For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
جرأتِ رِندانہ چاہیے ۔ مرزا اسد اللہ خان غالبؔ
۱
عاشق نقابِ جلوۂ جانانہ چاہیے
فانوسِ شمع کو پرِ پروانہ چاہیے
۲
ہے وصل ہجر عالمِ تمکین و ضبط میں
معشوقِ شوخ و عاشقِ دیوانہ چاہیے
۳
پیدا کریں دماغِ تماشائے سرو و گل
حسرت کشوں کو ساغر و مینہ نہ چاہیے
۴
دیوانگاں ہیں حاملِ رازِ نہانِ عشق
اے بے تمیز گنج کو ویرانہ چاہیے
۵
اُس لب سے مل ہی جائے گا بوسہ کبھی تو ہاں
شوقِ فضول و جرأت رندانہ چاہیے
۶
ساقی بہارِ موسمِ گُل ہے سُرُور بخش
پیماں سے ہم گزر گئے پیمانہ چاہیے
۷
جادو ہے یار کی روِشِ گفتگو اسدؔ
یاں جز فسوں نہیں اگر افسانہ چاہیے
जुर’अत-ए रिंदाना चाहिए – मिर्ज़ा असदुल्लाह ख़ां ग़ालिब
१
आशेक़, नक़ाब-ए जल्वा-ए जानाना चाहिए
फ़ानूस-ए शम’अ को पर-ए परवाना चाहिए
२
है वस्ल, हिज्र आलम-ए तमकीन ओ ज़ब्त में
माशूक़-ए शूख़ ओ आशेक़-ए दीवाना चाहिए
३
पैदा करें दिमाग़-ए तमाशा-ए सर्व ओ गुल
हसरत-कशों को साग़र ओ मीना न चाहिए
४
दीवानगां हैं हामिल-ए राज़-ए निहान-ए इश्क़
अए बे-तमीज़ गंज को वीराना चाहिए
५
उस लब से मिल ही जाएगा बोसा कभी तो हां
शौक़-ए फ़ुज़ूल ओ जुर’अत-ए रिंदाना चाहिए
६
साक़ी बहार-ए मौसम-ए गुल है सुरूर-बख़्श
पैमां से हम गुज़र गए पैमाना चाहिए
७
जादू है यार की रविश-ए गुफ़्तगू असद
यां जुज़ फ़ुसूं नहीं अगर अफ़्साना चाहिए
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mirza asadullah KhaaN Ghalib (1797-1869). I dare not write any introduction. On more than one occasion Ghalib has warned his readers that he needs no introduction or even address. I humbly comply. This Ghazal is dated 1816 (nusKha-e raza – kalidas gupta raza) when Ghalib was still in his early, difficult to understand phase of urdu shaa’eri. There are several other Ghazal in the same zamin linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
aashiq, naqaab1-e jalva2-e jaanaana3 chaahiye
fanoos4-e sham’a5 ko par6-e parvaana7 chaahiye 1.veil 2.manifestation, glory, beauty 3.beloved 4.candelabra, glass shade 5.candle 6.wings, feathers 7.moth
A lover should be like a veil over the beloved’s radiance just like a moth’s wings should become a protective shade over the candle. The moth, in love with the candle spreads its wings over it, as if protecting the flame. The lover, similarly should be protecting the radiance of the beloved. Her radiance is not hidden but filters through the veil – which is the lover’s heart.
2
hai vasl1, hijr2 aalam3-e tamkiin4 o zabt5 meN
maashuuq6-e shooKh7 o aashiq-e diivaana chaahiye 1.union 2.separation 3.world,domain, realm, state, condition 4.gravity, dignity 5.restraint, self-control 6.beloved 7.playful
Even union with the beloved would be like in a realm of deignified aloofness (on the part of the beloved) and restraint and self-control (on the part of the lover). What is needed for the pleasure of real union is a playful beloved and a mad/passionate lover.
3
paida1 kareN dimaaGh2-e tamaashaa3-e sarv4 o gul5
hasrat-kashoN6 ko saaGhar7 o miina8 na chaahiye 1.create, develop 2.mentality, spirit 3.viewing, looking at, admiring 4.cypress 5.rose 6.sorrowful souls 7.wine cup 8.flask
The ‘sarv’, tall and slender neck is like a cypress and a blossoming rose like a cup of wine. They don’t need a ‘saaGhar o miina’, they themselves provide it. Sorrowful souls – hasrat-kash, should be like that. They should develop the same attitude as the cypress and rose – sarv o gul.
4
diivaanagaaN1 haiN haamil2-e raaz3-e nehaan4-e ishq
aye be-tamiiz5 ganj6 ko viiraana7 chaahiye 1.mad/passionate lovers 2.bearers 3.secret 4.hidden 5.unable to distinguish/understand 6.treasure 7.wilderness, desolation
The mad/passionate lovers’ hearts are like desolate wilderness-viiraana, and the hidden secret (raaz-e nehaan-e ishq) of love is like a treasure-ganj. Thus, O ignorant one, understand that just like a hidden treasure needs a wilderness to be buried in, so does the hidden secret of love need the mad passionate lover’s heart.
5
uss lab1 se mil hi jaa’ega bosa2 kabhi to haaN
shauq3-e fuzool4 o jur’at5-e rindaana6 chaahiye 1.lips 2.kiss 3.desire 4.redundant, excess, more than necessary 5.daring, boldness 6.libertine, intoxicated
A kiss will surely be attained from those lips someday. But for that, an extra dose of desire and libertine boldness are needed. Ghalib speaks of the audacity required in love to achieve the impossible. It portrays the balance between seemingly foolish longing and daring efforts. Someday, I will surely succeed with THOSE lips, he says.
