For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
ہمیشہ قدم دیکھتے ہیں ۔ سردار گینڈا سنگھ مشرقیؔ
۱
خطا کو کب اہلِ کرم دیکھتے ہیں
ہُنر مند عیبوں کو کم دیکھتے ہیں
۲
ہمیں تھے کہ جو آ گئے اُن کے دم میں
کسے آج دیتے ہیں دم دیکھتے ہیں
۳
رقیبوں کی مانند گستاخ کب ہیں
تیرے ہم ہمیشہ قدم دیکھتے ہیں
۴
جو ہیں لے گئے ساتھ دنیا کی حسرت
وہ کیا سیرِ ملکِ عدم دیکھتے ہیں
۵
جو اہلِ ہنر ہیں ہنر دیکھتے ہیں
نہ دولت نہ جاہ و حشم دیکھتے ہیں
۶
کھنچی آج تیغِ دو دم دیکھتے ہیں
ہے سر کس کا ہوتا قلم دیکھتے ہیں
۷
تماشائے ہر دو جہاں پی کے ساغر
اگر دیکھتے ہیں تو ہم دیکھتے ہیں
हमेशा क़दम देखते हैं – सरदार गेंडा सिंध मश्रिक़ी
१
ख़ता को कब अहल-ए करम देखते हैं
हुनर-मन्द ऐबौं को कम देखते हैं
२
हमीं थे के जो आ गए उन के दम में
किसे आज देते हैं दम देखते हैं
३
रक़ीबौं कि मानिन्द गुस्ताख़ कब हैं
तेरे हम हमेशा क़दम देखते हैं
४
जो हैं ले गए साथ दुनिया की हसरत
वो क्या सैर-ए मुल्क-ए अदम देखते हैं
५
जो अहल-ए हुनर हैं हुनर देखते हैं
न दौलत न जाह ओ हशम देखते हैं
६
खिंची आज तेग़-ए दो-दम देखते हैं
है सर किस का होता क़लम देखते हैं
७
तमाशा-ए हर दो जहां पी के साग़र
अगर देखते हैं तो हम देखते हैं
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. sardar genDa singh mashriqi (1857-1909), born in roopaR, panjab. Studied English and faarsi through middle school but could not go further in formal schooling because of family financial conditions. Worked for magazines, then the government in clerical and accountancy jobs and continued to learn urdu on his own, writing magazine articles and nazm, many of them nationalist. He joined the Indian National Congress in its inaugural meeting in 1885. In 1903, daaGh dehlavi accepted him as a shaagird. In spite of their very short association, he acknowledges daaGh as his ustaad. mashriqi’s diivaan was compiled and published by his grandson in 1989. There are also book length translations of sikh religious books in faarsi in poetic format as well as a book length collection of odes to sikh religious figures. This is one of several Ghazal that he composed in the refrain of Ghalib and is linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’.
1
Khata1 ko kab ahl-e-karam2 dekhte haiN
hunar-mand3 aiboN4 ko kam dekhte haiN 1.mistakes 2.people of kindness, kind people 3.talented, skilled 4.shortcomings
Kind people do not look for mistakes (of others). Skilled people do not scan the shortcomings (of others).
2
hamiiN the keh jo aa gaye un ke dam1 meN
kise aaj dete haiN dam2 dekhte haiN 1.power 2.dam dena is an expression meaning – to deceive, to sacrifice
It is interesting how he uses ‘dam’ in two different ways in the two misra. It was I who got caught in her power/spell. Let us see who else she is able to deceive today.
3
raqiiboN1 ki maanind2 gustaaKh3 kab haiN
tere ham hamesha qadam4 dekhte haiN 1.rivals 2.like, similar to 3.rude, disrespectful 4.feet
I am not disrespectful like the rivals. I don’t look directly at you, like they do. I only look at your feet.
4
jo haiN le gaye saath duniya ki hasrat1
vo kya sair2-e mulk3-e adam4 dekhte haiN 1.longing 2.sightseeing 3.homeland, domain 4.non-existence, non-material, spiritual
The conventional value system is that you leave behind all attachments to the material world when you go to the next world. Thus, those that carry with them longing for the material world, how can they enjoy the sights of the spiritual world.
