For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
زوالِ بشر کو میں ۔ ہیرا لال فلکؔ دہلوی
۱
دنیا کو روؤں یا دلِ عشرت اثر کو میں
لایا کہاں ہوں زندگی مختصر کو میں
۲
دل سے اُٹھا نہ روح سے بارِ غمِ حیات
اشکوں میں تولتا رہا شام و سحر کو میں
۳
رہبر کی جستجو کبھی آرام کی طلب
کرتا رہا طویل رہِ مختصر کو میں
۴
ناکام حسرتو میری ہمّت کی داد دو
آباد کر کے بیٹھا ہوں برباد گھر کو میں
۵
نجم و قمر بھی پا نہ سکیں گے میرا مقام
چھوڑوں گا راستے میں ہر اِک ہم سفر کو میں
۶
شاخوں میں آگ لگتی رہی گُل جُھلس گئے
چپ چاپ دیکھتا رہا برق و شرر کو میں
۷
میں بھی بشر ہوں مجھ سے یہ پوچھے کوئی فلکؔ
کس دل سے دیکھتا ہوں زوالِ بشر کو میں
ज़वाल-ए बशर को मैं – हीरा लाल फ़लक देहलवी
१
दुनिया को रोऊं या दिल-ए इश्रत असर को मैं
लाया कहां हुं ज़िंदगी-ए मुख़्तसर को मैं
२
दिल से उठा न रूह से बार-ए ग़म-ए हयात
अश्कौं में तोलता रहा शाम ओ सहर को मैं
३
रहबर कि जुस्तजू कभी आराम की तलब
करता रहा तवील रह-ए मुख़्तसर को मैं
४
नाकाम हस्रतो मेरी हिम्मत कि दाद दो
आबाद कर के बैठा हुं बरबाद घर को मैं
५
नज्म ओ क़मर भी पा न सकेंगे मेरा मक़ाम
छोढूंगा रास्ते में हर एक हमसफ़र को मैं
६
शाख़ौं में आग लगती रही गुल झुलस गये
चुप चाप देखता रहा बर्क़ ओ शरर को मैं
७
मैं भी बशर हुं मुझ से ये पूछे कभी कोई
किस दिल से देखता हुं ज़वाल-ए बशर को मैं
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. heera lal falak dehlavi (1920?-1982+?). I can only make an educated guess about his birth and death. A collection of his Ghazal was published posthumously in 1982 by his shaagird. The book mentions beKhud dehlavi (1863-1955) as his ‘inspirational ustaad’ and dedicates it to him. He was a minor official in the dehli court system. In the book he describes his encounter with beKhud dehlavi when he (falak) was still a young man. The book says that he started composing in 1940. He has several Ghazal composed in the zamin of Ghalib, this one in the zamin of ‘har ek se poochhta huN keh jaauN kidhar ko maiN’.
1
duniya ko ro’uN ya dil-e ishrat1 asar2 ko maiN
laaya kahaaN huN zindagi-e muKhtasar3 ko maiN 1.comfort, pleasure 2.affected by, impressed by 3.brief
The poet faces a classic dilemma – should he write/wail about his own desires (pleasure seeking) or should he cry about the problems of the world. Why have I brought my life to this stage even as my life span is so short. He is wasting his life in this useless struggle.
2
dil se uTha na rooh se baar1-e Gham-e hayaat2
ashkoN3 meN tolta4 raha shaam-o-sahar5 ko maiN 1.burden 2.life 3.tears 4.weight, evaluate 5.night and day
Neither his heart nor his soul could bear the burden of the sorrow of life. He has spent his night and day crying and all he has to show for it is his tears. He evaulates his day and night in the weight of the tears he sheds during this time.
3
rahbar1 ki justaju2 kabhi aaraam ki talab3
karta raha taveel4 rah5-e muKhtasar6 ko maiN 1.guide 2.search 3.demand, desire 4.prolong 5.path 6.brief, short
I spend some time looking for a guide and some time desiring comfort. I have unnecessarily made the path longer than it should be i.e., I should have set off on the path to my destination without worrying about someone to guide me, and without taking any rest.
4
naakaam1 hasrato2 meri himmat3 ki daad4 do
aabaad5 kar ke baiTha huN barbaad6 ghar ko maiN 1.failed, unsuccessful 2.desires 3.courage 4.praise 5.flourishing, prosperous 6.desolate
The poet’s house i.e., his heart was destroyed/sorrowful because of his unfulfilled desires. O, unfulfilled desires, praise/admire my courage. I have not rested until I overcame the desolation of my heart and made it happy/prosperous. He leaves us to guess how he managed to do that.
