For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
بنائے نہ بنے ۔ پنڈت جگموہن رائنا شوقؔ
۱
آتشِ عشقِ بلا آگ لگائے نہ بنے
اور ہم اس کو بجھائیں تو بجھائے نہ بنے
۲
رنگِ رُخ اُڑنے پہ آجائے تو روکے نہ رُکے
لاکھ وہ راز چھپائیں تو چھپائے نہ بنے
۳
کیا مزہ ہو نہ رہے یاد جو اندازِ جفا
میں کہوں بھی کہ ستاؤ تو ستائے نہ بنے
۴
خود وفا ہے مری شاہد کہ وفادار ہوں میں
لاکھ تم دل سے بُھلاؤ تو بُھلائے نہ بنے
۵
دل، کہ ہر ذرّہ میں ہے سوزِ محبت کی نُمُود
خاک میں اُن کو ملاؤں تو ملائے نہ بنے
۶
راہِ اُلفت نے کچھ ایسی مری صورت بدلی
دامنِ دشت چھپائے تو چھپائے نہ بنے
۷
دل کو اب تابِ تلافی و مداوا بھی نہیں
چارہ گر آئے تو احسان اٹھائے نہ بنے
۸
کوئی خاکہ مری تصویر کا کھینچے تو سہی
کھنچ بھی جائے کوئی نقشہ تو مٹائے نہ بنے
۹
موت قابو کی نہیں اور نہ ٹِھکانا اُس کا
کوئی وقت اُس پہ بھی آئے کہ بن آئے نہ بنے
۱۰
ایسے ڈھب سے ہو گلہ ان کے ستم کا اے شوقؔ
بات کچھ چاہیں بنانی تو بنائے نہ بنے
बनाए न बने – पंडित जगमोहन रैना शौक़
१
आतश-ए इश्क़-ए बला आग लगाए न बने
और हम उस को बुझाएँ तो बुझाए न बने
२
रंग-ए रुख़ उड़ने पे आ जाए तो रोके न रुके
लाख वो राज़ छुपाएँ तो छुपाए न बने
३
क्या मज़ा हो न रहे याद जो अंदाज़-ए जफ़ा
मैं कहूँ भी के सताओ तो सताए न बने
४
ख़ुद वफ़ा है मेरी शाहेद के वफ़ादार हूँ मैं
लाख तुम दिल से भुलाओ तो भुलाए न बने
५
दिल, के हर ज़र्रे में है सोज़-ए मोहब्बत की नुमूद
ख़ाक में इन को मिलाऊँ तो मिलाए न बने
६
राह-ए उल्फ़त ने कुछ ऐसी मेरी सूरत बदली
दामन-ए दश्त छुपाए तो छुपाए न बने
७
दिल को अब ताब-ए तलाफ़ी ओ मुदावा भी नहीं
चारागर आए तो एहसान उठाए न बने
८
कोई ख़ाका मेरी तस्वीर का खींचे तो सही
खिंच भी जाए कोई नक़्शा तो मिटाए न बने
९
मौत क़ाबू की नहीं और न ठिकाना इस का
कोई वक़्त उस पे भी आए के बिन आए न बने
१०
ऐसे ढब से हो गिला उन के सितम का अए शौक़
बात कुछ चाहें बनानी तो बनाए न बने
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. panDit jagmohan raina shauq (1863-1946?). He served as deputy collector in a district including agra. His ustaad was amir minaaii. He retired in 1920 and lived in allahabad. This is modeled after Ghalib’s Ghazal and considering the life-span of the poet and dates of significant Ghalib events, I place this Ghazal in 1919, fifty years after Ghalib’s demise.
1
aatish1-e ishq2-e balaa3 aag lagaaye na bane4
aur ham us ko bujhaayeN to bujhaaye na bane 1.fire 2.love 3.calamity, used here to mean the beloved 4.does not work
This probably means trying to set the fire of love in the beloved’s heart. However much I try, it does not work. On the other hand, of us (lovers) however much we try to put out the fire, we cannot.
