For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
کیا کیا نہ چاہیے ۔ پریم چند سریواسطو مظہرؔ
۱
دنیا نہ چاہیے مجھے عقبیٰ نہ چاہیے
احساں میرے جنوں کو کسی کا نہ چاہیے
۲
ذوقِ نظر کلیم کا گستاخ تھا ضرور
پھر بھی جمالِ یار کو ایسا نہ چاہیے
۳
آگاہیِ ضمیر سے جینا حرام ہے
ایسا نہ چاہیے تجھے ویسا نہ چاہیے
۴
اِک اضطراب بھر دیا کیا خوب پھونکی جان
اب ایسی مشتِ خاک کو کیا کیا نہ چاہیے
۵
ذوقِ نظر کا اب نہ کہیں دل ہی بیٹھ جائے
پردہ تو چاہیے مگر اتنا نہ چاہیے
۶
ہستی شبِ مدام ہے اِنساں ہے محوِ خواب
ہر روز صبح نو کا تماشا نہ چاہیے
۷
انساں کو دل کا سوز ہے پردانے کا نہیں
اس کو حضوریِ رخِ زیبا نہ چاہیے
۸
میں طفلِ دل کو سیرِ دو عالم کرا تو دوں
مظہرؔ مگر یہ شرط مچلنا نہ چاہیے
क्या क्या न चाहिए – प्रेम चंद श्रीवास्तव मज़हर
१
दुनिया न चाहिए मुझे उक़्बा न चाहिए
एहसां मेरे जुनूं को किसी का न चाहिए
२
ज़ौक़-ए नज़र कलीम का गुस्ताख़ था ज़रूर
फिर भी जमाल-ए यार को ऐसा न चाहिए
३
आगाही-ए ज़मीर से जीना हराम है
ऐसा न चाहिए तुझे वैसा न चाहिए
४
एक इज़्तेराब भर दिया क्या ख़ूब फूंकी जान
अब ऐसी मुश्त-ए ख़ाक को क्या क्या न चाहिए
५
ज़ौक-ए नज़र का अब न कहीं दिल ही बैठ जाए
पर्दा तो चाहिए मगर इतना न चाहिए
६
हस्ती शब-ए मुदाम है इन्सां है महव-ए ख़्वाब
हर रोज़ सुबह-ए नौ का तमाशा न चाहिए
७
इन्सां को दिल का सोज़ है परदाने का नहीं
इस को हुज़ूरी-ए रुख़-ए ज़ेबा न चाहिए
८
मैं तिफ़्ल-ए दिल को सैर-ए दो आलम करा तो दूं
मज़हर मगर ये शर्त मचलना न चाहिए
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. premchandr srivastav mazhar, (xxxx-xxxx), PhD, principal of a local college in jabalpur. This Ghazal is taken from a small booklet published in 1969 by Ghalib shataabdi naagarik samiti, jabalpur. The poet was an editorial board member for this booklet, chairman of the jabalpur branch of ‘anjuman-e taraqqi-e urdu’. This Ghazal is representative of the long lasting impact of Ghalib and of the wide following that urdu had even in 1969! How rapidly was the language murdered! The ‘samiti’ held several mushaa’era over a two-year period using one Ghazal or the other of Ghalib’s as a model. This is one of several Ghazal modeled after Ghalib’s ‘jur’at-e rindaana chaahiye’ and is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
duniya na chaahiye mujhe uqba1 na chaahiye
ehsaaN2 mere junooN3 ko kisi ka na chaahiye 1.the hereafter 2.favour, obligation 3.passion, madness
I desire neither this world nor the hereafter. My madness cannot bear the obligation of anyone. The poet expresses an elevated state of detachment, renouncing worldly and spiritual rewards. He declares his passion as self-sufficient, free from external dependencies, perhaps free from the need for any rewards. Two ash’aar of Ghalib come to mind …
bandagii meN bhii vo aazaadah-o-Khud-biiN haiN ke hum
ulTe phir aae dar-e kaabah agar vaa na huaa
2
zauq1-e nazar2 kaliim3 ka gustaaKh4 tha zaruur5
phir bhi jamaal6-e yaar7 ko aisaa na chaahiye 1.taste, desire 2.sight, seeing 3.another name for moosa/Moses 4.impudent, disrespectful 5.certainly, used here to mean-I agree 6.glory, beauty 7.friend, god
moosa/Moses went up mount tuur asking to see some evidence of god. This desire to see was impudent, I agree, yet the beauty of the beloved should not be like this i.e., lightning should not have struck and caused moosa to faint and reduced the mountain to ashes. There is a suggestion that god should be accessible and not intimidating, making it more endearing and approachable.
