For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
جرأتِ گفتار دیکھ کر ۔ اقبال احمد سہیلؔ
۱
کیوں چپ نہ لگ گئی حرمِ یار دیکھ کر
حیراں ہوں اپنی جرأتِ گفتار دیکھ کر
۲
اتنا تو ہوش ہے اُسے دیوانہ کیوں کہیں
جو پھوڑتا ہے سر تری دیوار دیکھ کر
۳
سیلِ رواں سے کم نہیں طبع رواں مری
تھمتا ہے جوش راہ کو ہموار دیکھ کر
۴
ردّ و قبولِ خلق سے شاعر کو کیا غرض
سودا نہیں، سجائیں جو بازار دیکھ کر
۵
آخر غرورِ حسن کو کھانی پڑی شکست
میرے نیازِ عشق کو خود دار دیکھ کر
जुर’अत-ए गुफ़्तार देख कर – एक़्बाल अहमद सोहैल
१
क्यूं चुप न लग गई हरम-ए यार देख कर
हैरां हुं अपनी जुर’अत-ए गुफ़्तार देख कर
२
इतना तो होश है उसे दीवाना क्यूं कहें
जो फोढता है सर तेरी दीवार देख कर
३
सैल-ए रवां से कम नहीं तब’अ-ए रवां मेरी
थमता है जोश राह को हमवार देख कर
४
रद्द-ओ-क़ुबूल-ए ख़ल्क़ से शा’एर को क्या ग़रज़
सौदा नहीं सजाएं जो बाज़ार देख कर
५
आख़र ग़ुरूर-ए हुस्न को खानी पढी शिकस्त
मेरे नियाज़-ए इश्क़ को ख़ुद’दार देख कर
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. iqbal ahmed sohail (1884-1955), aazamgaRh, UP, freedom fighter, legislator and poet. His early education was traditional – learning faarsi and arabi from a tutor. He then joined a college to complete a BA and LLB. Later, when he started composing, he became a shaagird of shibli n’omaani, in 1898. He practiced law in aligaRh and was active in the freedom movement. This Ghazal is in the style of Ghalib’s “dete haiN baada zarf-e qadah-Khwaar dekh kar” and is linked to several others in the same style under ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’.
1
kyuN chup1 na lag gaii haram-e-yaar2 dekh kar
hairaaN3 huN apni jur’at4-e guftaar5 dekh kar 1.silence 2.abode of the beloved/god 3.amazed 4.daring, courage 5.speaking
This has reference to the story of moosa/Moses, who went up mount tuur asking to see god. He heard a divine voice saying, ‘you will not be able to bear to see me’. But moosa insisted and asked again and again. There was divine manifestation in the form of lightning flash and moosa fainted. The poet/devotee is well aware of this story but when he comes upon the ‘haram-e-yaar’ he also insists on seeing the beloved/divine. It is implied that something equivalent to ‘fainting’ happened to him, although we have to guess that. He regretfully says, why did I not fall silent upon seeing the ‘haram-e-yaar’. Perhaps a tongue in cheek praise of his own courage/daring.
2
itna to hosh1 hai, use diivaana kyuN kaheN
jo phoRta hai sar teri diivaar dekh kar 1.senses, sobriety
I have at least this much sense/sobriety that I refrain from calling him mad, who bangs his head against it when he sees the beloved’s wall. Perhaps a moment of self reflection saying, ‘hey I do the same thing, what right do I have to call him a madman’.
3
sail1-e ravaaN2 se kam nahiN tab’a3-e ravaaN2 meri
thamta4 hai josh5 raah6 ko hamvaar7 dekh kar 1.flood 2.flowing, rising 3.nature, character 4.slows down 5.enthusiasm, passion 6.path 7.even, level, uniform
My nature is not any less than a rising flood. My passion slows down if it sees an even path … a path with no obstacles, just like a flowing flood runs faster/more noisily on uneven terrain and slows down on a level plain.