2
raNg-e ruKh1 uRne pe aa jaaye to roke na ruke
laakh vo raaz2 chhupaayeN to chhupaaye na bane 1.face 2.secret
This may be some embarrassing moment (such as confessing his love before the beloved, or trying to hide his love from the rest of the world) when the face loses its colour i.e. goes pale. However much I try to prevent this, I cannot. I may try a hundred thousand tricks to hide this secret, but it does not work.
3
kya maza ho na rahe yaad jo andaaz1-e jafaa2
maiN kahuN bhi ke sataao to sataaye na bane 1.style, methods 2.cruelty
The beloved is know to be cruel to her lovers, never showing them any favours. What fun it would be if she forgets the methods/ways of being cruel. Then, even if I ask her to tease me (for example, by showing favours to the rival), she will not be able to.
4
Khud vafa1 hai meri shaahed2 ke vafaadaar3 huN maiN
laakh tum dil se bhulaao to bhulaaye na bane 1.fidelity (in love) 2.witness 3.faithful
Fidelity itself bears witness that I am faithful (to you, O, beloved). You may try a hundred thousand times to forget this, but you will not be able to.
5
dil, ke har zarre1 meN hai soz2-e mohabbat ki numud3
Khaak meN in ko milaauN to milaaye na bane 1.particle, piece 2.fire of passion 3.manifestation
My heart is such (so sincere) that every part is a manifestation/embodiment of the passion of love. Even if I try to bury these manifestations in the dust, I will not be able to (because his love is so sanctified that they cannot be insulted by mixing it with dust).
6
raah1-e ulfat2 ne kuchh aisi meri surat badli
daaman3-e dasht4 chhupaaye to chhupaaye na bane 1.path 2.love 3.apron, plains, expanse 4.desert, wilderness
The mad/passionate lover wanders the wilderness in search of his beloved like majnuN. He might get lost in the vastness of the wilderness. But in this case, the path of love has changed the face/condition of the poet/lover so much that even if the vastness of the wilderness tries to hide it, it will not be able to.
7
dil ko ab taab1-e talaafi2 o mudaava3 bhi nahiN
chaaragar4 aaye to ehsaan5 uThaaye na bane 1.strength/ability to bear the burden of 2.recompense, compensation 3.cure, remedy 4.healer 5.obligation
The heart of the poet/lover is so far gone that it can no longer bear the burden of any compensation or remedy. If the healer shows up to administer the remedy the poet/lover will not be able to life/bear the burden of this obligation. He would rather continue to bear the pain of love.
8
koi Khaaka1 meri tasviir ka khiiNche2 to sahi
khiNch bhi jaaye koi naqsha3 to miTaaye na bane 1.sketch, outline 2.draw, paint, write 3.picture, plan, description
Let anyone try to paint a picture of my love. They will not be able to do so, because they cannot reproduce the intensity and sincerity of my love. And if the succeed in painting an outline, no one will be able to erase it.
9
maut qaabu1 ki nahiN aur na Thikaana2 us ka
koi vaqt us pe bhi aaye ke bin aaye na bane 1.control 2.dependability, predictability
It is customary for the beloved to visit the lover upon his death or during his last breath. This is considered almost obligatory and the poet/lover is quite willing to try this but death is not in his control nor is it predictable. He wishes/prays that such a time would come (even without his imminent death), the she cannot control herself and cannot help but visit him.
10
aise Dhab1 se ho gilaa2 un ke sitam3 ka aye shauq4
baat kuchh chaaheN banaani to banaaye na bane 1.style, method 2.complaint 3.cruelty 4.pen-name of poet, also means love/desire
O, Love (O, shauq) your complaint of the cruel negligence of the beloved (in the form of a Ghazal) should of such a style, that even if she tries to make excuses she will not be able to. ‘baat banaana’ means to make up stories.
panDit jagmohan raina shauq (1863-1946?). He served as deputy collector in a district including agra. His ustaad was amir minaaii. He retired in 1920 and lived in allahabad. This is modeled after Ghalib’s Ghazal and considering the life-span of the poet and dates of significant Ghalib events, I place this Ghazal in 1919, fifty years after Ghalib’s demise.
