ibn-e aadam tujhe hua kya hai-heera lal falak

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

اِبنِ آدم تجھے ہوا کیا ہے ۔ ہیرا لال فلکؔ دہلوی

۱

سوچئے تو بنا مٹا کیا ہے

کھیل سا ہے فنا بقا کیا ہے

۲

موت کا کام تو فنا ٹھہرا

زندگی تیرا مدعا کیا ہے

۳

آدمیّت سے دشمنی توبہ

اِبنِ آدم تجھے ہوا کیا ہے

۴

ہر نفس دل کو اِک نیا غم ہے

یہ بقا ہے تو پھر فنا کیا ہے

۵

دل میں نظروں میں اور سانسوں میں

تُو ہی تُو ہے ترے سوا کیا ہے

۶

وسعتِ تیرگی ہے بے پایاں

ایک نقطہ ہے یہ ضیا کیا ہے

۷

اپنا جس کو کہا بنا دشمن

اِس بھلائی میں بھی بھلا کیا ہے

۸

وقتِ آخر بھی کوئی کہہ نہ سکا

میں نے کیا کھویا اور ملا کیا ہے

۹

اچھا چلئے خدا نہیں کوئی

میں اگر مان لوں بُرا کیا ہے

۱۰

جو بھی کچھ ہے فلکؔ وہ طرزِ عمل

آدمی خود بُرا بھلا کیا ہے

इब्न-ए आदम तुझे हुआ क्या है – हीरा लाल फ़लक देहलवी

सोचिये तो बना मिटा क्या है

खेल सा है फ़ना बक़ा क्या है

मौत का काम तो फ़ना ठहरा

ज़िंदगी तेरा मुद्द’आ क्या है

आदमिय्यत से दुश्मनी तौबा

इब्न-ए आदम तुझे हुआ क्या है

हर नफ़स दिल को एक नया ग़म है

ये बक़ा है तो फिर फ़ना क्या है

दिल में, नज़्रौं में और सांसौं में

तू हि तू है, तेरे सिवा क्या है

वुस’अत-ए तीरगी है बे-पायां

एक नुक़्ता है ये ज़िया क्या है

अपना जिस को कहा बना दुश्मन

इस भलाई में भी भला क्या है

वक़्त-ए आख़र भी कोई कह न सका

मैं ने क्या खोया और मिला क्या है

अच्छा चलिये ख़ुदा नहीं कोई

मैं अगर मान लूं बुरा क्या है

१०

जो कुछ है फ़लक वो तर्ज़-ए अमल

आदमी ख़ुद बुरा भला क्या है

 

Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. heera lal falak dehlavi (1920?-1982+?). I can only make an educated guess about his birth and death. A collection of his Ghazal was published in 1982 which mentions beKhud dehlavi (1863-1955) and dedicates it to him. He was a minor official in the dehli court system. In the book he describes his encounter with beKhud dehlavi when he (falak) was still a young man. The book says that he started composing in 1940. This Ghazal is composed in the zamin of Ghalib’s ‘dil-e naadaaN tujhe hua kya hai’.
1
sochiye to banaa miTa kya hai
khel sa hai fana1 baqaa2 kya hai   
1.annihilation, non-being 2.survival, existence, being
Think about it, what is this creation and destruction (making and erasing-banaa miTaa). It is all but a game this being and non-being. Thus does the poet pose a profound question.

2
maut ka kaam to fana1 Thahra
zindagi tera mudd’ua2 kya hai   
1.annihilation, non-being 2.purpose, desire
The work of Death is annihilation. Now, O, Life, tell me what your purpose is.

3
aadmiyyat1 se dushmani taubah2
ibn-e-aadam3 tujhe hua kya hai   
1.human-ness 2.used here to mean, “god help me” 3.son of Adam i.e. humanity
Antagonism towards human-ness, god help me. What has happened to you, O humanity.

4
har nafas1 dil ko ek naya Gham hai
ye baqa2 hai to phir fana3 kya hai  
1.breath 2.used here to mean – refuge, life 3.used here to mean – death
With every breath there is a new sorrow/problem. If this is living, then what is dying.

5
dil meN, nazroN1 meN aur saaNsoN meN
tuu hi tuu hai, tere siva2 kya hai   
1.eyes 2.except for
This could be addressed to the beloved or to god. In my heart, eyes and in every breath, it you and you alone. What can there be except you.

