koii aabla paa mere b’aad-mohammed taqi KhaaN havas

For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.

آبلہ پا میرے بعد ۔ محمد تقی خاں ہوسؔ

۱

بے کسی ہی نے نہ دنیا کو تجا میرے بعد

غم بھی مرقد پہ میری بیٹھ رہا میرے بعد

۲

تیز رکھیو سرِ ہر خار کو اے دشتِ جنوں

شاید آ جائے کوئی آبلہ پا میرے بعد

۳

اپنے مرنے کا مجھے غم نہیں پر یہ غم ہے

کون ہوگا ہدفِ تیرِ بلا میرے بعد

۴

کیا عجب مدفنِ لیلیٰ سے جو نکلے یہ صدا

میرے مجنوں تیرا کیا حال ہوا میرے بعد

۵

میں نے زنداں ہی میں دی جان بلا سے میری

باغِ عالم میں رہی گو کہ فضا میرے بعد

۶

جیتے جی قدر بشر کی نہیں ہوتی پیارے

یاد آئے گی تمہیں میری وفا میرے بعد

۷

اب تو کرتے ہو بہت لطف و کرم تم لیکن

بھول جانا نہ مجھے بہرِ خدا میرے بعد

۸

اُٹھ گیا میں جو جہانِ گزراں سے تو ہوسؔ

خاک چھانے گی بہت بادِ صبا میرے بعد

आब्ला पा मेरे बाद – मोहम्मद तक़ी ख़ां हवस

बेकसी ही ने न दुनिया को तजा मेरे बाद

ग़म भी मर्क़द पे मेरी बैठ रहा मेरे बाद

तेज़ रखियो सर-ए हर-ख़ार को अए दश्त-ए जुनूं

शा’एद आ जाए कोई आब्ला पा मेरे बाद

अपने मरने का मुझे ग़म नहीं पर ये ग़म है

कौन होगा हदफ़-ए तीर-ए बला मेरे बाद

क्या अजब मद्फ़न-ए लैला से जो निक्ले ये सदा

मेरे मज्नूं तेरा क्या हाल हुआ मेरे बाद

मैं ने ज़िंदां ही में दी जान, बला से मेरी

बाग़-ए आलम में रही गो के फ़िज़ा मेरे बाद

जीते जी क़द्र बशर की नहीं होती प्यारे

याद आएगी तुम्हें मेरी वफ़ा मेरे बाद

अब तो करते हो बहुत लुत्फ़ ओ करम तुम लैकिन

भूल जाना न मुझे बहर-ए ख़ुदा मेरे बाद

उठ गया मैं जो जहान-ए गुज़रां से तो हवस

ख़ाक छानेगी बहुत बाद-ए सबा मेरे बाद

 

Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mohammed taqi KhaaN havas (1766-1836), lukhnau, shaagird of mir hasan and mus’hafi. Cousin of nawab of awadh aasif-ud-daula. The earliest divan that I could find was 1896, but it did not include this Ghazal. Later hasrat mohani compiled his divan as a part of his monumental effort to preserve urdu literature. His compilation also does not include this Ghazal. A much later, 1983 publication of the kalaam of havas from an original but undated manuscript includes this Ghazal. It was selected and published by the urdu academy, UP. Ghalib’s Ghazal in this zamin was composed before 1821. It is difficult to date this Ghazal and say for sure whether it was composed before or after Ghalib. I have linked it to both Ghalib naqsh-e qadam and Ghalib peshrau ham-asr.
1
bekasi1 hi ne na duniya ko taja2 mere b’aad
Gham bhi marqad3 pe meri baiTh raha mere b’aad   
1.helplessness, hopelessness 2.quit, leave 3.grave
The ‘hi’ in the first misra and ‘bhi’ in the second are used in the sense of “not only but also”. Thus, not only did Hopelessness not go anywhere, but also Sorrow also sat at my grave after me. Thus these two emotions, personified were exclusively meant for the poet. After him, they were so despondent that they did not leave his graveside.

2
tez1 rakhiyo sar2-e har-Khaar3 ko aye dasht4-e junooN5
shaa’ed6 aa jaaye koii aabla-paa7 mere b’aad    
1.sharp 2.head, point 3.every thorn 4.wilderness 5.passion 6.perhaps 7.blistered feet
In poetic tradition the frenzied lover wanders through the desert and gets blisters on his feet. Blisters are ripe for sharp thorns and tear open his wounds. Thus, the poet/lover calls upon the wilderness to keep every thorn sharp. Perhaps some other mad/passionate lover with blistered feet may wander through.

3
apne marne ka mujhe Gham nahiN par ye Gham hai
kaun hoga hadaf1-e tiir-e balaa2 mere b’aad  
1.target 2.calamities, calumnies
I am not so concerned about my death, but I am worried about who will be the target of the arrows of calumny after me i.e. the poet/lover had been the favourite/exclusive target of the beloved’s arrows.

4
kya ajab1 madfan2-e laila se jo nikle ye sada3
mere majnuN tera kya haal4 hua mere b’aad
1.unusual, surprising 2.grave 3.sound, call 4.condition
The poet/lover implies that he is the eternal majnuN, and laila considers him her lover and calls out in distress from her grave, bemoaning his condition.

5
maiN ne zindaaN1 hi meN dii jaan, balaa2 se meri
baaGh-e aalam3 meN rahi go4 ke fiza5 mere b’aad   
1.prison, cage 2.used in the sense, what difference to me 3.world 4.even though 5.ambience
The poet/lover has lived his life like a caged bird. I lost my life in my cage. What difference does it make to me that what ambience (of joy) there is in the garden of the world after me.

