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jo kahiiN mazaar hota-George Puech Jr. shor
For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
https://urdushahkar.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/GPsh-jo-kahiiN-mazaar-hota-audio.mp3
Recitation
جو کہیں مزار ہوتا ۔ جارج پیِش شورؔ
۱
میرے مرنے پر بھی راضی جو وہ ایک بار ہوتا
تو ہزار بار میں پھر معِ جاں نثار ہوتا
۲
کہیں کس سے بعد مُردن کہ صبا نے خاک اُڑا دی
وہ کبھی اُدھر تو آتا جو کہیں مزار ہوتا
۳
مرا بختِ بد تو دیکھو ہوا رنجِ یار اپنا
کوئی رازدار ہوتا کوئی دوست دار ہوتا
۴
جو وہ دل سے مانگتے تو میں یہ جاں بھی دل سے دیتا
کہ عذاب سے ہی چھٹتا انہیں اعتبار ہوتا
۵
مرا دل ٹھکانے مر کر تو لگا ہوا یہ بہتر
اگر اور بر میں رہتا تو یہ بے قرار ہوتا
۶
شبِ ہِجر میں نہ جیتا نہ خجِل میں اس سے رہتا
مری جانِ سخت پر گر مرا اختیار ہوتا
۷
مجھے بے کلی ہے ہر دم بہ طُفیلِ ہجرِ گُل رُو
نہ تو گل بدن پہ مرتا نہ یہ دل پہ خار ہوتا
۸
تیری چشم جس نے دیکھی ہوا مست اور بے خود
مرے ہوش کیا نہ جاتے جو نہ بادہ خوار ہوتا
۹
ترے جھوٹے وعدوں پر ہی یہ تمام عمر کاٹی
میں خوشی سے مر ہی جاتا کہ جو تو دوچار ہوتا
۱۰
یہ بڑھی ہوئی سفاہت یہ بتوں کی شورؔ چاہت
تجھے کہتے سب کرسچن جو خدا یار ہوتا
जो कहीं मज़ार होता – जॉर्ज पेइश शोर
१
मेरे मरने पर भी राज़ी जो वो एक बार होता
तो हज़ार बार मैं फिर म’-ए जाँ निसार होता
२
कहें किस से बाद-ए मुर्दन के सबा ने ख़ाक उढा दी
वो कभी उधर तो आता जो कहीं मज़ार होता
३
मेरा बख़्त-ए बद तो देखो हुआ रंज-ए यार अपना
कोई राज़्दार होता, कोई दोस्तदार होता
४
जो वो दिल से मांगते तो मैं ये जाँ भी दिल से देता
के अज़ाब से ही छुटता, उन्हें ए’तेबार होता
५
मेरा दिल ठिकाने मर कर तो लगा, हुआ ये बेहतर
अगर और बर में रहता तो ये बेक़रार होता
६
शब-ए हिज्र मैं न जीता, न ख़जिल मैं उस से रहता
मेरी जान-ए सख़्त पर गर मेरा एख़्तियार होता
७
मुझे बेकली है हर दम ब-तुफ़ैल-ए हिज्र-ए गुलरू
न तो गुलबदन पे मरता, न ये दिल पे ख़ार होता
८
तेरी चश्म जिसने देखी, हुआ मस्त और बेख़ुद
मेरे होश क्या न जाते, जो न बादा-ख़्वार होता
९
तेरे झूठे वादों पर ही ये तमाम उम्र काटी
मैं ख़ुशी से मर ही जाता, के जो तू दो-चार होता
१०
ये बढ़ी हुई सफ़ाहत, ये बुतों की शोर चाहत
तुझे कहते सब क्रिसचन, जो ख़ुदा-यार होता
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. George Puech shor (1823-1894). aligaRh, meeraTh and dehli. French and German descent from both grandfathers. Received education in urdu and faarsi at the insistence of his father. Six collections of Ghazal and a diary describing the events of 1857. He was well known in poetic circles including Ghalib, daaGh and tufta. Ghalib’s Ghazal – keh visaal-e yaar hota is dated 1847. George Puech would have been 24 at that time and it is possible that this Ghazal was read at the same mushaa’era, but more likely that it was composed in the style of Ghalib later.
