For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
کہتا زبانی اور ہے ۔ بہادر شاہ ظفرؔ
۱
مہر خط پر اور ہے قاصد، نشانی اور ہے
لِکّھا مضموں اور ہے کہتا زبانی اور ہے
۲
کیوں سناتا ہے میرا افسانۂ غم قِصّہ خواں
نیند اُڑ جائے گی اُن کی، قِصّہ خوانی اور ہے
۳
اے تغافل کیش آنا ہے اگر تجھ کو تو آ
کوئی دم عاشق کے تیرے زندگانی اور ہے
۴
باندھتا ہے ابرِ دریا بار بھی تو یوں جھڑی
پر مرے مژگانِ تر کی خوں فشانی اور ہے
۵
پاؤں سے تم مَل چُکے میرے دلِ خوں گشتہ کو
یا ابھی منظور کچھ مہندی لگانی اور ہے
۶
مہربانی ہے تو ہم پر بھی تمہاری مہرباں
پر جو ہے غیروں پہ وہ کچھ مہربانی اور ہے
۷
ساقیا گردش میں لا ساغر کو جلدی ورنہ دیکھ
لاتا چکّر کوئی دورِ آسمانی اور ہے
۸
آنسووں سے کم نہیں ہوتا مرا سوزِ جگر
بلکہ اِس آتش کو بھڑکا دیتا پانی اور ہے
कहता ज़बानी और है – बहादुर शाह ज़फ़र
१
मोहर ख़त पर और है क़ासिद, निशानी और है
लिक्खा मज़्मूं और है, कहता ज़बानी और है
२
क्यूं सुनाता है मेरा अफ़्साना-ए ग़म क़िस्सा-ख़्वां
नींद उढ जाएगी उन की, क़िस्सा-ख़्वानी और है
३
अए तग़ाफ़ुल-केश आना है अगर तुझ को तो आ
कोई दम आशेक़ के तेरे ज़िंदगानी और है
४
बांधता है अब्र-ए दर्या-बार भी तो यूं झढी
पर मेरे मिज़्श्गान-ए तर की ख़ूं-फ़सानी और है
५
पाऊं से तुम मल चुके मेरे दिल-ए ख़ूं-गश्ता को
या अभी मंज़ूर कुछ मेहंदी लगानी और है
६
मेहरबानी है तो हम पर भी तुम्हारी मेहरबां
पर जो है ग़ैरौं पे वो कुछ मेहरबानी और है
७
साक़िया गर्दिश में ला साग़र को जलदी वरना देख
लाता चक्कर कोई दौर-ए आस्मानी और है
८
आंसुऔं से कम नहीं होता मेरा सोज़-ए जिगर
बल्के इस आतिश को भढका देता पानी और है
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. bahaadur shaah zafar (1775-1862) became titular/nominal emperor of India in 1837. He was a scholar of faarsi and arabi and started composing at an early age. zauq and after zauq’s death in 1854, Ghalib became his ustaad. zafar used to hold frequent mushaa’era in the Red Fort. This is one of two Ghazal composed by zafar, in the same style as Ghalib’s “apne jii meN ham ne Thaani aur hai”, dated by kalidas gupta raza, 1847. I have no way to date zafar’s Ghazal. Both are linked to ‘Ghalib peshrau ham asr’, ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’ and the poet.
1
mohr1 Khat par aur hai qaasid2, nishaani3 aur hai
likkha mazmooN4 aur hai, kahta zabaani5 aur hai 1.personlized seal/stamp 2.messenger 3.marks 4.theme 5.orally
The poet/lover dispatched the messenger with a letter to the beloved. He brought back a reply, but the seal on the letter is something different, the pattern on the seal is different. When the lover reads the response, the theme is different and the oral message that the messenger brought back is something else. Perhaps this written letter was meant for someone else … perhaps the rival. In any case, this is a take off from Ghalib’s …
de ke Khat muNh dekhta hai naamabar
kuchh to paiGhaam-e zabaani aur hai
2
kyuN sunaata hai mera afsaana1-e Gham qissa-KhwaaN2
niind uR jaayegi un ki, qissa-Khwaani3 aur hai 1.story 2.storyteller 3.storytelling
Time was when storytellers were employed to help lull the rich to sleep. But this story, employed by the beloved is telling the story of pain of the poet/lover. Don’t do that, he says, she will not be able to fall asleep, the art of storytelling is something else.
3
aye taGhaaful-kesh1 aana hai agar2 tujh ko to aa
koii dam3 aashiq ke tere zindagaani aur hai 1.habituated to forgetfulness/ignoring 2.if 3.moment
The beloved is prone to (feigned) forgetfulness (deliberately ignoring). It is also customary for the beloved to visit the lover on his death bed. Such is the case, he has only a few moments more to live. He says, O you, who are in the habit of forgetting, come now if you want to come. There are only a few more minutes life left in your lover.
4
baandhta1 hai abr2-e darya-baar3 bhi to yuN jhaRi4
par5 mere mizshgaan6-e tar7 ki KhooN-fashaani8 aur hai 1.to make/cause 2.cloud 3.rain fed river 4.shower 5.but 6.eyelashes 7.wet 8.blood dripping
Even though the cloud makes a continuous shower swelling the rain fed river, it does not compare with my wet eyelashes dripping tears of blood.
