For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
میرے رباب میں ۔ سُدرشن کنولؔ
۱
اس واسطے کہ دل ہے مسلسل عذاب میں
ہم پی رہے ہیں زہر ملا کر شراب میں
۲
مدہوش اِس قدر ہوں شبِ ماہتاب میں
ڈوبے ہوئے ہیں جیب و گریباں شراب میں
۳
اے کاش اُن کو پھر تری آواز مل سکے
نغمے تڑپ رہے ہیں جو میرے رباب میں
۴
وہ شخص تھا کبھی جو رگِ جاں سے بھی قریب
اب وہ کسی خیال میں ہے اور نہ خواب میں
۵
کچھ عقل و ہوش و فہم و فراست میں کھو گئے
کچھ دوست خود کو ڈھونڈ رہے ہیں شراب میں
۶
کیوں مجھ پہ مہرباں ہے غمِ زیست اِن دنوں
کیا ایسی بات ہے مرے حالِ خراب میں
۷
اک پختہ طبع رِندِ خرابات ہے کنولؔ
واعظ جو چاہے عیب نکالیں شراب میں
मेरे रबाब में – सुदर्शन कंवल
१
इस वास्ते के दिल है मुसल्सल अज़ाब में
हम पी रहे हैं ज़हर मिला कर शराब में
२
मदहोश इस क़दर हुं शब-ए माहताब में
डूबे हुए हैं जेब ओ गरेबां शराब में
३
अए काश उन को फिर तेरी आवाज़ मिल सके
नग़्मे तड़प रहे हैं जो मेरे रबाब में
४
वो शख़्स था कभी जो रग-ए जां से भी क़रीब
अब वो किसी ख़याल में है और न ख़्वाब में
५
कुछ अक़्ल ओ होश ओ फ़हम ओ फ़रासत में खो गये
कुछ दोस्त ख़ुद को ढूंड रहे हैं शराब में
६
क्यूं मुझ पे महरबां है ग़म-ए ज़ीस्त इन दिनौं
क्या ऐसी बात है मेरे हाल-ए ख़राब में
७
एक पुख़्ता तब’अ रिन्द-ए ख़राबात है कंवल
वा’एज़ जो चाहे ऐब निकालें शराब में
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. sudarshan kaNwal (1940-2009), maalerkoTla, completed his matriculation and started work as a clerk in municipal offices. But the urge to compose in urdu took him to mumbai to write lyrics for the movies. His nephew published a collection of his Ghazal (2010) posthumously. This Ghazal is linked to a series composed by many poets in the zamin of Ghalib ‘saaqi ne kuchh mila na diya ho sharaab meN’.
1
is vaaste1 keh dil hai musalsal2 azaab3 meN
hum pii rahe haiN zahr4 mila kar sharaab meN 1.for the sake of 2.continuous 3.curse, calamity 4.poison
Because the heart is undergoing such constant stress/calamity that we now add poison to wine as we drink it.
2
mad’hosh1 is qadar2 huN shab-e-maahtaab3 meN
Doobe hue haiN jeb4 o garebaaN5 sharaab meN 1.intoxicated 2.so much 3.full-moon night 4.shirt front 5.collar
Full moon is a particularly significant night for lovers. It is not clear if the beloved is with the poet/lover and they are celebrating or he is pining away in love wishing for her company. Either in celebration or in sorrow, he has been drinking and lost so much of his senses that he is intoxicated, and his shirt front soaked in wine and collar torn (a torn collar is a conventional sign of distress).
3
aye kaash1 un ko phir teri aavaaz mil sake
naGhme2 taRap3 rahe haiN jo mere rabaab4 meN 1.I wish 2.songs, tunes 3.restless, eager 4.musical instrument like a sarod
The poet/over’s heart is like a sarod eager to burst into song. All it needs is the beloved’s voice. Thus, I wish that the restless tunes in my heart could get your voice to become a song.
4
vo shaKhs1 tha kabhi jo rag-e-jaaN2 se bhi qareeb3
ab vo kisi Khayaal4 meN hai aur na Khwaab5 meN 1.person 2.jugular vein 3.near 4.thought 5.dreams
It is unstated and left for us to imagine whether the “shaKhs/person” is the poet/lover and the subject of the she’r is the beloved. If so, then the poet/lover was as at one time closer than the jugular vein to her and now she has discarded him, and he is no longer even in her thoughts of dreams. I cannot imagine that the “shaKhs” is the beloved and the poet/lover has banished her from his thoughts and dreams.