3
aagaahi1-e zamiir2 se jiina haraam3 hai
aisa na chaahiye tujhe vaisa na chaahiye 1.awareness 2.conscience 3.forbidden, used here to mean- impossible, unbearable
Living with the awareness of one’s conscience has become unbearable. It constantly pricks and reminds ‘this should not be, nor should that be’. Life has become no fun. Alternatively, the ‘tujhe’ may refer to god. Then the second misra has a tinge of blame … you forbid this and you forbid that, making life miserable for me.
4
ek izteraab1 bhar diya kya Khoob2 phooNki3 jaan
ab aisi musht-e-Khaak4 ko kya kya na chaahiye 1.restlessness 2.how well/good 3.blew in, instilled 4.fistful of dust/clay (human)
This is a sarcastic observation of what god has done upon creation. What wonderful restlessness you instilled when you blew life into this fistful of clay. Now look at the countless things it desires. He blames material temptations on god, who gave humans this restlessness to begin with.
5
zauq1-e nazar2 ka ab na kahiiN dil hi baiTh3 jaa’e
parda to chaahiye magar itna na chaahiye 1.taste, desire 2.seeing, sight 3.dil baiTh jaana-a saying that means giving up hope, intense disappointment
I am fearful that the desire to see/view/catch a glimpse of may lose all hope and give up. A veil may be necessary, but not this much. This could well apply to the divine and/or the beloved. While modesty or mystery/enigma might be important, the veil should not completely obscure beauty or truth, as excessive restraint can stifle appreciation.
6
hasti1 shab2-e mudaam3 hai insaaN hai mahv4-e Khwaab5
har roz6 sub’h-e-nau7 ka tamaasha8 na chaahiye 1.life, existence 2.night 3.eternal 4.engrossed 5.sleep 6.daily 7.new dawn 8.spectacle
Life feels like an eternal night, and humans are lost in slumber. This could mean that life is a continuous illusion, and humans are deluded/living in a dream. But the second misra seems to sugges that does not welcome the daily interruption in his sleep. I am not sure if this implies anything profound.
7
insaaN ko dil ka soz1 hai pardaane2 ka nahiN
is ko huzoori3-e ruKh-e-zeba4 na chaahiye 1.burning passion 2.veiling 3.presence 4.beautiful face
The lover’s heart burns with passion, not with a desire for concealment. He doesn’t need to be in the presence of a beautiful face. The poet speaks to the intensity of inner feelings. External appearances or proximity to beauty are secondary to the deep, intrinsic emotions that drive human existence. Could this apply to divine beauty as well.
8
maiN tifl-e-dil1 ko sair2-e do-aalam3 kara to duN
mazhar4 magar yeh shart5 machalna6 na chaahiye 1.childlike/simpleton heart 2.journey 3.two worlds, material and spiritual 4.pen-name 5.condition 6.to be restless
I can take my simpleton heart on a journey through both worlds, but mazhar, it must not demand to be restless. The poet is apprehensive that such a journey would surely make his heart restless. I am not sure I get the deeper meaning (if any) of this she’r. I would welcome any help.
