For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
لطف جوانی اور ہے ۔ پریمودا سنگھ اِلحان
۱
عشق میں سنتے تو تھے لطف جوانی اور ہے
جو مگر گزری ہے ہم پر وہ کہانی اور ہے
۲
اس نے ماتھے پر رکھے لب اور ہوئے روشن نصیب
سب متاع دہر میں اس کی نشانی اور ہے
۳
لفظِ کُن سے ایک دنیا خلق کرنا تھا کمال
کُن کے آگے جو ہوا اس کی کہانی اور ہے
۴
ایک زخم دل سے پھوٹے مختلف رنگوں کے دکھ
ہے الگ خونِ جگر آنکھوں کا پانی اور ہے
۵
لگتے ہوں گے پر کشش ارض و سما ملتے ہوئے
نیلے کرتے پر ترے یہ شال دھانی اور ہے
۶
ایک سے دل ہیں جدا لیکن دھڑکنے کے سبب
رائیگاں تو سب ہیں لیکن رائیگانی اور ہے
۷
لمحہ لمحہ کھینچ کر برسوں چلاتے ہو جو تم
یہ ہے قیدِ با مشقت، زندگانی اور ہے
۸
تم پرندے دیکھنے والے تمہیں کیا ہے خبر
ہے الگ پرواز اور نقل مکانی اور ہے
۹
ہو وصالِ یار اب ہو صورتِ اظہار اب
عشق ہوگا جاوداں یہ جسمِ فانی اور ہے
लुत्फ़-ए जवानी और है – प्रियम्वदा सिंघ इल्हान
१
इश्क़ में सुनते तो थे लुत्फ़-ए जवानी और है
जो मगर गुज़री है हम पर वो कहानी और है
२
उस ने माथे पर रखे लब और हुए रौशन नसीब
सब मता-ए दहर में उस की निशानी और है
३
लफ़्ज़-ए कुन से एक दुनिया ख़ल्क़ करना था कमाल
कुन के आगे जो हुआ उस की कहानी और है
४
एक ज़ख़्म-ए दिल से फूटे मुख़्तलिफ़ रंगों के दुख
है अलग ख़ून-ए जिगर आँखों का पानी और है
५
लगते होंगे पुर-कशिश अर्ज़-ओ-समा मिलते हुए
नीले कुर्ते पर तेरे ये शाल धानी और है
६
एक से दिल हैं जुदा लेकिन धड़कने के सबब
राएगाँ तो सब हैं लेकिन राएगानी और है
७
लम्हा लम्हा खींच कर बरसों चलाते हो जो तुम
ये है क़ैद-ए बा-मशक़्क़त ज़िंदगानी और है
८
तुम परिंदे देखने वाले तुम्हें क्या है ख़बर
है अलग परवाज़ और नक़्ल-ए मकानी और है
९
हो विसाल-ए यार अब हो सूरत-ए इज़्हार अब
इश्क़ होगा जावेदाँ ये जिस्म-ए फ़ानी और है
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. priyamvada siNgh ilhaan (1991-living), dehli. Lives in bikaner, rajasthan. It is fascinating that a young woman with a name like that would be composing such excellent Ghazal. She writes that even as a child, she was interested in old bollywood songs from an era when classical shu’ara were also lyricists, adapting Ghazals as lyrics. This, combined with a natural inclination towards poetry, and national revolutionaries singing or quoting ash’aar or Ghazal in their letters also inspired her to learn. The effort to learn urdu slowed because of lack of a mentor. Then she joined All India Radio where it was necessary to learn proper pronunciation of urdu and memorize ash’aar for quoting wherever necessary. Social media friends helped her along, and the first couplets came towards the end of 2018 and Ghazal in 2019. She has done much in these short three years. This Ghazal in the style of Ghalib’s ‘koii din gar zindagaani aur hai’ is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
ishq meN sunte to the lutf1-e javaani aur hai
jo magar2 guzri3 hai ham par vo kahaani aur hai 1.pleasures, joys 2.but 3.passed, happened, occurred
We were told that in love, the pleasures of youth are something else. But that which happened to us turned out to be something else. This could be an expression of disappointment in love or of the difficult path you have to travel for love.
