For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
کلیاں غزل خواں ہو گئیں ۔ بالمُکُند عرشؔ ملسیانی
۱
وہ چمن میں آئے تو شاخیں گُلِستاں ہو گئیں
گُل قصیدہ خواں ہوے کلیاں غزل خواں ہو گئیں
۲
لالہ و گُل بھی کھلے کلیاں بھی خنداں ہو گئیں
نور پھیلا ہر طرف شمعیں فروزاں ہو گئیں
۳
شوقِ جلوہ تو بہت تھا لیکن اِس کا کیا علاج
حیرتیں بھی ساتھ جلووں کے نمایاں ہو گئیں
۴
اب کرم سمجھوں اِسے یا اِمتحانِ شوقِ دید
اک جھلک سے ہی فضائیں طور ساماں ہو گئیں
۵
مشکلیں تھیں اُن کے دم سے حوصلے تھے عزم تھا
اُف کہ اب اُن کے کرم سے وہ بھی آساں ہو گئیں
۶
وہ ملے دل مل گئے غم مِٹ گئے وحشت مٹی
دھجّیاں باہم ملیں، مل کر گریباں ہو گئیں
۷
اضطراب انگیز ہے کتنا مآلِ قربِ دوست
اُن کی آنکھیں مجھ سے ملتے ہی پشیماں ہو گئیں
۸
عرشؔ اِس زاغ و زغن کے دَور میں بھی بلبلیں
کون جانے کیوں چمن میں زمزمہ خواں ہو گئیں
कलियां ग़ज़ल-ख़्वां हो गईं – बालमुकुंद अर्श मल्सियानी
१
वो चमन में आए तो शाख़ें गुलिस्तां हो गईं
गुल क़सीदा-ख़्वां हुए कलियां ग़ज़ल-ख़्वां हो गईं
२
लाला ओ गुल भी खिले कलियां भी ख़न्दां हो गईं
नूर फैला हर तरफ़ शम’एं फ़रोज़ां हो गईं
३
शौक़-ए जल्वा तो बहुत था लैकिन इस का क्या इलाज
हैरतें भी साथ जल्वौं के नुमायां हो गईं
४
अब करम समझूं इसे या इम्तेहान-ए शौक़-ए दीद
एक झलक से हि फ़ज़ाएं तूर-सामां हो गईं
५
मुश्किलें थीं उन के दम से हौस्ले थे अज़्म था
उफ़ के अब उन के करम से वो भी आसां हो गईं
६
वो मिले दिल मिल गये ग़म मिट गये वहशत मिटी
धज्जियां बाहम मिलीं, मिल कर गरेबां हो गईं
७
इज़्तेराब-अंगेज़ है कितना म’आल-ए क़ुर्ब-ए दोस्त
उन कि आंखें मुझ से मिलते हि पशेमां हो गईं
८
अर्श इस ज़ाग़ ओ ज़ग़न के दौर में भी बुल्बुलें
कौन जाने क्यूं चमन में ज़मज़मा-ख़्वां हो गईं
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. baalmukund arsh malsiaani (1908-1979), son of josh malsiaani, both renowned shu’ara of progresssive views, from malsiaan, punjab. They moved to dehli in the 1930s. arsh malsiaani was assistant editor of Govt of India urdu publication ‘aaj kal’ under josh malihabadi and took over as editor after josh left for pakistan. He wrote a book dedicated to Ghalib ‘faizaan-e Ghalib’ about his influence on his many shaagird. This Ghazal is one of several in the style of Ghalib’s ‘Khaak meN kya soorateN honNgi keh pinhaaN ho gaiiN’ and is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
vo chaman meN aaye to shaaKheN gulistaaN1 ho gaiiN
gul2 qasiida-KhwaaN3 hue, kaliyaaN4 Ghazal-KhwaaN5 ho gaiiN 1.blooming garden, here it means decked with flowers 2.rose 3.singing praises 4.buds 5.singing Ghazal
When the beloved came into the garden, flowers blossomed on all branches, roses burst out into songs of praise, buds began to compose/recite Ghazal. Of course, this could all be the poet/lover’s imagination.
