For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
نازک خیالی ہوتی جاتی ہے ۔ پنڈت میلا رام وفاؔ
۱
جوانی میں طبیعت لااُبالی ہوتی جاتی ہے
ترقی پر مری شوریدہ حالی ہوتی جاتی ہے
۲
شب غم چھایا جاتا ہے دھواں آہوں کے شعلوں سے
ستارے ٹوٹتے ہیں رات کالی ہوتی جاتی ہے
۳
امیدیں آتی ہیں، آ آ کے دل سے نکلی جاتی ہیں
یہ وہ بستی ہے جو بس بس کے خالی ہوتی جاتی ہے
۴
کھلے جاتے ہیں گل مقتل میں کیا کیا عکس عارض سے
کسی کی تیغ بھی پھولوں کی ڈالی ہوتی جاتی ہے
۵
وہ سن کر حالِ فرقت، ہوگا ہوگا کہتے جاتے ہیں
کہانی میری ماضی احتمالی ہوتی جاتی ہے
۶
ملے ہیں سننے والے دل کے پتھر اے وفاؔ ایسے
کہ شرمندہ مری نازک خیالی ہوتی جاتی ہے
नाज़ुक-ख़याली होती जाती है – पंडित मेला राम वफ़ा
१
जवानी में तबी’यत ला-उबाली होती जाती है
तरक़्क़ी पर मेरी शोरीदा-हाली होती जाती है
२
शब-ए ग़म छाया जाता है धुआँ आहों के शो’लों से
सितारे टूटते हैं रात काली होती जाती है
३
उमीदें आती हैं आ आ के दिल से निकली जाती हैं
ये वो बस्ती है जो बस बस के ख़ाली होती जाती है
४
खिले जाते हैं गुल मक़्तल में क्या क्या अक्स-ए आरेज़ से
किसी की तेग़ भी फूलों की डाली होती जाती है
५
वो सुन कर हाल-ए फ़ुर्क़त होगा होगा कहते जाते हैं
कहानी मेरी माज़ी एहतेमाली होती जाती है
६
मिले हैं सुनने वाले दिल के पत्थर अए वफ़ा’ ऐसे
के शर्मिंदा मेरी नाज़ुक-ख़याली होती जाती है
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. panDit mela ram vafa (1895-1980) sialkoT, pakistan. His upbringing and schooling was very rural. He did attend Forman Christian College after high school but did not finish any degree. He was appointed to teach urdu and faarsi at the National College, Lahore. Served as editor of several newspapers and magazines including lajpat rai’s ‘vande mataram’ and madan mohan malaviya’s ‘viir bharat’ – both urdu. He served two years in prison for writing anti-colonial nazm. This Ghazal is linked to others of the same radeef on the ‘Refrain’ page.
1
javaani meN tabi’yat1 la-ubaali2 hoti jaati hai
taraqqi3 par meri shoriida-haali4 hoti jaati hai 1.disposition, nature, character 2.fearless, not caring for consequences 3.progress, increase 4.mad/passionate condition
Traditionally the passionate lover wanders the desert (or streets) like a madman with his clothes torn like majnuN. He does not care what happens to him. Thus, in youth, at the height of mad passionate love, his nature turns fearless. His condition increasingly turns wild and unkempt mad man.
2
shab1-e Gham chhaaya jaata hai dhuaaN aahoN2 ke sho’loN3 se
sitaare TooTte haiN raat kaali hoti jaati hai 1.night of 2.sigh 3.flames
It is the night of sorrow – the night of separation from the beloved. He is sighing in intense sorrow and because of his burning heart flames shoot out with his sighs and smoke from the flames covers the sky. When the flames rise to the sky, stars fall off and the night turns even darker. Note that falling stars are also parallel to shedding tears.
3
umideN1 aati haiN aa aa ke dil se nikli jaati haiN
ye vo basti2 hai jo bas-bas3 ke Khaali hoti jaati hai 1.hopes 2.habitation, homes, neighbourhood 3.lived in, inhabited, prosper
The heart is a place where hope makes its home and then departs. It is a homeland which prospers/gets populated and then empties out, again and again.
4
khile1 jaate haiN gul2 maqtal3 meN kya kya aks4-e aariz5 se
kisi ki teGh6 bhi phooloN ki Daali hoti jaati hai 1.bloom 2.roses 3.field of slaughter 4.reflection 5.face 6.sword
Roses bloom in the field of slaughter just because of the reflection of the beloved’s face. There could be an implication that this because slaughtering of the lovers causes so much blood to flow that it irrigates the field and roses bloom. Thus her curved sword is like a bough bent over laden with roses.