5
jo ahl1-e hunar2 haiN hunar dekhte haiN
na daulat3 na jaah4 o hasham5 dekhte haiN 1.people of 2.skill 3.wealth 4.rank, status 5.retinue of servants, grandeur
People of skill look for skill (in others). They don’t look for wealth, rank or status, or grandeur.
6
khiNchi1 aaj teGh2-e do-dam3 dekhte haiN
hai sar kis ka hota qalam4 dekhte haiN 1.pulled, drawn 2.sword 3.double pointed 4.cut
A double pointed sword (teGh-e do-dam) is different from the English phrase two-edged sword. The latter can cut both ways the user and the victim, but the former is double jeopardy for the victim (none for the user). Thus, the beloved has pulled her two-pointed sword. Let us see whose head gets cut off today.
7
tamaasha1-e har do jahaaN2 pii ke saaGhar3
agar4 dekhte haiN to ham dekhte haiN 1.spectacle 2.worlds 3.cup (of wine) 4.if
The poet is boasting about his ability to drink wine. If there is anyone who can see spectacles of the here and hereafter (both worlds), it is I, after a cup of two of wine.
sardar genDa singh mashriqi (1857-1909), born in roopaR, panjab. Studied English and faarsi through middle school but could not go further in formal schooling because of family financial conditions. Worked for magazines, then the government in clerical and accountancy jobs and continued to learn urdu on his own, writing magazine articles and nazm, many of them nationalist. He joined the Indian National Congress in its inaugural meeting in 1885. In 1903, daaGh dehlavi accepted him as a shaagird. In spite of their very short association, he acknowledges daaGh as his ustaad. mashriqi’s diivaan was compiled and published by his grandson in 1989. There are also book length translations of sikh religious books in faarsi in poetic format as well as a book length collection of odes to sikh religious figures. This is one of several Ghazal that he composed in the refrain of Ghalib and is linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’.
1
Khata1 ko kab ahl-e-karam2 dekhte haiN
hunar-mand3 aiboN4 ko kam dekhte haiN
1.mistakes 2.people of kindness, kind people 3.talented, skilled 4.shortcomings
Kind people do not look for mistakes (of others). Skilled people do not scan the shortcomings (of others).
2
hamiiN the keh jo aa gaye un ke dam1 meN
kise aaj dete haiN dam2 dekhte haiN
1.power 2.dam dena is an expression meaning – to deceive, to sacrifice
It is interesting how he uses ‘dam’ in two different ways in the two misra. It was I who got caught in her power/spell. Let us see who else she is able to deceive today.
3
raqiiboN1 ki maanind2 gustaaKh3 kab haiN
tere ham hamesha qadam4 dekhte haiN
1.rivals 2.like, similar to 3.rude, disrespectful 4.feet
I am not disrespectful like the rivals. I don’t look directly at you, like they do. I only look at your feet.
4
jo haiN le gaye saath duniya ki hasrat1
vo kya sair2-e mulk3-e adam4 dekhte haiN
1.longing 2.sightseeing 3.homeland, domain 4.non-existence, non-material, spiritual
The conventional value system is that you leave behind all attachments to the material world when you go to the next world. Thus, those that carry with them longing for the material world, how can they enjoy the sights of the spiritual world.
5
jo ahl1-e hunar2 haiN hunar dekhte haiN
na daulat3 na jaah4 o hasham5 dekhte haiN
1.people of 2.skill 3.wealth 4.rank, status 5.retinue of servants, grandeur
People of skill look for skill (in others). They don’t look for wealth, rank or status, or grandeur.
6
khiNchi1 aaj teGh2-e do-dam3 dekhte haiN
hai sar kis ka hota qalam4 dekhte haiN
1.pulled, drawn 2.sword 3.double pointed 4.cut
A double pointed sword (teGh-e do-dam) is different from the English phrase two-edged sword. The latter can cut both ways the user and the victim, but the former is double jeopardy for the victim (none for the user). Thus, the beloved has pulled her two-pointed sword. Let us see whose head gets cut off today.
7
tamaasha1-e har do jahaaN2 pii ke saaGhar3
agar4 dekhte haiN to ham dekhte haiN
1.spectacle 2.worlds 3.cup (of wine) 4.if
The poet is boasting about his ability to drink wine. If there is anyone who can see spectacles of the here and hereafter (both worlds), it is I, after a cup of two of wine.