5
najm-o-qamar1 bhi paa2 na sakeNge mera maqaam3
chhoRuNga raaste meN har ek hamsafar4 ko maiN 1.stars and moon 2.achieve, reach 3.place, status 4.fellow seeker
Even the moon and stars will not be able to catch up with me. I will leave behind every fellow seeker and reach beyond the stars.
6
shaaKhoN1 meN aag lagti rahi gul2 jhulas3 gaye
chup-chaap4 dekhta raha barq-o-sharar5 ko maiN 1.branches 2.flowers 3.singed, burned 4.silently, helplessly 5.lightning and spark
Lightning struck and burned down the garden. All the poet could do was watch helplessly as branches caught fire and flowers were singed.
7
maiN bhi bashar1 huN mujh se ye poochhe kabhi koii
kis dil se dekhta huN zavaal2-e bashar1 ko maiN 1.human 2.downfall
The poet looks around and sees deterioration of culture of communal harmony. He considers it the downfall of humanity. Thus, I too am human, someone ask me how I have borne this downfall.
heera lal falak dehlavi (1920?-1982+?). I can only make an educated guess about his birth and death. A collection of his Ghazal was published posthumously in 1982 by his shaagird. The book mentions beKhud dehlavi (1863-1955) as his ‘inspirational ustaad’ and dedicates it to him. He was a minor official in the dehli court system. In the book he describes his encounter with beKhud dehlavi when he (falak) was still a young man. The book says that he started composing in 1940. He has several Ghazal composed in the zamin of Ghalib, this one in the zamin of ‘har ek se poochhta huN keh jaauN kidhar ko maiN’.
1
duniya ko ro’uN ya dil-e ishrat1 asar2 ko maiN
laaya kahaaN huN zindagi-e muKhtasar3 ko maiN
1.comfort, pleasure 2.affected by, impressed by 3.brief
The poet faces a classic dilemma – should he write/wail about his own desires (pleasure seeking) or should he cry about the problems of the world. Why have I brought my life to this stage even as my life span is so short. He is wasting his life in this useless struggle.
2
dil se uTha na rooh se baar1-e Gham-e hayaat2
ashkoN3 meN tolta4 raha shaam-o-sahar5 ko maiN
1.burden 2.life 3.tears 4.weight, evaluate 5.night and day
Neither his heart nor his soul could bear the burden of the sorrow of life. He has spent his night and day crying and all he has to show for it is his tears. He evaulates his day and night in the weight of the tears he sheds during this time.
3
rahbar1 ki justaju2 kabhi aaraam ki talab3
karta raha taveel4 rah5-e muKhtasar6 ko maiN
1.guide 2.search 3.demand, desire 4.prolong 5.path 6.brief, short
I spend some time looking for a guide and some time desiring comfort. I have unnecessarily made the path longer than it should be i.e., I should have set off on the path to my destination without worrying about someone to guide me, and without taking any rest.
4
naakaam1 hasrato2 meri himmat3 ki daad4 do
aabaad5 kar ke baiTha huN barbaad6 ghar ko maiN
1.failed, unsuccessful 2.desires 3.courage 4.praise 5.flourishing, prosperous 6.desolate
The poet’s house i.e., his heart was destroyed/sorrowful because of his unfulfilled desires. O, unfulfilled desires, praise/admire my courage. I have not rested until I overcame the desolation of my heart and made it happy/prosperous. He leaves us to guess how he managed to do that.
5
najm-o-qamar1 bhi paa2 na sakeNge mera maqaam3
chhoRuNga raaste meN har ek hamsafar4 ko maiN
1.stars and moon 2.achieve, reach 3.place, status 4.fellow seeker
Even the moon and stars will not be able to catch up with me. I will leave behind every fellow seeker and reach beyond the stars.
6
shaaKhoN1 meN aag lagti rahi gul2 jhulas3 gaye
chup-chaap4 dekhta raha barq-o-sharar5 ko maiN
1.branches 2.flowers 3.singed, burned 4.silently, helplessly 5.lightning and spark
Lightning struck and burned down the garden. All the poet could do was watch helplessly as branches caught fire and flowers were singed.
7
maiN bhi bashar1 huN mujh se ye poochhe kabhi koii
kis dil se dekhta huN zavaal2-e bashar1 ko maiN
1.human 2.downfall
The poet looks around and sees deterioration of culture of communal harmony. He considers it the downfall of humanity. Thus, I too am human, someone ask me how I have borne this downfall.
