For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.

https://urdushahkar.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/haa-aashiqaana-kya-audio.mp3

Recitation

https://urdushahkar.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/haa-aashiqaana-kya-begum-aKhtar.mp3

begum aKhtar

عاشقانہ  کیا  ۔  حیدر  علی  آتشؔ

۱

کیا  کیا  اُلجھتا  ہے  تری  زلفوں  کے  تار  سے

زیرِ  زمیں  سے  آتا  ہے  جو  گُل  سو  زر  بکف

اُڑتا  ہے  شوقِ  راحتِ  منزل  سے  اسپِ  عمر

زینہ  صبا  کا  ڈھونڈتی  ہے  اپنی  مُشتِ  خاک

چاروں  طرف  سے  صورتِ  جاناں  ہو  جلوہ  گر

صیّاد  اسیرِ  دامِ  رگِ  گُل  ہے  عندلیب

طبل  و  علم  ہی  پاس  ہے  اپنے  نہ  ملک  و  مال

آتی  ہے  کس  طرح  سے  مرے  قبضِ  روح  کو

ہوتا  ہے  زرد  سُن  کے  جو  نامرد  مُدّعی

تِرچھی  نگہ  سے  طائرِ  دل  ہو  چُکا  شِکار

صیّاد  گُل  عذار  دکھاتا  ہے  سیرِ  باغ

بیتاب  ہے  کمال  ہمارا  دلِ  حزیں

یُوں  مُدّعی  حسد  سے  نہ  دے  داد  تو  نہ  دے

आशिक़ाना क्या – हैदर अली आतिश

सुन तो सही जहाँ में है तेरा फ़साना क्या

क्या क्या उलझता है तेरी ज़ुल्फ़ों के तार से

ज़ेर-ए ज़मीं से आता है जो गुल सो ज़र-ब-कफ़

उढता है शौक़-ए राहत-ए मंज़िल से अस्प-ए उम्र

ज़ीना सबा का ढूँडती है अपनी मुश्त-ए ख़ाक

चारों तरफ़ से सूरत-ए जानाँ हो जल्वा-गर

दिल साफ़ हो तेरा तो है आईना-ख़ाना क्या

सय्याद असीर-ए दाम-ए रग-ए गुल है अंदलीब

तब्ल-ओ-अलम ही पास है अपने न मुल्क ओ माल

आती है किस तरह से मेरे क़ब्ज़-ए रूह को

होता है ज़र्द सुन के जो नामर्द मुद्द’ई

तिर्छी निगह से ता’एर-ए दिल हो चुका शिकार

सय्याद-ए गुल-अज़ार दिखाता है सैर-ए बाग़

बेताब है कमाल हमारा दिल-ए हज़ीं

यूँ मुद्द’ई हसद से न दे दाद तो न दे

Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. Khwaaja haider ali aatish (1777-1847), born faizabad, sufi family, disciple of mus’hafi and wrote both in faarsi and urdu. aatish wrote more explicitly than most about the pleasures of flesh. Refused all patronage because he wanted to be independent. He was about 20 years Ghalib’s senior and a contemporary of imaam baKhsh naasiKh. They were known to be rivals in literary style.

Khwaaja haider ali aatish (1777-1847), born faizabad, sufi family, disciple of mus’hafi and wrote both in faarsi and urdu. aatish wrote more explicitly than most about the pleasures of flesh.  Refused all patronage because he wanted to be independent.  He was about 20 years Ghalib’s senior and a contemporary of imaam baKhsh naasiKh.  They were known to be rivals in literary style.

1.world 2.story 3.creatures of god 4.used here to mean-unbeknownst to you

Just listen to your story going around in the world, listen to what the people are say about you in your absence.  A straightforward reflection that people may say good things to your face, but what they really think comes out of your earshot.

1.entangled 2.hair 3.stands 4.demanding/desiring to be stitched 5.bosom 6.hundred tears 7.comb

shaana is comb in faarsi.  The poet characterises it as something with a hundred tears in its bosom.  It desires that its tears be stitched; that is why it tangles with the strands of the beloved’s hair.  Strands of hair are like threads for stitching.

