For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
زمانے کی ہَوا کہتے ہیں ۔ دامودر ٹھاکر ذکیؔ
۱
ناروا اور روا سب کو روا کہتے ہیں
کچھ خبر بھی ہے حضور آپ یہ کیا کہتے ہیں
۲
ایک ہی نقطے پہ اب آئے خرد اور جنوں
حال ایسا ہے کہ ہم سب کو خدا کہتے ہیں
۳
اِک نئی اور جفا، نام جفا کا بدلا
طرفہ یہ ہے کہ اِسے ہم وفا کہتے ہیں
۴
جتنے لوگ آئے ہیں ٹوٹی ہوئی تربت پہ مری
سب کے سب اِس کو وفاؤں کا صلہ کہتے ہیں
۵
چاند تاروں کو بسا دینے پہ تُلنے والو
میری بربادی پہ فرمائیے کیا کہتے ہیں
۶
باعثِ صِحتِ بیمار کرم اُن کا ہے
بعض کہتے ہیں دوا، بعض دعا کہتے ہیں
۷
اِس جسارت کا تو شائد ہی کوئی چارہ ہو
آپ کرتے ہیں، زمانے کی ہوا کہتے ہیں
۸
یہ سمجھنا ہے ابھی تم کو ذکیؔ دنیا میں
بات کیا ہوتی ہے سب لوگ اُسے کیا کہتے ہیں
ज़माने कि हवा कहते हैं – दामोदर ठाकुर ज़की
१
ना-रवा और रवा, सब को रवा कहते हैं
कुछ ख़बर भी है हुज़ूर आप ये क्या कहते हैं
२
एक ही नुक़्ते पे अब आए ख़िरद और जुनूं
हाल ऐसा है के हम सब को ख़ुदा कहते हैं
३
एक नई और जफ़ा, नाम जफ़ा का बदला
तुर्फ़ा ये है के इसे हम वफ़ा कहते हैं
४
जितने लोग आए हैं टूटी हुई तुर्बत पे मेरी
सब के सब इस को वफ़ाऔं का सिला कहते हैं
५
चांद तारौं को बसा देने पे तुलने वालो
मेरी बरबादी पे फ़र्माईये क्या कहते हैं
६
बा’अस-ए सेहत-ए बीमार करम उन का है
बा’ज़ कहते हैं दवा, बा’ज़ दुआ कहते हैं
७
इस जसारन का तो शा’एद हि कोई चारा हो
आप करते हैं, ज़माने की हवा कहते हैं
८
ये समझना है अभी तुम को ज़की दुनिया में
बात क्या होती है सब लोग उसे क्या कहते हैं
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. daamodar Thaakur zaki (1903-1976), hyderabad, telaNgana. Born in a small village, koRaNgal, in a largely telugu speaking area, he learnt urdu, faarsi and hindi at home and successfully completed munshi faazil exam. He started composing at the age of 12. He worked in the education department. He had given his suKhan to a scribe for publication, but it got lost during the 1948 police action. His well-wishers formed a society which arranged the publication of his first book in 1966. This Ghazal is in the zamin of Ghalib’s – ‘qibla-numa kahte haiN’.
1
na-ravaa1 aur rava2, sub ko ravaa2 kahte haiN
kuchh Khabar3 bhi hai huzoor4, aap ye kya kahte haiN 1.unacceptable, incorrect 2.acceptable, right 3.awareness 4.honorific like ‘your ladyship’, meant here for the beloved
The beloved has been cruel and nasty to the poet/lover. When he complains, she simply states that her behaviour is acceptable and correct. Are you even aware, your ladyship, what you are saying!
2
ek hi nuqte1 pe ab aaye Khirad2 aur junooN3
haal4 aisa hai keh hum sub ko Khuda kahte haiN 1.point, focus, conclusion 2.reason 3.passion 4.condition
There has been/is an ongoing debate on whether reason is sufficient or if you need passion/love to understand god/spirituality. After an endless debate both reason and passion have come to the same conclusion (at least for the poet). His condition is such that he sees god in everyone/everything.
3
ek naii aur jafaa1, naam jafaa ka badla
turfa2 ye hai keh ise hum vafaa3 kahte haiN 1.injustice, cruelty 2.amazement 3.fidelity, steadfast in love
One possibility is that the poet/lover is talking about the beloved. She has been cruel to him all along. On top of it is a new cruelty – she has simply changed the name of her injustice towards him. It is amazing that she now calls it fidelity/reciprocating love. The other possibility is that the poet is talking about poetic tradition. It is amazing that this tradition values the beloved’s cruelty so highly that it is happy that she cares enough to be cruel.
4
jitne log aa’e haiN TooTi hui turbat1 pe meri
sub ke sub is ko vafaaoN2 ka silaa3 kahte haiN 1.grave 2.faith, fidelity 3.compensation, reward
The poet/lover has been steadfast in his love all his life. Now he is dead and buried and friends come to visit his grave which is in a neglected/broken condition. This is the reward you get for being faithful in love – they all say.
5
chaand taaroN ko basaa1 dene pe tulne2 vaalo
meri barbaadi3 pe farmaaiye4 kya kahta haiN 1.inhabit, settle 2.bent upon 3.used here to mean-destitution 4.speak, say
This is probably around the time of first space explorations when there was talk about making settlements in space. There was a lot of money being spent and there was a debate about how such money can be spent for space exploration when at the same time there is so much poverty right here on earth. Thus, you what are bent upon going to space and making settlements there, please tell me what you have to say about my destitution.
