For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
زندگی ہے جو ہے اضطراب میں ۔ اصغر حسین اصغرؔ گونڈوی
۱
موجوں کا عکس ہے خطِ جامِ شراب میں
یا خون اُچھل رہا ہے رگِ ماہتاب میں
۲
کیوں شکوہ سنجِ گردشِ لیل و نہار ہوں
اِک تازہ زندگی ہے ہر اِک اِنقلاب میں
۳
وہ موت کہ کہتے ہیں جس کو سکُون سب
وہ عین زندگی ہے جو ہے اِضطراب میں
۴
دوزخ بھی ایک جلوۂ فردوسِ حسن ہے
جو اس سے بے خبر ہے وہی ہے عذاب میں
۵
اُس دن بھی میری روح تھی محوِ نشاطِ دید
موسیٰ اُلجھ گئے تھے سوال و جواب میں
۶
میں اِضطرابِ شوق کہوں یا جمالِ دوست
اک برق ہے جو کوند رہی ہے نقاب میں
ज़िंदगी है जो है इज़्तेराब में – अस्ग़र हुसैन अस्ग़र गोंडवी
१
मौजों का अक्स है ख़त-ए जाम-ए शराब में
या ख़ून उछल रहा है रग-ए माहताब में
२
क्यूं शिक्वा संज-ए गर्दिश-ए लैल ओ नेहार हूं
एक ताज़ा ज़िंदगी है हर एक इन्क़लाब में
३
वो मौत, के कहते हैं जिस को सुकून सब
वो ऐन ज़िंदगी है जो है इज़्तेराब में
४
दोज़ख़ भी एक जल्वा-ए फ़िरदौस-ए हुस्न है
जो उस से बे-ख़बर है वही है अज़ाब में
५
उस दिन भी मेरी रूह थी महव-ए नशात-ए दीद
मूसा उलझ गए थे सवाल ओ जवाब में
६
मैं इज़्तेराब-ए शौक़ कहूँ या जमाल-ए दोस्त
एक बर्क़ है जो कौंद रही है नक़ाब में
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. asGhar husain asGhar gonDvi (1884-1936) from a family of limited means in gorakhpur, he learnt urdu, arabi, faarsi and English through personal effort. He has a philosophical sufiyaana bent. This is a particularly energetic Ghazal modeled after Ghalib’s “saaqi ne kuchh mila na diya ho sharaab meN”. Considering the poet’s life-span and historical and legacy events in Ghalib’s lifetime, I date this Ghazal to 1919 – marking fifty years after his death.
1
maujoN ka aks1 hai Khat2-e jaam3-e sharaab meN
yaa Khoon uchhal rahaa hai rag4-e maahtaab5 meN 1.image 2.line, rim 3.cup, goblet 4.vein 5.full moon
The poet creates an image of beauty and intense activity. The rim of goblet, brimming with wine, creates an image of waves. The “goblet” here is the earth itself and ocean waters are the wine. There are waves at the ‘rim’ i.e. shoreline. The moon and its attraction creates tides “uchhalta Khoon”. Thus, the earth and moon (all of creation) is throbbing with yearning for divine love.
2
kyuN shikva-sanj1-e gardish2-e lail-o-nehaar3 huN
ek taaza4 zindagi hai har ek inqelaab5 meN 1.expert complainer 2.daily struggle 3.day and night, life 4.fresh 5.revolution, change
Why should I constantly complain about life. It keeps moving and changing. There is a fresh life with every change/revolution.
3
vo maut, ke kahte haiN jis ko sukoon1 sab
vo ain2 zindagi hai jo hai izteraab3 meN 1.tranquility 2.centre, essence 3.restlessness, yearning
That which everyone calls tranquility/contentment is nothing but Death. That is the essence of life which lies in restlessness and yearning.
4
dozaKh bhi ek jalva1-e firdaus2-e husn3 hai
jo us se be-Khabar4 hai vahi hai azaab5 meN 1.manifestation, display 2.heaven 3.beauty 4.unaware 5.punishment
Even hell is a manifestation of the beauty/justice of heaven/god i.e. divine being. The one who is unaware/unaccepting of this is the one who will be punished i.e. if you accept the beauty/goodness of the justice of god, if you accept divine justice, if you are not in denial of reward and punishment, only then you are likely to be spared.
