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Recitation
ذرا نہیں ہوتا ۔ مومن خاں مومنؔ
۱
اثر اُس کو ذرا نہیں ہوتا
رنج راحت فزا نہیں ہوتا
۲
بے وفا کہنے کی شکایت ہے
تو بھی وعدہ وفا نہیں ہوتا
۳
ذکرِ اغیار سے ہوا معلوم
حرفِ ناصح بُرا نہیں ہوتا
۴
کس کو ہے ذوقِ تلخ کامی لیک
جنگ بن کچھ مزا نہیں ہوتا
۵
تم ہمارے کسی طرح نہ ہوئے
ورنہ دنیا میں کیا نہیں ہوتا
۶
اس نے کیا جانے کیا کیا لے کر
دل کسی کام کا نہیں ہوتا
۷
امتحاں کیجئے مرا جب تک
شوق زور آزما نہیں ہوتا
۸
ایک دشمن کہ چرخ ہے نہ رہے
تجھ سے یہ اے دعا نہیں ہوتا
۹
آہ طولِ امل ہے روز فزوں
گرچہ اک مدعا نہیں ہوتا
۱۰
تم مرے پاس ہوتے ہو گویا
جب کوئی دوسرا نہیں ہوتا
۱۱
حالِ دل یار کو لکھوں کیوں کر
ہاتھ دل سے جدا نہیں ہوتا
۱۲
رحم بر خصم جانِ غیر نہ ہو
سب کا دل ایک سا نہیں ہوتا
۱۳
دامن اُس کا جو ہے دراز تو ہو
دستِ عاشق رسا نہیں ہوتا
۱۴
چارۂ دل سوائے صبر نہیں
سو تمہارے سِوا نہیں ہوتا
۱۵
کیوں سُنے عرضِ مضطر اے مومنؔ
صنم آخر خدا نہیں ہوتا
ज़रा नहीं होता – मोमिन ख़ां मोमिन
१
असर उस को ज़रा नहीं होता
रंज राहत-फ़ज़ा नहीं होता
२
बेवफ़ा कहने की शिकायत है
तो भी वादा-वफ़ा नहीं होता
३
ज़िक्र-ए-अग़्यार से हुआ मालूम
हर्फ़-ए-नासह बुरा नहीं होता
४
किस को है ज़ौक़-ए-तल्ख़-कामी लैक
जंग बिन कुछ मज़ा नहीं होता
५
तुम हमारे किसी तरह न हुए
वर्ना दुनिया में क्या नहीं होता
६
उस ने क्या जाने क्या किया ले कर
दिल किसी काम का नहीं होता
७
इम्तिहाँ कीजिए मिरा जब तक
शौक़ ज़ोर-आज़मा नहीं होता
८
एक दुश्मन कि चर्ख़ है न रहे
तुझ से ये ऐ दुआ नहीं होता
९
आह तूल-ए-अमल है रोज़-फ़ुज़ूँ
गरचे इक मुद्दआ नहीं होता
१०
तुम मेरे पास होते हो गोया
जब कोई दूसरा नहीं होता
११
हाल-ए-दिल यार को लिखूँ क्यूँकर
हाथ दिल से जुदा नहीं होता
१२
रहम बर-ख़स्म-ए-जान-ए-ग़ैर न हो
सब का दिल एक सा नहीं होता
१३
दामन उस का जो है दराज़ तो हो
दस्त-ए-आशिक़ रसा नहीं होता
१४
चारा-ए-दिल सिवाए सब्र नहीं
सो तुम्हारे सिवा नहीं होता
१५
क्यूँ सुने अर्ज़-ए-मुज़्तर ऐ मोमिन
सनम आख़र ख़ुदा नहीं होता
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. momin KhaaN momin (1800-1852), was a hakim following the profession of his father and grandfather. momin received education in arabi, faarsi, urdu and in medicine, mathematics, and astrology – which must have involved some study of astronomy, which he uses in his compositions. momin composed unabashedly about romantic themes with much witticism on his taKhallus.
1
asar1 uss ko zaraa nahiN hota
raNj raahat-fazaa2 nahiN hota 1.effect 2.comfort increasing
The poet/lover has been pleading with the beloved but it has had no effect. His pain is not reduced, his comfort is not increased. There is a slight twist to the meaning of the second misra … pain of love itself is supposed to give him comfort. But even that does not seem to happen.
2
be-vafaa1 kahne ki shikaa’et2 hai
to bhi vaada3 vafaa4 nahiN hota 1.faithless 2.complaint, objection 3.promise 4.keeping promise
The beloved objects to being called faithless, but she still does not keep her promises. She does not come to him.
