For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
یار کو مہماں کیے ہوئے ۔ سید انور حسین آرزوؔ لکھنوی
۱
بیٹھا ہوں اپنے قتل کا ساماں کیے ہوئے
یعنی خیالِ ناوکِ مژگاں کیے ہوئے
۲
بے موت میں مروں تمہیں آتی نہیں حیا
کیا چپ کھڑے ہو تیغ کو عریاں کیے ہوئے
۳
تکتا ہوں سوئے پردۂ در بن کے اجنبی
شوقِ نظارہ آنکھوں میں پنہاں کیے ہوئے
۴
جانا پئے عیادتِ بیمارِ نا اُمید
اور بال کھولے حال پریشاں کیے ہوئے
۵
وحشت ہم اپنی بعدِ فنا چھوڑ جائیں گے
اب تم پھرو گے چاک گریباں کیے ہوئے
۶
یوں پھر رہے ہیں جیسے کوئی بات ہی نہیں
آلودہ میرے خون سے داماں کیے ہوئے
۷
جوشِ جنوں میں وہ ترے وحشی کا چیخنا
بند اپنے ہاتھ سے درِ زنداں کیے ہوئے
۸
قابو کا اپنے جان کے ہوں شاد آرزوؔ
دل میں خیال یار کو مہماں کیے ہوئے
यार को मेहमां किए हुए – सय्यद अनवर हुसैन आर्ज़ू लखनवी
१
बैठा हूँ अपने क़त्ल का सामाँ किए हुए
यानी ख़याल-ए नावक-ए मिज़्श्गां किए हुए
२
बे-मौत में मरूँ तुम्हें आती नहीं हया
क्या चुप खड़े हो तेग़ को उर्याँ किए हुए
३
तकता हूँ सू-ए परदा-ए दर बन के अजनबी
शौक़-ए नज़ारा आंखों में पिन्हाँ किए हुए
४
जाना प’-ए अयादत-ए बीमार-ए ना-उमीद
और बाल खोले हाल परेशाँ किए हुए
५
वहशत हम अपनी बाद-ए फ़ना छोड़ जाएँगे
अब तुम फिरोगे चाक गरेबाँ किए हुए
६
यूँ फिर रहे हैं जैसे कोई बात ही नहीं
आलूदा मेरे ख़ून से दामाँ किए हुए
७
जोश-ए जुनूं में वो तेरे वहशी का चीख़ना
बंद अपने हाथ से दर-ए ज़िन्दाँ किए हुए
८
क़ाबू का अपने जान के हूँ शाद आर्ज़ू
दिल में ख़याल-ए यार को मेहमां किए हुए
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. aarzu lakhnavi-syed anvar husain (1874-1951). He was born into a well to do family and was educated at home learning faarsi and urdu. Started composing early. There are several collections of Ghazal and nazm, marsia and masnavi. His inheritance did not last very long and he struggled to make a living. Probably was supported by some of his 140 shaagird and for a while with employment at the raampur court, editing maganzines. He wrote some plays that became very popular and theatre companies employed him to write plays in connection with which he traveled to kalkata, bambaii and lahore. He also wrote dialogue and lyrics for the budding film industry. He was invited to a ‘hind-paak mushaaera’ in Jan 1951 to karaachi where he died in April 1951. This Ghazal is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
baiTha huN apne qatl1 ka samaaN2 kiye hue
yaani Khayaal-e naavak3-e mizshgaaN4 kiye hue 1.killing 2.means, arrangements 3.arrow 4.eyebrows
In urdu poetic tradition, the beloved’s eyebrows are considered to be bows and her glance an arrow. The poet/lover is sitting deep in thought of the beloved and is visualizing her eyebrows and sidelong glances i.e., he is making arrangements for his own death, the arrow will penetrate his heart and kill him.
