Recitation
حرفِ مکرّر نہیں ہوں میں – مرزا غالب
١
دائم پڑا ہوا ترے در پر نہیں ہوں میں
خاک ایسی زندگی پہ کہ پتّھر نہیں ہوں میں
٢
کیوں گردشِ مدام سے گھبرا نہ جائے دل
انساں ہوں پیالہ و ساغر نہیں ہوں میں
٣
یا رب زمانہ مجھ کو مٹاتاہے کِس لئے
لوحِ جہاں پہ حرفِ مکرّر نہیں ہوں میں
٤
حد چاہیے سزا میں عقوبت کے واسطے
آخر گناہگار ہوں کافر نہیں ہوں میں
٥
کس واسطے عزیز نہیں جانتے مجھے
لعل و زمرّد و زر و گوہر نہیں ہوں میں
٦
رکھتے ہو تم قدم مری آنکھوں سے کیوں دریغ
رتبے میں مہر و ماہ سے کم تر نہیں ہوں میں
٧
کرتے ہو مجھ کو منعِ قدم بوس کس لئے
کیا آسمان کے بھی برابر نہیں ہوں میں
٨
غالب وظیفہ خوار ہو دو شاہ کو دعا
وہ دن گئے جو کہتے تھے نوکر نہیں ہوں میں
हर्फ़-ए मुकर्रर नहीं हूँ मैं – मिर्ज़ा ग़ालिब
1
दाएम पड़ा हुआ तिरे दर पर नहीं हूँ मैं
ख़ाक ऐसी ज़िंदगी पे कि पतथर नहीं हूँ मैं
2
क्यूँ गर्दिश-ए मुदाम से घबरा न जाए दिल
इंसान हूँ पियाला‐ओ‐साग़र नहीं हूँ मैं
3
या रब ज़माना मुझ को मिटाता है किसलिये
लौह-ए जहाँ पे हर्फ़-ए मुकर्रर नहीं हूँ मैं
4
हद चाहिये सज़ा में उक़ूबत के वासते
आख़िर गुनाहगार हूँ काफ़र नहीं हूँ मैं
5
किस वासते अज़ीज़ नहीं जानते मुझे
लाल‐ओ‐ज़ुमुर्रुद‐ओ‐ज़र‐ओ‐गौहर नहीं हूँ मैं
6
रखते हो तुम क़दम मिरी आंखों से क्यूँ दरेग़
रुतबे में मिहर‐ओ‐माह से कम-तर नहीं हूँ मैं
7
करते हो मुझ को मं-ए क़दम-बोस किसलिये
क्या आसमान के भी बराबर नहीं हूँ मैं
8
ग़ालिब वज़ीफ़ा-ख़्वार हो दो शाह को दुआ
वो दिन गए जो कहते थे नौकर नहीं हूँ मैं
Click on any she’r for meanings and discussion.
1
daa’em1 paRaa huaa tire dar2 par nahiiN huuN maiN
Khaak aisii zindagi3 pah kih patthar nahiiN huuN maiN1.ceaselessly, always 2.door 3.dust on this life, woe to this life
There are several combinations of meanings here. (1) am I not always lying at your (beloved’s) door. Woe to this life, I wish I were a stone. (2) am I not always lying at your doorstep. Woe to this life, I am acting like a stone (door sill) when I should be doing something else. There are other cross combinations too. But here is pure speculation on my part. Ghalib wrote this when he finally received a pension from the Moghul Emperor. He acknowledges this in the last she’r of this Ghazal. In this opening she’r is he taking a dig at the Emperor saying I have been here all this time and you have not paid any attention to me.
2
kyuuN gardish1-e mudaam2 se ghabraa nah jaae dil
insaan huuN piyaalah-o-saaGhar3 nahiiN huuN maiN1.circulation 2.constant 3.flask
Why would I not be confused/disheartened with this constant going round and round. After all I am human not a cup and flask. Once again, I think that the constant circulation may have a reference to his search for a patron.
3
yaa rab zamaanah1 mujh ko miTaataa hai kisliye
lauh2-e jahaaN pah harf3-e mukarrar4 nahiiN huuN maiN1.the times, the age/epoch 2.page 3.letter, alphabet 4.repeated (by mistake), redundant, unnecessary (therefore to be erased)
O god, why do the times insist on erasing me. I am not a redundant mark on the page of Time.
4
had1 chaahiye sazaa meN uquubat2 ke vaaste
aaKhir gunahgaar huuN kaafir3 nahiiN huuN maiN1.limit 2.punishment, judgement 3.denying the benevolence of god
There needs to be a limit to the punishment meted out (o, god). After all I am only a sinner not a heretic.
5
kis vaaste aziiz1 nahiiN jaante2 mujhe
la’al3-o-zumurrud4-o-zar5-o-gauhar6 nahiiN huuN maiN1.valuable, dear 2.consider 3.ruby 4.emarald 5.gold 6.pearl
It is generally thought that this (and the following two) she’r are addressed to Mohammed. He (Mohammed) is reputed to have not valued gems and gold, prefering strength of character instead. The poet sounds a little miffed … why don’t you consider me valuable, I am NOT those trivial things that you rejected, I am human.
