For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
زبانی اور ہے ۔ احمد فرازؔ
۱
ہم سنائیں تو کہانی اور ہے
یار لوگوں کی زبانی اور ہے
۲
چارہ گر روتے ہیں تازہ زخم کو
دل کی بیماری پرانی اور ہے
۳
جو کہا ہم نے وہ مضموں اور تھا
ترجماں کی ترجمانی اور ہے
۴
ہے بساطِ دل لہو کی ایک بوند
چشمِ پُر خوں کی روانی اور ہے
۵
نامہ بر کو کچھ بھی ہم پیغام دیں
داستاں اس نے سنانی اور ہے
۶
آبِ زمزم دوست لائے ہیں عبث
ہم جو پیتے ہیں وہ پانی اور ہے
۷
سب قیامت قامتوں کو دیکھ لو
کیا مرے جاناں کا ثانی اور ہے
۸
اہلِ دل کی انجمن میں آ کبھی
ان کی دنیا یار جانی اور ہے
۹
شاعری کرتی ہے اک دنیا فرازؔ
پر تری سادہ بیانی اور ہے
ज़बानी और है
१
हम सुनाएं तो कहानी और है
यार लोगों की ज़बानी और है
२
चारागर रोते हैं ताज़ा ज़ख़्म को
दिल कि बीमारी पुरानी और है
३
जो कहा हमने वो मज़्मूं और था
तर्जुमां की तर्जुमानी और है
४
है बिसात-ए दिल लहू कि एक बूँद
चश्म-ए पुर-ख़ूं कि रवानी और है
५
नामा-बर को कुछ भी हम पैग़ाम दें
दास्ताँ उसने सुनानी और है
६
आब-ए ज़मज़म दोस्त लाए हैं अबस
हम जो पीते हैं वो पानी और है
७
सब क़यामत क़ामतों को देख लो
क्या मेरे जानां का सानी और है
८
अहल-ए दिल की अंजुमन में आ कभी
उन की दुन्या दुनिया यार जानी और है
९
शा’एरी करती है एक दुनिया फ़राज़
पर तेरी सादा-बयानी और है
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. ahmad faraz (1931-2008) popular love and romance poet as well as a substantial contributor to progressive themes. This Ghazal is modeled after Ghalib’s ‘koi din gar zindagaani aur hai’. This is from a later period in faraz’s life when he turned his attention more towards Ghazal and composed several in the zamiin of Ghalib. This Ghazal is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
hum sunaaeN to kahaani aur hai
yaar1 logoN ki zabaani2 aur hai 1.friends 2.from their tongue/mouth
If I related it, the story will be something else but out of friends’ mouth, it will be entirely something else. The first ‘something else’ is an admiring phrase of story telling ability and/or of the veracity of the story. The second ‘something else’ is critical to mean ‘distortion of truth’ or ‘devoid of elegance’.
2
chaaragar1 rote haiN taaza2 zaKhm3 ko
dil ki beemari puraani aur hai 1.healers 2.fresh 3.wound
Healers mourn (attend to) fresh wounds but the old ailment of heart (love) is something else.
3
jo kaha hum ne vo mazmooN1 aur tha
tarjumaaN2 ki tarjumaani3 aur hai 1.theme 2.interpretor 3.interpretation
The theme that I composed was different, the interpretation done by the interpretor is something else.
4
hai bisaat1-e dil lahoo2 ki ek booNd3
chashm4-e pur-KhooN5 ki ravaani6 aur hai 1.spread, extent, domain 2.blood 3.drop 4.eye 5.blood 6.flow
The domain of the heart extends to a single drop of blood. The flow from the eye, brimming with blood, is something else. The lover cries tears of blood. That flow is incomparable. Conventionally, the imagery of the heart is that of a congealed drop of blood – hence the extent of its domain is but a drop.
5
naama-bar1 ko kuchh bhi hum paiGhaam2 deN
daastaaN3 us ne sunaani aur hai 1.message carrier, messenger 2.message 3.story
It is convention that sends messages to the beloved through a naama-bar. This is perhaps because the doorman is instructed to shoo away the lover and/or because the messenger has a special relationship with doorman. But the trouble seems to be that the messenger is unreliable. Thus, whatever message we might instruct the messenger to deliver, he is going to tell his own version of the story.
6
aab-e-zamzam1 dost laaye haiN abas2
hum jo peete haiN vo paani aur hai 1.water of the well of zamzam near k’aaba 2.uselessly
It is a ritualistic practice that the person who goes on a pilgrimage to the k’aaba brings back water from the nearby well of zamzam. This water is considered to have healing effects. But it appears that it is totally useless for the poet/lover. The water that he prefers to drink is ‘something else’, implying that he likes to drink wine.
