is shahr-e-sañg-dil ko jalā denā chāhiye
phir us kī khaak ko bhī udā denā chāhiye
Line 1/2 - This stone-hearted city needs to be burned to the ground! Then its ashes needs to be flung in the winds. The poet says this cold brutal place needs to be consigned to the flames and then its ashes needs to thrown away. Such is the state of despair that not only the place needs to go, but not even its vestiges can stay for it reminds of the hopelessness of their existence. No trace needs to be left of it. The context here is not necessarily the place or people as such, but more of the behaviour (maybe the indiffernce) or the systems (may the rulers) prevelant there.
miltī nahīñ panāh hameñ jis zamīn par
ik hashr us zamīñ pe uThā denā chāhiye
Line 3/4 - There is no shelter or respite for us in such a land. A terrible fate should befall on such a place. Again the dark despair of the situation. There is no solace or any comfort this place provides. Such is the brutality of the place. I wish a calamity falls on such a place. A hostile place like a desert would make a poet wish for an oasis or an occasional rain or shade, but for a savage place where all hope is lost the wish is for its utter destruction.
hadd se guzar ga.ī hai yahāñ rasm-e-qāherī
is dahr ko ab is kī sazā denā chāhiye
Line 5/6 - The oppressive practices have crossed all limits here. This world now needs to be punished for this. The poet says that oppression and burden has crossed the limits now. rasm-e-qāherī would translate into ritual of oppression or unjust attitude. This place needs to be punished for this cruelty.
ik tez ra.ad jaisī sadā har makān mein
logoñ ko un ke ghar mein darā denā chāhiye
Line 7/8 - One sharp and thunderous like call rises from among all houses. Should scare the people inside their own homes. The poet says let fiery voices rise from every house. Terrify the people in the safety of their home and then they will rise to throw the tyrants out. Let the moment of comfort also be taken away for then only they will care!
gum ho chale ho tum to bahut khud meñ ai 'munīr'
duniyā ko kuchh to apnā pata denā chāhiye
Line 9/10 - Lost you are in your own self O! 'munir', let the world atleast know of your whereabouts. The poet says you are so absorbed in your thoughts and your troubles o! munir. Open yourself to the world and let them be aware of you.
Meaning of difficult words
shahr-e-sañg-dil = stone-hearted city, indifferent
qaahira = oppressive
dahr = this world
ra.ad = thunder
sadā = cry
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Showing posts with label urdu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label urdu. Show all posts
Translation - Rone Se Aur Ishq Mein Bebaak Ho Gaye (Ghalib)
rone se aur ishq mein be_baak ho gaye
dhoye gaye hum aise ki bas paak ho gaye
Line 1/2 - The poet says from crying becuase of passion, we have become more bold. We have been washed like such that, enough! - we are clean. We used to be modest and taciturn in love, not revealing much. But this pain of passion that is making me weep, is making me bold and outgoing in my pursuit of my lover. I am now willing to risk it all. Our own tears have washed us so much that we have become clean again. Earlier it was cry of pain, now of repentance.. We have repented just enough to be pure. An alternative reading of "bas" (as in "bas! bahut hua") would convey a continuing fearless streak. We have been washed by tears. Enough now! we are pure now. No more crying.. no more repentance!
sarf-e-bahaa-e-mai hue aalaat-e-maikashii
thae yeh hii do hisaab so yunn paak ho gaye
Line 3/4 - Our utensil/cup of drinking wine has become the expenditure for the cost of wine. There were our only two calculations/estimates, so those have also all cleared. The poet says we had only two concerns that needed to be worked out. One where will we get the money to drink wine and other was where will we keep the utensils of wine drinking safe. Now that we have sold the utensils too to pay for wine, we have become free of all those concerns. Now we are clear of everything. This way ("yunn".. as if to show to the world of how he has cleared his finances) I have become clear of the world of sums and calculations and estimates.
rusavaa-e-dahar go hue aavaargii se tum
baare tabiiyaton ke to chaalaak ho gaye
Line 5/6 - Though you have become disgraced from the world from wandering. At last, you have become clever in your disposition. The poet probably reminiscing about the days of his youth says, that those days of wandering and being lost in the world made him disgraced and infamous in the whole world. But all is not lost, at least it has made me smart and clever in my temperament.
kehtaa hai kaun naalaa-e-bulbul ko be_asar
parde mein gul ke laakh jigar chaak ho gaye
Line 7/8- Who calls that the lamentations of the nightingale is ineffective. In the veil'ed rose's, a hundred thousand livers just burst apart (or become torn). Purely fantastical indeed!. The poet says who says that weeping of the nightingale is of no effect. Surely they can go and see the effect it has on the budding rose. The rose does not open up its petals and bloom. Instead, those lamentations made it torn its countless livers and that show up as bright red petals.
pochhe hai kyaa wajuud-o-adam ahl-e-shauq kaa
aap apanii aag ke khas-o-khaashaak ho gaye
Line 9/10 - Ask of what of existence and non-existence of people of passion. You yourselves have become the straw and woodchips of your own fire. The poet says what does people of passion and ardour care about of existence and non-existence. It's same for them for their are oblivious to everything. What to ask of them! They are the fuel of their own fire. They burn like dry straw and wood litter.
karane gaye the us se tagaaful kaa ham gilaa
kii ek hii nigaah ki bas khaak ho gaye
Line 11/12 - We had gone to her to complain about her indifference. That one only glance from her, that enough! - we have become dust. This is fairly straightforward. The poet says we were not okay when she did not shower me with her glances and airs (showing indifference) and we are still not okay when she did afforded me a look for we were turned to dust now! Either way, there is no respite for me!
is rang se uthaaii kal us ne ‘asad’ kii laash
dushman bhii jis ko dekh ke gam_naak ho gaye
Line 13/14 - In such a manner, she lifted yesterday the corpse of Asad. Seeing that, even the enemy was filled with grief. The poet says that in such style she lifted the body of Asad. The exact style or manner is not hinted. It could be with utter contempt or with utmost respect. And seeing this the hearts of the enemy were filled with grief (this also can be either ways, one the stone-hearted enemy seeing the beloved's respect are melted or seeing the contempt of beloved, their hearts are filled with grief as to Asad treatment.) Both are equally enjoyable!
