For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
اپنی غزل سنائے کیوں ۔ جارج پیِش شورؔ
۱
عشق میں یہ بھی ننگ ہے، نکلے ہے منہ سے ہائے کیوں
صبر کی تاب گر نہ ہو، دل کو کوئی پھنسائے کیوں
۲
اُٹھ سکے گر نہ بارِ غم، دم میں کسی کے آئے کیوں
روئیے سر پکڑ کے کیوں، کیجیے ہائے ہائے کیوں
۳
اپنی وہ روح بخش لب، لب سے مرے ملائے کیوں
سر پہ لی اپنے پھر بلا، آ کے مجھے جلائے کیوں
۴
چھپتے نہیں ہیں مہر و ماہ، پردے میں لاکھ گر رکھو
اُن سے بھی جب فزوں ہو پھر، ہم سے وہ منہ چھپائے کیوں
۵
شادی و غم ہی دم کے ساتھ، ساتھ رہیں گے تا ممات
مرنے سے پہلے پھر بشر، اُن سے فراغ پائے کیوں
۶
تم تو ہمیں کو کہتے تھے، طعنہ ہمیں کو دیتے تھے
آپ تو سب سمجھتے تھے، غیر کے بس میں آئے کیوں
۷
ہو نہ جہاں کوئی رفیق، ہو نہ جہاں کوئی شفیق
ایسے خراب دہر میں، عمر بشر گنوائے کیوں
۸
عشق میں ہیں خرابیاں، آفتیں سو بلائے جاں
جس سے نہ اُٹّھیں یہ ذرا، دل وہ کہیں لگائے کیوں
۹
سمجھے جو سوزِ دل کو ساز، حُسن پر اپنے بھی ہو ناز
ایسے کو جان کر جہاں، جان و دل جلائے کیوں
۱۰
ناز و ادا سے گر بچا، پیچ میں زُلف کے جا پھنسا
اِس میں تمہارا کیا گِلا، دل ہی کسی پر آئے کیوں
۱۱
ہم کو ہی پاسِ آبرُو، اُن کو خیال غیر کا
دن کو تو ہم نہ مل سکیں، رات کو وہ بلائے کیوں
۱۲
جو یہ کہے کہ بے نمک، شورؔ کا ہے کلام تو
ایسے حسد شعار کو، اپنی غزل سنائے کیوں
अपनी ग़ज़ल सुनाए क्यूँ – जॉर्ज पियूश शोर
१
इश्क़ में ये भी नंग है, निकले है मुँह से हाए क्यूँ
सब्र की ताब गर न हो, दिल को कोई फँसाए क्यूँ
२
उठ सके गर न बार-ए ग़म, दम में किसी के आए क्यूँ
रोइये सर पकढ के क्यूँ, कीजिए हाए हाए क्यूँ
३
अपनी वो रूह बख़्श लब, लब से मेरे मिलाए क्यूँ
सर पे ली अपने फिर बला, आ के मुझे जलाए क्यूँ
४
छुपते नहीं हैं महर ओ माह, परदे में लाख गर रखो
उन से भी जब फ़ज़ूँ हो फिर, हम से वो मुँह छुपाए क्यूँ
५
शादी ओ ग़म ही दम के साथ, साथ रहेंगे ता ममात
मरने से पहले फिर बशर, उन से फ़राग़ पाए क्यूँ
६
तुम तो हमीं को कहते थे, ताना हमीं को देते थे
आप तो सब समझते थे, ग़ैर के बस में आए क्यूँ
७
हो न जहाँ कोई रफ़ीक़, हो न जहाँ कोई शफ़ीक़
ऐसे ख़राब दहर में, उम्र-ए बशर गँवाए क्यूँ
८
इश्क़ में हैं ख़राबियाँ, आफ़तें सौ बला-ए जाँ
जिस से न उट्ठें ये ज़रा, दिल वो कहीं लगाए क्यूँ
९
समझे जो सोज़-ए दिल को साज़, हुस्न पर अपने भी हो नाज़
ऐसे को जान कर जहाँ, जान ओ दिल जलाए क्यूँ
१०
नाज़ ओ अदा से गर बचा, पेच में ज़ुल्फ़ के जा फँसा
इस में तुम्हारा क्या गिला, दिल ही किसी पर आए क्यूँ
११
हम को ही पास-ए आब्रू, उन को ख़याल ग़ैर का
दिन को तो हम न मिल सकें, रात को वो बुलाए क्यूँ
१२
जो ये कहे के बे-नमक शोर का है कलाम तो
ऐसे हसद-शे’आर को अपनी ग़ज़ल सुनाए क्यूँ
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. George Puech shor (1823-1894). aligaRh, meeraTh and dehli. French and German descent from both grandfathers. Received education in urdu and faarsi at the insistence of his father. Six collections of Ghazal and a diary describing the events of 1857. He was well known in poetic circles including Ghalib, daaGh and tufta. Ghalib’s Ghazal – ko’ii hameN sataa’e kyuN is dated 1853. George Puech would have been 30 at that time and it is possible that this Ghazal was read at the same mushaa’era, but I cannot date it with any certainty. Historical records show that he was in meeraTh at that time, so it is unlikely to be the same mushaa’era. It is possible that Ghalib’s Ghazal was used in a tarahii mushaa’era.
