For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
حُسنِ فِکر و خیال دے ۔ عالمتاب تشنہؔ
۱
مری دسترس میں ہے گر قلم مجھے حُسنِ فکر و خیال دے
مجھے شہر یار سخن بنا اور عنانِ شہرِ کمال دے
۲
مری شاخِ شعر رہے ہری دے مرے سخن کو صنوبری
مری جھیل میں بھی کنول کِھلا مری گدڑیوں کو بھی لعل دے
۳
تری بخشِشوں میں ہے سروری مرے عشق کو دے قلندری
جو اُٹھے تو دستِ دعا لگے مجھے ایسا دستِ سوال دے
۴
رگ جاں میں جمنے لگا لہو اُسے مُشک بننے کی آرزو
ہے اُداس دشتِ تتارِ دل اسے پھر شلنگِ غزال دے
۵
کوئی بات عقرب و شمس کی کوئی ذکرِ زہرہ و مشتری
تو بڑا ستارہ شناس ہے مجھے کوئی اچھی سی فال دے
۶
ہیں یہ جسم و جاں کی قیود کیا خد و خال کے یہ حدود کیا
میں ہوں عکسِ منظرِ ماورا مجھے آ ئینوں سے نکال دے
۷
میں وہی ہوں تشنۂؔ با وفا مرا آج بھی وہی مدعا
نہ فراق دے مجھے مستقل نہ مجھے ہمیشہ وصال دے
हुस्न-ए फ़िक्र-ओ-ख़याल दे – आलमताब तश्ना
१
मेरी दस्तरस में है गर क़लम मुझे हुस्न-ए फ़िक्र-ओ-ख़याल दे
मुझे शहरयार-ए सुख़न बना और एनान-ए शहर-ए कमाल दे
२
मेरी शाख़-ए शेर रहे हरी दे मेरे सुख़न को सनोबरी
मेरी झील में भी कँवल खिला मेरी गुदड़ियों को भी ला’ल दे
३
तेरी बख़्शिशों में है सरवरी मेरे इश्क़ को दे क़लंदरी
जो उठे तो दस्त-ए दुआ लगे मुझे ऐसा दस्त-ए सवाल दे
४
रग-ए जाँ में जमने लगा लहू उसे मुश्क बनने की आर्ज़ू
है उदास दश्त-ए ततार-ए दल उसे फिर शलंग-ए ग़ज़ाल दे
५
कोई बात अक़्रब-ओ-शम्स की कोई ज़िक्र-ए ज़ोहरा-ओ-मुशतरी
तू बड़ा सितारा-शनास है मुझे कोई अच्छी सी फ़ाल दे
६
हैं ये जिस्म-ओ-जाँ की क़ुयूद क्या ख़द-ओ-ख़ाल के ये हुदूद क्या
मैं हूँ अक्स-ए मंज़र-ए मावरा मुझे आइनों से निकाल दे
७
मैं वही हूँ ‘तिश्ना’-ए बा-वफ़ा मेरा आज भी वही मुद्द’आ
न फ़िराक़ दे मुझे मुस्तक़िल न मुझे हमेशा विसाल दे
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. aalamtaab tishna (1935-1991), born in meraTh, India, migrated to pakistan in 1959 and describes it as “banbaas” given to him by the “kaikaii of the times”. But his “banbaas” separated him from his “sita-kavita” and lasted for 12 years. He began composing and reciting again with his first collection published in 1978. This beautiful Ghazal has much similarity of thought and style with parveen shaakir’s “yaarab mere sukoot ko naGhma-saraaii de” and is linked to others like it under that icon on the “radeef-Refrain” page.
1
meri dastaras1 meN hai gar2 qalam mujhe husn3-e fikr4-o-Khayaal5 de
mujhe shahryar6-e suKhan7 bana aur enan8-e shahr-e kamaal9 de 1.within reach 2.if – used to mean as long as 3.beauty, expertise 4.reason 5.imagination, thought 6.sovereign 7.versification 8.reins 9.perfection, magic
As long as I can hold a pen, grant me the skill of reason and imagination. Grant me sovereignty over verse and give me the reins (controlling direction, setting the trend/direction of poetry) of the city/domain of magic/illusion.
