For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
بندِ قبا میرے بعد ۔ غمگینؔ دہلوی
۱
کچھ نہ کچھ بھید مرا اُس پہ کُھلا میرے بعد
کہ کھلے رکھنے لگا بندِ قبا میرے بعد
۲
سب ہوئے سُستِ وفا ظلم سے عاشق اُس کے
سخت آوارہ ہوئے مہر و وفا میرے بعد
۳
اپنے مرنے سے میں خوش ہوں مگر اتنا غم ہے
کس پہ اِس طرح سے ہوگا تُو خفا میرے بعد
۴
بعد مجنوں کے رکھا دشت کو میں نے آباد
ایسے ویرانے میں کون آ کے رہا میرے بعد
۵
بزم سے اُٹھ کے میں بیٹھا پسِ دیوار رہا
ذکر بھی میرا کسی نے نہ کیا میرے بعد
۶
ہے مگر مجھ سے ہی عالم کو بقا اے غمگیںؔ
کہ یہ آخر ہے یقیں جان فنا میرے بعد
बंद-ए क़बा मेरे बाद । ग़मगीन देहलवी
१
कुछ न कुछ भेद मेरा उस पे खुला मेरे बाद
के खुले रखने लगा बंद-ए क़बा मेरे बाद
२
सब हुए सुस्त-ए वफ़ा ज़ुल्म से आशेक़ उस के
सख़्त आवारा हुए महर ओ वफ़ा मेरे बाद
३
अपने मरने से मैं ख़ुश हूँ मगर इतना ग़म है
किस पे इस तरह से होगा तु ख़फ़ा मेरे बाद
४
बाद मजनूँ के रखा दश्त को मैंने आबाद
ऐसे वीराने में कौन आ के रहा मेरे बाद
५
बज़्म से उठ के मैं बैठा पस-ए दीवार रहा
ज़िक्र भी मेरा किसी ने न किया मेरे बाद
६
है मगर मुझ से ही आलम को बक़ा अए ग़मगीं
के ये आख़िर है यक़ीं जान-ए फ़ना मेरे बाद
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. Ghamgiin dehlavi-mir syed ali (1753-1835). His father was a high officer in the army of maharaja sindhia. Died when his son was only twelve. After a few years of learning faarsi and urdu he joined to a sufi order. Received considerable patronage from the sindhia kings. It is reported that Ghalib was a great admirer. There is an extensive collection of faarsi correspondence between the two. This Ghazal is linked to Ghalib peshrau-hamasr and also to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam for completeness.
1
kuchh na kuchh bhed1 mera us pe khula mere baad
keh khule rakhne laga band-e-qaba2 mere baad 1.secret 2. ties of a robe or garment
My secret was revealed to the beloved after I was gone, that she began keeping their robe unfastened after me. The poet reflects on the unveiling of his secret after his death. Perhaps it was his intense, steadfast and unconditional love that the beloved finally realized. The image of ‘unfastening the robe’ symbolizes her openness and trust of the now departed lover.
2
sab hue sust-e-vafaa1 zulm2 se aashiq uss ke
saKht3 aavaara4 hu’e mehr-o-vafaa5 mere baad 1.weary or weak in loyalty/fidelity 2.cruelty 3.very much 4.wandering/lost 5.love and fidelity
All other lovers became tired of loyalty due to her cruelty, and love and loyalty became completely wayward after me. Thus, the poet/lover claims to have been the only sincere lover who accepted all ‘zulm’ and still remained loyal. Other lovers were fake, feigning love because of their lust. After he was gone all cruelty was directed at them and they got tired. Said Ghalib …
Gham se martaa huN keh itna nahiN duniya meN koi
keh kare taa’ziyat-e mehr o vafaa mere b’aad
3
apn’e marn’e se maiN Khush huN magar itna Gham hai
kis pe iss tarah se hoga tuu Khafaa1 mere baad 1.upset or angry
I am content with my death, but I feel some sorrow – who will you be upset with in the same way after me? The poet/lover bore all the tantrums of the beloved and she felt free to exercise them on him. Now that he is dead, he is fearful that there would be no one else who would take these tantrums.
4
baad majnuN1 ke rakha dasht2 ko maiN ne aabaad3
aise viiraane4 meN kaun aa ke rahaa mere baad 1.legendary lover of laila majnuN fable 2.desert 3.populated, prosperous 4.wilderness
After Majnoon, I made the desert lively. Who would dare to live in such a wilderness after me? majnuN, the mad passionate lover, wandered the desert looking for laila, his beloved. The desert became a virtual home for him. Who will now come and live in the desert after I am gone – he claims that there will be no true lover like him (and majnuN) after he is gone.
