For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
qavvaali taufeeq ali KhaaN group
نقشِ قدم دیکھتے ہیں – مرزا غالب
١
جہاں تیرا نقشِ قدم دیکھتے ہیں
خیاباں خیاباں اِرم دیکھتے ہیں
٢
دل آشفتگاں خالِ کنجِ دہن کے
سویدا میں سیرِ عدم دیکھتے ہیں
٣
ترے سروِ قامت سے یک قدّ آدم
قیامت کے فتنے کو کم دیکھتے ہیں
٤
تماشا کہ اۓ محوِ آئینہ داری
تجھے کس تمنّا سے ہم دیکھتے ہیں
٥
سراغِ تفِ نالہ لے داغِ دل سے
کہ شب رو کا نقشِ قدم دیکھتے ہیں
٦
بنا کر فقیروں کا ہم بھیس غالبؔ
تماشائے اہلِ کرم دیکھتے ہیں
नक़्श-ए क़दम – मिर्ज़ा ग़ालिब
१
जहाँ तेरा नक़्श‐ए क़दम देखते हैं
ख़ियाबाँ ख़ियाबाँ इरम देखते हैं
२
दिल-आशुफ़्तगाँ ख़ाल‐ए कुंज‐ए दहन के
सुवैदा में सैर‐ए अदम देखते हैं
३
तिरे सर्व‐ए क़ामत से यक क़द्द‐ए आदम
क़ियामत के फ़ितने को कम देखते हैं
४
तमाशा कि अय महव‐ए आईना-दारी
तुझे किस तमन्ना से हम देखते हैं
५
सुराग़‐ए तफ़‐ए नाला ले दाग़‐ए दिल से
कि शब-रौ का नक़्श‐ए क़दम देखते हैं
६
बना कर फ़क़ीरों का हम भेस ग़ालिब
तमाशा‐ए अह्ल‐ए करम देखते हैं
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mirza asadullah KhaaN Ghalib (1797-1869). I dare not write any introduction. On more than one occasion Ghalib has warned his readers that he needs no introduction or even address. I humbly comply. This Ghazal is dated 1816 (nusKha-e raza – kalidas gupta raza) when Ghalib was still in the phase of composing complex verse in urdu. Also see the translation done by my friend badri raina.
1
jahaaN tera naqsh1-e qadam2 dekhte haiN
KhiyaabaaN3 KhiyaabaaN iram4 dekhte haiN1.print 2.feet 3.garden walk-way 4.garden in paradise, Garden of Eden
Ghalib was a great devotee of Ali and has written a number of asha’ar in his praise, at least one additional which has the phrase “naqsh-e qadam”. This opening she’r is a tribute to him. On whichever garden walkway we see your foot prints, there the garden turns into paradise – or, where we see your footprints, that is where our paradise is. Of course, the “teraa” can also be the “beloved”. That this she’r is a tribute to Ali is justified by looking at “do aalam ki ameeN” which I have posted under mirza Ghalib, even though Raina has not done an English rendition of it.
2
dil-aashuftagaaN1 Khaal2-e kunj3-e dahan4 ke
suvaidaa5 meN sair6-e adam7 dekhte haiN1.distressed hearts 2.mole, beauty spot 3.corner 4.mouth 5.(supposed, legendary) small black spot in the centre of the heart 6.spectacle, show 7.non-existence
In Urdu poetic convention the mouth of the beloved is vanishingly small, just like the waist – non-existent. Lovers have distressed hearts and when they look at the beloved at the tiny beauty spot at the corner of the mouth (which is vanishingly small), they see their own vanishing black spot of the heart.
3
tere sarv1-e qaamat2 se yak3 qadd4-e aadam5
qiyaamat6 ke fitne7 ko kam dekhte haiN1.cypress 2.stature 3.one or any 4.height 5.man 6.dooomsday 7.mischief
In Urdu poetic convention “cypress” is tall and slender and is used as a metaphor for beauty. There is mischief/turmoil on doomsday. But even this turmoil appears to us less overpowering than the beloved’s stature – less by as much as the full height of one man. Thus the mischief caused by the beloved is more than the turmoil of doomsday.
4
tamaashaa1 ke ay mahv2-e aaiina-daarii3
tujhe kis tamannaa4 se ham dekhte haiN1.spectacle 2.engrossed, absorbed 3.holding/looking into the mirror 4.desire
The beloved herself is the “aaiina-daar” – mirror bearer. She is engrossed in looking at herself. The poet/lover is inviting her to imagine the lover looking at her with intense desire. How much more of a spectacle that would be compared to she herself being engrossed in looking at herself.
