For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
سخنور ضرُور تھا ۔ پنڈت لبھورام جوشؔ ملسیانی
۱
نالہ دلِ حزیں کا ہم آہنگِ صور تھا
یا رب شبِ علم تھی کہ روزِ نُشُور تھا
۲
اُلفت کی خامیوں کا یہ سارا فُتُور تھا
میرا قُصُور تھا نہ تمہارا قُصُور تھا
۳
محشر میں بھی وہی تھی مری مے پرستیاں
ہاتھوں میں میرے جامِ مے یا غفور تھا
۴
کیا خاک اُس کے قُرب کی ہوتی مجھے اُمید
آنکھوں میں رہ کے بھی جو نگاہوں سے دور تھا
۵
مجھ کو بچا لیا لبِ شیریں کے فیض نے
باتوں میں تم نے زہر ملایا ضرُور تھا
۶
موسیٰ کی چشمِ شوق نہ تھی طالبِ جمال
ہر سنگ ورنہ آئینۂ برقِ طور تھا
۷
اِنکار کیجیے نہ کمالاتِ جوشؔ سے
کم گو سہی مگر وہ سخنور ضرور تھا
सुख़नवर ज़रूर था – पंडित लभुराम जोश मल्सियानी
१
नाला दिल-ए हज़ीं का हम-आहंग-ए सूर था
या रब शब-ए अलम थी के रोज़-ए नुशूर था
२
उल्फ़त की ख़ामियौं का ये सारा फ़ुतूर था
मेरा क़ुसूर था न तुम्हारा क़ुसूर था
३
महशर में भी वही थी मेरी मै-परस्तियां
हाथों में मेरे जाम-ए मय या ग़फ़ूर था
४
क्या ख़ाक उसके क़ुर्ब की होती मुझे उमीद
आँखौं में रह के भी जो निगाहौं से दूर था
५
मुझ को बचा लिया लब-ए शीरीं के फ़ैज़ ने
बातौं में तुम ने ज़हर मिलाया ज़रूर था
६
मूसा की चश्म-ए शौक़ न थी तालिब-ए जमाल
हर संग वरना आइना-ए बर्क़-ए तूर था
७
इन्कार कीजिए न कमालात-ए जोश से
कम-गो सही मगर वो सुख़नवर ज़रूर था
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. panDit labhuram josh malsiani (1884-1976) from malsian in the now pakistani side of punjab. He was orphaned at 14, without any material inheritance and grew up very poor, in an atmosphere devoid of any poetic tradition. Migrated to India a little before partition/independence. He has written with great feeling about communal harmony and about the loss of his homeland – pakistan. daaGh dehlavi was his ustaad for a brief duration (1902-1905). His son, baalmukund arsh malsiani was also a well recognized poet. Honoured with padma-shrii in 1971. This Ghazal is linked to ‘kitna Ghuruur tha’ under Ghalib naqsh-e qadam on the Theme Index.
1
naala1 dil-e haziiN2 ka hum-aahaNg3-e suur4 tha
yaa rab5 shab6-e alam7 thi keh roz8-e nushoor9 tha 1.wail 2.sorrowful 3.in harmony with 4.trumpet of the angel of death 5.lord 6.night 7.sorrow 8.day 9.judgement
It is believed that on the day of judgement, israfiil, the angel of death, will sound his trumpet, causing all the dead to rise and come to judgement. This will be on doomsday- the end of the world. The sound of this trumpet is used as a symbolism of doomsday. Thus, the wail of the sorrowful heart of the lover was in harmony with the doomsday trumpet. The lover was wailing on his night of separation- the night of sorrow. Thus, was this the night of sorrow or was it the day of judgement! The wailing sounded so much like the end of the world.
2
ulfat1 ki KhaamiyoN2 ka ye saara futoor3 tha
mera qusoor4 tha na tumhaara qusoor tha 1.love 2.shortcomings 3.weakness 4.fault
The unstated background is that the lover and beloved have been unable to consummate their love. They have been forced apart, perhaps by fate, or by societal forces. The poet/lover is consoling himself and the beloved. It is neither your fault nor mine … it is all due to the weakness and shortcomings of love. By ‘shortcomings’ of love is not meant the lack of sincerity of the lover and beloved, but the faults of the societal traditions of love.