5
bazm1 se uTh ke maiN baiTha pas-e-diivaar2 raha
zikr3 bhi mera kisi ne na kiya mere baad 1,gathering, assembly 2.behind the wall 3.mention, talk about
I left the gathering and sat behind the wall. No one even mentioned me after I was gone. A poignant commentary on invisibility and neglect, this couplet reveals the poet’s isolation and lack of remembrance. The ‘bazm’ could be a gathering of poets or of lovers/admirers around the beloved. Both groups ignore him. Alternatively, the bazm could be alive and lively but it is the beloved herself who does not mention him.
6
hai magar mujh se hi aalam1 ko baqaa2 aye GhamgiiN3
keh yeh aaKhir4 hai yaqiiN5 jaan6 fana7 mere baad 1.world 2.continuity, stability 3.pen-name 4.end 5.certain 6.know 7. annihilation
By aalam, the poet probably means the world of love/fidelity. All the ash’aar in the Ghazal point to that. It is from me that the world of love and fidelity draws its stability, O Ghamgiin; that this is the end, know it to be certain, fidelity will be annihilated after me.
Ghamgiin dehlavi-mir syed ali (1753-1835). His father was a high officer in the army of maharaja sindhia. Died when his son was only twelve. After a few years of learning faarsi and urdu he joined to a sufi order. Received considerable patronage from the sindhia kings. It is reported that Ghalib was a great admirer. There is an extensive collection of faarsi correspondence between the two. This Ghazal is linked to Ghalib peshrau-hamasr and also to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam for completeness.
1
kuchh na kuchh bhed1 mera us pe khula mere baad
keh khule rakhne laga band-e-qaba2 mere baad
1.secret 2. ties of a robe or garment
My secret was revealed to the beloved after I was gone, that she began keeping their robe unfastened after me. The poet reflects on the unveiling of his secret after his death. Perhaps it was his intense, steadfast and unconditional love that the beloved finally realized. The image of “unfastening the robe” symbolizes her openness and trust of the now departed lover.
2.
sab hue sust-e-vafaa1 zulm2 se aashiq uss ke
saKht3 aavaara4 hu’e mehr-o-vafaa5 mere baad
1.weary or weak in loyalty/fidelity 2.cruelty 3.very much 4.wandering/lost 5.love and fidelity
All other lovers became tired of loyalty due to her cruelty, and love and loyalty became completely wayward after me. Thus, the poet/lover claims to have been the only sincere lover who accepted all ‘zulm’ and still remained loyal. Other lovers were fake, feigning love because of their lust. After he was gone all cruelty was directed at them and they got tired. Said Ghalib …
Gham se martaa huN keh itna nahiN duniya meN koi
keh kare taa’ziyat-e mehr o vafaa mere b’aad
3
apn’e marn’e se maiN Khush huN magar itna Gham hai
kis pe iss tarah se hoga tuu Khafaa1 mere baad
1.upset or angry
I am content with my death, but I feel some sorrow – who will you be upset with in the same way after me? The poet/lover bore all the tantrums of the beloved and she felt free to exercise them on him. Now that he is dead, he is fearful that there would be no one else who would take these tantrums.
4
baad majnuN1 ke rakha dasht2 ko maiN ne aabaad3
aise viiraane4 meN kaun aa ke rahaa mere baad
1.legendary lover of laila majnuN fable 2.desert 3.populated, prosperous 4.wilderness
After Majnoon, I made the desert lively. Who would dare to live in such a wilderness after me? majnuN, the mad passionate lover, wandered the desert looking for laila, his beloved. The desert became a virtual home for him. Who will now come and live in the desert after I am gone – he claims that there will be no true lover like him (and majnuN) after he is gone.
5
bazm1 se uTh ke maiN baiTha pas-e-diivaar2 raha
zikr3 bhi mera kisi ne na kiya mere baad
1,gathering, assembly 2.behind the wall 3.mention, talk about
I left the gathering and sat behind the wall. No one even mentioned me after I was gone. A poignant commentary on invisibility and neglect, this couplet reveals the poet’s isolation and lack of remembrance. The ‘bazm’ could be a gathering of poets or of lovers/admirers around the beloved. Both groups ignore him. Alternatively, the bazm could be alive and lively but it is the beloved herself who does not mention him.
6
hai magar mujh se hi aalam1 ko baqaa2 aye GhamgiiN3
keh yeh aaKhir4 hai yaqiiN5 jaan6 fana7 mere baad
1.world 2.continuity, stability 3.pen-name 4.end 5.certain 6.know 7. annihilation
By aalam, the poet probably means the world of love/fidelity. All the ash’aar in the Ghazal point to that. It is from me that the world of love and fidelity draws its stability, O Ghamgiin; that this is the end, know it to be certain, fidelity will be annihilated after me.
