For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
گلزارؔ کی رحلت ہی سہی ۔ پنڈت آنند موہن گلزارؔ دہلوی
۱
شہر بھر میں شبِ ظلمت ہی سہی
اور کچھ روز کی زحمت ہی سہی
۲
وہ زباں کاٹ رہے ہیں میری
چاہے حاصل اُنہیں خِفّت ہی سہی
۳
جن کو ہے وصلِ مِلل کا دعویٰ
اُن پر اللہ کی لعنت ہی سہی
۴
ہاتھ رکھ دیجئے دل پر میرے
اک ذرا دیر کی زحمت ہی سہی
۵
وہ نہیں پاس مرے تو غم کیا
مرے تخیل کی رفعت ہی سہی
۶
خسروی اور نظامی ہوں میں
حاصلِ زیست یہ نسبت ہی سہی
۷
نہ سہی جام نہ ہوں قسمت میں
لبِ محبوب کی شربت ہی سہی
۸
حسن پر تول رہا ہو جیسے
اور کچھ روز رعونت ہی سہی
۹
تیرے کوچے میں پڑا ہوں کب سے
ایک ناکام محبّت ہی سہی
۱۰
ایک ہے کثرت و وحدت کا مزہ
گرچہ یہ حسنِ بصیرت ہی سہی
۱۱
دم بہ خود آج ہیں مرزا غالب
نطقِ گلزارؔ کی رحلت ہی سہی
गुल्ज़ार कि रहलत हि सही – पंडित आनंद मोहन गुल्ज़ार देहलवी
१
शहर भर में शब-ए ज़ुल्मत हि सही
और कुछ रोज़ कि ज़हमत हि सही
२
वो ज़बां काट रहे हैं मेरी
चाहे हासिल उन्हें ख़िफ़्फ़त हि सही
३
जिन को है वस्ल-ए मिलल का दावा
उन पर अल्लाह कि ला’नत हि सही
४
हाथ रख दीजिये दिल पर मेरे
एक ज़रा देर कि ज़हमत हि सही
५
वो नहीं पास मेरे तो ग़म क्या
मेरे तख़’ईल कि रफ़’अत हि सही
६
ख़ुस्रवी और निज़ामी हूं मैं
हासिल-ए ज़ीस्त ये निस्बत हि सही
७
न सही जाम न हों क़िस्मत में
लब-ए महबूब कि शरबत हि सही
८
हुस्न पर तोल रहा हो जैसे
और कुछ रोज़ रु’ऊनत हि सही
९
तेरे कूचे में पढा हुं कब से
एक नाकाम मोहब्बत हि सही
१०
एक है कस्रत ओ वहदत का मज़ा
गरचे ये हुस्न-ए बसीरत हि सही
११
दम-ब-ख़ुद आज हैं मिर्ज़ा ग़ालिब
नुत्क़-ए गुल्ज़ार कि रहलत हि सही
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. anand mohan gulzar dehlavi (1926-2020), a kashmiri panDit, a scholar and lover of urdu and totally committed to communal harmony. Over his long and fruitful life has written with much love and admiration about many illustrious figures – political, religious and literary. He has written several tributes to Ghalib and composed several Ghazal in the style of Ghalib. This is modeled after ‘ishq mujh ko nahiN vahshat hi sahi’ and is linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’ and also to ‘Ghalib-kashmiri panDit’.
1
shahr bhar meN shab1-e zulmat2 hi sahi
aur kuchh roz ki zahmat3 hi sahi 1.night of 2.darkness 3.burden, difficulty
The darkness of night (injustice, oppression) spreads all through the land. Let me bear this difficulty for a few more days. This could mean that darkness will not last forever and change is underway. On the other hand, this could also be an expression of despair and resignation. ‘aur kuchh roz ki zahmat’ is an expression used to mean roughly ‘I have but a few more days to live’.
