For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
آئے نہ سحر آج کی رات ۔ میر محمّد علی خاں میکشؔ حیدرآبادی
۱
میرے پہلو میں ہے وہ رشکِ قمر آج کی رات
دل کی دھڑکن ہے بہ اندازِ دگر آج کی رات
۲
آرزوئیں مری مِنّت کشِ اظہار نہیں
آہ خاموش ہے ہم رنگِ اثر آج کی رات
۳
سایۂ کاکُلِ برہم میں ہیں جلوے رُخ کے
بحرِ ظلمات میں ہے آبِ خِضر آج کی رات
۴
میرے ہر اشک میں ہے اُس کے تبسّم کی جھلک
قطرۂ آب میں ہے رقصِ شرر آج کی رات
۵
اُس کے قدموں کے نشاں اور مرے سجدوں کے نقوش
ذرّے ذرّے میں ہے رنگِ گُلِ تر آج کی رات
۶
اُس کی مستانہ نگاہوں سے برستی ہے شراب
دستِ مے نوش میں ہے ساغرِ زر آج کی رات
۷
میرے غم خانے میں اک ماہ جبیں آیا ہے
ظلمتِ شب میں بھی ہے شانِ سحر آج کی رات
۸
شبِ معراج کی سوگند تجھے ربّ جہاں
رات یوں ہی رہے، آئے نہ سحر آج کی رات
आए न सहर आज कि रात – मीर मोहम्मद अली ख़ां मैकश हैदराबादी
१
मेरे पहलू में है वो रश्क-ए क़मर आज कि रात
दिल की धढकन है ब-अंदाज़-ए दिगर आज कि रात
२
आर्ज़ुएं मेरी मिन्नत-कश-ए इज़्हार नहीं
आह ख़ामोश है हमरंग-ए असर आज कि रात
३
साया-ए काकुल-ए बरहम में हैं जल्वे रुख़ के
बहर-ए ज़ुल्मात में है आब-ए ख़िज़र आज कि रात
४
मेरे हर अश्क में है उस के तबस्सुम की झलक
क़तरा-ए आब में है रक़्स-ए शरर आज कि रात
५
उस के क़द्मौं के निशां और मेरे सज्दौं के नुक़ूश
ज़र्रे जर्रे में है रंग-ए गुल-ए तर आज कि रात
६
उस की मस्ताना निगाहौं से बरस्ती है शराब
दस्त-ए मै-नोश में है साग़र-ए ज़र आज कि रात
७
मेरे ग़म-ख़ाने में एक माह-जबीं आया है
ज़ुल्मत-ए शब में भी है शान-ए सहर आज कि रात
८
शब-ए मे’राज कि सौगंद तुझे रब्ब-ए जहां
रात यूं हि रहे, आए न सहर आज कि रात
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mir mohammed ali KhaaN maikash (1918-1948), a member of the nizam shaahi clan of hyderabad (the title sahabzaada-princeling was a prefix to his name), nevertheless seems to have been a committed socialist. Dropped out of the university degree program after two years and worked as editor, columnist and perhaps as a party worker. This Ghazal was probably composed to observe his participation in an important mushaa’era and is linked with several other Ghazal to the icon ‘aaj ki raat’ on the ‘radeef-refrain’ page.
1
mere pahlu1 meN hai vo rashk2-e qamar3 aaj ki raat
dil ki dhaRkan4 hai ba-andaaz5-e digar6 aaj ki raat 1.side 2.envy 3.moon 4.throbbing 5.style 6.other, something else
The beloved is ‘rashk-e qamar – the envy of the moon’, because of her beauty. This must be a particularly celebratory night that it gives him so much pleasure that he feels like the beloved is by his side. His heart throbs in a very different style because of it.
2
aarzu’eN1 meri minnat-kash2-e izhaar3 nahiN
aah4 Khaamosh5 hai ham-raNg6-e asar7 aaj ki raat 1.desires, longings 2.obliged to 3.expression 4.sigh 5.silent 6.same nature as 7.effect
He does not need express his desires tonight, because they have been fulfilled. Thus, desires are not obliged to ‘expression’. His sigh is silent and the effect of his sigh is similarly quiet, because it has already had an effect, because the beloved is at his side.
