For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
اُلفت بڑھانی اور ہے ۔ میر مہدی حسین مجروحؔ دہلوی
۱
یہ جو اب لطفِ زبانی اور ہے
کچھ مری اُلفت بڑھانی اور ہے
۲
شورشِ محشر نہیں جو ہو چکے
اُس کا آغازِ جوانی اور ہے
۳
جاں شکن ہیں اُس کے پیچیدہ ستم
طرزِ جورِ آسمانی اور ہے
۴
گر نہیں میرا یقیں خود دیکھ لے
آئینہ میں تیرا ثانی اور ہے
۵
اپنا یہ مطلب وہ چھوڑے غیر کو
اور اُس نے دل میں ٹھانی اور ہے
۶
ہو گئے نابود پر باقی ابھی
اک نشانِ بے نشانی اور ہے
۷
بوالفضول ظاہری پر تو نہ جا
عشقِ پنہاں کی نشانی اور ہے
۸
کیا مزا جب اور واقف ہو گئے
لذّتِ دردِ نہانی اور ہے
۹
میں تو مستغرق ہوں اپنے حال میں
تم کو ناحق بدگمانی اور ہے
۱۰
ہے شبِ وصل اور ہے پہلو میں وہ
آج لطفِ زندگانی اور ہے
۱۱
کیا خیال آیا کسی رفتار کا
طبع میں اپنی روانی اور ہے
۱۲
یوں تو ہیں مجروحؔ سب شاعر فصیح
میرؔ کی پر خوش بیانی اور ہے
उल्फ़त बढ़ानी और है – मीर महदी हुसैन मज्रूह देहलवी
१
ये जो अब लुत्फ़-ए ज़बानी और है
कुछ मेरी उल्फ़त बढ़ानी और है
२
शोरिश-ए महशर नहीं जो हो चुके
उस का आग़ाज़-ए जवानी और है
३
जां शिकन हैं उस के पेचीदा सितम
तर्ज़-ए जौर-ए आस्मानी और है
४
गर नहीं मेरा यक़ी ख़ुद देख ले
आइने में तेरा सानी और है
५
अपना ये मतलब वो छोढे ग़ैर को
और उस ने दिल में ठानी और है
६
हो गए नाबूद पर बाक़ी अभी
एक निशान-ए बे-निशानी और है
७
बु-ल-फ़ुज़ूल ज़ाहरी पर तू न जा
इश्क़-ए पिन्हां की निशानी और है
८
क्या मज़ा जब और वाक़फ़ हो गये
लज़्ज़त-ए दर्द-ए नेहानी और है
९
मैं तो मुस्तग़्रक़ हुं अपने हाल में
तुम को नाहक़ बदगुमानी और है
१०
है शब-ए वस्ल और है पहलू में वो
आज लुत्फ़-ए ज़िन्दगानी और है
११
क्या ख़याल आया किसी रफ़्तार का
तब’अ में अपनी रवानी और है
१२
यूं तो हैं मज्रूह सब शा’एर फ़सीह
मी की पर ख़ुश बयानी और है
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mir mahdi husain majrooh dehlavi (1833-1903) was one of the closest disciples of Ghalib, devoted to him. In the aftermath of 1857 he fled to paanipat and later alwar and found patronage. This Ghazal is composed in the same radeef and qaafiya as Ghalib’s ‘ham ne apne jii meN Thaani aur hai’. It is linked to the series of Ghazal under Ghalib peshrau-ham-asar as well as to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam and the poet.
1
ye jo ab lutf-e-zabaani1 aur hai
kuchh meri ulfat2 baRhaani aur hai 1.pleasures of oral message, oral favours 2.love, expression of love
The image that I get is that ‘lutf-e-zabaani’ – oral favours/pleasures is used sarcastically. The poet/lover has sent a message of love through a messenger. The messenger comes back with her oral response, and it is full of invective. But the poet/lover derives pleasure from such ‘favours’. If he were to increase the expression of his love for her then he might get even more ‘favours’ in return.
2
shorish1-e mahshar2 nahiN jo ho chuke
us ka aaGhaaz3-e javaani aur hai 1.tumult, pandemonium 2.doomsday 3.beginning, budding
This is not merely the pandemonium of doomsday that it will end soon. The budding of her youth is something else; it will keep going for a long time.
