For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
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موجود خدا ہوتا ۔ مومن خاں مومنؔ
ہم جان فِدا کرتے، گر وعدہ وفا ہوتا
مرنا ہی مُقدّر تھا، وہ آتے تو کیا ہوتا
اس حُسن پہ خلوت میں جو حال کیا کم تھا
کیا جانیے کیا کرتا گر تو مری جا ہوتا
ایک ایک ادا سو سو دیتی ہے جواب اُس کی
کیوںکر لبِ قاصد سے پیغام ادا ہوتا
اچھی ہے وفا مجھ سے جلتے ہیں جلیں دشمن
تم آج ہُوا سمجھو جو روزِ جزا ہوتا
جنّت کی ہوس واعظ بیجا ہے کہ عاشق ہوں
ہاں سیر میں جی لگتا، گر دِل نہ لگا ہوتا
اس تلخیِ حسرت پر کیا چاشنیِ اُلفت
کب ہم کو فلک دیتا، گر غم میں مزا ہوتا
تھے کوسنے یا گالی طعنوں کا جواب آخر
لب تک غمِ غیر آتا، گر دل میں بھرا ہوتا
ہے صلحِ عدو بیحظ ہے جنگ غلط فہمی
جیتا ہے تو آفت ہے، مرتا تو بلا ہوتا
ہونا تھا وِصال اِک شب قسمت میں بلا سے گر
تو مجھ سے خفا ہوتا، میں تجھ سے خفا ہوتا
ہے بیخودیِ دائم، کیا شکوہ تغافل کا
جب میں نہ ہوا اپنا، وہ کیوںکہ مرا ہوتا
اِس بخت پہ کوشش سے تھکنے کے سوا حاصل
گر چارۂ غم کرتا رنج اور سِوا ہوتا
اچھی مری بدنامی تھی یا تری رسوائی
گر چھوڑ نہ دیتا میں پامالِ جفا ہوتا
دیوانے کے ہاتھ آیا کب بندِ قبا اُس کا
ناخن جو نہ بڑھ جاتے تو عقدہ یہ وا ہوتا
ہم بندگیِ بت سے ہوتے نہ کبھی کافر
ہر جا پہ اگر مومنؔ موجود خدا ہوتا
मौजूद ख़ुदा होता – मोमिन ख़ाँ मोमिन
हम जान फ़िदा करते, गर वादा वफ़ा होता
मरना ही मुक़द्दर था, वो आते तो क्या होता
इस हुस्न पे ख़ल्वत में जो हाल किया कम था
क्या जानिये क्या करता, गर तू मेरी जा होता
एक-एक अदा सौ-सौ देती है जवाब उस की
क्यूंकर लब-ए क़ासिद से पैग़ाम अदा होता
अच्छी है वफ़ा मुझ से, जलते हैं जलें दुश्मन
तुम आज हुआ समझो, जो रोज़-ए जज़ा होता
जन्नत की हवस वा’एज़! बेजा है के आशिक़ हूँ
हाँ, सैर में जी लगता, गर दिल न लगा होता
इस तल्ख़ी-ए हस्रत पर क्या चाशनी-ए उल्फ़त
कब हम को फ़लक देता, गर ग़म में मज़ा होता
थे कोसने या गाली, तानों का जवाब आख़िर
लब तक ग़म-ए ग़ैर आता, गर दिल में भरा होता
है सुल्ह-ए अदू बे-हज़, है जंग ग़लत फ़हमी
जीता है तो आफ़त है, मरता तो बला होता
होना था विसाल एक शब, क़िस्मत में बला से गर
तू मुझ से ख़फ़ा होता, मैं तुझ से ख़फ़ा होता
है बेख़ुदी-ए दा’एम, क्या शिक्वा तग़ाफ़ुल का
जब मैं न हुआ अपना, वो क्यूंके मेरा होता
इस बख़्त पे कोशिश से थकने के सिवा हासिल
गर चारा-ए ग़म करता, रंज और सिवा होता
अच्छी मेरी बदनामी थी या तेरी रुस्वाई
गर छोढ न देता मैं, पामाल-ए जफ़ा होता
दीवाने के हाथ आया कब बंद-ए क़बा उस का
नाख़ुन जो न बढ़ जाते, तो उक़्दा ये वा होता
हम बंदगी-ए बुत से होते न कभी काफ़ेर
हर जा पे अगर मोमिन मौजूद ख़ुदा होता
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. momin KhaaN momin (1800-1852), was a hakim following the profession of his father and grandfather. momin received education in arabi, faarsi, urdu and in medicine, mathematics, and astrology – which must have involved some study of astronomy, which he uses in his compositions. momin composed unabashedly about romantic themes with much witticism on his taKhallus.
