For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
Elizabeth Kurian mona
پھر گِلا کیا ہے ۔ اِلِزبت کرین موناؔ
۱
درد اکسیر کے سوا کیا ہے
زخمِ دل کے بِنا مزا کیا ہے
۲
میری سانسوں میں بس گئی ہے مہک
ہائے اس کوچے کی ہوا کیا ہے
۳
وصل کے چار دن تو بیت گئے
صرف یادیں ہیں اب بچا کیا ہے
۴
دل دیا جس کو وہ ہوا غافل
جرمِ اظہار کی سزا کیا ہے
۵
کھو گیا وہ جہاں کے میلے میں
میری دنیا میں اب رہا کیا ہے
۶
بات ہوتی تھی کل نگاہوں سے
ان اشاروں کا اب ہوا کیا ہے
۷
جانتے جب تھے عشق کا انجام
موناؔ قسمت سے پھر گلہ کیا ہے
फिर गिला क्या है – एलिज़बेत कुरियन मोना
१
दर्द एक्सीर के सिवा क्या है
ज़ख़्म-ए दिल के बिना मज़ा क्या है
२
मेरी साँसों में बस गई है महक
हाए उस कूचे की हवा क्या है
३
वस्ल के चार दिन तो बीत गए
सिर्फ़ यादें हैं अब बचा क्या है
४
दिल दिया जिस को वो हुआ ग़ाफ़िल
जुर्म-ए इज़हार की सज़ा क्या है
५
खो गया वो जहाँ के मेले में
मेरी दुनिया में अब रहा क्या है
६
बात होती थी कल निगाहों से
उन इशारों का अब हुआ क्या है
७
जानते जब थे इश्क़ का अंजाम
मोना क़िस्मत से फिर गिला क्या है
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. Elizabeth Kurian mona (1949-living) was a big surprise for me. She is a poet in many languages – malyalam, English and urdu with published books in each. A resident and lover of hyderabad. A late comer to urdu, but apparently good at it as well as in love with it. She learnt it through a correspondence course offered by jaamia-e millia. She took early retirement from a management position in Reserve Bank of India to pursue her passion in poetry. This Ghazal written in the “zameen” of Ghalib can be taken as her tribute to him.
1
dard eksiir1 ke siva2 kya hai
zaKhm-e dil ke bina3 maza kya hai 1.elixir, tonic 2.except for 3.without
The pain (of love) is nothing but an elixir, a tonic that makes you stronger. There is no joy in life without a pained heart i.e. without the pain of love … love for all humanity (or the beloved).
2
meri saaNsoN meN bas1 gaii hai mahak2
haaye is kuuche3 kii hava kya hai 1.making a home 2.fragrance 3.lane
This fragrance has settled in my breath i.e. I smell it all the time. Oh, how wonderful is the air of this lane. The shaa’era lets you decide whose lane she is talking about … in conventional romantic poetry it is the lane of the beloved but could it be (figuratively) the lane of god.
3
vasl1 ke chaar din to biit gaye
sirf2 yaadeN haiN ab bacha kya hai 1.union (with the beloved) 2.only
Four days of union (with the beloved) have passed so quickly. Only memories remain, nothing else.
4
dil diya jis ko vo hua Ghaafil1
jurm2-e iz’haar3 ki saza4 kya hai 1.neglectful 2.crime 3.expression 4.punishment
The one that I gave my heart to forgets/neglects/ignores me. Oh, what punishment for the crime of expression (of love).
5
kho gaya vo jahaaN1 ke mele2 meN
meri duniya meN ab raha kya hai 1.world 2.fair, festivities, crowd
He is lost in the crowd of this world. What else is left in my life.
6
baat hoti thi kal nigaahoN1 se
un ishaaroN2 ka ab hua kya hai 1.glances 2.signals, subtle messages
Yesterday we used to talk in glances. What has happened to those signals/messages now.
7
jaante jab the ishq ka anjaam1
mona qismat se phir gila2 kya hai 1.result 2.complaint
O, mona, when you knew all along the end result of love, why complain of fate.
Elizabeth Kurian mona (1949-living) was a big surprise for me. She is a poet in many languages – malyalam, English and urdu with published books in each. A resident and lover of hyderabad. A late comer to urdu, but apparently good at it as well as in love with it. She learnt it through a correspondence course offered by jaamia-e millia. She took early retirement from a management position in Reserve Bank of India to pursue her passion in poetry. This Ghazal written in the “zameen” of Ghalib can be taken as her tribute to him.
1
dard eksiir1 ke siva2 kya hai
zaKhm-e dil ke bina3 maza kya hai
1.elixir, tonic 2.except for 3.without
The pain (of love) is nothing but an elixir, a tonic that makes you stronger. There is no joy in life without a pained heart i.e. without the pain of love … love for all humanity (or the beloved).
2
meri saaNsoN meN bas1 gaii hai mahak2
haaye is kuuche3 kii hava kya hai
1.making a home 2.fragrance 3.lane
This fragrance has settled in my breath i.e. I smell it all the time. Oh, how wonderful is the air of this lane. The shaa’era lets you decide whose lane she is talking about … in conventional romantic poetry it is the lane of the beloved but could it be (figuratively) the lane of god.
3
vasl1 ke chaar din to biit gaye
sirf2 yaadeN haiN ab bacha kya hai
1.union (with the beloved) 2.only
Four days of union (with the beloved) have passed so quickly. Only memories remain, nothing else.
4
dil diya jis ko vo hua Ghaafil1
jurm2-e iz’haar3 ki saza4 kya hai
1.neglectful 2.crime 3.expression 4.punishment
The one that I gave my heart to forgets/neglects/ignores me. Oh, what punishment for the crime of expression (of love).
5
kho gaya vo jahaaN1 ke mele2 meN
meri duniya meN ab raha kya hai
1.world 2.fair, festivities, crowd
He is lost in the crowd of this world. What else is left in my life.
6
baat hoti thi kal nigaahoN1 se
un ishaaroN2 ka ab hua kya hai
1.glances 2.signals, subtle messages
Yesterday we used to talk in glances. What has happened to those signals/messages now.
7
jaante jab the ishq ka anjaam1
mona qismat se phir gila2 kya hai
1.result 2.complaint
O, mona, when you knew all along the end result of love, why complain of fate.
Thank you very much Elizabeth K. Mona. We in USA are hearing your heart warming Hyderabadi ghazals and getting entertained. Shukria
Iftekhar Hai
UMA Interfaith Alliance
http://www.umaia.net