2
meri shaaKh-e she’r rahe hari de mere suKhan1 ko sanobari2
meri jhiil3 meN bhi kaNval khila meri gudRiyoN4 ko bhi laal5 de 1.verse, words 2.evergreen 3.lake 4.mendicant/beggar’s (patched) cloak 5.rubies, gems
Grant that the bough of my verse remain fresh, make my words forever green. Let lotus bloom in my lake, give me gems to collect in my beggarly cloak.
3
teri baKhshishoN1 meN hai sarvari2 mere ishq ko de qalandari3
jo uThe to dast4-e dua lage mujhe aisa dast4-e savaal de 1.largesse, ability to grant 2.monarchy 3.mendicant, asceticism, mysticism 4.hands
You have within your power to bestow monarchy, but grant me mystical knowledge of a mendicant. Whenever I raise my hands to ask, let it be as if I raise them in prayer.
4
rag1-e jaaN meN jamne laga lahu2 use mushk3 ban’ne ki aarzu4
hai udaas5 dasht6-e tataar7-e dil use phir shalaNg8-e Ghazaal9 de 1.vein, fibre 2.blood 3.musk, fragrance 4.desire 5.sorrow 6.wilderness 7.Tartary, Caucuses region in Turkey 8.stride, leap 9.gazelle, deer
The stride/leap of the gazelle of Tartary is considered very graceful and is used as a metaphor for grace. The blood in my jugular vein has congealed i.e. I have lost the throbbing restlessness of my life. My blood i.e. my life desires to be like musk and spread fragrance all around. My heart is sad and barren like the wilderness of Tartary. Grant it the grace of gazelle, so I may be moved to compose graceful verse.
5
koi baat aqrab1-o-shams2 ki koi zikr3-e zohra4-o-mushtari5
tu baRaa sitaara-shanaas6 hai mujhe koi achchhi si faal7 de 1.crab 2.sun 3.story 4.Venus 5.Jupiter 6.knowledgeable of the stars, astronomer 7.prediction of fate, astrological prediction
I am not sure who this would be addressed to – probably not to god. aqrab, shams, zohra, mushtari … are all used here to mean cosmic bodies that are reputed to control our fate. You are an expert in reading stars (astrology), tell me what they say, give me some nice prediction of what will happen to me.
6
haiN ye jism1-o-jaaN2 ki quyuud3 kya Khad-o-Khaal4 ke ye huduud5 kya
maiN huN aks6-e manzar7-e maavara8 mujhe aa’inoN9 se nikaal de 1.body 2.soul 3.imprisonment 4.features (as in face) 5.limits, bounds 6.reflection 7.scene 8.beyond, unseen, unknown 9.mirrors
The poet considers himself a reflection of the scene beyond the stars, of the unknown. The rest of humanity is like mirrors – a reflection of creation. The poet does not like that his soul is a prisoner of his body, that his person is bound by his image/features. He wants to be freed of both, so that he may be able to reflect/write about the unknown.
7
1.pen-name of the poet, thirsty 2.faithful 3.desire, intent 4.separation 5.permanent 6.union
I am the same poet, tishna (thirsty for knowledge, love or skill of versification). My goal remains the same – neither do I want permanent separation (from the beloved) not do I want permanent union. But he still leaves his goal an enigma, not stating what he desires. ” effect=”1″] maiN vahi huN tishna1-e ba-vafaa2 mera aaj bhi vahi mudd’aa3
na firaaq4 de mujhe mustaqil5 na mujhe hamesha visaal6 de meaningsanddiscussion
aalamtaab tishna (1935-1991), born in meraTh, India, migrated to pakistan in 1959 and describes it as “banbaas” given to him by the “kaikaii of the times”. But his “banbaas” separated him from his “sita-kavita” and lasted for 12 years. He began composing and reciting again with his first collection published in 1978. This beautiful Ghazal has much similarity of thought and style with parveen shaakir’s “yaarab mere sukoot ko naGhma-saraaii de” and is linked to others like it under that icon on the “radeef-Refrain” page.