3
jaaN-shikan1 haiN us ke pechiida2 sitam3
tarz4-e jaur5-e aasmaani aur hai 1.life-sapping 2.convoluted 3.torture 4.ways, methods 5.torture, oppression
In urdu poetic as well as in the cultural traditions of the subcontinent – fate/skies torture us by creating calamities. But their ways are different, simple compared to the convoluted ways in which the beloved saps life out of the poet/lover with her torture.
4
gar nahiN mera yaqiiN1 Khud dekh le
aa’ine meN tera saani2 aur hai 1.trust, believe 2.example, equal
If you don’t trust me, take a look for yourselves. There is another equal to you in beauty in the mirror, i.e., there is no one that can equal her in beauty.
5
apna ye matlab1 vo chhoRe Ghair2 ko
aur us ne dil meN Thaani3 aur hai 1.desire, agenda, scheme 2.rival 3.decided, determined
It is my desire that she leave the rival, but she has decided something else.
6
ho ga’e naabood1, par baaqi2 abhi
ek nishaan3-e be-nishaani4 aur hai 1.non-existent 2.remaining, dependent 3.clue, marker, indication 4.unknown
All signs of divine existence are erased/hidden except one, the sign of tracelessness. What is this sign of tracelessness? We are left to guess. It could be our soul, our faith/belief or something else that we might imagine.
7
b-ul-fuzool1, zaahirii2 par tuu na jaa
ishq-e pinhaaN3 ki nishaani4 aur hai 1.ignorant 2.appearances 3.hidden, internal 4.clue, indication, sign
O ignorant one, do not go by appearances. The signs of hidden love are something else. This ‘ishq-e pinhaaN’ could be the ‘nishaan-e be-nishaani’ of the previous she’r.
8
kya maza jab aur vaaqif1 ho gaye
lazzat2-e dard-e nihaani3 aur hai 1.familiar 2.pleasure 3.hidden
There is great pleasure in hiding one’s love, in suffering in silence. Who has such love and is enjoying keeping it hidden? Most likely, the poet/lover. If/when someone (probably – the beloved or the lover himself or perhaps others – as in the whole world), become more aware of his hidden love, then the poet/lover will enjoy its pain even more.
9
maiN to mustaGhriq1 huN apne haal2 meN
tum ko naahaq3 badgumaani4 aur hai 1.drowning 2.condition 3.unjustified, unnecessary 4.suspicion
Even though the beloved never reciprocates his love, she is always suspicious of the poet/lover that he may be paying attention to someone or something else. He protests … your suspicion is entirely unjustified, I am just drowning in my own condition (of desperation at your neglect).
10
hai shab1-e vasl2 aur hai pahlu3 meN vo
aaj lutf4-e zindagaani aur hai 1.night of 2.union 3.side 4.pleasure
The poet/lover has finally achieved his dream. It is the night of union with the beloved and she is at his side. Tonight, the pleasure of life is something else.
11
kya Khayaal1 aaya kisi raftaar2 ka
tab’a3 meN apni ravaani4 aur hai 1.thought, memory 2.graceful gait, style of walking 3.disposition 4.flow, harmony
The beloved is known for her graceful walk. The poet/lover is experiencing a similar feeling of harmony in the flow of his verse. Is that because he recalls her graceful style.
12
yuN to haiN majrooh1 sub shaa’er fasiih2
miir3 ki par Khush-bayaani4 aur hai 1.pen-name of the poet 2.elegant of speech 3.mir taqi mir 4.excellent versification
O majrooh, although all poets are elegant of speech, but the excellence of versification of miir is something else. Said Ghalib …
haiN aur bhi duniya meN suKhanvar bahut achchhe
kahte haiN keh Ghalib ka hai andaaz-e bayaaN aur
mir mahdi husain majrooh dehlavi (1833-1903) was one of the closest disciples of Ghalib, devoted to him. In the aftermath of 1857 he fled to paanipat and later alwar and found patronage. This Ghazal is composed in the same radeef and qaafiya as Ghalib’s ‘ham ne apne jii meN Thaani aur hai’. It is linked to the series of Ghazal under Ghalib peshrau-ham-asar as well as to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam and the poet.
