For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
نذرِ غالب ۔ احمد ندیمؔ قاسمی
۱
ہاتھ میں تیشہ ہے یا نسخہ کوئی اِکسیر کا
کم نہیں ہوتا کھنڈر میں بھی جنوں تعمیر کا
۲
چند جھنکاریں ہیں جِن کی گونج ہے آفاق گیر
اور کیا سرمایہ ہوتا خانۂ زنجیر کا
۳
دل سے لب تک حرف کا سارا سفر برزخ میں ہے
شوق حق گوئی کا لیکن خوف ہے تکفیر کا
۴
بھید یہ مُجھ پر کُھلا ہے شہرِ عِزّت مند میں
بے گناہی بھی ہے اک پہلو میری تقصیر کا
۵
در حقیقت دل میں گھر کرنا ہے پربت کاٹنا
تُم نے افسانہ بنا ڈالا ہے جُوئے شیر کا
۶
خواب دیکھا تھا کہ ہم افسوں کی زد میں آئے تھے
عمر بھر پھر خواب دیکھا خواب کی تعبیر کا
۷
شب تصوّر نے تیری یادوں کی جب تجسیم کی
ایک جھونکے پر بھی دھوکا سا ہوا تصویر کا
۸
ہجر سے موسوم کر لی اپنی کوتاہی ندیمؔ
اور بھلا سا نام اُس کو دے دیا تقدیر کا
नज़र-ए ग़ालिब – अहमद नदीम क़ासिमी
१
हाथ में तीशा है या नुस्ख़ा कोई एक्सीर का
कम नहीं होता खंडर में भी जुनूं ता’मीर का
२
चंद झनकारियां हैं जिन की गूंज है आफ़ाक़-गीर
और क्या सरमाया होता ख़ाना-ए ज़ंजीर का
३
दिल से लब तक हर्फ़ का सारा सफ़र बरज़ख़ में है
शौक़ हक़-गोई का लैकिन ख़ौफ़ है तक्फ़ीर का
४
भेद ये मुझ पर खुला है शहर-ए इज़्ज़त-मंद में
बे-गुनाही भी है एक पहलू मेरी तक़्सीर का
५
दर-हक़ीक़त दिल में घर करना है परबत काटना
तुम ने अफ़्साना बना डाला है जू-ए शीर का
६
ख़्वाब देखा था के हम अफ़्सूं की ज़द में आए थे
उम्र भर फिर ख़्वाब देखा ख़्वाब की ता’बीर का
७
शब तसव्वुर ने तेरी यादौं की जब तज्सीम की
एक झोंके पर भी धोका सा हुआ तस्वीर का
८
हिज्र से मौसूम कर ली अपनी कोताही नदीम
और भला सा नाम उस को दे दिया तक़्दीर का
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. ahmad nadiim qaasimi (1916-2006), ahmad shah aawaan-born near sargodha. Local schools and colleges, then MA (1936) punjab university. Worked as editor of several literary journals, then started his own ‘funoon’, which was successful. Editor, poet, journalist, script writer, short story writer, dramatist, literary critic. Very active in Progressive Writers’ Association. Arrested and jailed for his activism. He wrote this as a tribute to Ghalib but there is no direct tribute other than the zamin of Ghalib. It is linked to shooKhi-e tahriir ka under Ghalib naqsh-e qadam on the Theme Index page.
1
haath meN tesha1 hai yaa nusKha2 koi eksiir3 ka
kam nahiN hota khanDar meN bhi junuuN4 taa’miir5 ka 1.axe, pickaxe 2.prescription, formula 3.elixir, tonic 4.passion 5.building, making
This has reference to the legend of shiriiN-farhaad. farhaad wanted to marry shiriin and she reciprocated his love. Khusro, the king was not agreeable and he set farhaad an impossible task-cut a channel through the mountain and make a river of milk flow for shiriin’s bath as a condition of his approval. With great passion farhaad set about his task with his pick-axe and nearly completed the channel. Thus, was it a tesha pick-axe in his hand or was it a formula for an elixir (for strength and determination). Even in ruins, the passion for making something is not reduced.