1
mere marne par bhi raazi1 jo voh ek baar hota
to hazaar baar maiN phir ma’2-e jaaN3 nisaar4 hota 1.willing, agreeable 2.along with 3.life, soul 4.to sacrifice (used idiomatically)
If the beloved had been willing even once to let me die for her, I would have gladly sacrificed myself a thousand times along with life and soul in hand. The use of marne par bhi raazi implies that she did not agree even to this. The phrase ma’-e jaaN intensifies this surrender. It’s not just dying — it’s dying willingly, joyously, again and again, for the beloved. This trope of the lover begging for death at the beloved’s feet recurs often in classical urdu poetry but here, the tragedy is doubled: even this wish is unmet. The beloved’s indifference denies the lover even his romantic ideal of a noble death.
2
kaheN1 kis se baa’d-e murdan2 keh sabaa3 ne Khaak4 uRaa dii
voh kabhi udhar to aataa jo kahiiN mazaar5 hota 1.to say, to speak 2.after death 3.the breeze 4.dust i.e. disintegrated remains 5.grave
It is customary for the beloved to visit the dying lover on his death bed and/or visit his grave. But here it seems that the lover has been denied even that customary visit. The sh’er begins with a rhetorical cry: To whom should I even say (kaheN kis se) what happened after my death? The sabaa (breeze) has scattered the dust (Khaak uRaa dii) of the poet’s remains, making any remembrance impossible. The second misra delivers the emotional punch: the beloved might have passed by that way… if only there had been a mazaar. Said Ghalib …
hu’e mar ke ham jo rusvaa, hu’e kyuN na Gharq-e dariya
na kabhii janaaza uThta, na kahiiN mazaar hota
3
mera bakht-e-bad1 to dekho hu’aa ranj2-e yaar3 apnaa
ko’i raazdaar4 hota, ko’i dost-daar5 hota 1.misfortune, bad fate 2.grief, sorrow 3.beloved 4.confidant 5.friendly, affectionate
Look at my misfortune, the only friend/constant companion I have is the sorrow caused by the beloved’s cruelty (ranj-e yaar). He laments … if only I had a friend, a confidant, or someone to mediate or soften the beloved’s wrath.
4
jo voh dil se1 maaNgte to maiN ye jaaN bhi dil se detaa
keh a’zaab2 se hi chhuTtaa, unheN e’tebaar3 hota 1.from the bottom of the heart, sincerely 2.torment, suffering 3.trust, faith
If she had truly asked from the heart, I would’ve gladly given my life, and in doing so, I’d be free from this torment, and she would be reassured; she would trust that I was a sincere lover.
5
mera dil Thikaane1 mar kar to lagaa hu’aa ye behtar2
agar aur bar3 meN rahtaa to ye be-qaraar4 hota 1.place – Thikaane lagnaa to be settled in the right place 2.better 3.body 4.restless, agitated
The poet states only death could calm his heart; make it settle down; and that is good. If it had remained in the body for longer, it would have continued to be agitated. While living, his heart remained in turmoil, but once free from the body (bar), it finally found rest. This is a strong echo of classical sufi themes too; the heart finding peace only after worldly attachments are dissolved.
6
shab1-e hijr2 maiN na jitaa3, na Khajil4 maiN us se rahtaa
meri jaan-e-saKht5 par gar meraa eKhtiyaar6 hota 1.night of 2.separation 3.lived through 4.ashamed, embarrassed 5.difficult to kill, thick skinned 6.control, power
The supreme achievement for a classical lover is to die of the pain of love. But he seems to have lived through the night of separation as a result of which he is embarrassed before the beloved; his love is not sincere enough. This could not have happened if only he had control over his own life.
7
mujhe be-kali1 hai har dam2 ba-tufail3-e hijr4-e gul-ruu5
na to gul-badan6 pe martaa, na ye dil pe Khaar7 hota 1.restlessness, unease 2.every moment 3.because of, owing to 4.separation 5.rose-faced (beloved) 6.rose-bodied (beloved) 7.thorn
The poet/lover is restless every moment; all due to separation from the rose-faced and rose bodied beloved. But for the fact that he ‘dies’ for her he would not have suffered the pricks of a thorn in his heart. The juxtaposition of the thorm with the rose as a necessary companion is noteworthy.