Meaning of difficult words
be_baak = outspoken, bold
paak = pure, clean
sarf = expenditure
baha = value, price
mai = bar
aalaat = instruments, apparatus
maikashee = boozing
rusavaa = disgraced
dahar = world
baare = at last
chaak = slit, torn
naalaa = lamentation, weeping
adam = non-existence, nothing
ahl = people
khas-o-khaashaak = straw and wood chips, wooden litter
tagaaful = indifference
gam_naak = filled with grief
Read more posts on Ghalib.
dhoye gaye hum aise ki bas paak ho gaye
Line 1/2 - The poet says from crying becuase of passion, we have become more bold. We have been washed like such that, enough! - we are clean. We used to be modest and taciturn in love, not revealing much. But this pain of passion that is making me weep, is making me bold and outgoing in my pursuit of my lover. I am now willing to risk it all. Our own tears have washed us so much that we have become clean again. Earlier it was cry of pain, now of repentance.. We have repented just enough to be pure. An alternative reading of "bas" (as in "bas! bahut hua") would convey a continuing fearless streak. We have been washed by tears. Enough now! we are pure now. No more crying.. no more repentance!
sarf-e-bahaa-e-mai hue aalaat-e-maikashii
thae yeh hii do hisaab so yunn paak ho gaye
Line 3/4 - Our utensil/cup of drinking wine has become the expenditure for the cost of wine. There were our only two calculations/estimates, so those have also all cleared. The poet says we had only two concerns that needed to be worked out. One where will we get the money to drink wine and other was where will we keep the utensils of wine drinking safe. Now that we have sold the utensils too to pay for wine, we have become free of all those concerns. Now we are clear of everything. This way ("yunn".. as if to show to the world of how he has cleared his finances) I have become clear of the world of sums and calculations and estimates.
rusavaa-e-dahar go hue aavaargii se tum
baare tabiiyaton ke to chaalaak ho gaye
Line 5/6 - Though you have become disgraced from the world from wandering. At last, you have become clever in your disposition. The poet probably reminiscing about the days of his youth says, that those days of wandering and being lost in the world made him disgraced and infamous in the whole world. But all is not lost, at least it has made me smart and clever in my temperament.
kehtaa hai kaun naalaa-e-bulbul ko be_asar
parde mein gul ke laakh jigar chaak ho gaye
Line 7/8- Who calls that the lamentations of the nightingale is ineffective. In the veil'ed rose's, a hundred thousand livers just burst apart (or become torn). Purely fantastical indeed!. The poet says who says that weeping of the nightingale is of no effect. Surely they can go and see the effect it has on the budding rose. The rose does not open up its petals and bloom. Instead, those lamentations made it torn its countless livers and that show up as bright red petals.
pochhe hai kyaa wajuud-o-adam ahl-e-shauq kaa
aap apanii aag ke khas-o-khaashaak ho gaye
Line 9/10 - Ask of what of existence and non-existence of people of passion. You yourselves have become the straw and woodchips of your own fire. The poet says what does people of passion and ardour care about of existence and non-existence. It's same for them for their are oblivious to everything. What to ask of them! They are the fuel of their own fire. They burn like dry straw and wood litter.
karane gaye the us se tagaaful kaa ham gilaa
kii ek hii nigaah ki bas khaak ho gaye
Line 11/12 - We had gone to her to complain about her indifference. That one only glance from her, that enough! - we have become dust. This is fairly straightforward. The poet says we were not okay when she did not shower me with her glances and airs (showing indifference) and we are still not okay when she did afforded me a look for we were turned to dust now! Either way, there is no respite for me!
is rang se uthaaii kal us ne ‘asad’ kii laash
dushman bhii jis ko dekh ke gam_naak ho gaye
Line 13/14 - In such a manner, she lifted yesterday the corpse of Asad. Seeing that, even the enemy was filled with grief. The poet says that in such style she lifted the body of Asad. The exact style or manner is not hinted. It could be with utter contempt or with utmost respect. And seeing this the hearts of the enemy were filled with grief (this also can be either ways, one the stone-hearted enemy seeing the beloved's respect are melted or seeing the contempt of beloved, their hearts are filled with grief as to Asad treatment.) Both are equally enjoyable!
Meaning of difficult words
be_baak = outspoken, bold
paak = pure, clean
sarf = expenditure
baha = value, price
mai = bar
aalaat = instruments, apparatus
maikashee = boozing
rusavaa = disgraced
dahar = world
baare = at last
chaak = slit, torn
naalaa = lamentation, weeping
adam = non-existence, nothing
ahl = people
khas-o-khaashaak = straw and wood chips, wooden litter
tagaaful = indifference
gam_naak = filled with grief
Read more posts on Ghalib.
Translation - Rahiye Ab Aisi Jagah Chal Kar Jahaan (Ghalib)
rahiye ab aisi jagah chal kar jahaan koi na ho
hamsukhaan koi na ho aur hamzabaan koi na ho
Line 1/2 - It is time now to go and live in such a place where there is no one else around. Where there is no one that would speak with us or no one who knows our language. The poet says it time now to leave this place and go somewhere where no one is around. Where no one shares a conversation with him or shares the common language. All the ones I have ever been with.. my friends, my lovers, my neighbors, any ones who talks to us, anyone who even shares the same speech.. I want to leave all of them behind for all I have got from them is grief and uncomfortable questions. I want to go to a place where I have no one to talk to.
be dar-o-dewaar sa ek ghar banaayaa chahiye
koi hamsaayah na ho aur paasbaan koi na ho
Line 3/4 - Without doors and walls, such one house should be constructed. There be no neighbors and no gatekeeper as well. Lets go to a place where there is no one around, and in this place lets have a house without walls and doors and where there is no need for a gatekeeper and no neighbors around. Another interpretation of it being in such a house, there would be no need for a gatekeeper for there is no door and no neighbors for there are no walls.
pariye gar bemaar toh koi na ho timardaar
aur agar mar jaaiye to nauhakhawan koi na ho
Line 5/6 - If I were to fall sick, there should be no one to look after me (to nurse me back to health). And If I were to die, there would be no lament-reciter there. Continuing with the same theme of isolation and alienation from friends, colleagues and neighbors around him. The poet says if he were to fall ill, he would not like to have someone to look after him and no lament-singers in his funeral if I were to die. All my life I had wanted to stay away from them. I have made my home far from away them. In sickness and death, I will be in peace in my isolation.
