For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
دیدۂ تر آخرِ شب ۔ غلام ہمدانی مصحفیؔ
۱
آج کس کا ہے مرے گھر سے سفر آخرِ شب
جو بھرے آتے ہیں یہ دیدۂ تر آخرِ شب
۲
اور بھی آگ لگا ویں ہیں یہ سینے کو مرے
نالے کرتے ہیں کچھ اُلٹا ہی اثر آخرِ شب
۳
چشمِ بد دور عجب طرح کا ہے اس کا بناؤ
کہ وہ جاتا ہے بگڑنے میں سنور آخرِ شب
۴
جھومکا سات سہیلی کا، نہ وہ جلوہ فروش
قطب تارا ہی نہ آتا ہے نظر آخرِ شب
۵
نہ وہ نوبت کی ٹکوریں، نہ نفیری کی صدا
نہ مؤذن کی اذاں کا ہے اثر آخرِ شب
۶
نہ وہ طوطی کی صفیریں، نہ وہ بلبل کا خروش
نہ وہ چڑیوں کا ترنم، نہ گجر آخرِ شب
۷
کیا شبِ ہجر ہے یا رب یہ کہ جس سے اب تک
جلوہ کرتے نہیں آثار سحر آخرِ شب
۸
مصحفیؔ جن سے سدا بے مزگی رہتی تھی
رات آپ ہی وہ ہوۓ شیر و شکر آخرِ شب
दीदा-ए तर आख़िर-ए शब – ग़ुलाम हमदानी मुस’हफ़ी
१
आज किस का है मेरे घर से सफ़र आख़िर-ए शब
जो भरे आते हैं ये दीदा-ए तर आख़िर-ए शब
२
और भी आग लगावे हैं ये सीने को मेरे
नाले करते हैं कुछ उलटा ही असर आख़िर-ए शब
३
चश्म-ए बद दूर अजब तरह का है उस का बनाव
के वो जाता है बिगड़ने में संवर आख़िर-ए शब
४
झूमका सात सहेली का, न वो जल्वा फ़रोश
क़ुतुब तारा ही ना आता है नज़र आख़िर-ए शब
५
न वो नौबत की टिकोरैं, न नफ़ीरी की सदा
न मुअज़्ज़िन की अज़ां का है असर आख़िर-ए शब
६
न वो तूती की सफ़ीरैं, ना वो बुलबुल का ख़रोश
न वो चिड़ियों का तरन्नुम, ना गजर आख़िर-ए शब
७
क्या शब-ए हिज्र है या रब ये के जिस से अब तक
जल्वा करते नहीं आसार-ए सहर आख़िर-ए शब
८
मुस’हफ़ी जिन से सदा बे मज़गी रहती थी
रात आप हि वो हुए शीर ओ शकर आख़िर-ए शब
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. sheiKh Ghulam hamadaani mus’hafi (1747-1824) ballamgarh-delhi – a voracious reader and a great collector of notes on his readings. mus’hafi’s works remained scattered and unpublished for many years after his death except manuscripts in various libraries. He was from dehli, could not get the recognition he thought he deserved and moved to lukhnau where his rivalry with insha is legendary. This Ghazal is part of series linked to an icon “aaKhir-e shab” on the “radeef-refrain” page.
1
aaj kis ka hai mere ghar se safar1 aaKhir-e shab
jo bhare aate haiN ye diida2-e tar3 aakhir-e shab 1.journey 2.eyes 3.moist, tearful
It is very unsusual for the beloved to be at the home of the poet/lover into the small hours of the night. But this is probably what the she’r says. He is asking a rhetorical question – who is it that is departing from my home late at night, that my eyes well up with tears.
2
aur bhi aag lagaaveN haiN ye siine1 ko mere
naale2 karte haiN kuchh ulTa hi asar3 aaKhir-e shab 1.bosom, heart 2.wail, lament 3.effect
The poet/lover had thought that his laments would relieve some of his pain, but they seem to be having an opposite effect. They seem to set his heart aflame even more.
3
chashm-e-bad1 duur ajab2 tarah3 ka hai us ka banaau4
keh vo jaata hai bigaRne5 meN saNvar6 aaKhir-e shab 1.evil eye 2.strange, unusal 3.kind, way 4.constitution, nature 5.becoming spoiled, getting angry 6.emebellished, beautified
There is a nice play on words with bigaRna. On the one hand it means getting spoiled and on the other it is used as an expression to mean getting annoyed. When something gets spoiled it is supposed to look bad, but the beloved has an unusual nature, of a different kind. When she is “spoiled” i.e., gets annoyed, she looks even more beautiful.
4
jhoomka1 saat-saheli2 ka, na vo jalva-farosh3
qutub-taara4 hi na aata hai nazar5 aaKhir-e shab 1.either the old form for jhumka-necklace or simply pronounced jhoomka for proper rhythm 2.seven friends/sisters – a constellation 3.brilliance offering 4.pole star 5.visible
Neither does the constellation of seven-sisters offer the same brilliance (as the beloved), nor can the pole-star be seen (becomes dim by comparison) late at night. Only the beloved shines.
5
na vo naubat1 ki TikoreN2, na nafeeri3 ki sada4
na mo’azzin5 ki azaaN6 ka hai asar7 aaKhir-e shab 1.drums played to mark time or the arrival or departure of a noble 2.drum beat 3.shahnaaii, flute 4.sound 5.persons who calls the azaaN 6.call to namaaz/prayer 7.effect
‘naubat’ usually is played by the palace guard from the ‘naubat Khaana’ and includes drums and shahnaaii. They are played to mark every ‘pahar-three hours’ or to the mark the arrival or departure of a noble. The sound of the ‘naubat’ is supposed to cause some entertaining excitement. But neither the sound of the naubat-shahnaaii nor the sound of az’aan seems to cause any excitement comparable to that of the beloved passing by late at night.
