For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
سجدہ نہ ہوا ۔ جے کرشن چودھری حبیبؔ
۱
کون سی جا ہے جہاں حسن کا شہرا نہ ہوا
عشق بیچارہ کہاں دہر میں رسوا نہ ہوا
۲
عشق دریا ہے کوئی جس کا کنارا نہ ہوا
ناخدا کوئی نہیں کوئی سفینہ نہ ہوا
۳
کیسے احساس ہو محرومیِ قسمت کا اسے
لذّتِ درد سے جو دل سے شناسا نہ ہوا
۴
ہاتھ اٹھائے جو دعا کو تو تجھے ہی مانگا
یہ تو اللہ سے سودا ہوا سجدہ نہ ہوا
۵
کیوں نہ انجامِ تمنا سے سنور جائے دل
عشق کی راہ میں کب خون تمنا نہ ہوا
۶
ایک وہ ہیں جو تیری یاد میں رو لیتے ہیں
ہم کو اشکوں کا بھی اس غم میں سہارا نہ ہوا
۷
بے رخی کا ہے گلہ کیوں تجھے دلبر سے حبیبؔ
پیار کرنے کا تجھے خود ہی سلیقہ نہ ہوا
सज्दा न हुआ – जय क्रिष्ण चौधरी हबीब
१
कौन सी जा है जहाँ हुस्न का शोहरा न हुआ
इश्क़ बेचारा कहाँ दहर में रुस्वा न हुआ
२
इश्क़ दरिया है कोई जिस का किनारा न हुआ
नाख़ुदा कोई नहीं कोई सफ़ीना न हुआ
३
कैसे एहसास हो महरूमी-ए क़िस्मत का उसे
लज़्ज़त-ए दर्द से जो दिल से शनासा न हुआ
४
हाथ उठाए जो दुआ को तो तुझे ही माँगा
ये तो अल्लाह से सौदा हुआ सज्दा न हुआ
५
क्यूं न अंजाम-ए-तमन्ना से सँवर जाए दिल
इश्क़ की राह में कब ख़ून-ए तमन्ना न हुआ
६
एक वो हैं जो तेरी याद में रो लेते हैं
हम को अश्कों का भी इस ग़म में सहारा न हुआ
७
बे-रुख़ी का है गिला क्यूं तुझे दिलबर से हबीब
प्यार करने का तुझे ख़ुद ही सलीक़ा न हुआ
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. jaikrishn chaudhry habiib (1904-xxxx), born in Dera ismail KhaaN, in pakistan. Lived in jabalpur. He was a scholar of sanskrit, English, faarsi and urdu, and was an active participant in the independence struggle, most notably with Khaan abdul Ghaffaar KhaaN. MA from aligaRh and later LLB, law practice 1929. He migrated to India after partition in 1947. IAS – Collector and later Education Secretary. Early retirement in 1960, but recalled later to serve three more years in jabalpur and retired there. In 1969 he served on Ghalib shataabdhi naagarik samiti which organized four ‘tarahi’ mushaa’era over that year and published a book. He composed several Ghazal in the style of Ghalib. This Ghazal is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam – ‘maiN na achchha hua, bura na hua’.
1
kaun si jaa1 hai jahaaN2 husn3 ka shohra4 na hua
ishq bechaara kahaaN dahr5 meN rusva6 na hua 1.place 2.where 3.beauty, beloved 4.fame 5.world 6.embarrassed
Which is the place where the fame of the beloved has not spread i.e., it has spread everywhere. Where in the world has the poor lover not been embarrassed i.e., everywhere.
2
ishq dariya1 hai koi jis ka kinaara2 na hua
naaKhuda3 koi nahiN koi safiina4 na hua 1.sea 2.shoreline 3.boatman, guide 4.boat (shelter)
Love is a boundless ocean; there is no oarsman steering the boat, nor is there any shelter.
3
kaise ehsaas1 ho mahroomi2-e qismat3 ka use
lazzat4-e dard se jo dil se shanaasa5 na hua 1.feeling, understanding 2.being devoid of 3.(good) fortune 4.pleasure 5.familiar
The pain inflicted by the beloved on the lover is considered a gift. The ‘pleasure of this pain’ is a badge of honour for the poet/lover. Traditionally the poet considers himself a victim who has been denied his due portion of good luck. Thus, how can he who is not familiar with the pleasure of pain, feel the loss of good luck i.e., only if you are familiar with this pleasure will you be able to understand what bad luck is.
4
haath uThaa’e jo dua ko to tujhe hi maaNga
ye to allaah se sauda1 hua sajda2 na hua 1.trade, give and take 2.devotional prostration/obeisance
Raising hands in prayer to ask for you (O beloved) is like doing a trade transaction with god. It is not an offering of devotion. Implied is that I am not going to pray to god asking for you. Said Ghalib …
taa’at meN taa rahe na mai o aNgabiiN ki laag
dozaKh meN Daal do koii le kar behisht ko
5
kyuN na anjaam1-e tamanna2 se saNvar3 jaa’e dil
ishq ki raah4 meN kab Khoon-e tamanna na hua 1.result 2.desire, longing 3.embellished 4.path
In the path of love when did desire/longing not get bloodied/killed i.e., it is always killed, never fulfilled. Why then should the result of desire not embellish the heart i.e., it should make the heart look more beautiful. This could be an oblique reference to the convention that wounds and the redness of blood are considered to be like flowers – beautiful.