8
teri chashm1 jis ne dekhi hu’aa mast2 aur be-Khud3
mere hosh4 kyaa na jaate jo na baada-Khwaar5 hota 1.eye 2.intoxicated 3.beside oneself, stunned 4.senses, awareness 5.wine-drinker
Even a glance at the beloved’s eyes is enough to make someone intoxicated and lose self-control; so would the poet not have lost his senses (hosh) even if he had not been a wine-drinker? Don’t blame me for drinking, getting intoxicated and losing my senses. This would have happened anyway with a single glance at the beloved.
9
tere jhuuThe1 vaa’doN2 par hii ye tamaam3 ‘umr4 kaaTi5
maiN Khushi se mar hi jaataa keh jo tuu do-chaar6 hota 1.false 2.promises 3.entire 4.life 5.spent 6.come face to face, eyes meet
The poet/lover spent his entire life on the false promises of the beloved. Would I not have died of joy, if ever I had come face to face with her! Said Ghalib …
ter’e vaa’de par jiye ham, tu yeh jaan jhooT jaana
keh Khushi se mar na jaate, agar e’tebaar hota
10
ye baRhi hu’i safaahat1, ye butoN2 ki shor3 chaahat4
tujhe kahte sab krischan5 jo Khudaa ka yaar hota 1.stupidity, foolishness 2.idols, metaphorically – unfeeling beloved 3.pen-name 4.desire, love 5.Christian 6.beloved of, lover of
This advancing stupidity (safaahat is perhaps used to mean senility) and love of idols (butoN ki chaahat), O shor! Everyone would have called you a good Christian if you had shown the same love for god.
George Puech shor (1823-1894). aligaRh, meeraTh and dehli. French and German descent from both grandfathers. Received education in urdu and faarsi at the insistence of his father. Six collections of Ghazal and a diary describing the events of 1857. He was well known in poetic circles including Ghalib, daaGh and tufta. Ghalib’s Ghazal – keh visaal-e yaar hota is dated 1847. George Puech would have been 24 at that time and it is possible that this Ghazal was read at the same mushaa’era, but more likely that it was composed in the style of Ghalib later.
1
mere marne par bhi raazi1 jo voh ek baar hota
to hazaar baar maiN phir ma’2-e jaaN3 nisaar4 hota
1.willing, agreeable 2.along with 3.life, soul 4.to sacrifice (used idiomatically)
If the beloved had been willing even once to let me die for her, I would have gladly sacrificed myself a thousand times along with life and soul in hand. The use of marne par bhi raazi implies that she did not agree even to this. The phrase ma’-e jaaN intensifies this surrender. It’s not just dying — it’s dying willingly, joyously, again and again, for the beloved. This trope of the lover begging for death at the beloved’s feet recurs often in classical urdu poetry but here, the tragedy is doubled: even this wish is unmet. The beloved’s indifference denies the lover even his romantic ideal of a noble death.
2
kaheN1 kis se baa’d-e murdan2 keh sabaa3 ne Khaak4 uRaa dii
voh kabhi udhar to aataa jo kahiiN mazaar5 hota
1.to say, to speak 2.after death 3.the breeze 4.dust i.e. disintegrated remains 5.grave
It is customary for the beloved to visit the dying lover on his death bed and/or visit his grave. But here it seems that the lover has been denied even that customary visit. The sh’er begins with a rhetorical cry: To whom should I even say (kaheN kis se) what happened after my death? The sabaa (breeze) has scattered the dust (Khaak uRaa dii) of the poet’s remains, making any remembrance impossible. The second misra delivers the emotional punch: the beloved might have passed by that way… if only there had been a mazaar. Said Ghalib …
hu’e mar ke ham jo rusvaa, hu’e kyuN na Gharq-e dariya
na kabhii janaaza uThta, na kahiiN mazaar hota
3
mera bakht-e-bad1 to dekho hu’aa ranj2-e yaar3 apnaa
ko’i raazdaar4 hota, ko’i dost-daar5 hota
1.misfortune, bad fate 2.grief, sorrow 3.beloved 4.confidant 5.friendly, affectionate
Look at my misfortune, the only friend/constant companion I have is the sorrow caused by the beloved’s cruelty (ranj-e yaar). He laments … if only I had a friend, a confidant, or someone to mediate or soften the beloved’s wrath.
