For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
شبِ ماہتاب میں ۔ رام اوتار گُپتا مضطرؔ
۱
دیکھا ہے جب سے مدبھری آنکھوں کو خواب میں
نرگس کے پھول تیر رہے ہیں شراب میں
۲
آباد تیرے غم سے ہیں ویرانیاں مری
جلتا ہے اِک دیا دِلِ خانہ خراب میں
۳
کِھلتا ہیں یوں نگاہ پہ وہ حُسنِ پردہ دار
گویا کتاں لباس شبِ ماہتاب میں
۴
گستاخیٔ نگاہ کو دیتا ہے حوصلہ
لب پر دبا دبا سا تبسم عتاب میں
۵
تو بھی تو میری دید کا ارمان کر کے دیکھ
اب تُو ہے بے نقاب تو میں ہوں نقاب میں
۶
اللہ رے سوال پئے آرزوئے وصل
بوسہ ہَوا میں اُس نے اُچھالا جواب میں
शब-ए माहताब में – राम अवतार गुप्ता मुज़्तर
१
देखा है जब से मद्भरी आंखौं को ख़्वाब में
नर्गिस के फूल तैर रहे हैं शराब में
२
आबाद तेरे ग़म से हैं वीरानियां मेरी
जलता है एक दिया दिल-ए ख़ाना-ख़राब में
३
खिलता है यूं निगाह पे वो हुस्न-ए पर्दा-दार
गोया कतां लिबास शब-ए माहताब में
४
गुस्ताख़ि-ए निगाह को देता है हौसला
लब पर दबा दबा सा तबस्सुम इताब में
५
तू भी तो मेरी दीद का अर्मान कर के देख
अब तू है बे-नक़ाब तो मैं हुं नक़ाब में
६
अल्लाह रे सवाल पये आर्ज़ू-ए वस्ल
बोसा हवा में उस ने उछाला जवाब में
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. raam avtaar gupta muztar sundailvi (1936-xxxx) was a well recognized poet in both urdu and hindi. He was exposed to the Progressive Writers’ Association be explicitly chose to be apolitical. His compositions are classical romantic in their themes. This Ghazal is the same radeef-qaafiya as Ghalib’s ‘saaqi ne kuchh mila na diya ho sharaab meN’.
1
dekha hai jab se mad’bhari1 aaNkhoN ko Khwaab meN
nargis2 ke phool tayr rahe haiN sharaab meN 1.intoxicating 2.narcissus flower
There are several standard metaphors used here. White peripheral petals and a dark centre make the narcissus flower a metaphor for beautiful eyes – as in nargisi aaNkh. Also traditional is to describe the beloved’s eyes as ‘intoxicating’. Thus, ever since the poet/lover has seen the intoxicating eyes of the beloved in his dream it is as if he says a vision of nargis floating in a pool of wine.
2
aabaad1 tere Gham2 se haiN viiraaniyaaN3 meri
jalta hai ek diya dil-e Khaana-Kharaab4 meN 1.preserve, safe 2.pain, love 3.desolation 4.home wrecking, life destroying
The poet/lover considers his life to be a desolate field. The only thing that keeps it preserved/safe is the pain of unfulfilled love he has for the beloved. It is like the only lamp lighting his wrecked home/life.
3
khilta1 hai yuN nigaah2 pe vo husn3-e parda-daar4
goya5 kataaN6 libaas7 shab-e-maahtaab8 meN 1.blossom, look good, enhancing 2.eyes 3.beauty 4.veiled 5.as if 6.legendary silky fabric that gets shredded when exposed to moonlight 7.dress 8.night of full moon
The beauty of the beloved filtering through her veil is such that the veil enhances her beauty like the legendary (fabled) dress that shreds in moonlight and displays all her beauty.
4
gustaaKhi1-e nigaah2 ko deta hai hausla3
lab4 par daba-daba5 sa tabassum6 itaab7 meN 1.impertinent 2.eyes, glance 3.encouragement 4.lips 5.suppressed 6.smile 7.anger
The beloved is angry/annoyed but at the same time pleased with him and is trying to suppress/hide her smile/pleasure. It is her suppressed smile that offers encouragement to the poet/lover to go ahead and be impertinent enough to look at her.