1
ishq1 meN ye bhi naNg2 hai nikle hai muNh se haa’e3 kyuN
sabr4 ki taab5 gar na ho dil ko koi phaNsaa’e6 kyuN 1.passionate love 2.shame, disgrace 3.cry of pain 4.patience 5.capacity, endurance 6.get trapped
In poetic convention the lover tries to never embarrass or bring disrepute to the beloved. Therefore, in true passionate love, even sighing aloud is a disgrace. If the heart lacks the strength to bear the trials of love, why involve it at all? This implies that love is a voluntary act. There is plenty of convention to say that it is not.
2
uTh sake gar1 na baar2-e Gham3, dam4 meN kisi ke aa’e kyuN
roiye sar pakaR ke kyuN, kiijiye haa’e haa’e kyuN 1.if 2.burden 3.sorrow 4.also means deception, trickery
If you can’t bear the grief of unrequited love, why fall for their trickery. Why then hold your head and cry, why moan and wail. Again, the implication is that it is a choice for the lover not to fall for the beloved’s trickery.
3
apni vo ruuh-baKhsh1 lab2, lab se mere milaa’e kyuN
sar pe lii apne phir balaa3, aa ke mujhe jalaa’e4 kyuN 1.soul-giving, life-infusing 2.lips 3.calamity 4.burn (perhaps jealousy)
The scenario appears to evolve something like this. The beloved has allowed her life-giving lips to be touched by the lover’s lips. By falling for this, the lover has brought a calamity down on his own head. He should have known that this is trickery, because now she has not only stopped her favours, but is also causing him to burn with jealousy.
4
chhupt’e nahiN haiN mahr1 o maah2, parde3 meN laakh gar rakho
un se bhi jab fuzuuN4 ho phir, ham se vo muNh chhupaa’e kyuN 1.sun 2.moon 3.veil, concealment 4.greater, beyond
Even the sun and moon can’t be hidden—how, then, can she (more radiant than them) hide her face from the poet/lover? Said Ghalib …
jab vo jamaal-e-dil-faroz suurat-e mahr-e-niim-roz
aap hi ho nazaara-soz parde meN muNh chhupaae kyuN
5
shaadi1 o Gham2 hi dam3 ke saath, saath raheNge taa4 mamaat5
marne se pahle phir bashar6 un se faraaGh7 paa’e kyuN 1.joy 2.sorrow 3.breath, life 4.till 5.death 6.human 7.freedom, relief
Joy and grief will always accompany us till death. So why expect to escape them while still alive? Said Ghalib …
qaid-e-hayaat-o-band-e-Gham asl meN donoN ek haiN
maut se pahle aadmii Gham se nijaat paae kyuN
6
tum to hamiiN ko kahte th’e, taa’naa1 hamiiN ko det’e the
aap to sab samajhte th’e, Ghair2 ke bas3 meN aa’e kyuN 1.taunt 2.the other, rival in love 3.under control
The beloved once scolded the poet for loving too easily, she taunted and blamed him, yet now she herself has fallen for the rival! This seems to be an admonishment, perhaps asking the beloved to come back to the true lover.
7
ho na jahaaN1 koi rafiiq2, ho na jahaaN koi shafiiq3
aise Kharaab4 dahr5 meN umr6 bashar7 gaNvaa’e8 kyuN 1.where 2.companion, friend 3.kind, affectionate, sympathizer 4.ruined 5.world 6.life 7.human 8.waste
If the world offers neither friendship nor kindness, why waste a human life in such a ruined place?