6
jiite ji qadr1 bashar2 ki nahiN hoti pyaare
yaad aayegi tumheN meri vafa3 mere b’aad
1.value, appreciation 2.human, person 3.fidelity, steadfast love
A person is not valued while he is alive, but you will remember (and miss) my fidelity, after me.

7
ab to karte ho bahut lutf1 o karam2 tum laikin
bhool jaana na mujhe bahr-e-Khuda3 mere b’aad  
1.consideration, grace, favours 2.kindness 3.for god’s sake
You are gracious, show favours and kindness towards me now, but for god’s sake, do not forget me, after I am gone.

8
uTh gaya maiN jo jahaan1-e guzaraaN2 se to havas3
Khaak4 chhaanegi5 bahut baad-e-saba6 mere b’aad   
1.world 2.fast paced 3.pen-name of poet 4.dust 5.sift through 6.morning breeze
In usual poetic convention the morning breeze blows in the garden to wake buds up and make them bloom. Khaak chhaan-na can mean sift through the dust, but more usually means searching all over not knowing where to look. Thus, after the poet is “lifted out” of this fast paced world, the morning breeze will blow into the garden and not finding him will wander hither and thither not knowing where to look.

mohammed taqi KhaaN havas (1766-1836), lukhnau, shaagird of mir hasan and mus’hafi.  Cousin of nawab of awadh aasif-ud-daula.  The earliest divan that I could find was 1896, but it did not include this Ghazal.  Later hasrat mohani compiled his divan as a part of his monumental effort to preserve urdu literature.  His compilation also does not include this Ghazal.  A much later, 1983 publication of the kalaam of havas from an original but undated manuscript includes this Ghazal.  It was selected and published by the urdu academy, UP.  Ghalib’s Ghazal in this zamin was composed before 1821.  It is difficult to date this Ghazal and say for sure whether it was composed before or after Ghalib.  I have linked it to both Ghalib naqsh-e qadam and Ghalib peshrau ham-asr.
1
bekasi1 hi ne na duniya ko taja2 mere b’aad
Gham bhi marqad3 pe meri baiTh raha mere b’aad

1.helplessness, hopelessness 2.quit, leave 3.grave

The ‘hi’ in the first misra and ‘bhi’ in the second are used in the sense of “not only but also”.  Thus, not only did Hopelessness not go anywhere, but also Sorrow also sat at my grave after me.  Thus these two emotions, personified were exclusively meant for the poet.  After him, they were so despondent that they did not leave his graveside.
2
tez1 rakhiyo sar2-e har-Khaar3 ko aye dasht4-e junooN5
shaa’ed6 aa jaaye koii aabla-paa7 mere b’aad

1.sharp 2.head, point 3.every thorn 4.wilderness 5.passion 6.perhaps 7.blistered feet

In poetic tradition the frenzied lover wanders through the desert and gets blisters on his feet.  Blisters are ripe for sharp thorns and tear open his wounds.  Thus, the poet/lover calls upon the wilderness to keep every thorn sharp.  Perhaps some other mad/passionate lover with blistered feet may wander through.
3
apne marne ka mujhe Gham nahiN par ye Gham hai
kaun hoga hadaf1-e tiir-e balaa2 mere b’aad

1.target 2.calamities, calumnies

I am not so concerned about my death, but I am worried about who will be the target of the arrows of calumny after me i.e. the poet/lover had been the favourite/exclusive target of the beloved’s arrows.
4
kya ajab1 madfan2-e laila se jo nikle ye sada3
mere majnuN tera kya haal4 hua mere b’aad

1.unusual, surprising 2.grave 3.sound, call 4.condition

The poet/lover implies that he is the eternal majnuN, and laila considers him her lover and calls out in distress from her grave, bemoaning his condition.
5
maiN ne zindaaN1 hi meN dii jaan, balaa2 se meri
baaGh-e aalam3 meN rahi go4 ke fiza5 mere b’aad

1.prison, cage 2.used in the sense, what difference to me 3.world 4.even though 5.ambience

The poet/lover has lived his life like a caged bird.  I lost my life in my cage.  What difference does it make to me that what ambience (of joy) there is in the garden of the world after me.
6
jiite ji qadr1 bashar2 ki nahiN hoti pyaare
yaad aayegi tumheN meri vafa3 mere b’aad

1.value, appreciation 2.human, person 3.fidelity, steadfast love

A person is not valued while he is alive, but you will remember (and miss) my fidelity, after me.
7
ab to karte ho bahut lutf1 o karam2 tum laikin
bhool jaana na mujhe bahr-e-Khuda3 mere b’aad

1.consideration, grace, favours 2.kindness 3.for god’s sake

You are gracious, show favours and kindness towards me now, but for god’s sake, do not forget me, after I am gone.
8
uTh gaya maiN jo jahaan1-e guzaraaN2 se to havas3
Khaak4 chhaanegi5 bahut baad-e-saba6 mere b’aad

1.world 2.fast paced 3.pen-name of poet 4.dust 5.sift through 6.morning breeze

In usual poetic convention the morning breeze blows in the garden to wake buds up and make them bloom.  Khaak chhaan-na can mean sift through the dust, but more usually means searching all over not knowing where to look.  Thus, after the poet is “lifted out” of this fast paced world, the morning breeze will blow into the garden and not finding him will wander hither and thither not knowing where to look.