2
us ne maathe par rakhe lab1 aur hue raushan2 nasiib
sab mataa3-e dahr4 meN us ki nishaani aur hai 1.lips 2.brightened, lit up 3.wealth, treasure, possession 4.world
He/she placed his/her lips on the forehead and my fate turned bright. Of all the worldly possessions that I have, the image of that kiss is something else. The implication is that it has left a permanent mark with pleasant memories.
3
lafz1-e kun2 se ek duniyaa Khalq3 karna tha kamaal4
kun2 ke aage5 jo hua us ki kahaani aur hai 1.word 2.to be 3.create 4.excellent, perfect 5.after
This has reference to the Biblical/qur’aanic story of creation. god said, ‘be’ and it was. Thus, creating the universe with a single word, ‘be’ with the apex of perfection. But what happened after that is a different story. Any number of interpretations can be placed on this … the struggle of ‘saagar manthan’, the descent of Adam and Eve from heaven etc. But I think all this points to … creation is but one moment. Sustaining life after that is a different story of constant struggle.
4
ek zaKhm1-e dil se phooTe muKhtalif2 raNgoN3 ke dukh
hai alag Khoon-e jigar4 aaNkhoN ka paani aur hai 1.wound 2.different 3.kinds 4.liver
In urdu poetry ‘jigar’ is used interchangeably to mean liver or heart. But here, it is probably liver which in poetic tradition is the seat of courage and perseverance as well as where blood is made. Thus Khoon-e jigar is used to mean crying tears of blood. Thus, with a single wound (of love) in the heart, different kinds of pain flowed. Crying tears of blood is one thing but mere water of the eyes is something else. Said Ghalib …
ragoN meN dauRte phirne ke hum nahiN qaa’el
jab aaNkh hi se na Tapke to phir lahu kya hai
5
lagte hoNge pur-kashish1 arz-o-samaa2 milte hue
niile kurte par tere ye shaal dhaani3 aur hai 1.full of attraction 2.earth and sky 3.grey
It might look very attractive when the earth and sky meet (horizon). But the grey shawl on your blue kurta is something else. Said sahir ludhianavi …
donoN vaqt milte haiN, do diloN ki soorat meN
aasmaaN ne Khush ho kar raNg sa bikhera hai
6
ek se dil haiN judaa1 lekin dhaRakne ke sabab2
raa’egaaN3 to sab haiN lekin raa’egaani aur hai 1.different 2.because of, on the basis of 3.wasted, useless, ineffective
This can apply to the hearts of lover-beloved or to all of humanity. Their hearts are like one, but they are separate (or separated). They beat/throb the same way. Their throbbing may appear to be going to waste, but this kind of ‘waste’ is ‘something else’.
7
lamha-lamha1 khiiNch2 kar barsoN3 chalaate ho jo tum
ye hai qaid4-e ba-mashaqqat5 zindagaani aur hai 1.minute by minute 2.stretching 3.years 4.imprisonment 5.with labour
A life spent by stretching every minute into years (without any meaningful impact) is like life under forced labour, like in a prison. Real life is something else.
8
tum parinde1 dekhne vaale, tumheN kya hai Khabar2
hai alag parvaaz3, aur naql-e-makaani4 aur hai 1.birds 2.awareness 3.flight 4.transferring residence, migration
You just watch birds from the ground, how can you know that flight is one thing but migration is something else.
9
ho visaal1-e yaar2 ab, ho soorat3-e izhaar4 ab
ishq hoga jaavedaaN5, ye jism-e-faani6 aur hai 1.union 2.friend, beloved 3.means, ability 4.expression (of love) 5.eternal 6.temporary body, material/fragile/mortal body
We should get union with the beloved now and some way to express our love. Love may be eternal, but this mortal body is something else i.e., if we don’t get it now, we might miss the chance.
priyamvada siNgh ilhaan (1991-living), dehli. Lives in bikaner, rajasthan. It is fascinating that a young woman with a name like that would be composing such excellent Ghazal. She writes that even as a child, she was interested in old bollywood songs from an era when classical shu’ara were also lyricists, adapting Ghazals as lyrics. This, combined with a natural inclination towards poetry, and national revolutionaries singing or quoting ash’aar or Ghazal in their letters also inspired her to learn. The effort to learn urdu slowed because of lack of a mentor. Then she joined All India Radio where it was necessary to learn proper pronunciation of urdu and memorize ash’aar for quoting wherever necessary. Social media friends helped her along, and the first couplets came towards the end of 2018 and Ghazal in 2019. She has done much in these short three years. This Ghazal in the style of Ghalib’s ‘koii din gar zindagaani aur hai’ is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
ishq meN sunte to the lutf1-e javaani aur hai
jo magar2 guzri3 hai ham par vo kahaani aur hai
1.pleasures, joys 2.but 3.passed, happened, occurred
We were told that in love, the pleasures of youth are something else. But that which happened to us turned out to be something else. This could be an expression of disappointment in love or of the difficult path you have to travel for love.
