har qadam manzil meN hai-maya khanna raaje barelavi

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

ہر  قدم  منزل  میں  ہے  ۔  مایا  کھنّا  راجےؔ  بریلوی

۱

ایک  ایسا  عزمِ  راسخ  اب  ہمارے  دل  میں  ہے

گردشِ  ایّام  بھی  خود  اِن  دنوں  مشکل  میں  ہے

۲

اپنی  اُلفت  پر  بہت  کچھ  تبصرے  ہوتے  رہے

آزمائش  میری  خاموشی  کی  ہر  محفل  میں  ہے

۳

رہرو  منزل  نہ  سمجھا  آج  تک  یہ  فلسفہ

کاروانِ  زندگی  کا  ہر  قدم  منزل  میں  ہے

۴

اس  خوشی  کا  ہو  برا  مجبور  کتنا  کر  دیا

سوچ  کر  ہی  رہ  گئے  ہم  کیسی  خواہش  دل  میں  ہے

۵

تیری  میری  کہنے  والے  سوچ  لینا  ایک  بار

جھوٹ  کُھلنے  پر  تری  عزّت  کسی  محفل  میں  ہے

۶

سائباں  تو  ہے  نہیں  کوئی  بھی  راہِ  عشق  میں

سوچ  کر  رہ  رہ  کے  یہ  اہلِ  خِرد  مشکل  میں  ہے

۷

ہم  سے  راجےؔ  دشمنوں  کا  بھی  برا  ہوتا  نہیں

دوستی  کا  پاس  اتنا  تو  ہمارے  دل  میں  ہے

हर क़दम मंज़िल में है – माया खन्ना राजे बरेलवी

एक ऐसा अज़्म-ए रासेख़ अब हमारे दिल में है

गर्दिश-ए अय्याम भी ख़ुद इन दिनों मुश्किल में है

अपनी उल्फ़त पर बहुत कुछ तब्सेरे होते रहे

आज़्मा’एश मेरी ख़ामोशी की हर महफ़िल में है

रहरव-ए मंज़िल न समझा आज तक ये फ़ल्सफ़ा

कारवान-ए ज़िंदगी का हर क़दम मंज़िल में है

इस ख़ुशी का हो बुरा मज्बूर कितना कर दिया

सोच कर ही रह गए हम कैसी ख़्वाहिश दिल में है

तेरी मेरी कहने वाले सोच लेना एक बार

झूट खुलने पर तेरी इज़्ज़त किसी महफ़िल में है

साएबाँ तो है नहीं कोई भी राह-ए इश्क़ में

सोच कर रह रह के ये अहल-ए ख़िरद मुश्किल में है

हम से राजे दुश्मनों का भी बुरा होता नहीं

दोस्ती का पास इतना तो हमारे दिल में है

 

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. This Ghazal is linked to ‘yeh bhi mere dil meN hai’ under Ghalib naqsh-e qadam on the Theme Index page.
1
ek aisa azm1-e raasiKh2 ab hamaare dil meN hai
gardish-e-ayyaam3 bhi Khud in dinoN mushkil meN hai   
1.resolve, decision 2.firm, unshakable 3.difficulties of daily life, vicissitudes of time
It is conventionally thought that there is something out there – fate – that makes life difficult for us. But it turns out that the poet has a firm resolve to do something and has been on that path regardless of difficulties. This has put ‘gardish-e ayyaam’ in a difficult position, because it cannot discourage/dissuade the poet.

2
apni ulfat1 par bahut kuchh tabseray2 hotay rahe
aazmaa’esh3 meri Khaamoshi ki har mahfil4 meN hai    
1.love 2.comments 3.test, trial 4.gathering
People have been talking about, making comments about the poet’s love. It is implied that the comments are untrue and/or unpleasant. In her dignity, the poet wants to maintain silence and not engage with this badmouthing. So, in every gathering where these comments are made, her silence is tested.

3
rahrav1-e manzil2 na samjha aaj tak ye falsafa3
kaarvaan-e zindagi ka har qadam4 manzil2 meN hai    
1.traveller 2.destination, goal 3.philosophy 4.step
To this day, the traveller along the path of life has not understood this philosophy, that the path itself is the destination, every step in the path is a destination. Thus, moving along the path is the goal. Said ramprakash saahir hoshiarpuri …
aarzu-e kaamraani saii-e laa-haasil meN hai
duur hoN manzil se phir bhi har qadam manzil meN hai

4
is Khushi ka ho bura majboor1 kitna kar diya
soch kar hi rah gaye ham kaisi Khwaahish2 dil meN hai    
1.compelled, constrained, helpless 2.wish, desire
The poet has a desire/wish to be happy, or a desire the fulfilment of which will make them happy. But her desire has not been fulfilled and she is compelled to recognize the futility of having such a desire. She thinks, why have such a desire in the heart.