Meaning of difficult words
hamsukhaan - sharing a speech
hamzaban - sharing the same language
hamsaayah - neighbours
paasbaan - gatekeeper
timardar - caretaker
nauhakhawan - lament-reciter
Read more posts on Ghalib.
hamsukhaan koi na ho aur hamzabaan koi na ho
Line 1/2 - It is time now to go and live in such a place where there is no one else around. Where there is no one that would speak with us or no one who knows our language. The poet says it time now to leave this place and go somewhere where no one is around. Where no one shares a conversation with him or shares the common language. All the ones I have ever been with.. my friends, my lovers, my neighbors, any ones who talks to us, anyone who even shares the same speech.. I want to leave all of them behind for all I have got from them is grief and uncomfortable questions. I want to go to a place where I have no one to talk to.
be dar-o-dewaar sa ek ghar banaayaa chahiye
koi hamsaayah na ho aur paasbaan koi na ho
Line 3/4 - Without doors and walls, such one house should be constructed. There be no neighbors and no gatekeeper as well. Lets go to a place where there is no one around, and in this place lets have a house without walls and doors and where there is no need for a gatekeeper and no neighbors around. Another interpretation of it being in such a house, there would be no need for a gatekeeper for there is no door and no neighbors for there are no walls.
pariye gar bemaar toh koi na ho timardaar
aur agar mar jaaiye to nauhakhawan koi na ho
Line 5/6 - If I were to fall sick, there should be no one to look after me (to nurse me back to health). And If I were to die, there would be no lament-reciter there. Continuing with the same theme of isolation and alienation from friends, colleagues and neighbors around him. The poet says if he were to fall ill, he would not like to have someone to look after him and no lament-singers in his funeral if I were to die. All my life I had wanted to stay away from them. I have made my home far from away them. In sickness and death, I will be in peace in my isolation.
Meaning of difficult words
hamsukhaan - sharing a speech
hamzaban - sharing the same language
hamsaayah - neighbours
paasbaan - gatekeeper
timardar - caretaker
nauhakhawan - lament-reciter
Read more posts on Ghalib.
Translation - Ghalib Bura Na Maan Jo Waaiz Bura Kahe (Ghalib)
aaina kyun na doon ke tamasha kahen jise
aisa kahan se laaun ke tujhsa kahein jise
Line 1/2 - Why would not I offer a mirror, that it becomes a spectacle. From where do I bring, that they say it just like you. The poet says why would I not offer a mirror to the beloved. I putting it in front of her and she looking into it with those haughty glances would cause an uproar all around. The gallery would run amok at the sight of this. From where would I bring another such elegant face, that they say she looks 'like her'. Consider an alternate setting. The beloved is in veil and the only way to see her face is indirectly in a mirror. The lover says why would I not offer her a mirror. That is the only way to appreciate the beauty of the beloved. But once everyone see her in the mirror, there is tumult in the gathering on account of her glances. The audience now wants to see the beloved, except they can't. Where would I get another such beautiful face that looks like her so that the gathering calms down.
hasrat ne la rakha teri bazm-e-khayal mein
guldasta-e-nigaah suvedaa kahein jise
Line 3/4 - Longing has taken and placed in your gathering of thoughts, That bouquet of glances that they call as a black scar. The poet says that in the gathering of your thoughts (that is my heart), longing has placed a bouquet of glances and made a black scar on it. Those bouquet of longing filled glances have made a black scar on the my heart. I am so wounded in my heart by those sighing glances!
phoonka hai kisne gosh-e-muhabbat mein aye khuda
afsoon-e-intezaar tamanna kahein jise
Line 5/6 - Who has blown into the ear of love, Oh Lord!. The spell of waiting, that they say as longing. The poet says, O Lord - who is that someone who has breathed into the ear of love, such a charm of waiting which they now call as longing. That is some magic that someone has discreetly recited into the ear of love and tricked it, that spell of waiting. For as soon as love appears, longing also appears instantly at the same moment as if by magic!
sar par hujoom-e-dard-e-gareebi se daliye
woh ek musht-e-khaak ke sahra kahein jise
Line 7/8 - On the head due to mob of sorrow of poverty, throw. That one handful of dust, which they call a desert. There is not one or two but a whole multitude of sorrows of my miserable existence has made me throw handful of dust on my head, which people on looking would call it a desert. Pritchett refers to gareebi as countrylessness. This sorrowful state of homelessness and wandering around and my act of flinging dust on myself, which to onlookers would look so bleak and wasted that they would say its a desert.
hai chashm-e-tar mein hasrat-e-deeaar se nihaan
shauq-e-inaan gusekhtaa dariya kahein jise
Line 9/10 - In the teary eyes, from the longing of the sight, its hidden. That reined fondness and passion, that broke through, they would call it a mighty river. The poet says, the wetness of my eyes, the longing for the glance of the beloved hid such tumult, that bridled fervour and passion that if it broke through, it would be called a big river. Behind my tears, there is so much turmoil of the longing of the her sight that it will swell up in what we can say a turbulent river.
darkaar hai shaguftan-e-gul-haa-e-aish ko
subh-e-bahar pumba-e-meena kahen jise
Line 11/12 - It is necessary that for the blooming of the flowers of pleasure, the dawn of the spring which they would call the cotton of the goblet. Not a very straightforward sher I think. The poet says it is required for the blooming of the senses of pleasure and enjoyment, a dawn of spring which unfurls the fragrance of a million flowers that fills the gardens and hearts alike and similar to the cotton stopper on the wine goblet that when taken out unfurls its scent and allows the wine to be enjoyed around. Alternatively, it could also mean that a spring morning is what we call a heavenly whiteness (like of cotton, soft and pure) due to the white flowers blooming all around.
“ghalib” bura na maan jo waaiz bura kahe
aisa bhi koi hai ke sab achchha kahen jise
Line 13/14 - Ghalib, do not mind it if the preacher speaks ill of you. Is there anyone there? that everyone say good about. The second line can have an alternate interpretation. It can also mean, there is someone out there, about whom everyone speaks good of. Again with lot of Ghalib's work, the second line can be a fact or question. The poet says do not take it too hard on yourself if the preacher says bad about you. In a questioning tone he says, is there anyone in the world about whom every speaks highly of. There would always be people who would go against what others says. In the factual style, the poet says - yes there someone like that about whom everyone speaks highly of.
Meaning of difficult words -
gose - ear
afsoon - charm, spell
suvedaa - black scar, brackish
hujoom - mob
musht-e-khaak - handful of dust
sahra - desert
chasm-e-tar - teary eyes
nihaan - hidden
inaan - bridle, rein
gusekhtaa - broken off
darkaar - necessary
shaguftan-e-gul-haa-e-aish - blooming of flowers of pleasure
pumba - cotton
meena - goblet, heaven
waaiz - preacher
Read more posts on Ghalib.
aisa kahan se laaun ke tujhsa kahein jise
Line 1/2 - Why would not I offer a mirror, that it becomes a spectacle. From where do I bring, that they say it just like you. The poet says why would I not offer a mirror to the beloved. I putting it in front of her and she looking into it with those haughty glances would cause an uproar all around. The gallery would run amok at the sight of this. From where would I bring another such elegant face, that they say she looks 'like her'. Consider an alternate setting. The beloved is in veil and the only way to see her face is indirectly in a mirror. The lover says why would I not offer her a mirror. That is the only way to appreciate the beauty of the beloved. But once everyone see her in the mirror, there is tumult in the gathering on account of her glances. The audience now wants to see the beloved, except they can't. Where would I get another such beautiful face that looks like her so that the gathering calms down.
