hasti’ – the sorrow of life is considered a valuable thing. It has its own beauty. And this beauty is enhanced even more by love for the beloved (as symbolized by the desire in the heart to touch her hair).
5
na bahaaroN1 se Gharaz2 hai na KhizaaN3 se matlab4
siikh le mujh se koi Khaar5-ba-daamaaN6 hona
1.spring 2.desire, want 3.dry season 4.concern 5.thorns 6.hem of the garment
Khaar-ba-daamaaN presents an image of the hem gathered up to create a ‘sack’ in which thorns are collected. Thus, the poet is not bothered with the changing seasons – the coming of spring or of the dry season. He is happy collecting thorns in his daaman. Thorns represent pain and a permanence of pain (because unlike flowers, thorns don’t wilt).
6
meri daanist1 meN tauhiin2-e gunahgaari3 hai
aye gunahgaar gunaahoN pe pashemaaN4 hona
1.understanding, knowledge 2.insult 3.sinning 4.repentant, embarrassed
This is what the poet understands/knows – O sinner, being repentant/embarrassed about your sins is an insult to the act of sinning. Said Ghalib …
aata hai daaGh-e hasrat-e dil ka shumaar yaad
mujh se mere gunah ka hisaab aye Khuda na maaNg
7
q’aar1-e dariya2 meN bhi ek saahil3-e raahat4 hai nehaaN5
bhuul6 hai mauja7-e toofaaN8 se hiraasaaN9 hona
1.bottom, depth 2.ocean 3.shore 4.comfort, peace 5.hidden 6.mistake 7.wave 8.storm 9.terrified, frightened
Even in the depths of the ocean, there is a ‘shore of comfort’ hidden. It is a mistake to be frightened of stormy waves. Does he mean – fear not, if you drown and sink to the bottom you will find peace!
