For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
مے پرستی اور ہے ۔ بہادر شاہ ظفرؔ
۱
اُس نگاہِ مست کے مستوں کی مستی اور ہے
اور مے ہے اور اُن کی مے پرستی اور ہے
۲
ابرِ مژگاں سے بندھے جس طرح اشکوں کی جھڑی
اُس طرح سے کب گھٹا کوئی برستی اور ہے
۳
نیم غمزہ پر ترے ہم بیچتے ہیں اپنا دل
اس سے بھی کوئی زیادہ جنس سستی اور ہے
۴
غنچہ کی مُٹّھی میں زر ہے پر نہیں دستِ کرم
تنگیِ دل اور ہے تنگ دستی اور ہے
۵
جو بلندی چاہتا ہے اپنی مثلِ گردباد
چرخ کی گردش دکھاتی اُس کو پستی اور ہے
۶
ہستیِ یکدم پر اپنی تُو جو ہنستا ہے شرر
تیری اس غفلت پہ ہنستی تیری ہستی اور ہے
۷
اے ظفرؔ بستے ہیں دل میں رنج و غم درد و الم
اب تو کچھ اِس خانۂ ویراں میں بستی اور ہے
मय परस्ती और है – बहादुर शाह ज़फ़र
१
उस निगाह-ए मस्त के मस्तौं कि मस्ती और है
और मय है और उन की मय-परस्ती और है
२
अब्र-ए मिज़्श्गां से बंधे जिस तरह अश्कौं की झढी
उस तरह से कब घटा कोई बरस्ती और है
३
नीम-ग़म्ज़े पर तेरे हम बेचते हैं अपना दिल
उस से भी कोई ज़्यादा जिन्स सस्ती और है
४
ग़ुंचे की मुट्ठी में ज़र है पर नहीं दस्त-ए करम
तंगी-ए दिल और है, तंग-दस्ती और है
५
जो बलंदी चाहता है अपनी मिस्ल-ए गर्द-बाद
चर्ख़ की गर्दिश दिखाती उस को पस्ती और है
६
हस्ती-ए यक्दम पर अपनी तू जो हंसता है शरर
तेरी इस ग़फ़्लत पर हंस्ती तेरी हस्ती और है
७
अए ज़फ़र बस्ते हैं दिल में रंज ओ ग़म, दर्द ओ अलम
अब तो कुछ इस ख़ाना-ए वीरां में बस्ती और है
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. bahaadur shaah zafar (1775-1862) became titular/nominal emperor of India in 1837. He was a scholar of faarsi and arabi and started composing at an early age. zauq and after zauq’s death in 1854, Ghalib became his ustaad. zafar used to hold frequent mushaa’era in the Red Fort. This is one of two Ghazal composed by zafar, in the same style as Ghalib’s “apne jii meN ham ne Thaani aur hai”, dated by kalidas gupta raza, 1847. I have no way to date zafar’s Ghazal. Both are linked to ‘Ghalib peshrau ham asr’, ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’ and the poet.
1
us nigaah1-e mast2 ke mastoN3 ki masti4 aur hai
aur mai5 hai aur un ki mai-parasti6 aur hai 1.eyes 2.intoxicating 3.intoxicated 4.intoxication 5.wine 6.wine-worshipping
The intoxication of those that are intoxicated by the beloved’s intoxicating eyes is something else. Their wine is different and their wine-worshipping is something else.
2
abr1-e mizshgaaN2 se bandhe jis tarah3 ashkoN4 ki jhaRi5
us tarah3 se kab ghaTaa6 koii barasti aur hai 1.clouds 2.eyelashes 3.like, similar to 4.tears 5.shower 6.dark rainy clouds
The juxtaposition of rain clouds and dark eyelashes is beautiful. Dark eyelashes are associated with the beloved, but here the poet seems to associate them the poet/lover. There is a continuous shower of tears from them i.e., the lover is constantly weeping at being unable to get the beloved to show him favours. Such ‘rain’ has never been seen from dark rainy clouds.
3
niim1-Ghamze2 par tere ham bechte haiN apna dil
us se bhi koii ziyaada jins3 sasti4 aur hai 1.half 2.coquettish glance 3.commodity 4.cheap
By ‘niim-Ghamza’ is probably meant a side-long glance. The poet/lover is prepared to offer his heart in exchange of a single side-long glance. Can there by any commodity, other than his heart, that is cheaper!
4
Ghunche1 ki muTThi2 meN zar3 hai par nahiN dast-e-karam4
taNgi5-e dil aur hai, taNg-dasti6 aur hai 1.unopened bud 2.closed fist, grasp 3.gold, yellow pollen 4.generous hand 5.narrow 6.miserliness
The budding rose holds gold/yellow pollen firmly in its grip. In this state it does not have a ‘generous hand’. But when it blooms – opens its hand – then it will open its heart and give generously of its golden pollen and/or fragrance. Thus, do not confuse the bud’s grip for ‘tightfistedness’ i.e., miserliness, it will open its heart.
