For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
غم ہو تو غزل ہوتی ہے ۔ اوم پرکاش بھنڈاری قمرؔ جلالآبادی
۱
آنکھ جب پیار میں نم ہو تو غزل ہوتی ہے
دل میں جب یادوں کا غم ہو تو غزل ہوتی ہے
۲
یا خزاں میں بھی خوشی ہو تو مچلتے ہیں شعر
یا بہاروں میں بھی غم ہو تو غزل ہوتی ہے
۳
مئے سے پیمانہ جو چھلکے تو غزل کیوںکر ہو
مئے اگر پیاس سے کم ہو تو غزل ہوتی ہے
۴
کون کہتا ہے کہ رہتا ہے زمیں پر شاعر
چاند تاروں پہ قدم ہو تو غزل ہوتی ہے
۵
سامنے ہو جو صنم بات نہیں ہو سکتی
جب خیالوں میں صنم ہو تو غزل ہوتی ہے
۶
کل ضروری تھا غمِ درد تغزّل کے لئے
آج کل جاہ و حشم ہو تو غزل ہوتی ہے
۷
زلف سادہ سی بکھر جائے تو ہو جاتا ہے عشق
اور اگر زلف میں خم ہو تو غزل ہوتی ہے
۸
ذہن سے کہتا ہے شاعر تو بناوٹ ہے وہ
جب غزل دل سے رقم ہو تو غزل ہوتی ہے
۹
رات بھر سوز جدائی کا سنائے لوری
دردِ دل پھر بھی نہ کم ہو تو غزل ہوتی ہے
ग़म हो तो ग़ज़ल होती है – ओम प्रकाश भंडारी क़मर जलालाबादी
१
आंख जब प्यार में नम हो तो ग़ज़ल होती है
दिल में जब यादौं का ग़म हो तो ग़ज़ल होती है
२
या ख़िज़ां में भी ख़ुशी हो तो मचलते हैं शे’र
या बहारौं में भि ग़म हो तो ग़ज़ल होती है
३
मय से पैमाना जो छलके तो ग़ज़ल क्यूंकर हो
मय अगर प्यास से कम हो तो ग़ज़ल होती है
४
कौन कहता है के रहता है ज़मीं पर शा’एर
चांद तारौं पे क़दम हो तो ग़ज़ल होती है
५
सामने हो जो सनम बात नहीं हो सकती
जब ख़यालौं में सनम हो तो ग़ज़ल होती है
६
कल ज़रूरी था ग़म-ए दर्द तग़ज़्ज़ुल के लिये
आज कल जाह ओ हशम हो तो ग़ज़ल होती है
७
ज़ुल्फ़ सादा सि बिखर जाए तो हो जाता है इश्क़
और अगर ज़ुल्फ़ में ख़म हो तो ग़ज़ल होती है
८
ज़हन से कहता है शा’एर तो बनावट है वो
जब ग़ज़ल दिल से रक़म हो तो ग़ज़ल होती है
९
रात भर सोज़ जुदाई का सुनाए लोरी
दर्द-ए दिल फिर भी न कम हो तो ग़ज़ल होती है
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. om prakash bhanDaari qamar jalalabadi (1916-2003) with a family background of retail grain trade and farming and no tradition in music or poetry, he acquired a taste for urdu shaa’eri and started working for magazines after completing high school. sahir ludhianavi invited him to a mushaa’era in lahore where he was hired by a film company. Worked for the lahore film industry before moving to pune and later mumbaii with much success as script, dialogue and songwriter. This Ghazal is linked to ‘to Ghazal hoti hai’ on the Refrain page.
1
aaNkh jab pyaar meN nam1 ho to Ghazal hoti hai
dil meN jab yaadoN ka Gham2 ho to Ghazal hoti hai 1.moist, tearful 2.sorrow
The poet means to suggest that sorrow is an essential requirement in creating Ghazal, not just joy. Thus, when love causes eyes to be tearful and when memories cause sorrow, only then is it possible to compose a Ghazal.
2
ya KhizaaN1 meN bhi Khushi ho to machalte2 haiN she’r3
ya bahaaroN4 meN bhi Gham5 ho to Ghazal hoti hai 1.dry season, fall 2.insist, be obstinate, restless 3.couplets 4.spring 5.sorrow
The theme of combination of joy and sorrow is repeated. ‘KhizaaN’-the dry season is normally associated with sadness, but if there is some joy even during this time, then couplets are restless for expression into a Ghazal. Spring is normally a time of joy and celebration. But if it is mixed with some sadness then a Ghazal is composed.
3
mai1 se paimaana2 jo chhalke3 to Ghazal kyuNkar4 ho
mai1 agar5 pyaas se kam ho to Ghazal hoti hai 1.wine 2.cup 3.brimming, overflowing 4.how 5.if
How can there be a Ghazal if the cup is overflowing with wine. If the wine in the cup is not enough to quench your thirst, then a Ghazal is composed.
4
kaun kahta hai keh rahta hai zamiiN par shaa’er
chaand taaroN pe qadam1 ho to Ghazal hoti hai 1.steps, feet
Who says that the poet lives on earth. If he steps over the moon and stars, then a Ghazal is born.
5
saamne ho jo sanam1 baat nahiN ho sakti
jab KhayaaloN2 meN sanam ho to Ghazal hoti hai 1.beloved 2.thoughts, imagination
When the beloved is sitting in front of you, then you are dumbstruck and cannot talk. When the beloved is in your thoughts/imagination, then a Ghazal is composed.