5
teri-meri1 kahne vaale soch lena ek baar2
jhuuT khulne3 par teri izzat4 kisi mahfil5 meN hai   
1.an expression meaning gossip/rumours/lies 2.once 3.revealed 4.respect 5.society
You who engage is false gossip mongering, stop and think just once, when your lies are exposed/revealed, will there be any respect for you in any society.

6
saa’ebaaN1 to hai nahiN koi bhi raah2-e ishq meN
soch kar rah-rah3 ke yeh ahl4-e Khirad5 mushkil6 meN hai    
1.covering, shelter 2.path 3.every minute, often 4.people of 5.knowledge, awareness 6.difficulty
Usually ‘ahl-e Khirad’ implies people who are into mechanistic thinking rather than ‘spiritual’ thinking. Also, ‘raah-e ishq’ is considered a very difficult path, in which there is no shelter. Thus, people of mechanistic thinking know of this and and do not take this path because of its difficulties. Said mohammed iqbal …
be-Khatar kood paRa aatish-e namrood meN ishq
aql hai mahv-e tamaasha-e lab-e baam abhi

7
ham se raaje1 dushmanoN ka bhi bura hota nahiN
dosti ka paas2 itna to hamaare dil meN hai   
1.pen-name of the poet 2.consideration, respect
O raaje, I cannot bring myself to think ill even of the enemy/rival. At least this much respect for friendship, I have in my heart. Perhaps the implication is that she considers even enemies to be like friends and deserving of the considerations of friendship.

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.  This Ghazal is linked to ‘yeh bhi mere dil meN hai’ under Ghalib naqsh-e qadam on the Theme Index page.
1
ek aisa azm1-e raasiKh2 ab hamaare dil meN hai
gardish-e-ayyaam3 bhi Khud in dinoN mushkil meN hai

1.resolve, decision 2.firm, unshakable 3.difficulties of daily life, vicissitudes of time

It is conventionally thought that there is something out there – fate – that makes life difficult for us.  But it turns out that the poet has a firm resolve to do something and has been on that path regardless of difficulties.  This has put ‘gardish-e ayyaam’ in a difficult position, because it cannot discourage/dissuade the poet.
2
apni ulfat1 par bahut kuchh tabseray2 hotay rahe
aazmaa’esh3 meri Khaamoshi ki har mahfil4 meN hai

1.love 2.comments 3.test, trial 4.gathering

People have been talking about, making comments about the poet’s love.  It is implied that the comments are untrue and/or unpleasant.  In her dignity, the poet wants to maintain silence and not engage with this badmouthing.  So, in every gathering where these comments are made, her silence is tested.
3
rahrav1-e manzil2 na samjha aaj tak ye falsafa3
kaarvaan-e zindagi ka har qadam4 manzil2 meN hai

1.traveller 2.destination, goal 3.philosophy 4.step

To this day, the traveller along the path of life has not understood this philosophy, that the path itself is the destination, every step in the path is a destination.  Thus, moving along the path is the goal.  Said ramprakash saahir hoshiarpuri …
aarzu-e kaamraani saii-e laa-haasil meN hai
duur hoN manzil se phir bhi har qadam manzil meN hai
4
is Khushi ka ho bura majboor1 kitna kar diya
soch kar hi rah gaye ham kaisi Khwaahish2 dil meN hai

1.compelled, constrained, helpless 2.wish, desire

The poet has a desire/wish to be happy, or a desire the fulfilment of which will make them happy.  But her desire has not been fulfilled and she is compelled to recognize the futility of having such a desire.  She thinks, why have such a desire in the heart.
5
teri-meri1 kahne vaale soch lena ek baar2
jhuuT khulne3 par teri izzat4 kisi mahfil5 meN hai

1.an expression meaning gossip/rumours/lies 2.once 3.revealed 4.respect 5.society

You who engage is false gossip mongering, stop and think just once, when your lies are exposed/revealed, will there be any respect for you in any society.
6
saa’ebaaN1 to hai nahiN koi bhi raah2-e ishq meN
soch kar rah-rah3 ke yeh ahl4-e Khirad5 mushkil6 meN hai

1.covering, shelter 2.path 3.every minute, often 4.people of 5.knowledge, awareness 6.difficulty

Usually ‘ahl-e Khirad’ implies people who are into mechanistic thinking rather than ‘spiritual’ thinking.  Also, ‘raah-e ishq’ is considered a very difficult path, in which there is no shelter.  Thus, people of mechanistic thinking know of this and and do not take this path because of its difficulties.  Said mohammed iqbal …
be-Khatar kood paRa aatish-e namrood meN ishq
aql hai mahv-e tamaasha-e lab-e baam abhi
7
ham se raaje1 dushmanoN ka bhi bura hota nahiN
dosti ka paas2 itna to hamaare dil meN hai

1.pen-name of the poet 2.consideration, respect

O raaje, I cannot bring myself to think ill even of the enemy/rival.  At least this much respect for friendship, I have in my heart.  Perhaps the implication is that she considers even enemies to be like friends and deserving of the considerations of friendship.