5
kuchh aql1 o hosh2 o fahm3 o faraasat4 meN kho gaye
kuchh dost Khud ko DhoonD rahe haiN sharaab meN 1.intellect 2.awareness, knowledge 3.wisdom 4.expertise
Some of his friends got lost chasing intelligence, knowledge, wisdom and skills. Others are trying to find themselves in wine! I don’t quite know what to say beyond the flat word for word translation.
6
kyuN mujh pe mehrbaaN1 hai Gham-e-ziist2 in dinoN
kya aisi baat hai mere haal-e-Kharaab3 meN 1.kind, benevolent, favour 2.pain of (continued) life 3.drunken state
I don’t know why the pain of life shows favour to me i.e., I don’t know why I as still alive. What is there in my (useless) drunken state that it continues to be “kind” to me.
7
ek puKhta1 tab’a2 rind3-e Kharabaat4 hai kaNval5
vaa’ez6 jo chaahe aib7 nikaale sharaab meN 1.mature, set in habits 2.nature 3.wine drinker 4.tavern 5.pen-name of the poet 6.preacher 7.defects
kaNval is a frequent patron of the tavern set in his habits, no matter how much the preacher talks about the defects of wine.
sudarshan kaNwal (1940-2009), maalerkoTla, completed his matriculation and started work as a clerk in municipal offices. But the urge to compose in urdu took him to mumbai to write lyrics for the movies. His nephew published a collection of his Ghazal (2010) posthumously. This Ghazal is linked to a series composed by many poets in the zamin of Ghalib ‘saaqi ne kuchh mila na diya ho sharaab meN’.
1
is vaaste1 keh dil hai musalsal2 azaab3 meN
hum pii rahe haiN zahr4 mila kar sharaab meN
1.for the sake of 2.continuous 3.curse, calamity 4.poison
Because the heart is undergoing such constant stress/calamity that we now add poison to wine as we drink it.
2
mad’hosh1 is qadar2 huN shab-e-maahtaab3 meN
Doobe hue haiN jeb4 o garebaaN5 sharaab meN
1.intoxicated 2.so much 3.full-moon night 4.shirt front 5.collar
Full moon is a particularly significant night for lovers. It is not clear if the beloved is with the poet/lover and they are celebrating or he is pining away in love wishing for her company. Either in celebration or in sorrow, he has been drinking and lost so much of his senses that he is intoxicated, and his shirt front soaked in wine and collar torn (a torn collar is a conventional sign of distress).
3
aye kaash1 un ko phir teri aavaaz mil sake
naGhme2 taRap3 rahe haiN jo mere rabaab4 meN
1.I wish 2.songs, tunes 3.restless, eager 4.musical instrument like a sarod
The poet/over’s heart is like a sarod eager to burst into song. All it needs is the beloved’s voice. Thus, I wish that the restless tunes in my heart could get your voice to become a song.
4
vo shaKhs1 tha kabhi jo rag-e-jaaN2 se bhi qareeb3
ab vo kisi Khayaal4 meN hai aur na Khwaab5 meN
1.person 2.jugular vein 3.near 4.thought 5.dreams
It is unstated and left for us to imagine whether the “shaKhs/person” is the poet/lover and the subject of the she’r is the beloved. If so, then the poet/lover was as at one time closer than the jugular vein to her and now she has discarded him, and he is no longer even in her thoughts of dreams. I cannot imagine that the “shaKhs” is the beloved and the poet/lover has banished her from his thoughts and dreams.
5
kuchh aql1 o hosh2 o fahm3 o faraasat4 meN kho gaye
kuchh dost Khud ko DhoonD rahe haiN sharaab meN
1.intellect 2.awareness, knowledge 3.wisdom 4.expertise
Some of his friends got lost chasing intelligence, knowledge, wisdom and skills. Others are trying to find themselves in wine! I don’t quite know what to say beyond the flat word for word translation.
6
kyuN mujh pe mehrbaaN1 hai Gham-e-ziist2 in dinoN
kya aisi baat hai mere haal-e-Kharaab3 meN
1.kind, benevolent, favour 2.pain of (continued) life 3.drunken state
I don’t know why the pain of life shows favour to me i.e., I don’t know why I as still alive. What is there in my (useless) drunken state that it continues to be “kind” to me.
7
ek puKhta1 tab’a2 rind3-e Kharabaat4 hai kaNval5
vaa’ez6 jo chaahe aib7 nikaale sharaab meN
1.mature, set in habits 2.nature 3.wine drinker 4.tavern 5.pen-name of the poet 6.preacher 7.defects
kaNval is a frequent patron of the tavern set in his habits, no matter how much the preacher talks about the defects of wine.
