For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
Elizabeth Kurian mona
ماجرا کیا ہے ۔ الیزبت کرین موناؔ
۱
اے غمِ دل یہ ماجرا کیا ہے
دردِ اُلفت سے واسطہ کیا ہے
۲
رہنے دو ان حسین وعدوں کو
جھوٹے وعدے ہیں سب نیا کیا ہے
۳
جام و مینا کو چھوڑ کر دیکھو
چشمِ ساقی کا یہ نشہ کیا ہے
۴
شعلۂ غم کو اور بھڑکائے
کون سمجھے کہ یہ ہوا کیا ہے
۵
چھن گیا ہے سکون بھی میرا
عاشقی نے مجھے دیا کیا ہے
۶
چارہ گر کوئی بھی نہ جان سکا
موت اور عشق کی دوا کیا ہے
۷
کیا بھروسہ ہے زندگانی کا
جانے تقدیر میں لکھا کیا ہے
۸
چشم پُر نم مگر لبوں پہ ہنسی
دل میں موناؔ ترے چھپا کیا ہے
माज्रा क्या है – एलिज़बेत कुरियन मोना
१
अए ग़म-ए-दिल ये माज्रा क्या है
दर्द-ए-उल्फ़त से वास्ता क्या है
२
रहने दो इन हसीन वा’दों को
झूटे वा’दे हैं सब नया क्या है
३
जाम-ओ-मीना को छोड़ कर देखो
चश्म-ए-साक़ी का ये नशा क्या है
४
शो’ला-ए-ग़म को और भड़काए
कौन समझे के ये हुआ क्या है
५
छिन गया है सुकून भी मेरा
आशक़ी ने मुझे दिया क्या है
६
चारागर कोई भी न जान सका
मौत और इश्क़ की दवा क्या है
७
क्या भरोसा है ज़िंदगानी का
जाने तक़्दीर में लिखा क्या है
८
चश्म पुर-नम मगर लबों पे हँसी
दिल में मोना तेरे छुपा क्या है
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. Elizabeth Kurian ‘Mona’ (1949-living) is a poet in many languages – urdu, English, hindi, and her mother tongue malayalam, with published books in each. A true blue hyderabadi, she is a late comer to urdu, but apparently good at it as well as in love with it. She learnt urdu through a correspondence course offered by jaami’a-e millia islamia, dehli. She has written four urdu books of Ghazal/nazms. She took early retirement from a management position in Reserve Bank of India and now pursues her passion in poetry. This Ghazal written in the “zamin” of Ghalib can be taken as her tribute to him.
1
aye Gham-e dil ye maajra1 kya hai
dard-e ulfat2 se vaasta3 kya hai 1.condition 2.love 3.association, relationship
The poet wonders, O pain of my heart, what kind of a condition have you brought on yourself. Why this association with the pain of love i.e. why do you keep holding on to love. This could also be an invitation to move on past romantic love and consider love of humanity/creation.
2
rahne do in hasiin1 vaa’doN2 ko
jhooTe vaa’de haiN sab naya kya hai 1.beautiful 2.promises
Leave aside, forget these beautiful promises/commitments. These are false promises, so what’s new i.e. they have always broken their promises. This could be about lovers or about politicians.
3
jaam1-o-miina2 ko chhoR kar dekho
chashm3-e saaqi4 ka ye nasha5 kya hai 1.cup 2.flask 3.eyes 4.wine server, hostess of the maiKhaana 5.intoxication
Some urdu poetry is replete with praises of wine cup and flask and of the beauty of the ‘saaqi/beloved’. Her eyes are so beautiful that they intoxicate. The poet calls upon other poets (and the audience) to get beyond this and consider new themes.
4
sho’la1-e Gham ko aur bhaRkaaye
kaun samjhe ke ye hua kya hai 1.flame
It increases the intensity of the flame of sorrow/pain/love even more. How can anyone try to understand what is going on. The “it” could be love itself. Instead of giving comfort it gives even more pain.
