nigah-e inteKhaab meN-kripaal siNgh bedaar

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

نگہِ اِنتخاب میں ۔ کرپال سنگھ بیدارؔ

۱

اللہ رے حُسنِ دوست کا عالم نقاب میں

جلوؤں میں ہے حجاب کہ جلوے حجاب میں

۲

ہر شے بہارِ حسن کی آئینہ دار ہے

یہ کون جچ گیا نگہِ اِنتخاب میں

۳

بیٹھے ہوئے ہیں کشتیِ ہستی میں تشنہ لب

کیا جانئیے کہ بحر میں ہیں یا سراب میں

۴

دل میں خیالِ مرگ کھٹکتا ہے رات دن

کیا لُطفِ زندگی ہے جہانِ خراب میں

۵

ساقی ہماری توبۂ صبر آزما نہ ہو

یہ دُرد سی ہے کیا تہِ جامِ شراب میں

۶

آہِ اسیرِ دام کا انجام دیکھنا

اپنی صدا بھی آئی نہ واپس جواب میں

۷

پیشِ نظر سماں ہے وہی بزمِ دوست کا

شاید ابھی ہے دیدۂ بیدارؔ خواب میں

निगह-ए इन्तख़ाब में – क्रिपाल सिंघ बेदार

अल्लाह रे हुस्न-ए दोस्त का आलम नक़ाब में

जल्वौं में है हिजाब के जल्वे हिजाब में

हर शै बहार-ए हुस्न कि आईना-दार है

ये कौन जच गया निगह-ए इन्तख़ाब में

बैठे हुए हैं किश्ती-ए हस्ती में तिश्ना लब

क्या जानिये के बहर में हैं या सराब में

दिल में ख़याल-ए मर्ग खटक्ता है रात दिन

क्या लुत्फ़-ए ज़िन्दगी है जहान-ए ख़राब में

साक़ी हमारी तौबा-ए सब्र-आज़्मा न हो

ये दुर्द सी है क्या तह-ए जाम-ए शराब में

आह-ए असीर-ए दाम का अंजाम देखना

अपनी सदा भी आई न वापस जवाब में

पेश-ए नज़र समां है वही बज़्म-ए दोस्त का

शा’एद अभी है दीदा-ए बेदार ख़्वाब में

 

Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. kripaal siNgh bedaar (1916-1977), shaiKhupura. His family had no background in shaa’eri but he started composing while still in school. In dayaal siNgh college he won student competitions in a mushaa’era and came to the notice of taajvar najeebaabaadi professor of urdu and faarsi at the time. Later he became his ustaad/mentor. He had to flee to India under very difficult circumstances and lost all financial means. Finally, in 1967 he became lecturer in punjab university, paTiala. His collection was published in 1977 with a grant from the punjab government. In this collection he has a nazm which describes how he saved a muslim girl from being raped by a sikh mob. Another nazm describes his pain at the loss of home. This Ghazal is composed with same radeef and qaafiya as Ghalib’s ‘saaqi ne kuchh mila na diya ho sharaab meN’ and is linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’.
1
allah re husn1-e dost2 ka aalam3 naqaab4 meN
jalvoN5 meN hai hijaab6 keh jalve hijaab meN  
1.beauty 2.friend, beloved 3.condition, state 4.veil 5.face, image, beauty 6.veil
By god, look at the state of glory of the beloved behind the veil. The veil itself looks glorious, or is it that beauty behind the veil is filtering through.

2
har shai1 bahaar2-e husn3 ki aaiina-daar4 hai
ye kaun jach5 gaya nigah-e-inteKhaab6 meN  
1.(every) thing 2.spring, blooming flowers 3.beauty 4.holding mirror, reflection 5.evaluated (and found suitable/fitting) 6.selective/discriminating eye
Everything (about the beloved) reflects the beauty of blooming flowers. Who is it who has overwhelmed my selective/discriminating eye.

3
baiThe hue haiN kishti-e hasti1 meN tishna-lab2
kya jaaniye keh bahr3 meN haiN yaa saraab4 meN
1.being, existence, life 2.thirsty lips 3.sea, ocean 4.mirage
We are floating in the boat of life, but are thirsty. Who knows if we are in the ocean or in a mirage. The mirage is an illusion that appears in the desert, where travelers are thirsty. The analogy is that life in the material world is an illusion like a mirage. It cannot satisfy our thirst (for union with the divine).

4
dil meN Khayaal1-e marg2 khaTkta3 hai raat-din
kya lutf4-e zindagi hai jahaan-e-Kharaab5 meN   
1.thought, used here to mean fear 2.death 3.anticipation 4.pleasure 5.material world
We live in fear of anticipating our death day and night. What pleasure is there of life in this world.

5
saaqi hamaari tauba1-e sabr-aazma2 na ho
ye durd3 si hai kya tah4-e jaam5-e sharaab meN   
1.repentence, forswear 2.patience trying 3.dregs, left over 4.bottom 5.cup
The poet/reveler has forsworn any more wine-drinking. This is trying his patience. He looks into the cup and sees the dregs of the last serving at the bottom and says – O saaqi this may be our patience trying penitence.