6
vus’at1-e tiiragi2 hai be-paayaaN3
ek nuqta4 hai ye ziya5 kya hai   
1.expanse 2.darkness 3.without bounds, infinite 4.point 5.light, sun
The expanse of darkness in the universe knows no bounds. This light that we see is but a point, what else.

7
apna jis ko kaha bana dushman
is bhalaaii meN bhi bhala kya hai   
Whoever I called my friend, became an enemy/rival. What good is there is such goodness/friendship.

8
vaqt1-e aaKhir2 bhi koii kah na saka
maiN ne kya khoyaa aur mila kya hai   
1.time 2.end
Even at the end of my time/life, no one could explain what I gained or what I lost i.e., I do not know what the purpose of my life is.

9
achchha chaliye Khuda nahiN koii
maiN agar maan luN bura kya hai
All right, I concede, there is no god. Even if I accept that, what difference will it make. He leaves us to guess whether he means that there is no god or whether there is, but he seems to imply that such discussion is pointless.

10
jo kuchh hai falak1 vo tarz2-e amal3
aadmi Khud4 bura bhala kya hai  
1.pen-name of poet 2.way 3.action 4.himself
O falak, humans in themselves are neither good nor bad. It is the way they act that makes them what they are.

heera lal falak dehlavi (1920?-1982+?).  I can only make an educated guess about his birth and death.  A collection of his Ghazal was published in 1982 which mentions beKhud dehlavi (1863-1955) and dedicates it to him.  He was a minor official in the dehli court system.  In the book he describes his encounter with beKhud dehlavi when he (falak) was still a young man.  The book says that he started composing in 1940.  This Ghazal is composed in the zamin of Ghalib’s ‘dil-e naadaaN tujhe hua kya hai’.
1
sochiye to banaa miTa kya hai
khel sa hai fana1 baqaa2 kya hai

1.annihilation, non-being 2.survival, existence, being

Think about it, what is this creation and destruction (making and erasing-banaa miTaa).  It is all but a game this being and non-being.  Thus does the poet pose a profound question.
2
maut ka kaam to fana1 Thahra
zindagi tera mudd’ua2 kya hai

1.annihilation, non-being 2.purpose, desire

The work of Death is annihilation.  Now, O, Life, tell me what your purpose is.
3
aadmiyyat1 se dushmani taubah2
ibn-e-aadam3 tujhe hua kya hai

1.human-ness 2.used here to mean, “god help me” 3.son of Adam i.e. humanity

Antagonism towards human-ness, god help me.  What has happened to you, O humanity.
4
har nafas1 dil ko ek naya Gham hai
ye baqa2 hai to phir fana3 kya hai

1.breath 2.used here to mean – refuge, life 3.used here to mean – death

With every breath there is a new sorrow/problem.  If this is living, then what is dying.
5
dil meN, nazroN1 meN aur saaNsoN meN
tuu hi tuu hai, tere siva2 kya hai

1.eyes 2.except for

This could be addressed to the beloved or to god.  In my heart, eyes and in every breath, it you and you alone.  What can there be except you.
6
vus’at1-e tiiragi2 hai be-paayaaN3
ek nuqta4 hai ye ziya5 kya hai

1.expanse 2.darkness 3.without bounds, infinite 4.point 5.light, sun

The expanse of darkness in the universe knows no bounds.  This light that we see is but a point, what else.
7
apna jis ko kaha bana dushman
is bhalaaii meN bhi bhala kya hai

Whoever I called my friend, became an enemy/rival.  What good is there is such goodness/friendship.
8
vaqt1-e aaKhir2 bhi koii kah na saka
maiN ne kya khoyaa aur mila kya hai

1.time 2.end

Even at the end of my time/life, no one could explain what I gained or what I lost i.e., I do not know what the purpose of my life is.
9
achchha chaliye Khuda nahiN koii
maiN agar maan luN bura kya hai

All right, I concede, there is no god.  Even if I accept that, what difference will it make.  He leaves us to guess whether he means that there is no god or whether there is, but he seems to imply that such discussion is pointless.
10
jo kuchh hai falak1 vo tarz2-e amal3
aadmi Khud4 bura bhala kya hai

1.pen-name of poet 2.way 3.action 4.himself

O falak, humans in themselves are neither good nor bad.  It is the way they act that makes them what they are.