For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
غالب ۔ علی سردار جعفری
آسمانوں کی بلندی کو بلا کا ناز تھا
پست ہمّت جس سے ذوقِ رفعتِ پرواز تھا
رہگزارِ ماہ و انجم تک کوئی جاتا نہ تھا
کوئی شاخِ کہکشاں پر بیٹھ کر گاتا نہ تھا
عرش پر جبریل کا دمساز ہو سکتا تھا کون
طائرِ سدرہ کا ہم آواز ہو سکتا تھا کون
جو لگا دے آگ کوئی نغمہ زن ایسا نہ تھا
تجھ سے پہلے کوئی داؤدِ سخن ایسا نہ تھا
تو نے چھیڑے ہیں وہ نغمے شاعری کے ساز پر
لحنِ داؤدی کو رشک آئے تری آواز پر
تیرا بربط کہکشاں، ناہید ہے تیرا رباب
آسماں کیا ہے، تیرے بہرِ تخّیل کا حباب
تیرا نغمہ ساحری، تیرا بیاں پیغمبری
تیرے قبضہ میں ہے اِقلیمِ سخن کی داوری
تیری فکرِ نکتہ رس حسنِ تخیل کا شباب
شعر تیرا معجزہ تیری کتاب اُ٘مّ الکتاب
وہ صداقت، وہ حقیقت، وہ جمالِ برق پاش
زندگی جس کے لئے قرنوں سے سرگرمِ تلاش
وہ صداقت عکس افگن ہے تیری تقریر میں
وہ حقیقت جلوہ فرما ہے تیری تحریر میں
حسن کے جلوؤن سے جب محروم ہو جاتے ہیں ہم
کذب کے ظلمت کدے میں جا کے سو جاتے ہیں ہم
جب کے ہوتا ہے شبِ غم میں بلاؤں کا ہجوم
جب نگاہیں پھیر لیتے ہیں مہ و مہر و نجوم
شعر تیرے جگمگا اُٹھتے ہیں اس ظلمات میں
جس طرح جگنو چمکتے ہیں بھری برسات میں
تو نے دِل کو گرم، سینوں کو فروزاں کر دیا
روح کو روشن، دِماغوں کو چِراغاں کر دیا
تو مثالِ شمع ماضی کے سیہ خانے میں ہے
نور تیرا حال و مستقبل کے کاشانے میں ہے
تیرے گلشن کی بدولت گُل بداماں ہم بھی ہیں
تیرے نغموں کے اثر سے نغمہ ساماں ہم بھی ہیں
ग़ालिब – अली सरदार जाफ़री
आस्मानों की बलन्दी को बाला का नाज़ था
पस्त हिम्मत जिस से ज़ौक़-ए रफ़’अत-ए परवाज़ था
रहगुज़ार-ए माह ओ अन्जुम तक कोई जाता न था
कोई शाख़-ए कहकशां पर बैठ कर गाता न था
अर्श पर जिब्रील का दमसाज़ हो सकता था कौन
ता’एर-ए सिद्रा का हम-आवाज़ हो सकता था कौन
जो लगा दे आग कोई नग़्मा-ज़न ऐसा न था
तुझ से पहले कोई दाऊद-ए सुख़न ऐसा न था
तू ने छेड़े हैं वो नग़्मे शा’एरी के साज़ पर
लहन-ए दाऊदी को रश्क आये तेरी आवाज़ पर
तेरा बरबत कहकशां, नाहीद है तेरा रबाब
आस्मां क्या है, तेरे बहर-ए तख़य्युल का हुबाब
तेरा नग़्मा साहिरी, तेरा बयां पैग़म्बरी
तेरे क़ब्ज़े में है इक़लीम-ए सुख़न की दावरी
तेरी फ़िक्र-ए नुक्ता-रस हुस्न-ए तख़य्युल का शबाब
शेर तेरा मोजिज़ा, तेरी किताब उम्म-उल-किताब
वो सदाक़त, वो हक़ीक़त, वो जमाल-ए बर्क़-पाश
ज़िंदगी जिस के लिए क़रनौं से सरगरम-ए तलाश
वो सदाक़त अक्स-अफ़्गन है तेरी तक़्रीर में
वो हक़ीक़त जल्वा फ़रमा है तेरी तहरीर में
हुस्न के जल्वों से जब महरूम हो जाते हैं हम
कज़्ब के ज़ुल्मत-कदे में जा के सो जाते हैं हम
जब के हॉट है शब-ए ग़म में बालाओं का हुजूम
जब निगाहें फेर लेते हैं मह-ओ-महर-ओ-नुजूम
शेर तेर जगमगा उठते हैं इस ज़ुल्मात में
जिस तरह जुग्नू चमकते हैं भरी बरसात में
तय ने दिल को गर्म, सीनों को फ़रोज़ान कर दिया
रूह को रौशन, दिमाग़ों को चिराग़ां कर दिया
