shahanshaah-e suKhan-darshan singh duggal

For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the “Roman” or “Notes” tab.

شہنشاہِ سخن ۔ درشن سنگھ دُگّل

۱

بیاں کیا وصفِ غالبؔ ہو کہ غالبؔ

فروغِ آفتابِ فکر و فن تھا

ہجومِ رنج و غم میں تیشہ کاری

غزل تھی بے ستوں وہ کوہکن تھا

۲

اُسے حاجت نہ تھی سیرِ چمن کی

کہ اپنی ذات سے وہ خود چمن تھا

غزل دیکھو تو یہ ہوتا ہے معلوم

دھنک تھا شمع تھا گُل تھا کِرن تھا

۳

نوائے شبنم آلودہ میں اُس کی

خلوصِ جذبۂ گنگ و جمن تھا

قد و گیسو کی رکھتا تھا تمنّا

کچھ ایسا عاشقِ دار و رسن تھا

۴

بِنائے تازہ ڈالی فکر و فن کی

عجب اِک صاحبِ طرزِ سخن تھا

نہ تھا رِشتہ کوئی دیر و حرم سے

مگر ممدوحِ شیخ و برہمن تھا

۵

اُتر جاتی تھی دل میں بات اُس کی

وہ ایسا شاعرِ جادو سخن تھا

خیال اس کا نشاط انگیزِ حکمت

دماغ اس کا تفکّر پیرہن تھا

۶

خبر رکھتا تھا سِرّ رنگ و بو کی

کچھ ایسا محرمِ سَرو و سَمن تھا

نقوشِ جاوداں اُس نے تراشے

وہ کہسارِ ادب کا تیشہ زن تھا

۷

رئیسِ نغمہ سنجانِ بہاراں

امیرِ خوش نوایانِ چمن تھا

جہاں گیری تھی اُس کی گوشہ گیری

وہ تھا خلوت میں لیکن انجمن تھا

۸

غزل کے نغمۂ دلکش سے غالبؔ

دِلِ عشّاق پر ناوک فگن تھا

میسّر اب کہاں دُنیا کو درشنؔ

وہ غالبؔ جو شہنشاہِ سخن تھا

शहंशाह-ए सुख़न – दर्शन सिंघ दुग्गल

बयां क्या वस्फ़-ए ग़ालिब हो के ग़ालिब

फ़रोग़-ए अफ़्ताब-ए फ़िक्र ओ फ़न था

हुजूम-ए रंज ओ ग़म में तीशा-कारी

ग़ज़ल थी बे सुतूं वो कोहकन था

उसे हाजत न थी सैर-ए चमन की

के अपनी ज़ात से वो ख़ुद चमन था

ग़ज़ल देखो तो ये होता है मा’लूम

धनक था शम’अ था गुल था किरन था

नवा-ए शब्नम आलूदा में उस की

ख़ुलूस-ए जज़्बा-ए गंग ओ जमन था

क़द ओ गेसू की रख्ता था तमन्ना

कुछ ऐसा आ’शक़-ए दार ओ रसन था

बिना-ए ताज़ा डाली फ़िक्र ओ फ़न की

अजब एक साहब-ए तर्ज़-ए सुख़न था

न था रिश्ता कोई दैर ओ हरम से

मगर मम्दूह-ए शैख़ ओ बरहमन थी

उतर जाती थी दिल में बात उस की

वो ऐसा शा’एर-ए जादू सुख़न था

ख़याल उस का निशात-अंगेज़-ए हिक्मत

दिमाग़ उस का तफ़क्कुर पैरहन थी

ख़बर रखता था सिर्र-ए रंग ओ बू की

कुछ ऐसा महरम-ए सर्व ओ समन था

नुक़ूश-ए जावदां उस ने तराशे

वो कोहसार-ए अदब का तीशा-ज़न था

रईस-ए नग़्मा संजान-ए बहारां

अमीर-ए ख़ुश नवायान-ए चमन था

जहां-गीरी थी उस की गोशा-गीरी

वो था ख़ल्वत में लैकिन अंजुमन था

ग़ज़ल के नग़्मा-ए दिल्कश से ग़ालिब

दिल-ए उश्शाक़ पर नावक फ़िगन था

मय’अस्सर अब कहां दुनिया को दर्शन

वो ग़ालिब जो शहंशाह-ए सुख़न था

 

Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. darshan singh duggal darshan (1921-1989) orthodox and observant sikh, grew up in lahore with a promising academic record headed for the sciences or engineering. But when his father took him to the priest/sant for blessings, the priest advised him to take faarsi, and English literature. He started composing verse in urdu in 1937. In spite of (or perhaps because of) his sikh upbringing he is accepting of all faiths and has written with much feeling about diverse religious personalities. It is a recognition of the role urdu has played in the history of the sub-continent and hindus, muslims, sikhs and Christians wrote odes to their respective religious figures in that language. The family migrated to India where he retired as deputy secretary of finance for the government of India. He took over from his father as president of the World Fellowship of Religions. This is a tribute to Ghalib composed in 1969.
1
bayaaN1 kya vasf2-e Ghalib ho ke Ghalib
faroGh3-e aaftaab4-e fikr-o-fun5 tha
hujoom6-e ranj-o-Gham7 meN tiisha-kaari8
Ghazal thi be-sutooN9 vo kohkan10 tha  
1.describe 2.praise 3.brilliance 4.sun 5.thought/philosophy/imagination and skill (of writing verse) 6.onslaught 7.pain and sorrow 8.stone cutting, carving 9.name of the mountain in shiriN farhaad legend 10.stone mason, farhaad
How can I describe the qualities of Ghalib, because Ghalib was the brilliance of the sun of deep thought and poetic skill. Even in the onslaught of pain and sorrow he carved the a rough mountain of poetic tradition into a beautiful shape, the Ghazal. This carving was an act of love, just like that of farhaad.

2
usey haajit1 na thi sair-e chaman ki
ke apni zaat2 se vo Khud chaman tha
Ghazal dekho to ye hota ha ma’loom
dhanak3 tha, sham’a4 tha, gul5 tha, kiran6 tha   
1.need 2.person 3.rainbow 4.lamp 5.rose 6.ray of light
He did not need to saunter through the garden i.e. the world. He carried the garden on his person i.e. he inutitively knew all the problems and mysteries of the world. If you look at (read) his Ghazal you will know that he was a rainbow of colours, the flicker of a lamp, the fragrance of a rose and a ray of light.

3
navaa1-e shabnam-aalooda2 meN us ki
Khuloos3-e jazba4-e gaNg-o-jaman5 tha
qad6 o gesu7 ki rakhta tha tamanna8
kuchh aisa aa’shiq9-e daar-o-rasan10 tha
1.voice 2.dew blanketed 3.regard, consideration 4.sentiments 5.gaNga and jamna – the mixing of the two rivers is a metaphor for mixing of hindu and muslim cultures 6.stature, beauty 7.hair (beloved’s) 8.desire 9.lover 10.rope and hanging platform
His dew blanketed (soft, loving) voice showed a regard for the sentiment of communal harmony. He was a lover of the beloved’s beauty – a strange love of hanging (in urdu verse, it is conventional to portray the beloved as torturing the poet/lover).

4
bina1-e taaza2 Daali fikr-o-fun3 ki
ajab4 ek sahib5-e tarz6-e suKhan7 tha
na tha rishta koii dair-o-haram8 se
magar mamdooh9-e shaiKh o barhaman tha     
1.foundation 2.new 3.imagination/conceptualization and skill 4.unusual 5.lord of 6.style 7.versification 8.temple and mosque 9.praised by
He laid a new foundation of conceptualization and skill in Ghazal. He was unusually gifted with a unique style of versification. He did not have any relationship with temple or mosque, but yet he was praised by the shaiKh and brahmin.

5
utar jaati thi dil meN baat us ki
vo aisa shaa’er-e jaadu-suKhan tha
Khayaal us ka nishaat-aNgez1-e hikmat2
dimaaGh us ka tafakkur3 pairahan4 tha   
1.pleasure giving 2.wisdom 3.thought, reason 4.cloak, dress
He was a poet of such magical verse that his words descended deep into our hearts. His thought was pleasure giving wisdom, his mind cloaked in reason.