4
jo voh dil se1 maaNgte to maiN ye jaaN bhi dil se detaa
keh a’zaab2 se hi chhuTtaa, unheN e’tebaar3 hota
1.from the bottom of the heart, sincerely 2.torment, suffering 3.trust, faith
If she had truly asked from the heart, I would’ve gladly given my life, and in doing so, I’d be free from this torment, and she would be reassured; she would trust that I was a sincere lover.
5
mera dil Thikaane1 mar kar to lagaa hu’aa ye behtar2
agar aur bar3 meN rahtaa to ye be-qaraar4 hota
1.place – Thikaane lagnaa to be settled in the right place 2.better 3.body 4.restless, agitated
The poet states only death could calm his heart; make it settle down; and that is good. If it had remained in the body for longer, it would have continued to be agitated. While living, his heart remained in turmoil, but once free from the body (bar), it finally found rest. This is a strong echo of classical sufi themes too; the heart finding peace only after worldly attachments are dissolved.
6
shab1-e hijr2 maiN na jitaa3, na Khajil4 maiN us se rahtaa
meri jaan-e-saKht5 par gar meraa eKhtiyaar6 hota
1.night of 2.separation 3.lived through 4.ashamed, embarrassed 5.difficult to kill, thick skinned 6.control, power
The supreme achievement for a classical lover is to die of the pain of love. But he seems to have lived through the night of separation as a result of which he is embarrassed before the beloved; his love is not sincere enough. This could not have happened if only he had control over his own life.
7
mujhe be-kali1 hai har dam2 ba-tufail3-e hijr4-e gul-ruu5
na to gul-badan6 pe martaa, na ye dil pe Khaar7 hota
1.restlessness, unease 2.every moment 3.because of, owing to 4.separation 5.rose-faced (beloved) 6.rose-bodied (beloved) 7.thorn
The poet/lover is restless every moment; all due to separation from the rose-faced and rose bodied beloved. But for the fact that he ‘dies’ for her he would not have suffered the pricks of a thorn in his heart. The juxtaposition of the thorm with the rose as a necessary companion is noteworthy.
8
teri chashm1 jis ne dekhi hu’aa mast2 aur be-Khud3
mere hosh4 kyaa na jaate jo na baada-Khwaar5 hota
1.eye 2.intoxicated 3.beside oneself, stunned 4.senses, awareness 5.wine-drinker
Even a glance at the beloved’s eyes is enough to make someone intoxicated and lose self-control; so would the poet not have lost his senses (hosh) even if he had not been a wine-drinker? Don’t blame me for drinking, getting intoxicated and losing my senses. This would have happened anyway with a single glance at the beloved.
9
tere jhuuThe1 vaa’doN2 par hii ye tamaam3 ‘umr4 kaaTi5
maiN Khushi se mar hi jaataa keh jo tuu do-chaar6 hota
1.false 2.promises 3.entire 4.life 5.spent 6.come face to face, eyes meet
The poet/lover spent his entire life on the false promises of the beloved. Would I not have died of joy, if ever I had come face to face with her! Said Ghalib …
ter’e vaa’de par jiye ham, tu yeh jaan jhooT jaana
keh Khushi se mar na jaate, agar e’tebaar hota
10
ye baRhi hu’i safaahat1, ye butoN2 ki shor3 chaahat4
tujhe kahte sab krischan5 jo Khudaa ka yaar hota
1.stupidity, foolishness 2.idols, metaphorically – unfeeling beloved 3.pen-name 4.desire, love 5.Christian 6.beloved of, lover of
This advancing stupidity (safaahat is perhaps used to mean senility) and love of idols (butoN ki chaahat), O shor! Everyone would have called you a good Christian if you had shown the same love for god.
