paimaane pe kya guzri-seemab

shivani gupta agarwal singing
For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the “English” or “Notes” tab.

 

۱

سُبوُ پر جام پر شیشے پہ  پیمانے پہ کیا گزری

نہ جانے میں نے توبہ کی تو مے خانے پہ کیا گزری

۲

ملیں تو فائزانِ منزلِ مقصود سے پوچھوں

گزر گاہِ محبّت سے گزر جانے پہ کیا گزری

۳

کسی کو میرے کاشانے سے ہمدردی نہیں شاید

ہر اک یہ  پوچھتا ہے میرے کاشانے پہ کیا گزری

۴

نہ ہو جو زندگی انجام وہ وجدانِ ناقص ہے

حضور شمع بعد وجد پروانے پہ کیا گزری

۵

بتائیں برہمن اور شیخ اُن کی خانہ جنگی میں

خدا خانے پہ کیا بیتی صنم خانے پہ کیا گزری

۶

تو اپنے ہی مآل سوزِ غم پر غور کر پہلے

تجھے اس سے نہیں کچھ بحث پروانے پہ کیا گزری

۷

کسی حِکمت سے کر دے کوئی گویا مرنے والوں کو

یہ راز اب تک ہے سربستہ کہ مر جانے پہ کیا گزری

۸

تری ہر سوُ تجلّی اور میری ہر طرف نظریں

تجھے تو یاد ہوگا آئینہ خانے پہ کیا گزری

۹

زباں منہ میں ہے عرضِ حال کر تو نے تو دیکھا ہے

کہ خوئے ضبط و خاموشی سے پروانے پہ کیا گزری

۱۰

وہ کہتا تھا خدا جانے بہار آئے تو کیا گزرے

خدا جانے بہار آئی تو دیوانے پہ کیا گزری

۱۱

یہ ہے سیمابؔ اِک نا گفتہ بہ افسانہ کیا کہیے

وطن سے کنُجِ غُربت میں چلے آنے پہ کیا گزری

सुबू पर जाम पर शीशे पे पैमाने पे क्या गुज़री

न जाने मैं ने तौबा की तो मै-ख़ाने पे क्या गुज़री

मिलें तो फ़ाएज़ान-ए मंज़िल-ए मक़्सूद से पूछूँ

गुज़रगाह-ए मोहब्बत से गुज़र जाने पे क्या गुज़री

किसी को मेरे काशाने से हमदर्दी नहीं शायद

हर एक ये पूछता है मेरे काशाने पे क्या गुज़री

न हो जो ज़िंदगी अंजाम वो वज्दान-ए-नाक़िस है

हुज़ूर-ए-शम’अ बाद-ए वज्द परवाने पे क्या गुज़री

बताएँ बरहमन और शैख़ उन की ख़ाना-जंगी में

ख़ुदा-ख़ाने पे क्या बीती सनम-ख़ाने पे क्या गुज़री

तू अपने ही म’आल-ए सोज़-ए ग़म पर ग़ौर कर पहले

तुझे इस से नहीं कुछ बहस परवाने पे क्या गुज़री

किसी हिकमत से कर दे कोई गोया मरने वालों को

ये राज़ अब तक है सर-बस्ता के मर जाने पे क्या गुज़री

तेरी हर सू तजल्ली और मेरी हर तरफ़ नज़रें

तुझे तो याद होगा आईना-ख़ाने पे क्या गुज़री

ज़बाँ मुँह में है अर्ज़-ए-हाल कर तू ने तो देखा है

के ख़ू-ए ज़ब्त-ओ-ख़ामोशी से परवाने पे क्या गुज़री

१०

वो कहता था ख़ुदा जाने बहार आए तो क्या गुज़रे

ख़ुदा जाने बहार आई तो दीवाने पे क्या गुज़री

११

ये है सीमाब एक ना-गुफ़्ता ब-अफ़्साना क्या कहिए

वतन से कुंज-ए ग़ुर्बत में चले आने पे क्या गुज़री

Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. There are several Ghazal with the theme and radeef qaafiya paimaane pe kya guzri, maiKhaane pe kya guzri, parvaane pe kya guzri etc. seemab a, qamar j, sahir, shakeel b. It is interesting to visit all these posts.

1
subu1 par jaam2 par shishe3 pe paimaane4 pe kya guzri
na jaane maiN ne tauba5 ki to mai-Khaane6 pe kya guzri7 
1.pitcher, flask 2.cup 3.bottle 4.measure, measuring cup 5.repentence, promise to abstain 6.tavern 7.whatever happened to (something … eg flask, cup, measure)
The poet/reveler has reformed and promised to abstain and is now wondering what will happen to the tavern, the cup, flask and the bottle. I have not been able to read any “hidden double meaning” into this. If you do, please let me know.