3
zikr1-e aGhyaar2 se hua ma’aloom
harf-e naaseh3 buraa nahiN hota 1.mention 2.other, rival 3.word of the preacher
The preacher has been after the poet (perhaps for his drinking and has been talking to him about fire and brimstone). That is disgusting to the poet/lover. But then, the beloved talks about his rivals. Suddenly he discovers/realizes that this is even worse that the words of the preacher; that the words of the preacher were not so bad.
4
kis ko hai zauq1-e talKh-kaami2 laik3
jaNg4 bin kuchh mazaa5 nahiN hota 1.taste for, desire of 2.dry throat 3.but, never the less 4.war, struggle 5.pleasure
Who has a taste for a dry throat … it is a rhetorical question – no one. The throat goes dry when facing the beloved and when being berated by her. But this is the struggle you have to go through in order to enjoy whatever pleasure you glean out of her anger.
5
tum hamaare kisi tarah na hu’e
varna duniyaa meN kyaa nahiN hota The poet/lover could not gain her love, even though he tried all means. Otherwise, what is not possible in this world.
6
uss ne kya jaane kya kiya le kar
dil kisi kaam ka nahiN hota I don’t know what she did with my heart after she took it. After all, a heart is a useless thing.
7
imtehaaN1 kiijiye mera jab tak
shauq2 zor-aazma3 nahiN hota 1.test/trial 2.love, ardour 3.trying its own strength, making an effort
The poet/lover declares that the beloved can/should keep testing him. His love is sure to respond with full effort.
8
ek dushman keh charKh1 hai na rahe
tujh se ye aye dua nahiN hota 1.sky/heavens/fate
The poet/lover has just one enemy – sky/fate. He has been praying intensely that his fate ‘not be’ i.e., either it disappear to be changed. But his prayers seem to be incapable of performing this task.
9
aah tuul-e amal1 hai roz fuzooN2
garche3 ek muddu’aa4 nahiN hota 1.prolonged effort 2.increasing 3.even though 4.objective, desire
Alas, the length/intensity of my effort keeps increasing every day, even though none of this seems to bear fruit. No desire is fulfilled.
10
tum mer’e paas hot’e ho goya1
jab koi doosra nahiN hota 1.as if, talking
There are multiple nuanced interpretations of this she’r and it is reported that Ghalib himself liked it a lot, willing to trade his whole divan for it. (a)When you are close to me, I feel as if there is no one else in this world. (b)When you are in conversation with me, then I don’t hear anything else. (c)You talk to me when there is no else around i.e., we talk secretly and in privacy. (d)You talk to me when there is no one around i.e., I imagine that you are talking to me; I hear your voice when I am alone.
11
haal-e dil yaar1 ko likhuN kyuNkar2
haath dil se juda3 nahiN hota 1.beloved 2.how 3.separate
How can I write the condition/state of my heart to the beloved. My hand holds my heart, I cannot even let go of it (such is the condition of my pain).
12
rahm1 bar-Khasm2-e jaan-e Ghair3 na ho
sab ka dil ek saa4 nahiN hota 1.kindness 2.for the enemy/rival 3.other, another 4.similar, alike
Let us start with the second misra. All hearts are not alike i.e., my heart is steadfast and faithful; other hearts are not. The first misra cautions/warns that because of this weakness the heart of the rival might wander off and become jaan-e Ghair, lover of someone else. Thus the call to be kind to the rival. Be kind to the rival, lest he fall in love with someone else. Remember, all hearts are not like mine.
13
daaman1 uss ka jo hai daraaz2 to ho
dast-e aashiq3 rasaa4 nahiN hota 1.hem of the skirt 2.long, large 3.hand of the lover 4.far reaching
‘daaman daraaz hona’ – to have a large apron/skirt is an expression meaning generous. The beloved may be generous and accommodating but the lover’s hand cannot reach/grasp it.
14
chaara1-e dil sivaa’e2 sabr3 nahiN
so tumhaare siva2 nahiN hota 1.remedy, cure 2.except for 3.patience
There is no cure for the ailment of the heart except patience and I cannot have any patience/peace of mind without you. Thus, the poet/lover is caught in an impossible situation.
15
kyuN sune arz-e muztar1 aye momin2
sanam aaKhir Khuda nahiN hota 1.plea of the distressed/lover 2.pen-name
O, momin, why should she hear the plea of the distressed lover. After all, the beloved is not like god. The implication is that even god answers prayers but the beloved never does.
momin KhaaN momin (1800-1852), was a hakim following the profession of his father and grandfather. momin received education in arabi, faarsi, urdu and in medicine, mathematics, and astrology – which must have involved some study of astronomy, which he uses in his compositions. momin composed unabashedly about romantic themes with much witticism on his taKhallus.
1
asar1 uss ko zaraa nahiN hota
raNj raahat-fazaa2 nahiN hota
1.effect 2.comfort increasing
The poet/lover has been pleading with the beloved but it has had no effect. His pain is not reduced, his comfort is not increased. There is a slight twist to the meaning of the second misra … pain of love itself is supposed to give him comfort. But even that does not seem to happen.
