For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
شِکست کی آواز ۔ مرزا غالبؔ
۱
نہ گُلِ نغمہ ہوں نہ پردۂ ساز
میں ہوں اپنی شِکست کی آواز
۲
تُو اور آرائشِ خمِ کاکُل
میں اور اندیشہ ہائے دور دراز
۳
لافِ تمکیں فریبِ سادہ دلی
ہم ہیں اور راز ہائے سینہ گُداز
۴
ہوں گرفتارِ الفتِ صیّاد
ورنہ باقی ہے طاقتِ پرواز
۵
وہ بھی دن ہو کہ اُس ستمگر سے
ناز کھینچوں بجائے حسرتِ ناز
۶
نہیں دل میں مرے وہ قطرۂ خوں
جس سے مژگاں ہوئی نہ ہو گُلباز
۷
اے ترا غمزہ یک قلم انگیز
اے ترا ظلم سر بہ سر انداز
۸
تو ہوا جلوہ گر مبارک ہو
ریزشِ سجدۂ جبینِ نیاز
۹
مجھ کو پوچھا تو کچھ غضب نہ ہوا
میں غریب اور تو غریب نواز
۱۰
اسدؔ اللہ خاں تمام ہوا
اے دریغا وہ رندِ شاہد باز
शिकस्त की आवाज़ – मिर्ज़ा ग़ालिब
१
न गुल-ए नग़्मा हूँ न पर्दा-ए साज़
मैं हूँ अपनी शिकस्त की आवाज़
२
तू और आरा’एश-ए ख़म-ए काकुल
मैं और अंदेशा-हा-ए दूर-दराज़
३
लाफ़-ए तम्कीं फ़रेब-ए सादा-दिली
हम हैं और राज़-हा-ए सीना-गुदाज़
४
हूँ गिरफ़्तार-ए उल्फ़त-ए सय्याद
वर्ना बाक़ी है ताक़त-ए परवाज़
५
वो भी दिन हो के उस सितमगर से
नाज़ खींचूँ बजाए हसरत-ए नाज़
६
नहीं दिल में मेरे वो क़त्रा-ए ख़ूँ
जिस से मिज़्गाँ हुई न हो गुल-बाज़
७
अए तेरा ग़म्ज़ा यक-क़लम-अंगेज़
अए तेरा ज़ुल्म सर-ब-सर अंदाज़
८
तू हुआ जल्वा-गर मुबारक हो
रेज़िश-ए सज्दा-ए जबीन-ए नियाज़
९
मुझ को पूछा तो कुछ ग़ज़ब न हुआ
मैं ग़रीब और तू ग़रीब-नवाज़
१०
असद-उल्लाह ख़ाँ तमाम हुआ
अए दरेग़ा वो रिंद-ए शाहेद-बाज़
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mirza asadullah KhaaN Ghalib (1797-1869). I dare not write any introduction. On more than one occasion Ghalib has warned his readers that he needs no introduction or even address. I humbly comply. badri raina, retired professor of English, dehli University, poet, writer, columnist and a dear friend has translated several Ghalib Ghazal and published them as a book. This Ghazal was composed in 1861, towards the end of his life. Ghalib views himself as a broken man.
1
na gul-e-naGhma1 huN na parda-e-saaz2
maiN huN apni shikast3 ki aavaaz 1.fragrance/beauty/blossoming of song 2.source/tone/harmony of music 3.breaking
I am neither the beauty of song nor the harmony of music but the grating sound of my own breaking.
2
tu aur aaraa’esh1-e Kham2-e kaakul3
maiN aur andesha-haa4-e dur-daraaz5 1.adornment 2.curls 3.ringlets, forelocks 4.aprehensions, fears 5.far fetched
The first misra could be an expression of surprise. You, and adorning your curly forelocks! It is a surprise because normally the beloved would not care to adorn herself. Her raw beauty is more than enough. But now that the poet/lover sees her do this, it raises in his mind far-fetched fears of her impending aging and loss of beauty.
3
laaf1-e tamkiN2 fareb3-e saada-dili4
ham haiN aur raaz-haa5-e sina-gudaaz6 1.boasting, bragging 2.dignity 3.deception, delusion 4.simple hearted/minded 5.secrets 6.bosom melting/burning
It is our simple mindedness that we boast of dignified self-control when in reality there are many secrets burning our bosom/heart. Those flames can burst forth any moment and we lose self-control.
