For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the “Roman” or “Notes” tab.
Recitation
زندانی گیسوئے جمیل ۔ اسرار الحق مجازؔ
۱
نہ ہم آہنگِ مسیحا نہ حریفِ جبریل
تیرا شاعر کہ ہے زندانیِ گیسوئے جمیل
۲
کس کی آنکھوں میں یہ غلطاں ہے جوانی کی شراب
کھول دی آہ یہ کس نے مئے گلگوں کی سبیل
۳
کس طرف جائے کہاں جائے بتا دو کوئی
زلفِ پُر خم کا گرفتار نگاہوں کا قتیل
۴
عالمِ یاس میں کیا چیز ہے اک ساغرِ مے
دشتِ ظلمات میں جس طرح خضر کی قندیل
۵
کتنی دشوار ہے پیرانِ حرم کی منزل
اِس طرف فتنۂ ابلیس اُدھر ربّ جلیل
۶
اُف یہ طوفانِ نشاط اور مری طبعِ حزیں
آہ یہ یورشِ ناز اور میں مجروح و علیل
۷
آہ وہ ہوش کا عالم وہ غموں کا طوفاں
اُف یہ مستی کہ ہے پھر ہوش میں آنے کی دلیل
ज़िंदानी-ए गेसू-ए जमील – अस्रार-उल-हक़ मजाज़
१
न हम-आहंग-ए मसीहा न हरीफ़-ए जिब्रील
तेरा शा’एर के है ज़िंदानी-ए गेसू-ए जमील
२
किस की आँखों में ये ग़ल्ताँ है जवानी की शराब
खोल दी आह ये किस ने मय-ए गुल-गूँ की सबील
३
किस तरफ़ जाए कहाँ जाए बता दो कोई
ज़ुल्फ़-ए पुर-ख़म का गिरफ़्तार निगाहों का क़तील
४
आलम-ए यास में क्या चीज़ है एक साग़र-ए मय
दश्त-ए ज़ुल्मात में जिस तरह ख़िज़र की क़िंदील
५
कितनी दुश्वार है पीरान-ए हरम की मंज़िल
इस तरफ़ फ़ित्ना-ए इब्लीस उधर रब्ब-ए जलील
६
उफ़ ये तूफ़ान-ए नशात और मेरी तब’अ-ए हज़ीं
आह ये यूरिश-ए नाज़ और मैं मज्रूह ओ अलील
७
आह वो होश का आलम वो ग़मों का तूफ़ाँ
उफ़ ये मस्ती के है फिर होश में आने की दलील
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. asrar-ul haq majaz (1911-1955) was progressive as well as romantic poet, a heartthrob. He received his BA from aligaRh after interruptions in earlier schooling. He developed close relationships with progressives and was a major force in the Progressive Writers’ Association. He lived in aligaRh, dehli and lucknow working for radio stations, editing magazines on and off but with no steady income. He met with a rather tragic end at the young age of 44. This Ghazal has echoes of faiz’s ‘mauzuu-e suKhan’, the theme of poetry in which he (and here majaz) admits to the repeated attraction of the beauty of the beloved, which calls them back to write about that theme. One big difference is that while faiz writes about the call of the beloved, majaz also has a heavy dose of his liking for wine.
1
na hum-aahaNg1-e masiha2 na harif3-e jibril4
tera shaa’er keh hai zindaani5-e gesu6-e jamil7 1.in tune with, in consonance with 2.healer, Jesus Christ 3.rivalling, equal to 4.archangel Gabriel, messenger sent by god to prophets 5.prisoner 6.hair 7.beautiful, glorious
The poet/lover admits that he is neither an equal of jibril i.e. that he can be an instrument in bringing divine messages, nor is he in consonance with Christ, that he may cure the ills of the stricken, or raise the dead back to life. He admits to being a prisoner of the beauty of the beautiful hair of the beloved.
2
kis ki aaNkhoN meN ye GhaltaaN1 hai javaani ki sharaab
khol di aah ye kis ne mai2-e gul-guN3 ki sabiil4 1.flooded, overflowing 2.wine 3.flower coloured, red 4.water station – usually in moharram to serve water to mourners, here serving wine freely
Whose eyes are these that are overflowing with the wine of youth. Who is it that has opened up a station to offer red wine generously. Of course, the beloved.
3
kis taraf1 jaaye kahaaN jaaye bata do koi
zulf2-e pur-Kham3 ka giraftaar4 nigaahoN5 ka qatiil6 1.direction 2.hair 3.curly 4.prisoner 5.eyes 6.killed by, prey of
Someone tell me, which way shall I turn, where shall I go. I am a prisoner of those curly hair, a prey of those beautiful eyes.
4
aalam1-e yaas2 meN kya chiiz hai ek saGhar3-e mai4
dasht5-e zulmaat6 meN jis tarah Khizar7 ki qindiil8 1.condition 2.yearning 3.cup 4.wine 5.desert, wilderness 6.darkness 7.legendary old man, guide 8.lamp
Khizar/Khizr is a legendary old man mentioned in the Bible and the qur’aan. He has had a drink of the fountain of life and thus is immortal. He has wandered all over the earth and knows all paths, thus is a guide for lost travelers. Thus, in his condition of yearning/longing the poet finds that the cup of wine is like the guiding light of Khizr in the darkness of the unfamiliar wilderness.
5
kitni dushvaar1 hai piiraan2-e haram3 ki manzil4
is taraf5 fitna6-e ibliis7 udhar rabb-e-jalil8 1.difficult 2.elders 3.mosque 4.destination, goal 5.side 6.mischief 7.satan 8.majestic lord, god
Oh, how difficult the path of the elders of the mosque (preachers). On one side is the mischief of satan, offering temptations and on the other side are the strictures of god. The poet is caught between the two.