6
Khabar rakhta tha sirr1-e raNg-o-buu2 ki
kuchh aisa mahram3-e sarv-o-saman4 tha
nuqoosh5-e jaavidaaN6 us ne taraashe7
vo kohsaar9-e adab10 ka teesha-zan11 tha   
1.secret 2.colour and fragrance, senses, material world 3.intimate 4.cypress and jasmine – representing creation 5.pictures, images 6.eternal 10.carved 9.mountain 10.literature 11.pickaxe weilding, sculptor
He was so initmate with all creation that he had awareness/knowledge of the (material) world of senses. He was such a skillful sculptor of the mountain of literature that he carved/wrote eternally true pictures/words.

7
ra’ees1-e naGhma-sanjaan2-e bahaaraaN
amiir3-e Khush-navaayaan4-e chaman tha
jahaaN-giiri5 thi us ki gosha-giiri6
vo tha Khalvat7 meN laikin anjuman8 tha   
1.lord of 2.connoisseur of song/Ghazal 3.lord 4.pleasant voice 5.cultivating/explaining the world 6.withdrawing into a corner 7.seclusion 8.gathering, world
He was the lord of connoisseurs of songs of spring, the king of the best singers/poets of the garden/world. When he withdrew from daily problems it was as if his seclusion was fully connected with the world.

8
Ghazal ke naGhma-e dilkash1 se Ghalib
dil-e ushshaaq2 par naavak-figan3 tha
ma’yessar4 ab kahaaN duniya ko darshan5
vo Ghalib jo shahanshaah-e suKhan6 tha      
1.heart pleasing 2.lovers 3.throwing/shooting arrows 4.available 5.name and pen-name of the poet, sight 6.verse, poetry
With his pleasing Ghazal, Ghalib shot arrows through the hearts of lovers. The world can longer see, O, darshan, the Ghalib who was emperor of verse/Ghazal.

darshan singh duggal darshan (1921-1989) orthodox and observant sikh, grew up in lahore with a promising academic record headed for the sciences or engineering.  But when his father took him to the priest/sant for blessings, the priest advised him to take faarsi, and English literature.  He started composing verse in urdu in 1937.  In spite of (or perhaps because of) his sikh upbringing he is accepting of all faiths and has written with much feeling about diverse religious personalities.  It is a recognition of the role urdu has played in the history of the sub-continent and hindus, muslims, sikhs and Christians wrote odes to their respective religious figures in that language.  The family migrated to India where he retired as deputy secretary of finance for the government of India.  He took over from his father as president of the World Fellowship of Religions.  This is a tribute to Ghalib composed in 1969.
1
bayaaN1 kya vasf2-e Ghalib ho ke Ghalib
faroGh3-e aaftaab4-e fikr-o-fun5 tha
hujoom6-e ranj-o-Gham7 meN tiisha-kaari8
Ghazal thi be-sutooN9 vo kohkan10 tha

1.describe 2.praise 3.brilliance 4.sun 5.thought/philosophy/imagination and skill (of writing verse) 6.onslaught 7.pain and sorrow 8.stone cutting, carving 9.name of the mountain in shiriN farhaad legend 10.stone mason, farhaad

How can I describe the qualities of Ghalib, because Ghalib was the brilliance of the sun of deep thought and poetic skill.  Even in the onslaught of pain and sorrow he carved the a rough mountain of poetic tradition into a beautiful shape, the Ghazal.  This carving was an act of love, just like that of farhaad.
2
usey haajit1 na thi sair-e chaman ki
ke apni zaat2 se vo Khud chaman tha
Ghazal dekho to ye hota ha ma’loom
dhanak3 tha, sham’a4 tha, gul5 tha, kiran6 tha

1.need 2.person 3.rainbow 4.lamp 5.rose 6.ray of light

He did not need to saunter through the garden i.e. the world.  He carried the garden on his person i.e. he inutitively knew all the problems and mysteries of the world.  If you look at (read) his Ghazal you will know that he was a rainbow of colours, the flicker of a lamp, the fragrance of a rose and a ray of light.
3
navaa1-e shabnam-aalooda2 meN us ki
Khuloos3-e jazba4-e gaNg-o-jaman5 tha
qad6 o gesu7 ki rakhta tha tamanna8
kuchh aisa aa’shiq9-e daar-o-rasan10 tha