hasrat ne la rakha teri bazm-e-khayal mein
guldasta-e-nigaah suvedaa kahein jise
Line 3/4 - Longing has taken and placed in your gathering of thoughts, That bouquet of glances that they call as a black scar. The poet says that in the gathering of your thoughts (that is my heart), longing has placed a bouquet of glances and made a black scar on it. Those bouquet of longing filled glances have made a black scar on the my heart. I am so wounded in my heart by those sighing glances!
phoonka hai kisne gosh-e-muhabbat mein aye khuda
afsoon-e-intezaar tamanna kahein jise
Line 5/6 - Who has blown into the ear of love, Oh Lord!. The spell of waiting, that they say as longing. The poet says, O Lord - who is that someone who has breathed into the ear of love, such a charm of waiting which they now call as longing. That is some magic that someone has discreetly recited into the ear of love and tricked it, that spell of waiting. For as soon as love appears, longing also appears instantly at the same moment as if by magic!
sar par hujoom-e-dard-e-gareebi se daliye
woh ek musht-e-khaak ke sahra kahein jise
Line 7/8 - On the head due to mob of sorrow of poverty, throw. That one handful of dust, which they call a desert. There is not one or two but a whole multitude of sorrows of my miserable existence has made me throw handful of dust on my head, which people on looking would call it a desert. Pritchett refers to gareebi as countrylessness. This sorrowful state of homelessness and wandering around and my act of flinging dust on myself, which to onlookers would look so bleak and wasted that they would say its a desert.
hai chashm-e-tar mein hasrat-e-deeaar se nihaan
shauq-e-inaan gusekhtaa dariya kahein jise
Line 9/10 - In the teary eyes, from the longing of the sight, its hidden. That reined fondness and passion, that broke through, they would call it a mighty river. The poet says, the wetness of my eyes, the longing for the glance of the beloved hid such tumult, that bridled fervour and passion that if it broke through, it would be called a big river. Behind my tears, there is so much turmoil of the longing of the her sight that it will swell up in what we can say a turbulent river.
darkaar hai shaguftan-e-gul-haa-e-aish ko
subh-e-bahar pumba-e-meena kahen jise
Line 11/12 - It is necessary that for the blooming of the flowers of pleasure, the dawn of the spring which they would call the cotton of the goblet. Not a very straightforward sher I think. The poet says it is required for the blooming of the senses of pleasure and enjoyment, a dawn of spring which unfurls the fragrance of a million flowers that fills the gardens and hearts alike and similar to the cotton stopper on the wine goblet that when taken out unfurls its scent and allows the wine to be enjoyed around. Alternatively, it could also mean that a spring morning is what we call a heavenly whiteness (like of cotton, soft and pure) due to the white flowers blooming all around.
“ghalib” bura na maan jo waaiz bura kahe
aisa bhi koi hai ke sab achchha kahen jise
Line 13/14 - Ghalib, do not mind it if the preacher speaks ill of you. Is there anyone there? that everyone say good about. The second line can have an alternate interpretation. It can also mean, there is someone out there, about whom everyone speaks good of. Again with lot of Ghalib's work, the second line can be a fact or question. The poet says do not take it too hard on yourself if the preacher says bad about you. In a questioning tone he says, is there anyone in the world about whom every speaks highly of. There would always be people who would go against what others says. In the factual style, the poet says - yes there someone like that about whom everyone speaks highly of.
Meaning of difficult words -
gose - ear
afsoon - charm, spell
suvedaa - black scar, brackish
hujoom - mob
musht-e-khaak - handful of dust
sahra - desert
chasm-e-tar - teary eyes
nihaan - hidden
inaan - bridle, rein
gusekhtaa - broken off
darkaar - necessary
shaguftan-e-gul-haa-e-aish - blooming of flowers of pleasure
pumba - cotton
meena - goblet, heaven
waaiz - preacher
Read more posts on Ghalib.
Translation - Kabhee Nekee Bhee Uske Jee Mein Gar Aa Jaaye (Ghalib)
kabhee nekee bhee uske jee mein gar aa jaaye hai mujhse
jafaayen karke apnee yaad sharma jaaye hai mujhse
Line 1/2 - If only, sometimes goodness also comes into her temperament towards me. Remembering her cruelties and torments (towards me), she is embarrassed before me. The poet says the beloved in some rare sense of generosity has shown kindness and benevolence towards him unlike the usual indifference and torment. But even in this moment of kindness, she recalls her own cruelty towards him and feels ashamed to come across him. I am a miserable self, the beloved's usual behavior is of cruelty and indifference and on a rare day of kindness, she won't even come in front of me (out of embarrassment) and grant me her graces. Such is my luck which has no respite at all!
khudaaya ! jazbaa-e-dil kee magar taaseer ultee hai
ki jitna khintchataa hoon aur khintchtaa jaaye hai mujhse
Line 3/4 - Oh Lord! perhaps the impression/effect of the emotions of the heart have been reversed. For, as much as I pull, she goes on being more pulled away from me. The poet says O Lord! probably the effect of the emotions of the heart have been inverted. The emotions have been those of attractions of the heart but maybe the effects of it have been reversed. Instead of being attracted towards me, the more I try to draw her towards me, the more she draws away (in the same measure) from me. There is no mention if the beloved is purposefully doing it (drawing away) or it is the effect of his attraction that have somehow been reversed!
woh bad_khoo aur meree daastan-e-ishq tulaanee
ibaarat mukhtasar, qaasid bhee ghabra jaaye hai mujhse
Line 5/6 - That (the beloved) bad habits/behavior and my tale of love (is) long. To keep the speech short, even the messenger gets bewildered because of me. The poet says the beloved's bad conduct (of indifference and rebuke towards him) and my epic narrative of love and passion is very long. To cut the long story short, even the messenger becomes nervous when he hears my lengthy message. Leave alone the ill tempered beloved, even the messenger gets into panic at the thought of having to hear my long story. (or probably the messenger gets into panic at the thought on what the response of the ill- mouthed beloved will be when he narrates the message). The poet willingly makes the long story short to sum up his situation with the messenger but he is unable to make his long epic a bit concise for the fear he will not get his passion across to her. He can't make it any less shorter. Such is the perplexity of the lover! Very clever usage of long daastan (an epic tale full of subplots and themes) and a concise ibaarat (diction) in the sher.
