For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
کیا مانگ کیا نہ مانگ ۔ بشویشور پرشاد مُنوّرؔ لکھنوی
۱
بے کار ہو نہ جائے تیرا مانگنا نہ مانگ
کچھ بھی سوا دعا کے بوقتِ دعا نہ مانگ
۲
جس سے ہو خونِ شانِ دعا وہ دعا نہ مانگ
اپنی زباں سے اپنے کئے کا صِلہ نہ مانگ
۳
لازم ہے تجھ کو شرطِ اجابت سے آگہی
لے دل سے کام تو یہ زباں سے دعا نہ مانگ
۴
خودداریِ طریق کا زنہار خوں نہ ہو
ہو گامزن، کسی سے مگر راستا نہ مانگ
۵
یہ فیصلہ تجھی پہ مُنوّرؔ ہے منحصر
میں کیا بتاؤں تجھ سے کہ کیا مانگ کیا نہ مانگ
क्या मांग क्या मांग – विश्वेश्वर प्रशाद मुनव्वर लखनवी
१
बेकार हो न जाए तेरा मांगना न मांग
कुछ भी सिवा दुआ के ब-वक़्त-ए दुआ न मांग
२
जिस से हो ख़ून-ए शान-ए दुआ वो दुआ न मांग
अपनी ज़बां से अपने किये का सिला न मांग
३
लाज़िम है तुझ को शर्त-ए इजाबत से आगही
ले दिल से काम तू ये ज़बां से दुआ न मांग
४
ख़ुद-दारी-ए तरीक़ का ज़िन्हार ख़ूं न हो
हो गामज़न, किसी से मगर रास्ता न मांग
५
ये फ़ैस्ला तुझी पे मुनव्वर है मुन्हसिर
मैं क्या बताऊं तुझ से के क्या मांग क्या न मांग
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. munshi bishweshwar prasad munavvar lakhnavi (1897-1970). He was a scholar of arabi, faarsi, urdu, and hindi. His father, munshi dwarka prasad ufaq was also a great poet who recomposed the ramayan in urdu using the same qaafiya for more than 6000 ash’aar. He himself re-composed the bhagwad gita in chaste urdu. He credits urdu with “saving the hindu religion” because of the many translations of hindu religious texts into urdu because that was the language that more north Indian hindus could relate to, rather than avadhi or sanskrit. In the synchretic spirit of India (now lost) he composed odes and elegies to islamic religious figures. This Ghazal is modeled after Ghalib’s ‘mujh se mere gunah ka hisaab aye Khuda na maaNg’ and is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
bekaar1 ho na jaaye tera maaNgna na maaNg
kuchh bhi siva2 dua3 ke ba-vaqt4-e dua na maaNg 1.useless, ineffective 2.except for 3.prayer 4.at the time of
There is a difference between two kinds of uses of the word ‘dua’. One is a pure, without a personal motive praise/hamd of the divine, an expression of unqualified gratitude or at the most when asking, asking for something universal rather than selfish. The other is a personal dua asking for divine favours. For fear that your words might go to waste, do not ask for anything for yourselves. At the time of prayer only pray for the universal or offer unqualified thanks.
2
jis se ho Khoon-e shaan1-e dua, vo dua na maaNg
apni zabaaN se apne kiye ka silaa2 na maaNg 1.dignity 2.compensation, reward
Do not offer a prayer (the kind that is a supplication for oneself) that kills the dignity of prayer. Do not ask for a reward for your deeds in your own voice, your own words. Let your actions speak for themselves.
3
laazim1 hai tujh ko shart2-e ijaabat3 se aagahi4
le dil se kaam tuu ye zabaaN se dua na maaNg 1.necessary, required 2.condition 3.acceptance (of prayer) 4.awareness, knowledge
It is necessary that you become aware of the conditions under which your prayer will be accepted (this according to Ghalib is when you have cleansed your heart of all personal desires). When you do this, you can let your heart speak for you. You don’t have to use your tongue to ask.
4
Khud-daari1-e tariiKh2 ka zinhaar3 KhuuN na ho
ho gaamzan4, kisi se magar5 raasta6 na maaNg 1.self respect, self reliance 2.ways, methods 3.under no circumstances 4.undertake the path 5.but 6.path, room/space
Make sure that the ways/methods of self-reliance never get violated/killed. Undertake the journey, but do not ask anyone to give you space, make your own path.
5
ye faisla1 tujhi pe munavvar2 hai munhasir3
maiN kya bataauN tujh se keh kya maaN kya na maaNg 1.determination, decision 2.pen-name of the poet 3.depends
This decision depends entirely on you, O munavvar. How can I tell you what to ask for and what not to ask for.
munshi bishweshwar prasad munavvar lakhnavi (1897-1970). He was a scholar of arabi, faarsi, urdu, and hindi. His father, munshi dwarka prasad ufaq was also a great poet who recomposed the ramayan in urdu using the same qaafiya for more than 6000 ash’aar. He himself re-composed the bhagwad gita in chaste urdu. He credits urdu with “saving the hindu religion” because of the many translations of hindu religious texts into urdu because that was the language that more north Indian hindus could relate to, rather than avadhi or sanskrit. In the synchretic spirit of India (now lost) he composed odes and elegies to islamic religious figures. This Ghazal is modeled after Ghalib’s ‘mujh se mere gunah ka hisaab aye Khuda na maaNg’ and is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
bekaar1 ho na jaaye tera maaNgna na maaNg
kuchh bhi siva2 dua3 ke ba-vaqt4-e dua na maaNg
1.useless, ineffective 2.except for 3.prayer 4.at the time of
There is a difference between two kinds of uses of the word ‘dua’. One is a pure, without a personal motive praise/hamd of the divine, an expression of unqualified gratitude or at the most when asking, asking for something universal rather than selfish. The other is a personal dua asking for divine favours. For fear that your words might go to waste, do not ask for anything for yourselves. At the time of prayer only pray for the universal or offer unqualified thanks.
2
jis se ho Khoon-e shaan1-e dua, vo dua na maaNg
apni zabaaN se apne kiye ka silaa2 na maaNg
1.dignity 2.compensation, reward
Do not offer a prayer (the kind that is a supplication for oneself) that kills the dignity of prayer. Do not ask for a reward for your deeds in your own voice, your own words. Let your actions speak for themselves.
3
laazim1 hai tujh ko shart2-e ijaabat3 se aagahi4
le dil se kaam tuu ye zabaaN se dua na maaNg
1.necessary, required 2.condition 3.acceptance (of prayer) 4.awareness, knowledge
It is necessary that you become aware of the conditions under which your prayer will be accepted (this according to Ghalib is when you have cleansed your heart of all personal desires). When you do this, you can let your heart speak for you. You don’t have to use your tongue to ask.
4
Khud-daari1-e tariiKh2 ka zinhaar3 KhuuN na ho
ho gaamzan4, kisi se magar5 raasta6 na maaNg
1.self respect, self reliance 2.ways, methods 3.under no circumstances 4.undertake the path 5.but 6.path, room/space
Make sure that the ways/methods of self-reliance never get violated/killed. Undertake the journey, but do not ask anyone to give you space, make your own path.
5
ye faisla1 tujhi pe munavvar2 hai munhasir3
maiN kya bataauN tujh se keh kya maaN kya na maaNg
1.determination, decision 2.pen-name of the poet 3.depends
This decision depends entirely on you, O munavvar. How can I tell you what to ask for and what not to ask for.
