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Recitation
bharati vishvanathan
jagjit & chitra siNgh
چھپا بھی نہ سکوں ۔ امیر مینائی
۱
اُس کی حسرت ہے جسے دل سے مِٹا بھی نہ سکوں
ڈھونڈنے اُس کو چلا ہوں جسے پا بھی نہ سکوں
۲
ڈال کے خاک میرے خون پہ قاتل نے کہا
کچھ یہ مہندی نہیں میری کہ چھپا بھی نہ سکوں
۳
ضبط کمبخت نے یاں آ کے گلا گھونٹا ہے
کہ اُسے حال سناؤں تو سنا بھی نہ سکوں
۴
نقشِ پا دیکھ تو لوں لاکھ کروں گا سجدے
سر مرا عرش نہیں ہے جو جھکا بھی نہ سکوں
۵
بے وفا لکھتے ہیں وہ اپنے قلم سے مجھ کو
یہ وہ قسمت کا لکھا ہے جو مٹا بھی نہ سکوں
۶
اس طرح سوئے ہیں سر رکھ کے میرے زانو پر
اپنی سوئی ہوئی قسمت کو جگا بھی نہ سکوں
छुपा भी न सकूँ – अमीर मीनाई
१
उस की हसरत है जिसे दिल से मिटा भी न सकूँ
ढूँडने उस को चला हूँ जिसे पा भी न सकूँ
२
डाल के ख़ाक मेरे ख़ून पे क़ातिल ने कहा
कुछ ये मेहंदी नहीं मेरी के छुपा भी न सकूँ
३
ज़ब्त कम-बख़्त ने याँ आ के गला घोंटा है
के उसे हाल सुनाऊँ तो सुना भी न सकूँ
४
नक़्श-ए पा देख तो लूँ लाख करूँगा सज्दे
सर मेरा अर्श नहीं है जो झुका भी न सकूँ
५
बेवफ़ा लिखते हैं वो अपने क़लम से मुझ को
ये वो क़िस्मत का लिखा है जो मिटा भी न सकूँ
६
इस तरह सोए हैं सर रख के मेरे ज़ानू पर
अपनी सोई हुई क़िस्मत को जगा भी न सकूँ
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. amir minaaii (1829-1900) was contemporary of daaGh dehlavi and much like him received patronage in rampur and later in hyderabad, where he died and is buried. This is one of several Ghazal of minaaii and other shu’ara in the same radeef/qaafiya as Ghalib and is linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’.
1
us ki hasrat1 hai jise dil se miTa bhi na sakuN
DhuuNDne us ko chala huuN jise paa bhi na sakuN 1.longing
I long for her whose memory/desire I cannot erase from my heart. I have set out looking for the one who I cannot find. Could this be a double meaning … beloved and god?
2
Daal ke Khaak mere Khuun pe qaatil1 ne kaha
kuchh ye mehNdi nahiN meri keh chhupa bhi na sakuN 1.killer/beloved
In poetic convention the beloved is a killer. She kills the poet/lover and throws dust on it to hide it. This is not my henna, she declares. She cannot hide the henna but she can hide blood by covering it up with soil.
3
zabt1 kam-baKht2 ne yaaN aa ke gala ghoNTa hai
keh use haal3 sunaauN to suna bhi na sakuN 1.self-control 2.cursed 3.condition
In poetic convention the poet/lover is supposed to remain stoic and never disclose his sorrow/love. At the same time he curses his self-control because it has choked him off and he is unable to relate his condition to the beloved.
4
naqsh-e-paa1 dekh to luuN laakh karuNga sajde2
sar mera arsh3 nahiN hai jo jhuka bhi na sakuN 1.foot prints 2.prostrations 3.heavens, skies
The poet/lover goes to the pathways that the beloved frequents in order to catch a glimpse of her. Here he would be satisfied if he can even see her footprints. He would offer a thousand prostrations. His his head is not up in the skies (he is not too proud) to bow down. But the problem is that he does not even see any footprints.
5
bevafa1 likhte haiN vo apne qalam se mujh ko
ye vo qismat ka likha hai jo miTa bhi na sakuN 1.unfaithful
It is the beloved who is unfaithful. But the irony that she herself has written that the poet/lover is unfaithful. He cannot get her to change her mind, much as he cannot change what is written in his fate.
6
is tarah soye haiN sar rakh ke mere zaanu1 par
apni soi hui qismat ko jaga bhi na sakuN 1.lap
She is sleeping with her head on his lap so sweetly that he cannot bring himself to wake her up. Thus even when he is near her, it is not in his fate that he would really meet her (because she is asleep).
amir minaaii (1829-1900) was contemporary of daaGh dehlavi and much like him received patronage in rampur and later in hyderabad, where he died and is buried. This is one of several Ghazal of minaaii and other shu’ara in the same radeef/qaafiya as Ghalib and is linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’.
1
us ki hasrat1 hai jise dil se miTa bhi na sakuN
DhuuNDne us ko chala huuN jise paa bhi na sakuN
1.longing
I long for her whose memory/desire I cannot erase from my heart. I have set out looking for the one who I cannot find. Could this be a double meaning … beloved and god?
2
Daal ke Khaak mere Khuun pe qaatil1 ne kaha
kuchh ye mehNdi nahiN meri keh chhupa bhi na sakuN
1.killer/beloved
In poetic convention the beloved is a killer. She kills the poet/lover and throws dust on it to hide it. This is not my henna, she declares. She cannot hide the henna but she can hide blood by covering it up with soil.
3
zabt1 kam-baKht2 ne yaaN aa ke gala ghoNTa hai
keh use haal3 sunaauN to suna bhi na sakuN
1.self-control 2.cursed 3.condition
In poetic convention the poet/lover is supposed to remain stoic and never disclose his sorrow/love. At the same time he curses his self-control because it has choked him off and he is unable to relate his condition to the beloved.
4
naqsh-e-paa1 dekh to luuN laakh karuNga sajde2
sar mera arsh3 nahiN hai jo jhuka bhi na sakuN
1.foot prints 2.prostrations 3.heavens, skies
The poet/lover goes to the pathways that the beloved frequents in order to catch a glimpse of her. Here he would be satisfied if he can even see her footprints. He would offer a thousand prostrations. His his head is not up in the skies (he is not too proud) to bow down. But the problem is that he does not even see any footprints.
5
bevafa1 likhte haiN vo apne qalam se mujh ko
ye vo qismat ka likha hai jo miTa bhi na sakuN
1.unfaithful
It is the beloved who is unfaithful. But the irony that she herself has written that the poet/lover is unfaithful. He cannot get her to change her mind, much as he cannot change what is written in his fate.
6
is tarah soye haiN sar rakh ke mere zaanu1 par
apni soi hui qismat ko jaga bhi na sakuN
1.lap
She is sleeping with her head on his lap so sweetly that he cannot bring himself to wake her up. Thus even when he is near her, it is not in his fate that he would really meet her (because she is asleep).
