For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
دشمن آسماں اپنا ۔ آغا جان عیشؔ دہلوی
۱
عشق میں ہوا اُن کے، دشمن اِک جہاں اپنا
دردِ دل کریں کس سے جا کر اب بیاں اپنا
۲
رکھتے ہیں زباں لیکن بات کر نہیں سکتے
حال بزم میں اُس کی بس ہے شمع ساں اپنا
۳
حیف تو یہ آتا ہے، چل دیے دمِ بسمل
یہ بھی تو نہ سمجھے وہ، ہے یہ نیم جاں اپنا
۴
دیکھیں ہم نہیں ہوتا کس طرح اثر اُن کو
گوش زد ہو گر اُن کے نالہ و فغاں اپنا
۵
تھی یہی خوشی اُن کی، اس لیے سنا ہم نے
جان و دل کیا اُن کے، وقفِ امتحاں اپنا
۶
مہوشوں کے بِن دیکھے دل ہے اپنا صد پارہ
چاک کیا دکھاوے گا آ کے یاں کتاں اپنا
۷
کام کیا ہے ناصح کو کیوں وہ آیا سمجھانے
دے دیا جسے چاہا دل تھا ہاں جی ہاں اپنا
۸
رشکِ باغِ جنّت ہے وہ گلی جہاں کے ہم
یار رہنے والے ہیں، دل لگے کہاں اپنا
۹
ایک دم میں دیں گے ہم بس دھویں بکھیر اُس کے
ہو گیا تو ہونے دو دشمن آسماں اپنا
۱۰
بھول جائے سب سیماب، بے قراریاں اپنی
دیکھے خواب میں بھی گر یہ دلِ تپاں اپنا
۱۱
عیشؔ اُس جفا جو سے، کہیئے اے ستم پیشہ
تا کجا کوئی رکھے، دردِ دل نہاں اپنا
दुश्मन आस्मां अपना – आग़ा जान ऐश देहलवी
१
इश्क़ में हुआ अपने, दुश्मन एक जहां अपना
दर्द-ए दिल करें किस से जा कर अब बयां अपना
२
रखते हैं ज़बां लैकिन, बात कर नहीं सकते
हाल बज़्म में उस की, बस है शम’अ-सां अपना
३
हैफ़ तो ये आता है, चल दिये दम-ए बिस्मिल
ये भी तो न समझे वो, है ये नीम-जां अपना
४
देखें हम नहीं होता, किस तरह असर उन को
गोश-ज़द हो गर उन के, नाला ओ फ़ुग़ां अपना
५
थी यही ख़ुशी उन की, इस लिये सुना हम ने
जान ओ दिल किया उन के, वक़्फ़-ए इम्तेहां अपना
६
महवशौं के बिन देखे, दिल है अपना सद-पारा
चाक क्या दिखावेगा, आ के यां कतां अपना
७
काम क्या है नासेह को, क्यूं वो आया समझाने
दे दिया जिसे चाहा, दिल था हां जि हां अपना
८
रश्क-ए बाग़-ए जन्नत है, वो गली जहां के हम
यार, रहने वाले हैं, दिल लगे कहां अपना
९
एक दम में दे देंगे हम, बस धुएं बिखेर उस के
हो गया तो होने दो, दुश्मन आस्मां अपना
१०
भूल जाए सब सीमाब, बे-क़रारियां अपनी
देखे ख़्वाब में भी गर, ये दिल-ए तपां अपना
११
ऐश उस जफ़ा-जू से, कहिये अए सितम-पेशा
ता कुजा कोई रक्खे, दर्द-ए दिल नेहां अपना
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. hakim aGha jaan aish dehlavi (1779-1874). Famous for a qita he composed criticizing the difficult style of Ghalib – ‘aap samjhe ya Khuda samjhe’, Ghazal included on the site. But Ghalib had a sharp repartee and they remained very good friends. There are many Ghazal in the same zamin as Ghalib, probably composed in the same mushaa’era. He was a third-generation hakim by profession and was personal physician to one of bahadur shah zafar’s sons. He fled dehli in the aftermath of 1857 and years later crawled his way back a decent means of living based on his healing practice. This Ghazal is in the style of Ghalib’s ‘ban gaya raqiib aaKhir, tha jo raazdaaN apna’ and is linked to the poet, Ghalib peshrau-ham asr and Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
ishq meN hua apne, dushman ek jahaaN1 apna
dard2-e dil kareN kis se, jaa kar ab bayaaN3 apna 1.world 2.pain, sorrow 3.narrate, tell
The poet/lover has fallen in love and the whole world has become his enemy/rival (out of jealousy). Who can he go to now, to relate the pain/sorrow of his heart.
