For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
غزل خواں ہوئے تو ہیں ۔ بیگم ممتاز میرزا ممتازؔ
۱
پلکوں پہ کچھ چراغ فروزاں ہوئے تو ہیں
اس زندگی کے مرحلے آساں ہوئے تو ہیں
۲
میری جبیں نے جن کو نوازا تھا کل تلک
وہ ذرّے آج مہرِ درخشاں ہوئے تو ہیں
۳
نادم بھی ہوں گے اپنی جفاؤں پہ ایک دن
وہ کم نگاہیوں پہ پشیماں ہوئے تو ہیں
۴
شمع وفا جلاتے ہیں ظلمت کدوں میں جو
وہ لوگ اِس جہاں میں پریشاں ہوئے تو ہیں
۵
کس موج خوں سے گزرے ہیں ممتازؔ کیا کہیں
کہنے کو آج ہم بھی غزل خواں ہوئے تو ہیں
ग़ज़ल-ख़्वाँ हुए तो हैं – बेगम मुम्ताज़ मीर्ज़ा मुम्ताज़
१
पल्कौं पे कुछ चराग़ फ़रोज़ाँ हुए तो हैं
इस ज़िंदगी के मरहले आसाँ हुए तो हैं
२
मेरी जबीं ने जिन को नवाज़ा था कल तलक
वो ज़र्रे आज महर-ए दरख़्शाँ हुए तो हैं
३
नादिम भी होंगे अपनी जफ़ाओं पे एक दिन
वो कम-निगाहियों पे पशेमाँ हुए तो हैं
४
शम’-ए वफ़ा जलाते हैं ज़ुल्मत-कदौं में जो
वो लोग इस जहाँ में परेशाँ हुए तो हैं
५
किस मौज-ए ख़ूँ से गुज़रे हैं मुम्ताज़ क्या कहें
कहने को आज हम भी ग़ज़ल-ख़्वाँ हुए तो हैं
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. begum mumtaaz miirza mumtaaz (1929-1997) dehli. There is precious little information about her beyond her poetry. She apparently was born and lived in dehli all her life. She was very popular in the mushaa’era circuit because of her musical compositions and lyrical tarannum. I could find only one collection of Ghazal. This Ghazal is linked to other ham-radeef Ghazal on the Refrain Index page.
1
palkoN1 pe kuchh charaaGh2 farozaaN3 hu’e to haiN
iss zindagi ke marhale4 aasaaN5 hu’e to haiN 1.eyelashes 2.lamps 3.brightened, lit 4.obstacles, difficulties 5.easier, less burdensome
Something has changed. It is not clear what. A new awareness/knowledge or a new relationship has opened up. Because of this, there is a ‘light lit up on the eyelashes’ meaning the poet/seeker can see the path forward. Therefore, at least some obstacles in life have become a little easier to overcome or bear.
2
meri jabiiN1 ne jin ko navaazaa2 thaa kal talak
voh zarre3 aaj mahr4-e daraKhshaaN5 hu’e to haiN 1.forehead 2.bestow, bless, cherish 3.grains of dust 4.sun 5.shining, brilliant
By ‘zarre-grains of dust’, the poet means something that is ordinary, lowly, trampled upon, ignored. What that something is, is not clear. It could be people, things or ideas. Let me stick with ideas for now. ‘navaaznaa-is to bless, cherish, nurture’. The poet has nurtured ideas that were ignored/neglected or considered ordinary. Today, they have become brilliant like the sun – respected and liked, source of knowledge and hope. Could the poet be talking about ordinary ideas that she has cast into ash’aar and made them respectable. That is only one possibility and probably the best possibility among people, things and ideas.
3
naadim1 bhi hoNge apni jafaaoN2 pe ek din
voh kam-nigaahiyoN3 pe pashemaaN4 hu’e to haiN 1.ashamed, sorry 2.cruelty 3.short-sightedness 4.regret, repent
This is a conventional male-themed she’r, a little awkward to interpret because the poet is female. But concentrating more on the ‘conventional’ aspect … the beloved is going to sorry one day at the cruelties that she has inflicted on the lover. She will regret her short-sightedness i.e., her inability to recognize that this was the ‘true’ lover and all other rivals were lecherous.