तू मिसाल-ए शमा माज़ी के सियह-ख़ाने में है
नूर तेरा हाल ओ मुस्तक़्बिल के काशाने में है
तेरे गुलशन की बदौलत गुल-बदामां हम भी हैं
तेरे नग़्मों के असर से नग़्मा सामां हम भी हैं
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. ali sardar jafri (1913-2000). Progressive Writers’ Association. Communist Party of India. Freedom fighter. Poet, literary critic, movie/video producer, political activist. This tribute to Ghalib was probably written in 1969.
aasmanauN ki balandi1 ko balaa ka naaz tha
past-himmat2 jis se zauq3-e raf’at4-e parvaaz5 tha
rahguzaar6-e maah7 o anjum8 tak koii jaata na tha
koi shaaKh-e kahkashaaN9 par baiTh kar gaata na tha1.heights 2.low courage 3.taste of 4.height of 5.flight 6.pathway 7.moon 8.stars 9.constellation
The high sky was disdainful with the certainty that no human could reach it and there was no courage (on earth) or desire to fly high. No one reached for the stars. No one had the courage to sit on a branch of a constellation and sing.
arsh1 par jibreel2 ka damsaaz3 ho sakta tha kaun
taa’er-e sidra4 ka ham-aavaz ho sakta tha kaun
jo laga de aag koii naGhma-zan5 aisa na tha
tujh se pahle koii daood6-e suKhan7 aisa na tha1.heaven 2.Gabriel 3.confidant, friend 4.legendary bird of legendary tree in heaven 5.song creator 6.David – legend has it that he was a great musician and patron of music 7.speech, poetry
Who could have been an equal of Gabriel i.e. who could have spoken Truth (the word of god) with authority. Who could match the song of the bird of heaven. Who could have written a song that would set fire (create passion). Before you there was none that could be called “daood-e suKhan”.
tu ne chheRe haiN vo naGhme shaa’eri ke saaz1 par
lahn2-e daoodi ko rashk3 aaye teri aavaz par1.lute 2.melody 3.envy
You have created such music on the lute of verse that the melodies of David would be envious of your sound.
tera barbat1 kahkashaaN2, naheed3 hai tera rabaab4
aasmaaN kya hai, tere bahr5-e taKhayyul6 ka hubaab7
tera naGhma sahiri8, tera bayaaN9 paiGhambari10
tere qabze11 meN hai iqleem12-e suKhan13 ki daavari14 1.harp 2.constellations 3.venus 4.violin 5.ocean 6.imagination 7.bubble 8.magic, enchantment 9.speech, poetry 10.messenger (of god) 11.control 12.domain 13.speech, verse 14.sovereignty
The stars and planets are your musical instruments and the sky merely a bubble in the ocean of your imagination. Your song enchanting, your verse, the word of god. You are the king of the domain of verse.
