Ghazal
मुझ को समझो यादगार-ए-रफ़्तगान-ए-लखनऊ
In this poignant ghazal, the poet presents himself as a living monument to the departed souls and fading glory of Lucknow. Filled with deep nostalgia and grief, the verses lament the decline of the city's refined culture and literary splendor.
Source: rekhta · HI
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1
मुझ को समझो यादगार-ए-रफ़्तगान-ए-लखनऊ
हूँ क़द-ए-आदम ग़ुबार-ए-कारवान-ए-लखनऊ
Regard me as a memorial to the departed souls of Lucknow; I am a life-sized pillar of dust left by the caravan of Lucknow.
Regard me as a memorial to the departed people of Lucknow; I am a human-height cloud of dust left behind by the caravan of Lucknow.
2
ख़ून-ए-हसरत कह रहा है दास्तान-ए-लखनऊ
रह गया है अब यही रंगीं-बयान-ए-लखनऊ
The bleeding heart of longing now recounts the tale of Lucknow; this alone remains today as the eloquent voice of Lucknow.
The blood of unfulfilled longings is narrating the story of Lucknow. Now, only this remains as the colorful and eloquent expression of Lucknow.
3
गोश-ए-इबरत से सुने कोई मिरी फ़रियाद है
बुलबुल-ए-ख़ूनीं नवा-ए-बोस्तान-ए-लखनऊ
Let someone listen with an ear of warning to this cry of mine; I am the blood-singing nightingale of the garden of Lucknow.
Someone should listen to my cry with an ear that takes warning, for I am the blood-lamenting nightingale of the garden of Lucknow.
4
मेरे हर आँसू में इक आईना-ए-तस्वीर है
मेरे हर नाले में है तर्ज़-ए-फ़ुग़ान-ए-लखनऊ
In every tear of mine there gleams a mirror of design, and in each lament echoes the mournful melody of Lucknow.
In every tear of mine there is a mirror reflecting an image, and in my every cry of pain lies the style of Lucknow's wailing.
5
ढूँढता है अब किसे ले कर चराग़-ए-आफ़्ताब
क्यूँ मिटाया ऐ फ़लक तू ने निशान-ए-लखनऊ
Holding aloft the lamp of the sun, whom do you search for now? Why did you erase, O heavens, every trace of Lucknow?
O sky, why did you erase the traces of Lucknow? Now, holding the sun as a lamp, whom are you searching for?
6
लखनऊ जिन से इबारत थी हुए वो नापदीद
है निशान-ए-लखनऊ बाक़ी न शान-ए-लखनऊ
Those who were the very soul of Lucknow have vanished out of sight; neither a trace of Lucknow remains, nor its former glorious might.
Those people who truly defined Lucknow have now vanished; neither any trace of Lucknow remains, nor its former glory.
7
अब नज़र आता नहीं वो मजमा-ए-अहल-ए-कमाल
खा गए उन को ज़मीन-ओ-आसमान-ए-लखनऊ
No longer seen is that gathering of masters of rare renown; the earth and sky of Lucknow have swallowed them all down.
Now that gathering of accomplished and talented people is nowhere to be seen; the earth and sky of Lucknow have swallowed them all up.
8
पहले था अहल-ए-ज़बाँ का दौर अब गर्दिश में हैं
चाहिए थी तेग़-ए-उर्दू को फ़सान-ए-लखनऊ
Once was the era of the masters of speech, now fallen on adverse days; the sword of Urdu had truly needed the whetstone of Lucknow.
There was once an era of the masters of the language, but now they are going through adverse times; the sword of the Urdu language needed the whetstone of Lucknow to be sharpened.
9
मर्सिया-गो कितने यकता-ए-ज़माना थे यहाँ
कोई तो इतनों में होता नौहा-ख़्वान-ए-लखनऊ
How many peerless elegists once flourished in this land, / Yet among them all, was there none to sing a dirge for Lucknow?
There were so many peerless elegists in this land, yet among all of them, there should have been at least someone to lament the fate of Lucknow.
10
ये ग़ुबार-ए-ना-तावाँ ख़ाकिस्तर-ए-परवाना है
ख़ानदान अपना था शम्-ए-दूदमान-ए-लखनऊ
This frail drift of dust is but the ash of a fallen moth; our lineage was once the radiant candle of the house of Lucknow.
This frail dust is merely the ash of a moth, whereas our family was once the candle of the noble house of Lucknow.
11
चलता था जब घुटनियों अपने यहाँ तिफ़्ल-ए-रज़ीअ'
सज्दा करते थे उसे गर्दन-कुशान-ए-लखनऊ
When yet a nursing babe was crawling on his knees in our demesne, / The proud and haughty necks of Lucknow bowed down in homage plain.
When a nursing infant was merely crawling on his knees at our house, the proud and haughty people of Lucknow used to bow down in prostration before him.
12
अहद-ए-पीराना-सरी में क्यूँ न शीरीं हो सुख़न
बचपने में मैं ने चूसी है ज़बान-ए-लखनऊ
Why should my speech not be sweet in the twilight of old age? In childhood, after all, I suckled upon the tongue of Lucknow.
Why should my speech not be sweet in my old age, when in my childhood I have suckled on the language of Lucknow?
13
गुलशन-ए-फ़िरदौस पर क्या नाज़ है रिज़वाँ तुझे
पूछ उस के दिल से जो है रुत्बा-दान-ए-लखनऊ
Why boast so proudly, O Rizwan, of Eden's garden grand? Ask one whose heart has truly known the grace of Lucknow's land.
O Rizwan (keeper of Paradise), why are you so proud of the garden of paradise? Ask the heart of someone who truly appreciates the high status and beauty of Lucknow.
14
बू-ए-उन्स आती है 'हैदर' ख़ाक-ए-मटिया-बुर्ज से
जम्अ' हैं इक जा वतन-आवारगान-ए-लखनऊ
A fragrance of kinship wafts, O Haidar, from the dust of Metiabruz; gathered together in one place are the exiled wanderers of Lucknow.
O Haidar, a scent of affection and kinship emanates from the dust of Metiabruz, because those exiled from their homeland of Lucknow have gathered together in this one place.
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