Ghazal
Kisi Bekas Ko Use Bedaad-gar Maara To Kya Maara
kisi bekas ko use bedaad-gar maara to kya maara
Source: Deewan-e-Zauq (1923) · HI
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1
किसी बेकस को उसे बेदाद-गर मारा तो क्या मारा
जो आप ही मर रहा हो उसको गर मारा तो क्या मारा
If the tyrant slew some helpless one, what glory in that slaughter lies?
One who is already dying—if you killed him, what great conquest lies?
If a tyrant has killed some helpless person, what is so great about that killing? And one who is already dying—what triumph is there in slaying him?
2
बड़े मूज़ी को मारा नफ़्स-ए-अम्मारा को गर मारा
निहंग ओ अज़दहा ओ शेर-ए-नर मारा तो क्या मारा
If you have slain the tyrant-self, the soul that goads to sin, you've slain the mightiest foe within;
But if you merely killed the crocodile, the dragon, or the lion-male—what of it? What great deed have you done then?
If you have killed the great evil—the sinful, inciting self—then you have slain the mightiest foe. But if you merely killed a crocodile, a dragon, or a male lion, what great thing have you really done?
3
न मारा आपको जो ख़ाक हो इक्सीर बन जाता
अगर पारे को ऐ इक्सीर-गर मारा तो क्या मारा
You slew not your own self—had you, mere dust would turn to elixir's gold;
O alchemist, if you but killed the quicksilver, what feat have you controlled?
You did not kill your own self—had you done so, even mere dust would have turned into elixir; O alchemist, if you only killed the quicksilver, what great thing have you really done?
4
ख़ता तह-ए-दिल की थी क़ातिल बहुत सी मार खाईकी
तेरी ज़ुल्फ़ों ने मुश्कें बांधकर मारा तो क्या मारा
The fault lay deep within my heart, O slayer, and much I suffered for it;
When your tresses bound my arms and struck me down—what feat was that in striking?
The fault lay deep within my heart, O slayer, and I suffered much for it; when your tresses bound my arms and struck me, what great feat was that in striking.
5
नहीं वो क़ौल का सच्चा हमेशा क़ौल दे देकर
जो उसने हाथ मेरे हाथ पर मारा तो क्या मारा
He is no keeper of his word, forever pledging promises;
so when he struck his hand on mine in oath—what oath, what pledge was that?
He is not true to his word, forever making promises; so when he slapped his hand on mine to vow, what did that vow even mean?
6
तुफ़ंग ओ तीर तो ज़ाहिर न था कुछ पास क़ातिल के
उसी फिर जो दिल पर ताक कर मारा तो क्या मारा
No musket, no arrow was visibly borne by the slayer's hand;
That glance he took, aiming straight at my heart—what a shot he struck!
Neither gun nor arrow was visible in the slayer's possession; then that glance which he aimed and struck upon the heart—what a strike it was!
7
हंसी के साथ यां रोना है मिस्ल-ए-क़ुलक़ुल-ए-मीना
किसी ने क़हक़हा उसने बख़ैर मारा तो क्या मारा
Here laughter and weeping flow together, like the gurgling throat of the wine-flask;
If someone burst into a peal of mirth, and it was taken well—what of it, what was taken?
Here laughter comes mingled with weeping, like the gurgling sound from the neck of a wine-flask; if someone burst out laughing and carried it off well, so what—what great thing was achieved.
8
मेरे आंसू हमेशा हैं ब-रंग-ए-लाल ग़र्क़-ए-ख़ून
जो ग़ोता आब में तू ने गुहर मारा तो क्या मारा
My tears are ever ruddy-hued, forever drowned in blood—
So what if you dived into the water and struck a pearl?
My tears are always red-colored and drowned in blood, so what great feat is it if you dived into the water and brought up a pearl.
9
जिगर ज़ख़्मी है और दिल लोटता है तुमने क्या जाना
इधर मारा तो क्या मारा उधर मारा तो क्या मारा
My liver is wounded and my heart writhes in pain—how could you ever know?
If you struck here, what of that strike; if you struck there, what of that blow.
My liver is wounded and my heart writhes in agony—this you never understood. Whether you struck here or struck there, what did that blow amount to?
10
दिल-ए-संगीन-ए-ख़ुसरौ पर भी ज़र्ब-ए-कोहकन पहुंची
अगर तेशा सर-ए-कोहसार पर मारा तो क्या मारा
Even upon Khusrau's heart of stone the mountain-digger's blow has fallen;
If he struck his pick against the mountain's peak, what did that striking matter?
Even Khusrau's stony heart felt the blow of the mountain-digger (Farhad); if he merely struck his pick against the mountain's peak, that was no great feat.
11
क्या शैतान मारा एक सज्दे के न करने में
अगर लाखों बरस सज्दे में सर मारा तो क्या मारा
What loss was Satan's in refusing once to bow his head?
If for a million years he bowed, what would his bowing mean?
What did Satan lose by not performing a single prostration? And if he had bowed his head in prostration for a million years, what would that have amounted to?
12
दिल-ए-बद-ख़्वाह में था मारना या चश्म-ए-बद-बीन में
फ़लक पर ज़ौक़ तीर-ए-आह गर मारा तो क्या मारा
The ill-wisher's heart, or the evil-eyed gaze, was where I should have struck;
If, O Zauq, I loosed the arrow of my sigh upon the sky, what have I struck?
I should have struck the heart of the ill-wisher or the evil-eyed gaze; O Zauq, if I loosed the arrow of my sigh at the sky, I have struck nothing worthwhile.
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