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Recitation
begum aKhtar
میسّر نہیں اِنساں ہونا ۔ مرزا غالب
۱
بسکہ دشوار ہے ہر کام کا آساں ہونا
آدمی کو بھی میسّر نہیں انساں ہونا
۲
گِریہ چاہے ہے خرابی مرے کاشانے کی
در و دیوار سے ٹپکے ہے بیاباں ہونا
۳
وائے دیوانگیِ شوق کہ ہر دم مجھ کو
آپ جانا ادھر اور آپ ہی حیراں ہونا
۴
جلوہ از بسکہ تقاضائے نگہ کرتا ہے
جوہرِ آئنہ بھی چاہے ہے مژگاں ہونا
۵
عشرتِ قتل گۂ اہلِ تمنّا مت پوچھ
عیدِ نظّارہ ہے شمشیر کا عریاں ہونا
۶
لے گئے خاک میں ہم داغِ تمنّائے نشاط
تو ہو اور آپ بہ صد رنگ گلستاں ہونا
۷
عشرتِ پارۂ دل زخمِ تمنّا کھانا
لذّتِ ریشِ جگر غرقِ نمک داں ہونا
۸
کی مرے قتل کے بعد اس نے جفا سے توبہ
ہائے اس زود پشیماں کا پشیماں ہونا
۹
حیف اس چار گرہ کپڑے کی قسمت غالب
جس کی قسمت میں ہو عاشق کا گریباں ہونا
मुयस्सर नहीं इंसाँ होना- मिर्ज़ा ग़ालिब
1
बसकि दुश्वार है हर काम का आसाँ होना
आदमी को भी मुयस्सर नहीं इंसाँ होना
2
गिरया चाहे है ख़राबी मिरे काशाने की
दर‐ओ‐दीवार से टपके है बयाबाँ होना
3
वाए दीवानगी-ए शौक़ कि हर दम मुझ को
आप जाना उधर और आप ही हैराँ होना
4
जलवा अज़-बसकि तक़ाज़ा-ए निगह करता है
जौहर-ए आइना भी चाहे है मिझ़्गाँ होना
5
इशरत-ए क़तल-गा-ए अह्ल-ए तमन्ना मत पूछ
ईद-ए नज़्ज़ारा है शमशीर का उर्यां होना
6
ले गए ख़ाक में हम दाग़-ए तमन्ना-ए नशात
तू हो और आप ब सद-रंग गुलिस्ताँ होना
7
इशरत-ए पारा-ए दिल ज़ख़्म-ए तमन्ना खाना
लज़्ज़त-ए रेश-ए जिगर ग़रक़-ए नमक-दाँ होना
8
की मिरे क़तल के बाद उस ने जफ़ा से तौबा
हाए उस ज़ूद-पशेमाँ का पशेमाँ होना
9
हैफ़ उस चार गिरा कपड़े की क़िस्मत ग़ालिब
जिस की क़िस्मत में हो आशिक़ का गरेबाँ होना
mayassar nahiN insaaN hona – mirza Ghalib
1
baskih1 dushvaar2 hai har kaam kaa aasaaN honaa
aadmii ko bhii muyassar3 nahiiN insaaN honaa1.inasmuch as, although 2.difficult 3.available
Frances Pritchett has two interesting seemingly contradictory interpretations. (1) Inasmuch as not every task is easy, not even easy tasks, therefore it is very difficult for human beings to acquire high human qualities (humane). (2) Although every task is not easy, but human being should be able to acquire humane qualities, but does not.
2
giryah1 chaahe hai Kharaabii2 mire kaashaane3 kii
dar-o-diivaar4 se Tapke5 hai biyaabaaN6 honaa1.weeping 2.destruction 3.house 4.doors and walls 5.drips 6.desert, wilderness
The poet/lover has an excess of sorrow as his lot and weeps so much that the flow of tears/water (wants to) is likely to destroy his house. It looks as if (the desire to become) a desert/wilderness is dripping/oozing from the (cracks/pores of) the very doors and walls. The parallelism between tears dripping from the eyes and the desire to become a wilderness dripping from the cracks of the structure is noteworthy.
3
vaa’e1 divaanagi2-e shauq3 kih har dam4 mujh ko
aap jaanaa udhar aur aap hii hairaaN5 honaa1.alas 2.madness 3.passion 4.every time/moment 5.astonished
The poet/lover is mad with passion. In spite of his better judgement (in spite of knowing that it will be fruitless) he goes every time because of the madness of his passion and is astonished every time at her beauty/indifference/unattainability? On top of everything throw in the possibility that the “beloved” is the Sufi concept of god.