5
suraaGh1-e taf2-e naalah3 le daaGh4-e dil se
ke shab-rau5 ka naqsh-e qadam6 dekhte haiN1.clue 2.vapour, hot-fiery 3.lament, sigh 4.scar 5.night prowler 6.foot print
The heart is burnt up. Only a scar is left by the fiery sigh. What caused this … we can get a clue by looking at the foot-prints of the night prowler – the beloved.
6
banaa kar faqiiroN ka ham bhes Ghalib
tamaashaa-e ahl-e karam1 dekhte haiN1.people of benevolence
The poet lover wants to don the disguise of a mendicant and see the spectacle of “the people of benevolence”. The implication is that they will not be very benevolent.
mirza asadullah KhaaN Ghalib (1797-1869). I dare not write any introduction. On more than one occasion Ghalib has warned his readers that he needs no introduction or even address. I humbly comply. This Ghazal is dated 1816 (nusKha-e raza – kalidas gupta raza) when Ghalib was still in the phase of composing complex verse in urdu. Also see the translation done by my friend badri raina.
1
jahaaN tera naqsh1-e qadam2 dekhte haiN
KhiyaabaaN3 KhiyaabaaN iram4 dekhte haiN
1.print 2.feet 3.garden walk-way 4.garden in paradise, Garden of Eden
Ghalib was a great devotee of Ali and has written a number of asha’ar in his praise, at least one additional which has the phrase “naqsh-e qadam”. This opening she’r is a tribute to him. On whichever garden walkway we see your foot prints, there the garden turns into paradise – or, where we see your footprints, that is where our paradise is. Of course, the “teraa” can also be the “beloved”. That this she’r is a tribute to Ali is justified by looking at “do aalam ki ameeN” which I have posted under mirza Ghalib, even though Raina has not done an English rendition of it.
2
dil-aashuftagaaN1 Khaal2-e kunj3-e dahan4 ke
suvaidaa5 meN sair6-e adam7 dekhte haiN
1.distressed hearts 2.mole, beauty spot 3.corner 4.mouth 5.(supposed, legendary) small black spot in the centre of the heart 6.spectacle, show 7.non-existence
In Urdu poetic convention the mouth of the beloved is vanishingly small, just like the waist – non-existent. Lovers have distressed hearts and when they look at the beloved at the tiny beauty spot at the corner of the mouth (which is vanishingly small), they see their own vanishing black spot of the heart.
3
tere sarv1-e qaamat2 se yak3 qadd4-e aadam5
qiyaamat6 ke fitne7 ko kam dekhte haiN
1.cypress 2.stature 3.one or any 4.height 5.man 6.dooomsday 7.mischief
In Urdu poetic convention “cypress” is tall and slender and is used as a metaphor for beauty. There is mischief/turmoil on doomsday. But even this turmoil appears to us less overpowering than the beloved’s stature – less by as much as the full height of one man. Thus the mischief caused by the beloved is more than the turmoil of doomsday.
4
tamaashaa1 ke ay mahv2-e aaiina-daarii3
tujhe kis tamannaa4 se ham dekhte haiN
1.spectacle 2.engrossed, absorbed 3.holding/looking into the mirror 4.desire
The beloved herself is the “aaiina-daar” – mirror bearer. She is engrossed in looking at herself. The poet/lover is inviting her to imagine the lover looking at her with intense desire. How much more of a spectacle that would be compared to she herself being engrossed in looking at herself.
5
suraaGh1-e taf2-e naalah3 le daaGh4-e dil se
ke shab-rau5 kaa naqsh-e qadam6 dekhte haiN
1.clue 2.vapour, hot-fiery 3.lament, sigh 4.scar 5.night prowler 6.foot print
The heart is burnt up. Only a scar is left by the fiery sigh. What caused this … we can get a clue by looking at the foot-prints of the night prowler – the beloved.
6
banaa kar faqiiroN ka ham bhes Ghalib
tamaashaa-e ahl-e karam1 dekhte haiN
1.people of benevolence
The poet lover wants to don the disguise of a mendicant and see the spectacle of “the people of benevolence”. The implication is that they will not be very benevolent.
naqsh-e qadam – Raina’s Rendition
1
With your footprints float into my mind
Verdurous visions of the ambrosial kind
3
Upon Judgement Day the sun, descending red
Did halt above the earth by a discreet head
4
The looking glass, oh, whatever will it prove?
Do but see how longingly I look at you
6
Disguised, O Ghalib, in my beggarly attire
I watch this world, this drama of desire