1.voice 2.dew blanketed 3.regard, consideration 4.sentiments 5.gaNga and jamna – the mixing of the two rivers is a metaphor for mixing of hindu and muslim cultures 6.stature, beauty 7.hair (beloved’s) 8.desire 9.lover 10.rope and hanging platform

His dew blanketed (soft, loving) voice showed a regard for the sentiment of communal harmony.  He was a lover of the beloved’s beauty – a strange love of hanging (in urdu verse, it is conventional to portray the beloved as torturing the poet/lover).
4
bina1-e taaza2 Daali fikr-o-fun3 ki
ajab4 ek sahib5-e tarz6-e suKhan7 tha
na tha rishta koii dair-o-haram8 se
magar mamdooh9-e shaiKh o barhaman tha

1.foundation 2.new 3.imagination/conceptualization and skill 4.unusual 5.lord of 6.style 7.versification 8.temple and mosque 9.praised by

He laid a new foundation of conceptualization and skill in Ghazal.  He was unusually gifted with a unique style of versification.  He did not have any relationship with temple or mosque, but yet he was praised by the shaiKh and brahmin.
5
utar jaati thi dil meN baat us ki
vo aisa shaa’er-e jaadu-suKhan tha
Khayaal us ka nishaat-aNgez1-e hikmat2
dimaaGh us ka tafakkur3 pairahan4 tha

1.pleasure giving 2.wisdom 3.thought, reason 4.cloak, dress

He was a poet of such magical verse that his words descended deep into our hearts.  His thought was pleasure giving wisdom, his mind cloaked in reason.
6
Khabar rakhta tha sirr1-e raNg-o-buu2 ki
kuchh aisa mahram3-e sarv-o-saman4 tha
nuqoosh5-e jaavidaaN6 us ne taraashe7
vo kohsaar9-e adab10 ka teesha-zan11 tha

1.secret 2.colour and fragrance, senses, material world 3.intimate 4.cypress and jasmine – representing creation 5.pictures, images 6.eternal 10.carved 9.mountain 10.literature 11.pickaxe weilding, sculptor

He was so initmate with all creation that he had awareness/knowledge of the (material) world of senses.  He was such a skillful sculptor of the mountain of literature that he carved/wrote eternally true pictures/words.
7
ra’ees1-e naGhma-sanjaan2-e bahaaraaN
amiir3-e Khush-navaayaan4-e chaman tha
jahaaN-giiri5 thi us ki gosha-giiri6
vo tha Khalvat7 meN laikin anjuman8 tha

1.lord of 2.connoisseur of song/Ghazal 3.lord 4.pleasant voice 5.cultivating/explaining the world 6.withdrawing into a corner 7.seclusion 8.gathering, world

He was the lord of connoisseurs of songs of spring, the king of the best singers/poets of the garden/world.  When he withdrew from daily problems it was as if his seclusion was fully connected with the world.
8
Ghazal ke naGhma-e dilkash1 se Ghalib
dil-e ushshaaq2 par naavak-figan3 tha
ma’yessar4 ab kahaaN duniya ko darshan5
vo Ghalib jo shahanshaah-e suKhan6 tha

1.heart pleasing 2.lovers 3.throwing/shooting arrows 4.available 5.name and pen-name of the poet, sight 6.verse, poetry

With his pleasing Ghazal, Ghalib shot arrows through the hearts of lovers.  The world can longer see, O, darshan, the Ghalib who was emperor of verse/Ghazal.

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One comment:

  1. ma’yessar4 ab kahaaN duniya ko darshan5
    vo Ghalib jo shahanshaah-e suKhan6 tha

    My favorite is ” Na tha kuch to khuda tha, Kuch na hota to Khuda hota,
    Duboya (I change to BANAYA), much ko how ne,
    Na hota mai to kya hota.

    thanks, The Urdu language is a learnt language, inspire, you are doing a great service to Urdu.

Comments are closed.