4
jalvah1 az-baskih2 taqaazaa3-e nigah4 kartaa hai
jauhar5-e aaiinah bhii chaahe hai mizhgaaN6 honaa1.manifestation, appearance 2.inasmuch as 3.demands 4.sight (capability to see) 5.qualities, properties 6.eye lashes
In Urdu poetry, the mirror is likened to the eye. Also the mirror of the times of Ghalib was a polished metal plate. The marks of polish (thin lines of circular arcs) would be like eyelashes. Thus for the mirror to have the qualities of mirror, it would require eyelashes (polish marks). The manifestation/appearance/glory of the beloved (or of god) demands that the beholder have the ability to see just like the mirror/eye requires eye lashes/polish marks.
5
ishrat1-e qatl-gah2-e ahl-e tamannaa3 mat puuchh
eid-e nazzaara4 hai shamshiir5 kaa uryaaN6 honaa1.pleasure, joy 2.execution grounds 3.people of desire/love 4.festival for the sight 5.scimitar, sword 6.naked, out of the scabbard In poetic convention the poet/lover looks forward to being slain by the beloved.
In a Sufi twist to this, the beloved being god, death represents union with the beloved/god and is ardently desired. Thus there is much pleasure in the execution grounds among the lovers when the see the sword out of its scabbard (in the hands of beloved). The shape and shine of the sword is like the crescent moon heralding eid festivities. Thus it is a pleasure/eid to the eye to see the naked sword (crescent moon) and prepare for union with the beloved.
6
le ga’e Khaak meN ham daaGh1-e tamannaa2-e nishaat3
tuu ho aur aap ba sad4-raNg gulistaaN honaa1.stain, wound 2.desire 3.joy, vitality, flourishing 4.with a hundred
The poet/lover and all lovers have been slain and have taken the wound of their desire of union with them into the dust. The beloved is now left on her own to enjoy her hundred coloured flourishing garden. There is a recurring theme in Urdu poetry that those who are buried come up as flowers. Thus, is it that the lovers are coming back up to show the beloved that she has been unkind!
7
ishrat1-e paarah2-e dil zaKhm-e tamannaa3 khaanaa4
lazzat5-e resh-e jigar6 Gharq7-e namak-daaN honaa1.joy 2.part (as in dil ka TukRa) 3.wound of desire/love 4.to receive (as in zaKhm khaana) 5.pleasure 6.fibre of the liver 7.drowned
The poet/lover enjoys/relishes the pain of (unfulfilled) desire even if he constantly complains of it. Thus the greatest joy of the heart is to receive the wound of love and pleasure of the liver is to be drowned in salt (salt rubbed into the wound).
8
kii mire qatl ke baa’d us ne jafaa1 se taubah2
haa’e us zuud3-pashemaaN4 kaa pashemaaN honaa1.cruelty 2.swearing off 3.early, quick reacting 4.regret, repent
The beloved has killed the poet/lover. The sight of the slaughter immediately fills her with penitence and she swears off any further killing! Thus the poet/lover is either claiming credit for so quickly making her feel pity for him or he is sighing/being sorrowful that this happened only after his death, too late for him.
9
haif1 us chaar girah2 kapRe kii qismat3 Ghalib
jis kii qismat4 meN ho aashiq kaa garebaaN honaa1.woe upon 2.old unit of measure, about 3 inches 3.cutting, separation 4. destiny
On Frances Pritchett’s website http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00ghalib/017/17_09.html there is a very scholarly discussion of this. The word qismat, ordinarily meaning destiny has a secondary meaning – cutting, separating. The same word in the two different misra is meant to convey to different meanings. Thus, woe on the footlong cloth that is cut/separated, whose destiny it is to be used as the lover’s collar. The lover, of course is mad with passion and keeps tearing off his collar.
mayassar nahiN insaaN hona – mirza Ghalib
1
baskih1 dushvaar2 hai har kaam kaa aasaaN honaa
aadmii ko bhii muyassar3 nahiiN insaaN honaa
1.inasmuch as, although 2.difficult 3.available
Frances Pritchett has two interesting seemingly contradictory interpretations. (1) Inasmuch as not every task is easy, not even easy tasks, therefore it is very difficult for human beings to acquire high human qualities (humane). (2) Although every task is not easy, but human being should be able to acquire humane qualities, but does not.
2
giryah1 chaahe hai Kharaabii2 mire kaashaane3 kii
dar-o-diivaar4 se Tapke5 hai biyaabaaN6 honaa
1.weeping 2.destruction 3.house 4.doors and walls 5.drips 6.desert, wilderness
The poet/lover has an excess of sorrow as his lot and weeps so much that the flow of tears/water (wants to) is likely to destroy his house. It looks as if (the desire to become) a desert/wilderness is dripping/oozing from the (cracks/pores of) the very doors and walls. The parallelism between tears dripping from the eyes and the desire to become a wilderness dripping from the cracks of the structure is noteworthy.
