POST 39: Tumhare Khat Mein Naya Ek Salam Kis Ka Tha
तुम्हारे ख़त में नया इक सलाम किस का था ?
Daag Dahelvi was the author of this heart touching ghazal. It so poignantly brings out the anxiety, envy and insecurity of the poor lover!
Nawab Mirza Khan Daag Dahelvi, was born in 1831 and lived up to 1905. He was born in Chandni Chowk area of Delhi. His father, the ruler of Loharu, was hanged on charges of conspiracy in the murder of William Fraser, while he was only four years old.His mother remarried the crown prince Mirza Muhammed Fakhroo, an heir to last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar. This ensured residence in the Red Fort and guidance from masters like great poet Zauq.
He was a votary for use of Urdu and minimising use of Persian or Arablic words.
Some of the meaningful shers from Daag Dahelvi:
ये मजा था दिल्लगी का कि बराबर आग लगती
न तुझे क़रार होता न मुझे क़रार होता
सितम ही करना, जफ़ा ही करना, निगाहे-उल्फ़त कभी न करना
तुम्हें कसम है हमारे सिर की, हमारे हक़ में कभी न करना
तुम को चाहा तो ख़ता क्या है बता दो मुझ को?
दूसरा कोई तो अपना सा दिखा दो मुझ को!
Important words: रक़ीब: rival; कलाम: talk ,speech, word; मुक़ीम: inhabitant; मक़ाम: dwelling, place of long stay;बज़्म: assembly, feast; एहतिमाम: planning; मुश्ताक़: desirous, unfulfilled; तज़्किरा-ए-ना-तमाम: incomplete description; अदू: rival; वक़्त-ए-ख़िराम: slow paced time ; इरादा-ए-शर्ब-ए-मुदाम: always drink in company; ज़ेर-ए-बाम: under the roof; ख़याल-ए-ख़ाम: foolish idea; सौदा-ए-ख़ाम: raw material, basic idea;सिफ़ात: attributes;
तुम्हारे ख़त में नया इक सलाम किस का था ?
न था रक़ीब तो आख़िर वो नाम किस का था ?
In your letter, who is the new person, who salutes you?
If he was not a rival, then whose name was that?
वो क़त्ल कर के मुझे, हर किसी से पूछते हैं
ये काम किस ने किया है ये काम किस का था ?
She murders me and then asks everyone!
Who did this ghastly act? Whose doing was this?
वफ़ा करेंगे निबाहेंगे बात मानेंगे
तुम्हें भी याद है कुछ ये कलाम किस का था ?
Will be faithful, agreeable and committed to honour our relationship!
Do you remember, who was the author of these sentiments?
रहा न दिल में वो बेदर्द और दर्द रहा
मुक़ीम कौन हुआ है मक़ाम किस का था ?
That insensitive person did not remain in my heart but the pain remained!
Who was the temporary resident and whose destination was it?
न पूछ-गछ थी किसी की वहाँ, न आव-भगत
तुम्हारी बज़्म में कल एहतिमाम किस का था ?
In your assembly, there were no salutations and there was no welcome!
Who was responsible for such planning, such arrangements ?
तमाम बज़्म जिसे सुन के रह गई मुश्ताक़
कहो वो तज़्किरा-ए-ना-तमाम किस का था ?
The entire assembly remained unsatisfied, desirous!
Please let me know who was the author of that incomplete description?
हमारे ख़त के तो पुर्ज़े किए पढ़ा भी नहीं
सुना जो तू ने ब-दिल वो पयाम किस का था ?
You shredded my letter even before reading it!
Whose message was that, which you heard with all your heart?
उठाई क्यूँ न क़यामत अदू के कूचे में
लिहाज़ आप को वक़्त-ए-ख़िराम किस का था ?
Why did you not raise a huge hue and cry in the locality of the rival?
For whom were you so agreeable to tolerate such a slow pace of things?
गुज़र गया वो ज़माना कहूँ तो किस से कहूँ
ख़याल दिल को मिरे सुब्ह ओ शाम किस का था ?
Whom can I tell, explain that, that era has passed!
Whose thought was with me through out the day from morning to night ?
हमें तो हज़रत-ए-वाइज़ की ज़िद ने पिलवाई
यहाँ इरादा-ए-शर्ब-ए-मुदाम किस का था ?
It was the insistence of the preacher that made me take to drinking!
Whose intention, idea was it to always drink in company?
अगरचे देखने वाले तिरे हज़ारों थे
तबाह-हाल बहुत ज़ेर-ए-बाम किस का था ?
Of course there were thousands of your admirers!
Who was completely in a ruined condition under your roof?
वो कौन था कि तुम्हें जिस ने बेवफ़ा जाना
ख़याल-ए-ख़ाम ये सौदा-ए-ख़ाम किस का था ?
Who was it, who considered you to be unfaithful?
That crude silly thought, was based on whose raw thinking?
इन्हीं सिफ़त से होता है आदमी मशहूर
जो लुत्फ़ आम वो करते ये नाम किस का था ?
It is attributes like these that make a person famous!
Whose name was it that made her enjoy such ordinary pleasure ?
हर इक से कहते हैं क्या 'दाग़' बेवफ़ा निकला
ये पूछे उन से कोई वो ग़ुलाम किस का था ?
She asks everyone “ Was ‘Daag’ was found to be unfaithful’ ?
Let someone ask her, whose slave was he?
Same ghazal sung by inimitable Mehdi Hassan:
Chitra Singh sang the same ghazal in a concert in Pakistan in 1979.
Here I present another young Indian singer, singing the same ghazal in a fresh sounding voice. Adithi Kalkunte is an actress in Hindi cinema known for her supporting roles in films like Hotel Mumbai, Krish 3,Special 26 etc.
I am sure you found it different!
Please enjoy the weekend!
03.04.2021