5
us din bhi meri rooh1 thi mahv2-e nishaat3-e diid4
moosa5 ulajh6 gaye the savaal o javaab meN 1.spirit 2.engrossed, absorbed in 3.pleasure 4.sighting 5.Moses 6.tangled up
This has reference to the story of Moses who is reported to have gone to the top of mount tuur and asked to see god. There was a conversation that ensued and Moses ended up seeing a flash of lightning and fainted. Even as Moses was tangled up in this back and forth, question and answer with god, the poet/sufi was tranquil – his spirit engrossed in the pleasure of seeing/experiencing (god), perhaps within himself.
6
maiN izteraab1-e shauq2 kahuN yaa jamaal3-e dost4
ek barq5 hai jo kauNdh6 rahi hai naqaab7 meN 1.restlessness 2.desire 3.glory 4.friend, beloved, divine beloved 5.lightning, brilliance 6.flashing 7.veil
At one level it is a romantic she’r describing the beauty of the earthly beloved. Whether I call it restlessness of deesire of the glory of the beloved – it is brilliance flashing/shining behind the veil. At another level it is divine beauty that is hidden from us, but has to be discovered and felt.
asGhar husain asGhar gonDvi (1884-1936) from a family of limited means in gorakhpur, he learnt urdu, arabi, faarsi and English through personal effort. He has a philosophical sufiyaana bent. This is a particularly energetic Ghazal modeled after Ghalib’s “saaqi ne kuchh mila na diya ho sharaab meN”. Considering the poet’s life-span and historical and legacy events in Ghalib’s lifetime, I date this Ghazal to 1919 – marking fifty years after his death.
1
maujoN ka aks1 hai Khat2-e jaam3-e sharaab meN
yaa Khoon uchhal rahaa hai rag4-e maahtaab5 meN
1.image 2.line, rim 3.cup, goblet 4.vein 5.full moon
The poet creates an image of beauty and intense activity. The rim of goblet, brimming with wine, creates an image of waves. The “goblet” here is the earth itself and ocean waters are the wine. There are waves at the ‘rim’ i.e. shoreline. The moon and its attraction creates tides “uchhalta Khoon”. Thus, the earth and moon (all of creation) is throbbing with yearning for divine love.
2
kyuN shikva-sanj1-e gardish2-e lail-o-nehaar3 huN
ek taaza4 zindagi hai har ek inqelaab5 meN
1.expert complainer 2.daily struggle 3.day and night, life 4.fresh 5.revolution, change
Why should I constantly complain about life. It keeps moving and changing. There is a fresh life with every change/revolution.
3
vo maut, ke kahte haiN jis ko sukoon1 sab
vo ain2 zindagi hai jo hai izteraab3 meN
1.tranquility 2.centre, essence 3.restlessness, yearning
That which everyone calls tranquility/contentment is nothing but Death. That is the essence of life which lies in restlessness and yearning.
4
dozaKh bhi ek jalva1-e firdaus2-e husn3 hai
jo us se be-Khabar4 hai vahi hai azaab5 meN
1.manifestation, display 2.heaven 3.beauty 4.unaware 5.punishment
Even hell is a manifestation of the beauty/justice of heaven/god i.e. divine being. The one who is unaware/unaccepting of this is the one who will be punished i.e. if you accept the beauty/goodness of the justice of god, if you accept divine justice, if you are not in denial of reward and punishment, only then you are likely to be spared.
5
us din bhi meri rooh1 thi mahv2-e nishaat3-e diid4
moosa5 ulajh6 gaye the savaal o javaab meN
1.spirit 2.engrossed, absorbed in 3.pleasure 4.sighting 5.Moses 6.tangled up
This has reference to the story of Moses who is reported to have gone to the top of mount tuur and asked to see god. There was a conversation that ensued and Moses ended up seeing a flash of lightning and fainted. Even as Moses was tangled up in this back and forth, question and answer with god, the poet/sufi was tranquil – his spirit engrossed in the pleasure of seeing/experiencing (god), perhaps within himself.
6
maiN izteraab1-e shauq2 kahuN yaa jamaal3-e dost4
ek barq5 hai jo kauNdh6 rahi hai naqaab7 meN
1.restlessness 2.desire 3.glory 4.friend, beloved, divine beloved 5.lightning, brilliance 6.flashing 7.veil
At one level it is a romantic she’r describing the beauty of the earthly beloved. Whether I call it restlessness of deesire of the glory of the beloved – it is brilliance flashing/shining behind the veil. At another level it is divine beauty that is hidden from us, but has to be discovered and felt.