7
sub qayaamat1-qaamatoN2 ko dekh lo
kya mere jaanaN3 ka saani4 aur hai 1.tumult, calamity 2.stature 3.beloved 4.example, second, equal, like
The beloved is supposed to have a tall, slender, graceful stature that causes tumult/calamity when people get to see it. Says the poet/lover – go ahead and look at all tumult raising statures. Is there any among them who can equal my beloved.
8
ahl-e-dil1 ki anjuman2 meN aa kabhi
un ki dunya yaar-jaani3 aur hai 1.people of the heart, lovers 2.gathering 3.beloved friend
O my beloved sometimes come the gathering of admirers/lovers. You will find that there world is something else.
9
shaa’eri karti hai ek duniya faraaz1
par teri saada-bayaani2 aur hai 1.pen-name of the poet 2.simple, straightforward speech
O faraaz, there are many in this world who write verse, but your straight description is something else. Said Ghalib …
haiN aur bhi duniya meN suKhanvar bahut achchhe
kahte haiN keh Ghalib ka hai andaaz-e bayaaN aur
ahmad faraz (1931-2008) popular love and romance poet as well as a substantial contributor to progressive themes. This Ghazal is modeled after Ghalib’s ‘koi din gar zindagaani aur hai’. This is from a later period in faraz’s life when he turned his attention more towards Ghazal and composed several in the zamiin of Ghalib. This Ghazal is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
hum sunaaeN to kahaani aur hai
yaar1 logoN ki zabaani2 aur hai
1.friends 2.from their tongue/mouth
If I related it, the story will be something else but out of friends’ mouth, it will be entirely something else. The first ‘something else’ is an admiring phrase of story telling ability and/or of the veracity of the story. The second ‘something else’ is critical to mean ‘distortion of truth’ or ‘devoid of elegance’.
2
chaaragar1 rote haiN taaza2 zaKhm3 ko
dil ki beemari puraani aur hai
1.healers 2.fresh 3.wound
Healers mourn (attend to) fresh wounds but the old ailment of heart (love) is something else.
3
jo kaha hum ne vo mazmooN1 aur tha
tarjumaaN2 ki tarjumaani3 aur hai
1.theme 2.interpretor 3.interpretation
The theme that I composed was different, the interpretation done by the interpretor is something else.
4
hai bisaat1-e dil lahoo2 ki ek booNd3
chashm4-e pur-KhooN5 ki ravaani6 aur hai
1.spread, extent, domain 2.blood 3.drop 4.eye 5.blood 6.flow
The domain of the heart extends to a single drop of blood. The flow from the eye, brimming with blood, is something else. The lover cries tears of blood. That flow is incomparable. Conventionally, the imagery of the heart is that of a congealed drop of blood – hence the extent of its domain is but a drop.
5
naama-bar1 ko kuchh bhi hum paiGhaam2 deN
daastaaN3 us ne sunaani aur hai
1.message carrier, messenger 2.message 3.story
It is convention that sends messages to the beloved through a naama-bar. This is perhaps because the doorman is instructed to shoo away the lover and/or because the messenger has a special relationship with doorman. But the trouble seems to be that the messenger is unreliable. Thus, whatever message we might instruct the messenger to deliver, he is going to tell his own version of the story.
6
aab-e-zamzam1 dost laaye haiN abas2
hum jo peete haiN vo paani aur hai
1.water of the well of zamzam near k’aaba 2.uselessly
It is a ritualistic practice that the person who goes on a pilgrimage to the k’aaba brings back water from the nearby well of zamzam. This water is considered to have healing effects. But it appears that it is totally useless for the poet/lover. The water that he prefers to drink is ‘something else’, implying that he likes to drink wine.
7
sub qayaamat1-qaamatoN2 ko dekh lo
kya mere jaanaN3 ka saani4 aur hai
1.tumult, calamity 2.stature 3.beloved 4.example, second, equal, like
The beloved is supposed to have a tall, slender, graceful stature that causes tumult/calamity when people get to see it. Says the poet/lover – go ahead and look at all tumult raising statures. Is there any among them who can equal my beloved.
8
ahl-e-dil1 ki anjuman2 meN aa kabhi
un ki dunya yaar-jaani3 aur hai
1.people of the heart, lovers 2.gathering 3.beloved friend
O my beloved sometimes come the gathering of admirers/lovers. You will find that there world is something else.
9
shaa’eri karti hai ek duniya faraaz1
par teri saada-bayaani2 aur hai
1.pen-name of the poet 2.simple, straightforward speech
O faraaz, there are many in this world who write verse, but your straight description is something else. Said Ghalib …
haiN aur bhi duniya meN suKhanvar bahut achchhe
kahte haiN keh Ghalib ka hai andaaz-e bayaaN aur