udhar woh bad_ghumaanee hai, idhar yeh naatavaanee hai
na poocha jaaye hai us'se, na bola jaaye hai mujhse
Line 7/8 - Over there there was suspicious-ness and distrust, over here there is weakness and inability. Neither is she able to ask, nor I am able to speak. The poet says over there, there is doubts and distrust about my love for her and so she does not ask about it. Over here, I am unable and powerless (weakness due to grief) and hence unable to speak to her. Her suspicion stops her from asking and my weakness stops me from speaking to her. What can I do? She does not ask and I can not speak. How will I convince her of my love. The use of idhaar-udhaar to specify the lover and the beloved without actually pointing to them and this also expresses the remoteness of the other and the emotional distance between them!
sambhalne de mujhe 'ei na_ummidee kya qayaamat hai
ki daamaan-e-khayaal-e-yaar choota jaaye hai mujhse
Line 9/10 - Let me get hold of myself, oh! hopelessness, what (is it?) doomsday it is!. That dress-hem (daamaan) of the thought of the beloved is slipping out of my reach. The poet says let me get hold of my self, let me steady myself. Oh hopelessness! why did you throw me down? What a doomsday it is! that I lost my grip on the hem of the thought of the beloved. Due to that fall, it has slipped out of my hand. What a calamity it is! The lover is beseeching the hopelessness to not annoy him for he has only the hem of the thought to comfort him. The use of hem of the thought and not thought is interesting. daamaan is usually the trailing portion of the dress and the beloved goes past the lover indifferent and all he has is the thought of her hem dragging along. The lover has inverted it into hem of her thought and is clinging on to it. The other reading is where the lover questions if this is doomsday? It could be doomsday only for then it would be possible for hopelessness to get the better of me and cause me to loose my grip. No other situation would have caused me to shake me of my despair and let go of the hem of the thought of the beloved. It must be doomsday for sure!
takalluf bar-taraf nazzaaragee mein bhee sahi, lekin
woh dekha jaaye, kab ye zulm dekha jaaye hai mujhse
Line 11/12 - Leave aside the formality, I too indeed am a spectator[engaged in watching her], but. That it is to be seen, when is this cruelty to be looked upon by me? nazzaaragee means looking at or seeing and is taken from nazzaarah which means a view or a show. The poet says leave aside the formality, I am also a spectator here looking at her (beloved). To tell you the truth, even I am also engaged in watching her. She is such a beauty that she has to be seen. But when am I going to look into this cruelty of others watching her. When will I take care of this cruelty and torment of people watching her. But then he also says to tell you the truth even I am among the people watching her!
hue hain paanv hee pehle nabard-e-ishq mein zakhmee
na bhaaga jaaye hai mujhse, na thehra jaaye hai mujhse
Line 13/14 - It is the feet that were first wounded in the struggle of love. I am neither able to run, nor I able to stay. The poet says my feet were the first causalities in the battle of love. The lover leaves open the question of as to how and why were his legs injured in the early battle for love. They are not particularly relevant, what is crucial is the situation the lover find himself in. He is lying on the ground unable to put up a fight or flee the battle. The lover finds himself in a pitiable situation indeed vis-a-vis the beloved where both the options are not available. Neither can he die in the battle for love, nor can he flee in the hope of coming back again later. All he can do is to narrate his abject condition with despair!
qayaamat hai ke howe muddaee ka ham_safar 'ghalib'
woh kaafir, jo khuda ko bhee na saunpa jaaye hai mujhse
Line 15/16 - It's is a doomsday, that (she) has become a fellow traveler of the enemy, ghalib. That infidel, who I can not entrust even to the God. The poet says it is a calamity, it's the doomsday that she has agreed to become a fellow traveler of my enemy (a rival suitor for the beloved's favors). I can not entrust this infidel (her) even to the Lord. Now consider this setting. The beloved is leaving on a journey with his rival and the lover during their farewell instead of the customary greeting khudaa-haafiz (may God be your guardian) says he can't even entrust her (hand her custody) to God out of jealousy and such strong feelings for her even though it would do her some good for she is an infidel. And yet for someone who can not trust her even to God, has to bear at the thought of her going on the journey with his rival. Such is the irony of my situation. It surely must be doomsday!
Meaning of difficult words -
jafaayen = oppression/tyranny of a beloved
jazbaa-e-dil = emotions
taaseer = impression
bad_khoo = bad habits
tulaanee = long
ibaarat = diction/ admonishing
mukhtasar = concise
qaasid = messenger
badghumaanee = suspicion
naatavaanee = weakness
daamaan = hem of the dress
taqalluf = hesitation/formality
bar-taraf = suspend
nabard-e-ishaq = struggle in love
muddaee = enemy/conniver
saunpa = confide / entrust
Read more posts on Ghalib.
jafaayen karke apnee yaad sharma jaaye hai mujhse
Line 1/2 - If only, sometimes goodness also comes into her temperament towards me. Remembering her cruelties and torments (towards me), she is embarrassed before me. The poet says the beloved in some rare sense of generosity has shown kindness and benevolence towards him unlike the usual indifference and torment. But even in this moment of kindness, she recalls her own cruelty towards him and feels ashamed to come across him. I am a miserable self, the beloved's usual behavior is of cruelty and indifference and on a rare day of kindness, she won't even come in front of me (out of embarrassment) and grant me her graces. Such is my luck which has no respite at all!
khudaaya ! jazbaa-e-dil kee magar taaseer ultee hai
ki jitna khintchataa hoon aur khintchtaa jaaye hai mujhse
Line 3/4 - Oh Lord! perhaps the impression/effect of the emotions of the heart have been reversed. For, as much as I pull, she goes on being more pulled away from me. The poet says O Lord! probably the effect of the emotions of the heart have been inverted. The emotions have been those of attractions of the heart but maybe the effects of it have been reversed. Instead of being attracted towards me, the more I try to draw her towards me, the more she draws away (in the same measure) from me. There is no mention if the beloved is purposefully doing it (drawing away) or it is the effect of his attraction that have somehow been reversed!
woh bad_khoo aur meree daastan-e-ishq tulaanee
ibaarat mukhtasar, qaasid bhee ghabra jaaye hai mujhse
Line 5/6 - That (the beloved) bad habits/behavior and my tale of love (is) long. To keep the speech short, even the messenger gets bewildered because of me. The poet says the beloved's bad conduct (of indifference and rebuke towards him) and my epic narrative of love and passion is very long. To cut the long story short, even the messenger becomes nervous when he hears my lengthy message. Leave alone the ill tempered beloved, even the messenger gets into panic at the thought of having to hear my long story. (or probably the messenger gets into panic at the thought on what the response of the ill- mouthed beloved will be when he narrates the message). The poet willingly makes the long story short to sum up his situation with the messenger but he is unable to make his long epic a bit concise for the fear he will not get his passion across to her. He can't make it any less shorter. Such is the perplexity of the lover! Very clever usage of long daastan (an epic tale full of subplots and themes) and a concise ibaarat (diction) in the sher.