The post jo kahiiN mazaar hota-George Puech Jr. shor appeared first on UrduShahkar.
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For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
https://urdushahkar.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/GPsh-jo-kahiiN-mazaar-hota-audio.mp3
Recitation
جو کہیں مزار ہوتا ۔ جارج پیِش شورؔ
۱
میرے مرنے پر بھی راضی جو وہ ایک بار ہوتا
تو ہزار بار میں پھر معِ جاں نثار ہوتا
۲
کہیں کس سے بعد مُردن کہ صبا نے خاک اُڑا دی
وہ کبھی اُدھر تو آتا جو کہیں مزار ہوتا
۳
مرا بختِ بد تو دیکھو ہوا رنجِ یار اپنا
کوئی رازدار ہوتا کوئی دوست دار ہوتا
۴
جو وہ دل سے مانگتے تو میں یہ جاں بھی دل سے دیتا
کہ عذاب سے ہی چھٹتا انہیں اعتبار ہوتا
۵
مرا دل ٹھکانے مر کر تو لگا ہوا یہ بہتر
اگر اور بر میں رہتا تو یہ بے قرار ہوتا
۶
شبِ ہِجر میں نہ جیتا نہ خجِل میں اس سے رہتا
مری جانِ سخت پر گر مرا اختیار ہوتا
۷
مجھے بے کلی ہے ہر دم بہ طُفیلِ ہجرِ گُل رُو
نہ تو گل بدن پہ مرتا نہ یہ دل پہ خار ہوتا
۸
تیری چشم جس نے دیکھی ہوا مست اور بے خود
مرے ہوش کیا نہ جاتے جو نہ بادہ خوار ہوتا
۹
ترے جھوٹے وعدوں پر ہی یہ تمام عمر کاٹی
میں خوشی سے مر ہی جاتا کہ جو تو دوچار ہوتا
۱۰
یہ بڑھی ہوئی سفاہت یہ بتوں کی شورؔ چاہت
تجھے کہتے سب کرسچن جو خدا یار ہوتا
जो कहीं मज़ार होता – जॉर्ज पेइश शोर
१
मेरे मरने पर भी राज़ी जो वो एक बार होता
तो हज़ार बार मैं फिर म’-ए जाँ निसार होता
२
कहें किस से बाद-ए मुर्दन के सबा ने ख़ाक उढा दी
वो कभी उधर तो आता जो कहीं मज़ार होता
३
मेरा बख़्त-ए बद तो देखो हुआ रंज-ए यार अपना
कोई राज़्दार होता, कोई दोस्तदार होता
४
जो वो दिल से मांगते तो मैं ये जाँ भी दिल से देता
के अज़ाब से ही छुटता, उन्हें ए’तेबार होता
५
मेरा दिल ठिकाने मर कर तो लगा, हुआ ये बेहतर
अगर और बर में रहता तो ये बेक़रार होता
६
शब-ए हिज्र मैं न जीता, न ख़जिल मैं उस से रहता
मेरी जान-ए सख़्त पर गर मेरा एख़्तियार होता
७
मुझे बेकली है हर दम ब-तुफ़ैल-ए हिज्र-ए गुलरू
न तो गुलबदन पे मरता, न ये दिल पे ख़ार होता
८
तेरी चश्म जिसने देखी, हुआ मस्त और बेख़ुद
मेरे होश क्या न जाते, जो न बादा-ख़्वार होता
९
तेरे झूठे वादों पर ही ये तमाम उम्र काटी
मैं ख़ुशी से मर ही जाता, के जो तू दो-चार होता
१०
ये बढ़ी हुई सफ़ाहत, ये बुतों की शोर चाहत
तुझे कहते सब क्रिसचन, जो ख़ुदा-यार होता
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. George Puech shor (1823-1894). aligaRh, meeraTh and dehli. French and German descent from both grandfathers. Received education in urdu and faarsi at the insistence of his father. Six collections of Ghazal and a diary describing the events of 1857. He was well known in poetic circles including Ghalib, daaGh and tufta. Ghalib’s Ghazal – keh visaal-e yaar hota is dated 1847. George Puech would have been 24 at that time and it is possible that this Ghazal was read at the same mushaa’era, but more likely that it was composed in the style of Ghalib later.