6
saaqi bahaar1-e mausam-e-gul2 hai suruur3 baKhsh4
paimaaN5 se hum guzar6 ga’e paimaana7 chaahiye 1.bloom 2.season of flowers, spring 3.pleasure, joy 4.granting, bestowing 5.agreement, promise 6.gone past 7.wine cup
O cupbearer, the blossoming of spring bestows joy. I have moved past promises; now I need the wine cup. Ghalib has gone past the stage of keeping his promise of abstinence. He seeks indulgence and joy triggered by the beauty of spring, the season of love. The juxtaposition of paimaaN and paimaana creates a beauty of its own.
7
jaadu hai yaar1 ki ravish2-e guftaguu3 asad4
yaaN5 juz6 fusuuN7 nahiN agar afsaana8 chaahiye 1.friend, beloved 2.way, method, style, manner 3.conversation 4.pen-name 5.short for yahaaN, here 6.except for 7.enchantment 8.tale
The beloved’s manner of conversation is pure magic, asad. Here, if you seek a tale, it is nothing except for enchantment. The poet marvels at the beloved’s captivating speech, equating it to sorcery. Any story involving the beloved is inherently enchanting-nothing but enchantment, reflecting love’s mesmerizing power.
mirza asadullah KhaaN Ghalib (1797-1869). I dare not write any introduction. On more than one occasion Ghalib has warned his readers that he needs no introduction or even address. I humbly comply. This Ghazal is dated 1816 (nusKha-e raza – kalidas gupta raza) when Ghalib was still in his early, difficult to understand phase of urdu shaa’eri. There are several other Ghazal in the same zamin linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
aashiq, naqaab1-e jalva2-e jaanaana3 chaahiye
fanoos4-e sham’a5 ko par6-e parvaana7 chaahiye
1.veil 2.manifestation, glory, beauty 3.beloved 4.candelabra, glass shade 5.candle 6.wings, feathers 7.moth
A lover should be like a veil over the beloved’s radiance just like a moth’s wings should become a protective shade over the candle. The moth, in love with the candle spreads its wings over it, as if protecting the flame. The lover, similarly should be protecting the radiance of the beloved. Her radiance is not hidden but filters through the veil – which is the lover’s heart.
2
hai vasl1, hijr2 aalam3-e tamkiin4 o zabt5 meN
maashuuq6-e shooKh7 o aashiq-e diivaana chaahiye
1.union 2.separation 3.world,domain, realm, state, condition 4.gravity, dignity 5.restraint, self-control 6.beloved 7.playful
Even union with the beloved would be like in a realm of deignified aloofness (on the part of the beloved) and restraint and self-control (on the part of the lover). What is needed for the pleasure of real union is a playful beloved and a mad/passionate lover.
3
paida1 kareN dimaaGh2-e tamaashaa3-e sarv4 o gul5
hasrat-kashoN6 ko saaGhar7 o miina8 na chaahiye
1.create, develop 2.mentality, spirit 3.viewing, looking at, admiring 4.cypress 5.rose 6.sorrowful souls 7.wine cup 8.flask
The ‘sarv’, tall and slender neck is like a cypress and a blossoming rose like a cup of wine. They don’t need a ‘saaGhar o miina’, they themselves provide it. Sorrowful souls – hasrat-kash, should be like that. They should develop the same attitude as the cypress and rose – sarv o gul.
4
diivaanagaaN1 haiN haamil2-e raaz3-e nehaan4-e ishq
aye be-tamiiz5 ganj6 ko viiraana7 chaahiye
1.mad/passionate lovers 2.bearers 3.secret 4.hidden 5.unable to distinguish/understand 6.treasure 7.wilderness, desolation
The mad/passionate lovers’ hearts are like desolate wilderness-viiraana, and the hidden secret (raaz-e nehaan-e ishq) of love is like a treasure-ganj. Thus, O ignorant one, understand that just like a hidden treasure needs a wilderness to be buried in, so does the hidden secret of love need the mad passionate lover’s heart.
5
uss lab1 se mil hi jaa’ega bosa2 kabhi to haaN
shauq3-e fuzool4 o jur’at5-e rindaana6 chaahiye
1.lips 2.kiss 3.desire 4.redundant, excess, more than necessary 5.daring, boldness 6.libertine, intoxicated
A kiss will surely be attained from those lips someday. But for that, an extra dose of desire and libertine boldness are needed. Ghalib speaks of the audacity required in love to achieve the impossible. It portrays the balance between seemingly foolish longing and daring efforts. Someday, I will surely succeed with THOSE lips, he says.
6
saaqi bahaar1-e mausam-e-gul2 hai suruur3 baKhsh4
paimaaN5 se hum guzar6 ga’e paimaana7 chaahiye
1.bloom 2.season of flowers, spring 3.pleasure, joy 4.granting, bestowing 5.agreement, promise 6.gone past 7.wine cup
O cupbearer, the blossoming of spring bestows joy. I have moved past promises; now I need the wine cup. Ghalib has gone past the stage of keeping his promise of abstinence. He seeks indulgence and joy triggered by the beauty of spring, the season of love. The juxtaposition of paimaaN and paimaana creates a beauty of its own.
7
jaadu hai yaar1 ki ravish2-e guftaguu3 asad4
yaaN5 juz6 fusuuN7 nahiN agar afsaana8 chaahiye
1.friend, beloved 2.way, method, style, manner 3.conversation 4.pen-name 5.short for yahaaN, here 6.except for 7.enchantment 8.tale
The beloved’s manner of conversation is pure magic, asad. Here, if you seek a tale, it is nothing except for enchantment. The poet marvels at the beloved’s captivating speech, equating it to sorcery. Any story involving the beloved is inherently enchanting-nothing but enchantment, reflecting love’s mesmerizing power.