udhar woh bad_ghumaanee hai, idhar yeh naatavaanee hai
na poocha jaaye hai us'se, na bola jaaye hai mujhse
Line 7/8 - Over there there was suspicious-ness and distrust, over here there is weakness and inability. Neither is she able to ask, nor I am able to speak. The poet says over there, there is doubts and distrust about my love for her and so she does not ask about it. Over here, I am unable and powerless (weakness due to grief) and hence unable to speak to her. Her suspicion stops her from asking and my weakness stops me from speaking to her. What can I do? She does not ask and I can not speak. How will I convince her of my love. The use of idhaar-udhaar to specify the lover and the beloved without actually pointing to them and this also expresses the remoteness of the other and the emotional distance between them!
sambhalne de mujhe 'ei na_ummidee kya qayaamat hai
ki daamaan-e-khayaal-e-yaar choota jaaye hai mujhse
Line 9/10 - Let me get hold of myself, oh! hopelessness, what (is it?) doomsday it is!. That dress-hem (daamaan) of the thought of the beloved is slipping out of my reach. The poet says let me get hold of my self, let me steady myself. Oh hopelessness! why did you throw me down? What a doomsday it is! that I lost my grip on the hem of the thought of the beloved. Due to that fall, it has slipped out of my hand. What a calamity it is! The lover is beseeching the hopelessness to not annoy him for he has only the hem of the thought to comfort him. The use of hem of the thought and not thought is interesting. daamaan is usually the trailing portion of the dress and the beloved goes past the lover indifferent and all he has is the thought of her hem dragging along. The lover has inverted it into hem of her thought and is clinging on to it. The other reading is where the lover questions if this is doomsday? It could be doomsday only for then it would be possible for hopelessness to get the better of me and cause me to loose my grip. No other situation would have caused me to shake me of my despair and let go of the hem of the thought of the beloved. It must be doomsday for sure!
takalluf bar-taraf nazzaaragee mein bhee sahi, lekin
woh dekha jaaye, kab ye zulm dekha jaaye hai mujhse
Line 11/12 - Leave aside the formality, I too indeed am a spectator[engaged in watching her], but. That it is to be seen, when is this cruelty to be looked upon by me? nazzaaragee means looking at or seeing and is taken from nazzaarah which means a view or a show. The poet says leave aside the formality, I am also a spectator here looking at her (beloved). To tell you the truth, even I am also engaged in watching her. She is such a beauty that she has to be seen. But when am I going to look into this cruelty of others watching her. When will I take care of this cruelty and torment of people watching her. But then he also says to tell you the truth even I am among the people watching her!
hue hain paanv hee pehle nabard-e-ishq mein zakhmee
na bhaaga jaaye hai mujhse, na thehra jaaye hai mujhse
Line 13/14 - It is the feet that were first wounded in the struggle of love. I am neither able to run, nor I able to stay. The poet says my feet were the first causalities in the battle of love. The lover leaves open the question of as to how and why were his legs injured in the early battle for love. They are not particularly relevant, what is crucial is the situation the lover find himself in. He is lying on the ground unable to put up a fight or flee the battle. The lover finds himself in a pitiable situation indeed vis-a-vis the beloved where both the options are not available. Neither can he die in the battle for love, nor can he flee in the hope of coming back again later. All he can do is to narrate his abject condition with despair!
qayaamat hai ke howe muddaee ka ham_safar 'ghalib'
woh kaafir, jo khuda ko bhee na saunpa jaaye hai mujhse
Line 15/16 - It's is a doomsday, that (she) has become a fellow traveler of the enemy, ghalib. That infidel, who I can not entrust even to the God. The poet says it is a calamity, it's the doomsday that she has agreed to become a fellow traveler of my enemy (a rival suitor for the beloved's favors). I can not entrust this infidel (her) even to the Lord. Now consider this setting. The beloved is leaving on a journey with his rival and the lover during their farewell instead of the customary greeting khudaa-haafiz (may God be your guardian) says he can't even entrust her (hand her custody) to God out of jealousy and such strong feelings for her even though it would do her some good for she is an infidel. And yet for someone who can not trust her even to God, has to bear at the thought of her going on the journey with his rival. Such is the irony of my situation. It surely must be doomsday!
Meaning of difficult words -
jafaayen = oppression/tyranny of a beloved
jazbaa-e-dil = emotions
taaseer = impression
bad_khoo = bad habits
tulaanee = long
ibaarat = diction/ admonishing
mukhtasar = concise
qaasid = messenger
badghumaanee = suspicion
naatavaanee = weakness
daamaan = hem of the dress
taqalluf = hesitation/formality
bar-taraf = suspend
nabard-e-ishaq = struggle in love
muddaee = enemy/conniver
saunpa = confide / entrust
Read more posts on Ghalib.
Translation - Sab Kahan Kuchh Lala-o-Gul Mein Numayaan (Ghalib)
sab kahan kuchh lala-o-gul mein numayaan ho gain
khaak mein kya suraten hongi ki pinhaan ho gain
Line 1/2 - Where are all? some did manifest in tulips and roses. In the dust, what faces there will be that have become hidden. This sher is absolutely of another level of thought and complexity, and can mean so many thoughts. The poet says where are all the people? where they gone? some have manifested themselves as tulips and roses. Another reading of the same line would be - not all (sab kahan?), a very colloquial way of saying not everything. In this reading - it would be not everyone, only some became apparent in these roses & tulips. The second line poses similar complexity. In the dust what faces or aspects that have gone hidden. What faces would there be? another way to read it - would there be faces that have became hidden in dust? (if one includes 'kya' with khaak mein). So the walking down a garden, the poet questions where are all?, and then looks at those lovely flowers and wonders some may have manifested as bright tulips and roses. In the dust what beautiful faces may have been hidden to have been manifested such brilliantly? In another reading - there is hint of sadness as to not everyone would manifest as these tulips and roses. Are there faces hidden (buried) in the dust? Why are then so few flowers? Where does the rest of them manifest? Is it really someone buried, maybe they manifest somewhat differently. A highly philosophical sher with beauty and dust, death and rejuvenation, hidden and became apparent, all and not all making this into multitude of interpretations. Life is eternal and their is beauty all around even in death if only we could grasp!
yaad thi hamko bhi ranga rang bazm-aaraaiyan
lekin ab naqsh-o-nigaar-e-taaq-e-nisiyaan ho gayin.
