About Book

Through the ages, Delhi has had an effect on its inhabitants. Steeped in a rich history of cultural mingling and periods of creative exchange, the city provided fertile ground for poetic synthesis. Delhi established a legacy of poets whose words set hearts ablaze for the times to come. Love, with all its wine-infused passions and experiences of yearning, has preoccupied classic poets of the city. It also offers to the reader rhymed English transcreations of the selected ghazals so that the work can be enjoyed for the rhythm that the original Urdu-language embraces. As a patron of Urdu poetry and a resident of Delhi, Sanjiv Saraf's personal investment in preserving and furthering the arts in the Urdu world led to the creation of this book. His careful curation and trans-creations render these ghazals readable to novices of classic Urdu poetry. The selection of works that made their way to this book caters to a wide readership-those reading to experience Delhi from the past, those who wish to engage with the musicality of rhymed verses and, most significantly, those who wish to explore the themes of love as conceptualized by classic poets. Desire, longing and the complexities of love are therefore open to exploration for you, dear reader and lover, through the words laid out in these ghazals by the 'voices from beyond'.

About Author

संजीव सराफ़ पॉलिप्लेक्स कार्पोरेशन लि. के संस्थापक, अध्यक्ष और मुख्य अंशधारक हैं। यह कार्पोरेशन दुनिया में पी.ई.टी फ़िल्में बनानेवाली सबसे बड़ी कंपनियों में शामिल है।

श्री संजीव सराफ़ ने आरंभिक शिक्षा सिंधिया स्कूल में हासिल की और फिर आई.आई.टी खड़गपुर से 1980 में ग्रेजुएशन किया। इसके बाद उन्होंने ओडिशा में अपना पुश्तैनी कारोबार संभाला और फिर पॉलिप्लेक्स के रूप में औद्योगिक जगत में अपनी विशिष्ट छवि बनाई। इस कंपनी की पहचान उन्होंने अनुशंसनीय मूल्यों के आधार पर बनाई जिसकी औद्योगिक जगत में बहुत सराहना हुई। पॉलिप्लेक्स भारत और थाईलैंड की एक पंजीकृत कंपनी है।

श्री सराफ़ ने व्यापार के दूसरे क्षेत्रों में भी उत्कृष्ट सफलताएँ प्राप्त की हैं। उन्होंने ‘मनुपत्र’ नामक क़ानूनी सूचना उपलब्ध करनेवाली वेबसाइट भी बनाई है। पर्यावरण से अपने गहरे सरोकार को दर्शाते हुए उन्होंने अक्षय उर्जा के क्षेत्र में भी निवेश किया जिसके फलस्वरूप पंजाब, उत्तराखंड और सिक्किम में पन-बिजली प्रॉजेक्ट स्थापित किये गए। वह कई कंपनियों के बोर्ड के सक्रिय सदस्य भी हैं।

श्री सराफ़ उदार और मानवतावादी व्यक्ति हैं जो कंपनी की लोकहितकारी गतिविधियों में भी रूचि रखते हैं। इन गतिविधियों के अंतर्गत एक चैरिटेबल स्कूल भी चलाया जा रहा है जिसमें 1200 बच्चे शिक्षा पा रहे हैं। श्री सराफ़ को पढ़ने का ज़बर्दस्त शौक़ है। उन्हें उर्दू शायरी से गहरा भावनात्मक लगाव है और उन्होंने उर्दू लिपि भी सीखी है। उन्हें चित्रकला और संगीत से भी गहरा प्रेम है।

