For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
موت کا سر قلم دیکھتے ہیں ۔ جگرؔ مرادآبادی
۱
محبّت میں کیا یہ ستم دیکھتے ہیں
بہت فرصتِ شوق ہم دیکھتے ہیں
۲
غم و درد و رنجِ الم دیکھتے ہیں
محبّت دکھائی ہے، ہم دیکھتے ہیں
۳
وہاں اپنی ہستی کو ہم دیکھتے ہیں
جہاں موت کا سر قلم دیکتھے ہیں
۴
کہاں تیرے جلوے کہاں اپنی نظریں
غنیمت ہے جو کوئی دم دیکھتے ہیں
۵
وہ کیا دیکھ سکتے ہیں اپنی ادائیں
ہمیں دیکھتے ہیں جو ہم دیکھتے ہیں
۶
ہماری نظر سے بھی سمجھو تو جانیں
بہت بے نیازانہ ہم دیکھتے ہیں
۷
تجھے بھی کسی دن سمجھنا ہے ظالم
ابھی اور اے چشمِ نم دیکھتے ہیں
۸
نگاہِ محبّت دکھاتی ہے سب کچھ
نہ تم دیکھتے ہو، نہ ہم دیکھتے ہیں
۹
غنیمت تھا حرمانِ امید افزا
سو یہ حال بھی اب تو کم دیکھتے ہیں
۱۰
نہ جانے محبّت ہے کیا چیز لیکن
بڑی ہی محبّت سے ہم دیکھتے ہیں
मौत का सर क़लम देखते हैं – जिगर मुरादाबादी
१
मोहब्बत में क्या ये सितम देखते हैं
बहुत फ़ुरसत-ए शौक़ हम देखते हैं
२
ग़म ओ दर्द ओ रंज-ए अलम देखते हैं
मोहब्बत दिखाती है, हम देखते हैं
३
वहां अपनी हस्ती को हम देखते हैं
जहां मौत का सर क़लम देखते हैं
४
कहां तेरे जल्वे, कहां अपनी नज़्रें
ग़नीमत है जो काई दम देखते हैं
५
वो क्या देख सकते हैं अपनी अदाएं
हमीं देखते हैं जो हम देखते हैं
६
हमारी नज़र से भी समझो तो जानें
बहुत बे-नियाज़ाना हम देखते हैं
७
तुझे भी किसी दिन समझना है ज़ालिम
अभी और अए चश्म-ए नम देखते हैं
८
निगाह-ए मोहब्बत दिखाती है सब कुछ
न तुम देखते हो न हम देखते हैं
९
ग़नीमत था हिर्मान-ए उम्मीद अफ़्ज़ा
सो ये हाल भी अब तो कम देखते हैं
१०
न जाने मोहब्बत है क्या चीज़ लैकिन
बढी हि मोहब्बत से हम देखते हैं
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. jigar muradabadi (1890-1961) was a profilic poet of sufiyaana, romantic and musical Ghazal. Many of his compositions have been put to music and sung by great singers. This is one of his several Ghazal styled after Ghalib and is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
mohabbat meN kya ye sitam1 dekhte haiN
bahut fursat2-e shauq3 ham dekhte haiN 1.cruelty, injustice 2.freedom, leisure 3.wish, desire
What kind of cruelty is this, that I suffer in love. I see that I have been freed from the obligations of my desire i.e., the beloved has thrown me out.
2
Gham o dard o ranj-e-alam1 dekhte haiN
mohabbat dikhaati hai ham dekhte haiN 1.mourning of loss
Sorrow, pain and mourning of loss is what I experience. Loves shows/does this and I suffer through it.
3
vahaaN apni hasti1 ko ham dekhte haiN
jahaaN maut2 ka sar3 qalam4 dekhte haiN 1.existence, life 2.death 3.head 4.cut off
In the second misra, maut is presented in a personified form and its head is cut off. I interpret it to mean that the poet is no longer afraid of death. Thus, the meaning of the first misra becomes clearer … we see/experience (meaningful) life only at a stage where we are no longer afraid of death.
4
kahaaN tere jalve1, kahaaN apni nazreN2
Ghaniimat3 hai jo koii dam4 dekhte haiN 1.image, beauty, glory 2.eyes, sight 3.enough 4.moment, fleeting
This could apply both to the conventional beloved and to the divine beloved. How great is your beauty/glory and how inadequate our sight. It is enough that we get a fleeting glance.
5
vo kya dekh sakte haiN apni adaa’eN1
hamiiN dekhte haiN jo ham dekhte haiN 1.style, coquetry
In the first misra ‘vo’ probably refers to the beloved. How can the beloved see her own coquetry! It is only we who see what we see.