6
aah1-e asiir2-e daam3 ka anjaam4 dekhna
apni sadaa5 bhi aaii na vaapas6 javaab7 meN  
1.sigh 2.captive 3.net, web 4.result 5.voice, cry 6.return 7.answer
Look at the ineffective sigh of the bird captures in the bird-catcher’s net. Even his own cry does not return in answer.

7
pesh1-e nazar2 samaaN3 hai vahi bazm-e-dost4 ka
shaa’ed5 abhi hai diida6-e bedaar7 Khwaab8 meN   
1.in front of, before 2.eyes 3.scene 4.gathering of the beloved 5.perhaps 6.eyes 7.awake, aware, also pen-name of the poet 8.sleep, dream
There is a nice juxtaposition of awake and asleep and double use of the word ‘Khwaab’. Before my eyes lingers the scene of the gathering around the beloved (from last night). Perhaps the eyes of bedaar are still dreaming/asleep.

kripaal siNgh bedaar (1916-1977), shaiKhupura.  His family had no background in shaa’eri but he started composing while still in school.  In dayaal siNgh college he won student competitions in a mushaa’era and came to the notice of taajvar najeebaabaadi professor of urdu and faarsi at the time.  Later he became his ustaad/mentor.  He had to flee to India under very difficult circumstances and lost all financial means.  Finally, in 1967 he became lecturer in punjab university, paTiala.  His collection was published in 1977 with a grant from the punjab government.  In this collection he has a nazm which describes how he saved a muslim girl from being raped by a sikh mob.  Another nazm describes his pain at the loss of home.  This Ghazal is composed with same radeef and qaafiya as Ghalib’s ‘saaqi ne kuchh mila na diya ho sharaab meN’ and is linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’.
1
allah re husn1-e dost2 ka aalam3 naqaab4 meN
jalvoN5 meN hai hijaab6 keh jalve hijaab meN

1.beauty 2.friend, beloved 3.condition, state 4.veil 5.face, image, beauty 6.veil

By god, look at the state of glory of the beloved behind the veil.  The veil itself looks glorious, or is it that beauty behind the veil is filtering through.
2
har shai1 bahaar2-e husn3 ki aaiina-daar4 hai
ye kaun jach5 gaya nigah-e-inteKhaab6 meN

1.(every) thing 2.spring, blooming flowers 3.beauty 4.holding mirror, reflection 5.evaluated (and found suitable/fitting) 6.selective/discriminating eye

Everything (about the beloved) reflects the beauty of blooming flowers.  Who is it who has overwhelmed my selective/discriminating eye.
3
baiThe hue haiN kishti-e hasti1 meN tishna-lab2
kya jaaniye keh bahr3 meN haiN yaa saraab4 meN

1.being, existence, life 2.thirsty lips 3.sea, ocean 4.mirage

We are floating in the boat of life, but are thirsty.  Who knows if we are in the ocean or in a mirage.  The mirage is an illusion that appears in the desert, where travelers are thirsty.  The analogy is that life in the material world is an illusion like a mirage.  It cannot satisfy our thirst (for union with the divine).
4
dil meN Khayaal1-e marg2 khaTkta3 hai raat-din
kya lutf4-e zindagi hai jahaan-e-Kharaab5 meN

1.thought, used here to mean fear 2.death 3.anticipation 4.pleasure 5.material world

We live in fear of anticipating our death day and night.  What pleasure is there of life in this world.
5
saaqi hamaari tauba1-e sabr-aazma2 na ho
ye durd3 si hai kya tah4-e jaam5-e sharaab meN

1.repentence, forswear 2.patience trying 3.dregs, left over 4.bottom 5.cup

The poet/reveler has forsworn any more wine-drinking.  This is trying his patience.  He looks into the cup and sees the dregs of the last serving at the bottom and says – O saaqi this may be our patience trying penitence.
6
aah1-e asiir2-e daam3 ka anjaam4 dekhna
apni sadaa5 bhi aaii na vaapas6 javaab7 meN

1.sigh 2.captive 3.net, web 4.result 5.voice, cry 6.return 7.answer

Look at the ineffective sigh of the bird captures in the bird-catcher’s net.  Even his own cry does not return in answer.
7
pesh1-e nazar2 samaaN3 hai vahi bazm-e-dost4 ka
shaa’ed5 abhi hai diida6-e bedaar7 Khwaab8 meN

1.in front of, before 2.eyes 3.scene 4.gathering of the beloved 5.perhaps 6.eyes 7.awake, aware, also pen-name of the poet 8.sleep, dream

There is a nice juxtaposition of awake and asleep and double use of the word ‘Khwaab’.  Before my eyes lingers the scene of the gathering around the beloved (from last night).  Perhaps the eyes of bedaar are still dreaming/asleep.