Read Sample Data

फ़ेह्‍‌रिस्त

Index

Sauda, Mirza Mohammad Rafi (1713-1781)
1 ādam kaa jism jab ki anāsir se mil banā
2 bulbul ne jise jaa ke gulistān meñ dekhā
3 gar tujh meñ hai vafā to jafākār kaun hai
4 gul pheñke hai auroñ kī taraf balki samar bhī
5 hindū haiñ but-parast musalmāñ ḳhudā-parast
6 ve sūrateñ ilāhī kis mulk bastiyāñ haiñ
Dard, Khwaja Mir (1721-1785)
7 arz-o-samā kahāñ tirī vus.at ko paa sake
8 bāġh-e-jahāñ ke gul haiñ yaa ḳhār haiñ to ....
9 ham tujh se kis havas kī falak justujū kareñ
10 jag meñ aa kar idhar udhar dekhā
11 madrasa yaa dair thā yaa ka.aba yaa ....
12 tohmat-e-chand apne zimme dhar chale
Mir, Mohammad Taqi (1723-1810)
13 chalte ho to chaman ko chaliye kahte ....
14 dekh to dil ki jaañ se uThtā hai
15 faqīrāna aa.e sadā kar chale
16 ġham rahā jab tak ki dam meñ dam rahā
17 hastī apnī habāb kī sī hai
18 jis sar ko ġhurūr aaj hai yaañ taaj-varī kaa
19 pattā pattā būTā būTā haal hamārā jāne hai
20 ulTī ho ga.īñ sab tadbīreñ kuchh na davā ....
21 yaaro mujhe muāf rakho maiñ nashe meñ ....
Mus.hafi, Ghulam Hamdani (1747-1824)
22 ḳhvāb thā yaa ḳhayāl thā kyā thā
23 dekh us ko ik aah ham ne kar lī
24 in aañkhoñ se aab kuchh na niklā
25 aa.e ho to ye hijāb kyā hai
26 avval to tire kūche meñ aanā nahīñ miltā
27 ġhusse ko jāne dīje na tyorī chaḌhā.iye
Zafar, Bahadur Shah II, Abul-Muzaffar (1775-1862)
28 baat karnī mujhe mushkil kabhī aisī to na thī
29 ishq mei.n kyā kyā mere junū.n kī, ....
30 lagtā nahīñ hai dil mirā ujḌe dayār meñ
31 nahīñ ishq meñ is kaa to ranj hameñ ....
32 shamshīr-e-barhana māñg ġhazab ....
Zauq, Sheikh Mohammad Ibrahim (1790-1854)
33 ab to ghabrā ke ye kahte haiñ ki mar jā.eñge
34 kyā aa.e tum jo aa.e ghaḌī do ghaḌī ke baa'd
35 laa.ī hayāt aa.e qazā le chalī chale
36 maze jo maut ke aashiq bayāñ kabhū karte
37 naala is shor se kyūñ merā duhā.ī detā
38 vo kaun hai jo mujh pe ta.assuf nahīñ kartā
Ġhālib, Mirza Asadullah Khan (1797-1869)
39 aah ko chāhiye ik 'umr asar hote tak
40 dā.im paḌā hu.ā tire dar par nahīñ hūñ main
41 dard minnat-kash-e-davā na hu.ā
42 zikr us parī-vash kaa aur phir bayāñ apnā
43 dil hī to hai na sañg-o-ḳhisht dard se ....
44 ye na thī hamārī qismat ki visāl-e-yaar hotā
45 kabhī nekī bhī us ke jī meñ gar aa jaa.e hai ....
46 ġhair leñ mahfil meñ bose jaam ke
47 tum jāno tum ko ġhair se jo rasm-o-raah ho
Momin, Momin Khan (1800-1852)
48 adam meñ rahte to shaad rahte use bhī ....
49 Dar to mujhe kis kaa hai ki maiñ kuchh ....
50 dil qābil-e-mohabbat-e-jānāñ nahīñ rahā
51 dil-bastagī sī hai kisī zulf-e-dotā ke saath
52 nāvak-andāz jidhar dīda-e-jānāñ hoñge
53 vo jo ham meñ tum meñ qarār thā tumheñ ....
Shefta, Mustafa Khan (1809-1869)
54 ārām se hai kaun jahān-e-KHarāb meñ
55 dast-e-adū se shab jo vo sāġhar liyā kiye
56 kam-fahm haiñ to kam haiñ pareshāniyoñ ....
57 mar ga.e haiñ jo hijr-e-yaar meñ ham
58 roz ḳhūñ hote haiñ do-chār tire kūche meñ

