For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
نہ ہونے کے برابر مرے آگے ۔ احمد فرازؔ
۱۱
شعلہ سا بدن زُلف کی مخمل میں لپیٹے
جیسے ہو کوئی خواب سا پیکر مرے آگے
۱۲
یوں جیسے کہ جادو سا جگاتا چلا جائے
اک آفتِ جاں فتنۂ محشر مرے آگے
۱۳
یاقوت سے لب، سرو سا قد، رات سی آنکھیں
وہ جانِ قیامت تھی مرے گھر مرے آگے
۱۴
وہ کیفیتِ دل تھی کہ بہزاد کا فن کیا
حافظؔ کی غزل بھی تھی فروتر مرے آگے
۱۵
اے گردشِ دوراں ذرا آہستہ قدم رکھ
یہ ساعتِ گزراں ہے گھڑی بھر مرے آگے
۱۶
اے موسمِ ہجراں ابھی کچھ دیر توقف
آنا ہے تو آجانا ٹھہر کر مرے آگے
۱۷
آسودگئ قرب کی اعضا شکنی سے
ہے نیند میں غافل مرا دلبر مرے آگے
۱۸
اے صبحِ جدائی ابھی رک جا کہ ستمگر
ایسے بھی نہ جاگے تھے مقدر مرے آگے
۱۹
شاید کہ فرازؔ آج کسی روپ نگر سے
آئی ہے قضا بھیس بدل کر مرے آگے
न होने के बराबर मेरे आगे – अहमद फ़राज़
११
शोला सा बदन ज़ुल्फ़ कि मख़्मल में लपेटे
जैसे हो कोई ख़्वाब सा पैकर मेरे आगे
१२
यूँ जैसे के जादू सा जगाता चला जाए
एक आफ़त-ए जाँ फ़ित्ना-ए महशर मेरे आगे
१३
याक़ूत से लब सर्व सा क़द रात सी आँखें
वो जान-ए क़यामत थी मेरे घर मेरे आगे
१४
वो कैफ़ियत-ए दिल थी के बहज़ाद का फ़न क्या
हाफ़िज़ कि ग़ज़ल भी थी फ़रोतर मेरे आगे
१५
अए गर्दिश-ए दौरां ज़रा आहस्ता क़दम रख
ये सा’अत-ए गुज़रां है घड़ी भर मेरे आगे
१६
अए मौसम-ए हिज्रां अभी कुछ देर तवक़्क़ुफ़
आना है तो आ जाना ठहर कर मेरे आगे
१७
आसूदगी-ए क़ुर्ब की आज़ा-शिकनी से
है नींद में ग़ाफ़िल मेरा दिलबर मेरे आगे
१८
अए सुबह-ए जुदाई अभी रुक जा के सितमगर
ऐसे भी न जागे थे मुक़द्दर मेरे आगे
१९
शा’एद के फ़राज़ आज किसी रूप नगर से
आई है क़ज़ा भेस बदल कर मेरे आगे
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. ahmad faraz (1931-2008) popular love and romance poet as well as a substantial contributor to progressive themes. This Ghazal is modeled after Ghalib’s ‘hota hai shab-o-roz tamaasha mere aage’ and is linked to a series of Ghazal in the same style. The opening she’r (matla) sets the stage for all others. The shaa’er is imagining pleasant things that have been happening to him (all in his imagination) with an anti-climax in the closing she’r (maqta).
11
sho’la1 sa badan2 zulf3 ki maKhmal4 meN lapeT’e
jaise ho koi Khwaab sa paikar5 mere aage 1.flame, burning 2.body 3.hair 4.velvet 5.image, picture
The scene before his eyes was like flaming body, wrapped in velvety smooth hair, like a dreamy image before me.
12
yuN jaise keh jadoo sa jagaata chala jaa’e
ek aafat-e-jaaN1 fitna-e-mahshar2 mere aage 1.calamity of life 2.tumult of doomsday
‘aafat-e-jaaN’ and ‘fitna-e-mahshar’ are used as descriptors of the image that the shaa’er sees before his eyes. The scene was as if someone arrives raising/creating magic/illusion in my mind. Such is the calamity of live, the tumult of doomsday before my eyes.
