For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
نالۂ بُلبُل میں ہے ۔ عثمان علی خاں عثمانؔ
۱
کس بلا کا حسن اُس کاکُل میں ہے
پیچ و خم ایسا کہاں سُنبل میں ہے
۲
عشق کی تاثیر دیکھ اے باغباں
نکہتِ گُل نالۂ بُلبُل میں ہے
۳
آہِ بُلبُل سے ہیں گُل سینہ فِگار
کچھ عجب تاثیر شور و غُل میں ہے
۴
شیشہ کہتا ہے یہ جھک کر جام سے
کیا صدا مستی بھری قُلقُل میں ہے
۵
چشمِ نرگس بھی ہے حیراں دیکھ کر
واہ کیا جلوہ بہارِ گُل میں ہے
۶
کیا کہوں تجھ سے کہ تُو ہے بے خبر
جو مزہ اے شیخ جامِ مُل میں ہے
۷
رنگِ ہستی دیکھ عثماں غور سے
ہے عجب، کُل جُز میں اور جُز کل میں ہے
नाला-ए बुल्बुल में है – उस्मान अली ख़ां उस्मान
१
किस बला का हुस्न उस काकुल में है
पेच-ओ-ख़म ऐसा कहां सुंबुल में है
२
इश्क़ की तासीर देख अए बाग़्बां
निक’हत-ए गुल नाला-ए बुल्बुल में है
३
आह-ए बुल्बुल से हैं गुल सीना फ़िगार
कुछ अजब तासीर शोर-ओ-ग़ुल में है
४
शीशा कहता है ये झुक कर जाम से
क्या सदा मस्ती भरी क़ुल्क़ुल में है
५
चश्म-ए नरगिस भी है हैरां देख कर
वाह क्या जल्वा बहार-ए गुल में है
६
क्या कहूं तुझ से के तू है बेख़बर
जो मज़ा अए शैख़ जाम-ए मुल में है
७
रंग-ए हस्ती देख उस्मां ग़ौर से
है अजब, कुल जुज़ में और जुज़ कुल में 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 is one of several Ghazal that he composed in the style of Ghalib. This one in the style of “ye bhi mere dil meN hai” is linked to the appropriate sub-category under ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’.
1
kis balaa1 ka husn2 us kaakul3 meN hai
pech-o-Kham4 aisa kahaaN sumbul5 meN hai 1.used to mean-extreme, so much that it can cause a disturbance 2.beauty 3.forelocks, hair 4.twists and turns, curls 5.fragrant grass
There is so much beauty in the forelocks of the beloved that it causes a tumult among those who see it. The highly valued fragrant grass (sumbul) does not have such curls.
2
ishq ki taasiir1 dekh aye baaGhbaaN2
nik’hat3-e gul4 naala5-e bulbul6 meN hai 1.effect 2.gardener 3.fragrance 4.rose 5.lament 6.nightingale
In urdu poetic tradition ‘gul-o-bulbul’, rose and nightingale are considered lovers. I am not sure what role the gardener has in this, perhaps only a filler word. O gardener, look at the effect of love. The song of the nightingale has the fragrance of the rose.
3
aah-e bulbul se haiN gul siina-figaar
kuchh ajab taasiir shor-o-Ghul meN hai 1.sigh 2.nightingale 3.rose 4.heart-broken 5.strange, fascinating 6.effect 7.noise and disturbance
The bulbul has been captured and caged by the bird-catcher. His sigh/song of sadness reaches the garden and roses, hearing it are heart-broken. What fascinating effect this ‘noise and disturbance’ (of the sigh) has. The use of the phrase ‘shor-o-Ghul’ to describe a sigh, is rather awkward.
4
shiisha1 kahta hai ye jhuk2 kar jaam3 se
kya sada4 masti-bhari5 qulqul6 meN hai 1.bottle 2.bowing, bending 3.cup 4.sound 5.full of intoxication 6.sound of pouring wine
The sound of wine pouring out of a bottle is often described as ‘qulqul’. The bottle bends over or bows down to whisper secrets to the cup. That is what is happening here. The bottle whispers that ‘qulqul’ is a sound full of intoxication.
5
chashm1-e nargis2 bhi hai hairaaN3 dekh kar
vaah kya jalva4 bahaar5-e gul6 meN hai 1.eye 2.narcissus 3.puzzled 4.beauty, glory 5.blossom 6.rose
The narcissus growing at the river bank, drooping down and absorbed in looking at its own reflection is a symbol of admiring its own beauty. But even the narcissus when it raises its eyes and looks up to see the glory of the blooming rose, it is puzzled.