1

ādam kaa jism jab ki 'anāsir se mil banā

kuchh aag bach rahī thī so 'āshiq kaa dil banā

jab tesha kohkan ne liyā hāth tab ye 'ishq

bolā ki apnī chhātī pe dharne ko sil banā

jis tīrgī se roz hai 'ushshāq kaa siyāh

shāyad usī se chehra-e-ḳhūbāñ pe til banā

lab zindagī meñ kab mile us lab se ai kalāl

sāġhar hamārī ḳhāk ko math karke gil banā

apnā hunar dikhāveñge ham tujh ko shīshagar

TūTā hu.ā kisī kaa agar ham se dil banā

sun sun ke 'arz-e-haal mirā yaar ne kahā

‘saudā' na bāteñ baiTh ke yaañ muttasil banā

ādam1 kaa jism jab ki 'anāsir2 se mil banā

kuchh aag bach rahī thī so 'āshiq kaa dil banā

1. Adam-the first man 2. elements

Adam's body came to being / when elements combined

from the fire that remained / a lover's heart designed

jab tesha1 kohkan2 ne liyā hāth tab ye 'ishq

bolā ki apnī chhātī pe dharne ko sil3 banā

1. pickaxe 2. Farhad/ mountain breaker 3. pestle

when the mountain breaker picked / a pickaxe in his zest

love bid him a pestle make / to pound upon his breast

Note. 1a & 1b: Pg.  279

jis tīrgī1 se roz hai 'ushshāq2 kaa siyāh3

shāyad usī se chehra-e-ḳhūbāñ4 pe til banā  

1. darkness 2. lovers 3. dark, black  4. faces of beauties

the inkiness which leads each day / of lovers to be dark

is the thing maybe that makes / beloved's beauty mark

lab zindagī meñ kab mile us lab se ai kalāl1

sāġhar2 hamārī ḳhāk³ ko math4 karke gil5 banā

1. wine-seller 2. goblet 3. dust 4. knead  5. clay

wine seller, in this lifetime how / can her lips meet mine?

knead my dust to clay that forms / her cup for drinking wine

apnā hunar1 dikhāveñge ham tujh ko shīshagar²

TūTā hu.ā kisī kaa agar ham se dil banā 

1. talent 2. glass maker

glass-smith, I will show to you / my skill that day for sure

when somebody's broken heart / I'm able to restore

sun sun ke 'arz-e-haal1 mirā yaar ne kahā

‘saudā' na bāteñ baiTh ke yaañ muttasil² banā

1. description of condition 2. adjoining

listening to my sorry state / my lover did decree

"'saudā', do not spin these tales / whilst sitting near me"

2

bulbul ne jise jaa ke gulistān meñ dekhā

ham ne use har ḳhār-e-bayābān meñ dekhā

raushan hai vo har ek sitāre meñ zuleḳhā

jis nuur ko tū ne sar-e-kan'ān meñ dekhā

barham kare jam'iyyat-e-kaunain jo pal meñ

laTkā vo tirī zulf-e-pareshān meñ dekhā

vā'iz tū sune bole hai jis roz kī bāteñ

us roz ko ham ne shab-e-hijrān meñ dekhā

ai zaḳhm-e-jigar sūda-e-almās se ḳhū kar

kitnā vo mazā thā jo namak-daan meñ dekhā

'saudā' jo tirā haal hai itnā to nahīñ vo

kyā jāniye tū ne use kis aan meñ dekhā

bulbul¹ ne jise jaa ke gulistān² meñ dekhā

ham ne use har ḳhār-e-bayābān³ meñ dekhā

1. nightingale 2.garden 3 thorn of desert

the songbird to the garden went, that one whom to see

in each thorn of wilderness, was visible to me

raushan hai vo har ek sitāre meñ zuleḳhā¹

jis nuur² ko tū ne sar-e-kan'ān³ meñ dekhā

1. name of wife of ruler of Egypt 2. radiance 3. in city of Kan.an

Zulekha, each star is by / that brightness glorified

the lustre, that in Canaan city, you once had espied

Note. 2: Pg. 279

barham¹ kare jam'iyyat-e-kaunain² jo pal meñ

laTkā³ vo tirī zulf-e-pareshān⁴ meñ dekhā  

1. distressed 2. people of both worlds 3. magic/ fascination  4. dishevelled tresses

in moments, men and angels both / that which can distress

that enchantment I have seen / in your dishevelled tress

Note. 3: Pg. 279

vā'iz¹ tū sune bole hai jis roz kī bāteñ

us roz ko ham ne shab-e-hijrān² meñ dekhā

1. preacher 2. night of separation

the day of which O preacher, you daily hear and say

in the night of parting / I too have seen that day

Note. 4: Pg. 279

ai zaḳhm-e-jigar¹ sūda-e-almās² se ḳhū³ kar

kitnā vo mazā thā jo namak-daan⁴ meñ dekhā 

1. wound of heart 2. dust of diamonds 3. habit  4. salt container

O heart's wound, with diamond's dust, yourself you should exalt

how great was the delight that lay / in a box of salt

Note. 5: Pg. 280

'saudā' jo tirā haal hai itnā to nahīñ vo

kyā jāniye tū ne use kis aan¹ meñ dekhā

1. moment

'saudā' to your plight compared, she is not apropos

you saw her in what moment? I wonder who would know?