6
baa’as1-e sehat2-e biimaar3 karam4 un ka hai
baa’z5 kahte haiN dava, baa’z dua kahte haiN 1.basis, reason 2.wellness 3.sick (of love) 4.kindness 5.some, a few
The poet/lover has been in pain/is sick because the beloved has been indifferent to him. But for some reason she has begun to show kindness and his health has improved. Some say it is due to medication, others say it is due to prayer … but he knows the truth.
7
is jasaarat1 ka to shaa’ed2 hi koii chaara3 ho
aap karte haiN, zamaane4 ki hava5 kahte haiN 1.boldness, daring 2.perhaps 3.cure 4.times-as in ‘modern times’ 5.trend, fashion
The beloved has been cruel to the poet/lover and boldly says, “this is the trend of the times – everyone does it”. Perhaps there is no cure of this defiant position.
8
ye samajhna hai abhi tum ko zaki1 duniya meN
baat kya hoti hai, sub log use kya kahte haiN 1.pen-name of the poet
O, zaki, you still have to understand the difference between what actually happens and what people say about it.
daamodar Thaakur zaki (1903-1976), hyderabad, telaNgana. Born in a small village, koRaNgal, in a largely telugu speaking area, he learnt urdu, faarsi and hindi at home and successfully completed munshi faazil exam. He started composing at the age of 12. He worked in the education department. He had given his suKhan to a scribe for publication, but it got lost during the 1948 police action. His well-wishers formed a society which arranged the publication of his first book in 1966. This Ghazal is in the zamin of Ghalib’s – ‘qibla-numa kahte haiN’.
1
na-ravaa1 aur rava2, sub ko ravaa2 kahte haiN
kuchh Khabar3 bhi hai huzoor4, aap ye kya kahte haiN
1.unacceptable, incorrect 2.acceptable, right 3.awareness 4.honorific like ‘your ladyship’, meant here for the beloved
The beloved has been cruel and nasty to the poet/lover. When he complains, she simply states that her behaviour is acceptable and correct. Are you even aware, your ladyship, what you are saying!
2
ek hi nuqte1 pe ab aaye Khirad2 aur junooN3
haal4 aisa hai keh hum sub ko Khuda kahte haiN
1.point, focus, conclusion 2.reason 3.passion 4.condition
There has been/is an ongoing debate on whether reason is sufficient or if you need passion/love to understand god/spirituality. After an endless debate both reason and passion have come to the same conclusion (at least for the poet). His condition is such that he sees god in everyone/everything.
3
ek naii aur jafaa1, naam jafaa ka badla
turfa2 ye hai keh ise hum vafaa3 kahte haiN
1.injustice, cruelty 2.amazement 3.fidelity, steadfast in love
One possibility is that the poet/lover is talking about the beloved. She has been cruel to him all along. On top of it is a new cruelty – she has simply changed the name of her injustice towards him. It is amazing that she now calls it fidelity/reciprocating love. The other possibility is that the poet is talking about poetic tradition. It is amazing that this tradition values the beloved’s cruelty so highly that it is happy that she cares enough to be cruel.
4
jitne log aa’e haiN TooTi hui turbat1 pe meri
sub ke sub is ko vafaaoN2 ka silaa3 kahte haiN
1.grave 2.faith, fidelity 3.compensation, reward
The poet/lover has been steadfast in his love all his life. Now he is dead and buried and friends come to visit his grave which is in a neglected/broken condition. This is the reward you get for being faithful in love – they all say.
5
chaand taaroN ko basaa1 dene pe tulne2 vaalo
meri barbaadi3 pe farmaaiye4 kya kahta haiN
1.inhabit, settle 2.bent upon 3.used here to mean-destitution 4.speak, say
This is probably around the time of first space explorations when there was talk about making settlements in space. There was a lot of money being spent and there was a debate about how such money can be spent for space exploration when at the same time there is so much poverty right here on earth. Thus, you what are bent upon going to space and making settlements there, please tell me what you have to say about my destitution.
6
baa’as1-e sehat2-e biimaar3 karam4 un ka hai
baa’z5 kahte haiN dava, baa’z dua kahte haiN
1.basis, reason 2.wellness 3.sick (of love) 4.kindness 5.some, a few
The poet/lover has been in pain/is sick because the beloved has been indifferent to him. But for some reason she has begun to show kindness and his health has improved. Some say it is due to medication, others say it is due to prayer … but he knows the truth.
7
is jasaarat1 ka to shaa’ed2 hi koii chaara3 ho
aap karte haiN, zamaane4 ki hava5 kahte haiN
1.boldness, daring 2.perhaps 3.cure 4.times-as in ‘modern times’ 5.trend, fashion
The beloved has been cruel to the poet/lover and boldly says, “this is the trend of the times – everyone does it”. Perhaps there is no cure of this defiant position.
8
ye samajhna hai abhi tum ko zaki1 duniya meN
baat kya hoti hai, sub log use kya kahte haiN
1.pen-name of the poet
O, zaki, you still have to understand the difference between what actually happens and what people say about it.
