For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
دامنِ تدبیر کا ۔ نظیر حسین صدیقی جنوںؔ
۱
لذّت اندوزِ خلش ہوں سوزنِ تقدیر کا
سی رہا ہوں چاک اپنے دامنِ تدبیر کا
۲
مسکرا کر اس طرف چلمن کو جنبش دے گئی
ذرّہ ذرّہ ہل گیا یاں ضبط کی تعمیر کا
۳
لے گیا ہر سننے والا اپنے اپنے رنگ میں
اصل مطلب رہ گیا لیکن مری تقریر کا
۴
خون کر دل کو جھلک اٹھے گا سینہ نور سے
صبح کا رنگِ شفق دیباچہ ہے تنویر کا
۵
اشک کا اک قطرۂ لرزاں سرِ مژگاں ہوں میں
جوں گلِ شمع سحر ہوں منتظر اک تیر کا
۶
ایک لحنِ مضطرب ہے میری موسیقی نہیں
میرے نغموں میں اثر ہے شیونِ دل گیر کا
۷
زندگی اک خوابِ بیداری ہے بیداری نہیں
موت ہے پہلا اثر اس خواب کی تعبیر کا
۸
اس دو حرفی لفظ میں دفتر کے دفتر ہیں چھپے
دل ہے اک طومارِ پنہاں عشق کی تفسیر کا
۹
کس سے الجھے گا یہ دامن ہی نہ ہوگا جب جنوںؔ
کیوں نہ ساماں ہی مٹا دوں خارِ دامن گیر کا
दामन-ए तदबीर का – नज़ीर हुसैन सिद्दीक़ी जुनून
१
लज़्ज़त-अंदोज़-ए ख़लिश हूँ सोज़न-ए तक़्दीर का
सी रहा हूँ चाक अपने दामन-ए तदबीर का
२
मुस्कुरा कर इस तरफ़ चिलमन को जुम्बिश दे गई
ज़र्रा-ज़र्रा हिल गया याँ ज़ब्त की ता’मीर का
३
ले गया हर सुनने वाला अपने अपने रंग में
अस्ल मतलब रह गया लेकिन मेरी तक़्रीर का
४
ख़ून कर दिल को झलक उट्ठेगा सीना नूर से
सुब्ह का रंग-ए शफ़क़ दीबाचा है तनवीर का
५
अश्क का एक क़तरा-ए लर्ज़ां सर-ए मिज़्गाँ हूँ मैं
जूँ गुल-ए शम’अ-ए सहर हूँ मुंतज़िर एक तीर का
६
एक लहन-ए मुज़्तरिब है मेरी मौसीक़ी नहीं
मेरे नग़्मों में असर है शेवन-ए दिल-गीर का
७
ज़िंदगी एक ख़्वाब-ए बेदारी है बेदारी नहीं
मौत है पहला असर इस ख़्वाब की ता’बीर का
८
इस दो-हर्फ़ी लफ़्ज़ में दफ़्तर के दफ़्तर हैं छुपे
दिल है एक तूमार-ए पिन्हाँ इश्क़ की तफ़्सीर का
९
किस से उलझेगा ये दामन ही न होगा जब जुनूँ
क्यूं न सामाँ ही मिटा दूँ ख़ार-ए दामन-गीर का
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. nazeer hussain siddiqui (1891-1956) kaakori (near lukhnau) and hyderabad. Early education in arabi and faarsi as well as urdu, was traditional and at home. Orphaned early, he was brought up by an uncle who also passed away. He trained in accountancy and moved to hyderabad with the encouragement of his brother; progressed steadily to become Assistant Financial Secretary. With the early passing of his wife, he devoted himself to his children and their education and expressed his creative talent in writing urdu poetry. His Ghazal have layers of mystic/sufi thought intertwined with romantic and religious themes. After his passing in 1956 but his diivaan remained in the family for a long time, only as a collection organized by radeef. in his own handwriting. This collection was finally published in 2022 after four years of loving work by his grandchildren. This Ghazal in the zamin of Ghalib’s ‘naqsh faryaadi hai kis ki shooKhi-e tahriir ka’ is linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’.
1
lazzat1-andoz2-e Khalish3 huN sozan4-e taqdiir5 ka
sii6 raha huN chaak7 apne daaman8-e tadbiir9 ka 1.pleasure 2.acquiring, gaining 3.pain, irritation, wound 4.sewing needle 5.fate 6.stitching 7.tear 8.hem of the robe 9.plan of action
This represents a classical conflict between fate and free will/human effort/plan of action. The sewing/needle of fate pokes and hurts him. Never the less he derives increasing pleasure from this wound and continues to sew the hem of the garment of his plan/effort.