2
chand1 jhankaariyaaN2 haiN jin ki gooNj3 hai aafaaq-giir4
aur kya sarmaaya5 hota Khaana6-e zanjiir7 ka 1.a few 2.sounds, resonant notes 3.echo, reverberations 4.sky-conquering, reaching the sky 5.wealth, possessions 6.house 7.chains
The house of chains Khaana-e zanjiir is the poet’s homeland, under oppressive rule, where people are chained/confined. What can helpless people to; what is their only possession/power – a few resonant notes of protest that can reverberate and reach the sky!
3
dil se lab1 tak harf2 ka saara safar3 barzaKh4 meN hai
shauq5 haq-goii6 ka laikin Khauf7 hai takfiir8 ka 1.lips 2.word 3.journey 4.purgatory, limbo, uncertainty, fraught with obstacles 5.desire 6.speaking the truth 7.fear 8.accusation of non-faith/blasphemy/ingratitude
The journey of words from the heart to the lips is fraught with hesitation/uncertainty (barzakh) and or obstacles. While the poet desires to speak the truth (haq-goii), there is fear (Khauf) of being accused of heresy (takfiir). Perhaps this is a reflection on censorship of the time.
4
bhed1 ye mujh par khula2 hai shahr-e izzat-mand3 meN
be-gunaahi4 bhi hai ek pahlu5 meri taqsiir6 ka 1.secret 2.opened, revealed 3.honourable 4.innocence 5.aspect 6.(accusation of) transgression
In a city of honor (shehr-e izzat-mand), it is revealed to the poet realizes that even innocence (be-gunaahi) can be seen as a flaw and the protagonist accused of a crime (taqsiir). This reflects the arbitrary detentions carried out by the regime.
5
dar-haqiiqat1 dil meN ghar karna2 hai parbat3 kaaTna
tum ne afsaana4 bana Daala hai juu5-e shiir6 ka 1.in truth 2.an expresion-meaning winning the heart/love of someone 3.mountain 4.fable 5.river 6.milk
This has reference to the legend of shiiriiN-farhaad in which farhaad is set the task of cutting a channel through the mountain and making a river of milk flow through it. The poet suggests that the popular focus of the story juu-e shiir is the wrong conclusion. The real focus should be on making a place in someone’s heart which is as difficult as cutting through a mountain (parbat kaaTna).
6
Khwaab dekha tha keh hum afsuuN1 ki zad2 meN aaye th’e
umr-bhar3 phir Khwaab dekha Khwaab ki tabiir4 ka 1.magic, enchantment 2.bounds, range, grip 3.life-long 4.interpretation, fulfillment
The poet once dreamed of being in the grip of the enchantment of the beloved i.e., he dreamt that he was having some success with the beloved. The rest of his life he spent dreaming about the fulfillment of the dream i.e., it was an unrealizable dream.
7
shab1 tasavvur2 ne teri yaadoN3 ki jab tajsiim4 kii
ek jhoNk’e par bhi dhoka sa hua tasviir ka 1.night, last night 2.imagination 3.memories 4.give body/shape to, embody
The previous night memories of the beloved flooded in. The poet’s rich imagination embodied his memories into the shape of the beloved. Even a light gust deceived him into feeling that her image tasviir was right in front of him.
8
hijr1 se mausoom2 kar lii apni kotaahi3 nadiim4
aur bhala5 sa naam uss ko de diya taqdiir ka 1.separation 2.associate with, attribute to 3.laziness, shortcomings 4.pen-name 5.good, nice
Perhaps this is a reflection on the tendency of the masses to accept oppression as their fate. O nadiim, we attribute our own shortcomings to pain and sorrow that is inevitable like that of hijr, which is inevitable in poetic tradition. And then we give it a nice name called taqdiir fate and feel satisfied.
ahmad nadiim qaasimi (1916-2006), ahmad shah aawaan-born near sargodha. Local schools and colleges, then MA (1936) punjab university. Worked as editor of several literary journals, then started his own ‘funoon’, which was successful. Editor, poet, journalist, script writer, short story writer, dramatist, literary critic. Very active in Progressive Writers’ Association. Arrested and jailed for his activism. He wrote this as a tribute to Ghalib but there is no direct tribute other than the zamin of Ghalib. It is linked to shooKhi-e tahriir ka under Ghalib naqsh-e qadam on the Theme Index page.