1
hum jaan fida1 karte, gar2 vaada3 vafa4 hota
marna hi muqaddar5 tha, voh aate to kya hota 1.sacrifice, devotional offering 2.if 3.promise 4.fulfillment 5.destiny
Here ‘vaada‘ is the beloved’s promise to come. The poet/lover is dying due to the sorrow of separation. If she had kept her promise, he would have died of joy. Thus, death was written in his fate, what difference would the beloved’s coming have made. Reminds me of Ghalib …
tere v’aade par jiye ham, tu yeh jaan jhooT jaana
keh Khush se mar na jaate, agar e’tebaar hota
2
iss husn1 pe Khalwat2 meN jo haal3 kiya kam tha
kya jaaniye4 kya karta, gar5 tuu meri jaa6 hota 1.beauty, beloved 2.solitude, private meeting 3.state (emotional or physical) 4.who knows 5.if 6.place
‘gar tuu meri jaa hota‘ means if you had been in my place. Who is the ‘you’. It could be the rival. Thus, whatever I did in privacy with the beloved was too little. I restrained myself. You (O rival) are a lecher. Just imagine what you would have done. This is a derisive reflection on the rival’s self-restraint; his is not pure love; it is lechery.
3
ek-ek1 ada2 sau-sau3 deti hai javaab4 us ki
kyuNkar5 lab6-e qaasid7 se paiGhaam8 ada9 hota 1.every 2.gesture, charm 3.hundreds 4.reply, response 5.how 6.lips 7.messenger 8.message 9.paid, delivered
The poet/lover has sent a letter via messenger and is expecting a reply also via messenger, but is doubtful that the ‘real’ reply can be conveyed. Every single gesture of the beloved conveys hundreds of meanings. So how could a mere messenger’s lips carry her message accurately?
4
acchhi hai vafa1 mujh se, jalte2 haiN jaleN dushman3
tum aaj hua samjho, jo roz4-e jaza5 hota 1.fidelity, loyalty 2.to burn (with envy) 3.rival 4.day 5.judgment
There seems to be an implied background. The poet/lover is trying to persuade the beloved to declare her loyalty to him. She is hesitant, because of what the rivals might feel. The poet/lover says … fidelity towards me is good, if they burn with envy, let them burn; just think of it as that which is going to happen on the day of judgment is happening today i.e., the rivals are going to burn in hell anyway, what is the harm if they burn with envy now.
5
jannat1 ki havas2 vaa’ez3, beja4 hai keh aashiq huN
haaN sa’er5 meN jii6 lagta7, gar dil na laga8 hota 1.paradise 2.desire, lust 3.preacher 4.inappropriate, misplaced 5.strolling, enjoyment 6.life, heart 7.interested in, enjoyed 8.heart already given/lost
O preacher, my desire for paradise is misplaced because I am a lover. Yes, I might have enjoyed a stroll in heaven, if I hadn’t already given/lost my heart here. There is an interesting play on ‘jii lagna’ and ‘dil lagaana’.
6
is talKhi1-e hasrat2 par kya chaashni3-e ulfat4
kab hum ko falak5 deta, gar6 Gham7 meN maza8 hota 1.bitterness 2.longing 3.sweetness 4.love 5.heavens, fate
falak – fate, destiny is always cruel. It would never have granted the poet/lover the pain/sorrow of love, if it had been enjoyable. The lover hurts with longing-unfulfilled desires. On the bitterness of this longing there is no sweet coating of love. Had there been any, why would fate have granted it to him.