5
chhin1 gaya hai sukoon2 bhi mera
aashiqi3 ne mujhe diya kya hai 1.snatched away, taken away 2.tranquility, peace and quiet 3.romance
Even my peace and quiet has been taken away. What has romance given me!
6
chaaragar1 koi bhi na jaan sakaa
maut aur ishq ki davaa kya hai 1.healer
O, healer, no one has been able to figure this out. What is the cure for death or love i.e. love will give pain as sure as death. No cure for either.
7
kya bharosa1 hai zindagaani ka
jaane taqdir2 meN likhaa kya hai 1.dependability 2.fate
How can we depend on/be sure of life. Who knows what is written in our fate.
8
chashm1 pur-nam2 magar laboN3 pe haNsi
dil meN mona tere chhupa kya hai 1.eyes 2.watery, tear filled 3.lips
O, mona, what is it you are hiding. You have a smile on your lips, but your eyes are filled with tears (hiding your pain from the world).
Elizabeth Kurian ‘Mona’ (1949-living) is a poet in many languages – urdu, English, hindi, and her mother tongue malayalam, with published books in each. A true blue hyderabadi, she is a late comer to urdu, but apparently good at it as well as in love with it. She learnt urdu through a correspondence course offered by jaami’a-e millia islamia, dehli. She has written four urdu books of Ghazal/nazms. She took early retirement from a management position in Reserve Bank of India and now pursues her passion in poetry. This Ghazal written in the “zamin” of Ghalib can be taken as her tribute to him.
1
aye Gham-e dil ye maajra1 kya hai
dard-e ulfat2 se vaasta3 kya hai
1.condition 2.love 3.association, relationship
The poet wonders, O pain of my heart, what kind of a condition have you brought on yourself. Why this association with the pain of love i.e. why do you keep holding on to love. This could also be an invitation to move on past romantic love and consider love of humanity/creation.
2
rahne do in hasiin1 vaa’doN2 ko
jhooTe vaa’de haiN sab naya kya hai
1.beautiful 2.promises
Leave aside, forget these beautiful promises/commitments. These are false promises, so what’s new i.e. they have always broken their promises. This could be about lovers or about politicians.
3
jaam1-o-miina2 ko chhoR kar dekho
chashm3-e saaqi4 ka ye nasha5 kya hai
1.cup 2.flask 3.eyes 4.wine server, hostess of the maiKhaana 5.intoxication
Some urdu poetry is replete with praises of wine cup and flask and of the beauty of the ‘saaqi/beloved’. Her eyes are so beautiful that they intoxicate. The poet calls upon other poets (and the audience) to get beyond this and consider new themes.
4
sho’la1-e Gham ko aur bhaRkaaye
kaun samjhe ke ye hua kya hai
1.flame
It increases the intensity of the flame of sorrow/pain/love even more. How can anyone try to understand what is going on. The “it” could be love itself. Instead of giving comfort it gives even more pain.
5
chhin1 gaya hai sukoon2 bhi mera
aashiqi3 ne mujhe diya kya hai
1.snatched away, taken away 2.tranquility, peace and quiet 3.romance
Even my peace and quiet has been taken away. What has romance given me!
6
chaaragar1 koi bhi na jaan sakaa
maut aur ishq ki davaa kya hai
1.healer
O, healer, no one has been able to figure this out. What is the cure for death or love i.e. love will give pain as sure as death. No cure for either.
7
kya bharosa1 hai zindagaani ka
jaane taqdir2 meN likhaa kya hai
1.dependability 2.fate
How can we depend on/be sure of life. Who knows what is written in our fate.
8
chashm1 pur-nam2 magar laboN3 pe haNsi
dil meN mona tere chhupa kya hai
1.eyes 2.watery, tear filled 3.lips
O, mona, what is it you are hiding. You have a smile on your lips, but your eyes are filled with tears (hiding your pain from the world).
