For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
اذیّت کوش ہے ۔ تلوک چند محرومؔ
۱
وہ ادا جو دُشمنِ صبر و قرار و ہوش ہے
دل اُسی پر ہے فدا، کتنا اذیّت کوش ہے
۲
گفتگو ہے باعثِ نا اِتفاقی ہائے خلق
مجتمع ہیں لب بہم، جب تک زباں خاموش ہے
۳
دم ہوا گُلشن میں اپنا رشک سے کیوںکر نہ ہو
وہ گُلِ خنداں نسیمِ صبح سے ہمدوش ہے
۴
باعثِ شرمندگی ہوگی حیاتِ جاوداں
ورنہ لوگوں سے خِضر کس واسطے رُوپوش
۵
مجھ کو آتی ہے ہنسی چرخِ کہن کو دیکھ کر
ظالم اِس پیری میں مہر و ماہ در آغوش ہے
۶
میکدے پر واعظو چھائی ہے رحمت کی گھٹا
مے کشوں کے جمگھٹے ہیں شورِ نوشا نوش ہے
۷
اے بُتو! محروم ہے سرمستِ صہبائے ازل
یہ نہ شاہد باز ہے، نے رِندِ ساغر نوش ہے
अज़िय्यत कोश है – तिलोक चंद महरूम
१
वो अदा जो दुश्मन-ए सब्र ओ क़रार ओ होश है
दिल उसी पर है फ़िदा, कितना अज़िय्यत-कोश है
२
गुफ़्तगू है बा’अस-ए ना-इत्तेफ़ाक़ी-हा-ए ख़ल्क़
मुज्तम’अ हैं लब बहम, जब तक ज़बां ख़ामोश है
३
दम हुआ गुल्शन में अपना रश्क से, क्यूंकर न हो
वो गुल-ए ख़ंदां नसीम-ए सुब्ह से हमदोश है
४
बा’अस-ए शर्मिंदगी होगी हयात-ए जावदां
वरना लोगौं से ख़िज़र किस वास्ते रूपोश है
५
मुझ को आती है हंसी चर्ख़-ए कोहन को देख कर
ज़ालिम इस पीरी में महर ओ माह दर-आग़ोश है
६
मयकदे पर वा’एज़ो छाई है रहतम की घटा
मयकशैं के जमघटे हैं शोर-ए नोशा-नोश है
७
अए बुतो! महरूम है सरमस्त-ए सहबा-ए अज़ल
ये न शाहेद-बाज़ है, ने रिंद-ए साग़र-नोश है
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. tilok chand mahroom (1887-1955) and his son jagan nath azad are an illustrious father-son team of urdu shu’ara. From miaNvaali (now in pakistan), they migrated to India in 1948, after unsuccessfully trying to remain in lahore. This Ghazal is modeled after Ghalib’s ‘navaa-e sarosh hai’.
1
vo ada1 jo dushman-e sabr2 o qaraar3 o hosh4 hai
dil usi par hai fida5, kitna aziyyat-kosh6 hai 1.style, manner, coquetry 2.patience 3.peace and quiet, rest 4.senses, awareness 5.devotion, sacrificial offering 6.pain seeking
The heart is devoted to that manner/coquetry which tries patience, robs you of peace and quiet and your senses. Oh, it is such a pain-seeker.
2
guftagu1 hai baa’as2-e na-ittefaaqi-haa3-e Khalq4
mujtama5 haiN lab6 baham7, jab tak zabaaN Khaamosh hai 1.conversation, discussion 2.basis, reason 3.disagreements 4.world 5.gathered, joined 6.lips 7.together
Conversation/discussion is the reason for disagreements in the world. Lips are joined together as long as the tongue is quiet.
3
dam1 hua gulshan meN apna rashk2 se, kyuNkar na ho
vo gul3-e KhandaaN4 nasiim5-e sub’h se hamdosh6 hai 1.breath, used here to mean choke 2.envy 3.rose 4.smiling 5.breeze 6.embrace
My breath stopped, I choked with envy in the garden, why should I not be. That smiling rose (the beloved) was in the embrace of the morning breeze. Poetic tradition is urdu says that flowers bloom when the morning breeze blows to coax them to do so.
4
baa’as1-e sharmindagi2 hogi hayaat3-e jaavedaaN4
varna5 logoN se Khizar6 kis vaaste7 ruuposh8 hai 1.basis, reason 2.shame 3.life 4.eternal 5.otherwise 6.a legendary figure 7.for what reason 8.hidden
Khizr is a legendary old man mentioned in the Bible (Methusaleh) and the qur’aan. He discovered the enctar of immortality and drank it. So he is immortal and is still around, but no one can see him. He hides from us. Thus, his eternal life must be a reason for shame, this why Khizr remains hidden. Thus, the poet suggests that death is OK.
5
mujh ko aati hai haNsi charKh-e kohan ko dekh kar
zaalim is piiri meN mahr-o-maah dar aaGhosh hai 1.wheel, dome, sky 2.ancient, old 3.used here to mean ‘that fool’ 4.sun and moon 5.in the lap, in an embrace
In urdu poetic tradition the sky is referred to as ancient/old. But that old fool, even in this old age, holds the sun and moon in its embrace. I laugh at him.
