Ghazal
Meri Aankhon Ke Aage Ubjala Kya Josh Mein Dariya
meri aankhon ke aage ubjala kya josh mein dariya
Source: Kulliyat-e-Aatish (Matba Munshi Naval Kishore, Lucknow) · HI
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1
मेरी आँखों के आगे उबजला क्या जोश में दरिया
हमेशा सूरत-ए-साहिल हो बान आग़ोश में दरिया
Before my very eyes the river surged and churned in frenzied might,
Yet like the shore it stayed forever clasped within its own embrace.
Before my eyes the river surged up in frenzy, yet it always remained, like the shore, clasped within its own embrace.
2
वो हद कम-ज़रफ़ हैं जो एक साग़र में बहकते हैं
नहीं क़तरा भी याँ हंगाम-ए-नोशा-नोश में दरिया
They are the utterly shallow who stagger at a single cup; / here, in the hour of endless drinking, not even a drop makes me a flooded river.
Those who lose control after a single cup are utterly shallow; here, in the hour of endless drinking, not even a drop makes me overflow like a river.
3
निकाला चाहे ऐ ग़व्वाज़ तो जल्द अब निकाल इस को
ख़ुदा जाने कि क्या फूँके सदफ़ के गोश में दरिया
If you would draw it out, O diver, draw it out now with speed—
who knows what the sea may whisper in the oyster's ear?
O diver, if you wish to bring out this pearl, do it quickly now, for who knows what the sea may whisper into the oyster's ear.
4
ख़मोशी और गोयाई मेरी इक इक से बेहतर है
सुकूनत में ये क़तरा हो गुहर तो जोश में दरिया
My silence and my speech—each one is better than the other:
at rest this drop becomes a pearl, in passion's surge a sea.
Both my silence and my speech surpass one another; at rest this drop turns into a pearl, and in its fervour into a sea.
5
सरक जाए जो रू-ए-चश्म-ए-तर से गोशा दामन का
न देखा हो किसी ने ऐसा अपने होश में दरिया
Should the hem of the garment slip past the surface of these tear-drenched eyes,
no one, while in their senses, has ever beheld such a river in flood.
If the corner of the garment's hem slips past the surface of these tear-soaked eyes, no one in their senses has ever seen such a river in flood.
6
किया जो ज़ब्त-ए-गिर्या तो कहा दरिया को कूज़े में
कभी दिल खोल कर रोया तो आया जोश में दरिया
When I held back my tears, I poured the ocean into a cup;
but when I wept with open heart, the sea rose up in surging flood.
When I restrained my weeping, I confined an entire ocean into a small cup; but whenever I wept with an open heart, that ocean surged and overflowed.
7
अगर मोती न बनते क़तरा-हा-ए-अब्र-ए-नैसाँ से
तो हलक़ा डालता आतिश सदफ़ के गोश में दरिया
Had the drops of the April cloud not turned to pearls,
the sea would have hung a ring of fire in the oyster's ear.
If the drops of the April cloud had not become pearls, the sea would have hung a ring of fire in the oyster's ear.
8
दिल छुट के जान से गोर की मंज़िल में रह गया
कैसा रफ़ीक़ साथ से मुश्किल में रह गया
The heart, torn from life, stayed lodged within the dwelling of the grave—
what a companion this was, who abandoned me in hardship, left behind!
The heart, parted from life, remained lodged in the dwelling of the grave; what sort of companion was this, who stayed behind and deserted me in hardship.
9
आए भी लोग बैठे भी उठे भी खड़े हुए
मैं जाही ढूँढता तेरी महफ़िल में रह गया
People came and sat, then rose and stood to leave,
I kept on searching for you, left behind in your assembly.
People came and sat, then rose and stood up to leave; I remained behind in your gathering, still searching for you.
10
नाक़िस हो दोस्तदारी में कामिल नहीं हो तू
दुश्मन से भी ग़ुबार अगर दिल में रह गया
Flawed you are in friendship, not yet perfected are you,
If even toward an enemy some rancor lingers in your heart.
You are incomplete in friendship and not yet perfected, if even toward an enemy a trace of bitterness remains in your heart.
11
क़ातिल सँभल के तेग़ लगा जाए शर्म है
तस्मा लगा जो गर्दन-ए-बिस्मिल में रह गया
O slayer, strike your blade with care, lest shame should come to you—
for if the strap be left behind in the slain one's throat, what then?
O slayer, wield your blade carefully lest you be put to shame, for it would be disgraceful if the strap of the sword were left behind in the slain victim's throat.
12
आज़ादी से ज़ियादा असीरी में लुत्फ़ हो
दिल मुर्ग़-ए-रूह का क़फ़स-ए-गुल में रह गया
More pleasure there may be in bondage than in liberty—
the soul's bird, my heart, stayed on within the cage of the rose.
Sometimes there is more delight in captivity than in freedom—the bird of the soul, the heart, remained within the cage of the rose.
13
सबक़त जो ज़िंदगी में सिकंदर से की तो क्या
ऐ ख़िज़्र पीछे मर्ग की मंज़िल में रह गया
What of it, if in life you outpaced even Alexander?
O Khizr, in the station of death you were left behind.
So what if you surpassed even Alexander in life? O Khizr, in the station of death you were left behind.
14
मजनूँ बरहना करता उसे अपनी तरह से
लैला का पर्दा पर्दा-ए-महमिल में रह गया
Majnun would have stripped her bare, remade in his own guise,
but Laila's veil stayed veiled within the litter's secret guise
Majnun would have laid her bare in his own fashion, but Laila's veil remained hidden within the veil of the litter.
15
पारा तेरा हो कि ग़र्क़ हो अबहर-ए-इश्क़ में
वो दाग़ है जो दामन-ए-साहिल में रह गया
Though your mercury may drown deep in the ocean of love,
it is but that stain which clung to the shoreline's hem and stayed behind.
Though your fragment may drown in the ocean of love, it is only that stain which remained clinging to the shoreline's hem.
16
काफ़िर है मुनकिर उसकी करीमी की शान का
ख़ाली प्याला कब कफ़-ए-साइल में रह गया
An infidel is he who denies the splendor of His bounty—
when did an empty bowl ever stay in the beggar's palm?
One who denies the greatness of His generosity is an infidel; when did an empty bowl ever remain in the beggar's hand?
17
आतिश को दस्त-ओ-तेग़ से मुमकिन हुआ न ज़ख़्म
बेचारा मरके हसरत-ए-क़ातिल में रह गया
Fire could not be wounded by the dagger-wielding hand;
The poor thing died still longing for its slayer's blade.
It was not possible to wound fire with a hand or a sword; the poor thing died still carrying the unfulfilled longing to be struck by its slayer.
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