7
th’e kosn’e1 ya gaali, taanoN2 ka javaab3 aaKhir4
lab5 tak Gham6-e Ghair7 aata, gar8 dil meN bhara hota 1.curses 2.taunt 3.reply, answer 4.after all 5.lips 6.sorrow, pain 7.other, rival 8.if
The poet/lover taunts the beloved about her partiality towards the rival and she curses and abuses him. He seems to draw comfort from this … after all, this is what is to be expected from taunts. If she had had any soft spot for the rival, then that would have come out rather than the curse/abuse. Thus, he consoles himself that she is not thinking of the rival.
8
hai sulh1-e adu2 be-haz3, hai jaNg Ghalat-fahmi4
jiita5 hai to aafat6 hai, marta to balaa7 hota 1.peace 2.enemy, rival 3.tasteless, devoid of pleasure 4.misunderstanding, unwise 5.lives 6.disaster 7.calamity
Peace with the rival is dull/tasteless; quarrelling with him is unwise/useless; if he wins, it’s a disaster; if he dies, it’s a calamity.
9
hona tha visaal1 ek shab2, qismat meN balaa3 se gar4
tuu mujh se Khafa5 hota, maiN tujh se Khafa hota 1.union 2.night 3.misfortune 4.if 5.annoyed, displeased
I should have had at least one night of union written in my fate even if we were both annoyed with each other. Reminds of Ghalib …
raat ke vaqt mai piye, saath raqiib ko liye
aa’eN to voh Khuda kar’e, par na kar’e Khuda keh yuN
10
hai beKhudi1-e daa’em2, kya shikva3-e taGhaaful4 ka
jab maiN na hua apna, voh kyuNkeh5 mera hota 1.unconsciousness, trance, disconnection 2.constant 3.complaint 4.indifference, neglect 5.how, why
I am perpetually in a trance, lost in myself (perhaps the result of the intensity of his passion); why complain of the beloved’s indifference? When I wasn’t even mine, how could the beloved have been mine?
11
is baKht1 pe koshish2 se thakne3 ke siva4 haasil5
gar6 chaara7-e Gham8 karta, ranj9 aur sivaa10 hota 1.fate 2.effort 3.getting tired 4.except for 5.gain, received 6.if 7.remedy 8.sorrow 9.pain 10.excess, even more
On top of this ill fate, what is the use of making any effort; all you get for it is exhaustion.
Had I tried to cure the sorrow, it would only have increased the pain.
12
acchhi meri badnaami1 thi yaa teri rusvaaii2
gar3 chhoR4 na deta maiN, paamaal5-e jafa6 hota 1.disrepute, infamy 2.disgrace 3.if 4.leave, quit 5.trampled 6.cruelty
The lover has quit/walked away from the relationship. This has caused him disrepute, because this is not what lovers are supposed to do. But he had not walked away he would have been trampled under the cruelty of the beloved and that would have caused her disgrace. Which is better – my disrepute or your disgrace? He asks. Implied is a justification for his walking away.
13
diivaane ke haath aaya kab band1-e qaba2 uss ka
naaKhun jo na baRh jaate, to uqda3 ye vaa4 hota 1.ties 2.garment, robe 3.knot, mystery 4.untie, unravel, solve
The lover has gone mad. He has acquired that classical look … long, dusty hair, torn clothes and long nails. Because of his madness the beloved shuns him even more and he has no access to the knots/ties of her robe. If his nails had not grown so long, the she might not have considered him so mad and then the mystery would have been solved. What is the mystery … whether he will be able to untie the knots of her robe or not. But the interesting word play is that uqda can mean both the knot and the mystery.