1
meri dastaras1 meN hai gar2 qalam mujhe husn3-e fikr4-o-Khayaal5 de
mujhe shahryar6-e suKhan7 bana aur enan8-e shahr-e kamaal9 de
1.within reach 2.if – used to mean as long as 3.beauty, expertise 4.reason 5.imagination, thought 6.sovereign 7.versification 8.reins 9.perfection, magic
As long as I can hold a pen, grant me the skill of reason and imagination. Grant me sovereignty over verse and give me the reins (controlling direction, setting the trend/direction of poetry) of the city/domain of magic/illusion.
2
meri shaaKh-e she’r rahe hari de mere suKhan1 ko sanobari2
meri jhiil3 meN bhi kaNval khila meri gudRiyoN4 ko bhi laal5 de
1.verse, words 2.evergreen 3.lake 4.mendicant/beggar’s (patched) cloak 5.rubies, gems
Grant that the bough of my verse remain fresh, make my words forever green. Let lotus bloom in my lake, give me gems to collect in my beggarly cloak.
3
teri baKhshishoN1 meN hai sarvari2 mere ishq ko de qalandari3
jo uThe to dast4-e dua lage mujhe aisa dast4-e savaal de
1.largesse, ability to grant 2.monarchy 3.mendicant, asceticism, mysticism 4.hands
You have within your power to bestow monarchy, but grant me mystical knowledge of a mendicant. Whenever I raise my hands to ask, let it be as if I raise them in prayer.
4
rag1-e jaaN meN jamne laga lahu2 use mushk3 ban’ne ki aarzu4
hai udaas5 dasht6-e tataar7-e dil use phir shalaNg8-e Ghazaal9 de
1.vein, fibre 2.blood 3.musk, fragrance 4.desire 5.sorrow 6.wilderness 7.Tartary, Caucuses region in Turkey 8.stride, leap 9.gazelle, deer
The stride/leap of the gazelle of Tartary is considered very graceful and is used as a metaphor for grace. The blood in my jugular vein has congealed i.e. I have lost the throbbing restlessness of my life. My blood i.e. my life desires to be like musk and spread fragrance all around. My heart is sad and barren like the wilderness of Tartary. Grant it the grace of gazelle, so I may be moved to compose graceful verse.
5
koi baat aqrab1-o-shams2 ki koi zikr3-e zohra4-o-mushtari5
tu baRaa sitaara-shanaas6 hai mujhe koi achchhi si faal7 de
1.crab 2.sun 3.story 4.Venus 5.Jupiter 6.knowledgeable of the stars, astronomer 7.prediction of fate, astrological prediction
I am not sure who this would be addressed to – probably not to god. aqrab, shams, zohra, mushtari … are all used here to mean cosmic bodies that are reputed to control our fate. You are an expert in reading stars (astrology), tell me what they say, give me some nice prediction of what will happen to me.
6
haiN ye jism1-o-jaaN2 ki quyuud3 kya Khad-o-Khaal4 ke ye huduud5 kya
maiN huN aks6-e manzar7-e maavara8 mujhe aa’inoN9 se nikaal de
1.body 2.soul 3.imprisonment 4.features (as in face) 5.limits, bounds 6.reflection 7.scene 8.beyond, unseen, unknown 9.mirrors
The poet considers himself a reflection of the scene beyond the stars, of the unknown. The rest of humanity is like mirrors – a reflection of creation. The poet does not like that his soul is a prisoner of his body, that his person is bound by his image/features. He wants to be freed of both, so that he may be able to reflect/write about the unknown.
7
maiN vahi huN tishna1-e ba-vafaa2 mera aaj bhi vahi mudd’aa3
na firaaq4 de mujhe mustaqil5 na mujhe hamesha visaal6 de
1.pen-name of the poet, thirsty 2.faithful 3.desire, intent 4.separation 5.permanent 6.union
I am the same poet, tishna (thirsty for knowledge, love or skill of versification). My goal remains the same – neither do I want permanent separation (from the beloved) not do I want permanent union. But he still leaves his goal an enigma, not stating what he desires.