1
haath meN tesha1 hai yaa nusKha2 koi eksiir3 ka
kam nahiN hota khanDar meN bhi junuuN4 taa’miir5 ka
1.axe, pickaxe 2.prescription, formula 3.elixir, tonic 4.passion 5.building, making
This has reference to the legend of shiriiN-farhaad. farhaad wanted to marry shiriin and she reciprocated his love. Khusro, the king was not agreeable and he set farhaad an impossible task-cut a channel through the mountain and make a river of milk flow for shiriin’s bath as a condition of his approval. With great passion farhaad set about his task with his pick-axe and nearly completed the channel. Thus, was it a tesha pick-axe in his hand or was it a formula for an elixir (for strength and determination). Even in ruins, the passion for making something is not reduced.
2
chand1 jhankaariyaaN2 haiN jin ki gooNj3 hai aafaaq-giir4
aur kya sarmaaya5 hota Khaana6-e zanjiir7 ka
1.a few 2.sounds, resonant notes 3.echo, reverberations 4.sky-conquering, reaching the sky 5.wealth, possessions 6.house 7.chains
The house of chains Khaana-e zanjiir is the poet’s homeland, under oppressive rule, where people are chained/confined. What can helpless people to; what is their only possession/power – a few resonant notes of protest that can reverberate and reach the sky!
3
dil se lab1 tak harf2 ka saara safar3 barzaKh4 meN hai
shauq5 haq-goii6 ka laikin Khauf7 hai takfiir8 ka
1.lips 2.word 3.journey 4.purgatory, limbo, uncertainty, fraught with obstacles 5.desire 6.speaking the truth 7.fear 8.accusation of non-faith/blasphemy/ingratitude
The journey of words from the heart to the lips is fraught with hesitation/uncertainty (barzakh) and or obstacles. While the poet desires to speak the truth (haq-goii), there is fear (Khauf) of being accused of heresy (takfiir). Perhaps this is a reflection on censorship of the time.
4
bhed1 ye mujh par khula2 hai shahr-e izzat-mand3 meN
be-gunaahi4 bhi hai ek pahlu5 meri taqsiir6 ka
1.secret 2.opened, revealed 3.honourable 4.innocence 5.aspect 6.(accusation of) transgression
In a city of honor (shehr-e izzat-mand), it is revealed to the poet realizes that even innocence (be-gunaahi) can be seen as a flaw and the protagonist accused of a crime (taqsiir). This reflects the arbitrary detentions carried out by the regime.
5
dar-haqiiqat1 dil meN ghar karna2 hai parbat3 kaaTna
tum ne afsaana4 bana Daala hai juu5-e shiir6 ka
1.in truth 2.an expresion-meaning winning the heart/love of someone 3.mountain 4.fable 5.river 6.milk
This has reference to the legend of shiiriiN-farhaad in which farhaad is set the task of cutting a channel through the mountain and making a river of milk flow through it. The poet suggests that the popular focus of the story juu-e shiir is the wrong conclusion. The real focus should be on making a place in someone’s heart which is as difficult as cutting through a mountain (parbat kaaTna).
6
Khwaab dekha tha keh hum afsuuN1 ki zad2 meN aaye th’e
umr-bhar3 phir Khwaab dekha Khwaab ki tabiir4 ka
1.magic, enchantment 2.bounds, range, grip 3.life-long 4.interpretation, fulfillment
The poet once dreamed of being in the grip of the enchantment of the beloved i.e., he dreamt that he was having some success with the beloved. The rest of his life he spent dreaming about the fulfillment of the dream i.e., it was an unrealizable dream.
7
shab1 tasavvur2 ne teri yaadoN3 ki jab tajsiim4 kii
ek jhoNk’e par bhi dhoka sa hua tasviir ka
1.night, last night 2.imagination 3.memories 4.give body/shape to, embody
The previous night memories of the beloved flooded in. The poet’s rich imagination embodied his memories into the shape of the beloved. Even a light gust deceived him into feeling that her image tasviir was right in front of him.
8
hijr1 se mausoom2 kar lii apni kotaahi3 nadiim4
aur bhala5 sa naam uss ko de diya taqdiir ka
1.separation 2.associate with, attribute to 3.laziness, shortcomings 4.pen-name 5.good, nice
Perhaps this is a reflection on the tendency of the masses to accept oppression as their fate. O nadiim, we attribute our own shortcomings to pain and sorrow that is inevitable like that of hijr, which is inevitable in poetic tradition. And then we give it a nice name called taqdiir fate and feel satisfied.