14
ham bandagi1-e but2 se hote na kabhi kaafir3
har jaa4 pe agar momin5 maujood6 Khuda hota 1.worship 2.idol, beloved 3.non-believer 4.everywhere 5.pen name 6.present
It is commonly said that god is present everywhere and in everything. If this were so, then the lover would not/should not have been called a non-believer because of worshipping ‘that idol’ i.e., the beloved but with a word play on idol. But
momin has been accused of being a non-believer (this is also a word play, because
momin implies a believer) so god must not be everywhere!
momin KhaaN momin (1800-1852), was a hakim following the profession of his father and grandfather. momin received education in arabi, faarsi, urdu and in medicine, mathematics, and astrology – which must have involved some study of astronomy, which he uses in his compositions. momin composed unabashedly about romantic themes with much witticism on his taKhallus.
1
hum jaan fida1 karte, gar2 vaada3 vafa4 hota
marna hi muqaddar5 tha, voh aate to kya hota
1.sacrifice, devotional offering 2.if 3.promise 4.fulfillment 5.destiny
Here ‘vaada‘ is the beloved’s promise to come. The poet/lover is dying due to the sorrow of separation. If she had kept her promise, he would have died of joy. Thus, death was written in his fate, what difference would the beloved’s coming have made. Reminds me of Ghalib …
tere v’aade par jiye ham, tu yeh jaan jhooT jaana
keh Khush se mar na jaate, agar e’tebaar hota
2
iss husn1 pe Khalwat2 meN jo haal3 kiya kam tha
kya jaaniye4 kya karta, gar5 tuu meri jaa6 hota
1.beauty, beloved 2.solitude, private meeting 3.state (emotional or physical) 4.who knows 5.if 6.place
‘gar tuu meri jaa hota‘ means if you had been in my place. Who is the ‘you’. It could be the rival. Thus, whatever I did in privacy with the beloved was too little. I restrained myself. You (O rival) are a lecher. Just imagine what you would have done. This is a derisive reflection on the rival’s self-restraint; his is not pure love; it is lechery.
3
ek-ek1 ada2 sau-sau3 deti hai javaab4 us ki
kyuNkar5 lab6-e qaasid7 se paiGhaam8 ada9 hota
1.every 2.gesture, charm 3.hundreds 4.reply, response 5.how 6.lips 7.messenger 8.message 9.paid, delivered
The poet/lover has sent a letter via messenger and is expecting a reply also via messenger, but is doubtful that the ‘real’ reply can be conveyed. Every single gesture of the beloved conveys hundreds of meanings. So how could a mere messenger’s lips carry her message accurately?
4
acchhi hai vafa1 mujh se, jalte2 haiN jaleN dushman3
tum aaj hua samjho, jo roz4-e jaza5 hota
1.fidelity, loyalty 2.to burn (with envy) 3.rival 4.day 5.judgment
There seems to be an implied background. The poet/lover is trying to persuade the beloved to declare her loyalty to him. She is hesitant, because of what the rivals might feel. The poet/lover says … fidelity towards me is good, if they burn with envy, let them burn; just think of it as that which is going to happen on the day of judgment is happening today i.e., the rivals are going to burn in hell anyway, what is the harm if they burn with envy now.
5
jannat1 ki havas2 vaa’ez3, beja4 hai keh aashiq huN
haaN sa’er5 meN jii6 lagta7, gar dil na laga8 hota
1.paradise 2.desire, lust 3.preacher 4.inappropriate, misplaced 5.strolling, enjoyment 6.life, heart 7.interested in, enjoyed 8.heart already given/lost
O preacher, my desire for paradise is misplaced because I am a lover. Yes, I might have enjoyed a stroll in heaven, if I hadn’t already given/lost my heart here. There is an interesting play on ‘jii lagna’ and ‘dil lagaana’.
6
is talKhi1-e hasrat2 par kya chaashni3-e ulfat4
kab hum ko falak5 deta, gar6 Gham7 meN maza8 hota
1.bitterness 2.longing 3.sweetness 4.love 5.heavens, fate
falak – fate, destiny is always cruel. It would never have granted the poet/lover the pain/sorrow of love, if it had been enjoyable. The lover hurts with longing-unfulfilled desires. On the bitterness of this longing there is no sweet coating of love. Had there been any, why would fate have granted it to him.