4
sham’a1-e vafaa2 jalaate haiN zulmat-kadoN3 meN jo
voh log iss jahaaN4 meN pareshaaN5 hu’e to haiN 1.lamp, light 2.faith, love 3.realm of darkness/ignorance/hate 4.world 5.harassed, worried
The world is a realm of darkness – symbolizing ignorance, bigotry. Poets light a lamp of knowledge or love in this realm of darkness. These people (poets) are harassed in this world.
5
kis mauj1-e KhooN se guzre2 haiN mumtaaz3 kyaa kaheN
kahne4 ko aaj ham bhi Ghazal-KhwaaN5 hu’e to haiN 1.wave, tide 2.passed through 3.pen-name of the poet 4.in a manner of speaking 5.Ghazal-writer/singer
Many poets have described the process of composing ash’aar as a painful, emotionally charged process because words can never do justice to their true feelings/concepts. O mumtaaz, how can I describe the tides of blood that I have passed through to get here. But for all appearances (in a manner of speaking), I too have become a Ghazal-singer.
begum mumtaaz miirza mumtaaz (1929-1997) dehli. There is precious little information about her beyond her poetry. She apparently was born and lived in dehli all her life. She was very popular in the mushaa’era circuit because of her musical compositions and lyrical tarannum. I could find only one collection of Ghazal. This Ghazal is linked to other ham-radeef Ghazal on the Refrain Index page.
1
palkoN1 pe kuchh charaaGh2 farozaaN3 hu’e to haiN
iss zindagi ke marhale4 aasaaN5 hu’e to haiN
1.eyelashes 2.lamps 3.brightened, lit 4.obstacles, difficulties 5.easier, less burdensome
Something has changed. It is not clear what. A new awareness/knowledge or a new relationship has opened up. Because of this, there is a ‘light lit up on the eyelashes’ meaning the poet/seeker can see the path forward. Therefore, at least some obstacles in life have become a little easier to overcome or bear.
2
meri jabiiN1 ne jin ko navaazaa2 thaa kal talak
voh zarre3 aaj mahr4-e daraKhshaaN5 hu’e to haiN
1.forehead 2.bestow, bless, cherish 3.grains of dust 4.sun 5.shining, brilliant
By ‘zarre-grains of dust’, the poet means something that is ordinary, lowly, trampled upon, ignored. What that something is, is not clear. It could be people, things or ideas. Let me stick with ideas for now. ‘navaaznaa-is to bless, cherish, nurture’. The poet has nurtured ideas that were ignored/neglected or considered ordinary. Today, they have become brilliant like the sun – respected and liked, source of knowledge and hope. Could the poet be talking about ordinary ideas that she has cast into ash’aar and made them respectable. That is only one possibility and probably the best possibility among people, things and ideas.
3
naadim1 bhi hoNge apni jafaaoN2 pe ek din
voh kam-nigaahiyoN3 pe pashemaaN4 hu’e to haiN
1.ashamed, sorry 2.cruelty 3.short-sightedness 4.regret, repent
This is a conventional male-themed she’r, a little awkward to interpret because the poet is female. But concentrating more on the ‘conventional’ aspect … the beloved is going to sorry one day at the cruelties that she has inflicted on the lover. She will regret her short-sightedness i.e., her inability to recognize that this was the ‘true’ lover and all other rivals were lecherous.
4
sham’a1-e vafaa2 jalaate haiN zulmat-kadoN3 meN jo
voh log iss jahaaN4 meN pareshaaN5 hu’e to haiN
1.lamp, light 2.faith, love 3.realm of darkness/ignorance/hate 4.world 5.harassed, worried
The world is a realm of darkness – symbolizing ignorance, bigotry. Poets light a lamp of knowledge or love in this realm of darkness. These people (poets) are harassed in this world.
5
kis mauj1-e KhooN se guzre2 haiN mumtaaz3 kyaa kaheN
kahne4 ko aaj ham bhi Ghazal-KhwaaN5 hu’e to haiN
1.wave, tide 2.passed through 3.pen-name of the poet 4.in a manner of speaking 5.Ghazal-writer/singer
Many poets have described the process of composing ash’aar as a painful, emotionally charged process because words can never do justice to their true feelings/concepts. O mumtaaz, how can I describe the tides of blood that I have passed through to get here. But for all appearances (in a manner of speaking), I too have become a Ghazal-singer.