1
aatish1-e ishq2-e balaa3 aag lagaaye na bane4
aur ham us ko bujhaayeN to bujhaaye na bane
1.fire 2.love 3.calamity, used here to mean the beloved 4.does not work
This probably means trying to set the fire of love in the beloved’s heart. However much I try, it does not work. On the other hand, of us (lovers) however much we try to put out the fire, we cannot.
2
raNg-e ruKh1 uRne pe aa jaaye to roke na ruke
laakh vo raaz2 chhupaayeN to chhupaaye na bane
1.face 2.secret
This may be some embarrassing moment (such as confessing his love before the beloved, or trying to hide his love from the rest of the world) when the face loses its colour i.e. goes pale. However much I try to prevent this, I cannot. I may try a hundred thousand tricks to hide this secret, but it does not work.
3
kya maza ho na rahe yaad jo andaaz1-e jafaa2
maiN kahuN bhi ke sataao to sataaye na bane
1.style, methods 2.cruelty
The beloved is know to be cruel to her lovers, never showing them any favours. What fun it would be if she forgets the methods/ways of being cruel. Then, even if I ask her to tease me (for example, by showing favours to the rival), she will not be able to.
4
Khud vafa1 hai meri shaahed2 ke vafaadaar3 huN maiN
laakh tum dil se bhulaao to bhulaaye na bane
1.fidelity (in love) 2.witness 3.faithful
Fidelity itself bears witness that I am faithful (to you, O, beloved). You may try a hundred thousand times to forget this, but you will not be able to.
5
dil, ke har zarre1 meN hai soz2-e mohabbat ki numud3
Khaak meN in ko milaauN to milaaye na bane
1.particle, piece 2.fire of passion 3.manifestation
My heart is such (so sincere) that every part is a manifestation/embodiment of the passion of love. Even if I try to bury these manifestations in the dust, I will not be able to (because his love is so sanctified that they cannot be insulted by mixing it with dust).
6
raah1-e ulfat2 ne kuchh aisi meri surat badli
daaman3-e dasht4 chhupaaye to chhupaaye na bane
1.path 2.love 3.apron, plains, expanse 4.desert, wilderness
The mad/passionate lover wanders the wilderness in search of his beloved like majnuN. He might get lost in the vastness of the wilderness. But in this case, the path of love has changed the face/condition of the poet/lover so much that even if the vastness of the wilderness tries to hide it, it will not be able to.
7
dil ko ab taab1-e talaafi2 o mudaava3 bhi nahiN
chaaragar4 aaye to ehsaan5 uThaaye na bane
1.strength/ability to bear the burden of 2.recompense, compensation 3.cure, remedy 4.healer 5.obligation
The heart of the poet/lover is so far gone that it can no longer bear the burden of any compensation or remedy. If the healer shows up to administer the remedy the poet/lover will not be able to life/bear the burden of this obligation. He would rather continue to bear the pain of love.
8
koi Khaaka1 meri tasviir ka khiiNche2 to sahi
khiNch bhi jaaye koi naqsha3 to miTaaye na bane
1.sketch, outline 2.draw, paint, write 3.picture, plan, description
Let anyone try to paint a picture of my love. They will not be able to do so, because they cannot reproduce the intensity and sincerity of my love. And if the succeed in painting an outline, no one will be able to erase it.
9
maut qaabu1 ki nahiN aur na Thikaana2 us ka
koi vaqt us pe bhi aaye ke bin aaye na bane
1.control 2.dependability, predictability
It is customary for the beloved to visit the lover upon his death or during his last breath. This is considered almost obligatory and the poet/lover is quite willing to try this but death is not in his control nor is it predictable. He wishes/prays that such a time would come (even without his imminent death), the she cannot control herself and cannot help but visit him.
10
aise Dhab1 se ho gilaa2 un ke sitam3 ka aye shauq4
baat kuchh chaaheN banaani to banaaye na bane
1.style, method 2.complaint 3.cruelty 4.pen-name of poet, also means love/desire
O, Love (O, shauq) your complaint of the cruel negligence of the beloved (in the form of a Ghazal) should of such a style, that even if she tries to make excuses she will not be able to. ‘baat banaana’ means to make up stories.
