For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
لیلیٰ پردۂ محمِل میں ہے ۔ ہیرا لال فلکؔ دہلوی
۱
کیا اِرادے ہیں کسی کے کیا کسی کے دل میں ہے
یہ خدا ہی جانتا ہے کون کس منزل میں ہے
۲
زندگی کیف و الم کی اک عجب منزل میں ہے
حسن ہے میری نظر میں عشق میرے دل میں ہے
۳
میں ترا جلوہ، تُو میرا دل ہے میرے ہم نشیں
میں تری محفل میں ہوں اور تُو مری محفل میں ہے
۴
محنتِ اِمروز میں پنہاں ہے فردا کا نصیب
حال کے ہر خواب کی تعبیر مستقبل میں ہے
۵
بن گئے زنجیرِ پا راہوں کے اکثر پیچ و خم
وارثِ منزل ابھی تک حسرتِ منزل میں ہے
۶
خاک پہلے کی طرح اب دشت میں اُڑتی نہیں
قیس گم ہے جب سے لیلیٰ پردۂ محمل میں ہے
۷
کیا قیامت اُس کی موجوں میں نہاں ہوگی فلکؔ
شور جس طوفاں کا اب تک دامنِ ساحل میں ہے
लैला परदा-ए महमिल में है – हीरा लाल फ़लक देहलवी
१
क्या इरादे हैं किसी के क्या किसी के दिल में है
ये ख़ुदा ही जानता है कौन किस मंज़िल में है
२
ज़िंदगी कैफ़ ओ अलम की एक अजब मंज़िल में है
हुस्न है मेरी नज़र में इश्क़ मेरे दिल में है
३
मैं तेरा जल्वा, तू मेरा दिल है मेरे हमनशीं
मैं तेरी महफ़िल में हूं और तू मेरी महफ़िल में है
४
मेहनत-ए इमरोज़ में पिन्हां है फ़र्दा का नसीब
हाल के हर ख़्वाब की ता’बीर मुस्तक़्बिल में है
५
बन गये ज़ंजीर-ए पा राहौं के अक्सर पेच ओ ख़म
वारेस-ए मंज़िल अभी तक हसरत-ए मंज़िल में है
६
ख़ाक पहले कि तरह अब दश्त में उढती नहीं
क़ैस गुम है जब से लैला परदा-ए महमिल में है
७
क्या क़यामत उस की मौजौं में नेहां होगी फ़लक
शोर जिस तूफ़ां का अब तक दामन-ए साहिल में है
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. heera lal falak dehlavi (1920?-1982+?). I can only make an educated guess about his birth and death. A collection of his Ghazal was published posthumously in 1982 by his shaagird. The book mentions beKhud dehlavi (1863-1955) as his ‘inspirational ustaad’ and dedicates it to him. He was a minor official in the dehli court system. In the book he describes his encounter with beKhud dehlavi when he (falak) was still a young man. The book says that he started composing in 1940. He has several Ghazal composed in the zamin of Ghalib, this is one of a series linked to the corresponding radeef in ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’.
1
kya iraade1 haiN kisi ke kya kisi ke dil meN hai
ye Khuda hi jaanta hai kaun kis manzil2 meN hai 1.intentions 2.goal
This appears to be either a mistrust of others or more probably an expression of helplessness before the arbitrariness of fate. Who knows what intentions we have in our hearts. Only god knows which goal we are headed towards i.e., we don’t know our fate and our intentions do not necessarily determine the outcome.
2
zindagi kaif1 o alam2 ki ek ajab3 manzil4 meN hai
husn5 hai meri nazar6 meN ishq mere dil meN hai 1.peace, contentment, happiness 2.sorrow 3.strange 4.stage in the journey (of life) 5.beauty, beloved 6.sight
Life is at a strange stage of a mixture of happiness and sorrow. I see the beloved before me (happiness) and I have longing (sorrow) in my heart.
3
maiN tera jalva1, tuu mera dil hai mere hamnashiiN2
maiN teri mahfil3 meN huN aur tuu meri mahfil4 meN hai 1.image, manifestation 2.friend 3.gathering 4.this ‘mahfil’ probably means his heart
I am confused. This is addressed to ‘hamnashiiN-friend’ probably meaning the beloved and not god. But then, what does it mean to say ‘I am your image/manifestation’, unless it is addressed to god. In that case he is calling god his hamnashiiN which may be just a little unusual but still conceivable. Thus, I am your manifestation and you are in my heart, O friend/god. I am in your mahfil i.e., in the world that you have created and you are in my mahfil i.e., my heart.
4
mehnat1-e imroz2 meN pinhaaN3 hai farda4 ka nasiib5
haal6 ke har Khwaab7 ki taabiir8 mustaqbil9 meN hai 1.hard work 2.today 3.hidden 4.future 5.fate 6.present 7.dream, desire 8.fulfillment 9.future
This seems to be a little bit at odds with the first she’r in which fate reigns supreme. But then, each she’r of a Ghazal can be completely independent. Thus, in today’s hard work is hidden tomorrow’s fate. The future carries the fulfillment of every dream of the present.
5
ban gaye zanjiir1-e paa2 raahoN3 ke aksar4 pech-o-Kham5
vaaris6-e manzil7 abhi tak hasrat8-e manzil7 meN hai 1.chain 2.feet 3.path 4.often 5.twist and turns 6.inheritor 7.destination 8.longing
Here ‘vaaris-e manzil’ – the inheritor of the destination is the protagonist themselves. ‘pech-o-Kham’, the twists and turns of the path can be temptations of this material world where the destination is union with the divine spirit. Thus, the temptations of the material world often become the chains that bind our feet. The inheritor of the destination is still longing for it i.e., humans have not yet been able to overcome material temptations.