2
laala1 o gul2 bhi khile kaliyaaN3 bhi KhandaaN4 ho gaiiN
noor5 phaila har taraf6 sham’eN farozaaN7 ho gaiiN 1.tulip 2.rose 3.buds 4.smile 5.light 6.direction 7.lit up, shining
Tulip and rose bloomed, buds smiled/blossomed. Light spread in all directions, lamps were lit bright.
3
shauq1-e jalva2 to bahut tha laikin is ka kya ilaaj3
hairateN4 bhi saath jalvoN ke numaayaaN5 ho gaiiN 1.desire 2.image, manifestation 3.cure 4.amazed, dazzled 5.appear, prominence
The beloved desired to display her beauty, (shauq-e jalva can apply equally to the those eager to see) but what can be done about this that along with her appearance, everything was amazed/dazzled/stunned (so they could not really see her beauty … they are blinded).
4
ab karam1 samjhuN ise ya imtehaan2-e shauq3-e diid4
ek jhalak5 se hi fazaa’eN6 tuur-saamaaN7 ho gaiiN 1.kindness 2.test 3.desire 4.to see 5.glimpse 6.air, ambience 7.abilities/qualities of tuur
This has reference to the story of moosa/Moosa who went up mount tuur and asked to see god. He heard a voice saying, you cannot see me, but insisted. There was a flash of lightning and he fainted. The poet seems to have undgone a similar experience. All he saw was one glimpse and everything around him became like mount tuur. He does not know if this was a kindness to him or a test of his desire to see.
5
mushkileN1 thiiN un kay dam2 say, hausle3 thay, azm4 tha
uff keh ab un kay karam5 se vo bhi aasaaN6 ho gaiiN 1.difficulties 2.strength, life 3.courage 4.resolve 5.kindness 6.easy
Poet/lovers want to have it both ways. On the one hand they intensely desire union with the beloved. On the other hand they enjoy the pain that separation inflicts on them and their courage and resolve in bearing this pain. But if they achieve some degree of union or some display of favour from the beloved, then they lose the need for resolve and courage. That seems to be what is going on in this she’r.
6
vo mile, dil mil gaye, Gham miT gaye, vahshat1 miTi
dhajjiyaaN2 baaham3 miliiN, mil kar garebaaN4 ho gaiiN 1.madness 2.shreds 3.together 4.collar
In poetic convention the poet/lover shreds his collar and goes about like a madman in the style of majnuN of laila-majnuN legend. But here it seems that he was able to get close to the beloved – their hearts met, sorrow was erased, madness gone. The shreds of his shirt got together and got stitched up (miraculously) into a collar.
7
izteraab-aNgez1 hai kitna m’aal2-e qurb3-e dost4
un ki aaNkheN mujh se milte hi pashemaaN5 ho gaiiN 1.anguish causing/raising 2.result 3.nearness 4.friend, beloved 5.regretful, ashamed
In this she’r too, the poet/lover wants to have it both ways. He intensely desires nearness with the beloved but it seems he is anguished when he gets it. Thus, how anguish-causing is nearness to the beloved. As soon as our eyes met, she felt ashamed (at having caused so much pain to the poet/lover in the past). Her shame causes anguish in the poet/lover.
8
arsh1 is zaaGh-o-zaGhan2 ke daur3 meN bhi bulbuleN4
kaun jaane kyuN chaman meN zamzama-KhwaaN5 ho gaiiN 1.pen-name of the poet 2.crows and vultures 3.times, period 4.nightingale 5.songsters
O arsh, who knows why, in these times of crows and vultures, nightingales are singing in the garden. The poet leaves this completely open ended. We don’t know why these are the times of ‘crows and vultures’ – usually used to mean poets of low standards. We don’t know why some good poets/nightingales are singing. But such is the case.
baalmukund arsh malsiaani (1908-1979), son of josh malsiaani, both renowned shu’ara of progresssive views, from malsiaan, punjab. They moved to dehli in the 1930s. arsh malsiaani was assistant editor of Govt of India urdu publication ‘aaj kal’ under josh malihabadi and took over as editor after josh left for pakistan. He wrote a book dedicated to Ghalib ‘faizaan-e Ghalib’ about his influence on his many shaagird. This Ghazal is one of several in the style of Ghalib’s ‘Khaak meN kya soorateN honNgi keh pinhaaN ho gaiiN’ and is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
vo chaman meN aaye to shaaKheN gulistaaN1 ho gaiiN
gul2 qasiida-KhwaaN3 hue, kaliyaaN4 Ghazal-KhwaaN5 ho gaiiN
1.blooming garden, here it means decked with flowers 2.rose 3.singing praises 4.buds 5.singing Ghazal
When the beloved came into the garden, flowers blossomed on all branches, roses burst out into songs of praise, buds began to compose/recite Ghazal. Of course, this could all be the poet/lover’s imagination.