6
kya kahuN tujh se keh tuu hai be-Khabar1
jo maza2 aye shaiKh jaam3-e mul4 meN hai 1.unaware, ignorant 2.taste 3.cup 4.wine
How can I tell you, O shaiKh, when you so totally unaware, how much taste there is in a cup of wine.
7
raNg1-e hasti2 dekh usmaaN3 Ghaur4 se
hai ajab5, kul6 juz7 meN aur juz7 kul6 meN hai 1.character, qualities, nature 2.life 3.pen-name of the poet 4.carefully 5.strange, puzzling 6.the whole 7.part
Consider the nature of life carefully, O usmaan. Isn’t it puzzling that the whole is in the part and the part is in the whole. This is the concept of sufi philosophy of ‘vahdat-al-vujood’, all life is an all ecompassing entity.
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 is one of several Ghazal that he composed in the style of Ghalib. This one in the style of “ye bhi mere dil meN hai” is linked to the appropriate sub-category under ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’.
1
kis balaa1 ka husn2 us kaakul3 meN hai
pech-o-Kham4 aisa kahaaN sumbul5 meN hai
1.used to mean-extreme, so much that it can cause a disturbance 2.beauty 3.forelocks, hair 4.twists and turns, curls 5.fragrant grass
There is so much beauty in the forelocks of the beloved that it causes a tumult among those who see it. The highly valued fragrant grass (sumbul) does not have such curls.
2
ishq ki taasiir1 dekh aye baaGhbaaN2
nik’hat3-e gul4 naala5-e bulbul6 meN hai
1.effect 2.gardener 3.fragrance 4.rose 5.lament 6.nightingale
In urdu poetic tradition ‘gul-o-bulbul’, rose and nightingale are considered lovers. I am not sure what role the gardener has in this, perhaps only a filler word. O gardener, look at the effect of love. The song of the nightingale has the fragrance of the rose.
3
aah-e bulbul se haiN gul siina-figaar
kuchh ajab taasiir shor-o-Ghul meN hai
1.sigh 2.nightingale 3.rose 4.heart-broken 5.strange, fascinating 6.effect 7.noise and disturbance
The bulbul has been captured and caged by the bird-catcher. His sigh/song of sadness reaches the garden and roses, hearing it are heart-broken. What fascinating effect this ‘noise and disturbance’ (of the sigh) has. The use of the phrase ‘shor-o-Ghul’ to describe a sigh, is rather awkward.
4
shiisha1 kahta hai ye jhuk2 kar jaam3 se
kya sada4 masti-bhari5 qulqul6 meN hai
1.bottle 2.bowing, bending 3.cup 4.sound 5.full of intoxication 6.sound of pouring wine
The sound of wine pouring out of a bottle is often described as ‘qulqul’. The bottle bends over or bows down to whisper secrets to the cup. That is what is happening here. The bottle whispers that ‘qulqul’ is a sound full of intoxication.
5
chashm1-e nargis2 bhi hai hairaaN3 dekh kar
vaah kya jalva4 bahaar5-e gul6 meN hai
1.eye 2.narcissus 3.puzzled 4.beauty, glory 5.blossom 6.rose
The narcissus growing at the river bank, drooping down and absorbed in looking at its own reflection is a symbol of admiring its own beauty. But even the narcissus when it raises its eyes and looks up to see the glory of the blooming rose, it is puzzled.
6
kya kahuN tujh se keh tuu hai be-Khabar1
jo maza2 aye shaiKh jaam3-e mul4 meN hai
1.unaware, ignorant 2.taste 3.cup 4.wine
How can I tell you, O shaiKh, when you so totally unaware, how much taste there is in a cup of wine.
7
raNg1-e hasti2 dekh usmaaN3 Ghaur4 se
hai ajab5, kul6 juz7 meN aur juz7 kul6 meN hai
1.character, qualities, nature 2.life 3.pen-name of the poet 4.carefully 5.strange, puzzling 6.the whole 7.part
Consider the nature of life carefully, O usmaan. Isn’t it puzzling that the whole is in the part and the part is in the whole. This is the concept of sufi philosophy of ‘vahdat-al-vujood’, all life is an all ecompassing entity.