6
uf ye tufaan1-e nashaat2 aur meri tab’a3-e haziiN4
aah ye yurish5-e naaz6 aur maiN majruuh7 o aliil8 1.storm 2.joy, ecstacy 3.nature, habit 4.sorrowful 5.assault, attack 6.coquetry 7.broken, wounded 8.sick
The storm of ecstacy could well be the intoxication of wine. The poet/lover is sad/sorrowful and he cannot withstand the temptation offered by the ‘storm of ecstacy’. Neither can he resist the assault of the beloved’s coquetry, especially when he is weak and wounded.
7
aah wo hosh1 ka aalam2 vo GhamoN ka tufaaN3
uf ye masti4 keh hai phir hosh1 meN aane ki daliil5 1.awareness, sobriety 2.condition 3.storm 4.intoxication 5.argument, reason, logic
Alas, when the poet is sober, he is in a storm of sorrow (so he wants to forget it in a bout of drinking and intoxication). But then, when he is intoxicated/drunk he is so miserable that it becomes the reason to become sober again. Thus, he swings between a rock and a hard place.
asrar-ul haq majaz (1911-1955) was progressive as well as romantic poet, a heartthrob. He received his BA from aligaRh after interruptions in earlier schooling. He developed close relationships with progressives and was a major force in the Progressive Writers’ Association. He lived in aligaRh, dehli and lucknow working for radio stations, editing magazines on and off but with no steady income. He met with a rather tragic end at the young age of 44. This Ghazal has echoes of faiz’s ‘mauzuu-e suKhan’, the theme of poetry in which he (and here majaz) admits to the repeated attraction of the beauty of the beloved, which calls them back to write about that theme. One big difference is that while faiz writes about the call of the beloved, majaz also has a heavy dose of his liking for wine.
1
na hum-aahaNg1-e masiha2 na harif3-e jibril4
tera shaa’er keh hai zindaani5-e gesu6-e jamil7
1.in tune with, in consonance with 2.healer, Jesus Christ 3.rivalling, equal to 4.archangel Gabriel, messenger sent by god to prophets 5.prisoner 6.hair 7.beautiful, glorious
The poet/lover admits that he is neither an equal of jibril i.e. that he can be an instrument in bringing divine messages, nor is he in consonance with Christ, that he may cure the ills of the stricken, or raise the dead back to life. He admits to being a prisoner of the beauty of the beautiful hair of the beloved.
2
kis ki aaNkhoN meN ye GhaltaaN1 hai javaani ki sharaab
khol di aah ye kis ne mai2-e gul-guN3 ki sabiil4
1.flooded, overflowing 2.wine 3.flower coloured, red 4.water station – usually in moharram to serve water to mourners, here serving wine freely
Whose eyes are these that are overflowing with the wine of youth. Who is it that has opened up a station to offer red wine generously. Of course, the beloved.
3
kis taraf1 jaaye kahaaN jaaye bata do koi
zulf2-e pur-Kham3 ka giraftaar4 nigaahoN5 ka qatiil6
1.direction 2.hair 3.curly 4.prisoner 5.eyes 6.killed by, prey of
Someone tell me, which way shall I turn, where shall I go. I am a prisoner of those curly hair, a prey of those beautiful eyes.
4
aalam1-e yaas2 meN kya chiiz hai ek saGhar3-e mai4
dasht5-e zulmaat6 meN jis tarah Khizar7 ki qindiil8
1.condition 2.yearning 3.cup 4.wine 5.desert, wilderness 6.darkness 7.legendary old man, guide 8.lamp
Khizar/Khizr is a legendary old man mentioned in the Bible and the qur’aan. He has had a drink of the fountain of life and thus is immortal. He has wandered all over the earth and knows all paths, thus is a guide for lost travelers. Thus, in his condition of yearning/longing the poet finds that the cup of wine is like the guiding light of Khizr in the darkness of the unfamiliar wilderness.
5
kitni dushvaar1 hai piiraan2-e haram3 ki manzil4
is taraf5 fitna6-e ibliis7 udhar rabb-e-jalil8
1.difficult 2.elders 3.mosque 4.destination, goal 5.side 6.mischief 7.satan 8.majestic lord, god
Oh, how difficult the path of the elders of the mosque (preachers). On one side is the mischief of satan, offering temptations and on the other side are the strictures of god. The poet is caught between the two.
6
uf ye tufaan1-e nashaat2 aur meri tab’a3-e haziiN4
aah ye yurish5-e naaz6 aur maiN majruuh7 o aliil8
1.storm 2.joy, ecstacy 3.nature, habit 4.sorrowful 5.assault, attack 6.coquetry 7.broken, wounded 8.sick
The storm of ecstacy could well be the intoxication of wine. The poet/lover is sad/sorrowful and he cannot withstand the temptation offered by the ‘storm of ecstacy’. Neither can he resist the assault of the beloved’s coquetry, especially when he is weak and wounded.
7
aah wo hosh1 ka aalam2 vo GhamoN ka tufaaN3
uf ye masti4 keh hai phir hosh1 meN aane ki daliil5
1.awareness, sobriety 2.condition 3.storm 4.intoxication 5.argument, reason, logic
Alas, when the poet is sober, he is in a storm of sorrow (so he wants to forget it in a bout of drinking and intoxication). But then, when he is intoxicated/drunk he is so miserable that it becomes the reason to become sober again. Thus, he swings between a rock and a hard place.