2
laala1 o gul2 bhi khile kaliyaaN3 bhi KhandaaN4 ho gaiiN
noor5 phaila har taraf6 sham’eN farozaaN7 ho gaiiN
1.tulip 2.rose 3.buds 4.smile 5.light 6.direction 7.lit up, shining
Tulip and rose bloomed, buds smiled/blossomed. Light spread in all directions, lamps were lit bright.
3
shauq1-e jalva2 to bahut tha laikin is ka kya ilaaj3
hairateN4 bhi saath jalvoN ke numaayaaN5 ho gaiiN
1.desire 2.image, manifestation 3.cure 4.amazed, dazzled 5.appear, prominence
The beloved desired to display her beauty, (shauq-e jalva can apply equally to the those eager to see) but what can be done about this that along with her appearance, everything was amazed/dazzled/stunned (so they could not really see her beauty … they are blinded).
4
ab karam1 samjhuN ise ya imtehaan2-e shauq3-e diid4
ek jhalak5 se hi fazaa’eN6 tuur-saamaaN7 ho gaiiN
1.kindness 2.test 3.desire 4.to see 5.glimpse 6.air, ambience 7.abilities/qualities of tuur
This has reference to the story of moosa/Moosa who went up mount tuur and asked to see god. He heard a voice saying, you cannot see me, but insisted. There was a flash of lightning and he fainted. The poet seems to have undgone a similar experience. All he saw was one glimpse and everything around him became like mount tuur. He does not know if this was a kindness to him or a test of his desire to see.
5
mushkileN1 thiiN un kay dam2 say, hausle3 thay, azm4 tha
uff keh ab un kay karam5 se vo bhi aasaaN6 ho gaiiN
1.difficulties 2.strength, life 3.courage 4.resolve 5.kindness 6.easy
Poet/lovers want to have it both ways. On the one hand they intensely desire union with the beloved. On the other hand they enjoy the pain that separation inflicts on them and their courage and resolve in bearing this pain. But if they achieve some degree of union or some display of favour from the beloved, then they lose the need for resolve and courage. That seems to be what is going on in this she’r.
6
vo mile, dil mil gaye, Gham miT gaye, vahshat1 miTi
dhajjiyaaN2 baaham3 miliiN, mil kar garebaaN4 ho gaiiN
1.madness 2.shreds 3.together 4.collar
In poetic convention the poet/lover shreds his collar and goes about like a madman in the style of majnuN of laila-majnuN legend. But here it seems that he was able to get close to the beloved – their hearts met, sorrow was erased, madness gone. The shreds of his shirt got together and got stitched up (miraculously) into a collar.
7
izteraab-aNgez1 hai kitna m’aal2-e qurb3-e dost4
un ki aaNkheN mujh se milte hi pashemaaN5 ho gaiiN
1.anguish causing/raising 2.result 3.nearness 4.friend, beloved 5.regretful, ashamed
In this she’r too, the poet/lover wants to have it both ways. He intensely desires nearness with the beloved but it seems he is anguished when he gets it. Thus, how anguish-causing is nearness to the beloved. As soon as our eyes met, she felt ashamed (at having caused so much pain to the poet/lover in the past). Her shame causes anguish in the poet/lover.
8
arsh1 is zaaGh-o-zaGhan2 ke daur3 meN bhi bulbuleN4
kaun jaane kyuN chaman meN zamzama-KhwaaN5 ho gaiiN
1.pen-name of the poet 2.crows and vultures 3.times, period 4.nightingale 5.songsters
O arsh, who knows why, in these times of crows and vultures, nightingales are singing in the garden. The poet leaves this completely open ended. We don’t know why these are the times of ‘crows and vultures’ – usually used to mean poets of low standards. We don’t know why some good poets/nightingales are singing. But such is the case.