6
ek vo haiN jo teri yaad1 meN ro lete haiN
ham ko ashkoN2 ka bhi is Gham meN sahaara3 na hua 1.memory 2.tears 3.support, help, relief
The ‘vo’ here are meant to be rivals who are not considered to be true lovers. They are not stoic and cannot bear pain with fortitude. Thus, on one side are they/rivals who cry remembering you (the beloved). On the other side is me who does not even have the support/relief provided by tears. This could be a reminder to the beloved that he is the best choice from among her admirers.
7
be-ruKhi1 ka hai gila2 kyuN tujhe dilbar3 se habib4
pyaar karne ka tujhe Khud hi saliiqa5 na hua 1.indifference, neglect 2.complaint 3.beloved 4.pen-name of the poet 5.ability, skill
It is poetic tradition that the poet/lover does not complain of the indifference of the beloved but bears all pain with stoicism. Thus, O habib why do you complain of the indifference of the beloved. It seems that you don’t have the skills of fortitude in the tradition of love.
jaikrishn chaudhry habiib (1904-xxxx), born in Dera ismail KhaaN, in pakistan. Lived in jabalpur. He was a scholar of sanskrit, English, faarsi and urdu, and was an active participant in the independence struggle, most notably with Khaan abdul Ghaffaar KhaaN. MA from aligaRh and later LLB, law practice 1929. He migrated to India after partition in 1947. IAS – Collector and later Education Secretary. Early retirement in 1960, but recalled later to serve three more years in jabalpur and retired there. In 1969 he served on Ghalib shataabdhi naagarik samiti which organized four ‘tarahi’ mushaa’era over that year and published a book. He composed several Ghazal in the style of Ghalib. This Ghazal is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam – ‘maiN na achchha hua, bura na hua’.
1
kaun si jaa1 hai jahaaN2 husn3 ka shohra4 na hua
ishq bechaara kahaaN dahr5 meN rusva6 na hua
1.place 2.where 3.beauty, beloved 4.fame 5.world 6.embarrassed
Which is the place where the fame of the beloved has not spread i.e., it has spread everywhere. Where in the world has the poor lover not been embarrassed i.e., everywhere.
2
ishq dariya1 hai koi jis ka kinaara2 na hua
naaKhuda3 koi nahiN koi safiina4 na hua
1.sea 2.shoreline 3.boatman, guide 4.boat (shelter)
Love is a boundless ocean; there is no oarsman steering the boat, nor is there any shelter.
3
kaise ehsaas1 ho mahroomi2-e qismat3 ka use
lazzat4-e dard se jo dil se shanaasa5 na hua
1.feeling, understanding 2.being devoid of 3.(good) fortune 4.pleasure 5.familiar
The pain inflicted by the beloved on the lover is considered a gift. The ‘pleasure of this pain’ is a badge of honour for the poet/lover. Traditionally the poet considers himself a victim who has been denied his due portion of good luck. Thus, how can he who is not familiar with the pleasure of pain, feel the loss of good luck i.e., only if you are familiar with this pleasure will you be able to understand what bad luck is.
4
haath uThaa’e jo dua ko to tujhe hi maaNga
ye to allaah se sauda1 hua sajda2 na hua
1.trade, give and take 2.devotional prostration/obeisance
Raising hands in prayer to ask for you (O beloved) is like doing a trade transaction with god. It is not an offering of devotion. Implied is that I am not going to pray to god asking for you. Said Ghalib …
taa’at meN taa rahe na mai o aNgabiiN ki laag
dozaKh meN Daal do koii le kar behisht ko
5
kyuN na anjaam1-e tamanna2 se saNvar3 jaa’e dil
ishq ki raah4 meN kab Khoon-e tamanna na hua
1.result 2.desire, longing 3.embellished 4.path
In the path of love when did desire/longing not get bloodied/killed i.e., it is always killed, never fulfilled. Why then should the result of desire not embellish the heart i.e., it should make the heart look more beautiful. This could be an oblique reference to the convention that wounds and the redness of blood are considered to be like flowers – beautiful.
6
ek vo haiN jo teri yaad1 meN ro lete haiN
ham ko ashkoN2 ka bhi is Gham meN sahaara3 na hua
1.memory 2.tears 3.support, help, relief
The ‘vo’ here are meant to be rivals who are not considered to be true lovers. They are not stoic and cannot bear pain with fortitude. Thus, on one side are they/rivals who cry remembering you (the beloved). On the other side is me who does not even have the support/relief provided by tears. This could be a reminder to the beloved that he is the best choice from among her admirers.
7
be-ruKhi1 ka hai gila2 kyuN tujhe dilbar3 se habib4
pyaar karne ka tujhe Khud hi saliiqa5 na hua
1.indifference, neglect 2.complaint 3.beloved 4.pen-name of the poet 5.ability, skill
It is poetic tradition that the poet/lover does not complain of the indifference of the beloved but bears all pain with stoicism. Thus, O habib why do you complain of the indifference of the beloved. It seems that you don’t have the skills of fortitude in the tradition of love.
