Ghazal
Na-rava Kahiye Na-saza Kahiye
ना-रवा कहिए ना-सज़ा कहिए
In this ghazal, the poet portrays the bitter-sweet tension between lovers, enduring the beloved's unjust rebukes while frankly calling out their infidelity and broken promises. It captures a defiant yet resigned tone, weaving together grievance, satire, and enduring passion.
Source: rekhta · HI
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1
ना-रवा कहिए ना-सज़ा कहिए
कहिए कहिए मुझे बुरा कहिए
Call it improper, call it unjust, say what you will; speak on, do speak, even if you speak ill of me.
Call me improper or call me unworthy; keep speaking, and say whatever ill of me you wish to say.
2
तुझ को बद-अहद ओ बेवफ़ा कहिए
ऐसे झूटे को और क्या कहिए
A breaker of vows, faithless—so you must be called; what else, after all, could one call such a liar?
You should be called a promise-breaker and faithless; after all, what else could one call such a liar?
3
दर्द दिल का न कहिए या कहिए
जब वो पूछे मिज़ाज क्या कहिए
Should I speak of the heart's pain or keep it concealed? / When she asks how I fare, what can be revealed?
Should one speak of the heart's pain or not; when the beloved asks how one is doing, what is one supposed to say?
4
फिर न रुकिए जो मुद्दआ कहिए
एक के बा'द दूसरा कहिए
Do not pause once you begin to speak your heart's desire; let one plea follow upon another without end.
When you begin to express your purpose or desire, do not stop; keep stating one plea after another continuously.
5
आप अब मेरा मुँह न खुलवाएँ
ये न कहिए कि मुद्दआ कहिए
Do not compel these silent lips to speak now; do not urge me to state my heart's desire.
Do not force me to open my mouth now, and do not tell me to state my purpose or inner desire.
6
वो मुझे क़त्ल कर के कहते हैं
मानता ही न था ये क्या कहिए
Having slain me, they casually remark: 'He simply wouldn't relent—what is there to say?'
After killing me, they simply say that I refused to relent, so what else is there to say about it.
7
दिल में रखने की बात है ग़म-ए-इश्क़
इस को हरगिज़ न बरमला कहिए
The grief of love is a secret meant for the heart to hold; never, by any means, should it openly be told.
The sorrow of love is meant to be kept hidden within the heart; it should never be spoken of openly.
8
तुझ को अच्छा कहा है किस किस ने
कहने वालों को और क्या कहिए
Just who all have called you good and fair? / What else can one say to those who so declare?
Who all have called you good? What more can one even say to those who make such a claim?
9
वो भी सुन लेंगे ये कभी न कभी
हाल-ए-दिल सब से जा-ब-जा कहिए
They too shall hear of it, one day, somewhere; confide your heart’s plight to all, everywhere.
Keep telling the state of your heart to everyone everywhere; sooner or later, they too will end up hearing it.
10
मुझ को कहिए बुरा न ग़ैर के साथ
जो हो कहना जुदा जुदा कहिए
Do not reproach me alongside my rival; whatever you have to say, say it to each apart.
Do not speak ill of me alongside the rival; whatever you have to say, say it to each of us separately.
11
इंतिहा इश्क़ की ख़ुदा जाने
दम-ए-आख़िर को इब्तिदा कहिए
God alone knows the true bounds of love; call the final breath merely the beginning.
Only God knows the extreme limit of love; one should consider even the final breath to be just the beginning.
12
मेरे मतलब से क्या ग़रज़ मतलब
आप अपना तो मुद्दआ कहिए
What concern have you with my motive? Meaning— / do speak, and state your own true desire.
What concern do you have with my purpose? That is to say, you should state your own desire.
13
ऐसी कश्ती का डूबना अच्छा
कि जो दुश्मन को नाख़ुदा कहिए
Better it is that such a vessel sink beneath the wave, than call an enemy the helmsman who must save.
It is better for a boat to sink than to have to address one's enemy as its helmsman or savior.
14
सब्र फ़ुर्क़त में आ ही जाता है
पर उसे देर-आश्ना कहिए
In separation's ache, patience does arrive at last; yet call it a slow companion, tardy to befriend the heart.
Patience does eventually come during separation, but it should be described as slow to arrive and become familiar.
15
आ गई आप को मसीहाई
मरने वालों को मर्हबा कहिए
Now that the Messiah's healing art has come to your grace, bid welcome to the dying who rush to death's embrace.
Now that you have acquired the miraculous healing power of a Messiah, welcome those who are dying.
16
आप का ख़ैर-ख़्वाह मेरे सिवा
है कोई और दूसरा कहिए
Besides me, is there another who truly wishes you well? Pray, speak up, is there anyone else?
Tell me, is there anyone else besides me who truly wishes well for you?
17
हाथ रख कर वो अपने कानों पर
मुझ से कहते हैं माजरा कहिए
With hands pressed firmly against their ears, they say to me: 'Pray, tell your tale.'
Placing their hands over their ears, they still ask me to tell them my story.
18
होश जाते रहे रक़ीबों के
'दाग़' को और बा-वफ़ा कहिए
The rivals have quite lost their senses / Go on, praise Dagh as faithful even more.
The rivals have lost their senses with jealousy; praise Dagh as faithful even more.
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