2
be-maut1 maiN marooN tumheN aati nahiN haya2
kya chup3 khaRe ho teGh4 ko uriyaaN5 kiye hue 1.without death 2.bashful as opposed to brazen 3.quiet, silent 4.sword 5.naked
In urdu poetic tradition, the lover longs to be killed at the hands of the beloved. She draws her sword to slaughter her lovers/admirers. Here the beloved is just standing quietly with her sword drawn out, not doing anything. You stand there brazen, are you not ashamed while here I am dying in anticipation without death. The implications is hurry up and slaughter me so that I may achieve my lifelong wish.
3
takta1 huN suu2-e parde-e dar3 ban ke ajnabi4
shauq5-e nazaara6 aaNkhoN meN pinhaaN7 kiye hue 1.stare 2.towards 3.door 4.stranger 5.desire, eagerness 6.sight, appearance 7.hidden
The poet/lover stands in front of the door of the beloved, staring at the curtain, hoping that she would lift the curtain and appear. He is pretending to be stranger, acting nonchalant; hiding his eagerness for her appearance – not allowing it to show in his eyes, so that doorman does not shoo him out of the street.
4
jaana1 pa’e2 e’yaadat3-e biimaar-e na-umeed4
aur baal khole haal pareshaaN kiye hue 1.going 2.for the sake of 3.visiting to ask about well-being 4.hopeless
The poet/lover is sick of sadness and lack of reciprocity of his love. He is on his death bed. As is customary, the beloved comes to visit and ask about him. But she come with her hair undone and spread out, with her condition distraught and worried. The whole statement is one of either puzzlement or sarcasm – the former because her appearance might give the sick lover so much hope that he might immediately recover and the latter because he might die upon seeing her so distraught.
5
vahshat1 hum apni baad2-e fana3 chhoR jaa’eNge
ab tum phiro ge chaak4 garebaaN5 kiye hue 1.distress, extreme sorrow 2.after 3.annihilation, death 4.torn, ripped 5.shirt front
In poetic tradition the distraught lover goes about like a madman with his shirt front ripped own to the hem, a la majnuN. This she’r is probably addressed to his rivals or successors (the beloved remains forever young). He says, upon my death, I will leave behind my distress. You can then take it up and go around with your shirt ripped. Thus, the tradition goes on.
6
yuN phir rahe haiN jaise koi baat hi nahiN
aalooda1 mere Khoon se daamaaN2 kiye hue 1.stained 2.hem of the garment
This is addressed to the beloved. She is going around as if there is nothing wrong. In fact, she has just slaughtered the poet/lover (but he can still write about it) and the hem of her garment is soaked in his blood, but she is going around calmly.
7
josh1-e junooN2 meN voh tere vahshi3 ka cheeKhna
band apne haath se dar4-e zindaaN5 kiye hue 1.welling up, boiling over 2.passionate madness 3.madman 4.door 5.prison
The poet describes himself as ‘tera vahshi-your mad lover’. He has been going around, distraught, out of his mind. People have caught him, chained him and put him in prison. But somehow, the chains are off and the door is open but the mad lover is so distraught that he himself shuts the door and screams wildly.
8
qaabu1 ka apne jaan2 ke huN shaad3 aarzu4
dil meN Khayaal5-e yaar6 ko mehmaaN7 kiye hue 1.control, possession 2.knowing, thinking 3.happy 4.pen-name of the poet 5.thought, imagination 6.friend, beloved 7.guest, resident
O shaad, you are happy because you think that your heart is in your control. Thinking this you have invited thoughts of the beloved to reside in your heart. There is an irony in this … because the heart is not in his control; the beloved has it.
aarzu lakhnavi-syed anvar husain (1874-1951). He was born into a well to do family and was educated at home learning faarsi and urdu. Started composing early. There are several collections of Ghazal and nazm, marsia and masnavi. His inheritance did not last very long and he struggled to make a living. Probably was supported by some of his 140 shaagird and for a while with employment at the raampur court, editing maganzines. He wrote some plays that became very popular and theatre companies employed him to write plays in connection with which he traveled to kalkata, bambaii and lahore. He also wrote dialogue and lyrics for the budding film industry. He was invited to a ‘hind-paak mushaaera’ in Jan 1951 to karaachi where he died in April 1951. This Ghazal is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
baiTha huN apne qatl1 ka samaaN2 kiye hue
yaani Khayaal-e naavak3-e mizshgaaN4 kiye hue
1.killing 2.means, arrangements 3.arrow 4.eyebrows
In urdu poetic tradition, the beloved’s eyebrows are considered to be bows and her glance an arrow. The poet/lover is sitting deep in thought of the beloved and is visualizing her eyebrows and sidelong glances i.e., he is making arrangements for his own death, the arrow will penetrate his heart and kill him.