Line 3/4 - We too remembered those colorful gathering adornings and arrangements. But now they have become a mark or portrait in the niche of oblivion. The poet says we too (the use of too here makes it as if remembering old times with friends) remember those days of colorful gathering and those adornings. bazm-aaraaiyan could be the decorations done for the gathering or it could very well be the presence of lovely people in this gathering. In either case the quality of the decorations or people is also being remembered apart from the gathering. But alas! now the youth has given way! The verve of those days is gone, and those memories have become distant paintings or marks in the niche of oblivion. These memories have not been forgotten, but I have placed them on those niches of forgetfulness. We have purposefully placed such memories in those forgetful niches for what use that youthful longing now have in the sunset of life.
thi banaat-un-naash-e-garduun din ko parde men nihaan
shab ko un ke ji men kya aai ki uryaan ho gain
Line 5/6 - Was the Ursa Minor constellation (in the sky) in the day, hidden in the veil. In the night, what came in to their heart that they became bare (became visible or unveiled). The poet says during the day, the seven stars of the Ursa minor remain hidden behind the veil and one can not see them. But during the night, I do not know what came into their heart (what made them change their mind) that they decided to come out of veil and show themselves to all.
qaid mein yaqub ne li go na yusuf ki khabar
lekin ankhen rauzan-e-diivaar-e-zindaan ho gain
Line 7/8 - In the prison, Jacob (yaqub) although has taken no information about Joseph (yusuf). But eyes have become windows in the wall of the prison. Both Joseph and Jacob are important figures in Old Testament. Joseph is the son of Jacob and Joseph was imprisoned on false charges by the Pharaoh. The poet says Jacob had taken no information about his imprisoned son, he could not help him during this troubling time in his life and yet his eyes have become a window in the walls of the cell of his prison. The father even though he had no information about his imprisoned son yet his weeping eyes were always watching him, keeping a close eye on him night and day like an open window in his cell. His eyes had become a crack in the prison walls thorough which he could see his son all the time. Such is the love of a father for his children.
sab raqibon se hon nakhush, par zanan-e-misr se
hai zulaikha khush ke mahv-e-mah-e-kanan ho gain
Line 9/10 - Unhappy with all the rivals, but with the women of Egypt. Zulaikha is happy, that they have become transfixed in the moon of Canaan. This sher also takes inspiration from earlier biblical stories. Here the raqibon means the rivals for the beloved's graces and therefore her/his suitors. Zulaikha is an Egyptian queen who used to love Joseph and when this became public knowledge the women of Egypt started taunting her. The poet says that lovers do not like rivals and they are usually unhappy with them for they are suitors to the beloved's love, but Zulaikha is not unhappy with her rivals (her rivals being the other women of Egypt). In fact she is happy for when they see Joseph (referred as moon of Canaan) they would be so transfixed on him and so absorbed by his handsomeness that they would stop mocking. There is an story in Qur'an about Zulaikha that explains the situation in more detail. In the story, Zulaikha gives a apple of each of these women and asks them to cut it when Joseph arrives. On seeing him, they all accidentally cut their fingers. Zulaikha then reminds the women that Joseph comes everyday and on hearing this and the pain they have themselves inflicted, the women stopped mocking her.
ju-e-khun ankhon se bahane do ki hai sham-e-firaq
main ye samajhunga ke shamaen do farozan ho gain
Line 11/12 - Let the river of blood flow from the eyes for it is an evening of separation. I will understand it as two candles have become luminous. The poet says let the river of blood flow from my eyes for this is the evening of out separation. I will consider that two candles have been light that are giving light and removing darkness and that would give me comfort. In this dark night of our separation, my eyes shedding blood, would be like two candles burning bright and cutting through the darkness (and despair). The destiny of the handles were to burn brightly in the night and similarly my eyes are destined to shed endless tears of blood in despair. As with candles, when in the morning we blow out the candles and so would my tears also stop. I would go back to the rigors of life and living.
in parizadon se lenge khuld men ham intiqam
qudarat-e-haq se yahi huren agar vaan ho gain
Line 13/14 - In paradise we will take revenge on these beautiful ones. If through the power of God / Truth these beautiful women are there as well.The poet says we were so wronged by the beloved in this world, that we will take full revenge on them in the paradise provided by the power of God the beloved becomes houris there in the heaven. Those who tormented us here, we will get our vengeance upon them in the heaven provided God makes them houris and sends them our way.
neend usaki hai, dimag usaka hai, raten usaki hain
teri zulfen jisake bazu par pareshan ho gain
Line 15/16 - Sleep is his, Mind is his, The Nights are his. Your curls of hair, on whose shoulder have become disordered and disheveled. The poet says that his beloved's curls of hairs are disheveled and scattered on the lover's shoulder. On whose shoulder the locks of hair are spread, the sleep is his, the mind is his and the night is his. Similar to the scattered locks of his beloved's hair, so are his thoughts now. The rival now sleeps with ease, his thoughts and mind are clear and his nights are free from despair unlike me whose sleep is all but troubled, his mind and thought are confused and disordered and his nights are restless and despair.
main chaman mein kya gaya, goya dabistan khul gaya
bul-bulen sun kar mere nale, gazalkhwan ho gain
Line 17/18 - I had hardly entered the garden, as if a school had opened. The nightingale having heard my lamentations, become ghazal singers. The poet says as soon as he entered the garden busy in his thoughts, it appeared as if he has gone into a school. It was like entering a school and children reciting all in one discordant voice what the teacher recited. Same was the case here, the nightingale listening to my plaints have become ghazal singers. My lamentations were so complete and so melodious that when the nightingales started imitating it, it came out as a very fine ghazal.
vo nigahen kyun hui jati hain yarab dil ke par
jo meri kotaahii-e-qismat se mizshgan ho gain
Line 19/20 - Why do those glances, oh Lord! keep going through the heart? Which through my failure of fate, became eye-lashes. An eyeful or glimpse would be like usual glances that the beloved showers, but becoming eye lashes would mean her glance was so small or he received only the attention of the eye-lashes and not her complete glances. An extension of this unusual model would be that usual glances travel much further through the heart than the eye-lashes. The poet says due to his misfortune or smallness of luck, all he could get was the eyelashes from the beloved and yet even those small eyelash glances somehow have traveled so far through his heart that he is surprised by them. Such is the power of even such small eyelash glance that oh Lord! he could feel it going through and through his heart. Even with his smallness of fortune (due to which he only got eyelashes), he is feeling the complete effect of it (of a complete glance of the beloved).
