For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
تا سحر نہیں آتی ۔ ضمیر حسن دلؔ شاہجہاں پوری
۱
دل کی امید بر نہیں آتی
ہم کو آتی نظر نہیں آتی
۲
نَحنُ اقرب کے ہیں یہی معنی
کبھی صورت نظر نہیں آتی
۳
نہیں آتا جو کوئی وعدہ خلاف
نیند بھی تا سحر نہیں آتی
۴
عالمِ خواب میں بھی وہ صورت
نظر آتی نظر نہیں آتی
۵
دیر کو دور ہی سے اپنا سلام
جب وہ صورت نظر نہیں آتی
۶
کیا موذن کو آگئی شبِ غم
کہ اذانِ سحر نہیں آتی
۷
قیس کیا دیکھتا ہے ناقے کو
گرد بھی اب نظر نہیں آتی
۸
مجھ سے بیمار پر یہ جور! افسوس
تجھ کو اے چارہ گر نہیں آتی
۹
یہی اندھیر ہے جو اے شبِ غم
صبح ہوتی نظر نہیں آتی
۱۰
ہیں تغافل شعار اہل عدم
کچھ کسی کی خبر نہیں آتی
۱۱
تھی اجل کی امید حضرتِ دلؔ
وہ بھی آتی نظر نہیں آتی
ता सहर नहीं आती – ज़मीर हसन दिल शाहजहाँपुरी
१
दिल की उम्मीद बर नहीं आती
हम को आती नज़र नहीं आती
२
नहनु अक़्रब के हैं यही म’आनी
कभी सूरत नज़र नहीं आती
३
नहीं आता जो कोई वादा-ख़िलाफ़
नींद भी ता सहर नहीं आती
४
आलम-ए ख़्वाब में भी वो सूरत
नज़र आती नज़र नहीं आती
५
दैर को दूर ही से अपना सलाम
जब वो सूरत नज़र नहीं आती
६
क्या मो’अज़्ज़िन को आ गई शब-ए ग़म
के अज़ान-ए सहर नहीं आती
७
क़ैस क्या देखता है नाक़े को
गर्द भी अब नज़र नहीं आती
८
मुझ से बीमार पर ये जौर! अफ़्सोस
तुझ को अए चारागर नहीं आती
९
यही अंधेर है जो अए शब-ए ग़म
सुब्ह होती नज़र नहीं आती
१०
हैं तग़ाफ़ुल शे’आर अहल-ए अदम
कुछ किसी की ख़बर नहीं आती
११
थी अजल की उम्मीद हज़रत-ए दिल
वो भी आती नज़र नहीं आती
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. zamiir hasan dil shahjahaaNpuri (1875-1959), was taught faarsi and arabi at home by a private tutor and he also learnt the family profession of ‘hakiim’ – traditional medicine. He set up a practice and also did other business (landowner and contractor) as a source of income. He started composing at the age of 15 and later became a disciple of amiir miinaaii. In addition to his collections of poetry he authored a novel and a translation of an English novel. This Ghazal, in the style of Ghalib’s ‘koi ummeed bar nahiN aati’ is linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’.
1
dil ki ummiid1 bar2 nahiN aati
hum ko aati nazar3 nahiN aati 1.hope 2.bear fruit, fulfilled 3.visible, seen
The hopes of the poet/lover’s heart do not bear fruit. I do not see it (hope) being fulfilled.
2
nahnu-aqrab1 ke haiN yahi mu’aani2
kabhi suurat3 nazar nahiN aati 1.fragment of a verse of the qur’aan 2.meaning, significance 3.face
‘nahnu-aqrab’ signifies divine presence nearer than the jugular vein. Even the divine is thought to be nearer than the jugular vein it cannot be seen. Thus, the meaning/significance of ‘nahnu-aqrab’ is that it cannot be seen. This thought can be applied both to the divine and the flesh and blood beloved. She is always veiled or beyond reach.