3
mahshar1 meN bhi vahi thi meri mai-parastiyaaN2
haathoN meN mere jaam3-e mai4 yaa Ghafoor5 tha 1.day of judgement 2.wine worshipping/drinking 3.cup, goblet 4.wine 5.all forgiving
The day of judgement is normally thought of as the day of repentence … everyone repents their sins and may be forgiven. But the poet’s indulgence in wine has been such that even on the day of judgement he is holding a goblet of wine in his hand and calling out ‘yaa Ghafoor’ – O all forgiving lord. Said amiir minaaii …
mauqoof jurm hi pe karam ka zahoor tha
band’e agar qusuur na kart’e qusuur tha
4
kya Khaak1 uss ke qurb2 ki hoti mujhe umiid3
aaNkhoN meN rah ke bhi jo nigaahoN4 se duur tha 1.an expression meaning impossibility, futility 2.nearness 3.hope 4.perception
The beloved is within sight of the poet/lover but all hope of gaining nearness to the beloved is futile because even though within physical sight she is far away from his perceptive sight i.e., they are not connected in the deeper relationship which may be called love.
5
mujh ko bachaa1 liya lab2-e shiiriiN3 ke faiz4 ne
baatoN meN tum ne zah’r5 milaaya zaruur6 tha 1.saved 2.lips 3.sweet 4.benevolence, kindness 5.poison 6.surely
The poet/lover may have done something that offended the beloved and she has spoken harsh (poisonous) words to him. But her sweet lips saved him i.e., he did not get poisoned by her words because they were delivered with sweet lips. Said Ghalib …
kitne shiiriiN haiN tere lab ke raqeeb
gaaliyaaN kha ke be-maza na hua
6
muusa1 ki chashm2-e shauq3 na thi taalib4-e jamaal5
har saNg6 varna7 aaina8-e barq-e-tuur9 tha 1.Moses 2.eye, gaze 3.desire 4.seeker 5.(divine) glory 6.rock 7.otherwise 8.mirror, reflection 9.lightning flash of mount tuur, divine light
It is said that muusa/Moses went up mount tuur asking to see god. He was told that he would be be able to bear the sight, but he insisted. There was a flash of lightning and he fainted. The poet offers yet another reflection of the inadequacy of muusa’s perception (there are many other ash’aar offering similar thought). Thus, muusa’s gaze of desire did not have enough sincererity to seek to see/perceive divine glory, otherwise every rock on mount tuur offered a reflection of divine light i.e., we see god everywhere, we don’t have to go to the top of a mountain to perceive him/her. aye vaa’e Ghaflat-e nig’h-e shauq varna yaaN
har paarah saNg laKht-e dil-e koh-e tuur thaa
7
inkaar1 kiijiye na kamaalaat2-e josh3 se
kam-go4 sahi5 magar voh suKhanvar6 zaruur7 tha 1.deny 2.skills, abilities 3.pen-name 4.of few words 5.maybe so 6.poet, versifier 7.certainly
Do not deny the skills of josh, the poet. He may be a person of few words, but he certainly weaves them into beautiful verse.
panDit labhuram josh malsiani (1884-1976) from malsian in the now pakistani side of punjab. He was orphaned at 14, without any material inheritance and grew up very poor, in an atmosphere devoid of any poetic tradition. Migrated to India a little before partition/independence. He has written with great feeling about communal harmony and about the loss of his homeland – pakistan. daaGh dehlavi was his ustaad for a brief duration (1902-1905). His son, baalmukund arsh malsiani was also a well recognized poet. Honoured with padma-shrii in 1971. This Ghazal is linked to ‘kitna Ghuruur tha’ under Ghalib naqsh-e qadam on the Theme Index.