4
huN giraftaar1-e ulfat2-e sayyaad3
varna4 baaqi5 hai taaqat-e-parvaaz6 1.prisoner 2.love 3.hunter, birdcatcher 4.otherwise 5.remaining 6.strength of flight
The poet is like a bird and the beloved is the hunter/birdcatcher, who has captured the poet/bird, but for some reason he has the ability/strength to escape and fly away, but it does not, because it is really a captive of love of the beloved. Some have interpreted this to mean that the poet is caught up in love of the material world which prevents him from escaping to the spiritual world.
5
vo bhi din ho ke us sitamgar1 se
naaz2 khiNchuN3 bajaaye4 hasrat5-e naaz2 1.tormentor, beloved 2.coquettish playfulness 3.draw, pull 4.instead of 5.longing
May such a day be/come when from that tormentor, I be able to actually draw playful coquetry instead of simply longing for it.
6
nahiN dil meN mere vo qatra1-e KhuN
jis se mizshgaaN2 hui na ho gul-baaz3 1.drop 2.eyelashes 3.playing with rose
This reminds me of another she’r where Ghalib claims, ‘jab aaNkh his na Tapka to phir lahu kya hai’. If we take drops of blood as red roses, gul-baazi, playing with rose is like playing with drops of blood. Thus, there is no drop of blood that I have i.e. every drop of blood that I have, is a drop with which eyelashes have played i.e. I drip blood from the eyelashes, not tears, like ordinary people.
7
aye tera Ghamza1 yak-qalam2 aNgez3
aye tera zulm4 sar-ba-sar5 andaaz6 1.wink, side-long glance 2.entirely 3.raising, increasing, arousing 4.torture, cruelty 5.head to head, end to end 6.manner, style
Your side-long, coquettish glances immediately/entirely arouse passion. Your cruelty is (end to end) the very embodiment of style.
8
tu hua jalva-gar1 mubaarak2 ho
rezish3-e sajda4-e jabin5-e niyaaz6 1.displaying beauty/glory 2.felicitations 3.pouring out, scattering, spreading 4.prostrations 5.forehead 6.prayer, supplication, appeal
Finally, the beloved has appeared before the poet/lover. The word “mubarak” can be interpreted as offering felicitations to the beloved or recognizing the good fortune of the poet/lover. In the former case – with your glorious appearance, accept the felicitations of prayerful prostration flowing out of my forehead. In the latter case, the good fortune of my prayerful prostrations has finally come about, the beloved has appeared in all her glory. In both cases, there is a tinge of complaint/sarcasm.
9
mujh ko puchhaa to kuchh Ghazab1 na hua
maiN Gharib2 aur tu Gharib-navaaz3 1.anger, injustice, calamity 2.poor 3.protector of the poor
The she’r drips with sarcasm. You inquired after me, that was not a great tragedy, after all, I am poor and you are the protector of the poor. Is this directed at the beloved, a patron or god!
10
asad-ullaah KhaaN tamaam1 hua
aye dareGha2 vo rind3-e shaahid-baaz4 1.finished, died 2.alas 3.wine-lover 4.beauty appreciator/connaisuer
Alas, asad-ullah KhaaN (the poet) is dead, that wine lover and beauty appreciator/connaisuer.
mirza asadullah KhaaN Ghalib (1797-1869). I dare not write any introduction. On more than one occasion Ghalib has warned his readers that he needs no introduction or even address. I humbly comply. badri raina, retired professor of English, dehli University, poet, writer, columnist and a dear friend has translated several Ghalib Ghazal and published them as a book. This Ghazal was composed in 1861, towards the end of his life. Ghalib views himself as a broken man.
1
na gul-e-naGhma1 huN na parda-e-saaz2
maiN huN apni shikast3 ki aavaaz
1.fragrance/beauty/blossoming of song 2.source/tone/harmony of music 3.breaking
I am neither the beauty of song nor the harmony of music but the grating sound of my own breaking.
