For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
درد کا درماں ہونا ۔ رام چندر ورما ساحلؔ
۱
کتنا آسان ہے اُس زلف کا خواہاں ہونا
اور پھر عمر بھر حیران و پریشاں ہونا
۲
جو بیاباں میں اُگاتا رہا گیندہ و گلاب
دیکھیے آج اُسی دل کا بیاباں ہونا
۳
ہاتھ میں تیشہ لئے، جذبۂ فرہاد لئے
ہم نے دیکھا ہے کٹھن کام کا آساں ہونا
۴
گُدگُدا جاتا ہے کچھ دیر کو غم کو میرے
تیری مہکی ہوئی زلفوں کا پریشاں ہونا
۵
شہر ایسا بھی کوئی ہے کہ جہاں آپ کا غم
غیر کی آنکھ میں چاہے ہے نمایاں ہونا
۶
کام آساں تو نہیں کوئی مگر اے ساحلؔ
ہم نے دیکھا ہے مگر درد کا درماں ہونا
दर्द का दरमां होना – राम चंद्र वर्मा साहेल
१
कितना आसान है उस ज़ुल्फ़ का ख़्वाहां होना
और फिर उम्र भर हैरान ओ परेशां होना
२
जो बियाबां में उगाता रहा गेंदा ओ गुलाब
देखिये आज उसी दिल का बियाबां होना
३
हाथ में तीशा लिये जज़्बा-ए फ़रहाद लिये
हम ने देखा है कठिन काम का आसां होना
४
गुदगुदा जाता है कुछ देर को ग़म को मेरे
तेरी महकी हुई ज़ुल्फ़ौं का परेशां होना
५
शहर ऐसा भी कोइ है के जहां आप का ग़म
ग़ैर की आंख में चाहे है नुमायां होना
६
काम आसां तो नहीं कोई मगर अए साहेल
हम ने देखा है मगर दर्द का दर्मां होना
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. raam chandr varma saahil (1947-living), dehli. Born Jan 1, 1947, Dera Ghaazi KhaaN (now pakistan) he was obviously brought to India as an infant, but seems to have retained his love of urdu, which he might have inherited from his family. Diploma in mechanical engineeing and degree in electronics and telecommunications engineering. Retired as assistant director, department of communications, government of India. This Ghazal is linked to ‘mayassar nahiN insaaN hona’ in Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
kitna aasaan hai us zulf1 ka KhwaahaaN2 hona
aur phir umr bhar hairaan3 o pareshaaN4 hona 1.hair 2.desirous, to wish for 3.puzzled, confused 4.worried
How easy it is to succumb to desiring the beloved’s dark soft hair and then spend the rest of your life confused and worried.
2
jo biyabaaN1 meN ugaata raha genda o gulaab
dekhiye aaj usi dil ka biyaabaaN2 hona 1.wilderness 2.desolate, sad
They who kept growing marigold and rose in the wilderness, look at how desolate their heart is today. Interpretation of the meaning beyond this literal translation is highly speculative. ‘genda’ is used more in hindu devotional offerings and ‘rose’ more in muslim devotional offerings. Someone was growing both of these ‘in the wilderness’ – probably meaning under hopeless conditions i.e., against odds they were trying to cultivate communal harmony. Look at how disappointed they are today – it did not work.
3
haath meN tiisha1 liye, jazba2-e farhaad3 liye
ham ne dekha hai kaThin4 kaam ka aasaaN hona 1.pick-axe, chisel 2.emotion, resolve 3.of shirin-farhaad fable 4.difficult
In the fable to shirin-farhaad, farhaad was set an impossible task – cut a channel through a mountain and make milk flow through it. Because of the strength of his made passionate love, he set about doing this with his pickaxe and was near achieving success. Thus the poet says, I have seen difficult tasks become easy if we set about the task with pick-axe in hand and the resolve of farhaad driving us.
4
gudguda1 jaata hai kuchh der ko Gham ko mere
teri mahki2 hui zulfoN3 ka pareshaaN4 hona 1.tickle 2.fragrant 3.hair 4.spread
The imagery is that the poet/lover has gotten used to his pain of (unrequited) love. It has gone into the background, gone to sleep. But the beloved spreads her hair and the fragrance of her hair tickles his pain and it comes alive again.
