For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
مزا اور ہی کچھ ہے ۔ میر عثمان علی خاں عثمانؔ
۱
تڑپا کے وہ بولے یہ ادا اور ہی کچھ ہے
یہ جور نرالا ہے جفا اور ہی کچھ ہے
۲
آبِ دمِ خنجر سے ہوئی روح جو تازہ
معلوم ہوا آبِ بقا اور ہی کچھ ہے
۳
اے نالۂ پُر درد ذرا یہ تو خبر لے
ہے مدّ نظر وصل بھی یا اور ہی کچھ ہے
۴
دل لے کے ہوئے جاتے ہیں وہ جان کے خواہاں
یہ ہم سے تقاضائے وفا اور ہی کچھ ہے
۵
یوں قید سے چُھٹنے کی خوشی کس کو نہ ہوگی
پر تیرے اسیروں کی دعا اور ہی کچھ ہے
۶
آغاز بھی گو لطف سے خالی نہیں لیکن
انجامِ محبّت کا مزا اور ہی کچھ ہے
۷
ملتا ہے ثمر صبر کا دنیا میں بھی عثمانؔ
لیکن صلۂ روز جزا اور ہی کچھ ہے
मज़ा और ही कुछ है – मीर उस्मान अली ख़ाँ उस्मान
१
तढपा के वो बोले ये अदा और ही कुछ है
ये जौर निराला है जफ़ा और ही कुछ है
२
आब-ए दम-ए ख़ंजर से हुई रूह जो ताज़ा
मालूम हुआ आब-ए बक़ा और ही कुछ है
३
अए नाला-ए पुर-दर्द ज़रा ये तो ख़बर ले
है मद्द-ए नज़र वस्ल भी या और ही कुछ है
४
दिल ले के हुए जाते हैं वो जान के ख़्वाहाँ
ये हम से तक़ाज़ा-ए वफ़ा और ही कुछ है
५
यूँ क़ैद से छुटने की ख़ुशी किस को न होगी
पर तेरे असीरों की दुआ और ही कुछ है
६
आग़ाज़ भी गो लुत्फ़ से ख़ाली नहीं लैकिन
अंजाम-ए मोहब्बत का मज़ा और ही कुछ है
७
मिलता है समर सब्र का दुनिया में भी उस्मान
लैकिन सिला-ए रोज़-ए जज़ा और ही कुछ है
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. osman ali KhaaN (1886-1967), the erstwhile ruler of hyderabad was a prolific poet of considerable literary capability. His diivaan was collected and published posthumously in eight fair sized volumes. This Ghazal is linked to other ham-radeef Ghazal on the Refrain Index page.
1
taRpaa1 ke voh bole ye adaa2 aur hii kuch hai
yeh jaur3 niraalaa4 hai jafaa5 aur hii kuch hai 1.to torture, to torment 2.mannerism, style 3.cruelty, tyranny 4.unique, distinctive 5.oppression, injustice
Here, ‘voh’ refers to the beloved. The beloved tortured me and said – this style is something else; this cruelty is novel/distinctive and oppression is something else. Editorial comment – I always get amused by the thought that this man was reported to have had a 100 concubines, and he writes about the cruelty of the beloved.
2
aab1-e dam2-e Khanjar se hui ruuh3 jo taaza4
maa’luum5 hua aab-e-baqaa6 aur hii kuch hai 1.water, shine, brilliance 2.sharp edge 3.soul, spirit 4.refresh 5.to know 6.water/nectar of life/immortality
The beauty of this she’r in the use of the word ‘aab’ which means both water and brilliance. In urdu poetic tradition, it is the epitome of life for the lover to be slaughtered at the hands of the beloved. This apparently is happening to the poet. He sees the brilliance of the sharp edge of the beloved’s knife and soul is stirred as if he has acquired a fresh/new life. Looking at the brilliance of the knife, he came to know that the nectar of immortality means something else i.e., it does not mean what you drink but it is getting slaughtered at the hands of the beloved to achieve immortality.
3
aye naala1-e pur-dard2 zaraa yeh to Khabar3 le
hai madd-e-nazar4 vasl5 bhii yaa aur hii kuch hai 1.wail, lament 2.full of pain 3.inquire, ask about 4.before the eyes, purpose 5.union
The shaa’er is addressing his own painful lament. He is asking his lament to ‘yeh to Khabar le’ – at least ask about this much. Ask whom? Itself? Is the purpose of letting out a wail, achieving union with the beloved? The implication may be that if that is the purpose, know that you are not going to be successful. Or, if the purpose is just to relieve some pain, even that is not going to happen and you are going to lose your reputation. He may be suggesting to the lament to consider this and stop.
4
dil le ke hue jaate haiN voh jaan1 ke KhaahaaN2
yeh ham se taqaazaa3-e vafaa4 aur hii kuch hai 1.life 2.desirous, to wish for 3.demand 4.fidelity, faithfulness
The ‘voh’ refers to the beloved. The beloved has taken his heart and now asks for his life. This demand of faithfulness from me is ‘something else’.
5
yuN qaid1 se chhuTne kii Khushii kis ko na hogii
par tere asiiroN2 kii du’aa aur hii kuch hai 1.prison, captivity 2.prisoners, captives
Who will not be happy at being released from captivity. But the prayer/desire of your captives is ‘something else’ i.e., they would rather not be released.