1
naala1 dil-e haziiN2 ka hum-aahaNg3-e suur4 tha
yaa rab5 shab6-e alam7 thi keh roz8-e nushoor9 tha
1.wail 2.sorrowful 3.in harmony with 4.trumpet of the angel of death 5.lord 6.night 7.sorrow 8.day 9.judgement
It is believed that on the day of judgement, israfiil, the angel of death, will sound his trumpet, causing all the dead to rise and come to judgement. This will be on doomsday- the end of the world. The sound of this trumpet is used as a symbolism of doomsday. Thus, the wail of the sorrowful heart of the lover was in harmony with the doomsday trumpet. The lover was wailing on his night of separation- the night of sorrow. Thus, was this the night of sorrow or was it the day of judgement! The wailing sounded so much like the end of the world.
2
ulfat1 ki KhaamiyoN2 ka ye saara futoor3 tha
mera qusoor4 tha na tumhaara qusoor tha
1.love 2.shortcomings 3.weakness 4.fault
The unstated background is that the lover and beloved have been unable to consummate their love. They have been forced apart, perhaps by fate, or by societal forces. The poet/lover is consoling himself and the beloved. It is neither your fault nor mine … it is all due to the weakness and shortcomings of love. By ‘shortcomings’ of love is not meant the lack of sincerity of the lover and beloved, but the faults of the societal traditions of love.
3
mahshar1 meN bhi vahi thi meri mai-parastiyaaN2
haathoN meN mere jaam3-e mai4 yaa Ghafoor5 tha
1.day of judgement 2.wine worshipping/drinking 3.cup, goblet 4.wine 5.all forgiving
The day of judgement is normally thought of as the day of repentence … everyone repents their sins and may be forgiven. But the poet’s indulgence in wine has been such that even on the day of judgement he is holding a goblet of wine in his hand and calling out ‘yaa Ghafoor’ – O all forgiving lord. Said amiir minaaii …
mauqoof jurm hi pe karam ka zahoor tha
band’e agar qusuur na kart’e qusuur tha
4
kya Khaak1 uss ke qurb2 ki hoti mujhe umiid3
aaNkhoN meN rah ke bhi jo nigaahoN4 se duur tha
1.an expression meaning impossibility, futility 2.nearness 3.hope 4.perception
The beloved is within sight of the poet/lover but all hope of gaining nearness to the beloved is futile because even though within physical sight she is far away from his perceptive sight i.e., they are not connected in the deeper relationship which may be called love.
5
mujh ko bachaa1 liya lab2-e shiiriiN3 ke faiz4 ne
baatoN meN tum ne zah’r5 milaaya zaruur6 tha
1.saved 2.lips 3.sweet 4.benevolence, kindness 5.poison 6.surely
The poet/lover may have done something that offended the beloved and she has spoken harsh (poisonous) words to him. But her sweet lips saved him i.e., he did not get poisoned by her words because they were delivered with sweet lips. Said Ghalib …
kitne shiiriiN haiN tere lab ke raqeeb
gaaliyaaN kha ke be-maza na hua
6
muusa1 ki chashm2-e shauq3 na thi taalib4-e jamaal5
har saNg6 varna7 aaina8-e barq-e-tuur9 tha
1.Moses 2.eye, gaze 3.desire 4.seeker 5.(divine) glory 6.rock 7.otherwise 8.mirror, reflection 9.lightning flash of mount tuur, divine light
It is said that muusa/Moses went up mount tuur asking to see god. He was told that he would be be able to bear the sight, but he insisted. There was a flash of lightning and he fainted. The poet offers yet another reflection of the inadequacy of muusa’s perception (there are many other ash’aar offering similar thought). Thus, muusa’s gaze of desire did not have enough sincererity to seek to see/perceive divine glory, otherwise every rock on mount tuur offered a reflection of divine light i.e., we see god everywhere, we don’t have to go to the top of a mountain to perceive him/her. This seems to have been inspired by Ghalib’s …
aye vaa’e Ghaflat-e nig’h-e shauq varna yaaN
har paarah saNg laKht-e dil-e koh-e tuur thaa
7
inkaar1 kiijiye na kamaalaat2-e josh3 se
kam-go4 sahi5 magar voh suKhanvar6 zaruur7 tha
1.deny 2.skills, abilities 3.pen-name 4.of few words 5.maybe so 6.poet, versifier 7.certainly
Do not deny the skills of josh, the poet. He may be a person of few words, but he certainly weaves them into beautiful verse.
