For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
خونِ جگر ہونے تک ۔ پنڈت اوتار لال بقایاؔ
۱
نالہ وہ نالہ ۔ نہ ہو ختم اثر ہونے تک
اشک وہ اشک ۔ بہے خونِ جگر ہونے تک
۲
درد ہے درد پہ درماں کا اثر ہونے تک
آہ ہے آہ کسی کو نہ خبر ہونے تک
۳
مرگ ہے مرگ مگر پیشِ نظر ہونے تک
زندگی زندگی ہے موت کا ڈر ہونے تک
۴
دیکھنا طولِ شبِ غم کا ہماری انداز
ابتدا پہنچی ہے انجامِ سحر ہونے تک
۵
سیکڑوں عشق میں انداز جنوں نے بدلے
خاک پر رکھنے سے سر خاک بسر ہونے تک
ख़ून-ए जिगर होने तक – पंडित अवतार लाल बक़ाया
१
नाला वो नाला – न हो ख़त्म असर होने तक
अश्क वो अश्क – बहे ख़ून-ए जिगर होने तक
२
दर्द है दर्द पे दर्मां का असर होने तक
आह है आह किसी को न ख़बर होने तक
३
मर्ग है मर्ग मगर पेश-ए नज़र होने तक
ज़िंदगी ज़िंदगी है मौत का डर होने तक
४
देखना तूल-ए शब-ए ग़म का हमारी अंदाज़
इब्तदा पहुंची है अंजाम-ए सहर होने तक
५
सैक्ढौं इश्क़ में अंदाज़ जुनूं ने बदले
ख़ाक पर रखने से सर ख़ाक बसर होने तक
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. panDit avtaar lal baqaaya (~1900-xxxx), kashmiri panDit. BA in Philosophy and Economics. Tried his hand at the family business, did not succeed and finally with landownership and tenant farming made a good living in gwalior. shaa’eri was his past-time with the first mushaa’era participation in 1928. This Ghazal in the style of Ghalib is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
naala1 vo naala – na ho Khatm2 asar3 hone tak
ashk4 vo ashk – bahe Khoon-e jigar5 hone tak 1.wail, cry 2.end, finish 3.effect 4.tear 5.liver/heart
A cry of pain is a genuine cry which does not stop until it has an effect (on the beloved). Tears are genuine tears only if they flow like blood. Crying tears of blood is an indication of extreme distress. Also, in urdu poetic tradition the jigar/liver is considered to be source of blood supply hence the tears that flow are “Khoon-e jigar”.
2
dard1 hai dard pe darmaaN2 ka asar3 hone tak
aah4 hai aah kisi ko na Khabar5 hone tak 1.pain 2.remedy 3.effect 4.sigh 5.awareness, knowledge
The poet/lover feels the pain of unfulfilled love and he sighs secretly so as not to malign the reputation of the beloved. Both of these features are highly valued as signs of genuine love. Thus, if you seek a remedy for you pain, then as soon as it has an effect, pain disappears i.e., you are no longer in love. If you sigh in the pain of love, the sigh is a genuine sigh as long as no one knows about it.
3
marg1 hai marg magar2 pesh3-e nazar4 hone tak
zindagi zindagi hai maut5 ka Dar hone tak 1.death 2.but 3.in front of 4.sight, eyes 5.death
Life is life, i.e., life is meaningful until you are afraid of death. If you fear death, then life is no longer meaningful. Similarly, death is meaningful only if you keep it before your sight i.e., be aware that you are going to die and make use of the time you have as best as you can without fearing it.
4
dekhna tuul1-e shab2-e Gham3 ka hamaari andaaz4
ibteda5 pahuNchi hai anjaam6-e sahar7 hone tak 1.length, long duration 2.night 3.sorrow 4.style 5.beginning 6.completion 7.dawn
Usually, the night of separation is very painful to the poet/lover. In poetic convention he never achieves union, so every night is a night of sorrow. The implication is that days might be less painful. But this poet/lover’s night of separation has its own style of long duration. It begins again after the completion of dawn i.e., with the beginning of the day his ‘night of separation’ starts. Thus, he is in pain 24 hours a day.