2
muskura kar is taraf1 chilman2 ko jumbish3 de gaii
zarra-zarra4 hil gaya yaaN zabt5 ki t’aamiir6 ka 1.towards, direction 2.traditional straw curtain 3.movement, swaying 4.every particle/grain of sand 5.self control 6.building, wall
urdu poetic tradition requires the lover to be stoic and restrained. The poet/lover had built a wall of self-control but the beloved peeped through the curtain, created a gentle movement/swaying of the curtain and withdrew. But the lover’s wall of self control crumbled into dust.
3
le gaya har sun’ne vaala apne apne raNg1 meN
asl2 matlab3 rah gaya laikin meri taqriir4 ka 1.colour, style 2.real 3.meaning 4.speech, words
Everyone who heard my words/verse coloured them with their own interpretation. The real meaning of my ash’aar remained undiscovered.
4
Khuun kar dil ko jhalak1 uTThega siina nuur2 se
sub’h ka raNg-e shafaq3 dibaacha4 hai tanviir5 ka 1.shine, dazzle 2.light 3.horizon 4.preface, foretelling 5.brilliance
The red colour of the horizon at dawn foretells the brilliance of the rising sun. In much the same way, if the beloved were to cut the poet/lover’s heart and let the blood flow, his bosom will shine with the brilliance of pure love.
5
ashk1 ka ek qatra2-e larzaaN3 sar-e-mizhgaaN4 huN maiN
juuN gul5-e sham’a-e-sahar6 huN muntazir7 ek tiir ka 1.tears 2.drop 3.shivering, trembling 4.tip of the eyelashes 5.burnt tip of the wick 6.late night (early dawn) candle 7.waiting
The image of a tear drop trembling at the tip of the eyelashes or that of a candle nearly burnt out towards the end of the night with just the burnt tip of the wick in the remaining pool of wax are evocative of the end of life. Thus, the poet claims that he is on his last breath, waiting for the final arrow to finish him off.
6
ek lahn1-e muztarib2 hai, meri mausiiqi3 nahiN
mere naGhmoN4 meN asar5 hai shevan6-e dilgiir7 ka 1.melody 2.restless, sad 3.music 4.songs 5.effect 6.mourning 7.heart-broken person
This is not joyous music, it is a melody of sorrow. The effect in my songs is from the feelings of a heart-broken person.
7
zindagi ek Khwaab1-e bedaari2 hai, bedaari nahiN
maut3 hai pahla4 asar5 is Khwaab ki t’aabiir6 ka 1.dream, here contextually – illusion 2.wakefulness, awareness, knowledge, real 3.death 4.first 5.effect, sign 6.interpretation, fulfillment
This life is not real; it is an illusion, a passing phase, a dream. Death is the first realization of the interpretation/understanding of this dream (and perhaps a confirmation of the life to come).
8
is do-harfi1 lafz2 meN daftar ke daftar3 haiN chhupe
dil hai ek tuumaar4-e pinhaaN5 ishq ki tafsiir6 ka 1.two lettered 2.word 3.volumes of records/books 4.heap, pile 5.hidden 6.explanation
In urdu the word ‘dil’ is spelt with two letter ‘daal’ and ‘laam’. Thus, this two lettered word hides volumes upon volumes. The heart is a hidden/veiled explanation of love (love of humanity, love of the divine or perhaps even romantic love).
9
kis se uljhega1 ye daaman2 hi na hoga jab junuN3
kyuN na saamaaN4 hi miTaa5 duuN Khaar6-e daaman-giir7 ka 1.get tangled 2.hem of the garment 3.pen-name of the poet 4.means 5.erase, obliterate 6.thorn 7.hem holding/snagging
The expression ‘kisi chiiz meN daaman ulajhna’ is used to mean getting tangled up in, involved in something, usually undesirable. In this case the implication is that the ‘Khaar-thorn’ that snags the poet’s garment is the temptation of the material world. By removing/erasing the hem of the garment, the poet/sufi wants to avoid getting snagged by the thorn-material world.
nazeer hussain siddiqui (1891-1956) kaakori (near lukhnau) and hyderabad. Early education in arabi and faarsi as well as urdu, was traditional and at home. Orphaned early, he was brought up by an uncle who also passed away. He trained in accountancy and moved to hyderabad with the encouragement of his brother; progressed steadily to become Assistant Financial Secretary. With the early passing of his wife, he devoted himself to his children and their education and expressed his creative talent in writing urdu poetry. His Ghazal have layers of mystic/sufi thought intertwined with romantic and religious themes. After his passing in 1956 but his diivaan remained in the family for a long time, only as a collection organized by radeef. in his own handwriting. This collection was finally published in 2022 after four years of loving work by his grandchildren. This Ghazal in the zamin of Ghalib’s ‘naqsh faryaadi hai kis ki shooKhi-e tahriir ka’ is linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’.