8
ishq meN haiN KharaabiyaaN1, aafateN2, sau balaa3-e jaaN
jis se na uTTheN ye zaraa4, dil vo kahiiN lagaa’e kyuN 1.ruination 2.disaster 3.affliction 4.even a little
Love brings ruin, torment, disasters by the hundred. If one’s heart cannot endure even a bit of this, why attach it at all?
9
samjhe jo soz1-e dil ko saaz2, husn3 par apne bhi ho naaz4
aise ko jaan5 kar jahaaN6, jaan7 o dil jalaa’e kyuN 1.burning (in the fire of love) 2.music, melody, joy 3.beauty 4.pride 5.knowingly 6.world 7.life
The beloved is proud of her beauty and takes pleasure in seeing the lover burn in the fire of love. Why does the world, knowingly lets its life and heart burn with love.
10
naaz1 o adaa2 se gar3 bachaa4, pech5 meN zulf6 ke jaa phaNsaa7
iss meN tumhaaraa kyaa gilaa8, dil hi kisi par aa’e kyuN 1.coquetry 2.style, gesture, elegance 3.if 4.escaped 5.twist, curl 6.hair 7.caught 8.complaint
If someone escapes your charms, they might still get entangled in your hair. So how is that your fault? Why did my heart fall for someone at all?
11
ham ko hi paas1-e aabruu2, unn ko Khayaal3 Ghair4 kaa
din ko to ham na mil sakeN, raat ko vo bulaa’e kyuN 1.regard, concern 2.dignity 3.thoughts 4.the other, rival
It is the poet/lover who is concerned about, has regard for the beloved’s dignity. So, he cannot meet her during the day (for concern that others might see and bring disrepute to her). She is absorbed in thoughts of the rival. Why would she call him to meet at night.
12
jo ye kahe keh be-namak1, shor2 kaa hai kalaam3 to
aise hasad4-she‘aar5 ko apni Ghazal sunaa’e kyuN 1.without salt, tasteless 2.pen-name, also in faarsi it means salt 3.verse 4.envy, jealousy 5.nature, character
There used to be intense rivalry among poets in those days and they were not above trying to put each other down in a mushaa’era. This she’r is aimed at rival poets and makes witty use of the faarsi meaning of shor. If someone claims shor’s poetry has no salt, is tasteless, why should I read my Ghazal to one of such a jealous nature.
George Puech shor (1823-1894). aligaRh, meeraTh and dehli. French and German descent from both grandfathers. Received education in urdu and faarsi at the insistence of his father. Six collections of Ghazal and a diary describing the events of 1857. He was well known in poetic circles including Ghalib, daaGh and tufta. Ghalib’s Ghazal – ko’ii hameN sataa’e kyuN is dated 1853. George Puech would have been 30 at that time and it is possible that this Ghazal was read at the same mushaa’era, but I cannot date it with any certainty. Historical records show that he was in meeraTh at that time, so it is unlikely to be the same mushaa’era. It is possible that Ghalib’s Ghazal was used in a tarahii mushaa’era.
1
ishq1 meN ye bhi naNg2 hai nikle hai muNh se haa’e3 kyuN
sabr4 ki taab5 gar na ho dil ko koi phaNsaa’e6 kyuN
1.passionate love 2.shame, disgrace 3.cry of pain 4.patience 5.capacity, endurance 6.get trapped
In poetic convention the lover tries to never embarrass or bring disrepute to the beloved. Therefore, in true passionate love, even sighing aloud is a disgrace. If the heart lacks the strength to bear the trials of love, why involve it at all? This implies that love is a voluntary act. There is plenty of convention to say that it is not.
2
uTh sake gar1 na baar2-e Gham3, dam4 meN kisi ke aa’e kyuN
roiye sar pakaR ke kyuN, kiijiye haa’e haa’e kyuN
1.if 2.burden 3.sorrow 4.also means deception, trickery
If you can’t bear the grief of unrequited love, why fall for their trickery. Why then hold your head and cry, why moan and wail. Again, the implication is that it is a choice for the lover not to fall for the beloved’s trickery.
3
apni vo ruuh-baKhsh1 lab2, lab se mere milaa’e kyuN
sar pe lii apne phir balaa3, aa ke mujhe jalaa’e4 kyuN
1.soul-giving, life-infusing 2.lips 3.calamity 4.burn (perhaps jealousy)
The scenario appears to evolve something like this. The beloved has allowed her life-giving lips to be touched by the lover’s lips. By falling for this, the lover has brought a calamity down on his own head. He should have known that this is trickery, because now she has not only stopped her favours, but is also causing him to burn with jealousy.
