For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
پیچ و تاب میں ۔ مرلی دھر شادؔ
۱
نازاں جو حسن پر تھے وہ ہیں پیچ و تاب میں
آئینہ میں نے رکھ جو دیا ہے جواب میں
۲
میں نے کہا کہ آؤ تو بولے کہ آئیں گے
جب یہ کہا کب آؤگے بولے کہ خواب میں
۳
اب ہاتھ مَل کے کہتے ہیں مجھ سے وہ بعدِ مرگ
خاموش کیوں ہو کیوں ہے کمی اِضطراب میں
۴
مانا کہ میں بُرا ہوں وفا تو بُری نہیں
ہوتی ہیں کیوں جفائیں وفا کے جواب میں
۵
یہ کہہ کے آہ و نالہ سے روکا ہے شادؔ کو
دیکھو کہیں خلل نہ پڑے اُس کے خواب میں
पेच ओ ताब में – मुर्लीधर शाद
१
नाज़ां जो हुस्न पर थे वो हैं पेच ओ ताब में
आईना मैं ने रख जो दिया है जवाब में
२
मैं ने कहा के आऔ तो बोले के आएंगे
जब ये कहा कब आऔगे, बोले के ख़्वाब में
३
अब हाथ मल के कहते हैं मुझ से वो बाद-ए मर्ग
ख़ामोश क्यूं हो, क्यूं है कमी इज़्तराब में
४
माना के मैं बुरा हूं, वफ़ा तो बुरी नहीं
होती हैं क्यूं जफ़ाएं वफ़ा के जवाब में
५
ये कह के आह ओ नाला से रोका है शाद को
देखो कहीं ख़लल न पड़े उस के ख़्वाब में
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. murli dhar shaad (~1910?-1950). His diivaan was published posthumously by his uncle, shaNkar lal shaNkar, who was himself a shaa’er and died soon afterwards (~1952). shaad’s father, founder of lyallpur mills and later DCM, established the ‘shaNkar-shaad Memorial Trust’ which organizes annual hind-pak mushaa’era (with political interruptions in 1965 and covid in 2020), aimed at promoting urdu and communal harmony. shaad also organized annual mushaa’era in lyallpur in the 1940s inviting shu’ara from all over India, for the employees of the textile mills. This Ghazal is in the zamin of Ghalib’s ‘saaqi ne kuchh mila na diya ho sharaab meN’.
1
naazaaN1 jo husn2 par the vo haiN pech-o-taab3 meN
aaiina maiN ne rakh jo diya hai javaab meN 1.proud, conceited 2.beauty 3.hesitation, back and forth, puzzled
The beloved was proud of her beauty and claimed that she had no equal. The poet/lover placed a mirror before her and she is puzzled, because she sees such a beautiful image before her.
2
maiN ne kahaa keh aao to bole keh aayeNge
jab ye kahaa kab aaoge, bole keh Khwaab meN This is a witticism using the phrase “Khwaab meN”, in a double meaning with the English phrase “in your dreams”. When the poet/lover asked her to visit, she said she would. When I asked when, she said “in your dreams”.
3
ab haath mal ke kahte haiN mujh se vo b’aad1-e marg2
Khaamosh kyuN ho, kyuN hai kami izteraab3 meN 1.after 2.death 3.restlessness, eager
It is quite traditional for the poet/lover to keep composing/writing after death and even about his death as an observer. He is dead, laid out ready for his funeral. It is also customary for the beloved to visit him (it is culturally obligatory) on his death bed. Here she is rubbing her hands as if in sorrow, or maybe regretful that she did not pay more attention to him, and saying – why are you quiet, why are you not as eager/restless as you usually used to be.
4
maana1 ke maiN bura huN, vafa2 to buri nahiN
hoti haiN kyuN jafaa’eN3, vafa ke javaab meN 1.agree 2.faith, fidelity 3.cruelty, torture
The poet/lover has been steadfast in his love for the beloved but she has always tortured him in return. He says – I may be bad/not likeable, but my fidelity is good/steadfast. Why then should torture be the reward for fidelity.
5
ye kah ke aah-o-naala1 se roka hai shaad2 ko
dekho kahiN Khalal3 na paRe us ke Khwaab4 meN 1.sighing and wailing 2.pen-name of poet 3.disturbance 4.sleep
Somebody (don’t know who) stopped the poet/lover from sighing and wailing (which he does because of unrequited love) saying that this might disturb her sleep.
murli dhar shaad (~1910?-1950). His diivaan was published posthumously by his uncle, shaNkar lal shaNkar, who was himself a shaa’er and died soon afterwards (~1952). shaad’s father, founder of lyallpur mills and later DCM, established the ‘shaNkar-shaad Memorial Trust’ which organizes annual hind-pak mushaa’era (with political interruptions in 1965 and covid in 2020), aimed at promoting urdu and communal harmony. shaad also organized annual mushaa’era in lyallpur in the 1940s inviting shu’ara from all over India, for the employees of the textile mills. This Ghazal is in the zamin of Ghalib’s ‘saaqi ne kuchh mila na diya ho sharaab meN’.
1
naazaaN1 jo husn2 par the vo haiN pech-o-taab3 meN
aaiina maiN ne rakh jo diya hai javaab meN
1.proud, conceited 2.beauty 3.hesitation, back and forth, puzzled
The beloved was proud of her beauty and claimed that she had no equal. The poet/lover placed a mirror before her and she is puzzled, because she sees such a beautiful image before her.
2
maiN ne kahaa keh aao to bole keh aayeNge
jab ye kahaa kab aaoge, bole keh Khwaab meN
This is a witticism using the phrase “Khwaab meN”, in a double meaning with the English phrase “in your dreams”. When the poet/lover asked her to visit, she said she would. When I asked when, she said “in your dreams”.
3
ab haath mal ke kahte haiN mujh se vo b’aad1-e marg2
Khaamosh kyuN ho, kyuN hai kami izteraab3 meN
1.after 2.death 3.restlessness, eager
It is quite traditional for the poet/lover to keep composing/writing after death and even about his death as an observer. He is dead, laid out ready for his funeral. It is also customary for the beloved to visit him (it is culturally obligatory) on his death bed. Here she is rubbing her hands as if in sorrow, or maybe regretful that she did not pay more attention to him, and saying – why are you quiet, why are you not as eager/restless as you usually used to be.
4
maana1 ke maiN bura huN, vafa2 to buri nahiN
hoti haiN kyuN jafaa’eN3, vafa ke javaab meN
1.agree 2.faith, fidelity 3.cruelty, torture
The poet/lover has been steadfast in his love for the beloved but she has always tortured him in return. He says – I may be bad/not likeable, but my fidelity is good/steadfast. Why then should torture be the reward for fidelity.
5
ye kah ke aah-o-naala1 se roka hai shaad2 ko
dekho kahiN Khalal3 na paRe us ke Khwaab4 meN
1.sighing and wailing 2.pen-name of poet 3.disturbance 4.sleep
Somebody (don’t know who) stopped the poet/lover from sighing and wailing (which he does because of unrequited love) saying that this might disturb her sleep.