3
nahiN aata jo koi vaada-Khilaaf1
niind bhi taa2 sahar3 nahiN aati 1.promise breaker 2.until 3.dawn
The beloved promises to come but never keeps her promise. Thus she is a promise breaker … vaada Khilaaf. When she does not come, the lover does not get to sleep until dawn – but the implication is that he has go about doing things during the day, so he does not get to sleep at all.
4
aalam1-e Khwaab2 meN bhi voh suurat3
nazar4 aati nazar nahiN aati 1.condition, state 2.sleep, dream 3.face, image 4.be seen, become visible
It doesn’t look like that face (the face of the beloved) can be seen even in the state of sleep/dream.
5
da’er1 ko duur2 hi se apna salaam3
jab voh suurat nazar nahiN aati 1.temple 2.far, distance 3.goodbye, farewell
Normally you expect to see a ‘but-idol’ in the temple. There is a nice juxtaposition and implied double use of ‘but-beloved’. Thus, if I cannot see the beloved in it, then I bid farewell to the temple from afar.
6
kya mu’azzin1 ko aa ga’ii shab2-e Gham3
keh azaan4-e sahar5 nahiN aati 1.the person who does azaan-call to prayer 2.night of 3.sorrow 4.call to prayer 5.dawn
The poet has not heard the morning call to prayer and wonders … is the mu’azzin also afflicted with the ‘night of sorrow’ i.e., he suffers because of unrequited love and stays awake all night long, falling asleep at dawn.
7
qais1 kya dekhta hai naaqe2 ko
gard3 bhi ab nazar nahiN aati 1.the name of majnuN of laila-majnuN legend 2.camel 3.dust
laila has mounted her camel and gone away. qais/majnuN is staring the distance looking for her. The poet/interlocuter asks – O qais, why are you searching/gazing at the hornizon for laila’s camel. You can’t even see the dust anymore.
8
mujh se biimaar1 par ye jaur2! afsos3
tujh ko aye chaaragar4 nahiN aati 1.sick, love-sick 2.cruelty, torture 3.regret, sorrow, pity 4.healer, beloved
The poet/lover is sick with unrequited love. The only one that can heal him is the beloved through her attentions. But alas, she continues to torture him (perhaps with her indifference). But even the healer/beloved does not know how … I have a problem with the second misra. If I read it as ‘tujh ko aye chaaragar afsos nahiN aati’, then there is a gender problem. I would appreciate any help.
9
yahi andher1 hai jo aye shab2-e Gham
sub’h hoti nazar nahiN aati 1.injustice, oppression 2.night of
If this injustice/oppression continues through the night of sorrow, then I don’t see any way that dawn can emerge.
10
haiN taGhaaful1 she’aar2 ahl-e-adam3
kuch kisi ki Khabar4 nahiN aati 1.forgetful, indifferent 2.nature, character 3.people of the world of non-existence 4.news
The dearly departed people of the other world are forgetful. They don’t write back nor do they send back any news of their life.
11
thi ajal1 ki umiid2 hazrat3-e dil4
voh bhi aati nazar nahiN aati 1.death 2.hope 3.honourable 4.pen-name of the poet
The honourable poet/lover had been hoping to end his misery by death. But he does not see any way even death arriving to relieve him of his misery.
zamiir hasan dil shahjahaaNpuri (1875-1959), was taught faarsi and arabi at home by a private tutor and he also learnt the family profession of ‘hakiim’ – traditional medicine. He set up a practice and also did other business (landowner and contractor) as a source of income. He started composing at the age of 15 and later became a disciple of amiir miinaaii. In addition to his collections of poetry he authored a novel and a translation of an English novel. This Ghazal, in the style of Ghalib’s ‘koi ummeed bar nahiN aati’ is linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’.
1
dil ki ummiid1 bar2 nahiN aati
hum ko aati nazar3 nahiN aati
1.hope 2.bear fruit, fulfilled 3.visible, seen
The hopes of the poet/lover’s heart do not bear fruit. I do not see it (hope) being fulfilled.
