na yaar hai – akbar allahabadi

For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the “Roman” or “Notes” tab.

نہ یار ہے ۔ اکبر الہٰ آبادی

۱

کہوں کس سے قصۂ درد و غم، کوئی ہمنشیں ہے نہ یار ہے

جو انیس ہے تیری یاد ہے، جو شفیق ہے دلِ زار ہے

۲

تو ہزار کرتا لگاوٹیں، میں کبھی نہ آتا فریب میں

مجھے پہلے اِس کی خبر نہ تھی، ترا دو ہی دن کا یہ پیار ہے

۳

یہ نوید اوروں کو جا سُنا، ہم اسیرِ دام ہیں اے صبا

ہمیں کیا چمن ہے جو رنگ پر، ہمیں کیا جو فصلِ بہار ہے

۴

جسے دورِ چرخ میں جو ہو خوشی، تو ضرور ہے اُسے رنج بھی

شبِ ہجر میں جو ہے دردِ سر، مئے وصل کا یہ خمار ہے

۵

وہ نظر جو مجھ سے ملا گئے، تو یہ اور آفتیں ڈھا گئے

کہ حواس و ہوش و خِرد ہے اب، نہ شکیب و صبر و قرار ہے

۶

مجھے رحم آتا ہے دیکھ کر، تیرا حال اکبرِ نوحہ گر

تجھے وہ بھی چاہے خدا کرے، کہ تو جِس کا عاشقِ زار ہے

 

شکستہ مزار ہے ۔ اکبر الہٰ آبادی

(۳۵ سال بعد)

۷

مری چشم کیوں نہ ہو خوں فشاں، نہ رہی وہ بزم نہ وہ سماں

نہ وہ طرزِ گردِشِ چرخ ہے، نہ وہ رنگِ لیل و نہار ہے

۸

جہاں کل تھا غُلغُلۂ طرب، وہاں ہائے آج ہے یہ غضب

کہیں اِک مکاں ہے گِرا ہوا، کہیں اِک شکستہ مزار ہے

۹

غم و یاس و حسرت و بیکسی، کی ہوا کچھ ایسی ہے چل رہی

نہ دِلوں میں اب وہ اُمنگ ہے، نہ طبیعتوں میں اُبھار ہے

۱۰

ہوئی مجھ پہ جو ستمِ فلک، کہوں کس سے اِس کو کہاں تلک

نہ مصیبتوں کی ہے کوئی حد، نہ مرے غموں کا شمار ہے

۱۱

مرا سینہ داغوں سے ہے بھرا، مرے دِل کو دیکھئے تو ذرا

یہ شہیدِ عشق کی ہے لحد، پڑا جس پہ پھولوں کا ہار ہے

۱۲

میں سمجھ گیا وہ ہیں بے وفا، مگر اُن کی راہ میں ہوں فدا

مجھے خاک میں وہ ملا چکے، مگر اب بھی دِل میں غبار ہے

न यार है – अक्बर अलाहाबादी

कहुं किस से क़िस्सा-ए दर्द ओ ग़म, कोई हमनशीं है न यार है

जो अनीस है तेरी याद है, जो शफ़ीक़ है दिल-ए ज़ार है

तु हज़ार करता लगावटें, मैं कभी न आता फ़रेब में

मुझे पहले इस कि ख़बर न थी, तेरा दो हि दिन का ये प्यार है

ये नवीद औरौं को जा सुना, हम असीर-ए दाम हैं अए सबा

हमें क्या चमन है जो रंग पर, हमें क्या जो फ़स्ल-ए बहार है

जिसे दौर-ए चर्ख़ में जो हो ख़ुशी, तो ज़रूर है उसे रंज भी

शब-ए हिज्र में जो है दर्द-ए सर, मय-ए वस्ल का ये ख़ुमार है

वो नज़र जो मुझ से मिला गए, तो ये और आफ़तें ढा गए

के हवास ओ होश ओ ख़िरद है अब, न शकेब ओ सब्र ओ क़रार है

मुझे रहम आता है देख कर, तेरा हाल अक्बर-ए नौहा-गर

तुझे वो भि चाहे ख़ुदा करे, के तु जिस का आशेक़-ए ज़ार है

 

शिकस्ता मज़ार है – अक्बर अलाहाबादी

(३५ साल बाद)