2
tu aur aaraa’esh1-e Kham2-e kaakul3
maiN aur andesha-haa4-e dur-daraaz5
1.adornment 2.curls 3.ringlets, forelocks 4.aprehensions, fears 5.far fetched
The first misra could be an expression of surprise. You, and adorning your curly forelocks! It is a surprise because normally the beloved would not care to adorn herself. Her raw beauty is more than enough. But now that the poet/lover sees her do this, it raises in his mind far-fetched fears of her impending aging and loss of beauty.
3
laaf1-e tamkiN2 fareb3-e saada-dili4
ham haiN aur raaz-haa5-e sina-gudaaz6
1.boasting, bragging 2.dignity 3.deception, delusion 4.simple hearted/minded 5.secrets 6.bosom melting/burning
It is our simple mindedness that we boast of dignified self-control when in reality there are many secrets burning our bosom/heart. Those flames can burst forth any moment and we lose self-control.
4
huN giraftaar1-e ulfat2-e sayyaad3
varna4 baaqi5 hai taaqat-e-parvaaz6
1.prisoner 2.love 3.hunter, birdcatcher 4.otherwise 5.remaining 6.strength of flight
The poet is like a bird and the beloved is the hunter/birdcatcher, who has captured the poet/bird, but for some reason he has the ability/strength to escape and fly away, but it does not, because it is really a captive of love of the beloved. Some have interpreted this to mean that the poet is caught up in love of the material world which prevents him from escaping to the spiritual world.
5
vo bhi din ho ke us sitamgar1 se
naaz2 khiNchuN3 bajaaye4 hasrat5-e naaz2
1.tormentor, beloved 2.coquettish playfulness 3.draw, pull 4.instead of 5.longing
May such a day be/come when from that tormentor, I be able to actually draw playful coquetry instead of simply longing for it.
6
nahiN dil meN mere vo qatra1-e KhuN
jis se mizshgaaN2 hui na ho gul-baaz3
1.drop 2.eyelashes 3.playing with rose
This reminds me of another she’r where Ghalib claims, ‘jab aaNkh his na Tapka to phir lahu kya hai’. If we take drops of blood as red roses, gul-baazi, playing with rose is like playing with drops of blood. Thus, there is no drop of blood that I have i.e. every drop of blood that I have, is a drop with which eyelashes have played i.e. I drip blood from the eyelashes, not tears, like ordinary people.
7
aye tera Ghamza1 yak-qalam2 aNgez3
aye tera zulm4 sar-ba-sar5 andaaz6
1.wink, side-long glance 2.entirely 3.raising, increasing, arousing 4.torture, cruelty 5.head to head, end to end 6.manner, style
Your side-long, coquettish glances immediately/entirely arouse passion. Your cruelty is (end to end) the very embodiment of style.
8
tu hua jalva-gar1 mubaarak2 ho
rezish3-e sajda4-e jabin5-e niyaaz6
1.displaying beauty/glory 2.felicitations 3.pouring out, scattering, spreading 4.prostrations 5.forehead 6.prayer, supplication, appeal
Finally, the beloved has appeared before the poet/lover. The word “mubarak” can be interpreted as offering felicitations to the beloved or recognizing the good fortune of the poet/lover. In the former case – with your glorious appearance, accept the felicitations of prayerful prostration flowing out of my forehead. In the latter case, the good fortune of my prayerful prostrations has finally come about, the beloved has appeared in all her glory. In both cases, there is a tinge of complaint/sarcasm.
9
mujh ko puchhaa to kuchh Ghazab1 na hua
maiN Gharib2 aur tu Gharib-navaaz3
1.anger, injustice, calamity 2.poor 3.protector of the poor
The she’r drips with sarcasm. You inquired after me, that was not a great tragedy, after all, I am poor and you are the protector of the poor. Is this directed at the beloved, a patron or god!
10
asad-ullaah KhaaN tamaam1 hua
aye dareGha2 vo rind3-e shaahid-baaz4
1.finished, died 2.alas 3.wine-lover 4.beauty appreciator/connaisuer
Alas, asad-ullah KhaaN (the poet) is dead, that wine lover and beauty appreciator/connaisuer.
Badri Raina
1
The gleeful song of flowers, nor the timbrel beat,
I am the voice of my despearate defeat.
2
O, but for this intense relationship,
I could this siful world outstrip.
5
God grant me such a miracle to descry,
When, instead of dreams, I have her by!
6
Not a drop of blood do I now bear
As hasn’t been used up in tearful despair.