premchandr srivastav mazhar, (xxxx-xxxx), PhD, principal of a local college in jabalpur. This Ghazal is taken from a small booklet published in 1969 by Ghalib shataabdi naagarik samiti, jabalpur. The poet was an editorial board member for this booklet, chairman of the jabalpur branch of ‘anjuman-e taraqqi-e urdu’. This Ghazal is representative of the long lasting impact of Ghalib and of the wide following that urdu had even in 1969! How rapidly was the language murdered! The ‘samiti’ held several mushaa’era over a two-year period using one Ghazal or the other of Ghalib’s as a model. This is one of several Ghazal modeled after Ghalib’s ‘jur’at-e rindaana chaahiye’ and is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
duniya na chaahiye mujhe uqba1 na chaahiye
ehsaaN2 mere junooN3 ko kisi ka na chaahiye
1.the hereafter 2.favour, obligation 3.passion, madness
I desire neither this world nor the hereafter. My madness cannot bear the obligation of anyone. The poet expresses an elevated state of detachment, renouncing worldly and spiritual rewards. He declares his passion as self-sufficient, free from external dependencies, perhaps free from the need for any rewards. Two ash’aar of Ghalib come to mind …
bandagii meN bhii vo aazaadah-o-Khud-biiN haiN ke hum
ulTe phir aae dar-e kaabah agar vaa na huaa
and …
taa’at meN taa rahe na mai o aNgabiiN ki laag
dozaKh meN Daal do koii le kar behisht ko
2
zauq1-e nazar2 kaliim3 ka gustaaKh4 tha zaruur5
phir bhi jamaal6-e yaar7 ko aisaa na chaahiye
1.taste, desire 2.sight, seeing 3.another name for moosa/Moses 4.impudent, disrespectful 5.certainly, used here to mean-I agree 6.glory, beauty 7.friend, god
moosa/Moses went up mount tuur asking to see some evidence of god. This desire to see was impudent, I agree, yet the beauty of the beloved should not be like this i.e., lightning should not have struck and caused moosa to faint and reduced the mountain to ashes. There is a suggestion that god should be accessible and not intimidating, making it more endearing and approachable.
3
aagaahi1-e zamiir2 se jiina haraam3 hai
aisa na chaahiye tujhe vaisa na chaahiye
1.awareness 2.conscience 3.forbidden, used here to mean- impossible, unbearable
Living with the awareness of one’s conscience has become unbearable. It constantly pricks and reminds ‘this should not be, nor should that be’. Life has become no fun. Alternatively, the ‘tujhe’ may refer to god. Then the second misra has a tinge of blame … you forbid this and you forbid that, making life miserable for me.
4
ek izteraab1 bhar diya kya Khoob2 phooNki3 jaan
ab aisi musht-e-Khaak4 ko kya kya na chaahiye
1.restlessness 2.how well/good 3.blew in, instilled 4.fistful of dust/clay (human)
This is a sarcastic observation of what god has done upon creation. What wonderful restlessness you instilled when you blew life into this fistful of clay. Now look at the countless things it desires. He blames material temptations on god, who gave humans this restlessness to begin with.
5
zauq1-e nazar2 ka ab na kahiiN dil hi baiTh3 jaa’e
parda to chaahiye magar itna na chaahiye
1.taste, desire 2.seeing, sight 3.dil baiTh jaana-a saying that means giving up hope, intense disappointment
I am fearful that the desire to see/view/catch a glimpse of may lose all hope and give up. A veil may be necessary, but not this much. This could well apply to the divine and/or the beloved. While modesty or mystery/enigma might be important, the veil should not completely obscure beauty or truth, as excessive restraint can stifle appreciation.
6
hasti1 shab2-e mudaam3 hai insaaN hai mahv4-e Khwaab5
har roz6 sub’h-e-nau7 ka tamaasha8 na chaahiye
1.life, existence 2.night 3.eternal 4.engrossed 5.sleep 6.daily 7.new dawn 8.spectacle
Life feels like an eternal night, and humans are lost in slumber. This could mean that life is a continuous illusion, and humans are deluded/living in a dream. But the second misra seems to sugges that does not welcome the daily interruption in his sleep. I am not sure if this implies anything profound.
7
insaaN ko dil ka soz1 hai pardaane2 ka nahiN
is ko huzoori3-e ruKh-e-zeba4 na chaahiye
1.burning passion 2.veiling 3.presence 4.beautiful face
The lover’s heart burns with passion, not with a desire for concealment. He doesn’t need to be in the presence of a beautiful face. The poet speaks to the intensity of inner feelings. External appearances or proximity to beauty are secondary to the deep, intrinsic emotions that drive human existence. Could this apply to divine beauty as well.
8
maiN tifl-e-dil1 ko sair2-e do-aalam3 kara to duN
mazhar4 magar yeh shart5 machalna6 na chaahiye
1.childlike/simpleton heart 2.journey 3.two worlds, material and spiritual 4.pen-name 5.condition 6.to be restless
I can take my simpleton heart on a journey through both worlds, but mazhar, it must not demand to be restless. The poet is apprehensive that such a journey would surely make his heart restless. I am not sure I get the deeper meaning (if any) of this she’r. I would welcome any help.