1.under 2.rose, flowers 3.gold in hand 4.Croesus, legendary selfish man who accumulated huge wealth 5.squander, give away 6.treasure

Legend says that qaaruun/Croesus accumulated so much wealth/gold that it sank deep into the earth because of its own weight.  The poet thinks that every flower that rises out of the depths of the earth carries gold dust (pollen) in its hand.  Look at the treasure that qaaruun is giving away, he says.

1.desire 2.comfort 3.destination 4.horse, steed 5.life 6.spur at the stirrup 7.old form of haiN 8.whip

The destination of the steed of life is the next world.  In the desire to reach it, it is flying without being spurred or whipped.  The rider does not even know what a spur or whip is.  The steed of life flies on its own.  Said Ghalib …

1.stairs 2.breeze 3.fistful 4.dust 5.rooftop 6.high 7.beloved 8.threshold

The lover is dead and buries and reduced to dust.  His fistful of dust is searching for ‘stairs of the breeze’ i.e., it is look for the breeze to blow it up high, to take it up the stairs.  Why is it doing that.  Because it wants to be deposited and the threshold of the beloved so it can ‘kiss’/touch the beloved’s feet.  The poet muses … is the threshold of the beloved on a high rooftop.

1.directions 2.image, reflection 3.beloved, divine 4.manifest, displaying glory 5.pure 6.house of mirrors

This suggests that god is every where and divine glory is reflected in everything, in every direction.  If the heart is pure, then you can see it everywhere, why do you need an aa’iina-Khaana – a house of mirrors.

1.hunter, birdcatcher 2.captive 3.net 4.veins 5.rose 6.bulbul, nightingale 7.seeds, grain

In urdu poetic tradition the gul and the bulbul are lovers.  Thus, the bulbul/andaliib is already a captive in the net of the veins of the rose.  Why is it necessary for you, O birdcatcher to spread a hidden net with grain/seeds to catch the bulbul.  This may be an expression of empathy for the lover … the bulbul is already a captive of love, leave it alone.

1.drum and banner 2.country/kingdom and wealth 3.opposed 4.the times, the world

I have neither drum and banner (pomp and glory) nor do I have any kingdom or wealth.  What would the world gain by opposing me.  Said Ghalib …

1.way, method 2.capture, extract 3.soul 4.death 5.excuse, fake reason

Which way will death come to extract my soul, let me see what excuse it finds for this.

1.pale, fearful 2.coward, unmanly 3.claimant, opponent 4.legendary acient Persian warrior 5.story 6.legend

rustam was a legendary warrior so feared that no one would agree to combat him.  He therefore entered combat incognito but just before the last strike he would shout out his own name … striking fear in the opponent who would go pale and drop down.  aatish and naasiKh were known to be intense rivals in the literary and artistic sense (not personal).  It was common for rival poets to take jabs at each other during a mushaa’era.  This appears to be such a jab … why does my opponent turn pale upon hearing this.  Is my story like the legend of rustam.

1.slanted, sidelong 2.glance 3.bird 4.hunted, prey 5.crooked, hooked 6.target, aimed

The beloved casts sidelong glances at her lovers.  These pierce the heart and go through to the liver.  If the heart is taken as as bird that has been struck by the arrow of her sidelong glance, then there is no chance that this bird will fly anywhere.  It has been nailed by the sidelong, hooked glance.

1.hunter, captor, birdcatcher 2.rosy-cheeked 3.scenery 4.cage 5.nest

In urdu poetic tradition the lover is often portrayed as a bird and is captured by the beloved, portrayed as the birdcatcher.  Here he has been captured and caged.  The rosy-cheeked captor is taking him in the cage to show him scenes of the garden.  Is it because he remembers/misses his nest!

1.restless 2.completely 3.melancholy, sorrowful 4.guest 5.rest-house 6.body 7.depart

The soul is a guest in the rest-house for the body in the journey of life.  The sorrowful heart is the equilvalent of the soul and is completely restless.  The poet asks – does this mean that the guest is about to depart; is the soul about to leave!

1.opponent, rival 2.envy 3.appreciation, praise 4.pen-name 5.love-lorn, romantic

We are back to the rivalry between aatish and naasiKh; the former known for his advocacy of emotional intensity and passion and the latter of technical precision and elegance.  What an emotional/romantic Ghazal you have read, O aatish.  What does it matter if the rival does not show any appreciation out of envy.

The post aashiqaana kya-haidar ali aatish appeared first on UrduShahkar.