1
mere marne par bhi raazi1 jo voh ek baar hota
to hazaar baar maiN phir ma’2-e jaaN3 nisaar4 hota 1.willing, agreeable 2.along with 3.life, soul 4.to sacrifice (used idiomatically)
If the beloved had been willing even once to let me die for her, I would have gladly sacrificed myself a thousand times along with life and soul in hand. The use of marne par bhi raazi implies that she did not agree even to this. The phrase ma’-e jaaN intensifies this surrender. It’s not just dying — it’s dying willingly, joyously, again and again, for the beloved. This trope of the lover begging for death at the beloved’s feet recurs often in classical urdu poetry but here, the tragedy is doubled: even this wish is unmet. The beloved’s indifference denies the lover even his romantic ideal of a noble death.
2
kaheN1 kis se baa’d-e murdan2 keh sabaa3 ne Khaak4 uRaa dii
voh kabhi udhar to aataa jo kahiiN mazaar5 hota 1.to say, to speak 2.after death 3.the breeze 4.dust i.e. disintegrated remains 5.grave
It is customary for the beloved to visit the dying lover on his death bed and/or visit his grave. But here it seems that the lover has been denied even that customary visit. The sh’er begins with a rhetorical cry: To whom should I even say (kaheN kis se) what happened after my death? The sabaa (breeze) has scattered the dust (Khaak uRaa dii) of the poet’s remains, making any remembrance impossible. The second misra delivers the emotional punch: the beloved might have passed by that way… if only there had been a mazaar. Said Ghalib …
hu’e mar ke ham jo rusvaa, hu’e kyuN na Gharq-e dariya
na kabhii janaaza uThta, na kahiiN mazaar hota
3
mera bakht-e-bad1 to dekho hu’aa ranj2-e yaar3 apnaa
ko’i raazdaar4 hota, ko’i dost-daar5 hota 1.misfortune, bad fate 2.grief, sorrow 3.beloved 4.confidant 5.friendly, affectionate
Look at my misfortune, the only friend/constant companion I have is the sorrow caused by the beloved’s cruelty (ranj-e yaar). He laments … if only I had a friend, a confidant, or someone to mediate or soften the beloved’s wrath.
4
jo voh dil se1 maaNgte to maiN ye jaaN bhi dil se detaa
keh a’zaab2 se hi chhuTtaa, unheN e’tebaar3 hota 1.from the bottom of the heart, sincerely 2.torment, suffering 3.trust, faith
If she had truly asked from the heart, I would’ve gladly given my life, and in doing so, I’d be free from this torment, and she would be reassured; she would trust that I was a sincere lover.
5
mera dil Thikaane1 mar kar to lagaa hu’aa ye behtar2
agar aur bar3 meN rahtaa to ye be-qaraar4 hota 1.place – Thikaane lagnaa to be settled in the right place 2.better 3.body 4.restless, agitated
The poet states only death could calm his heart; make it settle down; and that is good. If it had remained in the body for longer, it would have continued to be agitated. While living, his heart remained in turmoil, but once free from the body (bar), it finally found rest. This is a strong echo of classical sufi themes too; the heart finding peace only after worldly attachments are dissolved.
6
shab1-e hijr2 maiN na jitaa3, na Khajil4 maiN us se rahtaa
meri jaan-e-saKht5 par gar meraa eKhtiyaar6 hota 1.night of 2.separation 3.lived through 4.ashamed, embarrassed 5.difficult to kill, thick skinned 6.control, power
The supreme achievement for a classical lover is to die of the pain of love. But he seems to have lived through the night of separation as a result of which he is embarrassed before the beloved; his love is not sincere enough. This could not have happened if only he had control over his own life.
7
mujhe be-kali1 hai har dam2 ba-tufail3-e hijr4-e gul-ruu5
na to gul-badan6 pe martaa, na ye dil pe Khaar7 hota 1.restlessness, unease 2.every moment 3.because of, owing to 4.separation 5.rose-faced (beloved) 6.rose-bodied (beloved) 7.thorn
The poet/lover is restless every moment; all due to separation from the rose-faced and rose bodied beloved. But for the fact that he ‘dies’ for her he would not have suffered the pricks of a thorn in his heart. The juxtaposition of the thorm with the rose as a necessary companion is noteworthy.