6
aaGhaaz1 bhii go2 lutf3 se Khaalii4 nahiN laikin
anjaam5-e mohabbat kaa mazaa6 aur hii kuch hai 1.beginning 2.even though 3.pleasure 4.empty, devoid 5.end, result 6.taste, joy
Even though the beginning is not exactly devoid of pleasure, but the joy of the end result of love is ‘something else’. Either the poet is going against the convention and stating that the end result of love is fulfilment, or he is stating that the end is painful but there is a pleasure associated with that pain which is ‘something else’.
7
miltaa hai samar1 sabr2 kaa duniya meN bhii osmaan3
laikin sila4-e roz-e-jazaa5 aur hii kuch hai 1.fruit, yield 2.patience 3.pen-name of the poet 4.recompense, reward 5.day of judgment
O osmaan it is likely that you may get some fruit of your patience in this world but the reward on the day of judgment is ‘something else’. Either he is sure that he is going to be awarded heaven or he is talking about something else. Could it be that he is looking forward to coming face to face with the beloved and giving an account of all the torture that he has suffered at her hands!
osman ali KhaaN (1886-1967), the erstwhile ruler of hyderabad was a prolific poet of considerable literary capability. His diivaan was collected and published posthumously in eight fair sized volumes. This Ghazal is linked to other ham-radeef Ghazal on the Refrain Index page.
1
taRpaa1 ke voh bole ye adaa2 aur hii kuch hai
yeh jaur3 niraalaa4 hai jafaa5 aur hii kuch hai
1.to torture, to torment 2.mannerism, style 3.cruelty, tyranny 4.unique, distinctive 5.oppression, injustice
Here, ‘voh’ refers to the beloved. The beloved tortured me and said – this style is something else; this cruelty is novel/distinctive and oppression is something else. Editorial comment – I always get amused by the thought that this man was reported to have had a 100 concubines, and he writes about the cruelty of the beloved.
2
aab1-e dam2-e Khanjar se hui ruuh3 jo taaza4
maa’luum5 hua aab-e-baqaa6 aur hii kuch hai
1.water, shine, brilliance 2.sharp edge 3.soul, spirit 4.refresh 5.to know 6.water/nectar of life/immortality
The beauty of this she’r in the use of the word ‘aab’ which means both water and brilliance. In urdu poetic tradition, it is the epitome of life for the lover to be slaughtered at the hands of the beloved. This apparently is happening to the poet. He sees the brilliance of the sharp edge of the beloved’s knife and soul is stirred as if he has acquired a fresh/new life. Looking at the brilliance of the knife, he came to know that the nectar of immortality means something else i.e., it does not mean what you drink but it is getting slaughtered at the hands of the beloved to achieve immortality.
3
aye naala1-e pur-dard2 zaraa yeh to Khabar3 le
hai madd-e-nazar4 vasl5 bhii yaa aur hii kuch hai
1.wail, lament 2.full of pain 3.inquire, ask about 4.before the eyes, purpose 5.union
The shaa’er is addressing his own painful lament. He is asking his lament to ‘yeh to Khabar le’ – at least ask about this much. Ask whom? Itself? Is the purpose of letting out a wail, achieving union with the beloved? The implication may be that if that is the purpose, know that you are not going to be successful. Or, if the purpose is just to relieve some pain, even that is not going to happen and you are going to lose your reputation. He may be suggesting to the lament to consider this and stop.
4
dil le ke hue jaate haiN voh jaan1 ke KhaahaaN2
yeh ham se taqaazaa3-e vafaa4 aur hii kuch hai
1.life 2.desirous, to wish for 3.demand 4.fidelity, faithfulness
The ‘voh’ refers to the beloved. The beloved has taken his heart and now asks for his life. This demand of faithfulness from me is ‘something else’.
5
yuN qaid1 se chhuTne kii Khushii kis ko na hogii
par tere asiiroN2 kii du’aa aur hii kuch hai
1.prison, captivity 2.prisoners, captives
Who will not be happy at being released from captivity. But the prayer/desire of your captives is ‘something else’ i.e., they would rather not be released.
6
aaGhaaz1 bhii go2 lutf3 se Khaalii4 nahiN laikin
anjaam5-e mohabbat kaa mazaa6 aur hii kuch hai
1.beginning 2.even though 3.pleasure 4.empty, devoid 5.end, result 6.taste, joy
Even though the beginning is not exactly devoid of pleasure, but the joy of the end result of love is ‘something else’. Either the poet is going against the convention and stating that the end result of love is fulfilment, or he is stating that the end is painful but there is a pleasure associated with that pain which is ‘something else’.
7
miltaa hai samar1 sabr2 kaa duniya meN bhii osmaan3
laikin sila4-e roz-e-jazaa5 aur hii kuch hai
1.fruit, yield 2.patience 3.pen-name of the poet 4.recompense, reward 5.day of judgment
O osmaan it is likely that you may get some fruit of your patience in this world but the reward on the day of judgment is ‘something else’. Either he is sure that he is going to be awarded heaven or he is talking about something else. Could it be that he is looking forward to coming face to face with the beloved and giving an account of all the torture that he has suffered at her hands!