मेरी चश्म क्यूं न हो ख़ूं-फ़शां, न रही वो बज़्म न वो समा

न वो तर्ज़-ए गर्दिश-ए चर्ख़ है, न वो रंग-ए लैल ओ नहार है

जहां कल था ग़ुल्ग़ुला-ए तरब, वहां हाए आज है ये ग़ज़ब

कहीं एक मकां है गिरा हुआ, कहीं एक शिकस्ता मज़ार है

ग़म ओ यास ओ हस्रत ओ बेकसी, कि हवा कुछ ऐसी है चल रही

न दिलौं में अब वो उमंग है, न तबिय्यतौं में उभार है

१०

हुइ मुझ पे जो सितम-ए फ़लक, कहूं इस को किस से कहां तलक

न मुसीबतौं कि है कोई हद्द, न मेरे ग़मौं का शुमार है

११

मेरा सीना दाग़ौं से है भरा, मेरे दिल को देखिये तो ज़रा

ये शहीद-ए इश्क़ कि है लहद, पड़ा जिस पे फूलौं का हार है

१२

मैं समझ गया वो हैं बेवफ़ा, मगर उन कि राह में हूं फ़िदा

मुझे ख़ाक में वो मिला चुके, मगर अब भि दिल में ग़ुबार है

 

Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. akbar allahabadi (1846-1921) was a judge and a witty, humorous person which shows up in his humorous and sarcastic compositions. But his Ghazal are equal if not better in quality. These are two Ghazal written 35 years apart. The earlier one is full of romantic spirit and the later one faces reality. It is particularly pleasurable to see how the poet has maintained the structure and rhythm over 35 years. Many misra of these Ghazal are remarkable for their internal rhyming.
na yaar hai – akbar allahabadi
1
kahuN kis se qissa-e dard o Gham, koii hum-nashiN1 hai na yaar2 hai
jo anees3 hai teri yaad hai, jo shafeeq4 hai dil-e zaar5 hai    
1.same seat/situation 2.friends 3.helper 4.lover 5.sorrowful
Who can I tell the story of my pain and sorrow. There is none that shares my condition. There is no friend. If there is a helper, it is your memory. If there is a sympathizer, it is my sorrowful heart.

2
tu hazaar karta lagaavaTeN, maiN kabhi na aata fareb1 meN
mujhe pahle is ki Khabar na thi, tera do hi din ka ye pyaar hai   
1.delusion, deception
Even if you had shown a thousand favours, I would not have been under any delusion. I did not know earlier, that your love was so shortlived.

3
ye naveed1 auroN ko jaa suna, hum aseer2-e daam3 haiN aye saba4
hameN kya chaman hai jo raNg par, hameN kya jo fasl5-e bahaar6 hai 
1.good news 2.prisoner, caught 3.web, net 4.morning breeze 5.season 6.spring
The poetic tradition is that the morning breeze brings the news of the coming spring and the garden begins to bloom. The convention is the poet/lover is a bird snared in the web/net of love. O, morning breeze, go and give this news to someone else. I am caught in the web of love, I cannot go anywhere. What difference does it make to me that the garden in colourful bloom, or that it is spring.

4
jise daur1-e charKh2 meN jo ho Khushi, to zaroor hai use ranj bhi
shab-e-hijr3 meN jo hai dard-e sar, mai4-e vasl5 ka ye Khumaar6 hai   
1.duration, period, reign 2.sky 3.night of separation 4.wine 5.union (with the beloved) 6.intoxication, hang-over
Time/duration under the sky is life-time. It is spent under the reign of fate. Thus, whoever is happy in this life, surely also has sorrow/pain along with it. This aching head of the night of separation is the result of the intoxication of the wine of love/union with the beloved. Thus, the pleasure of union is mixed with the pain of separation.

5
vo nazar jo mujh se mila gaye, to ye aur aafateN1 Dha2 gaye
ke havaas3 o hosh4 o Khirad5 hai ab, na shakeb6 o sabr7 o qaraar8 hai 
1.calamities 2.brought down 3.senses 4.awareness 5.knowledge 6.satisfaction 7.patience 8.comfort, tranquility
When her eyes met mine, she brought down many more calamities. Now I have no senses (I am numb), no awareness (I am totally absorbed in her thoughts), no knowledge of anything going around, no satisfaction/rest, not patience and no comfort.