1
lazzat1-andoz2-e Khalish3 huN sozan4-e taqdiir5 ka
sii6 raha huN chaak7 apne daaman8-e tadbiir9 ka
1.pleasure 2.acquiring, gaining 3.pain, irritation, wound 4.sewing needle 5.fate 6.stitching 7.tear 8.hem of the robe 9.plan of action
This represents a classical conflict between fate and free will/human effort/plan of action. The sewing/needle of fate pokes and hurts him. Never the less he derives increasing pleasure from this wound and continues to sew the hem of the garment of his plan/effort.
2
muskura kar is taraf1 chilman2 ko jumbish3 de gaii
zarra-zarra4 hil gaya yaaN zabt5 ki t’aamiir6 ka
1.towards, direction 2.traditional straw curtain 3.movement, swaying 4.every particle/grain of sand 5.self control 6.building, wall
urdu poetic tradition requires the lover to be stoic and restrained. The poet/lover had built a wall of self-control but the beloved peeped through the curtain, created a gentle movement/swaying of the curtain and withdrew. But the lover’s wall of self control crumbled into dust.
3
le gaya har sun’ne vaala apne apne raNg1 meN
asl2 matlab3 rah gaya laikin meri taqriir4 ka
1.colour, style 2.real 3.meaning 4.speech, words
Everyone who heard my words/verse coloured them with their own interpretation. The real meaning of my ash’aar remained undiscovered.
4
Khuun kar dil ko jhalak1 uTThega siina nuur2 se
sub’h ka raNg-e shafaq3 dibaacha4 hai tanviir5 ka
1.shine, dazzle 2.light 3.horizon 4.preface, foretelling 5.brilliance
The red colour of the horizon at dawn foretells the brilliance of the rising sun. In much the same way, if the beloved were to cut the poet/lover’s heart and let the blood flow, his bosom will shine with the brilliance of pure love.
5
ashk1 ka ek qatra2-e larzaaN3 sar-e-mizhgaaN4 huN maiN
juuN gul5-e sham’a-e-sahar6 huN muntazir7 ek tiir ka
1.tears 2.drop 3.shivering, trembling 4.tip of the eyelashes 5.burnt tip of the wick 6.late night (early dawn) candle 7.waiting
The image of a tear drop trembling at the tip of the eyelashes or that of a candle nearly burnt out towards the end of the night with just the burnt tip of the wick in the remaining pool of wax are evocative of the end of life. Thus, the poet claims that he is on his last breath, waiting for the final arrow to finish him off.
6
ek lahn1-e muztarib2 hai, meri mausiiqi3 nahiN
mere naGhmoN4 meN asar5 hai shevan6-e dilgiir7 ka
1.melody 2.restless, sad 3.music 4.songs 5.effect 6.mourning 7.heart-broken person
This is not joyous music, it is a melody of sorrow. The effect in my songs is from the feelings of a heart-broken person.
7
zindagi ek Khwaab1-e bedaari2 hai, bedaari nahiN
maut3 hai pahla4 asar5 is Khwaab ki t’aabiir6 ka
1.dream, here contextually – illusion 2.wakefulness, awareness, knowledge, real 3.death 4.first 5.effect, sign 6.interpretation, fulfillment
This life is not real; it is an illusion, a passing phase, a dream. Death is the first realization of the interpretation/understanding of this dream (and perhaps a confirmation of the life to come).
8
is do-harfi1 lafz2 meN daftar ke daftar3 haiN chhupe
dil hai ek tuumaar4-e pinhaaN5 ishq ki tafsiir6 ka
1.two lettered 2.word 3.volumes of records/books 4.heap, pile 5.hidden 6.explanation
In urdu the word ‘dil’ is spelt with two letter ‘daal’ and ‘laam’. Thus, this two lettered word hides volumes upon volumes. The heart is a hidden/veiled explanation of love (love of humanity, love of the divine or perhaps even romantic love).
9
kis se uljhega1 ye daaman2 hi na hoga jab junuN3
kyuN na saamaaN4 hi miTaa5 duuN Khaar6-e daaman-giir7 ka
1.get tangled 2.hem of the garment 3.pen-name of the poet 4.means 5.erase, obliterate 6.thorn 7.hem holding/snagging
The expression ‘kisi chiiz meN daaman ulajhna’ is used to mean getting tangled up in, involved in something, usually undesirable. In this case the implication is that the ‘Khaar-thorn’ that snags the poet’s garment is the temptation of the material world. By removing/erasing the hem of the garment, the poet/sufi wants to avoid getting snagged by the thorn-material world.