2
mileN to faae’zaan1-e manzil2-e maqsud3 se puchhuN
guzargah4-e mohabbat se guzar5 jaane pe kya guzri
1.acquire/hold office/position 2.goal 3.desired 4.pathway 5.passing through
There may be some who have successfully passed through the pathway of love and reached their desired goal. The poet lover wonders IF he will meet such people. If he does, he will ask them what happened to them after they passed through this path. The implication is that all those who go through this path are perished and none reach the desired goal or that such perishing IS the goal.

3
kisi ko mere kaashane1 se hamdardi2 nahiN shaa’ed3
har ek ye poochhta hai mere kaashane pe kya guzri
1.home, nest 2.sympathy 3.perhaps
A frequent imagery in urdu poetry is that lightning strikes and burns up nests. After such a lightning strike everyone is asking him what happened to his abode. Everyone must have assumed that the lightning strike was meant just for him. Therefore, their enquiries are sarcastic not sympathetic.

4
na ho jo zindagi anjaam1 vo vajdan2-e naaqis3 hai
huzur4-e sham’a5 baad6-e vajd7 parvaane8 pe kya guzri
1.result (final result) 2.trance 3.defective 4.before, presence of 5.lamp 6.after 7.trance 8.moth
The sufi dances and goes into a trance hoping to become one with the beloved/god in much the same way as a moth circles the lamp and perhaps is consumed in the fire (becoming one with it). Thus, if the trance does not result in finality (union) then it is considered defective. Just ask (look at, learn from) the moth what happens to it after its dance around the lamp.

5
bataa’eN barhaman1 aur shaiKh2 un ki Khaana-jaNgi3 meN
Khuda-Khaane4 pe kya biiti5 sanam-Khaane6 pe kya guzri
1.hindu priest 2.muslim preacher 3.civil war 4.house of Khuda 5.transpired, happened (implied calamity) 6.house of idols
Communal violence is characterized here as “civil war/war inside the house” and the implication is that such violence is at the instigation of religious/political leadership. Let the brahman and shaiKh tell us, as a result of their civil war, what calamities befell the mosque and the temple.

6
tu apne hi m’aal1-e soz2-e Gham3 par Ghaur4 kar pahle
tujhe is se nahiN kuchh bahas5 parvaane6 pe kya guzri
1.result 2.fire of 3.pain, passion (of love) 4.consider carefully 5.argument 6.moth
The moth circles the lamp in frenzy of love and perishes in the flame. You too (O, poet/lover) carefully consider the result of your passionate love. Don’t get lost in arguing about the moth.

7
kisi hikmat1 se kar de koi goya2 marne valauN ko
ye raaz3 ab tak hai sar-basta4 ki mar jaane pe kya guzri
1.knowledge, wisdom 2.speaking ability 3.secret 4.hidden, closed
The dead cannot speak. The poet wishes that someone had the capability to make them talk, because the secret of what happens after death is still “closed”/puzzle unsolved.

8
teri har su1 tajalli2 aur meri har taraf nazreN3
tujhe to yaad hoga aaina-Khaane4 pe kya guzri
1.direction 2.brilliance 3.eyes, sight 4.house of mirrors, conscience
Everywhere I look, I see manifestations of your glory. Surely you must remember what happened in the house of mirrors. I think that the implication is that the poet/sufi is dazed.

9
zabaaN muNh meN hai arz1-e haal2 kar tu ne to dekha hai
ki Khoo3-e zabt4-o-Khaamoshi5 se parvaane6 pe kya guzri
1.speak out 2.condition 3.nature/character 4.forbearance 5.silence 6.moth
The moth circles the lamp and bears the pain/heat in silence until it is burnt to death. Surely, you have seen it, speak out and complain loudly about your condition otherwise the same fate awaits you as that of the moth/parvaana.

10
vo kahta tha Khuda jaane bahaar1 aaye to kya guzre2
Khuda jaane bahaar aaii to divaane3 pe kya guzri
1.spring 2.what will happen 3.madman, passionate lover
The imagery is of “majnuN” the mad/passionate lover wandering all over is search of his laila. Also, spring time especially arouses the passion of love. The madman used to wonder what will happen to him. Only god knows what happened to him when spring arrived.

11
ye hai seemab ek na-gufta1 ba-afsaana2 kya kahiye
vatan3 se kunj4-e Ghurbat5 meN chale aane pe kya guzri
1.unspeakable 2.though a story 3.homeland 4.corner of 5.away from home, foreign
It is possible that seemab wrote this after leaving home/migrating. I cannot tell this in my story … I don’t have the words to describe what happened to me when I left the homeland and came to this foreign corner.

 

 

 

There are several Ghazal with the theme and radeef qaafiya paimaane pe kya guzri, maiKhaane pe kya guzri, parvaane pe kya guzri etc.   seemab a, qamar j, sahir, shakeel b.  It is interesting to visit all these posts.