3
vaa’e1 divaanagi2-e shauq3 kih har dam4 mujh ko
aap jaanaa udhar aur aap hii hairaaN5 honaa
1.alas 2.madness 3.passion 4.every time/moment 5.astonished
The poet/lover is mad with passion. In spite of his better judgement (in spite of knowing that it will be fruitless) he goes every time because of the madness of his passion and is astonished every time at her beauty/indifference/unattainability? On top of everything throw in the possibility that the “beloved” is the Sufi concept of god.
4
jalvah1 az-baskih2 taqaazaa3-e nigah4 kartaa hai
jauhar5-e aaiinah bhii chaahe hai mizhgaaN6 honaa
1.manifestation, appearance 2.inasmuch as 3.demands 4.sight (capability to see) 5.qualities, properties 6.eye lashes
In Urdu poetry, the mirror is likened to the eye. Also the mirror of the times of Ghalib was a polished metal plate. The marks of polish (thin lines of circular arcs) would be like eyelashes. Thus for the mirror to have the qualities of mirror, it would require eyelashes (polish marks). The manifestation/appearance/glory of the beloved (or of god) demands that the beholder have the ability to see just like the mirror/eye requires eye lashes/polish marks.
5
ishrat1-e qatl-gah2-e ahl-e tamannaa3 mat puuchh
eid-e nazzaara4 hai shamshiir5 kaa uryaaN6 honaa
1.pleasure, joy 2.execution grounds 3.people of desire/love 4.festival for the sight 5.scimitar, sword 6.naked, out of the scabbard
In poetic convention the poet/lover looks forward to being slain by the beloved. In a Sufi twist to this, the beloved being god, death represents union with the beloved/god and is ardently desired. Thus there is much pleasure in the execution grounds among the lovers when the see the sword out of its scabbard (in the hands of beloved). The shape and shine of the sword is like the crescent moon heralding eid festivities. Thus it is a pleasure/eid to the eye to see the naked sword (crescent moon) and prepare for union with the beloved.
6
le ga’e Khaak meN ham daaGh1-e tamannaa2-e nishaat3
tuu ho aur aap ba sad4-raNg gulistaaN honaa
1.stain, wound 2.desire 3.joy, vitality, flourishing 4.with a hundred
The poet/lover and all lovers have been slain and have taken the wound of their desire of union with them into the dust. The beloved is now left on her own to enjoy her hundred coloured flourishing garden. There is a recurring theme in Urdu poetry that those who are buried come up as flowers. Thus, is it that the lovers are coming back up to show the beloved that she has been unkind!
7
ishrat1-e paarah2-e dil zaKhm-e tamannaa3 khaanaa4
lazzat5-e resh-e jigar6 Gharq7-e namak-daaN honaa
1.joy 2.part (as in dil ka TukRa) 3.wound of desire/love 4.to receive (as in zaKhm khaana) 5.pleasure 6.fibre of the liver 7.drowned
The poet/lover enjoys/relishes the pain of (unfulfilled) desire even if he constantly complains of it. Thus the greatest joy of the heart is to receive the wound of love and pleasure of the liver is to be drowned in salt (salt rubbed into the wound).
8
kii mire qatl ke baa’d us ne jafaa1 se taubah2
haa’e us zuud3-pashemaaN4 kaa pashemaaN honaa
1.cruelty 2.swearing off 3.early, quick reacting 4.regret, repent
The beloved has killed the poet/lover. The sight of the slaughter immediately fills her with penitence and she swears off any further killing! Thus the poet/lover is either claiming credit for so quickly making her feel pity for him or he is sighing/being sorrowful that this happened only after his death, too late for him.
9
haif1 us chaar girah2 kapRe kii qismat3 Ghalib
jis kii qismat4 meN ho aashiq kaa garebaaN honaa
1.woe upon 2.old unit of measure, about 3 inches 3.cutting, separation 4. destiny
On Frances Pritchett’s website http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00ghalib/017/17_09.html
there is a very scholarly discussion of this. The word qismat, ordinarily meaning destiny has a secondary meaning – cutting, separating. The same word in the two different misra is meant to convey to different meanings. Thus, woe on the footlong cloth that is cut/separated, whose destiny it is to be used as the lover’s collar. The lover, of course is mad with passion and keeps tearing off his collar.
mayassar nahiN insaaN hona – Raina’s Ghalib
1
How hard, how impossible to do the things one can
Ah that the mighty earthling is hardly ever a man
2
This flood of passion promises but death to my abode
For peeling walls and windows are upon the desert road
3
Oh, this urgency of love that renders me so mad
That always I should wander forth, and always turn so sad
5
The naked sword makes lovers all with glorious promise seethe
Much like the crescent herald the glory of the Eid
6
Into the grave with me the dream of calling you my own
O prosper now, and be condemned to watch yourself alone
8
She swore she would no longer tease when she had me slain for fun
That remorse should have so stricken her after the deed was done