2
vo zabaaN kaaT1 rahe haiN meri
chaahe haasil2 unheN Khiffat3 hi sahi 1.cutting off the tongue – silencing, censoring 2.obtain, benefit 3.regret, shame
They are trying to silence me, even if it means that all they will get from it is shame.
3
jin ko hai vasl1-e milal2 ka d’aava3
un par allah ki l’aanat4 hi sahi 1.union 2.communities 3.claim 4.curse
Those who claim that all communities are one/united, (will stand by their claim), even if the curse of god descends on them.
4
haath rakh diijiye dil par mere
ek zara der ki zahmat1 hi sahi 1.inconvenience
Place your hand on my heart (to comfort me) even it is inconvenient. It will not be for long. The expression ‘placing your hand on my heart’ implies that you will learn what is in my heart. Thus, he is expressing his sincerity.
5
vo nahiN paas mere to Gham1 kya
mere taKh’iil2 ki raf’at3 hi sahi 1.sorrow, worry 2.imagination 3.height, flight
Why worry if she is not near me. I always have the flight of my imagination to reach her.
6
Khusravi1 aur nizaami2 huN maiN
haasil3-e ziist4 ye nisbat5 hi sahi 1.devotee of amir Khusro 2.and of nizamuddin auliya 3.net benefit 4.life 5.association
I am a devotee of amir Khusro and nizamuddin auliya. If this association is all I get out of life, then so be it.
7
na sahi jaam1 na hoN qismat meN
lab2-e mahboob3 ki sharbat4 hi sahi 1.cups of wine 2.lips, tongue 3.beloved 4.juice
This probably has reference to the many stories of amir Khusro and nizamuddin chishti. nizamuddin was a sufi scholar and founder of the chishti school. He was known as ‘mahboob-e ilaahi’ – the beloved of god. amir Khusro was his disciple and devoted to him. His ‘wine’ was sucking the tongue of his mentor nizamuddin. Thus, no matter that I don’t have cups of wine in my fate. I am quite happy with the juice of the tongue of ‘mahboob-e ilaahi’. gulzar himself was a trustee of the amir Khusro trust.
8
husn1 par tol2 raha ho jaise
aur kuchh roz ru’oonat3 hi sahi 1.beauty 2.par tolna is an expression meaning getting ready to take flight 3.pride, conceit
Beauty has spread its wings and is about to take off – probably a reference to the aging of the beloved. Let her enjoy a few more days of conceit. Or, possibly he could be referring to his own life and by husn he means the skill of composing ash’aar. Thus, I don’t have long to live. Let me enjoy the few days of fame that I have left.
9
tere kooche1 meN paRa huN kab se
ek naakaam2 mohabbat hi sahi 1.street 2.unsuccessful
I have been wallowing in your street for so long, let it be an unsuccessful attempt at getting your love (rather than no attempt at all). Reminds me of Charles Dickens in a Tale of Two Cities … ‘Tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.
10
ek hai kasrat1 o vahdat2 ka maza
garche3 ye husn4-e basiirat5 hi sahi 1.many 2.unique, only one 3.even it 4.sophistication 5.sight
This could be a reference to many dieites vs a unique god. Thus, the pleasure of devotion is the same whether it be many deities or one god. If it takes sophistication to see this, so be it.
11
dam-ba-Khud1 aaj haiN mirza Ghalib
nutq2-e gulzaar3 ki rahlat4 hi sahi 1.stunned 2.sound, voice, speech 3.pen-name of the poet 4.death
Today, mirza Ghalib is stunned, and it will be OK with him to silence gulzar.
anand mohan gulzar dehlavi (1926-2020), a kashmiri panDit, a scholar and lover of urdu and totally committed to communal harmony. Over his long and fruitful life has written with much love and admiration about many illustrious figures – political, religious and literary. He has written several tributes to Ghalib and composed several Ghazal in the style of Ghalib. This is modeled after ‘ishq mujh ko nahiN vahshat hi sahi’ and is linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’ and also to ‘Ghalib-kashmiri panDit’.
