For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
کبھی جدا نہ ہوا ۔ کویتا کرنؔ
۱
درد دل سے کبھی جدا نہ ہوا
کوئی ہمدرد آپ سا نہ ہوا
۲
اُن کے ہم راہ تھا تمام سفر
طے مگر پھر بھی راستہ نہ ہوا
۳
ہم بھنور میں تھے ڈوبتے ہی گئے
ناخدا تو کبھی خدا نہ ہوا
۴
آپ کا غم ہے آپ سے بہتر
وہ کبھی ہم سے بے وفا نہ ہوا
۵
ہیں سبھی لوگ شہر کے اچھے
ہم سے بڑھ کر کوئی برا نہ ہوا
۶
ہم سے روٹھی رہی کرنؔ لیکن
دل تو دل سے کبھی جدا نہ ہوا
कभी जुदा न हुआ – कविता किरन
१
दर्द दिल से कभी जुदा न हुआ
कोई हमदर्द आप सा न हुआ
२
उन के हमराह था तमाम सफ़र
तय मगर फिर भी रास्ता न हुआ
३
हम भँवर में थे डूबते ही गए
नाख़ुदा तो कभी ख़ुदा न हुआ
४
आप का ग़म है आप से बेहतर
वो कभी हम से बे-वफ़ा न हुआ
५
हैं सभी लोग शहर के अच्छे
हम से बढ़ कर कोई बुरा न हुआ
६
हम से रूठी रही किरन लेकिन
दिल तो दिल से कभी जुदा न हुआ
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. kavita kiran (1963-living), hyderbad, telaNgaana. Her native language is maraaThi. She grew up in an urdu loving atmosphere. Her father, an urdu scholar, had regular musical programs at their house including performance by viTThal rao. She began to compose Ghazal and also took music lessons from him and he introduced her to shaa’er salaahuddin nayyar. He willingly took her on as her shaagird. She has published four collections of her kalaam. This Ghazal is modeled after Ghalib’s “dard minnat kash-e dava na hua”.
1
dard dil se kabhi judaa1 na hua
koi hamdard2 aap saa na hua 1.separate 2.sympathizer, friend, sharing pain/sorrow
One reading can be that this is addressed to ‘dard’ – pain/sorrow which is highly valued in urdu poetic tradition. Thus, ‘dard’ never left the poet’s heart. There is no friend like it. A second reading could be that this is addressed to the beloved and the ‘hamdard’ in the second misra is sarcastic. You were supposed to be a friend and to relieve the pain in my heart, but it never happened.
2
un ke hamraah1 thaa tamaam2 safar3
ta’e4 magar phir bhi raasta5 na hua 1.together 2.whole 3.journey 4.passed, traveled 5.path
We were together throughout the journey, but the path never got fully traversed. The reasons are not clear. Could it be because of disagreements, or perhaps the journey was too long.
3
ham bhaNvar1 meN the Duubte hi gaye
naaKhuda2 to kabhi Khuda na hua 1.whirlpool 2.oarsman, boatman
This is a nice play of words – naaKhuda and Khuda. The poet’s boat was in the whirlpool, and the boatman/naaKhuda was supposed to steer the boat out, but it kept sinking. But naaKhuda is not Khuda and only Khuda can be the saviour, so the boat kept sinking.
4
aap kaa Gham hai aap se behtar1
vo kabhi ham se be-vafaa2 na hua 1.better 2.faithless
Gham-sorrow/pain is the pain of unrequited love. But such pain is highly valued. It is better than the beloved. The beloved can be faithless, can break promises but sorrow/pain is always true to its promise i.e. the poet is always in pain. Thus, it is better than the beloved.
5
haiN sabhi log shahr ke achchhe
ham se baRh kar koi buraa na hua Everyone of the city is good. There is no one as bad as me! I am not sure what this implies except rhyming words. Perhaps it is a bit of introspection with a lot of poetic exaggeration.
6
ham se ruuThi1 rahi kiran2 lekin
dil to dil se kabhi judaa3 na hua 1.displeased, annoyed 2.pen name of the poet 3.separate, break away
kiran may be displeased and annoyed, but she has not broken off relations.
kavita kiran (1963-living), hyderbad, telaNgaana. Her native language is maraaThi. She grew up in an urdu loving atmosphere. Her father, an urdu scholar, had regular musical programs at their house including performance by viTThal rao. She began to compose Ghazal and also took music lessons from him and he introduced her to shaa’er salaahuddin nayyar. He willingly took her on as her shaagird. She has published four collections of her kalaam. This Ghazal is modeled after Ghalib’s “dard minnat kash-e dava na hua”.
1
dard dil se kabhi judaa1 na hua
koi hamdard2 aap saa na hua
1.separate 2.sympathizer, friend, sharing pain/sorrow
One reading can be that this is addressed to ‘dard’ – pain/sorrow which is highly valued in urdu poetic tradition. Thus, ‘dard’ never left the poet’s heart. There is no friend like it. A second reading could be that this is addressed to the beloved and the ‘hamdard’ in the second misra is sarcastic. You were supposed to be a friend and to relieve the pain in my heart, but it never happened.
2
un ke hamraah1 thaa tamaam2 safar3
ta’e4 magar phir bhi raasta5 na hua
1.together 2.whole 3.journey 4.passed, traveled 5.path
We were together throughout the journey, but the path never got fully traversed. The reasons are not clear. Could it be because of disagreements, or perhaps the journey was too long.
3
ham bhaNvar1 meN the Duubte hi gaye
naaKhuda2 to kabhi Khuda na hua
1.whirlpool 2.oarsman, boatman
This is a nice play of words – naaKhuda and Khuda. The poet’s boat was in the whirlpool, and the boatman/naaKhuda was supposed to steer the boat out, but it kept sinking. But naaKhuda is not Khuda and only Khuda can be the saviour, so the boat kept sinking.
4
aap kaa Gham hai aap se behtar1
vo kabhi ham se be-vafaa2 na hua
1.better 2.faithless
Gham-sorrow/pain is the pain of unrequited love. But such pain is highly valued. It is better than the beloved. The beloved can be faithless, can break promises but sorrow/pain is always true to its promise i.e. the poet is always in pain. Thus, it is better than the beloved.
5
haiN sabhi log shahr ke achchhe
ham se baRh kar koi buraa na hua
Everyone of the city is good. There is no one as bad as me! I am not sure what this implies except rhyming words. Perhaps it is a bit of introspection with a lot of poetic exaggeration.
6
ham se ruuThi1 rahi kiran2 lekin
dil to dil se kabhi judaa3 na hua
1.displeased, annoyed 2.pen name of the poet 3.separate, break away
kiran may be displeased and annoyed, but she has not broken off relations.
Wonderful poetry. Has signs of a very heartfelt poetry and absorbing flow. Congratulations to Shahid for such a new and good find.
Keep up the good work. Exemplary research.
Thank you Haque Bhai. I keep learning. There is a long way to go.