5
jo balandi1 chaahta hai apni, misl2-e gard-baad3
charKh4 ki gardish5 dikhaati us ko pasti6 aur hai 1.height, greatness 2.like, similar to 3.whirlwind, wind-devil 4.skies, fate 5.rotation, calamities 6.lowness, inferiority, humbling
The ‘balandi’ in the first misra has to mean false pride, material/worldly greatness. Thus, if you like to show off your material greatness, then just like the rotation of the skies shows the lowliness of the whirlwind, so will you be humbled.
6
hasti1-e yak-dam2 par apni tu jo haNsta hai sharar3
teri is Ghaflat4 par haNsti teri hasti1 aur hai 1.existence, being 2.one moment 3.spark 4.forgetfulness, trespassing, sin
In the first misra ‘haNsta’ is used to mean being happy/proud and in the second misra ‘haNsti’ is used to mean mocking/laughing at. O spark you, who seem proud of your momentary existence, your existence laughs at the error of your ways. This is the same thought as it the previous she’r.
7
aye zafar1 baste2 haiN dil meN ranj o Gham, dard o alam3
ab to kuchh is Khaana-e-viiraaN4 meN basti5 aur hai 1.pen-name of the poet 2.reside, live in 3.sadness 4.house of desolation 5.settlement
O zafar, now only pain and sorrow inhabit the heart. Now the habitation/settlement in this desolate house is something else.
bahaadur shaah zafar (1775-1862) became titular/nominal emperor of India in 1837. He was a scholar of faarsi and arabi and started composing at an early age. zauq and after zauq’s death in 1854, Ghalib became his ustaad. zafar used to hold frequent mushaa’era in the Red Fort. This is one of two Ghazal composed by zafar, in the same style as Ghalib’s “apne jii meN ham ne Thaani aur hai”, dated by kalidas gupta raza, 1847. I have no way to date zafar’s Ghazal. Both are linked to ‘Ghalib peshrau ham asr’, ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’ and the poet.
1
us nigaah1-e mast2 ke mastoN3 ki masti4 aur hai
aur mai5 hai aur un ki mai-parasti6 aur hai
1.eyes 2.intoxicating 3.intoxicated 4.intoxication 5.wine 6.wine-worshipping
The intoxication of those that are intoxicated by the beloved’s intoxicating eyes is something else. Their wine is different and their wine-worshipping is something else.
2
abr1-e mizshgaaN2 se bandhe jis tarah3 ashkoN4 ki jhaRi5
us tarah3 se kab ghaTaa6 koii barasti aur hai
1.clouds 2.eyelashes 3.like, similar to 4.tears 5.shower 6.dark rainy clouds
The juxtaposition of rain clouds and dark eyelashes is beautiful. Dark eyelashes are associated with the beloved, but here the poet seems to associate them the poet/lover. There is a continuous shower of tears from them i.e., the lover is constantly weeping at being unable to get the beloved to show him favours. Such ‘rain’ has never been seen from dark rainy clouds.
3
niim1-Ghamze2 par tere ham bechte haiN apna dil
us se bhi koii ziyaada jins3 sasti4 aur hai
1.half 2.coquettish glance 3.commodity 4.cheap
By ‘niim-Ghamza’ is probably meant a side-long glance. The poet/lover is prepared to offer his heart in exchange of a single side-long glance. Can there by any commodity, other than his heart, that is cheaper!
4
Ghunche1 ki muTThi2 meN zar3 hai par nahiN dast-e-karam4
taNgi5-e dil aur hai, taNg-dasti6 aur hai
1.unopened bud 2.closed fist, grasp 3.gold, yellow pollen 4.generous hand 5.narrow 6.miserliness
The budding rose holds gold/yellow pollen firmly in its grip. In this state it does not have a ‘generous hand’. But when it blooms – opens its hand – then it will open its heart and give generously of its golden pollen and/or fragrance. Thus, do not confuse the bud’s grip for ‘tightfistedness’ i.e., miserliness, it will open its heart.
5
jo balandi1 chaahta hai apni, misl2-e gard-baad3
charKh4 ki gardish5 dikhaati us ko pasti6 aur hai
1.height, greatness 2.like, similar to 3.whirlwind, wind-devil 4.skies, fate 5.rotation, calamities 6.lowness, inferiority, humbling
The ‘balandi’ in the first misra has to mean false pride, material/worldly greatness. Thus, if you like to show off your material greatness, then just like the rotation of the skies shows the lowliness of the whirlwind, so will you be humbled.
6
hasti1-e yak-dam2 par apni tu jo haNsta hai sharar3
teri is Ghaflat4 par haNsti teri hasti1 aur hai
1.existence, being 2.one moment 3.spark 4.forgetfulness, trespassing, sin
In the first misra ‘haNsta’ is used to mean being happy/proud and in the second misra ‘haNsti’ is used to mean mocking/laughing at. O spark you, who seem proud of your momentary existence, your existence laughs at the error of your ways. This is the same thought as it the previous she’r.
7
aye zafar1 baste2 haiN dil meN ranj o Gham, dard o alam3
ab to kuchh is Khaana-e-viiraaN4 meN basti5 aur hai
1.pen-name of the poet 2.reside, live in 3.sadness 4.house of desolation 5.settlement
O zafar, now only pain and sorrow inhabit the heart. Now the habitation/settlement in this desolate house is something else.