5
shahr1 aisa bhi koii hai keh jahaaN2 aap ka Gham
Ghair3 ki aaNkh meN chaahe4 hai numaayaaN5 hona 1.city, settlement, society 2.where 3.rival 4.desires, wants to 5.visible, seen
The poet/lover always claims that he is the true love and the rival is in the game only for lust. The sorrow of the pain of love is never experienced by the rival (who is insincere) and cannot show through his eyes. Thus, is there any society where your pain desires to be seen in the rival’s eyes – a rhetorical question answered with a resounding ‘no’.
6
kaam aasaaN to nahiN koi magar aye saahil1
ham ne dekha hai magar dard ka darmaaN2 hona 1.pen-name of the poet 2.cure, remedy
There is no task that is easy, O saahil, but I have seen where the pain itself becomes a remedy. Said Ghalib …
ranj se Khuu-gar huaa insaaN to miT jaataa hai ranj
mushkileN mujh par paRiiN itnii kih aasaaN ho gaiiN
raam chandr varma saahil (1947-living), dehli. Born Jan 1, 1947, Dera Ghaazi KhaaN (now pakistan) he was obviously brought to India as an infant, but seems to have retained his love of urdu, which he might have inherited from his family. Diploma in mechanical engineeing and degree in electronics and telecommunications engineering. Retired as assistant director, department of communications, government of India. This Ghazal is linked to ‘mayassar nahiN insaaN hona’ in Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
kitna aasaan hai us zulf1 ka KhwaahaaN2 hona
aur phir umr bhar hairaan3 o pareshaaN4 hona
1.hair 2.desirous, to wish for 3.puzzled, confused 4.worried
How easy it is to succumb to desiring the beloved’s dark soft hair and then spend the rest of your life confused and worried.
2
jo biyabaaN1 meN ugaata raha genda o gulaab
dekhiye aaj usi dil ka biyaabaaN2 hona
1.wilderness 2.desolate, sad
They who kept growing marigold and rose in the wilderness, look at how desolate their heart is today. Interpretation of the meaning beyond this literal translation is highly speculative. ‘genda’ is used more in hindu devotional offerings and ‘rose’ more in muslim devotional offerings. Someone was growing both of these ‘in the wilderness’ – probably meaning under hopeless conditions i.e., against odds they were trying to cultivate communal harmony. Look at how disappointed they are today – it did not work.
3
haath meN tiisha1 liye, jazba2-e farhaad3 liye
ham ne dekha hai kaThin4 kaam ka aasaaN hona
1.pick-axe, chisel 2.emotion, resolve 3.of shirin-farhaad fable 4.difficult
In the fable to shirin-farhaad, farhaad was set an impossible task – cut a channel through a mountain and make milk flow through it. Because of the strength of his made passionate love, he set about doing this with his pickaxe and was near achieving success. Thus the poet says, I have seen difficult tasks become easy if we set about the task with pick-axe in hand and the resolve of farhaad driving us.
4
gudguda1 jaata hai kuchh der ko Gham ko mere
teri mahki2 hui zulfoN3 ka pareshaaN4 hona
1.tickle 2.fragrant 3.hair 4.spread
The imagery is that the poet/lover has gotten used to his pain of (unrequited) love. It has gone into the background, gone to sleep. But the beloved spreads her hair and the fragrance of her hair tickles his pain and it comes alive again.
5
shahr1 aisa bhi koii hai keh jahaaN2 aap ka Gham
Ghair3 ki aaNkh meN chaahe4 hai numaayaaN5 hona
1.city, settlement, society 2.where 3.rival 4.desires, wants to 5.visible, seen
The poet/lover always claims that he is the true love and the rival is in the game only for lust. The sorrow of the pain of love is never experienced by the rival (who is insincere) and cannot show through his eyes. Thus, is there any society where your pain desires to be seen in the rival’s eyes – a rhetorical question answered with a resounding ‘no’.
6
kaam aasaaN to nahiN koi magar aye saahil1
ham ne dekha hai magar dard ka darmaaN2 hona
1.pen-name of the poet 2.cure, remedy
There is no task that is easy, O saahil, but I have seen where the pain itself becomes a remedy. Said Ghalib …
ranj se Khuu-gar huaa insaaN to miT jaataa hai ranj
mushkileN mujh par paRiiN itnii kih aasaaN ho gaiiN