6
mujhe rahm aata hai dekh kar, tera haal akbar-e nauha-gar1
tujhe vo bhi chaahe Khuda kare, ke tu jis ka aashiq-e zaar2 hai
1.wailing 2.sorrowful
I pity seeing your condition o wailing akbar. May she also love you, whose sorrowful lover you are.

shikasta mazaar hai – akbar allahabadi

(35 years later)
7
meri chashm1 kyuN na ho KhuN-fashaaN2, na rahi vo bazm3 na vo sama4
na vo tarz5-e gardish6-e charKh7 hai, na go raNg-e lail-o-nihaar8 hai   
1.eyes 2.bleeding 3.gathering 4.atmosphere, ambience 5.style, method 6.movement 7.skies, fate 8.night and day
(Why is it a surprise that) my eyes cry tears of blood, there is no longer the old gathering nor the old ambience. My fate doesn’t the same way (as before), days and nights are different.

8
jahaaN kal tha GhulGhula1-e tarab2, vahaaN haaye aaj hai ye Ghazab3
kahiN ek makaaN hai gira hua, kahiN ek shikasta4 mazaar5 hai    
1.celebration 2.joy 3.calamity 4.broken 5.tomb
Where yesterday there was a celebration of joy, today there is a calamity. A house in ruins here, a dilapidated tomb there.

9
Gham o yaas1 o hasrat2 o bekasi3, ki hava kuchh aisi hai chal rahi
na dilauN meN ab vo umaNg hai, na tabiyyatoN meN ubhaar4 hai   
1.despair 2.longing 3.helplessness 4.rise, increase
Sorrow, despair, longing and helplessness, such is the wind that blows. No longer that passion in the heart, not does it rise in my mood/outlook.

10
hui mujh pe jo sitam-e-falak1, kahuN is ko kis se kahaaN talak
na museebatoN ki hai koi hadd2, na mere GhamoN ka shumaar3 hai   
1.cruelty of fate 2.limits 3.enumeration
Such cruelty of fate has fallen on me, I do not know who to tell it to or how much. There is no limit to my problems, no enumeration of my sorrows.

11
mera seena daaGhoN1 se hai bhara, mere dil ko dekhiye to zara
ye shahid-e-ishq2 ki hai lahad3, paRa jis pe phooloN ka haar hai    
1.scars, blisters 2.martyr of love 3.grave
The scars on the heart/bosom are likened to flowers and to a garland of flowers. There are so many blisters that his bosom is like a grave of the martyr of love i.e. his heart, killed by love is buried in his bosom.

12
maiN samajh gaya vo haiN be-vafa, magar un ki raah1 meN huN fida2
mujhe Khaak meN vo mila chuke, magar ab bhi dil meN Ghubaar3 hai    
1.pathway, waiting for 2.dying for, devoted to 3.dust, fog, resentment
I know that she does not keep her wait, but I still am devoted to waiting for her. She has rejected me, thrown in trash, but she still has resentment in her heart.

akbar allahabadi (1846-1921) was a judge and a witty, humorous person which shows up in his humorous and sarcastic compositions.  But his Ghazal are equal if not better in quality.  These are two Ghazal written 35 years apart.  The earlier one is full of romantic spirit and the later one faces reality.  It is particularly pleasurable to see how the poet has maintained the structure and rhythm over 35 years.  Many misra of these Ghazal are remarkable for their internal rhyming.
na yaar hai – akbar allahabadi
1
kahuN kis se qissa-e dard o Gham, koii hum-nashiN1 hai na yaar2 hai
jo anees3 hai teri yaad hai, jo shafeeq4 hai dil-e zaar5 hai

1.same seat/situation 2.friends 3.helper 4.lover 5.sorrowful

Who can I tell the story of my pain and sorrow.  There is none that shares my condition.  There is no friend.  If there is a helper, it is your memory.  If there is a sympathizer, it is my sorrowful heart.
2
tu hazaar karta lagaavaTeN, maiN kabhi na aata fareb1 meN
mujhe pahle is ki Khabar na thi, tera do hi din ka ye pyaar hai

1.delusion, deception

Even if you had shown a thousand favours, I would not have been under any delusion.  I did not know earlier, that your love was so shortlived.
3
ye naveed1 auroN ko jaa suna, hum aseer2-e daam3 haiN aye saba4
hameN kya chaman hai jo raNg par, hameN kya jo fasl5-e bahaar6 hai