6
maikade par vaa’ezo chhaai hai rahmat ki ghaTa
maikashoN ke jamghaTe haiN shor-e noshaa-nosh hai 1.tavern 2.preachers 3.divine benevolence 4.clouds 5.wine lovers 6.crowds 7.drinking
Normally, preachers would claim that the curse of god hovers over taverns. Also, in poetic tradition, gathering clouds herald a romantic mood and call for drinking wine. Thus, clouds gather and wine lovers crowd the tavern. There is much merriment and sounds of drink, drink more. So, the poet concudes that it is divine blessing that hovers over the tavern, not a curse.
7
aye buto1! mahroom2 hai sarmast3-e sahba4-e azal5
ye na shaahed-baaz6 hai, nay7 rind8-e saaGhar-nosh9 hai 1.idols, beauties 2.pen-name of poet, deprived 3.intoxicated 4.wine 5.eternity (divine) 6.chasing beauties 7.neither 8.wine lover 9.cup-drinking i.e., wine drinking
There is an interesting play of words with the pen-name of the poet – ‘mahroom-deprived’ can mean ‘deprived of wine/luxuries’. Thus, O beauties, mahroom is drunk with divine wine (universal love). He does not chase beauties nor does he drink wine out of a cup.
tilok chand mahroom (1887-1955) and his son jagan nath azad are an illustrious father-son team of urdu shu’ara. From miaNvaali (now in pakistan), they migrated to India in 1948, after unsuccessfully trying to remain in lahore. This Ghazal is modeled after Ghalib’s ‘navaa-e sarosh hai’.
1
vo ada1 jo dushman-e sabr2 o qaraar3 o hosh4 hai
dil usi par hai fida5, kitna aziyyat-kosh6 hai
1.style, manner, coquetry 2.patience 3.peace and quiet, rest 4.senses, awareness 5.devotion, sacrificial offering 6.pain seeking
The heart is devoted to that manner/coquetry which tries patience, robs you of peace and quiet and your senses. Oh, it is such a pain-seeker.
2
guftagu1 hai baa’as2-e na-ittefaaqi-haa3-e Khalq4
mujtama5 haiN lab6 baham7, jab tak zabaaN Khaamosh hai
1.conversation, discussion 2.basis, reason 3.disagreements 4.world 5.gathered, joined 6.lips 7.together
Conversation/discussion is the reason for disagreements in the world. Lips are joined together as long as the tongue is quiet.
3
dam1 hua gulshan meN apna rashk2 se, kyuNkar na ho
vo gul3-e KhandaaN4 nasiim5-e sub’h se hamdosh6 hai
1.breath, used here to mean choke 2.envy 3.rose 4.smiling 5.breeze 6.embrace
My breath stopped, I choked with envy in the garden, why should I not be. That smiling rose (the beloved) was in the embrace of the morning breeze. Poetic tradition is urdu says that flowers bloom when the morning breeze blows to coax them to do so.
4
baa’as1-e sharmindagi2 hogi hayaat3-e jaavedaaN4
varna5 logoN se Khizar6 kis vaaste7 ruuposh8 hai
1.basis, reason 2.shame 3.life 4.eternal 5.otherwise 6.a legendary figure 7.for what reason 8.hidden
Khizr is a legendary old man mentioned in the Bible (Methusaleh) and the qur’aan. He discovered the enctar of immortality and drank it. So he is immortal and is still around, but no one can see him. He hides from us. Thus, his eternal life must be a reason for shame, this why Khizr remains hidden. Thus, the poet suggests that death is OK.
5
mujh ko aati hai haNsi charKh-e kohan ko dekh kar
zaalim is piiri meN mahr-o-maah dar aaGhosh hai
1.wheel, dome, sky 2.ancient, old 3.used here to mean ‘that fool’ 4.sun and moon 5.in the lap, in an embrace
In urdu poetic tradition the sky is referred to as ancient/old. But that old fool, even in this old age, holds the sun and moon in its embrace. I laugh at him.
6
maikade par vaa’ezo chhaai hai rahmat ki ghaTa
maikashoN ke jamghaTe haiN shor-e noshaa-nosh hai
1.tavern 2.preachers 3.divine benevolence 4.clouds 5.wine lovers 6.crowds 7.drinking
Normally, preachers would claim that the curse of god hovers over taverns. Also, in poetic tradition, gathering clouds herald a romantic mood and call for drinking wine. Thus, clouds gather and wine lovers crowd the tavern. There is much merriment and sounds of drink, drink more. So, the poet concudes that it is divine blessing that hovers over the tavern, not a curse.
7
aye buto1! mahroom2 hai sarmast3-e sahba4-e azal5
ye na shaahed-baaz6 hai, nay7 rind8-e saaGhar-nosh9 hai
1.idols, beauties 2.pen-name of poet, deprived 3.intoxicated 4.wine 5.eternity (divine) 6.chasing beauties 7.neither 8.wine lover 9.cup-drinking i.e., wine drinking
There is an interesting play of words with the pen-name of the poet – ‘mahroom-deprived’ can mean ‘deprived of wine/luxuries’. Thus, O beauties, mahroom is drunk with divine wine (universal love). He does not chase beauties nor does he drink wine out of a cup.