1
shahr bhar meN shab1-e zulmat2 hi sahi
aur kuchh roz ki zahmat3 hi sahi
1.night of 2.darkness 3.burden, difficulty
The darkness of night (injustice, oppression) spreads all through the land. Let me bear this difficulty for a few more days. This could mean that darkness will not last forever and change is underway. On the other hand, this could also be an expression of despair and resignation. ‘aur kuchh roz ki zahmat’ is an expression used to mean roughly ‘I have but a few more days to live’.
2
vo zabaaN kaaT1 rahe haiN meri
chaahe haasil2 unheN Khiffat3 hi sahi
1.cutting off the tongue – silencing, censoring 2.obtain, benefit 3.regret, shame
They are trying to silence me, even if it means that all they will get from it is shame.
3
jin ko hai vasl1-e milal2 ka d’aava3
un par allah ki l’aanat4 hi sahi
1.union 2.communities 3.claim 4.curse
Those who claim that all communities are one/united, (will stand by their claim), even if the curse of god descends on them.
4
haath rakh diijiye dil par mere
ek zara der ki zahmat1 hi sahi
1.inconvenience
Place your hand on my heart (to comfort me) even it is inconvenient. It will not be for long. The expression ‘placing your hand on my heart’ implies that you will learn what is in my heart. Thus, he is expressing his sincerity.
5
vo nahiN paas mere to Gham1 kya
mere taKh’iil2 ki raf’at3 hi sahi
1.sorrow, worry 2.imagination 3.height, flight
Why worry if she is not near me. I always have the flight of my imagination to reach her.
6
Khusravi1 aur nizaami2 huN maiN
haasil3-e ziist4 ye nisbat5 hi sahi
1.devotee of amir Khusro 2.and of nizamuddin auliya 3.net benefit 4.life 5.association
I am a devotee of amir Khusro and nizamuddin auliya. If this association is all I get out of life, then so be it.
7
na sahi jaam1 na hoN qismat meN
lab2-e mahboob3 ki sharbat4 hi sahi
1.cups of wine 2.lips, tongue 3.beloved 4.juice
This probably has reference to the many stories of amir Khusro and nizamuddin chishti. nizamuddin was a sufi scholar and founder of the chishti school. He was known as ‘mahboob-e ilaahi’ – the beloved of god. amir Khusro was his disciple and devoted to him. His ‘wine’ was sucking the tongue of his mentor nizamuddin. Thus, no matter that I don’t have cups of wine in my fate. I am quite happy with the juice of the tongue of ‘mahboob-e ilaahi’. gulzar himself was a trustee of the amir Khusro trust.
8
husn1 par tol2 raha ho jaise
aur kuchh roz ru’oonat3 hi sahi
1.beauty 2.par tolna is an expression meaning getting ready to take flight 3.pride, conceit
Beauty has spread its wings and is about to take off – probably a reference to the aging of the beloved. Let her enjoy a few more days of conceit. Or, possibly he could be referring to his own life and by husn he means the skill of composing ash’aar. Thus, I don’t have long to live. Let me enjoy the few days of fame that I have left.
9
tere kooche1 meN paRa huN kab se
ek naakaam2 mohabbat hi sahi
1.street 2.unsuccessful
I have been wallowing in your street for so long, let it be an unsuccessful attempt at getting your love (rather than no attempt at all). Reminds me of Charles Dickens in a Tale of Two Cities … ‘Tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.
10
ek hai kasrat1 o vahdat2 ka maza
garche3 ye husn4-e basiirat5 hi sahi
1.many 2.unique, only one 3.even it 4.sophistication 5.sight
This could be a reference to many dieites vs a unique god. Thus, the pleasure of devotion is the same whether it be many deities or one god. If it takes sophistication to see this, so be it.
11
dam-ba-Khud1 aaj haiN mirza Ghalib
nutq2-e gulzaar3 ki rahlat4 hi sahi
1.stunned 2.sound, voice, speech 3.pen-name of the poet 4.death
Today, mirza Ghalib is stunned, and it will be OK with him to silence gulzar.