6
na vo tooti1 ki safiireN2, na vo bulbul ka Kharosh3
na vo chiRyon ka tarannum4, na gajar5 aaKhir-e shab 1.parrot 2.whistle 3.sound 4.rhythm, harmony 5.chimes to mark time
Neither the whistle of the parrot, not the sound of the bulbul, neither the chatter of birds nor the sound of chimes seem to have an effect comparable to that of the beloved.
7
kya shab-e-hijr1 hai yaarab2 keh jis se ab tak
jalva3 karte nahiN aasaar-e-sahar4 aaKhir-e shab 1.night of separation 2.O lord 3.make an appearance 5.indications/signs of dawn
What kind of a night of separation (from the beloved) is this, O lord, that signs of dawn do not make an appearance, i.e., long night, never ending.
8
mus’hafi1 jin se sada2 be-mazagii3 rahti thi
raat aap hi vo hue shiir-o-shakar4 aaKhir-e shab 1.pen-name of the poet 2.always 3.unpleasantness, annoyance 4.milk and sugar/honey
The beloved is always annoyed/irritated but for some inexplicable reason (which we are left to guess), all by herself, she was all sweetness towards the end of the night. There may be a slight hint that she has been drinking and is now inebriated.
sheiKh Ghulam hamadaani mus’hafi (1747-1824) ballamgarh-delhi – a voracious reader and a great collector of notes on his readings. mus’hafi’s works remained scattered and unpublished for many years after his death except manuscripts in various libraries. He was from dehli, could not get the recognition he thought he deserved and moved to lukhnau where his rivalry with insha is legendary. This Ghazal is part of series linked to an icon “aaKhir-e shab” on the “radeef-refrain” page.
1
aaj kis ka hai mere ghar se safar1 aaKhir-e shab
jo bhare aate haiN ye diida2-e tar3 aakhir-e shab
1.journey 2.eyes 3.moist, tearful
It is very unsusual for the beloved to be at the home of the poet/lover into the small hours of the night. But this is probably what the she’r says. He is asking a rhetorical question – who is it that is departing from my home late at night, that my eyes well up with tears.
2
aur bhi aag lagaaveN haiN ye siine1 ko mere
naale2 karte haiN kuchh ulTa hi asar3 aaKhir-e shab
1.bosom, heart 2.wail, lament 3.effect
The poet/lover had thought that his laments would relieve some of his pain, but they seem to be having an opposite effect. They seem to set his heart aflame even more.
3
chashm-e-bad1 duur ajab2 tarah3 ka hai us ka banaau4
keh vo jaata hai bigaRne5 meN saNvar6 aaKhir-e shab
1.evil eye 2.strange, unusal 3.kind, way 4.constitution, nature 5.becoming spoiled, getting angry 6.emebellished, beautified
There is a nice play on words with bigaRna. On the one hand it means getting spoiled and on the other it is used as an expression to mean getting annoyed. When something gets spoiled it is supposed to look bad, but the beloved has an unusual nature, of a different kind. When she is “spoiled” i.e., gets annoyed, she looks even more beautiful.
4
jhoomka1 saat-saheli2 ka, na vo jalva-farosh3
qutub-taara4 hi na aata hai nazar5 aaKhir-e shab
1.either the old form for jhumka-necklace or simply pronounced jhoomka for proper rhythm 2.seven friends/sisters – a constellation 3.brilliance offering 4.pole star 5.visible
Neither does the constellation of seven-sisters offer the same brilliance (as the beloved), nor can the pole-star be seen (becomes dim by comparison) late at night. Only the beloved shines.
5
na vo naubat1 ki TikoreN2, na nafeeri3 ki sada4
na mo’azzin5 ki azaaN6 ka hai asar7 aaKhir-e shab
1.drums played to mark time or the arrival or departure of a noble 2.drum beat 3.shahnaaii, flute 4.sound 5.persons who calls the azaaN 6.call to namaaz/prayer 7.effect
‘naubat’ usually is played by the palace guard from the ‘naubat Khaana’ and includes drums and shahnaaii. They are played to mark every ‘pahar-three hours’ or to the mark the arrival or departure of a noble. The sound of the ‘naubat’ is supposed to cause some entertaining excitement. But neither the sound of the naubat-shahnaaii nor the sound of az’aan seems to cause any excitement comparable to that of the beloved passing by late at night.
6
na vo tooti1 ki safiireN2, na vo bulbul ka Kharosh3
na vo chiRyon ka tarannum4, na gajar5 aaKhir-e shab
1.parrot 2.whistle 3.sound 4.rhythm, harmony 5.chimes to mark time
Neither the whistle of the parrot, not the sound of the bulbul, neither the chatter of birds nor the sound of chimes seem to have an effect comparable to that of the beloved.
7
kya shab-e-hijr1 hai yaarab2 keh jis se ab tak
jalva3 karte nahiN aasaar-e-sahar4 aaKhir-e shab
1.night of separation 2.O lord 3.make an appearance 5.indications/signs of dawn
What kind of a night of separation (from the beloved) is this, O lord, that signs of dawn do not make an appearance, i.e., long night, never ending.
8
mus’hafi1 jin se sada2 be-mazagii3 rahti thi
raat aap hi vo hue shiir-o-shakar4 aaKhir-e shab
1.pen-name of the poet 2.always 3.unpleasantness, annoyance 4.milk and sugar/honey
The beloved is always annoyed/irritated but for some inexplicable reason (which we are left to guess), all by herself, she was all sweetness towards the end of the night. There may be a slight hint that she has been drinking and is now inebriated.