3
saaya1-e kaakul2-e barham3 meN haiN jalve4 ruKh5 ke
bahr-e-zulmaat6 meN hai aab-e-Khizar7 aaj ki raat 1.shadow 2.curly forelocks 3.scattered, spread 4.manifestations, appearance 5.face 6.ocean of darkness 7.water of Khizr i.e. nectar of immortality
Khizr is a legendary figure featured in Biblical and qur’aanic stories. He found the ‘nectar of immortality’ and drank it. Here the poet is referring to the the nectar of immortality as ‘aab-e-Khizar’. The beloved’s dark hair/forelocks are scattered all over her face. Thus, he sees the glory of her face through ‘an ocean of darkness’. What’s more, he describes her face as the ‘nectar of immortality’, i.e., life-giving.
4
mere har ashk1 meN hai us ke tabassum2 ki jhalak3
qatra4-e aab5 meN hai raqs6-e sharar7 aaj ki raat 1.tear 2.smile 3.reflection 4.drop 5.water 6.dance 7.spark
Every tear in my eye reflects her smile. There is a dance of sparks in every tear drop. A beautiful imagery of reflected sparks in drops of water compared to the beloved’s smile.
5
us ke qadmoN1 ke nishaaN2 aur mere sajdoN3 ke nuqoosh4
zarre-zarre5 meN hai raNg6-e gul-e-tar7 aaj ki raat 1.feet 2.prints 3.prostration, bowing down to the ground 4.marks, sketches 5.every grain 6.colour, nature, character 7.fresh rose
Her footprints and marks of my prostration – every particle of dust carries the character of a fresh rose tonight. He draws a picture of himself prostrating at the beloved’s footprints and the combination makes every grain of sand fresh and fragrant like a rose.
6
us ki mastaana1 nigaahoN2 se barasti3 hai sharaab4
dast5-e mai-nosh6 meN hai saaGhar7-e zar8 aaj ki raat 1.intoxicating 2.eyes 3.rains 4.wine 5.hand 6.wine-drinker 7.cup 8.gold
The poet/lover is the wine-drinker/wine lover. The cup of wine in his hand contains ‘gold’ because wine rains down from the beloved’s intoxicating eyes.
7
mere Gham-Khaane1 meN ek maah-jabiiN2 aaya hai
zulmat-e-shab3 meN bhi hai shaan4-e sahar5 aaj ki raat 1.house of sorrow, grieving heart 2.brow/forehead bright like the moon, beloved 3.darkness of night 4.glory, beauty 5.dawn
The beloved (with her bright forehead) has arrived into his grieving heart. It is as if the darkness of night (the sorrow in his heart) contains the brilliance of dawn (the beauty of the beloved).
8
shab-e-me’raaj1 ki saugand2 tujhe rabb3-e jahaaN4
raat yuN hi rahe, aaye na sahar5 aaj ki raat 1.night of ascension 2.promise, swear 3.lord 4.world 5.dawn
It is islamic belief that mohammed ascended the seven skies to see god on “shab-e me’raaj – the night of ascension”. The poet compares the night to “shab-e me’raaj” because he has seen the beloved. Swearing to god by the blessing of that night, he wishes/prays that this night stay the way it is, that there be no end i.e., no dawn.
mir mohammed ali KhaaN maikash (1918-1948), a member of the nizam shaahi clan of hyderabad (the title sahabzaada-princeling was a prefix to his name), nevertheless seems to have been a committed socialist. Dropped out of the university degree program after two years and worked as editor, columnist and perhaps as a party worker. This Ghazal was probably composed to observe his participation in an important mushaa’era and is linked with several other Ghazal to the icon ‘aaj ki raat’ on the ‘radeef-refrain’ page.
1
mere pahlu1 meN hai vo rashk2-e qamar3 aaj ki raat
dil ki dhaRkan4 hai ba-andaaz5-e digar6 aaj ki raat
1.side 2.envy 3.moon 4.throbbing 5.style 6.other, something else
The beloved is ‘rashk-e qamar – the envy of the moon’, because of her beauty. This must be a particularly celebratory night that it gives him so much pleasure that he feels like the beloved is by his side. His heart throbs in a very different style because of it.
