For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.

Recitation

پردۂ اَسرار دیکھ کر ۔ مرزا جعفر علی خاں اثرؔ لکھنوی

مجھ کو ہلاکِ جلوۂ سرشار دیکھ کر

اوجھل ہوا وہ آنکھ سے اک بار دیکھ کر

تھا مژدۂ بہار پیامِ شکستِ رنگ

دل خون ہو گیا گل و گلزار دیکھ کر

اکثر مآلِ دید سے بیگانہ ہو گئے

نقش و نگارِ پردۂ اَسرار دیکھ کر

بے اختیار اہلِ وطن یاد آ گئے

باہم سلوکِ آبلہ و خار دیکھ کر

کہتا ہے رشک یہ بھی کسی کے ہیں منتظر

ذروں پہ نقشِ دیدۂ بیدار دیکھ کر

پھولوں کا بس نہیں کہ قدم بڑھ کے چوم لیں

اک نو بہارِ ناز کی رفتار دیکھ کر

کوچے کا اُس کے ہے یہ پتہ جانِ بے قرار

آتی ہے نیند سایۂ دیوار دیکھ کر

کیا کیا تھا ناز حسن پہ ماہِ تمام کو

مر مر گیا وہ پھول سے رخسار دیکھ کر

توبہ اِسی کا نام ہے کیوں میرزا اثرؔ

مَلتے ہو ہاتھ خانۂ خمّار دیکھ کر

परदा-ए असरार देख कर – मिर्ज़ा जाफ़र अली ख़ां असर लखनवी

१
मुझ को हलाक-ए जल्वा सरशार देख कर
औझल हुआ वो आँख से एक बार देख कर

२
था मुज़्शौदा-ए बहार पयाम-ए शिकस्त-ए रंग
दिल ख़ून हो गया गुल ओ गुल्ज़ार देख कर

३
अक्सर म’आल-ए दीद से बेगाना हो गए
नक़्श ओ निगार-ए पर्दा-ए अस्रार देख कर

४
बे-एख़्तियार अहल-ए वतन याद आ गए
बाहम सुलूक-ए आबला ओ ख़ार देख कर

५
कहता है रश्क ये भी किसी के हैं मुन्तज़िर
ज़र्रों पे नक़्श-ए दीदा-ए बेदार देख कर

६
फूलों का बस नहीं के क़दम बढ़ के चूम लें
एक नौ-बहार-ए नाज़ की रफ़्तार देख कर

७
कूचे का उस के है ये पता जान-ए बेक़रार
आती है नींद साया-ए दीवार देख कर

८
क्या क्या था नाज़ हुस्न पे माह-ए तमाम को
मर मर गया वो फूल से रुख़्सार देख कर

९
तौबा इसी का नाम है क्यों मीर्ज़ा असर
मलते हो हाथ ख़ाना-ए ख़म्मार देख कर

Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mirza jaafar ali KhaaN asar lakhnavi (1885-1967). Classical education at home until the age of 11, then formal schooling and college to BA. Indulged in MA and LLB but did not finish. Served in the British government as Deputy Collector (1909), Executive Officer and Collector until 1940. Resigned from service. Several collections of his Ghazal and nazm including descriptions of nature in kashmir where he served in the cabinet and also as acting prime minister (until 1945) to the maharaja. He also did a versified translation of the bhagwad-giita. This Ghazal is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
mujh ko halaak¹-e jalva² sarshaar³ dekh kar
aujhal⁴ hua voh aaNkh se ek baar dekh kar 1.killed, conquered 2.radiance, splendor 3.intoxicating, overwhelming 4.disappeared
When the beloved saw me killed/overcome by the overwhelming radiance of her beauty, she disappeared from my sight after revealing herself just once. This is a classical lament of how the beloved captivates and once having done so, ignores the lover.
2
thaa muzshda¹-e bahaar² payaam³-e shikast⁴-e raNg
dil Khoon ho gaya gul o gulzaar⁵ dekh kar 1.glad tidings 2.spring 3.message 4.breaking 5.garden
The good tidings of the arrival of spring also brought a message of the ‘breaking of colour’; my heart bled seeing the garden and its flowers. The phrase ‘breaking of colour’ is a very awkward literal translation and needs some explanation. It is used here to mean the breaking of the heart and the colour of blood flowing out of it. The arrival of spring is normally good news. It is a season of celebration and meeting of lovers. But seeing the roses and the garden in full bloom the heart of the poet/lover is cut open and he bleeds – the colour of blood flowing out. This is because the beloved does not reciprocate his love and the arrival of spring accentuates his despondency.
3
aksar¹ maal²-e diid³ se begaana⁴ ho ga’e
naqsh⁵ o nigaar⁶-e parda⁷-e asraar⁸ dekh kar 1.often, many 2.consequence, result 3.sight 4.unaware, forgetful, detached 5.image, mark 6.decorations, embellishment 7.veil, screen 8.mystery
Often, many of us become forgetful of the outcome of what we see; when look at the intricate designs on the veil/screen of mystery. Here, mystery is the divine spirit and the veil/screen is the material world; ‘naqsh-o-nigaar’ is the attraction/temptation of the material world. When we see this we are forgetful of the consequences … the consequences are that we do not see the divine spirit behind the veil and we may have to pay the price in the afterlife.
4
be-eKhtiyaar¹ ahl-e-vatan² yaad aa ga’e
baaham³ sulook⁴-e aabla⁵ o Khaar⁶ dekh kar 1.uncontrollably 2.people of the homeland 3.mutual 4.treatment, interaction 5.blisters 6.thorns
Uncontrollably, I remembered my people back home; seeing how blisters and thorns treat each other together. When the mad passionate lover wanders the desert looking for his beloved his feet get blisters. Thorns in the desert poke through the blisters, relieve his pain and in the process get ‘water’. Thus, looking at this mutual treatment the poet/lover/majnuN wandering the desert, thinks of the people of his homeland. This is the positive spin of ‘mutual treatment’. The other side could be that this mutual treatment is painful because thorns pierce blisters and make the wound bleed more and hurt more. Perhaps, the ‘people back home’ threw rocks at the madman when he wandered the streets.
5
kahtaa hai rashk¹ yeh bhi kisi ke haiN muntazir²
zarroN³ pe naqsh⁴-e diida⁵-e bedaar⁶ dekh kar 1.envy 2.awaiting 3.particles, specks 4.impression, image 5.eyes 6.awake, alert
Envy says these specks must also be waiting for someone; when I see the image ever-watchful eyes on every grain of sand. The mad passionate lover is wandering the desert. Of course, he is madly jealous of everyone and everything around. All there is around him is sand. His jealousy makes him perceive grains of sands as eyes, which are waiting for a glimpse of the beloved. Ghalib too, shows inordinate jealousy in …
chhoRa na rashk ne ke tere’ dar ka naam luN
har ek se poochhta huN keh jaauN kidhar ko maiN
6
phooloN ka bas¹ nahiiN keh qadam² baRh ke choom leN
ek nau-bahaar³-e naaz⁴ ki raftaar⁵ dekh kar 1.control 2.step 3.new spring, newly blossomed 4.elegance, grace 5.movement, gait
The flowers cannot control themselves and wish to step forward and kiss her feet; witnessing the elegant movement of the new spring/fresh blossom of grace. ‘nau-bahaar-e naaz’ is the beloved. ‘nau-bahaar’ might imply early adolescence. Flowers in the garden watch her graceful gait and cannot help themselves but want to kiss her feet.