For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
خوابِ پریشاں ہو گئیں ۔ داؤد خاں اخترؔ شیرانی
۱
عمر بھر کی تلخ بیداری کا ساماں ہو گئیں
ہائے وہ راتیں کہ جو خوابِ پریشاں ہو گئیں
۲
میں فِدا اُس چاند سے چہرے پہ جس کے نور سے
میرے خوابوں کی فضائیں یُوسُفِستاں ہو گئیں
۳
عمر بھر کم بخت کو پھر نیند آ سکتی نہیں
جس کی آنکھوں پر تری زلفیں پریشاں ہو گئیں
۴
دل کے پردوں میں تھیں جو جو حسرتیں پردہ نشیں
آج وہ آنکھوں میں آنسو بن کے عریاں ہو گئیں
۵
کچھ تجھے بھی ہے خبر او سونے والے ناز سے
میری راتیں لُٹ گئیں نیندیں پریشاں ہو گئیں
۶
ہائے وہ مایوسیوں میں میری اُمّیدوں کا رنگ
جو ستاروں کی طرح اُٹھ اُٹھ کے پنہاں ہو گئیں
۷
بس کرو او میری رونے والی آنکھو بس کرو
اب تو اپنے ظلم پر وہ بھی پشیماں ہو گئیں
۸
آہ وہ دن جو نہ آئے پھر گزر جانے کے بعد
ہائے وہ راتیں کہ جو خوابِ پریشاں ہو گئیں
۹
گلشنِ دل میں کہاں اخترؔ وہ رنگِ نو بہار
آرزوئیں چند کلیاں تھیں پریشاں ہو گئیں
ख़्वाब-ए परेशाँ हो गईं – दाऊद ख़ां अख़्तर शीरानी
१
उम्र-भर की तल्ख़ बेदारी का सामाँ हो गईं
हाए वो रातें के जो ख़्वाब-ए परेशाँ हो गईं
२
मैं फ़िदा उस चाँद से चेहरे पे जिस के नूर से
मेरे ख़्वाबों की फ़ज़ाएँ यूसुफ़िस्ताँ हो गईं
३
उम्र-भर कम-बख़्त को फिर नींद आ सकती नहीं
जिस की आँखों पर तेरी ज़ुल्फ़ें परेशाँ हो गईं
४
दिल के पर्दों में थीं जो जो हसरतें पर्दा-नशीं
आज वो आँखों में आँसू बन के उर्यां हो गईं
५
कुछ तुझे भी है ख़बर ओ सोने वाले नाज़ से
मेरी रातें लुट गईं नींदें परेशाँ हो गईं
६
हाए वो मायूसियों में मेरी उम्मीदों का रंग
जो सितारों की तरह उठ उठ के पिन्हाँ हो गईं
७
बस करो ओ मेरी रोने वाली आँखो बस करो
अब तो अपने ज़ुल्म पर वो भी पशेमाँ हो गईं
८
आह वो दिन जो न आए फिर गुज़र जाने के बा’द
हाए वो रातें के जो ख़्वाब-ए परेशाँ हो गईं
९
गुलशन-ए दिल में कहाँ अख़्तर वो रंग-ए नौ-बहार
आर्ज़ूएँ चंद कलियाँ थीं परेशाँ हो गईं
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mohammed dawood KhaaN aKhtar shiiraani (1904-1948) ToNk, rajashthan. He received religious and classical education at home and was also given lessons in wrestling. In 1921, there was a rebellion against the local navaab. He was able to put down the rebellion but banished a lot of people, among them shiiraani’s family, who migrated to lahore. He started working as a journalist and publisher. His love interest and poetry caused a breakdown of relationship with his father, but his allowance continued. He died early due to heavy smoking and drinking. In his poetry he broke with the trend of progressive poets and stayed with romantic themes. This Ghazal is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam on the Theme Index page.
1
umr-bhar1 ki talKh2 bedaari3 ka saamaaN4 ho ga’iiN
haa’e vo raateN keh jo Khwaab-e-pareshaaN5 ho ga’iiN 1.life long 2.hard, bitter 3.sleeplessness, wakefulness 4.means, cause 5.nightmare
Something has happened. It is implied that the poet/lover has given his heart to the beloved. As a result of this his nights are like nightmares and have become the cause of his lifelong sleeplessness.