5
vo sun kar haal1-e furqat2 hoga hoga3 kahte jaate haiN
kahaani meri maazi4 ehtemaali5 hoti jaati hai 1.condition 2.separation 3.an expression meaning – it may be or let it be, it is not important 4.past 5.conjectural, speculative, unbelievable
The poet/lover is relating the story of his misery of separation. The beloved blows it off saying maybe it was so as if she does not quite believe it. She says it often enough that it feels as if the story of what happened to him has lost its credibility.
6
mile haiN sun’ne vaale dil ke patthar aye vafa1 aise
keh sharminda2 meri naazuk3-Khayaali4 hoti jaati hai 1.pen-name of the poet 2.ashamed, insulted 3.tender, delicate 4.thinking, imagination
The people who have come to listen to the poet are so ‘stone-hearted’ i.e., insensitive to sorrow/love that is fine/delicate thought process is insulted.
panDit mela ram vafa (1895-1980) sialkoT, pakistan. His upbringing and schooling was very rural. He did attend Forman Christian College after high school but did not finish any degree. He was appointed to teach urdu and faarsi at the National College, Lahore. Served as editor of several newspapers and magazines including lajpat rai’s ‘vande mataram’ and madan mohan malaviya’s ‘viir bharat’ – both urdu. He served two years in prison for writing anti-colonial nazm. This Ghazal is linked to others of the same radeef on the ‘Refrain’ page.
1
javaani meN tabi’yat1 la-ubaali2 hoti jaati hai
taraqqi3 par meri shoriida-haali4 hoti jaati hai
1.disposition, nature, character 2.fearless, not caring for consequences 3.progress, increase 4.mad/passionate condition
Traditionally the passionate lover wanders the desert (or streets) like a madman with his clothes torn like majnuN. He does not care what happens to him. Thus, in youth, at the height of mad passionate love, his nature turns fearless. His condition increasingly turns wild and unkempt mad man.
2
shab1-e Gham chhaaya jaata hai dhuaaN aahoN2 ke sho’loN3 se
sitaare TooTte haiN raat kaali hoti jaati hai
1.night of 2.sigh 3.flames
It is the night of sorrow – the night of separation from the beloved. He is sighing in intense sorrow and because of his burning heart flames shoot out with his sighs and smoke from the flames covers the sky. When the flames rise to the sky, stars fall off and the night turns even darker. Note that falling stars are also parallel to shedding tears.
3
umideN1 aati haiN aa aa ke dil se nikli jaati haiN
ye vo basti2 hai jo bas-bas3 ke Khaali hoti jaati hai
1.hopes 2.habitation, homes, neighbourhood 3.lived in, inhabited, prosper
The heart is a place where hope makes its home and then departs. It is a homeland which prospers/gets populated and then empties out, again and again.
4
khile1 jaate haiN gul2 maqtal3 meN kya kya aks4-e aariz5 se
kisi ki teGh6 bhi phooloN ki Daali hoti jaati hai
1.bloom 2.roses 3.field of slaughter 4.reflection 5.face 6.sword
Roses bloom in the field of slaughter just because of the reflection of the beloved’s face. There could be an implication that this because slaughtering of the lovers causes so much blood to flow that it irrigates the field and roses bloom. Thus her curved sword is like a bough bent over laden with roses.
5
vo sun kar haal1-e furqat2 hoga hoga3 kahte jaate haiN
kahaani meri maazi4 ehtemaali5 hoti jaati hai
1.condition 2.separation 3.an expression meaning – it may be or let it be, it is not important 4.past 5.conjectural, speculative, unbelievable
The poet/lover is relating the story of his misery of separation. The beloved blows it off saying maybe it was so as if she does not quite believe it. She says it often enough that it feels as if the story of what happened to him has lost its credibility.
6
mile haiN sun’ne vaale dil ke patthar aye vafa1 aise
keh sharminda2 meri naazuk3-Khayaali4 hoti jaati hai
1.pen-name of the poet 2.ashamed, insulted 3.tender, delicate 4.thinking, imagination
The people who have come to listen to the poet are so ‘stone-hearted’ i.e., insensitive to sorrow/love that is fine/delicate thought process is insulted.
