For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
گرفتار بھی نہیں ۔ جگت موہن لال رواںؔ
۱
جاتے ہو خیر جاؤ کچھ اِصرار بھی نہیں
لیکن جو تم نہیں تو دِلِ زار بھی نہیں
۲
اِس چاک چاک دِل کا کروں کیا معاملہ
صحت نصیب بھی نہیں، بیمار بھی نہیں
۳
پی لیں گے خیر آپ کی خاطر سے چند گھونٹ
میخوار بھی نہیں ہیں، ہمیں عار بھی نہیں
۴
حسرت زدہ دلوں کا نہ پوچھو معاملہ
بے ہوش اگر نہیں ہیں تو ہشیار بھی نہیں
۵
قیدِ بلائے وہم سے جنبش محال ہے
مجھ سا جہاں میں کوئی گرفتار بھی نہیں
۶
کچھ بات ہے کہ روح گھلی جاتی ہے مری
آزار کو جو پوچھو کچھ آزار بھی نہیں
۷
ہستی مجھے خود اپنی معمہ ہے اے رواںؔ
آزاد بھی نہیں ہوں گرفتار بھی نہیں
गिरफ़्तार भी नहीं – जगत मोहन लाल रवां
१
जाते हो ख़ैर जाओ, कुछ इस्रार भी नहीं
लैकिन जो तुम नहीं तो दिल-ए ज़ार भी नहीं
२
इस चाक चाक दिल का करूं क्या मो’आमेला
सेहत नसीब भी नहीं, बीमार भी नहीं
३
पी लेंगे ख़ैर आप कि ख़ातर से चन्द घूंट
मयख़्वार भी नहीं हैं, हमें आ’र भी नहीं
४
हस्रत-ज़दा दिलौं का न पूछो मो’आमेला
बेहोश अगर नहीं हैं तो होश्यार भी नहीं
५
क़ैद-ए बला-ए वहम से जुम्बिश महाल है
मुझ सा जहां में कोई गिरफ़्तार भी नहीं
६
कुछ बात है के रूह घुली जाती है मेरी
आज़ार को जो पूछो कुछ आज़ार भी नहीं
७
हस्ती मुझे ख़ुद अपनी मो’अम्मा है अए रवां
आज़ाद भी नहीं हुं, गिरफ़्तार भी नहीं
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. jagat mohan lal ravaaN (1889-1934) learnt urdu, faarsi and arabi at a local maktab and went on to get an MA and and LLB. He practiced law and also left a reasonable collection of verse, given his short life span. He wrote a masanvi in praise of buddha. This Ghazal is in the same zamin as Ghalib’s ‘laRte haiN aur haath meN talvaar bhi nahiN’.
1
jaate ho Khair1 jaao, kuchh israar2 bhi nahiN
laikin jo tum nahiN to dil-e zaar3 bhi nahiN 1.colloquially – it’s OK 2.insistence 3.afflicted, broken
If you have to go, go. I will not insist that you stay. But if you are gone, then my afflicted heart too will be missing.
2
is chaak1 chaak dil ka karuuN kya mo’aamela2
sehat-naseeb3 bhi nahiN, biimaar bhi nahiN 1.torn, wounded 2.arrangement 3.granted health
What can I do with this love afflicted heart. It has neither been granted health, nor is it entirely sick i.e. the beloved is stringing me along.
3
pii leNge Khair aap ki Khaatir1 se chand2 ghooNT3
maiKhwaar4 bhi nahiN haiN, hameN aa’r5 bhi nahiN 1.for the sake of 2.a few 3.mouthfuls, sips 4.wine lovers/imbibers 5.cause of shame, disrepute
For your sake, I will take a few sips. I am no wine connoiseur, neither is their any disrepute for me in drinking.
4
hasrat-zada1 diloN ka na poochho mu’aamela2
be-hosh3 agar nahiN haiN, to hoshiyaar4 bhi nahiN 1.stricken with longing 2.arrangement, condition 3.drunk, in a trance 4.aware, alert
Do not ask about the condition of hearts stricken with longing (for the beloved). If they are not entirely knocked out of their senses, they are not completely in control either.