2
maiN fida1 uss chaaNd se chehre2 pe jis ke nuur3 se
mere KhwaaboN ki fazaa’eN4 yuusufistaaN5 ho ga’iiN 1.devotional offering 2.face, looks 3.brilliance 4.ambience, surroundings 5.land of yusuf
I offer myself in devotion to the moon-faced beloved whose brilliance has turned my dreams into the land of yusuf. The ‘land of yusuf’ needs a bit of adventurous interpretation. yusuf’s brothers had thrown him in a well in a fit of jealousy. A passing caravan fetched him out and auctioned him off as a slave. yusuf was considered the epitome of beauty. Thus, the land/domain of yusuf could be the domain of beauty. Thus, the beloved’s brilliance changed his dreams into a domain of beauty.
3
umr-bhar1 kam-baKht2 ko phir niiNd aa sakti nahiN
jis ki aaNkhoN par teri zulfeN3 pareshaaN4 ho ga’iiN 1.life-long 2.unfortunate 3.hair 4.spread
Here ‘aaNkhoN par’ means before the eyes. Thus any unfortunate one whose eyes have seen your hair uncovered, untied, spread out will never be able to sleep all night long (any night). But instead of ‘aaNkhoN par’ they become ‘baazu par pareshaaN ho gaiiN’ then the result is completely different. Said Ghalib …
niind us kii hai dimaaGh us kaa hai raateN us kii haiN
terii zulfeN jis ke baazuu par pareshaaN ho gaiiN
4
dil ke pardoN1 meN thiiN jo jo hasrateN2 parda-nashiN3
aaj voh aaNkhoN meN aaNsu4 ban ke uryaaN5 ho ga’iiN 1.layers, veils 2.longing 3.veiled, hidden 4.tears 5.naked, exposed, visible
The lover longs for the beloved but his keeps his longing hidden deep in the layers of his heart. But all those desires that were hidden/veiled in the heart, today became tears in the eyes of the lover and everyone could see what was going on.
5
kuchh tujhe bhi hai Khabar1 o sone vaale naaz2 se
meri raateN luT3 ga’iiN niiNdeN pareshaaN4 ho ga’iiN 1.awareness, knowledge 2.style 3.robbed 4.became nightmares
niiNd pareshaaN hona is like dreams turning into nightmares. It is implied that this is happening because he has given his heart to the beloved and she is indifferent to him. She sleeps soundly, in style and is not even aware that the nights of the lover have been robbed of sleep, his dreams have turned into nightmares.
6
haa’e voh maayusiyoN1 meN meri ummidoN2 ka raNg3
jo sitaaroN ki tarah4 uTh uTh ke pinhaaN5 ho ga’iiN 1.disappointments 2.hopes 3.colour, nature, character 4.like, similar to 5.hide, disappear
Alas, the nature/character of my hopes that turn into disappointments, like stars that rise and soon disappear. Perhaps he means shooting stars.
7
bas karo o meri rone vaali aaNkho bas karo
ab to apne zulm1 par voh bhi pashemaaN2 ho ga’iiN 1.cruelty 2.regret, repent
Enough crying O eyes. By now even she regrets her cruelty. Thus, the beloved seeing him so mournful, regrets that she has been cruel. There is a slight awkwardness with the ‘ho gaiiN’. It is much more common to refer to the beloved as ‘ho gaii’ rather than ‘ho gaiiN’.
8
aah voh din jo na aa’e phir guzar1 jaane ke baa’d
haa’e vo raateN keh jo Khwaab-e-pareshaaN2 ho ga’iiN 1.passing 2.nightmares
Alas, those nights that do not return once having passed. Alas, the nights that have changed into nightmares. What were the nights that have passed … probably not nights spent with the beloved. That would be very unusual in urdu poetic tradition. They are probably the nights before he saw her. They were peaceful and will never return.
9
gulshan-e dil meN kahaaN aKhtar1 vo raNg2-e nau-bahaar3
aarzu’eN4 chaNd5 kaliyaaN6 thiiN pareshaaN7 ho ga’iiN 1.pen-name of the poet 2.style, character 3.new spring 4.desires 5.a few 6.unblossomed buds 7.scattered
O aKhtar, how can there be a new/fresh spring in the garden of my heart. My desires were like a few unblossomed buds (not bloomed, unfulfilled desires) that got scattered.
mohammed dawood KhaaN aKhtar shiiraani (1904-1948) ToNk, rajashthan. He received religious and classical education at home and was also given lessons in wrestling. In 1921, there was a rebellion against the local navaab. He was able to put down the rebellion but banished a lot of people, among them shiiraani’s family, who migrated to lahore. He started working as a journalist and publisher. His love interest and poetry caused a breakdown of relationship with his father, but his allowance continued. He died early due to heavy smoking and drinking. In his poetry he broke with the trend of progressive poets and stayed with romantic themes. This Ghazal is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam on the Theme Index page.