3

gar tujh meñ hai vafā to jafākār kaun hai

dildār tū hu.ā to dil-āzār kaun hai

nālāñ hūñ muddatoñ se tire saa.e ke tale

pūchhā na ye kabhū pas-e-dīvār kaun hai

har shab sharāb-ḳhvār har ik din siyāh hai

āshufta zulf o laTpaTī dastār kaun hai

har aan dekhtā hūñ maiñ apne sanam ko shaiḳh

tere ḳhudā kaa tālib-e-dīdār kaun hai

'saudā' ko jurm-e-'ishq se karte haiñ aaj qatl

pahchāntā hai tū ye gunahgār kaun hai

gar tujh meñ hai vafā to jafākār¹ kaun hai

dildār² tū hu.ā to dil-āzār³ kaun hai

1. oppressor 2. generous/benevolent 3. cruel

if you harbour loyalty / then who is treacherous

if you are benevolent / then who is barbarous

nālāñ¹ hūñ muddatoñ² se tire saa.e ke tale

pūchhā na ye kabhū³ pas-e-dīvār⁴ kaun hai

1. crying out 2. for ages 3. ever  4. behind the wall

for ages I'm lamenting here / underneath your shade

to ask "who is behind the wall?" / you never essayed

har shab sharāb-ḳhvār¹ har ik din siyāh² hai

āshufta³ zulf o laTpaTī dastār⁴ kaun hai  

1. drinker 2. black 3. distressed  4. tangled head dress

every night's immersed in wine / and dark is every day

who is that with hair awry, headwrap in disarray?

har aan¹ dekhtā hūñ maiñ apne sanam ko shaiḳh²

tere ḳhudā kaa tālib-e-dīdār³ kaun hai

1. moment 2. priest 3. seeker of the sight

preacher, every moment my / beloved I have seen

for a vision of your God, do tell me who is keen?

'saudā' ko jurm-e-'ishq¹ se karte haiñ aaj qatl²

pahchāntā hai tū ye gunahgār³ kaun hai 

1. crime of love 2. murder 3. sinner

for his crime of passion / 'saudā's' being slain today

do you recognise who is / this sinner, by the way?

4

gul pheñke hai auroñ kī taraf balki samar bhī

ai ḳhāna-bar-andāz-e-chaman kuchh to idhar bhī

kyā zid hai mire saath ḳhudā jāne vagarna

kāfī hai tasallī ko mirī ek nazar bhī

ai abr qasam hai tujhe rone kī hamāre

tujh chashm se Tapkā hai kabhū laḳht-e-jigar bhī

ai naala sad afsos javāñ marne pe tere

pāyā na tanik dekhne tiiñ rū-e-asar bhī

tanhā tire mātam meñ nahīñ shām-e-siyah-posh

rahtā hai sadā chaak garebān-e-sahar bhī

'saudā' tirī fariyād se aañkhoñ meñ kaTī raat

aa.ī hai sahar hone ko Tuk tū kahīñ mar bhī

gul¹ pheñke hai auroñ kī taraf balki samar² bhī

ai ḳhāna-bar-andāz-e-chaman³ kuchh to idhar bhī

1. flower 2. fruit 3. a spendthrift of garden

not just flowers, fruits as well, at others do you throw

O wastrel of the garden, some, this way too bestow

kyā zid hai mire saath ḳhudā jāne vagarna

kāfī hai tasallī¹ ko mirī ek nazar bhī

1. solace

God would know, as why with me, she is so obstinate

or else, for my contentment, just a glance is adequate

ai abr¹ qasam hai tujhe rone kī hamāre

tujh chashm se Tapkā hai kabhū laḳht-e-jigar² bhī  

1. cloud 2. piece of the heart

O nimbus cloud do swear upon / my tears and my sighs

have pieces of a broken heart / dripped ever from your eyes?

ai naala sad-afsos¹ javāñ marne pe tere

pāyā na tanik² dekhne tiiñ³ rū-e-asar⁴ bhī

1. hundred regrets 2. a bit 3. of or to   4. face of the result

O lament! your youthful death / a hundred times I grieve

the slightest hint, of consequence, I did not receive

tanhā tire mātam¹ meñ nahīñ shām-e-siyah-posh²

rahtā hai sadā chāk³ garebān-e-sahar⁴ bhī  

1. grief 2. dark evening 3. torn  4. dawn's collar

the Night's black garb is not alone / there in your lament

the ever-tattered collar of / the Dawn too is present

Note. 6: Pg. 280