 

1
subu1 par jaam2 par shishe3 pe paimaane4 pe kya guzri
na jaane maiN ne tauba5 ki to mai-Khaane6 pe kya guzri7

1.pitcher, flask 2.cup 3.bottle 4.measure, measuring cup 5.repentence, promise to abstain 6.tavern 7.whatever happened to (something … eg flask, cup, measure)

The poet/reveler has reformed and promised to abstain and is now wondering what will happen to the tavern, the cup, flask and the bottle.  I have not been able to read any “hidden double meaning” into this.  If you do, please let me know.

2
mileN to faae’zaan1-e manzil2-e maqsud3 se puchhuN
guzargah4-e mohabbat se guzar5 jaane pe kya guzri

1.acquire/hold office/position 2.goal 3.desired 4.pathway 5.passing through

There may be some who have successfully passed through the pathway of love and reached their desired goal.  The poet lover wonders IF he will meet such people.  If he does, he will ask them what happened to them after they passed through this path.  The implication is that all those who go through this path are perished and none reach the desired goal or that such perishing IS the goal.

3
kisi ko mere kaashane1 se hamdardi2 nahiN shaa’ed3
har ek ye poochhta hai mere kaashane pe kya guzri

1.home, nest 2.sympathy 3.perhaps

A frequent imagery in urdu poetry is that lightning strikes and burns up nests.  After such a lightning strike everyone is asking him what happened to his abode.  Everyone must have assumed that the lightning strike was meant just for him.  Therefore, their enquiries are sarcastic not sympathetic.

4
na ho jo zindagi anjaam1 vo vajdan2-e naaqis3 hai
huzur4-e sham’a5 baad6-e vajd7 parvaane8 pe kya guzri

1.result (final result) 2.trance 3.defective 4.before, presence of 5.lamp 6.after 7.trance 8.moth

The sufi dances and goes into a trance hoping to become one with the beloved/god in much the same way as a moth circles the lamp and perhaps is consumed in the fire (becoming one with it).  Thus, if the trance does not result in finality (union) then it is considered defective.  Just ask (look at, learn from) the moth what happens to it after its dance around the lamp.

5
bataa’eN barhaman1 aur shaiKh2 un ki Khaana-jaNgi3 meN
Khuda-Khaane4 pe kya biiti5 sanam-Khaane6 pe kya guzri

1.hindu pries 2.muslim preacher 3.civil war 4.house of Khuda 5.transpired, happened (implied calamity) 6.house of idols

Communal violence is characterized here as “civil war/war inside the house” and the implication is that such violence is at the instigation of religious/political leadership.  Let the brahman and shaiKh tell us, as a result of their civil war, what calamities befell the mosque and the temple.

6
tu apne hi m’aal1-e soz2-e Gham3 par Ghaur4 kar pahle
tujhe is se nahiN kuchh bahas5 parvaane6 pe kya guzri

1.result 2.fire of 3.pain, passion (of love) 4.consider carefully 5.argument 6.moth

The moth circles the lamp in frenzy of love and perishes in the flame.  You too (O, poet/lover) carefully consider the result of your passionate love.  Don’t get lost in arguing about the moth.

7
kisi hikmat1 se kar de koi goya2 marne valauN ko
ye raaz3 ab tak hai sar-basta4 ki mar jaane pe kya guzri

1.knowledge, wisdom 2.speaking ability 3.secret 4.hidden, closed

The dead cannot speak.  The poet wishes that someone had the capability to make them talk, because the secret of what happens after death is still “closed”/puzzle unsolved.

8
teri har su1 tajalli2 aur meri har taraf nazreN3
tujhe to yaad hoga aaina-Khaane4 pe kya guzri

1.direction 2.brilliance 3.eyes, sight 4.house of mirrors, conscience

Everywhere I look, I see manifestations of your glory.  Surely you must remember what happened in the house of mirrors.  I think that the implication is that the poet/sufi is dazed.

9
zabaaN muNh meN hai arz1-e haal2 kar tu ne to dekha hai
ki Khoo3-e zabt4-o-Khaamoshi5 se parvaane6 pe kya guzri

1.speak out 2.condition 3.nature/character 4.forbearance 5.silence 6.moth

The moth circles the lamp and bears the pain/heat in silence until it is burnt to death.  Surely, you have seen it, speak out and complain loudly about your condition otherwise the same fate awaits you as that of the moth/parvaana.

10
vo kahta tha Khuda jaane bahaar1 aaye to kya guzre2
Khuda jaane bahaar aaii to divaane3 pe kya guzri

1.spring 2.what will happen 3.madman, passionate lover

The imagery is of “majnuN” the mad/passionate lover wandering all over is search of his laila.  Also, spring time especially arouses the passion of love.  The madman used to wonder what will happen to him.  Only god knows what happened to him when spring arrived.

11
ye hai seemab ek na-gufta1 ba-afsaana2 kya kahiye
vatan3 se kunj4-e Ghurbat5 meN chale aane pe kya guzri

1.unspeakable 2.though a story 3.homeland 4.corner of 5.away from home, foreign

It is possible that seemab wrote this after leaving home/migrating.  I cannot tell this in my story … I don’t have the words to describe what happened to me when I left the homeland and came to this foreign corner.

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