Ghazal kis tarah kahuN-maaya khanna raaje barelavi

For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.

غزل  کس  طرح  کہوں  ۔  مایا  کھنّا  راجےؔ  بریلوی

۱

ہے  غم  سے  دل  فگار  غزل  کس  طرح  کہوں

آنکھیں  ہیں  اشک  بار  غزل  کس  طرح  کہوں

۲

گھیرے  ہوئے  ہیں  موت  کی  پرچھائیاں  مجھے

ہوں  زندگی  پہ  بار  غزل  کس  طرح  کہوں

۳

آ،  شاہدِ  بہارِ  وفا،  جانِ  زندگی

دامن  ہے  تار  تار  غزل  کس  طرح  کہوں

۴

ہر  لمحہ  اِک  صدی  کے  برابر  ترے  بغیر

اے  جانِ  انتظار  غزل  کس  طرح  کہوں

۵

دل  بہہ  رہا  ہے  خون  کی  صورت  میں  آنکھ  سے

شامِ  فراقِ  یار  غزل  کس  طرح  کہوں

۶

ہُوں  زندگی  سے  دور،  بہت  دور  آجکل

خوشیوں  سے  ہے  فرار،  غزل  کس  طرح  کہوں

۷

راجےؔ  ہر  ایک  شب  سے  مرے  خواب  چِھن  گئے

جب  لُٹ  گیا  قرار،  غزل  کس  طرح  کہوں

ग़ज़ल किस तरह कहूं – माया खन्ना राजे बरेलवी

है ग़म से दिल फ़िगार, ग़ज़ल किस तरह कहूं

आंखें हैं अश्क-बार, ग़ज़ल किस तरह कहूं

घेरे हुए हैं मौत की परछाईयां मुझे

हूं ज़िन्दगी पे बार, ग़ज़ल किस तरह कहूं

आ, शाहेद-ए बहार-ए वफ़ा, जान-ए ज़िन्दगी

दामन है तार तार, ग़ज़ल किस तरह कहूं

हर लम्हा एक सदी के बराबर तेरे बग़ैर

अए जान-ए इन्तेज़ार, ग़ज़ल किस तरह कहूं

दिल बह रहा है ख़ून कि सूरत में आंख से

शाम-ए फ़िराक़-ए यार, ग़ज़ल किस तरह कहूं

हूं ज़िन्दगी से दूर बहुत दूर आजकल

ख़ुशियौं से है फ़रार, ग़ज़ल किस तरह कहूं

राजे हर ए शब से मेरे ख़्वाब छिन गये

जब लुट गया क़रार, ग़ज़ल किस तरह कहूं

 

Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. raaje barelavi-maaya khanna (1942-xxxx) lukhnau. Educated and practiced as a physician. Early childhood in pune, where she started composing in maraThi and panjabi (her native language). A childhood friend introduced her to urdu and she fell in love with the language. She married into a well to do family in bareli and her husband was also very supportive of her literary activities. There are at least 4 collections to her credit.
1
hai Gham se dil figaar1, Ghazal kis tarah kahuN
aaNkheN haiN ashk-baar2, Ghazal kis tarah kahuN   
1.torn, injured 2.raining tears
My heart is broken with sorrow, how can I recite a Ghazal. My eyes rain tears, how can I compose a Ghazal.

2
gherey1 huey haiN maut2 ki parchhaaiyaaN3 mujhey
huuN zindagi pe baar4, Ghazal kis tarah kahuN  
1.surrounding 2.death 3.shadows 4.burden
Shadow of death surround me. I am a burden on life, how can I compose a Ghazal.

3
aa, shaahed1-e bahaar2-e vafa3, jaan4-e zindagi
daaman5 hai taar-taar6, Ghazal kis tarah kahuN    
1.beauty, beloved 2.spring 3.fidelity, faithfulness 4.life, soul 5.hem of the garment 6.shredded, threads
She calls upon the beloved, who is the ‘spring of fidelity’ and should be by her side, to come. The beloved is also the soul of her life. Because she is so grief-stricken, she has shredded the hem of her garment (which is the traditional way of expressing grief), how can I compose a Ghazal.

