For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
حسنِ مجسم ہوتی جاتی ہے ۔ شیام موہن لال جگرؔ بریلوی
۱
تیری بے التفاتی کیا کوئی کم ہوتی جاتی ہے
طبیعت رفتہ رفتہ خوگرِ غم ہوتی جاتی ہے
۲
ہزاروں چارہ گر ہیں اور غم بڑھتے ہی جاتے ہیں
جو صورت دیکھیے تصویرِ ماتم ہوتی جاتی ہے
۳
تسلّی آپ نے دی فرق ہے ہاں دل کی حالت میں
جو تھم تھم کر خلش ہوتی تھی پیہم ہوتی جاتی ہے
۴
جو چِنگاری تھی پہلے اب وہ بجلی بن گئی بڑھ کر
محبت عمر ڈھل جانے سے کیا کم ہوتی جاتی ہے
۵
نظر کیا آپ کی بدلی مزاجِ زندگی بدلا
جو پہلے جاں فزا تھی مے وہی کم ہوتی جاتی ہے
۶
کسی کا غم سموئے جاتا ہے رگ رگ میں رنگ ایسے
کہ اپنی زندگی حسنِ مجسم ہوتی جاتی ہے
۷
نہ احساسِ غمِ جاناں نہ احساسِ غمِ دوراں
تو کیوں مانوسِ گریہ چشمِ پُر نم ہوتی جاتی ہے
۸
سب اُلٹی پڑ رہی ہیں شاید آزادی کی تدبیریں
کہ زنجیرِ محبت اور محکم ہوتی جاتی ہے
۹
جگرؔ کیا تاب لا سکتا ہے کوئی دل میں زخموں کی
مگر کچھ غیب سے تدبیرِ مرہم ہوتی جاتی ہے
हुस्न-ए मुजस्सम होती जाती है – श्याम मोहन लाल जिगर बरेलवी
१
तेरी बे-इल्तेफ़ाती क्या कोई कम होती जाती है
तबी’अत रफ़्ता रफ़्ता ख़ूगर-ए ग़म होती जाती है
२
हज़ारों चारा-गर हैं और ग़म बढ़ते ही जाते हैं
जो सूरत देखिए तस्वीर-ए मातम होती जाती है
३
तसल्ली आप ने दी फ़र्क़ है हाँ दिल की हालत में
जो थम थम कर ख़लिश होती थी पैहम होती जाती है
४
जो चिंगारी थी पहले अब वो बिजली बन गई बढ़ कर
मोहब्बत उम्र ढल जाने से क्या कम होती जाती है
५
नज़र क्या आप की बदली मिज़ाज-ए ज़िंदगी बदला
जो पहले जाँ-फ़ज़ा थी मय वही कम होती जाती है
६
किसी का ग़म समोए जाता है रग रग में रंग ऐसे
के अपनी ज़िंदगी हुस्न-ए मुजस्सम होती जाती है
७
न एहसास-ए ग़म-ए जानाँ न एहसास-ए ग़म-ए दौराँ
तो क्यूँ मानूस-ए गिर्या चश्म-ए पुर-नम होती जाती है
८
सब उल्टी पढ रही हैं शायद आज़ादी की तदबीरें
के ज़ंजीर-ए मोहब्बत और मोहकम होती जाती है
९
जिगर क्या ताब ला सकता है कोई दिल में ज़ख़्मों की
मगर कुछ ग़ैब से तदबीर-ए मरहम होती जाती है
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. shyaam mohan lal jigar barelavi (1890-1976). He had a long line of urdu and faarsi scholars on both sides of his family. He learnt urdu and faarsi from this grandfather at home and later matriculation in 1911 and BA in 1916 (urdu, faarsi and philosophy). He also followed the family tradition as an educator in schools but soon changed to government administration, progressing to become a Collector, but resigned to participate in the freedom movement, later working as a professor in a junior college. He has several collections of Ghazal and rubaaii to his credit. This Ghazal is linked to other ham-radeef Ghazal on the ‘Refrain’ page.
