Post 7: Hazaron Khwaishen Aisee
हज़ारों ख्वाहिशें ऐसी कि हर ख्वाहिश पे दम निकले।
I would like to share a ghazal written by Mirza Ghalib and sung by many talented singers but the most popular version is by Jagjit Singh in the DD TV series Mirza Ghalib.
This ghazal is a story of unfulfilled desires and non-responsiveness of the beloved. What beautiful imagery!
Some important words:
ख्वाहिशें aspirations ;खुलद Heavens; काफिर unbeliever; वाहिद preacher
खूं Murder; चश्मे तर weeping eyes;कामत की दराज़ी slenderness of the body;
पेच औ ख़म curliness of tresses; मंसूब partner, friend; बादा हाशमी drunkenness
जाम ऐ जम a cup supposedly developed by Emperor of Iran , Jamshed, such that if one took alcohol in it, one could see scenes of the whole world.
तवक़्क़ो Praise sympathy; ख़स्तगी poor condition
हज़ारों ख़्वाहिशें ऐसी,
के हर ख़्वाहिश पे दम निकले
बहुत निकले मेरे अरमान,
लेकिन फिर भी कम निकले
I have thousands of unfulfilled aspirations , wishes, desires
each one of these aspirations is so dear to me, I am ready to lay my life for it.
So many of my aspirations have been fulfilled , still so many remain.
निकलना खुल्द से
आदम का सुनते आए हैं लेकिन
बहुत बेआबरू होकर
तेरे कूचे से हम निकले
I have been hearing stories of Adam
being banished from the heavens in shame
but I was made to leave
your vicinity, your nearness,in utter disgrace.
मुहब्बत में नहीं है
फ़र्क जीने और मरने का
उसी को देखकर जीते हैं
जिस काफ़िर पे दम निकले
When in love there is no difference
between living or dying
I have been living looking to the wishes of that unbeliever (काफ़िर)
to whom I look to and for whom I am ready to lay down my life.
खुदा के वास्ते पर्दा नकाबे से उठा ज़ालिम
कही ऐसा ना हो यहां भी वही काफिर सनम निकले
For God’s sake, O heartless one, please remove the veil,
It should not happen that even here I am courting the unbeliever
कहाँ मय-ख़ाने का दरवाज़ा ‘ग़ालिब’
और कहाँ वाइज़
पर इतना जानते है
कल वो जाता था कि हम निकले
Oh where is the door of the maikhana
and where is the preacher?
Although I know for sure,that when I was leaving the bar
the preacher was going in.
- In Islam drinking is taboo.
In the TV serial Mirza Ghalib, only couplets translated above have been rendered, but the original ghazal, written by Mirza Ghalib had five couplets. I have included those five also and translated these. At least two of these are really beautiful.
डरे क्यूँ मेरा क़ातिल
क्या रहेगा उस की गर्दन पर
वो ख़ूँ जो चश्म-ए-तर से उम्र भर
यूँ दम-ब-दम निकले
Why should my killer(katil) be afraid
that all her life, my murder will be blamed on her,
A murder that will be seeping,
out of my wet eyes gradually all life.
भरम खुल जाए ज़ालिम
तेरे क़ामत की दराज़ी का
अगर इस तुर्रा-ए-पुर-पेच-ओ-ख़म का
पेच-ओ-ख़म निकले
The suspense of your high status and mysterious self ,
your beautiful body will be solved,
if the phenomenon of knots in the crown of your head
and curls in your tresses could be explained.
The curls in your hair are so intriguing.
मगर लिखवाए कोई उस को ख़त
तो हम से लिखवाए
हुई सुब्ह और घर से
कान पर रख कर क़लम निकले
If someone wants a letter to be addressed to her,
he should get it written from me
the writer of letters should come out of his house,like me
every morning with a pen positioned behind his ear.
हुई इस दौर में मंसूब
मुझ से बादा-आशामी
फिर आया वो ज़माना
जो जहाँ में जाम-ए-जम निकले
During this period, I was drinking and drinking,
again times have come ,
for emergence of the mysterious cup,
Jame e Jam developed by Jamshed ,
- It is believed that Jamshed the ruler of Iran, had developed a cup,in which one could see scenes of the whole world. This is called Jam e jam.
जाम ए जम
हुई जिन से तवक़्क़ो
ख़स्तगी की दाद पाने की
वो हम से भी ज़ियादा
ख़स्ता-ए-तेग़-ए-सितम निकले
From those whom I had hoped, to get ,some consolation,
for my poor tired spent condition,
I realised they themselves were ,
in a condition worse than mine,
हज़ारों ख्वाहिशें ऐसी कि हर ख्वाहिश पे दम निकले।
I am including the same ghazal sung by legendary radio artist, music director actor and singer G.M. Durrani, in the 1950 film Ghayal. He was active from 1943 to 1949. Kindly note in the singing style, distinct influence of famous singer K. L. Saigal.
Have a wonderful weekend!!!