5
tu bhi to meri diid ka armaan kar ke dekh
ab tu hai be-naqaab to maiN huN hijaab meN 1.sight 2.yearning 3.unveiled 4.veiled
The poet/lover is quite familiar with the feeling of yearning to catch a glimpse of the beloved – both because he cannot get anywhere near her and because if he ever manages to, she is veiled. It appears that he is throwing this out as a challenge or as a call for empathy/pity. Let us turn the tables … you yearn for a glimpse of me and I will be unveiled. Then you will understand what I go through.
6
allaah re savaal pa’e aarzu-e vasl
bosa hava meN us ne uchhaala javaab meN 1.question, ask/request 2.for 3.longing 4.union 6.kiss 7.answer
The poet/lover has been nurturung a desire/longing for union/meeting with the beloved. By god, what can I say, in answer to my begging for union, she threw a kiss up in the air.
raam avtaar gupta muztar sundailvi (1936-xxxx) was a well recognized poet in both urdu and hindi. He was exposed to the Progressive Writers’ Association be explicitly chose to be apolitical. His compositions are classical romantic in their themes. This Ghazal is the same radeef-qaafiya as Ghalib’s ‘saaqi ne kuchh mila na diya ho sharaab meN’.
1
dekha hai jab se mad’bhari1 aaNkhoN ko Khwaab meN
nargis2 ke phool tayr rahe haiN sharaab meN
1.intoxicating 2.narcissus flower
There are several standard metaphors used here. White peripheral petals and a dark centre make the narcissus flower a metaphor for beautiful eyes – as in nargisi aaNkh. Also traditional is to describe the beloved’s eyes as ‘intoxicating’. Thus, ever since the poet/lover has seen the intoxicating eyes of the beloved in his dream it is as if he says a vision of nargis floating in a pool of wine.
2
aabaad1 tere Gham2 se haiN viiraaniyaaN3 meri
jalta hai ek diya dil-e Khaana-Kharaab4 meN
1.preserve, safe 2.pain, love 3.desolation 4.home wrecking, life destroying
The poet/lover considers his life to be a desolate field. The only thing that keeps it preserved/safe is the pain of unfulfilled love he has for the beloved. It is like the only lamp lighting his wrecked home/life.
3
khilta1 hai yuN nigaah2 pe vo husn3-e parda-daar4
goya5 kataaN6 libaas7 shab-e-maahtaab8 meN
1.blossom, look good, enhancing 2.eyes 3.beauty 4.veiled 5.as if 6.legendary silky fabric that gets shredded when exposed to moonlight 7.dress 8.night of full moon
The beauty of the beloved filtering through her veil is such that the veil enhances her beauty like the legendary (fabled) dress that shreds in moonlight and displays all her beauty.
4
gustaaKhi1-e nigaah2 ko deta hai hausla3
lab4 par daba-daba5 sa tabassum6 itaab7 meN
1.impertinent 2.eyes, glance 3.encouragement 4.lips 5.suppressed 6.smile 7.anger
The beloved is angry/annoyed but at the same time pleased with him and is trying to suppress/hide her smile/pleasure. It is her suppressed smile that offers encouragement to the poet/lover to go ahead and be impertinent enough to look at her.
5
tu bhi to meri diid ka armaan kar ke dekh
ab tu hai be-naqaab to maiN huN hijaab meN
1.sight 2.yearning 3.unveiled 4.veiled
The poet/lover is quite familiar with the feeling of yearning to catch a glimpse of the beloved – both because he cannot get anywhere near her and because if he ever manages to, she is veiled. It appears that he is throwing this out as a challenge or as a call for empathy/pity. Let us turn the tables … you yearn for a glimpse of me and I will be unveiled. Then you will understand what I go through.
6
allaah re savaal pa’e aarzu-e vasl
bosa hava meN us ne uchhaala javaab meN
1.question, ask/request 2.for 3.longing 4.union 6.kiss 7.answer
The poet/lover has been nurturung a desire/longing for union/meeting with the beloved. By god, what can I say, in answer to my begging for union, she threw a kiss up in the air.