5
qaid1-e balaa2-e vahm3 se jumbish4 mahaal5 hai
mujh sa jahaaN6 meN koii giraftaar7 bhi nahiN 1.imprisonment 2.curse 3.superstition, illusion, doubt 4.movement, moving away, escape 5.difficult 6.world 7.captured, caged
The key word is ‘vahm’. (a) illusion – could refer to this ‘majaazi’, material world of maya (b) superstition – could refer to faith based beliefs (c) doubt – could refer to whether to believe the beloved’s promise. Thus, escape from the curse of ‘vahm’ is very difficulty. There is no other like me in the world, caged/entangled like this.
6
kuchh baat hai ke rooh1 ghuli2 jaati hai meri
aazaar3 ko jo poochho kuchh aazaar bhi nahiN 1.spirit, soul, energy 2.dissolving, disappearing 3.pain, affliction
I do not know what it is, but my energy is getting sapped. And if you ask about any illness or affliction, I have none.
7
hasti1 mujhe Khud apni mu’amma2 hai aye ravaaN3
aazaad bhi nahiN huN, giraftaar bhi nahiN 1.life, existence, person 2.puzzle 3.pen name of poet
My life is a puzzle, even to me, O, ravaaN. Neither I feel free nor do I feel caged. This could well be about free will or lack thereof. It could also mean the ambivalence of the beloved.
jagat mohan lal ravaaN (1889-1934) learnt urdu, faarsi and arabi at a local maktab and went on to get an MA and and LLB. He practiced law and also left a reasonable collection of verse, given his short life span. He wrote a masanvi in praise of buddha. This Ghazal is in the same zamin as Ghalib’s ‘laRte haiN aur haath meN talvaar bhi nahiN’.
1
jaate ho Khair1 jaao, kuchh israar2 bhi nahiN
laikin jo tum nahiN to dil-e zaar3 bhi nahiN
1.colloquially – it’s OK 2.insistence 3.afflicted, broken
If you have to go, go. I will not insist that you stay. But if you are gone, then my afflicted heart too will be missing.
2
is chaak1 chaak dil ka karuuN kya mo’aamela2
sehat-naseeb3 bhi nahiN, biimaar bhi nahiN
1.torn, wounded 2.arrangement 3.granted health
What can I do with this love afflicted heart. It has neither been granted health, nor is it entirely sick i.e. the beloved is stringing me along.
3
pii leNge Khair aap ki Khaatir1 se chand2 ghooNT3
maiKhwaar4 bhi nahiN haiN, hameN aa’r5 bhi nahiN
1.for the sake of 2.a few 3.mouthfuls, sips 4.wine lovers/imbibers 5.cause of shame, disrepute
For your sake, I will take a few sips. I am no wine connoiseur, neither is their any disrepute for me in drinking.
4
hasrat-zada1 diloN ka na poochho mu’aamela2
be-hosh3 agar nahiN haiN, to hoshiyaar4 bhi nahiN
1.stricken with longing 2.arrangement, condition 3.drunk, in a trance 4.aware, alert
Do not ask about the condition of hearts stricken with longing (for the beloved). If they are not entirely knocked out of their senses, they are not completely in control either.
5
qaid1-e balaa2-e vahm3 se jumbish4 mahaal5 hai
mujh sa jahaaN6 meN koii giraftaar7 bhi nahiN
1.imprisonment 2.curse 3.superstition, illusion, doubt 4.movement, moving away, escape 5.difficult 6.world 7.captured, caged
The key word is ‘vahm’. (a) illusion – could refer to this ‘majaazi’, material world of maya (b) superstition – could refer to faith based beliefs (c) doubt – could refer to whether to believe the beloved’s promise. Thus, escape from the curse of ‘vahm’ is very difficulty. There is no other like me in the world, caged/entangled like this.
6
kuchh baat hai ke rooh1 ghuli2 jaati hai meri
aazaar3 ko jo poochho kuchh aazaar bhi nahiN
1.spirit, soul, energy 2.dissolving, disappearing 3.pain, affliction
I do not know what it is, but my energy is getting sapped. And if you ask about any illness or affliction, I have none.
7
hasti1 mujhe Khud apni mu’amma2 hai aye ravaaN3
aazaad bhi nahiN huN, giraftaar bhi nahiN
1.life, existence, person 2.puzzle 3.pen name of poet
My life is a puzzle, even to me, O, ravaaN. Neither I feel free nor do I feel caged. This could well be about free will or lack thereof. It could also mean the ambivalence of the beloved.
