Jigar Moradabadi's ghazal: Kya kashish husn-e-be-panaah mein hai...

Ali Sikandar 'Jigar' Muradabadi* was the foremost Urdu poet in 20th century. He was extremely popular and was loved by the masses.

Jigar attended thousands of 'mushairas' across the sub-continent. He was born in Moradabad in 1890. This famous poet passed away in 1960. Read his ghazal:

क्या कशिश हुस्न-ए-बेपनाह में है 
जो क़दम है उसी की राह में है 

मैकदे में न ख़ानक़ाह में है 
जो तजल्ली* दिल-ए-तबाह में है 

हाय वोह राज़-ए-ग़म कि जो अब तक 
तेरे दिल में मेरी निगाह में है 

इश्क़ मैं कैसी मंज़िल-ए-मक़सूद
वोह भी एक गर्द है जो राह में है

हुस्न को भी कहाँ नसीब 'जिगर'
वोह जो एक शै मेरी निगाह में है

जिगर मुरादाबादी 

Now read the same ghazal in Roman transliteration:

kya kashish husn-e-be-panaah meN hai
jo qadam hai usii kii raah meN hai

maikade meN na Khaanqaah meN hai
jo tajalli dil-e-tabaah meN hai

haai, voh raaz-e-Gham ki jo ab tak
tere dil meN merii nigaah meN hai

ishq meN kaisii manzil-e-maqsuud
voh bhii ek gard hai jo raah meN hai

husn ko bhii kahaaN nasiib 'Jigar'
voh jo ek shae merii nigaah meN hai

Jigar Muradabadi

Mini Dictionary

[Tajalli=light, shine, gleam of light]
[The town is spelt Moradabad in English but its original name in Urdu is 'Muradabad', hence both the spellings are used in t his case viz. Muradabadi, Moradabadi]