2
us ne maathe par rakhe lab1 aur hue raushan2 nasiib
sab mataa3-e dahr4 meN us ki nishaani aur hai
1.lips 2.brightened, lit up 3.wealth, treasure, possession 4.world
He/she placed his/her lips on the forehead and my fate turned bright. Of all the worldly possessions that I have, the image of that kiss is something else. The implication is that it has left a permanent mark with pleasant memories.
3
lafz1-e kun2 se ek duniyaa Khalq3 karna tha kamaal4
kun2 ke aage5 jo hua us ki kahaani aur hai
1.word 2.to be 3.create 4.excellent, perfect 5.after
This has reference to the Biblical/qur’aanic story of creation. god said, ‘be’ and it was. Thus, creating the universe with a single word, ‘be’ with the apex of perfection. But what happened after that is a different story. Any number of interpretations can be placed on this … the struggle of ‘saagar manthan’, the descent of Adam and Eve from heaven etc. But I think all this points to … creation is but one moment. Sustaining life after that is a different story of constant struggle.
4
ek zaKhm1-e dil se phooTe muKhtalif2 raNgoN3 ke dukh
hai alag Khoon-e jigar4 aaNkhoN ka paani aur hai
1.wound 2.different 3.kinds 4.liver
In urdu poetry ‘jigar’ is used interchangeably to mean liver or heart. But here, it is probably liver which in poetic tradition is the seat of courage and perseverance as well as where blood is made. Thus Khoon-e jigar is used to mean crying tears of blood. Thus, with a single wound (of love) in the heart, different kinds of pain flowed. Crying tears of blood is one thing but mere water of the eyes is something else. Said Ghalib …
ragoN meN dauRte phirne ke hum nahiN qaa’el
jab aaNkh hi se na Tapke to phir lahu kya hai
5
lagte hoNge pur-kashish1 arz-o-samaa2 milte hue
niile kurte par tere ye shaal dhaani3 aur hai
1.full of attraction 2.earth and sky 3.grey
It might look very attractive when the earth and sky meet (horizon). But the grey shawl on your blue kurta is something else. Said sahir ludhianavi …
donoN vaqt milte haiN, do diloN ki soorat meN
aasmaaN ne Khush ho kar raNg sa bikhera hai
6
ek se dil haiN judaa1 lekin dhaRakne ke sabab2
raa’egaaN3 to sab haiN lekin raa’egaani aur hai
1.different 2.because of, on the basis of 3.wasted, useless, ineffective
This can apply to the hearts of lover-beloved or to all of humanity. Their hearts are like one, but they are separate (or separated). They beat/throb the same way. Their throbbing may appear to be going to waste, but this kind of ‘waste’ is ‘something else’.
7
lamha-lamha1 khiiNch2 kar barsoN3 chalaate ho jo tum
ye hai qaid4-e ba-mashaqqat5 zindagaani aur hai
1.minute by minute 2.stretching 3.years 4.imprisonment 5.with labour
A life spent by stretching every minute into years (without any meaningful impact) is like life under forced labour, like in a prison. Real life is something else.
8
tum parinde1 dekhne vaale, tumheN kya hai Khabar2
hai alag parvaaz3, aur naql-e-makaani4 aur hai
1.birds 2.awareness 3.flight 4.transferring residence, migration
You just watch birds from the ground, how can you know that flight is one thing but migration is something else.
9
ho visaal1-e yaar2 ab, ho soorat3-e izhaar4 ab
ishq hoga jaavedaaN5, ye jism-e-faani6 aur hai
1.union 2.friend, beloved 3.means, ability 4.expression (of love) 5.eternal 6.temporary body, material/fragile/mortal body
We should get union with the beloved now and some way to express our love. Love may be eternal, but this mortal body is something else i.e., if we don’t get it now, we might miss the chance.
