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Recitation
۱
نام کیا خاک ہو جل جانے سے پروانے کا
زندگی نام ہے مر مر کے جئے جانے کا
۲
بزمِ صہبا ہے اُدھر اور اِدھر بزمِ نشاط
سُن لے زاہد کہ نہیں وقت یہ غم کھانے کا
۳
جان جانی ہے کسی طور سے آخر اِک دن
نام رکّھا ہے نیا تو نے قضا آنے کا
۴
ڈال کر پیچ ہر اِک موُئے گرہ گیر میں آج
بَل نکالا ہے تیرے زلف نے کیا شانے کا
۵
مستئی نرگسِ شہلا کو تو دیکھا واعظ
رنگ بھی دیکھ چھلکتے ہوئے پیمانے کا
۶
کھچ گئی صورتِ اقبال و حشم بھی عثماں
رنگ و روغن ہے نرالا میرے کاشانے کا
१
नाम क्या ख़ाक हो जल जाने से परवाने का
ज़िन्दगी नाम है मर मर के जिए जाने का
२
बज़्म-ए सहबा है इधर और उधर बज़्म-ए निशात
सुन ले ज़ाहेद के नहीं वक़्त ये ग़म खाने का
३
जान जानी है किसी तौर से आख़ेर एक दिन
नाम रक्खा है नया तू ने क़ज़ा आने का
४
डाल कर पेच हर एक मू-ए गिरह गीर में आज
बल निकाला है तेरी ज़ुल्फ़ ने क्या शाने का
५
मस्ती-ए नर्गिस-ए शहला को तो देखा वा’एज़
रंग भी देख छलकते हुए पैमाने का
६
खिच गई सूरत-ए इक़बाल ओ हशम भी उस्मां
रंग ओ रौग़न है निराला मेरे काशाने का
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. osman ali KhaaN borrowed a misra ‘zindagi naam hai mar mar ke jiye jaane ka’ from faani badayuni and composed this Ghazal in the same ‘bahr’. faani’s Ghazal is also posted on this site.
1
naam kya Khaak1 ho jal jaane se parvaane2 ka
zindagi naam hai mar mar ke jiye jaane ka 1.ashes, also naam Khaak hona is to get maligned 2.moth
There is a beautiful play on words in this she’r as well as a dynamism. The moth circles the lamp and gets burnt to ashes … becomes Khaak. But how can its name become Khaak i.e. how can its reputation be maligned. After all it is doing a noble and admirable act … life consists of dying and rising up from the dead again and again – getting defeated and trying again and again.
2
bazm1-e sahba2 hai udhar, aur idhar bazm-e nishaat3
sun le zaahid4 ke nahiN vaqt ye Gham khaane ka 1.assembly, gathering, party 2.wine 3.pleasure 4.orthodox, observant, religious
O, narrow minded follower of doctrine/tradition, this is not the time to be morose. Can’t you see that this is a gathering of wine and pleasure. Come join us.
3
jaan jaani hai kisi taur se aaKhir ek din
naam rakkha hai naya tu ne qaza1 aane ka 1.death
In traditional urdu poetic convention, death of the lover is blamed on the beloved. The act of love is painful because it is unrequited and is likened to death. Death has to come one way or another. But you, O beloved have given it a new name … love.
4
Daal kar pech1 har ek moo2-e girah-geer3 meN aaj
bal4 nikaala hai teri zulf ne kya shaane5 ka 1.tangle, twist 2.hair 3.knot forming 4.strength 5.comb in faarsi
The beloved has her hair all entangled and in straightening out the knots/tangles she is trying the strength/capability of the comb. There is a beautiful play on words here too. bal nikaalna can mean trying the strength, tiring it out but it also means getting tangles out.
5
masti1-e nargis2-e shahla3 ko to dekha vaa’ez4
raNg bhi dekh chhalakte hue paimaane5 ka 1.intoxication 2.eye 3.dark (narcissus) 4.preacher 5.cup, goblet
Narcissus flower is likened to dark eyes. O preacher you have seen the intoxicating beauty of the narcissus. Now come and see the colour of overflowing/spilling goblet of wine. The connection is that the eye of the beloved and wine are both intoxicating. Once again, the poet is challenging orthodoxy to come out of the straight-jacket.
6
khich1 gaii soorat-e iqbal2 o hasham3 bhi usmaaN
raNg o rauGhan4 hai niraala mere kaashaane5 ka 1.distorted, lose beauty 2.fortune (good luck, blessing) 3.grandeur (retinue of attendants) 4.lustre, polish 5.dwelling, home
O, usmaan, the face of fortune and grandeur has lost its beauty/my fortune has changed. The colour and polish of my dwelling is now something else.
osman ali KhaaN borrowed a misra ‘zindagi naam hai mar mar ke jiye jaane ka’ from faani badayuni and composed this Ghazal in the same ‘bahr’. faani’s Ghazal is also posted on this site. But osman ali KhaaN’s recomposition gives it a lot more dynamism that the original she’r of faani.
1
naam kya Khaak1 ho jal jaane se parvaane2 ka
zindagi naam hai mar mar ke jiye jaane ka
1.ashes, also naam Khaak hona is to get maligned 2.moth
There is a beautiful play on words in this she’r as well as a dynamism. The moth circles the lamp and gets burnt to ashes … becomes Khaak. But how can its name become Khaak i.e. how can its reputation be maligned. After all it is doing a noble and admirable act … life consists of dying and rising up from the dead again and again – getting defeated and trying again and again.
2
bazm1-e sahba2 hai udhar, aur idhar bazm-e nishaat3
sun le zaahid4 ke nahiN vaqt ye Gham khaane ka
1.assembly, gathering, party 2.wine 3.pleasure 4.orthodox, observant, religious
O, narrow minded follower of doctrine/tradition, this is not the time to be morose. Can’t you see that this is a gathering of wine and pleasure. Come join us.
3
jaan jaani hai kisi taur se aaKhir ek din
naam rakkha hai naya tu ne qaza1 aane ka
1.death
In traditional urdu poetic convention, death of the lover is blamed on the beloved. The act of love is painful because it is unrequited and is likened to death. Death has to come one way or another. But you, O beloved have given it a new name … love.
4
Daal kar pech1 har ek moo2-e girah-geer3 meN aaj
bal4 nikaala hai teri zulf ne kya shaane5 ka
1.tangle, twist 2.hair 3.knot forming 4.strength 5.comb in faarsi
The beloved has her hair all entangled and in straightening out the knots/tangles she is trying the strength/capability of the comb. There is a beautiful play on words here too. bal nikaalna can mean trying the strength, tiring it out but it also means getting tangles out.
5
masti1-e nargis2-e shahla3 ko to dekha vaa’ez4
raNg bhi dekh chhalakte hue paimaane5 ka
1.intoxication 2.eye 3.dark (narcissus) 4.preacher 5.cup, goblet
Narcissus flower is likened to dark eyes. O preacher you have seen the intoxicating beauty of the narcissus. Now come and see the colour of overflowing/spilling goblet of wine. The connection is that the eye of the beloved and wine are both intoxicating. Once again, the poet is challenging orthodoxy to come out of the straight-jacket.
6
khich1 gaii soorat-e iqbal2 o hasham3 bhi usmaaN
raNg o rauGhan4 hai niraala mere kaashaane5 ka
1.distorted, lose beauty 2.fortune (good luck, blessing) 3.grandeur (retinue of attendants) 4.lustre, polish 5.dwelling, home
O, usmaan, the face of fortune and grandeur has lost its beauty/my fortune has changed. The colour and polish of my dwelling is now something else.
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