6
hamaari nazar1 se bhi samjho to jaaneN
bahut be-niyaazaana2 ham dekhte haiN 1.eyes 2.uninterested
If you (O beloved) were to look at me with the same (adoring) eyes with which I look at you, then I will understand. But what I see is that you look at me with total disinterest.
7
tujhe bhi kisi din samajhna hai zaalim1
abhi aur aye chashm2-e nam3 dekhte haiN 1.cruel, beloved 2.eyes 3.moist, tearful
The poet is addressing his own tearful eyes. The beloved has been cruel to him, has rejected his advances and he is crying. You too, will understand some day, O cruel one, what I am going through, he says. Let us wait for a few more days O tearful eye and see what happens.
8
nigaah1-e mohabbat dikhaati hai sub kuchh
na tum dekhte ho na ham dekhte haiN 1.glance, eyes
Whatever we see, it is because of the loving glance. Without it, neither you nor I will be able to see anything.
9
Ghaniimat1 tha hirmaan2-e ummiid-afza3
so ye haal4 bhi ab to kam dekhte haiN 1.at least that much 2.hopelessness, deprivation 3.hope increasing 4.condition
I used to have at least this much that in complete depression/derivation I could hang on to some hope. But even this condition I see less and less now.
10
na jaane mohabbat hai kya chiiz laikin
baRi hii mohabbat se ham dekhte haiN I do not know what love is, but still, it is with great love that I look at her.
jigar muradabadi (1890-1961) was a profilic poet of sufiyaana, romantic and musical Ghazal. Many of his compositions have been put to music and sung by great singers. This is one of his several Ghazal styled after Ghalib and is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
mohabbat meN kya ye sitam1 dekhte haiN
bahut fursat2-e shauq3 ham dekhte haiN
1.cruelty, injustice 2.freedom, leisure 3.wish, desire
What kind of cruelty is this, that I suffer in love. I see that I have been freed from the obligations of my desire i.e., the beloved has thrown me out.
2
Gham o dard o ranj-e-alam1 dekhte haiN
mohabbat dikhaati hai ham dekhte haiN
1.mourning of loss
Sorrow, pain and mourning of loss is what I experience. Loves shows/does this and I suffer through it.
3
vahaaN apni hasti1 ko ham dekhte haiN
jahaaN maut2 ka sar3 qalam4 dekhte haiN
1.existence, life 2.death 3.head 4.cut off
In the second misra, maut is presented in a personified form and its head is cut off. I interpret it to mean that the poet is no longer afraid of death. Thus, the meaning of the first misra becomes clearer … we see/experience (meaningful) life only at a stage where we are no longer afraid of death.
4
kahaaN tere jalve1, kahaaN apni nazreN2
Ghaniimat3 hai jo koii dam4 dekhte haiN
1.image, beauty, glory 2.eyes, sight 3.enough 4.moment, fleeting
This could apply both to the conventional beloved and to the divine beloved. How great is your beauty/glory and how inadequate our sight. It is enough that we get a fleeting glance.
5
vo kya dekh sakte haiN apni adaa’eN1
hamiiN dekhte haiN jo ham dekhte haiN
1.style, coquetry
In the first misra ‘vo’ probably refers to the beloved. How can the beloved see her own coquetry! It is only we who see what we see.
6
hamaari nazar1 se bhi samjho to jaaneN
bahut be-niyaazaana2 ham dekhte haiN
1.eyes 2.uninterested
If you (O beloved) were to look at me with the same (adoring) eyes with which I look at you, then I will understand. But what I see is that you look at me with total disinterest.
7
tujhe bhi kisi din samajhna hai zaalim1
abhi aur aye chashm2-e nam3 dekhte haiN
1.cruel, beloved 2.eyes 3.moist, tearful
The poet is addressing his own tearful eyes. The beloved has been cruel to him, has rejected his advances and he is crying. You too, will understand some day, O cruel one, what I am going through, he says. Let us wait for a few more days O tearful eye and see what happens.
8
nigaah1-e mohabbat dikhaati hai sub kuchh
na tum dekhte ho na ham dekhte haiN
1.glance, eyes
Whatever we see, it is because of the loving glance. Without it, neither you nor I will be able to see anything.
9
Ghaniimat1 tha hirmaan2-e ummiid-afza3
so ye haal4 bhi ab to kam dekhte haiN
1.at least that much 2.hopelessness, deprivation 3.hope increasing 4.condition
I used to have at least this much that in complete depression/derivation I could hang on to some hope. But even this condition I see less and less now.
10
na jaane mohabbat hai kya chiiz laikin
baRi hii mohabbat se ham dekhte haiN
I do not know what love is, but still, it is with great love that I look at her.