13
yaaquut1 se lab2 sarv3 sa qad4 raat si aaNkheN
vo jaan5-e qayaamat6 th’e mere ghar mere aage 1.ruby 2.lips 3.cypress 4.stature 5.life/soul 6.doomsday
Lips red like rubies, stature slender and swaying like a cypress, eyes dark as the night that life and soul of doomsday was my guest before me. ‘life and soul of doomsday’ is a playful description of the illusory image of the beloved before him.
14
vo kaifiyyat1-e dil thi keh bahzaad2 ka fun3 kya
haafiz4 ki Ghazal bhi thi farotar5 mere aage 1.condition 2.legendary artist/painter 3.art 4.admired, exemplary Ghazal poet of faarsi 5.of less value
The shaa’er uses two figures who are considered to be the best in their respective fields … bahzaad in the art of painting and haafiz in composing Ghazal. The condition of my heart was such that why talk about the art of bahzaad, even the Ghazal of haafiz was of lower value (than the fascinating image) in my eyes.
15
aye gardish-e-dauraaN1 zara aahista qadam2 rakh
ye sa’at-e-guzraaN3 hai ghaRi-bhar4 mere aage 1.trials and tribulations of fate/times 2.step 3.fleeting moment 4.for a short time
O trials and tribulations of fate, step forward gently, for this fleeting moment will stay with me only for a short time.
16
aye mausam1-e hijraaN2 abhi kuchh der tavaqquf3
aana hai to aa jaana Thahar4 kar mere aage 1.season 2.separation 3.pause, delay 4.wait
The poet/lover seems to be fully aware that this moment is not going to last and the ‘season of separation’ is sure to arrive. But he asks the season of separation to wait for a while – if you must come, if your coming is inevitable, then come before me, but wait for a while.
17
aasoodagi1-e qurb2 ki aa’za-shikani3 se
hai niind meN Ghaafil4 mera dilbar5 mere aage 1.contentment, satisfaction, happiness 2.nearness 3.limb-breaking 4.unmindful, indifferent 5.beloved
While aa’za shikani literally means breaking of limbs metaphorically it can mean intense pain alll over the body. ‘niind’ can also metaphorically mean neglect, unawareness. The poet/lover has gained access to the beloved. He is delighted with the nearness but it also gives him intense pain because while the beloved is near and before him, she is in niind/sleep completely unaware of and indifferent to his presence.
18
aye sub’h-e judaa’ii1 abhi ruk jaa keh sitamgar2
aise bhi na jaage the muqaddar3 mere aage 1.separation 2.cruel one 3.‘muqaddar jaagna’ – fate smiling upon someone
At first reading ‘sitamgar’ might be read to mean the beloved. But I read it to mean the morning of separation itself. The poet has had a night of union with the beloved (perhaps it was just a dream or his rich imagination). In the second misra he exclaims- fate has never smiled on me like this before. Therefore, the plea in the first misra … O cruel morning of separation, do not arrive just yet, tarry a while because I don’t know when fate will smile on me again.
19
shaa’ed1 keh faraaz2 aaj kisi roop-nagar3 se
aaii hai qazaa4 bhes5 badal kar mere aage 1.perhaps 2.pen-name 3.country of beauty/beauties 4.fate, destiny 5.disguise
Normally in poetic tradition fate/destiny is painful. But this time, O faraaz, perhaps it has come in a different, kindly disguise from the land of beauty.
ahmad faraz (1931-2008) popular love and romance poet as well as a substantial contributor to progressive themes. This Ghazal is modeled after Ghalib’s ‘hota hai shab-o-roz tamaasha mere aage’ and is linked to a series of Ghazal in the same style. The opening she’r (matla) sets the stage for all others. The shaa’er is imagining pleasant things that have been happening to him (all in his imagination) with an anti-climax in the closing she’r (maqta).