2
rakhte haiN zabaaN laikin, baat kar nahiN sakte
haal1 bazm2 meN us ki, bas hai sham’a-saaN3 apna 1.condition 2.gathering 3.like a candle
In poetic tradition the candle flame (perhaps because of its colour and shape) is portrayed as a tongue. A candle has a ‘tongue’ but it cannot talk. The poet/lover is just like that … he has a tongue, but he cannot talk. In the beloved’s gathering his condition is like that of a candle. Either he is tongue-tied because he is awed by her beauty or is forbidden to speak or even does not speak for fear of maligning her reputation.
3
haif1 to ye aata hai, chal diye dam2-e bismil3
ye bhi to na samjhe vo, hai ye niim-jaaN4 apna 1.shame, insult 2.time 3.slaughter 4.half alive
The poet/lover is about to be slaughtered and she completely ignores him and leaves. That is why he feels insulted. She did not even think that this half-alive lover is hers.
4
dekheN ham nahiN hota, kis tarah1 asar2 un ko
gosh-zad3 ho gar4 un ke, naala-o-fuGhaaN5 apna 1.method, way, how 2.effect 3.within ear-shot 4.if 5.wailing and crying
Let us see how it cannot have an effect on her, if my wailing and crying gets within her ear-shot.
5
thii yahi Khushi un ki, is liye suna ham ne
jaan-o-dil kiya un ke, vaqf1-e imtehaaN2 apna 1.reserved exclusively for 2.test, trial
It was her wish; therefore I listened to her and exclusively reserved my heart and soul for her to try me (by inflicting pain).
6
mahvashoN1 ke bin2 dekhe, dil hai apna sad-paara3
chaak4 kya dikhaavega, aa ke yaaN kataaN5 apna 1.moon-faced, beloved 2.without, deprived 3.hundred pieces 4.tears 5.fine linen that is so sensitive that it tears upon being exposed to moonlight
Even without seeing that moon-faced beloved my heart is torn into a hundred pieces. How can a delicate linen/kataaN come here and show off its tears in front of me. After all it needs moonlight to get torn. My heart gets torn even without seeing her – just by thinking about her.
7
kaam kya hai naaseh1 ko, kyuN vo aaya samjhaane
dil diya jise chaaha, dil tha haaN-ji-haaN2 apna 1.moralizer, pontification, preacher 2.yes-sir-yes … said for emphasis
What right does the preacher have, why has he come here to pontificate. It is my heart, yes sir, it is mine, I can give it to anyone I like.
8
rashk1-e baaGh-e jannat hai, vo gali jahaaN ke ham
yaar, rahne vaale haiN, dil lage kahaaN apna 1.envy
O friend, the street where I am going to be, is the envy of the gardens of heaven. Where else can I find peace of mind. Of course, the poet/lover is talking about the street of the beloved.
9
ek dam1 meN deNge hum, bas dhueN bikher2 us ke
ho gaya to hone do, dushman aasmaaN apna 1.breath, moment, life 2.dhuaaN bikher de na – is a phrase meaning – easily overcome, show them up
Normally the sky/fate inflicts misfortune on the poet/lover. But he is defiant and ready to face down any misfortune. If the sky becomes my enemy, let it be. I will show it up in one breath … it will not be able to cow me down.
10
bhool jaa’e sab seemaab1, be-qaraariyaaN2 apni
dekhe Khwaab meN bhi gar, ye dil-e tapaaN3 apna 1.mercury 2.restlessness 3.agitated, restless, burning
Mercury is often used as an example of restlessness. Here the poet/lover’s heart is even more agitated/restless than mercury. If mercury were to see is agitated heart even in its dreams, it would forget its own restlessness.
11
xxxxx aish1 us jafaa-juu2 se, kahiye aye sitam-pesha3
taa-kuja4 koii rakkhe, dard-e dil nehaaN5 apna
1.pen-name of the poet 2.naturally inclined towards cruelty 3.professional oppressor 4.for how long 5.hidden
The beloved, by nature, is inclined to be cruel to her lovers/admirers. She practices oppression so much that it can be considered her profession. The poet/lover is supposed to keep the pain of love hidden for fear of maligning the reputation of the beloved. But this itself is cruelty. O aish, someone better tell the beloved, how long can I keep this hidden, how long can I continue to suffer.
hakim aGha jaan aish dehlavi (1779-1874). Famous for a qita he composed criticizing the difficult style of Ghalib – ‘aap samjhe ya Khuda samjhe’, Ghazal included on the site. But Ghalib had a sharp repartee and they remained very good friends. There are many Ghazal in the same zamin as Ghalib, probably composed in the same mushaa’era. He was a third-generation hakim by profession and was personal physician to one of bahadur shah zafar’s sons. He fled dehli in the aftermath of 1857 and years later crawled his way back a decent means of living based on his healing practice. This Ghazal is in the style of Ghalib’s ‘ban gaya raqiib aaKhir, tha jo raazdaaN apna’ and is linked to the poet, Ghalib peshrau-ham asr and Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
ishq meN hua apne, dushman ek jahaaN1 apna
dard2-e dil kareN kis se, jaa kar ab bayaaN3 apna
1.world 2.pain, sorrow 3.narrate, tell
The poet/lover has fallen in love and the whole world has become his enemy/rival (out of jealousy). Who can he go to now, to relate the pain/sorrow of his heart.