5
paauN se tum mal1 chuke mere dil-e KhooN-gashta2 ko
yaa abhi manzoor3 kuchh mehndi lagaani aur hai 1.rub 2.overflowing with blood 3.acceptable, want
Are you done rubbing your feet with my blood dripping heart or do you want to apply some more henna/mehndi to your feet.
6
mehrbaani1 hai to ham par bhi tumhaari mehrbaaN2
par jo hai GhairoN3 pe vo kuchh mehrbaani1 aur hai 1.generosity, favours 2.generous one i.e., (sarcastically) beloved
Even though you have shown favours to me, O generous beloved, your favours to the rival are something else.
7
saaqia gardish1 meN la saaGhar2 ko jaldi varna3 dekh
laata chakkar4 koi daur5-e aasmaani aur hai 1.circulation 2.cup (of wine) 3.otherwise 4.turning, rotation, complication, deception, calamity 5.times, regime
These are times of the regime of the ‘sky’ i.e., fate. It might bring down some calamity anytime now. Time is short, O saaqia, bring out the wine and start passing the cup around.
8
aaNsuoN se kam nahiN hota mera soz1-e jigar2
balke3 is aatish4 ko bhaRka5 deta paani aur hai 1.fire 2.liver/heart 3.contrarily 4.fire 5.inflame
The fire in my heart is not quenched by tears. Contrarily this water inflames it even more.
bahaadur shaah zafar (1775-1862) became titular/nominal emperor of India in 1837. He was a scholar of faarsi and arabi and started composing at an early age. zauq and after zauq’s death in 1854, Ghalib became his ustaad. zafar used to hold frequent mushaa’era in the Red Fort. This is one of two Ghazal composed by zafar, in the same style as Ghalib’s “apne jii meN ham ne Thaani aur hai”, dated by kalidas gupta raza, 1847. I have no way to date zafar’s Ghazal. Both are linked to ‘Ghalib peshrau ham asr’, ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’ and the poet.
1
mohr1 Khat par aur hai qaasid2, nishaani3 aur hai
likkha mazmooN4 aur hai, kahta zabaani5 aur hai
1.personlized seal/stamp 2.messenger 3.marks 4.theme 5.orally
The poet/lover dispatched the messenger with a letter to the beloved. He brought back a reply, but the seal on the letter is something different, the pattern on the seal is different. When the lover reads the response, the theme is different and the oral message that the messenger brought back is something else. Perhaps this written letter was meant for someone else … perhaps the rival. In any case, this is a take off from Ghalib’s …
de ke Khat muNh dekhta hai naamabar
kuchh to paiGhaam-e zabaani aur hai
2
kyuN sunaata hai mera afsaana1-e Gham qissa-KhwaaN2
niind uR jaayegi un ki, qissa-Khwaani3 aur hai
1.story 2.storyteller 3.storytelling
Time was when storytellers were employed to help lull the rich to sleep. But this story, employed by the beloved is telling the story of pain of the poet/lover. Don’t do that, he says, she will not be able to fall asleep, the art of storytelling is something else.
3
aye taGhaaful-kesh1 aana hai agar2 tujh ko to aa
koii dam3 aashiq ke tere zindagaani aur hai
1.habituated to forgetfulness/ignoring 2.if 3.moment
The beloved is prone to (feigned) forgetfulness (deliberately ignoring). It is also customary for the beloved to visit the lover on his death bed. Such is the case, he has only a few moments more to live. He says, O you, who are in the habit of forgetting, come now if you want to come. There are only a few more minutes life left in your lover.
4
baandhta1 hai abr2-e darya-baar3 bhi to yuN jhaRi4
par5 mere mizshgaan6-e tar7 ki KhooN-fashaani8 aur hai
1.to make/cause 2.cloud 3.rain fed river 4.shower 5.but 6.eyelashes 7.wet 8.blood dripping
Even though the cloud makes a continuous shower swelling the rain fed river, it does not compare with my wet eyelashes dripping tears of blood.
5
paauN se tum mal1 chuke mere dil-e KhooN-gashta2 ko
yaa abhi manzoor3 kuchh mehndi lagaani aur hai
1.rub 2.overflowing with blood 3.acceptable, want
Are you done rubbing your feet with my blood dripping heart or do you want to apply some more henna/mehndi to your feet.
6
mehrbaani1 hai to ham par bhi tumhaari mehrbaaN2
par jo hai GhairoN3 pe vo kuchh mehrbaani1 aur hai
1.generosity, favours 2.generous one i.e., (sarcastically) beloved
Even though you have shown favours to me, O generous beloved, your favours to the rival are something else.
7
saaqia gardish1 meN la saaGhar2 ko jaldi varna3 dekh
laata chakkar4 koi daur5-e aasmaani aur hai
1.circulation 2.cup (of wine) 3.otherwise 4.turning, rotation, complication, deception, calamity 5.times, regime
These are times of the regime of the ‘sky’ i.e., fate. It might bring down some calamity anytime now. Time is short, O saaqia, bring out the wine and start passing the cup around.
8
aaNsuoN se kam nahiN hota mera soz1-e jigar2
balke3 is aatish4 ko bhaRka5 deta paani aur hai
1.fire 2.liver/heart 3.contrarily 4.fire 5.inflame
The fire in my heart is not quenched by tears. Contrarily this water inflames it even more.