teri fikr1-e nukta-ras2 husn3-e taKhayyul4 ka shabaab5
she’r tera mojiza6, teri kitaab umm7-ul-kitaab
vo sadaaqat8, vo haqiqat9, vo jamaal10-e barq-paash11
zindagi jis ke liye qarnauN12 se sargarm13-e talaash1.thought 2.able to reach fine points 3.beauty of 4.imagination 5.youth 6.miracle 7.mother of 8.credibility 9.truth 10.grandeur 11.lightning smashing 12.millenia 13.actively searching
Your delicate/subtle thought is the youth/vigour of the beauty of imagination. Your verse is a miracle, your book the mother of all books. (In your writing there is great) credibility, truth and its brilliance can put lightning to shame. Life has been looking for you for millenia.
vo sadaaqat1 aks-afgan2 hai teri taqrir3 meN
vo haqiqat4 jalwa-farma5 hai teri tahrir6 meN1.credibility 2.reflection 3.speech, words 4.truth, reality 5.showing face, manifest 6.writing
Because that kind of credibility is reflected in your words and that kind of reality is manifest in your writing.
husn1 ke jalvauN2 se jab mahroom3 ho jaate haiN hum
kazb4 ke zulmat-kaday5 meN jaa ke so jaate haiN hum
jab ke hota hai shab6-e Gham meN balaaoN7 ka hujoom8
jab nigaaheN9 pher lete haiN mah10 o mahr11 o nujoom12 1.beauty 2.face 3.deprived 4.falsehood 5.chamber of darkness 6.evening of 7.calamities 8.crowd 9.eyes 10.moon 11.sun 12.stars
When we lose/are deprived of the ability to see beauty, when we are confined to the dark chamber of falsehood, when droves of calamities descend on us, when the sun, moon and stars (fortune) turn their eyes away from us …
she’r tere jagmaga uThte haiN is zulmaat1 meN
jis tarah jugnu chamakte haiN bhari barsaat meN1.darkness
… then your verses shine/dazzle in this darkness like fire-flies after heavy rain.
tu ne dil ko garm, seenauN ko farozaaN1 kar diya
rooh ko raushan, dimaaGhauN ko charaaGhaaN kar diya
tu misaal2-e shama’ maazi3 ke siyah-Khaane4 meN hai
noor tera haal5 o mustaqbil6 ke kashaane7 meN hai1.brilliant 2.example of 3.past 4.dark chamber 5.present 6.future 7.house
You warm up hearts, make bosoms shine bright. You light up the soul, you open minds. Like a lamp you light up dark chambers of the past and yet your light shines in the present and the future too.
tere gulshan ki badaulat1 gul-badaamaN2 hum bhi haiN
tere naGhmauN ke asar3 se naGhma-saamaaN4 hum bhi haiN1.because of 2.apron/sack full of flowers 3.effect 4.possessing song
Because of your garden we too carry away sacks full of flowers. Because of your music we too possess song.
ali sardar jafri (1913-2000). Progressive Writers’ Association. Communist Party of India. Freedom fighter. Poet, literary critic, movie/video producer, political activist. This tribute to Ghalib was probably written in 1969.
aasmanauN ki balandi1 ko balaa ka naaz tha
past-himmat2 jis se zauq3-e raf’at4-e parvaaz5 tha
rahguzaar6-e maah7 o anjum8 tak koii jaata na tha
koi shaaKh-e kahkashaaN9 par baiTh kar gaata na tha
1.heights 2.low courage 3.taste of 4.height of 5.flight 6.pathway 7.moon 8.stars 9.constellation
The high sky was disdainful with the certainty that no human could reach it and there was no courage (on earth) or desire to fly high. No one reached for the stars. No one had the courage to sit on a branch of a constellation and sing.
arsh1 par jibreel2 ka damsaaz3 ho sakta tha kaun
taa’er-e sidra4 ka ham-aavaz ho sakta tha kaun
jo laga de aag koii naGhma-zan5 aisa na tha
tujh se pahle koii daood6-e suKhan7 aisa na tha
1.heaven 2.Gabriel 3.confidant, friend 4.legendary bird of legendary tree in heaven 5.song creator 6.David – legend has it that he was a great musician and patron of music 7.speech, poetry
Who could have been an equal of Gabriel i.e. who could have spoken Truth (the word of god) with authority. Who could match the song of the bird of heaven. Who could have written a song that would set fire (create passion). Before you there was none that could be called “daood-e suKhan”.