2
be-vafaa1 kahne ki shikaa’et2 hai
to bhi vaada3 vafaa4 nahiN hota
1.faithless 2.complaint, objection 3.promise 4.keeping promise
The beloved objects to being called faithless, but she still does not keep her promises. She does not come to him.
3
zikr1-e aGhyaar2 se hua ma’aloom
harf-e naaseh3 buraa nahiN hota
1.mention 2.other, rival 3.word of the preacher
The preacher has been after the poet (perhaps for his drinking and has been talking to him about fire and brimstone). That is disgusting to the poet/lover. But then, the beloved talks about his rivals. Suddenly he discovers/realizes that this is even worse that the words of the preacher; that the words of the preacher were not so bad.
4
kis ko hai zauq1-e talKh-kaami2 laik3
jaNg4 bin kuchh mazaa5 nahiN hota
1.taste for, desire of 2.dry throat 3.but, never the less 4.war, struggle 5.pleasure
Who has a taste for a dry throat … it is a rhetorical question – no one. The throat goes dry when facing the beloved and when being berated by her. But this is the struggle you have to go through in order to enjoy whatever pleasure you glean out of her anger.
5
tum hamaare kisi tarah na hu’e
varna duniyaa meN kyaa nahiN hota
The poet/lover could not gain her love, even though he tried all means. Otherwise, what is not possible in this world.
6
uss ne kya jaane kya kiya le kar
dil kisi kaam ka nahiN hota
I don’t know what she did with my heart after she took it. After all, a heart is a useless thing.
7
imtehaaN1 kiijiye mera jab tak
shauq2 zor-aazma3 nahiN hota
1.test/trial 2.love, ardour 3.trying its own strength, making an effort
The poet/lover declares that the beloved can/should keep testing him. His love is sure to respond with full effort.
8
ek dushman keh charKh1 hai na rahe
tujh se ye aye dua nahiN hota
1.sky/heavens/fate
The poet/lover has just one enemy – sky/fate. He has been praying intensely that his fate ‘not be’ i.e., either it disappear to be changed. But his prayers seem to be incapable of performing this task.
9
aah tuul-e amal1 hai roz fuzooN2
garche3 ek muddu’aa4 nahiN hota
1.prolonged effort 2.increasing 3.even though 4.objective, desire
Alas, the length/intensity of my effort keeps increasing every day, even though none of this seems to bear fruit. No desire is fulfilled.
10
tum mer’e paas hot’e ho goya1
jab koi doosra nahiN hota
1.as if, talking
There are multiple nuanced interpretations of this she’r and it is reported that Ghalib himself liked it a lot, willing to trade his whole divan for it. (a)When you are close to me, I feel as if there is no one else in this world. (b)When you are in conversation with me, then I don’t hear anything else. (c)You talk to me when there is no else around i.e., we talk secretly and in privacy. (d)You talk to me when there is no one around i.e., I imagine that you are talking to me; I hear your voice when I am alone.
11
haal-e dil yaar1 ko likhuN kyuNkar2
haath dil se juda3 nahiN hota
1.beloved 2.how 3.separate
How can I write the condition/state of my heart to the beloved. My hand holds my heart, I cannot even let go of it (such is the condition of my pain).
12
rahm1 bar-Khasm2-e jaan-e Ghair3 na ho
sab ka dil ek saa4 nahiN hota
1.kindness 2.for the enemy/rival 3.other, another 4.similar, alike
Let us start with the second misra. All hearts are not alike i.e., my heart is steadfast and faithful; other hearts are not. The first misra cautions/warns that because of this weakness the heart of the rival might wander off and become jaan-e Ghair, lover of someone else. Thus the call to be kind to the rival. Be kind to the rival, lest he fall in love with someone else. Remember, all hearts are not like mine.
13
daaman1 uss ka jo hai daraaz2 to ho
dast-e aashiq3 rasaa4 nahiN hota
1.hem of the skirt 2.long, large 3.hand of the lover 4.far reaching
‘daaman daraaz hona’ – to have a large apron/skirt is an expression meaning generous. The beloved may be generous and accommodating but the lover’s hand cannot reach/grasp it.
14
chaara1-e dil sivaa’e2 sabr3 nahiN
so tumhaare siva2 nahiN hota
1.remedy, cure 2.except for 3.patience
There is no cure for the ailment of the heart except patience and I cannot have any patience/peace of mind without you. Thus, the poet/lover is caught in an impossible situation.
15
kyuN sune arz-e muztar1 aye momin2
sanam aaKhir Khuda nahiN hota
1.plea of the distressed/lover 2.pen-name
O, momin, why should she hear the plea of the distressed lover. After all, the beloved is not like god. The implication is that even god answers prayers but the beloved never does.