2
be-maut1 maiN marooN tumheN aati nahiN haya2
kya chup3 khaRe ho teGh4 ko uriyaaN5 kiye hue
1.without death 2.bashful as opposed to brazen 3.quiet, silent 4.sword 5.naked
In urdu poetic tradition, the lover longs to be killed at the hands of the beloved. She draws her sword to slaughter her lovers/admirers. Here the beloved is just standing quietly with her sword drawn out, not doing anything. You stand there brazen, are you not ashamed while here I am dying in anticipation without death. The implications is hurry up and slaughter me so that I may achieve my lifelong wish.
3
takta1 huN suu2-e parde-e dar3 ban ke ajnabi4
shauq5-e nazaara6 aaNkhoN meN pinhaaN7 kiye hue
1.stare 2.towards 3.door 4.stranger 5.desire, eagerness 6.sight, appearance 7.hidden
The poet/lover stands in front of the door of the beloved, staring at the curtain, hoping that she would lift the curtain and appear. He is pretending to be stranger, acting nonchalant; hiding his eagerness for her appearance – not allowing it to show in his eyes, so that doorman does not shoo him out of the street.
4
jaana1 pa’e2 e’yaadat3-e biimaar-e na-umeed4
aur baal khole haal pareshaaN kiye hue
1.going 2.for the sake of 3.visiting to ask about well-being 4.hopeless
The poet/lover is sick of sadness and lack of reciprocity of his love. He is on his death bed. As is customary, the beloved comes to visit and ask about him. But she come with her hair undone and spread out, with her condition distraught and worried. The whole statement is one of either puzzlement or sarcasm – the former because her appearance might give the sick lover so much hope that he might immediately recover and the latter because he might die upon seeing her so distraught.
5
vahshat1 hum apni baad2-e fana3 chhoR jaa’eNge
ab tum phiro ge chaak4 garebaaN5 kiye hue
1.distress, extreme sorrow 2.after 3.annihilation, death 4.torn, ripped 5.shirt front
In poetic tradition the distraught lover goes about like a madman with his shirt front ripped own to the hem, a la majnuN. This she’r is probably addressed to his rivals or successors (the beloved remains forever young). He says, upon my death, I will leave behind my distress. You can then take it up and go around with your shirt ripped. Thus, the tradition goes on.
6
yuN phir rahe haiN jaise koi baat hi nahiN
aalooda1 mere Khoon se daamaaN2 kiye hue
1.stained 2.hem of the garment
This is addressed to the beloved. She is going around as if there is nothing wrong. In fact, she has just slaughtered the poet/lover (but he can still write about it) and the hem of her garment is soaked in his blood, but she is going around calmly.
7
josh1-e junooN2 meN voh tere vahshi3 ka cheeKhna
band apne haath se dar4-e zindaaN5 kiye hue
1.welling up, boiling over 2.passionate madness 3.madman 4.door 5.prison
The poet describes himself as ‘tera vahshi-your mad lover’. He has been going around, distraught, out of his mind. People have caught him, chained him and put him in prison. But somehow, the chains are off and the door is open but the mad lover is so distraught that he himself shuts the door and screams wildly.
8
qaabu1 ka apne jaan2 ke huN shaad3 aarzu4
dil meN Khayaal5-e yaar6 ko mehmaaN7 kiye hue
1.control, possession 2.knowing, thinking 3.happy 4.pen-name of the poet 5.thought, imagination 6.friend, beloved 7.guest, resident
O shaad, you are happy because you think that your heart is in your control. Thinking this you have invited thoughts of the beloved to reside in your heart. There is an irony in this … because the heart is not in his control; the beloved has it.