7
th’e kosn’e1 ya gaali, taanoN2 ka javaab3 aaKhir4
lab5 tak Gham6-e Ghair7 aata, gar8 dil meN bhara hota
1.curses 2.taunt 3.reply, answer 4.after all 5.lips 6.sorrow, pain 7.other, rival 8.if
The poet/lover taunts the beloved about her partiality towards the rival and she curses and abuses him. He seems to draw comfort from this … after all, this is what is to be expected from taunts. If she had had any soft spot for the rival, then that would have come out rather than the curse/abuse. Thus, he consoles himself that she is not thinking of the rival.
8
hai sulh1-e adu2 be-haz3, hai jaNg Ghalat-fahmi4
jiita5 hai to aafat6 hai, marta to balaa7 hota
1.peace 2.enemy, rival 3.tasteless, devoid of pleasure 4.misunderstanding, unwise 5.lives 6.disaster 7.calamity
Peace with the rival is dull/tasteless; quarrelling with him is unwise/useless; if he wins, it’s a disaster; if he dies, it’s a calamity.
9
hona tha visaal1 ek shab2, qismat meN balaa3 se gar4
tuu mujh se Khafa5 hota, maiN tujh se Khafa hota
1.union 2.night 3.misfortune 4.if 5.annoyed, displeased
I should have had at least one night of union written in my fate even if we were both annoyed with each other. Reminds of Ghalib …
raat ke vaqt mai piye, saath raqiib ko liye
aa’eN to voh Khuda kar’e, par na kar’e Khuda keh yuN
10
hai beKhudi1-e daa’em2, kya shikva3-e taGhaaful4 ka
jab maiN na hua apna, voh kyuNkeh5 mera hota
1.unconsciousness, trance, disconnection 2.constant 3.complaint 4.indifference, neglect 5.how, why
I am perpetually in a trance, lost in myself (perhaps the result of the intensity of his passion); why complain of the beloved’s indifference? When I wasn’t even mine, how could the beloved have been mine?
11
is baKht1 pe koshish2 se thakne3 ke siva4 haasil5
gar6 chaara7-e Gham8 karta, ranj9 aur sivaa10 hota
1.fate 2.effort 3.getting tired 4.except for 5.gain, received 6.if 7.remedy 8.sorrow 9.pain 10.excess, even more
On top of this ill fate, what is the use of making any effort; all you get for it is exhaustion.
Had I tried to cure the sorrow, it would only have increased the pain.
12
acchhi meri badnaami1 thi yaa teri rusvaaii2
gar3 chhoR4 na deta maiN, paamaal5-e jafa6 hota
1.disrepute, infamy 2.disgrace 3.if 4.leave, quit 5.trampled 6.cruelty
The lover has quit/walked away from the relationship. This has caused him disrepute, because this is not what lovers are supposed to do. But he had not walked away he would have been trampled under the cruelty of the beloved and that would have caused her disgrace. Which is better – my disrepute or your disgrace? He asks. Implied is a justification for his walking away.
13
diivaane ke haath aaya kab band1-e qaba2 uss ka
naaKhun jo na baRh jaate, to uqda3 ye vaa4 hota
1.ties 2.garment, robe 3.knot, mystery 4.untie, unravel, solve
The lover has gone mad. He has acquired that classical look … long, dusty hair, torn clothes and long nails. Because of his madness the beloved shuns him even more and he has no access to the knots/ties of her robe. If his nails had not grown so long, the she might not have considered him so mad and then the mystery would have been solved. What is the mystery … whether he will be able to untie the knots of her robe or not. But the interesting word play is that uqda can mean both the knot and the mystery.
14
ham bandagi1-e but2 se hote na kabhi kaafir3
har jaa4 pe agar momin5 maujood6 Khuda hota
1.worship 2.idol, beloved 3.non-believer 4.everywhere 5.pen name 6.present
It is commonly said that god is present everywhere and in everything. If this were so, then the lover would not/should not have been called a non-believer because of worshipping ‘that idol’ i.e., the beloved but with a word play on idol. But momin has been accused of being a non-believer (this is also a word play, because momin implies a believer) so god must not be everywhere!
The post maujuud Khuda hota-momin KhaaN momin appeared first on UrduShahkar.