2
rakhte haiN zabaaN laikin, baat kar nahiN sakte
haal1 bazm2 meN us ki, bas hai sham’a-saaN3 apna
1.condition 2.gathering 3.like a candle
In poetic tradition the candle flame (perhaps because of its colour and shape) is portrayed as a tongue. A candle has a ‘tongue’ but it cannot talk. The poet/lover is just like that … he has a tongue, but he cannot talk. In the beloved’s gathering his condition is like that of a candle. Either he is tongue-tied because he is awed by her beauty or is forbidden to speak or even does not speak for fear of maligning her reputation.
3
haif1 to ye aata hai, chal diye dam2-e bismil3
ye bhi to na samjhe vo, hai ye niim-jaaN4 apna
1.shame, insult 2.time 3.slaughter 4.half alive
The poet/lover is about to be slaughtered and she completely ignores him and leaves. That is why he feels insulted. She did not even think that this half-alive lover is hers.
4
dekheN ham nahiN hota, kis tarah1 asar2 un ko
gosh-zad3 ho gar4 un ke, naala-o-fuGhaaN5 apna
1.method, way, how 2.effect 3.within ear-shot 4.if 5.wailing and crying
Let us see how it cannot have an effect on her, if my wailing and crying gets within her ear-shot.
5
thii yahi Khushi un ki, is liye suna ham ne
jaan-o-dil kiya un ke, vaqf1-e imtehaaN2 apna
1.reserved exclusively for 2.test, trial
It was her wish; therefore I listened to her and exclusively reserved my heart and soul for her to try me (by inflicting pain).
6
mahvashoN1 ke bin2 dekhe, dil hai apna sad-paara3
chaak4 kya dikhaavega, aa ke yaaN kataaN5 apna
1.moon-faced, beloved 2.without, deprived 3.hundred pieces 4.tears 5.fine linen that is so sensitive that it tears upon being exposed to moonlight
Even without seeing that moon-faced beloved my heart is torn into a hundred pieces. How can a delicate linen/kataaN come here and show off its tears in front of me. After all it needs moonlight to get torn. My heart gets torn even without seeing her – just by thinking about her.
7
kaam kya hai naaseh1 ko, kyuN vo aaya samjhaane
dil diya jise chaaha, dil tha haaN-ji-haaN2 apna
1.moralizer, pontification, preacher 2.yes-sir-yes … said for emphasis
What right does the preacher have, why has he come here to pontificate. It is my heart, yes sir, it is mine, I can give it to anyone I like.
8
rashk1-e baaGh-e jannat hai, vo gali jahaaN ke ham
yaar, rahne vaale haiN, dil lage kahaaN apna
1.envy
O friend, the street where I am going to be, is the envy of the gardens of heaven. Where else can I find peace of mind. Of course, the poet/lover is talking about the street of the beloved.
9
ek dam1 meN deNge hum, bas dhueN bikher2 us ke
ho gaya to hone do, dushman aasmaaN apna
1.breath, moment, life 2.dhuaaN bikher de na – is a phrase meaning – easily overcome, show them up
Normally the sky/fate inflicts misfortune on the poet/lover. But he is defiant and ready to face down any misfortune. If the sky becomes my enemy, let it be. I will show it up in one breath … it will not be able to cow me down.
10
bhool jaa’e sab seemaab1, be-qaraariyaaN2 apni
dekhe Khwaab meN bhi gar, ye dil-e tapaaN3 apna
1.mercury 2.restlessness 3.agitated, restless, burning
Mercury is often used as an example of restlessness. Here the poet/lover’s heart is even more agitated/restless than mercury. If mercury were to see is agitated heart even in its dreams, it would forget its own restlessness.
11
aish1 us jafaa-juu2 se, kahiye aye sitam-pesha3
taa-kuja4 koii rakkhe, dard-e dil nehaaN5 apna
1.pen-name of the poet 2.naturally inclined towards cruelty 3.professional oppressor 4.for how long 5.hidden
The beloved, by nature, is inclined to be cruel to her lovers/admirers. She practices oppression so much that it can be considered her profession. The poet/lover is supposed to keep the pain of love hidden for fear of maligning the reputation of the beloved. But this itself is cruelty. O aish, someone better tell the beloved, how long can I keep this hidden, how long can I continue to suffer.