1
ye jo ab lutf-e-zabaani1 aur hai
kuchh meri ulfat2 baRhaani aur hai
1.pleasures of oral message, oral favours 2.love, expression of love
The image that I get is that ‘lutf-e-zabaani’ – oral favours/pleasures is used sarcastically. The poet/lover has sent a message of love through a messenger. The messenger comes back with her oral response, and it is full of invective. But the poet/lover derives pleasure from such ‘favours’. If he were to increase the expression of his love for her then he might get even more ‘favours’ in return.
2
shorish1-e mahshar2 nahiN jo ho chuke
us ka aaGhaaz3-e javaani aur hai
1.tumult, pandemonium 2.doomsday 3.beginning, budding
This is not merely the pandemonium of doomsday that it will end soon. The budding of her youth is something else; it will keep going for a long time.
3
jaaN-shikan1 haiN us ke pechiida2 sitam3
tarz4-e jaur5-e aasmaani aur hai
1.life-sapping 2.convoluted 3.torture 4.ways, methods 5.torture, oppression
In urdu poetic as well as in the cultural traditions of the subcontinent – fate/skies torture us by creating calamities. But their ways are different, simple compared to the convoluted ways in which the beloved saps life out of the poet/lover with her torture.
4
gar nahiN mera yaqiiN1 Khud dekh le
aa’ine meN tera saani2 aur hai
1.trust, believe 2.example, equal
If you don’t trust me, take a look for yourselves. There is another equal to you in beauty in the mirror, i.e., there is no one that can equal her in beauty.
5
apna ye matlab1 vo chhoRe Ghair2 ko
aur us ne dil meN Thaani3 aur hai
1.desire, agenda, scheme 2.rival 3.decided, determined
It is my desire that she leave the rival, but she has decided something else.
6
ho ga’e naabood1, par baaqi2 abhi
ek nishaan3-e be-nishaani4 aur hai
1.non-existent 2.remaining, dependent 3.clue, marker, indication 4.unknown
All signs of divine existence are erased/hidden except one, the sign of tracelessness. What is this sign of tracelessness? We are left to guess. It could be our soul, our faith/belief or something else that we might imagine.
7
b-ul-fuzool1, zaahirii2 par tuu na jaa
ishq-e pinhaaN3 ki nishaani4 aur hai
1.ignorant 2.appearances 3.hidden, internal 4.clue, indication, sign
O ignorant one, do not go by appearances. The signs of hidden love are something else. This ‘ishq-e pinhaaN’ could be the ‘nishaan-e be-nishaani’ of the previous she’r.
8
kya maza jab aur vaaqif1 ho gaye
lazzat2-e dard-e nihaani3 aur hai
1.familiar 2.pleasure 3.hidden
There is great pleasure in hiding one’s love, in suffering in silence. Who has such love and is enjoying keeping it hidden? Most likely, the poet/lover. If/when someone (probably – the beloved or the lover himself or perhaps others – as in the whole world), become more aware of his hidden love, then the poet/lover will enjoy its pain even more.
9
maiN to mustaGhriq1 huN apne haal2 meN
tum ko naahaq3 badgumaani4 aur hai
1.drowning 2.condition 3.unjustified, unnecessary 4.suspicion
Even though the beloved never reciprocates his love, she is always suspicious of the poet/lover that he may be paying attention to someone or something else. He protests … your suspicion is entirely unjustified, I am just drowning in my own condition (of desperation at your neglect).
10
hai shab1-e vasl2 aur hai pahlu3 meN vo
aaj lutf4-e zindagaani aur hai
1.night of 2.union 3.side 4.pleasure
The poet/lover has finally achieved his dream. It is the night of union with the beloved and she is at his side. Tonight, the pleasure of life is something else.
11
kya Khayaal1 aaya kisi raftaar2 ka
tab’a3 meN apni ravaani4 aur hai
1.thought, memory 2.graceful gait, style of walking 3.disposition 4.flow, harmony
The beloved is known for her graceful walk. The poet/lover is experiencing a similar feeling of harmony in the flow of his verse. Is that because he recalls her graceful style.
12
yuN to haiN majrooh1 sub shaa’er fasiih2
miir3 ki par Khush-bayaani4 aur hai
1.pen-name of the poet 2.elegant of speech 3.mir taqi mir 4.excellent versification
O majrooh, although all poets are elegant of speech, but the excellence of versification of miir is something else. Said Ghalib …
haiN aur bhi duniya meN suKhanvar bahut achchhe
kahte haiN keh Ghalib ka hai andaaz-e bayaaN aur