4
har lamha1 ek sadi2 kay baraabar3 terey baGhair4
aye jaan5-e intezaar6, Ghazal kis tarah kahuN  
1.moment 2.century 3.equal to 4.without 5.life, focus 6.waiting, anticipation
O focus of my anticipation/waiting, every moment is like a century without you, how can I compose a Ghazal.

5
dil bah1 raha hai Khoon ki soorat2 meN aaNkh say
shaam-e firaaq3-e yaar4, Ghazal kis tarah kahuN   
1.flow 2.like, similar to 3.separation 4.friend, beloved
My heart flows out of my eyes like blood. This is the night of separation from the beloved, how can I compose a Ghazal.

6
huuN zindagi se duur, bahut duur aajkal
KhushiyoN se hai faraar1, Ghazal kis tarah kahuN   
1.escape, running away
I am far away from living, very far, these days. Happiness has escaped me, how can I compose a Ghazal.

7
raaje1 har ek shab2 se meray Khwaab chhin3 gaye
jab luT gaya qaraar4, Ghazal kis tarah kahuN   
1.pen-name of the poet 2.evening, night 3.snatched 4.comfort, peace of mind
O raaje, my dreams/hopes have been snatched away from every night’s sleep. How can I compose a Ghazal when my peace of mind has been looted.

raaje barelavi-maaya khanna (1942-xxxx) lukhnau.  Educated and practiced as a physician.  Early childhood in pune, where she started composing in maraThi and panjabi (her native language).  A childhood friend introduced her to urdu and she fell in love with the language.  She married into a well to do family in bareli and her husband was also very supportive of her literary activities.  There are at least 4 collections to her credit.
1
hai Gham se dil figaar1, Ghazal kis tarah kahuN
aaNkheN haiN ashk-baar2, Ghazal kis tarah kahuN

1.torn, injured 2.raining tears

My heart is broken with sorrow, how can I recite a Ghazal.  My eyes rain tears, how can I compose a Ghazal.
2
gherey1 huey haiN maut2 ki parchhaaiyaaN3 mujhey
huuN zindagi pe baar4, Ghazal kis tarah kahuN

1.surrounding 2.death 3.shadows 4.burden

Shadow of death surround me.  I am a burden on life, how can I compose a Ghazal.
3
aa, shaahed1-e bahaar2-e vafa3, jaan4-e zindagi
daaman5 hai taar-taar6, Ghazal kis tarah kahuN

1.beauty, beloved 2.spring 3.fidelity, faithfulness 4.life, soul 5.hem of the garment 6.shredded, threads

She calls upon the beloved, who is the ‘spring of fidelity’ and should be by her side, to come.  The beloved is also the soul of her life.  Because she is so grief-stricken, she has shredded the hem of her garment (which is the traditional way of expressing grief), how can I compose a Ghazal.
4
har lamha1 ek sadi2 kay baraabar3 terey baGhair4
aye jaan5-e intezaar6, Ghazal kis tarah kahuN

1.moment 2.century 3.equal to 4.without 5.life, focus 6.waiting, anticipation

O focus of my anticipation/waiting, every moment is like a century without you, how can I compose a Ghazal.
5
dil bah1 raha hai Khoon ki soorat2 meN aaNkh say
shaam-e firaaq3-e yaar4, Ghazal kis tarah kahuN

1.flow 2.like, similar to 3.separation 4.friend, beloved

My heart flows out of my eyes like blood.  This is the night of separation from the beloved, how can I compose a Ghazal.
6
huuN zindagi se duur, bahut duur aajkal
KhushiyoN se hai faraar1, Ghazal kis tarah kahuN

1.escape, running away

I am far away from living, very far, these days.  Happiness has escaped me, how can I compose a Ghazal.
7
raaje1 har ek shab2 se meray Khwaab chhin3 gaye
jab luT gaya qaraar4, Ghazal kis tarah kahuN

1.pen-name of the poet 2.evening, night 3.snatched 4.comfort, peace of mind

O raaje, my dreams/hopes have been snatched away from every night’s sleep.  How can I compose a Ghazal when my peace of mind has been looted.