6
rakhte ho tum qadam1 mirii aaNkhoN se kyuuN dareGh2
rutbe3 meN mihr4-o-maah5 se kam-tar nahiiN huuN maiN1.feet, step 2.keep away, withhold 3.status, rank 4.sun 5.moon
Why do you (O, Mohammed) not step on my eyes (not bless me). After all my status is not less than that of the heavens. The story is that Mohammed stepped on the sun and the moon to reach seventh heaven for his “me’raaj- the Ascent”. And Ghalib claims a status no less than that of the sun and the moon and demands equal treatment.
7
karte ho mujh ko man’aa1-e qadam-bos2 kisliye
kyaa aasmaan ke bhii baraabar nahiiN huuN maiN1.deny, refuse 2.feet kissing
Why do you deny me (the opportunity) to kiss your feet (O, Mohammed). Am I not an equal of the skies (on which you stepped on your way to seventh heaven).
8
Ghalib vaziifah-Khvaar1 ho do shaah2 ko duaa
voh din gae jo kahte the naukar nahiiN huuN maiN1.pensioner 2.king/emperor
Ghalib, you are now a pensioner, praise the Emperor. Those days are gone when you could say that you were not a servant.
daa’em paRa hua – mirza Ghalib
1
daa’em1 paRaa huaa tire dar2 par nahiiN huuN maiN
Khaak aisii zindagi3 pah kih patthar nahiiN huuN maiN
1.ceaselessly, always 2.door 3.dust on this life, woe to this life
There are several combinations of meanings here. (1) am I not always lying at your (beloved’s) door. Woe to this life, I wish I were a stone. (2) am I not always lying at your doorstep. Woe to this life, I am acting like a stone (door sill) when I should be doing something else. There are other cross combinations too. But here is pure speculation on my part. Ghalib wrote this when he finally received a pension from the Moghul Emperor. He acknowledges this in the last she’r of this Ghazal. In this opening she’r is he taking a dig at the Emperor saying I have been here all this time and you have not paid any attention to me.
2
kyuuN gardish1-e mudaam2 se ghabraa nah jaae dil
insaan huuN piyaalah-o-saaGhar3 nahiiN huuN maiN
1.circulation 2.constant 3.flask
Why would I not be confused/disheartened with this constant going round and round. After all I am human not a cup and flask. Once again, I think that the constant circulation may have a reference to his search for a patron.
3
yaa rab zamaanah1 mujh ko miTaataa hai kisliye
lauh2-e jahaaN pah harf3-e mukarrar4 nahiiN huuN maiN
1.the times, the age/epoch 2.page 3.letter, alphabet 4.repeated (by mistake), redundant, unnecessary (therefore to be erased)
O god, why do the times insist on erasing me. I am not a redundant mark on the page of Time.
4
had1 chaahiye sazaa meN uquubat2 ke vaaste
aaKhir gunahgaar huuN kaafir3 nahiiN huuN maiN
1.limit 2.punishment, judgement 3.denying the benevolence of god
There needs to be a limit to the punishment meted out (o, god). After all I am only a sinner not a heretic.
5
kis vaaste aziiz1 nahiiN jaante2 mujhe
la’al3-o-zumurrud4-o-zar5-o-gauhar6 nahiiN huuN maiN
1.valuable, dear 2.consider 3.ruby 4.emarald 5.gold 6.pearl
It is generally thought that this (and the following two) she’r are addressed to Mohammed. He (Mohammed) is reputed to have not valued gems and gold, prefering strength of character instead. The poet sounds a little miffed … why don’t you consider me valuable, I am NOT those trivial things that you rejected, I am human.
6
rakhte ho tum qadam1 mirii aaNkhoN se kyuuN dareGh2
rutbe3 meN mihr4-o-maah5 se kam-tar nahiiN huuN maiN
1.feet, step 2.keep away, withhold 3.status, rank 4.sun 5.moon
Why do you (O, Mohammed) not step on my eyes (not bless me). After all my status is not less than that of the heavens. The story is that Mohammed stepped on the sun and the moon to reach seventh heaven for his “me’raaj- the Ascent”. And Ghalib claims a status no less than that of the sun and the moon and demands equal treatment.
7
karte ho mujh ko man’aa1-e qadam-bos2 kisliye
kyaa aasmaan ke bhii baraabar nahiiN huuN maiN
1.deny, refuse 2.feet kissing
Why do you deny me (the opportunity) to kiss your feet (O, Mohammed). Am I not an equal of the skies (on which you stepped on your way to seventh heaven).
8
Ghalib vaziifah-Khvaar1 ho do shaah2 ko duaa
voh din gae jo kahte the naukar nahiiN huuN maiN
1.pensioner 2.king/emperor
Ghalib, you are now a pensioner, praise the Emperor. Those days are gone when you could say that you were not a servant.
Door Sill – Raina’s Ghalib
1
Ah woeful fate, that I should not be prone upon His door
Ah woeful fate that should not be the flint that makes his floor
3
The lengths to which this world has gone to wipe me off its face
As though I were the mark of Cain, impossible to erase
4
Condemn me not to perdition, to everlasting grief
For I may have sinned the sins of man, but not of unbelief
5
Pearls and diamonds and emeralds green, none of these am I
Then why banish me from Grace, O God, why banish me, oh why?
6
The God that lets the soulless sky stretch forth His feet to kiss
Why deny me, Creation’s principal end, the promise of that bliss?
8
O Ghalib, now extol the King, whose bounty wills your breath
Those defiant days are all gone by when servitude were death