2
nahnu-aqrab1 ke haiN yahi mu’aani2
kabhi suurat3 nazar nahiN aati
1.fragment of a verse of the qur’aan 2.meaning, significance 3.face
‘nahnu-aqrab’ signifies divine presence nearer than the jugular vein. Even the divine is thought to be nearer than the jugular vein it cannot be seen. Thus, the meaning/significance of ‘nahnu-aqrab’ is that it cannot be seen. This thought can be applied both to the divine and the flesh and blood beloved. She is always veiled or beyond reach.
3
nahiN aata jo koi vaada-Khilaaf1
niind bhi taa2 sahar3 nahiN aati
1.promise breaker 2.until 3.dawn
The beloved promises to come but never keeps her promise. Thus she is a promise breaker … vaada Khilaaf. When she does not come, the lover does not get to sleep until dawn – but the implication is that he has go about doing things during the day, so he does not get to sleep at all.
4
aalam1-e Khwaab2 meN bhi voh suurat3
nazar4 aati nazar nahiN aati
1.condition, state 2.sleep, dream 3.face, image 4.be seen, become visible
It doesn’t look like that face (the face of the beloved) can be seen even in the state of sleep/dream.
5
da’er1 ko duur2 hi se apna salaam3
jab voh suurat nazar nahiN aati
1.temple 2.far, distance 3.goodbye, farewell
Normally you expect to see a ‘but-idol’ in the temple. There is a nice juxtaposition and implied double use of ‘but-beloved’. Thus, if I cannot see the beloved in it, then I bid farewell to the temple from afar.
6
kya mu’azzin1 ko aa ga’ii shab2-e Gham3
keh azaan4-e sahar5 nahiN aati
1.the person who does azaan-call to prayer 2.night of 3.sorrow 4.call to prayer 5.dawn
The poet has not heard the morning call to prayer and wonders … is the mu’azzin also afflicted with the ‘night of sorrow’ i.e., he suffers because of unrequited love and stays awake all night long, falling asleep at dawn.
7
qais1 kya dekhta hai naaqe2 ko
gard3 bhi ab nazar nahiN aati
1.the name of majnuN of laila-majnuN legend 2.camel 3.dust
laila has mounted her camel and gone away. qais/majnuN is staring the distance looking for her. The poet/interlocuter asks – O qais, why are you searching/gazing at the hornizon for laila’s camel. You can’t even see the dust anymore.
8
mujh se biimaar1 par ye jaur2! afsos3
tujh ko aye chaaragar4 nahiN aati
1.sick, love-sick 2.cruelty, torture 3.regret, sorrow, pity 4.healer, beloved
The poet/lover is sick with unrequited love. The only one that can heal him is the beloved through her attentions. But alas, she continues to torture him (perhaps with her indifference). But even the healer/beloved does not know how … I have a problem with the second misra. If I read it as ‘tujh ko aye chaaragar afsos nahiN aati’, then there is a gender problem. I would appreciate any help.
9
yahi andher1 hai jo aye shab2-e Gham
sub’h hoti nazar nahiN aati
1.injustice, oppression 2.night of
If this injustice/oppression continues through the night of sorrow, then I don’t see any way that dawn can emerge.
10
haiN taGhaaful1 she’aar2 ahl-e-adam3
kuch kisi ki Khabar4 nahiN aati
1.forgetful, indifferent 2.nature, character 3.people of the world of non-existence 4.news
The dearly departed people of the other world are forgetful. They don’t write back nor do they send back any news of their life.
11
thi ajal1 ki umiid2 hazrat3-e dil4
voh bhi aati nazar nahiN aati
1.death 2.hope 3.honourable 4.pen-name of the poet
The honourable poet/lover had been hoping to end his misery by death. But he does not see any way even death arriving to relieve him of his misery.