1
teri be-iltefaati1 kya koi kam hoti jaati hai
tabi’yat2 rafta-rafta3 Khuugar4-e Gham hoti jaati hai 1.disfavour, unkindness 2.disposition, mood, nature 3.gradually 4.habituated, used to
The disposition/nature of the poet/lover is gradually getting used to sorrow i.e., he does not seem to be as distressed as he used to be. He wonders if this may be because the beloved does not show as much unkindness towards him as before. Said Ghalib …
ranj se Khuu-gar huaa insaaN to miT jaataa hai ranj
mushkileN mujh par paRiiN itnii kih aasaaN ho gaiiN
2
hazaaroN chaara-gar1 haiN aur Gham baRhte hi jaate haiN
jo soorat dekhiye tasviir2-e maatam3 hoti jaati hai 1.healers 2.picture of 3.mourning
There are thousands of healers, yet sorrows keep increasing. Whoever you look at appears to be a picture of mourning. Seems to be an observation of general malaise among people.
3
tasalli1 aap ne di farq2 hai haaN dil ki haalat3 meN
jo tham-tham4 kar Khalish5 hoti thi paiham6 hoti jaati hai 1.consolation, comfort 2.difference 3.condition 4.used here to mean ‘not very often’ 5.pain, pricking 6.repeatedly, constantly
The poet/lover is distressed but does not feel pain very often. But when the beloved consoles him, it makes a difference. Now he feels it constantly i.e., her concern has raised his level of love so much that it has increased his pain.
4
jo chiNgaari1 thi pahle ab vo bijli2 ban gaii baRh kar
mohabbat umr3 Dhal4 jaane se kya kam hoti jaati hai 1.spark 2.lightning 3.life, life-span 4.wane, decrease, go downhill
That which was a spark has now increased to become lightning. Does love ever diminish with increasing age!
5
nazar1 kya aap ki badli2 mizaaj3-e zindagi badla
jo pahle jaaN-faza4 thi mai5 vahi kam hoti jaati hai 1.glances, looks 2.changed 3.character, nature 4.life-giving 5.wine
The beloved has changed the way she looks at the poet/lover. This has changed the character/nature of his life. Wine used to be life-saving for him, but it is now less so i.e., the beloved does not favour him much any more and he cannot find any solace even in wine.
6
kisi ka Gham samo’ay1 jaata hai rag-rag2 meN raNg3 aise
keh apni zindagi husn-e-mujassam4 hoti jaati hai 1.fill 2.every vein/fibre of the body 3.colour, condition 4.beauty embodied/personified
‘kisi ka Gham’ is the pain/sorrow of the unfulfilled love for the beloved. In poetic tradition this is valued highly. It is overwhelming the poet/lover filling every vein/fibre of his body with a new colour/condition/emotion. It is because of this that his life is becoming the embodiment of beauty.
7
na ehsaas1-e Gham-e jaanaaN2 na ehsaas1-e Gham-e dauraaN3
to kyuN maanoos4-e girya5 chashm6-e pur-nam7 hoti jaati hai 1.feeling 2.beloved 3.times, conditions of the day, world 4.familiar, used to, habituated 5.wailing, crying 6.eye 7.moisture filled, moist
The poet has brought himself to a condition where he feels neither the pain of love for the beloved nor sorrow for the condition of the world. Why then are his moist eyes so used to crying, he wonders i.e., he has not really been successful in overcoming his love for the beloved, or for humanity.
8
sab ulTi paR rahi haiN shaa’ed1 aazaadi ki tadbiireN2
keh zanjir3-e mohabbat aur mohkam4 hoti jaati hai 1.perhaps 2.plan, scheme 3.chain 4.strong
Here ‘aazaadi’ is freedom from emotions. Perhaps all the schemes of trying to become free (of emotions) are working in the opposite direction because the chain of love is getting stronger.
9
jigar1 kya taab2 la sakta hai koi dil meN zaKhmoN3 ki
magar4 kuchh Ghaib5 se tadbiir6-e marham7 hoti jaati hai 1.pen-name of the poet 2.bear, tolerate 3.wounds 4.but 5.unknown, god 6.plan, method 7.ointment
O jigar, can anyone bear the pain of the wounds of the heart i.e., no. But there is a mysterious ointment from the unknown that helps bear the pain.
shyaam mohan lal jigar barelavi (1890-1976). He had a long line of urdu and faarsi scholars on both sides of his family. He learnt urdu and faarsi from this grandfather at home and later matriculation in 1911 and BA in 1916 (urdu, faarsi and philosophy). He also followed the family tradition as an educator in schools but soon changed to government administration, progressing to become a Collector, but resigned to participate in the freedom movement, later working as a professor in a junior college. He has several collections of Ghazal and rubaaii to his credit. This Ghazal is linked to other ham-radeef Ghazal on the ‘Refrain’ page.