4
radd-o-qubool1-e Khalq2 se shaa’er3 ko kya Gharaz4
sauda5 nahiN sajaa’eN6 jo bazaar7 dekh kar 1.rejection and acceptance 2.world 3.poet 4.concern 5.trade 6.adorn, embellish 7.market, demand
What concern does a poet have with the rejection or acceptance (of his work) by the world/audience. This is not a trade that one may embellish depending on demand. The implication is that this is a gift given as is, as the poet sees it. Said Ghalib …
na sataa’esh ki tamanna na sile ki parvaah
gar nahiN hai mere ash’aar meN mu’aani na sahi
and also …
surma-e muft-e nazar huN meri qiimat ye hai
keh rahe chashm-e Khariidaar pe ehsaaN mera
5
aaKhir1 Ghuroor2-e husn3 ko khaani paRi shikast4
mere niyaaz-e-ishq5 ko Khud’daar6 dekh kar 1.at last, finally 2.hubris, pride 3.beauty, beloved 4.defeat, failure 5.devotional offering of love 6.self-respecting
Finally, the beloved (or the divine) had to accept its inability to force me, when it saw that my devotional offering was also intensely self-respecting. There is no question that the poet/lover/devotee offers his love/devotion. But he does this in a way that maintains his own dignity and self-respect. Said Ghalib …
bandagi meN bhi vo aazaada o Khud-biiN haiN keh ham
ulTe phir aaye dar-e k’aaba agar vaa na hau
iqbal ahmed sohail (1884-1955), aazamgaRh, UP, freedom fighter, legislator and poet. His early education was traditional – learning faarsi and arabi from a tutor. He then joined a college to complete a BA and LLB. Later, when he started composing, he became a shaagird of shibli n’omaani, in 1898. He practiced law in aligaRh and was active in the freedom movement. This Ghazal is in the style of Ghalib’s “dete haiN baada zarf-e qadah-Khwaar dekh kar” and is linked to several others in the same style under ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’.
1
kyuN chup1 na lag gaii haram-e-yaar2 dekh kar
hairaaN3 huN apni jur’at4-e guftaar5 dekh kar
1.silence 2.abode of the beloved/god 3.amazed 4.daring, courage 5.speaking
This has reference to the story of moosa/Moses, who went up mount tuur asking to see god. He heard a divine voice saying, ‘you will not be able to bear to see me’. But moosa insisted and asked again and again. There was divine manifestation in the form of lightning flash and moosa fainted. The poet/devotee is well aware of this story but when he comes upon the ‘haram-e-yaar’ he also insists on seeing the beloved/divine. It is implied that something equivalent to ‘fainting’ happened to him, although we have to guess that. He regretfully says, why did I not fall silent upon seeing the ‘haram-e-yaar’. Perhaps a tongue in cheek praise of his own courage/daring.
2
itna to hosh1 hai, use diivaana kyuN kaheN
jo phoRta hai sar teri diivaar dekh kar
1.senses, sobriety
I have at least this much sense/sobriety that I refrain from calling him mad, who bangs his head against it when he sees the beloved’s wall. Perhaps a moment of self reflection saying, ‘hey I do the same thing, what right do I have to call him a madman’.
3
sail1-e ravaaN2 se kam nahiN tab’a3-e ravaaN2 meri
thamta4 hai josh5 raah6 ko hamvaar7 dekh kar
1.flood 2.flowing, rising 3.nature, character 4.slows down 5.enthusiasm, passion 6.path 7.even, level, uniform
My nature is not any less than a rising flood. My passion slows down if it sees an even path … a path with no obstacles, just like a flowing flood runs faster/more noisily on uneven terrain and slows down on a level plain.
4
radd-o-qubool1-e Khalq2 se shaa’er3 ko kya Gharaz4
sauda5 nahiN sajaa’eN6 jo bazaar7 dekh kar
1.rejection and acceptance 2.world 3.poet 4.concern 5.trade 6.adorn, embellish 7.market, demand
What concern does a poet have with the rejection or acceptance (of his work) by the world/audience. This is not a trade that one may embellish depending on demand. The implication is that this is a gift given as is, as the poet sees it. Said Ghalib …
na sataa’esh ki tamanna na sile ki parvaah
gar nahiN hai mere ash’aar meN mu’aani na sahi
and also …
surma-e muft-e nazar huN meri qiimat ye hai
keh rahe chashm-e Khariidaar pe ehsaaN mera
5
aaKhir1 Ghuroor2-e husn3 ko khaani paRi shikast4
mere niyaaz-e-ishq5 ko Khud’daar6 dekh kar
1.at last, finally 2.hubris, pride 3.beauty, beloved 4.defeat, failure 5.devotional offering of love 6.self-respecting
Finally, the beloved (or the divine) had to accept its inability to force me, when it saw that my devotional offering was also intensely self-respecting. There is no question that the poet/lover/devotee offers his love/devotion. But he does this in a way that maintains his own dignity and self-respect. Said Ghalib …
bandagi meN bhi vo aazaada o Khud-biiN haiN keh ham
ulTe phir aaye dar-e k’aaba agar vaa na hau