4
chhupt’e nahiN haiN mahr1 o maah2, parde3 meN laakh gar rakho
un se bhi jab fuzuuN4 ho phir, ham se vo muNh chhupaa’e kyuN
1.sun 2.moon 3.veil, concealment 4.greater, beyond
Even the sun and moon can’t be hidden—how, then, can she (more radiant than them) hide her face from the poet/lover? Said Ghalib …
jab vo jamaal-e-dil-faroz suurat-e mahr-e-niim-roz
aap hi ho nazaara-soz parde meN muNh chhupaae kyuN
5
shaadi1 o Gham2 hi dam3 ke saath, saath raheNge taa4 mamaat5
marne se pahle phir bashar6 un se faraaGh7 paa’e kyuN
1.joy 2.sorrow 3.breath, life 4.till 5.death 6.human 7.freedom, relief
Joy and grief will always accompany us till death. So why expect to escape them while still alive? Said Ghalib …
qaid-e-hayaat-o-band-e-Gham asl meN donoN ek haiN
maut se pahle aadmii Gham se nijaat paae kyuN
6
tum to hamiiN ko kahte th’e, taa’naa1 hamiiN ko det’e the
aap to sab samajhte th’e, Ghair2 ke bas3 meN aa’e kyuN
1.taunt 2.the other, rival in love 3.under control
The beloved once scolded the poet for loving too easily, she taunted and blamed him, yet now she herself has fallen for the rival! This seems to be an admonishment, perhaps asking the beloved to come back to the true lover.
7
ho na jahaaN1 koi rafiiq2, ho na jahaaN koi shafiiq3
aise Kharaab4 dahr5 meN umr6 bashar7 gaNvaa’e8 kyuN
1.where 2.companion, friend 3.kind, affectionate, sympathizer 4.ruined 5.world 6.life 7.human 8.waste
If the world offers neither friendship nor kindness, why waste a human life in such a ruined place?
8
ishq meN haiN KharaabiyaaN1, aafateN2, sau balaa3-e jaaN
jis se na uTTheN ye zaraa4, dil vo kahiiN lagaa’e kyuN
1.ruination 2.disaster 3.affliction 4.even a little
Love brings ruin, torment, disasters by the hundred. If one’s heart cannot endure even a bit of this, why attach it at all?
9
samjhe jo soz1-e dil ko saaz2, husn3 par apne bhi ho naaz4
aise ko jaan5 kar jahaaN6, jaan7 o dil jalaa’e kyuN
1.burning (in the fire of love) 2.music, melody, joy 3.beauty 4.pride 5.knowingly 6.world 7.life
The beloved is proud of her beauty and takes pleasure in seeing the lover burn in the fire of love. Why does the world, knowingly lets its life and heart burn with love.
10
naaz1 o adaa2 se gar3 bachaa4, pech5 meN zulf6 ke jaa phaNsaa7
iss meN tumhaaraa kyaa gilaa8, dil hi kisi par aa’e kyuN
1.coquetry 2.style, gesture, elegance 3.if 4.escaped 5.twist, curl 6.hair 7.caught 8.complaint
If someone escapes your charms, they might still get entangled in your hair. So how is that your fault? Why did my heart fall for someone at all?
11
ham ko hi paas1-e aabruu2, unn ko Khayaal3 Ghair4 kaa
din ko to ham na mil sakeN, raat ko vo bulaa’e kyuN
1.regard, concern 2.dignity 3.thoughts 4.the other, rival
It is the poet/lover who is concerned about, has regard for the beloved’s dignity. So, he cannot meet her during the day (for concern that others might see and bring disrepute to her). She is absorbed in thoughts of the rival. Why would she call him to meet at night.
12
jo ye kahe keh be-namak1, shor2 kaa hai kalaam3 to
aise hasad4-she‘aar5 ko apni Ghazal sunaa’e kyuN
1.without salt, tasteless 2.pen-name, also in faarsi it means salt 3.verse 4.envy, jealousy 5.nature, character
There used to be intense rivalry among poets in those days and they were not above trying to put each other down in a mushaa’era. This she’r is aimed at rival poets and makes witty use of the faarsi meaning of shor. If someone claims shor’s poetry has no salt, is tasteless, why should I read my Ghazal to one of such a jealous nature.