1
umr-bhar1 ki talKh2 bedaari3 ka saamaaN4 ho ga’iiN
haa’e vo raateN keh jo Khwaab-e-pareshaaN5 ho ga’iiN
1.life long 2.hard, bitter 3.sleeplessness, wakefulness 4.means, cause 5.nightmare
Something has happened. It is implied that the poet/lover has given his heart to the beloved. As a result of this his nights are like nightmares and have become the cause of his lifelong sleeplessness.
2
maiN fida1 uss chaaNd se chehre2 pe jis ke nuur3 se
mere KhwaaboN ki fazaa’eN4 yuusufistaaN5 ho ga’iiN
1.devotional offering 2.face, looks 3.brilliance 4.ambience, surroundings 5.land of yusuf
I offer myself in devotion to the moon-faced beloved whose brilliance has turned my dreams into the land of yusuf. The ‘land of yusuf’ needs a bit of adventurous interpretation. yusuf’s brothers had thrown him in a well in a fit of jealousy. A passing caravan fetched him out and auctioned him off as a slave. yusuf was considered the epitome of beauty. Thus, the land/domain of yusuf could be the domain of beauty. Thus, the beloved’s brilliance changed his dreams into a domain of beauty.
3
umr-bhar1 kam-baKht2 ko phir niiNd aa sakti nahiN
jis ki aaNkhoN par teri zulfeN3 pareshaaN4 ho ga’iiN
1.life-long 2.unfortunate 3.hair 4.spread
Here ‘aaNkhoN par’ means before the eyes. Thus any unfortunate one whose eyes have seen your hair uncovered, untied, spread out will never be able to sleep all night long (any night). But instead of ‘aaNkhoN par’ they become ‘baazu par pareshaaN ho gaiiN’ then the result is completely different. Said Ghalib …
niind us kii hai dimaaGh us kaa hai raateN us kii haiN
terii zulfeN jis ke baazuu par pareshaaN ho gaiiN
4
dil ke pardoN1 meN thiiN jo jo hasrateN2 parda-nashiN3
aaj voh aaNkhoN meN aaNsu4 ban ke uryaaN5 ho ga’iiN
1.layers, veils 2.longing 3.veiled, hidden 4.tears 5.naked, exposed, visible
The lover longs for the beloved but his keeps his longing hidden deep in the layers of his heart. But all those desires that were hidden/veiled in the heart, today became tears in the eyes of the lover and everyone could see what was going on.
5
kuchh tujhe bhi hai Khabar1 o sone vaale naaz2 se
meri raateN luT3 ga’iiN niiNdeN pareshaaN4 ho ga’iiN
1.awareness, knowledge 2.style 3.robbed 4.became nightmares
niiNd pareshaaN hona is like dreams turning into nightmares. It is implied that this is happening because he has given his heart to the beloved and she is indifferent to him. She sleeps soundly, in style and is not even aware that the nights of the lover have been robbed of sleep, his dreams have turned into nightmares.
6
haa’e voh maayusiyoN1 meN meri ummidoN2 ka raNg3
jo sitaaroN ki tarah4 uTh uTh ke pinhaaN5 ho ga’iiN
1.disappointments 2.hopes 3.colour, nature, character 4.like, similar to 5.hide, disappear
Alas, the nature/character of my hopes that turn into disappointments, like stars that rise and soon disappear. Perhaps he means shooting stars.
7
bas karo o meri rone vaali aaNkho bas karo
ab to apne zulm1 par voh bhi pashemaaN2 ho ga’iiN
1.cruelty 2.regret, repent
Enough crying O eyes. By now even she regrets her cruelty. Thus, the beloved seeing him so mournful, regrets that she has been cruel. There is a slight awkwardness with the ‘ho gaiiN’. It is much more common to refer to the beloved as ‘ho gaii’ rather than ‘ho gaiiN’.
8
aah voh din jo na aa’e phir guzar1 jaane ke baa’d
haa’e vo raateN keh jo Khwaab-e-pareshaaN2 ho ga’iiN
1.passing 2.nightmares
Alas, those nights that do not return once having passed. Alas, the nights that have changed into nightmares. What were the nights that have passed … probably not nights spent with the beloved. That would be very unusual in urdu poetic tradition. They are probably the nights before he saw her. They were peaceful and will never return.
9
gulshan-e dil meN kahaaN aKhtar1 vo raNg2-e nau-bahaar3
aarzu’eN4 chaNd5 kaliyaaN6 thiiN pareshaaN7 ho ga’iiN
1.pen-name of the poet 2.style, character 3.new spring 4.desires 5.a few 6.unblossomed buds 7.scattered
O aKhtar, how can there be a new/fresh spring in the garden of my heart. My desires were like a few unblossomed buds (not bloomed, unfulfilled desires) that got scattered.
Lately your selection of poetry has been below average.