1.good news 2.prisoner, caught 3.web, net 4.morning breeze 5.season 6.spring

The poetic tradition is that the morning breeze brings the news of the coming spring and the garden begins to bloom.  The convention is the poet/lover is a bird snared in the web/net of love.  O, morning breeze, go and give this news to someone else.  I am caught in the web of love, I cannot go anywhere.  What difference does it make to me that the garden in colourful bloom, or that it is spring.
4
jise daur1-e charKh2 meN jo ho Khushi, to zaroor hai use ranj bhi
shab-e-hijr3 meN jo hai dard-e sar, mai4-e vasl5 ka ye Khumaar6 hai

1.duration, period, reign 2.sky 3.night of separation 4.wine 5.union (with the beloved) 6.intoxication, hang-over

Time/duration under the sky is life-time.  It is spent under the  reign of fate.  Thus, whoever is happy in this life, surely also has sorrow/pain along with it.  This aching head of the night of separation is the result of the intoxication of the wine of love/union with the beloved.  Thus, the pleasure of union is mixed with the pain of separation.
5
vo nazar jo mujh se mila gaye, to ye aur aafateN1 Dha2 gaye
ke havaas3 o hosh4 o Khirad5 hai ab, na shakeb6 o sabr7 o qaraar8 hai

1.calamities 2.brought down 3.senses 4.awareness 5.knowledge 6.satisfaction 7.patience 8.comfort, tranquility

When her eyes met mine, she brought down many more calamities.  Now I have no senses (I am numb), no awareness (I am totally absorbed in her thoughts), no knowledge of anything going around, no satisfaction/rest, not patience and no comfort.
6
mujhe rahm aata hai dekh kar, tera haal akbar-e nauha-gar1
tujhe vo bhi chaahe Khuda kare, ke tu jis ka aashiq-e zaar2 hai

1.wailing 2.sorrowful

I pity seeing your condition o wailing akbar.  May she also love you, whose sorrowful lover you are.

35 saal baad (35 years later)
shikasta mazaar hai – akbar allahabadi
7
meri chashm1 kyuN na ho KhuN-fashaaN2, na rahi vo bazm3 na vo sama4
na vo tarz5-e gardish6-e charKh7 hai, na go raNg-e lail-o-nihaar8 hai

1.eyes 2.bleeding 3.gathering 4.atmosphere, ambience 5.style, method 6.movement 7.skies, fate 8.night and day

(Why is it a surprise that) my eyes cry tears of blood, there is no longer the old gathering nor the old ambience.  My fate doesn’t the same way (as before), days and nights are different.
8
jahaaN kal tha GhulGhula1-e tarab2, vahaaN haaye aaj hai ye Ghazab3
kahiN ek makaaN hai gira hua, kahiN ek shikasta4 mazaar5 hai

1.celebration 2.joy 3.calamity 4.broken 5.tomb

Where yesterday there was a celebration of joy, today there is a calamity.  A house in ruins here, a dilapidated tomb there.
9
Gham o yaas1 o hasrat2 o bekasi3, ki hava kuchh aisi hai chal rahi
na dilauN meN ab vo umaNg hai, na tabiyyatoN meN ubhaar4 hai

1.despair 2.longing 3.helplessness 4.rise, increase

Sorrow, despair, longing and helplessness, such is the wind that blows.  No longer that passion in the heart, not does it rise in my mood/outlook.
10
hui mujh pe jo sitam-e-falak1, kahuN is ko kis se kahaaN talak
na museebatoN ki hai koi hadd2, na mere GhamoN ka shumaar3 hai

1.cruelty of fate 2.limits 3.enumeration

Such cruelty of fate has fallen on me, I do not know who to tell it to or how much.  There is no limit to my problems, no enumeration of my sorrows.
11
mera seena daaGhoN1 se hai bhara, mere dil ko dekhiye to zara
ye shahid-e-ishq2 ki hai lahad3, paRa jis pe phooloN ka haar hai

1.scars, blisters 2.martyr of love 3.grave

The scars on the heart/bosom are likened to flowers and to a garland of flowers.  There are so many blisters that his bosom is like a grave of the martyr of love i.e. his heart, killed by love is buried in his bosom.
12
maiN samajh gaya vo haiN be-vafa, magar un ki raah1 meN huN fida2
mujhe Khaak meN vo mila chuke, magar ab bhi dil meN Ghubaar3 hai

1.pathway, waiting for 2.dying for, devoted to 3.dust, fog, resentment

I know that she does not keep her wait, but I still am devoted to waiting for her.  She has rejected me, thrown in trash, but she still has resentment in her heart.

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