8
teri chashm1 jis ne dekhi hu’aa mast2 aur be-Khud3
mere hosh4 kyaa na jaate jo na baada-Khwaar5 hota 1.eye 2.intoxicated 3.beside oneself, stunned 4.senses, awareness 5.wine-drinker
Even a glance at the beloved’s eyes is enough to make someone intoxicated and lose self-control; so would the poet not have lost his senses (hosh) even if he had not been a wine-drinker? Don’t blame me for drinking, getting intoxicated and losing my senses. This would have happened anyway with a single glance at the beloved.
9
tere jhuuThe1 vaa’doN2 par hii ye tamaam3 ‘umr4 kaaTi5
maiN Khushi se mar hi jaataa keh jo tuu do-chaar6 hota 1.false 2.promises 3.entire 4.life 5.spent 6.come face to face, eyes meet
The poet/lover spent his entire life on the false promises of the beloved. Would I not have died of joy, if ever I had come face to face with her! Said Ghalib …
ter’e vaa’de par jiye ham, tu yeh jaan jhooT jaana
keh Khushi se mar na jaate, agar e’tebaar hota
10
ye baRhi hu’i safaahat1, ye butoN2 ki shor3 chaahat4
tujhe kahte sab krischan5 jo Khudaa ka yaar hota 1.stupidity, foolishness 2.idols, metaphorically – unfeeling beloved 3.pen-name 4.desire, love 5.Christian 6.beloved of, lover of
This advancing stupidity (safaahat is perhaps used to mean senility) and love of idols (butoN ki chaahat), O shor! Everyone would have called you a good Christian if you had shown the same love for god.
George Puech shor (1823-1894). aligaRh, meeraTh and dehli. French and German descent from both grandfathers. Received education in urdu and faarsi at the insistence of his father. Six collections of Ghazal and a diary describing the events of 1857. He was well known in poetic circles including Ghalib, daaGh and tufta. Ghalib’s Ghazal – keh visaal-e yaar hota is dated 1847. George Puech would have been 24 at that time and it is possible that this Ghazal was read at the same mushaa’era, but more likely that it was composed in the style of Ghalib later.
1
mere marne par bhi raazi1 jo voh ek baar hota
to hazaar baar maiN phir ma’2-e jaaN3 nisaar4 hota
1.willing, agreeable 2.along with 3.life, soul 4.to sacrifice (used idiomatically)
If the beloved had been willing even once to let me die for her, I would have gladly sacrificed myself a thousand times along with life and soul in hand. The use of marne par bhi raazi implies that she did not agree even to this. The phrase ma’-e jaaN intensifies this surrender. It’s not just dying — it’s dying willingly, joyously, again and again, for the beloved. This trope of the lover begging for death at the beloved’s feet recurs often in classical urdu poetry but here, the tragedy is doubled: even this wish is unmet. The beloved’s indifference denies the lover even his romantic ideal of a noble death.
2
kaheN1 kis se baa’d-e murdan2 keh sabaa3 ne Khaak4 uRaa dii
voh kabhi udhar to aataa jo kahiiN mazaar5 hota
1.to say, to speak 2.after death 3.the breeze 4.dust i.e. disintegrated remains 5.grave
It is customary for the beloved to visit the dying lover on his death bed and/or visit his grave. But here it seems that the lover has been denied even that customary visit. The sh’er begins with a rhetorical cry: To whom should I even say (kaheN kis se) what happened after my death? The sabaa (breeze) has scattered the dust (Khaak uRaa dii) of the poet’s remains, making any remembrance impossible. The second misra delivers the emotional punch: the beloved might have passed by that way… if only there had been a mazaar. Said Ghalib …
hu’e mar ke ham jo rusvaa, hu’e kyuN na Gharq-e dariya
na kabhii janaaza uThta, na kahiiN mazaar hota
3
mera bakht-e-bad1 to dekho hu’aa ranj2-e yaar3 apnaa
ko’i raazdaar4 hota, ko’i dost-daar5 hota
1.misfortune, bad fate 2.grief, sorrow 3.beloved 4.confidant 5.friendly, affectionate
Look at my misfortune, the only friend/constant companion I have is the sorrow caused by the beloved’s cruelty (ranj-e yaar). He laments … if only I had a friend, a confidant, or someone to mediate or soften the beloved’s wrath.