5
saikRoN1 ishq meN andaaz2 junuuN3 ne badle4
Khaak5 par rakhne se sar Khaak-basar6 hone tak 1.hundreds of thousands 2.styles 3.madness of passion 4.changed 5.dust 6.dust on the head, mad with passion ala majnuN
‘Khaak par sar rakhna’ is to bow down in submission (to the beloved/god). ‘Khaak basar hona’ is to throw dust on the head and go about like a mad passionate majnuN. Thus, the passionate madness of love changed its style hundreds of thousands of times from the beginning of love up to the poet/lover being driven stark raving mad like majnuN.
panDit avtaar lal baqaaya (~1900-xxxx), kashmiri panDit. BA in Philosophy and Economics. Tried his hand at the family business, did not succeed and finally with landownership and tenant farming made a good living in gwalior. shaa’eri was his past-time with the first mushaa’era participation in 1928. This Ghazal in the style of Ghalib is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
naala1 vo naala – na ho Khatm2 asar3 hone tak
ashk4 vo ashk – bahe Khoon-e jigar5 hone tak
1.wail, cry 2.end, finish 3.effect 4.tear 5.liver/heart
A cry of pain is a genuine cry which does not stop until it has an effect (on the beloved). Tears are genuine tears only if they flow like blood. Crying tears of blood is an indication of extreme distress. Also, in urdu poetic tradition the jigar/liver is considered to be source of blood supply hence the tears that flow are “Khoon-e jigar”.
2
dard1 hai dard pe darmaaN2 ka asar3 hone tak
aah4 hai aah kisi ko na Khabar5 hone tak
1.pain 2.remedy 3.effect 4.sigh 5.awareness, knowledge
The poet/lover feels the pain of unfulfilled love and he sighs secretly so as not to malign the reputation of the beloved. Both of these features are highly valued as signs of genuine love. Thus, if you seek a remedy for you pain, then as soon as it has an effect, pain disappears i.e., you are no longer in love. If you sigh in the pain of love, the sigh is a genuine sigh as long as no one knows about it.
3
marg1 hai marg magar2 pesh3-e nazar4 hone tak
zindagi zindagi hai maut5 ka Dar hone tak
1.death 2.but 3.in front of 4.sight, eyes 5.death
Life is life, i.e., life is meaningful until you are afraid of death. If you fear death, then life is no longer meaningful. Similarly, death is meaningful only if you keep it before your sight i.e., be aware that you are going to die and make use of the time you have as best as you can without fearing it.
4
dekhna tuul1-e shab2-e Gham3 ka hamaari andaaz4
ibteda5 pahuNchi hai anjaam6-e sahar7 hone tak
1.length, long duration 2.night 3.sorrow 4.style 5.beginning 6.completion 7.dawn
Usually, the night of separation is very painful to the poet/lover. In poetic convention he never achieves union, so every night is a night of sorrow. The implication is that days might be less painful. But this poet/lover’s night of separation has its own style of long duration. It begins again after the completion of dawn i.e., with the beginning of the day his ‘night of separation’ starts. Thus, he is in pain 24 hours a day.
5
saikRoN1 ishq meN andaaz2 junuuN3 ne badle4
Khaak5 par rakhne se sar Khaak-basar6 hone tak
1.hundreds of thousands 2.styles 3.madness of passion 4.changed 5.dust 6.dust on the head, mad with passion ala majnuN
‘Khaak par sar rakhna’ is to bow down in submission (to the beloved/god). ‘Khaak basar hona’ is to throw dust on the head and go about like a mad passionate majnuN. Thus, the passionate madness of love changed its style hundreds of thousands of times from the beginning of love up to the poet/lover being driven stark raving mad like majnuN.