1
teri be-iltefaati1 kya koi kam hoti jaati hai
tabi’yat2 rafta-rafta3 Khuugar4-e Gham hoti jaati hai
1.disfavour, unkindness 2.disposition, mood, nature 3.gradually 4.habituated, used to
The disposition/nature of the poet/lover is gradually getting used to sorrow i.e., he does not seem to be as distressed as he used to be. He wonders if this may be because the beloved does not show as much unkindness towards him as before. Said Ghalib …
ranj se Khuu-gar huaa insaaN to miT jaataa hai ranj
mushkileN mujh par paRiiN itnii kih aasaaN ho gaiiN
2
hazaaroN chaara-gar1 haiN aur Gham baRhte hi jaate haiN
jo soorat dekhiye tasviir2-e maatam3 hoti jaati hai
1.healers 2.picture of 3.mourning
There are thousands of healers, yet sorrows keep increasing. Whoever you look at appears to be a picture of mourning. Seems to be an observation of general malaise among people.
3
tasalli1 aap ne di farq2 hai haaN dil ki haalat3 meN
jo tham-tham4 kar Khalish5 hoti thi paiham6 hoti jaati hai
1.consolation, comfort 2.difference 3.condition 4.used here to mean ‘not very often’ 5.pain, pricking 6.repeatedly, constantly
The poet/lover is distressed but does not feel pain very often. But when the beloved consoles him, it makes a difference. Now he feels it constantly i.e., her concern has raised his level of love so much that it has increased his pain.
4
jo chiNgaari1 thi pahle ab vo bijli2 ban gaii baRh kar
mohabbat umr3 Dhal4 jaane se kya kam hoti jaati hai
1.spark 2.lightning 3.life, life-span 4.wane, decrease, go downhill
That which was a spark has now increased to become lightning. Does love ever diminish with increasing age!
5
nazar1 kya aap ki badli2 mizaaj3-e zindagi badla
jo pahle jaaN-faza4 thi mai5 vahi kam hoti jaati hai
1.glances, looks 2.changed 3.character, nature 4.life-giving 5.wine
The beloved has changed the way she looks at the poet/lover. This has changed the character/nature of his life. Wine used to be life-saving for him, but it is now less so i.e., the beloved does not favour him much any more and he cannot find any solace even in wine.
6
kisi ka Gham samo’ay1 jaata hai rag-rag2 meN raNg3 aise
keh apni zindagi husn-e-mujassam4 hoti jaati hai
1.fill 2.every vein/fibre of the body 3.colour, condition 4.beauty embodied/personified
‘kisi ka Gham’ is the pain/sorrow of the unfulfilled love for the beloved. In poetic tradition this is valued highly. It is overwhelming the poet/lover filling every vein/fibre of his body with a new colour/condition/emotion. It is because of this that his life is becoming the embodiment of beauty.
7
na ehsaas1-e Gham-e jaanaaN2 na ehsaas1-e Gham-e dauraaN3
to kyuN maanoos4-e girya5 chashm6-e pur-nam7 hoti jaati hai
1.feeling 2.beloved 3.times, conditions of the day, world 4.familiar, used to, habituated 5.wailing, crying 6.eye 7.moisture filled, moist
The poet has brought himself to a condition where he feels neither the pain of love for the beloved nor sorrow for the condition of the world. Why then are his moist eyes so used to crying, he wonders i.e., he has not really been successful in overcoming his love for the beloved, or for humanity.
8
sab ulTi paR rahi haiN shaa’ed1 aazaadi ki tadbiireN2
keh zanjir3-e mohabbat aur mohkam4 hoti jaati hai
1.perhaps 2.plan, scheme 3.chain 4.strong
Here ‘aazaadi’ is freedom from emotions. Perhaps all the schemes of trying to become free (of emotions) are working in the opposite direction because the chain of love is getting stronger.
9
jigar1 kya taab2 la sakta hai koi dil meN zaKhmoN3 ki
magar4 kuchh Ghaib5 se tadbiir6-e marham7 hoti jaati hai
1.pen-name of the poet 2.bear, tolerate 3.wounds 4.but 5.unknown, god 6.plan, method 7.ointment
O jigar, can anyone bear the pain of the wounds of the heart i.e., no. But there is a mysterious ointment from the unknown that helps bear the pain.