4
jo voh dil se1 maaNgte to maiN ye jaaN bhi dil se detaa
keh a’zaab2 se hi chhuTtaa, unheN e’tebaar3 hota
1.from the bottom of the heart, sincerely 2.torment, suffering 3.trust, faith
If she had truly asked from the heart, I would’ve gladly given my life, and in doing so, I’d be free from this torment, and she would be reassured; she would trust that I was a sincere lover.
5
mera dil Thikaane1 mar kar to lagaa hu’aa ye behtar2
agar aur bar3 meN rahtaa to ye be-qaraar4 hota
1.place – Thikaane lagnaa to be settled in the right place 2.better 3.body 4.restless, agitated
The poet states only death could calm his heart; make it settle down; and that is good. If it had remained in the body for longer, it would have continued to be agitated. While living, his heart remained in turmoil, but once free from the body (bar), it finally found rest. This is a strong echo of classical sufi themes too; the heart finding peace only after worldly attachments are dissolved.
6
shab1-e hijr2 maiN na jitaa3, na Khajil4 maiN us se rahtaa
meri jaan-e-saKht5 par gar meraa eKhtiyaar6 hota
1.night of 2.separation 3.lived through 4.ashamed, embarrassed 5.difficult to kill, thick skinned 6.control, power
The supreme achievement for a classical lover is to die of the pain of love. But he seems to have lived through the night of separation as a result of which he is embarrassed before the beloved; his love is not sincere enough. This could not have happened if only he had control over his own life.
7
mujhe be-kali1 hai har dam2 ba-tufail3-e hijr4-e gul-ruu5
na to gul-badan6 pe martaa, na ye dil pe Khaar7 hota
1.restlessness, unease 2.every moment 3.because of, owing to 4.separation 5.rose-faced (beloved) 6.rose-bodied (beloved) 7.thorn
The poet/lover is restless every moment; all due to separation from the rose-faced and rose bodied beloved. But for the fact that he ‘dies’ for her he would not have suffered the pricks of a thorn in his heart. The juxtaposition of the thorm with the rose as a necessary companion is noteworthy.
8
teri chashm1 jis ne dekhi hu’aa mast2 aur be-Khud3
mere hosh4 kyaa na jaate jo na baada-Khwaar5 hota
1.eye 2.intoxicated 3.beside oneself, stunned 4.senses, awareness 5.wine-drinker
Even a glance at the beloved’s eyes is enough to make someone intoxicated and lose self-control; so would the poet not have lost his senses (hosh) even if he had not been a wine-drinker? Don’t blame me for drinking, getting intoxicated and losing my senses. This would have happened anyway with a single glance at the beloved.
9
tere jhuuThe1 vaa’doN2 par hii ye tamaam3 ‘umr4 kaaTi5
maiN Khushi se mar hi jaataa keh jo tuu do-chaar6 hota
1.false 2.promises 3.entire 4.life 5.spent 6.come face to face, eyes meet
The poet/lover spent his entire life on the false promises of the beloved. Would I not have died of joy, if ever I had come face to face with her! Said Ghalib …
ter’e vaa’de par jiye ham, tu yeh jaan jhooT jaana
keh Khushi se mar na jaate, agar e’tebaar hota
10
ye baRhi hu’i safaahat1, ye butoN2 ki shor3 chaahat4
tujhe kahte sab krischan5 jo Khudaa ka yaar hota
1.stupidity, foolishness 2.idols, metaphorically – unfeeling beloved 3.pen-name 4.desire, love 5.Christian 6.beloved of, lover of
This advancing stupidity (safaahat is perhaps used to mean senility) and love of idols (butoN ki chaahat), O shor! Everyone would have called you a good Christian if you had shown the same love for god.
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