tu ne chheRe haiN vo naGhme shaa’eri ke saaz1 par
lahn2-e daoodi ko rashk3 aaye teri aavaz par
1.lute 2.melody 3.envy
You have created such music on the lute of verse that the melodies of David would be envious of your sound.
tera barbat1 kahkashaaN2, naheed3 hai tera rabaab4
aasmaaN kya hai, tere bahr5-e taKhayyul6 ka hubaab7
tera naGhma sahiri8, tera bayaaN9 paiGhambari10
tere qabze11 meN hai iqleem12-e suKhan13 ki daavari14
1.harp 2.constellations 3.venus 4.violin 5.ocean 6.imagination 7.bubble 8.magic, enchantment 9.speech, poetry 10.messenger (of god) 11.control 12.domain 13.speech, verse 14.sovereignty
The stars and planets are your musical instruments and the sky merely a bubble in the ocean of your imagination. Your song enchanting, your verse, the word of god. You are the king of the domain of verse.
teri fikr1-e nukta-ras2 husn3-e taKhayyul4 ka shabaab5
she’r tera mojiza6, teri kitaab umm7-ul-kitaab
vo sadaaqat8, vo haqiqat9, vo jamaal10-e barq-paash11
zindagi jis ke liye qarnauN12 se sargarm13-e talaash
1.thought 2.able to reach fine points 3.beauty of 4.imagination 5.youth 6.miracle 7.mother of 8.credibility 9.truth 10.grandeur 11.lightning smashing 12.millenia 13.actively searching
Your delicate/subtle thought is the youth/vigour of the beauty of imagination. Your verse is a miracle, your book the mother of all books. (In your writing there is great) credibility, truth and its brilliance can put lightning to shame. Life has been looking for you for millenia.
vo sadaaqat1 aks-afgan2 hai teri taqrir3 meN
vo haqiqat4 jalwa-farma5 hai teri tahrir6 meN
1.credibility 2.reflection 3.speech, words 4.truth, reality 5.showing face, manifest 6.writing
Because that kind of credibility is reflected in your words and that kind of reality is manifest in your writing.
husn1 ke jalvauN2 se jab mahroom3 ho jaate haiN hum
kazb4 ke zulmat-kaday5 meN jaa ke so jaate haiN hum
jab ke hota hai shab6-e Gham meN balaaoN7 ka hujoom8
jab nigaaheN9 pher lete haiN mah10 o mahr11 o nujoom12
1.beauty 2.face 3.deprived 4.falsehood 5.chamber of darkness 6.evening of 7.calamities 8.crowd 9.eyes 10.moon 11.sun 12.stars
When we lose/are deprived of the ability to see beauty, when we are confined to the dark chamber of falsehood, when droves of calamities descend on us, when the sun, moon and stars (fortune) turn their eyes away from us …
she’r tere jagmaga uThte haiN is zulmaat1 meN
jis tarah jugnu chamakte haiN bhari barsaat meN
1.darkness
… then your verses shine/dazzle in this darkness like fire-flies after heavy rain.
tu ne dil ko garm, seenauN ko farozaaN1 kar diya
rooh ko raushan, dimaaGhauN ko charaaGhaaN kar diya
tu misaal2-e shama’ maazi3 ke siyah-Khaane4 meN hai
noor tera haal5 o mustaqbil6 ke kashaane7 meN hai
1.brilliant 2.example of 3.past 4.dark chamber 5.present 6.future 7.house
You warm up hearts, make bosoms shine bright. You light up the soul, you open minds. Like a lamp you light up dark chambers of the past and yet your light shines in the present and the future too.
tere gulshan ki badaulat1 gul-badaamaN2 hum bhi haiN
tere naGhmauN ke asar3 se naGhma-saamaaN4 hum bhi haiN
1.because of 2.apron/sack full of flowers 3.effect 4.possessing song
Because of your garden we too carry away sacks full of flowers. Because of your music we too possess song.