6
kal1 zaruuri2 tha Gham-e-dard3 taGhazzul4 ke liye
aaj-kal5 jaah6 o hasham7 ho to Ghazal hoti hai 1.yesterday, past 2.necessary 3.sorrow of the pain (of love) 4.singing Ghazal 5.these days 6.gradneur 7.retinue of servants, royalty
In the past it was necessary that the heart be sorrowful in the pain of love to recite/sing a Ghazal. These days it takes grandeur and wealth to compose a Ghazal. I am not sure if there is any other meaning hidden behind this literal translation.
7
zulf1 saada2 si bikhar3 jaa’e to ho ho jaata hai ishq
aur agar zulf meN Kham4 ho to Ghazal hoti hai 1.hair 2.plain, straight 3.spread 4.curve, curls
If straight hair are spread out, you can fall in love. But if the hair is curly, then a Ghazal is born. Beyond saying that curls are more exciting, I don’t know what the poet can mean.
8
zahn1 se kahta hai shaa’er to banaavaT2 hai vo
jab Ghazal dil se raqam3 ho to Ghazal hoti hai 1.brain, knowledge 2.artificial, not genuine 3.writing, written
If the poet composes his Ghazal using knowledge/logic, then it sounds made up. If the Ghazal is written from the heart, then a genuine Ghazal is born.
9
raat bhar soz1 judaaii2 ka sunaa’e lori3
dard-e dil phir bhi na kam ho to Ghazal hoti hai 1.fire, pain 2.separation 3.lullaby
All night long, if the pain of separation tries to lull you to sleep and even then, if the pain in the heart is not abated, then a Ghazal is born.
om prakash bhanDaari qamar jalalabadi (1916-2003) with a family background of retail grain trade and farming and no tradition in music or poetry, he acquired a taste for urdu shaa’eri and started working for magazines after completing high school. sahir ludhianavi invited him to a mushaa’era in lahore where he was hired by a film company. Worked for the lahore film industry before moving to pune and later mumbaii with much success as script, dialogue and songwriter. This Ghazal is linked to ‘to Ghazal hoti hai’ on the Refrain page.
1
aaNkh jab pyaar meN nam1 ho to Ghazal hoti hai
dil meN jab yaadoN ka Gham2 ho to Ghazal hoti hai
1.moist, tearful 2.sorrow
The poet means to suggest that sorrow is an essential requirement in creating Ghazal, not just joy. Thus, when love causes eyes to be tearful and when memories cause sorrow, only then is it possible to compose a Ghazal.
2
ya KhizaaN1 meN bhi Khushi ho to machalte2 haiN she’r3
ya bahaaroN4 meN bhi Gham5 ho to Ghazal hoti hai
1.dry season, fall 2.insist, be obstinate, restless 3.couplets 4.spring 5.sorrow
The theme of combination of joy and sorrow is repeated. ‘KhizaaN’-the dry season is normally associated with sadness, but if there is some joy even during this time, then couplets are restless for expression into a Ghazal. Spring is normally a time of joy and celebration. But if it is mixed with some sadness then a Ghazal is composed.
3
mai1 se paimaana2 jo chhalke3 to Ghazal kyuNkar4 ho
mai1 agar5 pyaas se kam ho to Ghazal hoti hai
1.wine 2.cup 3.brimming, overflowing 4.how 5.if
How can there be a Ghazal if the cup is overflowing with wine. If the wine in the cup is not enough to quench your thirst, then a Ghazal is composed.
4
kaun kahta hai keh rahta hai zamiiN par shaa’er
chaand taaroN pe qadam1 ho to Ghazal hoti hai
1.steps, feet
Who says that the poet lives on earth. If he steps over the moon and stars, then a Ghazal is born.
5
saamne ho jo sanam1 baat nahiN ho sakti
jab KhayaaloN2 meN sanam ho to Ghazal hoti hai
1.beloved 2.thoughts, imagination
When the beloved is sitting in front of you, then you are dumbstruck and cannot talk. When the beloved is in your thoughts/imagination, then a Ghazal is composed.
6
kal1 zaruuri2 tha Gham-e-dard3 taGhazzul4 ke liye
aaj-kal5 jaah6 o hasham7 ho to Ghazal hoti hai
1.yesterday, past 2.necessary 3.sorrow of the pain (of love) 4.singing Ghazal 5.these days 6.gradneur 7.retinue of servants, royalty
In the past it was necessary that the heart be sorrowful in the pain of love to recite/sing a Ghazal. These days it takes grandeur and wealth to compose a Ghazal. I am not sure if there is any other meaning hidden behind this literal translation.
7
zulf1 saada2 si bikhar3 jaa’e to ho ho jaata hai ishq
aur agar zulf meN Kham4 ho to Ghazal hoti hai
1.hair 2.plain, straight 3.spread 4.curve, curls
If straight hair are spread out, you can fall in love. But if the hair is curly, then a Ghazal is born. Beyond saying that curls are more exciting, I don’t know what the poet can mean.
8
zahn1 se kahta hai shaa’er to banaavaT2 hai vo
jab Ghazal dil se raqam3 ho to Ghazal hoti hai
1.brain, knowledge 2.artificial, not genuine 3.writing, written
If the poet composes his Ghazal using knowledge/logic, then it sounds made up. If the Ghazal is written from the heart, then a genuine Ghazal is born.
9
raat bhar soz1 judaaii2 ka sunaa’e lori3
dard-e dil phir bhi na kam ho to Ghazal hoti hai
1.fire, pain 2.separation 3.lullaby
All night long, if the pain of separation tries to lull you to sleep and even then, if the pain in the heart is not abated, then a Ghazal is born.