6
Khaak1 pahle ki tarah2 ab dasht3 meN uRti nahiN
qais4 gum hai jab se laila parda-e mahmil5 meN hai 1.dust 2.like, similar to 3.wilderness 4.another name of majnuN 5.carriage on camel back, camel litter/palanquin
This has reference to the classical image of laila-majnuN from their legend. majnuN runs around in frenzy through the desert desperately searching for laila. His running raises a cloud of dust. This is considered the sign of a true lover. Thus, dust does not fly in the desert like in the past i.e., there are no sincere lovers like majnuN anymore. qais/majnuN is absent and laila is veiled/hidden in the palanquin.
7
kya qayaamat1 us ki maujoN2 meN nehaaN3 hogi falak4
shor5 jis toofaaN6 ka ab tak daaman7-e saahil8 meN hai 1.tumult 2.waves 3.hidden 4.pen-name of the poet 5.noise, also means salt 7.apron, valley 8.shore
The ‘shor-loud noise/salt’ of the storm is still gathered in the apron of the shore. O falak, imagine how much tumult there must be hidden in the waves of such a storm. This shows an interesting use of double meaning of ‘shor’.
heera lal falak dehlavi (1920?-1982+?). I can only make an educated guess about his birth and death. A collection of his Ghazal was published posthumously in 1982 by his shaagird. The book mentions beKhud dehlavi (1863-1955) as his ‘inspirational ustaad’ and dedicates it to him. He was a minor official in the dehli court system. In the book he describes his encounter with beKhud dehlavi when he (falak) was still a young man. The book says that he started composing in 1940. He has several Ghazal composed in the zamin of Ghalib, this is one of a series linked to the corresponding radeef in ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’.
1
kya iraade1 haiN kisi ke kya kisi ke dil meN hai
ye Khuda hi jaanta hai kaun kis manzil2 meN hai
1.intentions 2.goal
This appears to be either a mistrust of others or more probably an expression of helplessness before the arbitrariness of fate. Who knows what intentions we have in our hearts. Only god knows which goal we are headed towards i.e., we don’t know our fate and our intentions do not necessarily determine the outcome.
2
zindagi kaif1 o alam2 ki ek ajab3 manzil4 meN hai
husn5 hai meri nazar6 meN ishq mere dil meN hai
1.peace, contentment, happiness 2.sorrow 3.strange 4.stage in the journey (of life) 5.beauty, beloved 6.sight
Life is at a strange stage of a mixture of happiness and sorrow. I see the beloved before me (happiness) and I have longing (sorrow) in my heart.
3
maiN tera jalva1, tuu mera dil hai mere hamnashiiN2
maiN teri mahfil3 meN huN aur tuu meri mahfil4 meN hai
1.image, manifestation 2.friend 3.gathering 4.this ‘mahfil’ probably means his heart
I am confused. This is addressed to ‘hamnashiiN-friend’ probably meaning the beloved and not god. But then, what does it mean to say ‘I am your image/manifestation’, unless it is addressed to god. In that case he is calling god his hamnashiiN which may be just a little unusual but still conceivable. Thus, I am your manifestation and you are in my heart, O friend/god. I am in your mahfil i.e., in the world that you have created and you are in my mahfil i.e., my heart.
4
mehnat1-e imroz2 meN pinhaaN3 hai farda4 ka nasiib5
haal6 ke har Khwaab7 ki taabiir8 mustaqbil9 meN hai
1.hard work 2.today 3.hidden 4.future 5.fate 6.present 7.dream, desire 8.fulfillment 9.future
This seems to be a little bit at odds with the first she’r in which fate reigns supreme. But then, each she’r of a Ghazal can be completely independent. Thus, in today’s hard work is hidden tomorrow’s fate. The future carries the fulfillment of every dream of the present.
5
ban gaye zanjiir1-e paa2 raahoN3 ke aksar4 pech-o-Kham5
vaaris6-e manzil7 abhi tak hasrat8-e manzil7 meN hai
1.chain 2.feet 3.path 4.often 5.twist and turns 6.inheritor 7.destination 8.longing
Here ‘vaaris-e manzil’ – the inheritor of the destination is the protagonist themselves. ‘pech-o-Kham’, the twists and turns of the path can be temptations of this material world where the destination is union with the divine spirit. Thus, the temptations of the material world often become the chains that bind our feet. The inheritor of the destination is still longing for it i.e., humans have not yet been able to overcome material temptations.
6
Khaak1 pahle ki tarah2 ab dasht3 meN uRti nahiN
qais4 gum hai jab se laila parda-e mahmil5 meN hai
1.dust 2.like, similar to 3.wilderness 4.another name of majnuN 5.carriage on camel back, camel litter/palanquin
This has reference to the classical image of laila-majnuN from their legend. majnuN runs around in frenzy through the desert desperately searching for laila. His running raises a cloud of dust. This is considered the sign of a true lover. Thus, dust does not fly in the desert like in the past i.e., there are no sincere lovers like majnuN anymore. qais/majnuN is absent and laila is veiled/hidden in the palanquin.
7
kya qayaamat1 us ki maujoN2 meN nehaaN3 hogi falak4
shor5 jis toofaaN6 ka ab tak daaman7-e saahil8 meN hai
1.tumult 2.waves 3.hidden 4.pen-name of the poet 5.noise, also means salt 7.apron, valley 8.shore
The ‘shor-loud noise/salt’ of the storm is still gathered in the apron of the shore. O falak, imagine how much tumult there must be hidden in the waves of such a storm. This shows an interesting use of double meaning of ‘shor’.