11
sho’la1 sa badan2 zulf3 ki maKhmal4 meN lapeT’e
jaise ho koi Khwaab sa paikar5 mere aage
1.flame, burning 2.body 3.hair 4.velvet 5.image, picture
The scene before his eyes was like flaming body, wrapped in velvety smooth hair, like a dreamy image before me.
12
yuN jaise keh jadoo sa jagaata chala jaa’e
ek aafat-e-jaaN1 fitna-e-mahshar2 mere aage
1.calamity of life 2.tumult of doomsday
‘aafat-e-jaaN’ and ‘fitna-e-mahshar’ are used as descriptors of the image that the shaa’er sees before his eyes. The scene was as if someone arrives raising/creating magic/illusion in my mind. Such is the calamity of live, the tumult of doomsday before my eyes.
13
yaaquut1 se lab2 sarv3 sa qad4 raat si aaNkheN
vo jaan5-e qayaamat6 th’e mere ghar mere aage
1.ruby 2.lips 3.cypress 4.stature 5.life/soul 6.doomsday
Lips red like rubies, stature slender and swaying like a cypress, eyes dark as the night that life and soul of doomsday was my guest before me. ‘life and soul of doomsday’ is a playful description of the illusory image of the beloved before him.
14
vo kaifiyyat1-e dil thi keh bahzaad2 ka fun3 kya
haafiz4 ki Ghazal bhi thi farotar5 mere aage
1.condition 2.legendary artist/painter 3.art 4.admired, exemplary Ghazal poet of faarsi 5.of less value
The shaa’er uses two figures who are considered to be the best in their respective fields … bahzaad in the art of painting and haafiz in composing Ghazal. The condition of my heart was such that why talk about the art of bahzaad, even the Ghazal of haafiz was of lower value (than the fascinating image) in my eyes.
15
aye gardish-e-dauraaN1 zara aahista qadam2 rakh
ye sa’at-e-guzraaN3 hai ghaRi-bhar4 mere aage
1.trials and tribulations of fate/times 2.step 3.fleeting moment 4.for a short time
O trials and tribulations of fate, step forward gently, for this fleeting moment will stay with me only for a short time.
16
aye mausam1-e hijraaN2 abhi kuchh der tavaqquf3
aana hai to aa jaana Thahar4 kar mere aage
1.season 2.separation 3.pause, delay 4.wait
The poet/lover seems to be fully aware that this moment is not going to last and the ‘season of separation’ is sure to arrive. But he asks the season of separation to wait for a while – if you must come, if your coming is inevitable, then come before me, but wait for a while.
17
aasoodagi1-e qurb2 ki aa’za-shikani3 se
hai niind meN Ghaafil4 mera dilbar5 mere aage
1.contentment, satisfaction, happiness 2.nearness 3.limb-breaking 4.unmindful, indifferent 5.beloved
While aa’za shikani literally means breaking of limbs metaphorically it can mean intense pain alll over the body. ‘niind’ can also metaphorically mean neglect, unawareness. The poet/lover has gained access to the beloved. He is delighted with the nearness but it also gives him intense pain because while the beloved is near and before him, she is in niind/sleep completely unaware of and indifferent to his presence.
18
aye sub’h-e judaa’ii1 abhi ruk jaa keh sitamgar2
aise bhi na jaage the muqaddar3 mere aage
1.separation 2.cruel one 3.‘muqaddar jaagna’ – fate smiling upon someone
At first reading ‘sitamgar’ might be read to mean the beloved. But I read it to mean the morning of separation itself. The poet has had a night of union with the beloved (perhaps it was just a dream or his rich imagination). In the second misra he exclaims- fate has never smiled on me like this before. Therefore, the plea in the first misra … O cruel morning of separation, do not arrive just yet, tarry a while because I don’t know when fate will smile on me again.
19
shaa’ed1 keh faraaz2 aaj kisi roop-nagar3 se
aaii hai qazaa4 bhes5 badal kar mere aage
1.perhaps 2.pen-name 3.country of beauty/beauties 4.fate, destiny 5.disguise
Normally in poetic tradition fate/destiny is painful. But this time, O faraaz, perhaps it has come in a different, kindly disguise from the land of beauty.
