For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
تو یہ رات کٹے ۔ اوم پرکاش بھنڈاری قمرؔ جلالآبادی
۱
حسن کو عشق سے ٹکراؤ تو یہ رات کٹے
جام کے ساتھ چلی آؤ تو یہ رات کٹے
۲
ہم نے آغازِ جوانی میں گزاری تھی جو رات
پھر اُسی رات کو بلواؤ تو یہ رات کٹے
۳
کیا تمہیں یاد ہے وہ پہلی ملاقات کی شب
اُسی افسانے کو دہراؤ تو یہ رات کٹے
۴
آگ سے ناگ کے ملنے کا ہو منظر دمِ شب
زلف کو جام پہ لہراؤ تو یہ رات کٹے
۵
کوئی ہنگامہ کہ تاریک ہے دل کی محفل
کسی شب خیز کو بلواؤ تو یہ رات کٹے
۶
اُس کی تم جان ہو، کیوں اپنے قمرؔ سے ہو جدا
آؤ سینے میں سما جاؤ تو یہ رات کٹے
तो ये रात कटे – ओम प्रकाश भंडारी क़मर जलालाबादी
१
हुस्न को इश्क़ से टक्राओ तो ये रात कटे
जाम के साथ चली आओ तो ये रात कटे
२
हम ने आग़ाज़-ए जवानी में गुज़ारी थी जो रात
फिर उसी रात को बुलवाओ तो ये रात कटे
३
क्या तुम्हें याद है वो पहली मुलाक़ात कि शब
उसी अफ़्साने को दोहराओ तो ये रात कटे
४
आग से नाग के मिलने का मंज़र दम-ए शब
ज़ुल्फ़ को जाम पे लहराओ तो ये रात कटे
५
कोई हंगामा के तारीक है दिल की महफ़िल
किसी शब-ख़ेज़ को बुलवाओ तो ये रात कटे
६
उस कि तुम जान हो, क्यूं अपने क़मर से हो जुदा
आओ सीने में समा जाओ तो ये रात कटे
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. om prakash bhanDaari qamar jalalabadi (1916-2003) with a family background of retail grain trade and farming and no tradition in music or poetry, he acquired a taste for urdu shaa’eri and started working for magazines after completing high school. sahir ludhianavi invited him to a mushaa’era in lahore where he was hired by a film company. Worked for the lahore film industry before moving to pune and later mumbaii with much success as script, dialogue and songwriter. This Ghazal is linked to ‘keh kuchh raat kaTe’ on the Refrain page.
1
husn1 ko ishq se Takraao to ye raat kaTay
jaam2 ke saath chali aao to ye raat kaTay 1.beauty, beloved 2.cup (of wine)
This is addressed to the beloved/saaqi. Come along with the cup of wine so that this night might pass. Let love meet beauty so that this night might pass. The imagery is of tinkling wine cups.
2
ham ne aaGhaaz1-e javaani meN guzaari2 thi jo raat
phir usi raat ko bulvaao to ye raat kaTay 1.beginning 2.gone through, spent
The night that we started the journey of youth, bring back that night, so that this night may pass.
3
kya tumheN yaad hai vo pahli mulaaqaat1 ki shab2
usi afsaane3 ko dohraao4 to ye raat kaTay 1.meeting 2.evening 3.story 4.repeat
Do you remember the evening of our first meeting. Repeat that same story so this night may pass.
4
aag1 se naag2 ke milne ka manzar3 dam4-e shab5
zulf6 ko jaam7 pe lahraao8 to ye raat kaTay 1.fire 2.cobra 3.scene 4.at the time of 5.evening 6.hair 7.goblet, cup (of wine) 8.lahraao
The beloved’s thick dark hair are like a dark snake and the glass of wine in its redness is like fire. In the evening at dusk, her braided hair waving over a twinkling red goblet of wine might look like the meeting of fire and a dark snake.
5
koii haNgaama1 keh taariik2 hai dil ki mahfil3
kisi shab-Khez4 ko bulvaao5 to ye raat kaTay 1.tumult, activity 2.dark 3.gathering 4.getting up/rising at night 5.call
The gathering/guest for the poet’s heart is love/beloved. It is dark because his love is not fulfilled. ‘shab-Khez’ – one who is awake late at night is the beloved. Call her, so this night may pass.
6
us ki tum jaan1 ho, kyuN apne qamar2 se ho juda3
aao siine meN samaa4 jaao to ye raat kaTay 1.life 2.pen-name of the poet 3.separated 4.fill, enter
You are his life and soul, why do you stay away from your qamar. Come inside and fill my heart so that this night may pass.
om prakash bhanDaari qamar jalalabadi (1916-2003) with a family background of retail grain trade and farming and no tradition in music or poetry, he acquired a taste for urdu shaa’eri and started working for magazines after completing high school. sahir ludhianavi invited him to a mushaa’era in lahore where he was hired by a film company. Worked for the lahore film industry before moving to pune and later mumbaii with much success as script, dialogue and songwriter. This Ghazal is linked to ‘keh kuchh raat kaTe’ on the Refrain page.
1
husn1 ko ishq se Takraao to ye raat kaTay
jaam2 ke saath chali aao to ye raat kaTay
1.beauty, beloved 2.cup (of wine)
This is addressed to the beloved/saaqi. Come along with the cup of wine so that this night might pass. Let love meet beauty so that this night might pass. The imagery is of tinkling wine cups.
2
ham ne aaGhaaz1-e javaani meN guzaari2 thi jo raat
phir usi raat ko bulvaao to ye raat kaTay
1.beginning 2.gone through, spent
The night that we started the journey of youth, bring back that night, so that this night may pass.
3
kya tumheN yaad hai vo pahli mulaaqaat1 ki shab2
usi afsaane3 ko dohraao4 to ye raat kaTay
1.meeting 2.evening 3.story 4.repeat
Do you remember the evening of our first meeting. Repeat that same story so this night may pass.
4
aag1 se naag2 ke milne ka manzar3 dam4-e shab5
zulf6 ko jaam7 pe lahraao8 to ye raat kaTay
1.fire 2.cobra 3.scene 4.at the time of 5.evening 6.hair 7.goblet, cup (of wine) 8.lahraao
The beloved’s thick dark hair are like a dark snake and the glass of wine in its redness is like fire. In the evening at dusk, her braided hair waving over a twinkling red goblet of wine might look like the meeting of fire and a dark snake.
5
koii haNgaama1 keh taariik2 hai dil ki mahfil3
kisi shab-Khez4 ko bulvaao5 to ye raat kaTay
1.tumult, activity 2.dark 3.gathering 4.getting up/rising at night 5.call
The gathering/guest for the poet’s heart is love/beloved. It is dark because his love is not fulfilled. ‘shab-Khez’ – one who is awake late at night is the beloved. Call her, so this night may pass.
6
us ki tum jaan1 ho, kyuN apne qamar2 se ho juda3
aao siine meN samaa4 jaao to ye raat kaTay
1.life 2.pen-name of the poet 3.separated 4.fill, enter
You are his life and soul, why do you stay away from your qamar. Come inside and fill my heart so that this night may pass.