2
aarzu’eN1 meri minnat-kash2-e izhaar3 nahiN
aah4 Khaamosh5 hai ham-raNg6-e asar7 aaj ki raat
1.desires, longings 2.obliged to 3.expression 4.sigh 5.silent 6.same nature as 7.effect
He does not need express his desires tonight, because they have been fulfilled. Thus, desires are not obliged to ‘expression’. His sigh is silent and the effect of his sigh is similarly quiet, because it has already had an effect, because the beloved is at his side.
3
saaya1-e kaakul2-e barham3 meN haiN jalve4 ruKh5 ke
bahr-e-zulmaat6 meN hai aab-e-Khizar7 aaj ki raat
1.shadow 2.curly forelocks 3.scattered, spread 4.manifestations, appearance 5.face 6.ocean of darkness 7.water of Khizr i.e. nectar of immortality
Khizr is a legendary figure featured in Biblical and qur’aanic stories. He found the ‘nectar of immortality’ and drank it. Here the poet is referring to the the nectar of immortality as ‘aab-e-Khizar’. The beloved’s dark hair/forelocks are scattered all over her face. Thus, he sees the glory of her face through ‘an ocean of darkness’. What’s more, he describes her face as the ‘nectar of immortality’, i.e., life-giving.
4
mere har ashk1 meN hai us ke tabassum2 ki jhalak3
qatra4-e aab5 meN hai raqs6-e sharar7 aaj ki raat
1.tear 2.smile 3.reflection 4.drop 5.water 6.dance 7.spark
Every tear in my eye reflects her smile. There is a dance of sparks in every tear drop. A beautiful imagery of reflected sparks in drops of water compared to the beloved’s smile.
5
us ke qadmoN1 ke nishaaN2 aur mere sajdoN3 ke nuqoosh4
zarre-zarre5 meN hai raNg6-e gul-e-tar7 aaj ki raat
1.feet 2.prints 3.prostration, bowing down to the ground 4.marks, sketches 5.every grain 6.colour, nature, character 7.fresh rose
Her footprints and marks of my prostration – every particle of dust carries the character of a fresh rose tonight. He draws a picture of himself prostrating at the beloved’s footprints and the combination makes every grain of sand fresh and fragrant like a rose.
6
us ki mastaana1 nigaahoN2 se barasti3 hai sharaab4
dast5-e mai-nosh6 meN hai saaGhar7-e zar8 aaj ki raat
1.intoxicating 2.eyes 3.rains 4.wine 5.hand 6.wine-drinker 7.cup 8.gold
The poet/lover is the wine-drinker/wine lover. The cup of wine in his hand contains ‘gold’ because wine rains down from the beloved’s intoxicating eyes.
7
mere Gham-Khaane1 meN ek maah-jabiiN2 aaya hai
zulmat-e-shab3 meN bhi hai shaan4-e sahar5 aaj ki raat
1.house of sorrow, grieving heart 2.brow/forehead bright like the moon, beloved 3.darkness of night 4.glory, beauty 5.dawn
The beloved (with her bright forehead) has arrived into his grieving heart. It is as if the darkness of night (the sorrow in his heart) contains the brilliance of dawn (the beauty of the beloved).
8
shab-e-me’raaj1 ki saugand2 tujhe rabb3-e jahaaN4
raat yuN hi rahe, aaye na sahar5 aaj ki raat
1.night of ascension 2.promise, swear 3.lord 4.world 5.dawn
It is islamic belief that mohammed ascended the seven skies to see god on “shab-e me’raaj – the night of ascension”. The poet compares the night to “shab-e me’raaj” because he has seen the beloved. Swearing to god by the blessing of that night, he wishes/prays that this night stay the way it is, that there be no end i.e., no dawn.
Your notes add to the delight sparked by the verbal extravaganza the poet lays out for the beloved. In number 7, the gender marker caught my attention: Mahjabeen aya or ayee? Your comment, please.
Thanks for your appreciation. It is customary in urdu shaa’eri to refer to the beloved in the masculine gender, although everyone knows what the real meaning is. The origins of this tradition lie in faarsi Ghazal.