bas ki roka main ne aur seene mein ubharen pai-ba-pai
meri aahein bakhiya-e-chak-e-garibaan ho gain
Line 21/22 - Although I stopped them, more emerged or swelled up with in the chest again and again. My sighs became the stitching on the torn hem of the shirt. The poet says that the sighs are swelling up again and again in my heart and my stopping them, is like stitching the torn hem on the shirt. First came over the madness that made me rip the shirt off and then in the state of calmness, we suppressed our never ending sighs that became the stitching on the torn shirt until the welling up of sighs can no longer be suppressed and any attempt of suppressing it leads to suffocation and tearing off the shirt again to allow air to reach the heart. In fact there is no repair of the condition but an endless chain of sighs and tearing and sewing and no meaningful relief. [Pritchett] has pointed to some nice wordplay in these lines where seene (chest) could also mean as seena (to sew up). Also words like tearing and sewing are put right next to one another for the dramatic effect.
vaan gaya bhi main to unki gaaliyon ka kya jawab
yaad thi jitini duayen, sarf-e-darbaan ho gain
Line 23/24 - Even if I were to go there, what answer would I have for her insults? As many prayers I could remember, all were used on the doorkeeper. The poet says what happens if he is to go there, to the beloved's door and she instead of any favors or glances she taunts him or showers her insults. What answer would I have, for all the prayers and blessing that he could remember of, were expended on the doorman. I mean what answer would I give? I can't reuse the same blessing again on her that I had earlier given to the doorkeeper. This is the main worry I have if I were to go to her door for I do not have any freshest and newest of blessings that I can give back to her in response of her crude and humiliating abuses and insults. An amusing situation indeed!
jaan-fiza hai baada, jis ke hath mein jaam aa gaya
sab lakiren haath ki goya rag-e-jaan ho gain
Line 25/26 - Lively is wine, in whomsoever's hand the glass comes. All the lines of the palm as if became the jugular vein. The poet says wine is lively and whosoever has it, makes him expansive and euphoric so much so that all the lines of the hand become gorged as blood filled veins. These are not very interpretative lines. S. R. Faruqi has a very interesting take on these lines. He says - The glass is full of red wine. The glass is in the hand which causes the lines of the hand to appear red when seen through the glass, as if every line resembles an artery full of living blood. In this explanation the hand's dry lines appear to be full of flowing blood, and we can say that in wine there is the power of giving life. Pretty neat I think!
hum muwahhid hain, hamara kesh hai tark-e-rusum
millatein jab mit gain, ajza-e-iman ho gain
Line 27/28 - We are the believers in one God, our nature is the abandonment of rituals and customs. When nations or communities have been erased, they become part of the faith. Any particular reading of these lines is hard to come by as the words like rusum, iman and muwahhid are broad brushes to paint any picture confidently. I would go by the most wide and liberal interpretation. The poet says we believe in one God, in the oneness of the Divine and our true path can only be achieved by renouncing all outwardly customs and rituals and religious behavior. When all such exclusive communities (religious groups of people) have been erased (i.e. the sectarian and religious distinction between people have been given up), then such people would become part of that One faith. To have True religion is to have no religion at all and then the Oneness of God and the Oneness of people would be realized!
ranj se khugar hua insaan to mit jata hai ranj
mushkilen mujh par padi itani ke asaan ho gain
Line 29/30 - When a person become accustomed to grief, then the grief gets erased. So many difficulties have fallen upon me, that they became easy. This is probably the most heard sher from this ghazal. The poet says when one tunes himself to grief, then the grief itself disappears. So many hardships have befallen on me, that they have become easy for now I am tuned to such hardships. Such difficulties do not make me despair, for I am adapted to it. There is a very similar sher by Ghalib that also talks about being friends with grief - 'ranj uthanay say bhi khushi ho gi, pahlay dil dard aashna keejay'
yunn hi gar rota raha 'ghalib', to ae ahl-e-jahan
dekhana in bastiyon ko tum ki viraan ho gain
Line 31/32 - If Ghalib keeps on crying like this, then oh! people of this world. You take a look at these towns, that they have become abandoned and deserted. There is no mention of what 'yunn hi' portends. It could mean a particular 'like this' or it could colloquially mean 'for no reason'. Nor it is clear as to why is he weeping. Such obscurity leaving to multitude of explanations. One possible explanation is that if Ghalib keeps on weeping like this, then O! the people of this world, beware the towns for they will become desolate for the flood of tears would make them inhabitable and hence deserted. Again the reason of the crying is not obvious. Is Ghalib warning people about things that needs to be fixed or he is advising them against his own flood of tears of despair? Or is it being mentioned that such is the weeping that it leads to debilitating effect on people of those towns that they leave for new places where they can't bear his wailing.
Meaning of difficult words -
lala-o-gul = tulips and roses
numayan = manifest , become apparent
pinhaan = hide, concealed
ranga-rang = colourful
bazm = gathering
aaraa = adorning, gracing
naqsh = mark or print
nigaar = potrait
taaq = a recess in a wall, niche
nisiyaan = forgetfulness; oblivion.
banaat-un-naash-e-garduun = ursa minor constellation
nihaan = secret, hidden
shab = night
uryaan = naked, bare
rauzan-e-diivaar-e-zindaan = window in wall of the prison
raqibon = rivals
zanan-e-misr = women of egypt
zulaikha = an egyptian queen
mahv = transfixed, lost
maah = moon
kanaan = Canaan (a kingdom in Old Testament, today's Israel)
ju-e-khun = river of blood
shaam-e-firaq = evening of separation
farozan = shining, luminous
parizadon = beautiful bodies
khuld = heaven
intiqam = revenge
qudarat-e-haq = truth of Almighty
huren = beautiful woman
vaan = there
goya = as if
dabistan = school
naale = lamentations
gazalkhwan = ghazal singer
kotaahii-e-qismat = failure, smallness of fate
mizshgan = eye-lashes
ubharen = emerged, protruded
pai-ba-pai = again and again
bakhiya-e-chak-e-garibaan = stitching the torn hem of shirt
sarf-e-darbaan = for use by doorman/doorkeeper
jaan-fiza = lively
baada = wine
rag-e-jaan = the jugular vein
muwahhid = believing in one God
kesh = nature
tark-e-rusum = abandonment of customs
millatein = communities
ajza-e-iman = elements of faith
ranj = sadness
khugar = accustomed
ahl-e-jahan = people of the world
Read more posts on Ghalib.
khaak mein kya suraten hongi ki pinhaan ho gain
Line 1/2 - Where are all? some did manifest in tulips and roses. In the dust, what faces there will be that have become hidden. This sher is absolutely of another level of thought and complexity, and can mean so many thoughts. The poet says where are all the people? where they gone? some have manifested themselves as tulips and roses. Another reading of the same line would be - not all (sab kahan?), a very colloquial way of saying not everything. In this reading - it would be not everyone, only some became apparent in these roses & tulips. The second line poses similar complexity. In the dust what faces or aspects that have gone hidden. What faces would there be? another way to read it - would there be faces that have became hidden in dust? (if one includes 'kya' with khaak mein). So the walking down a garden, the poet questions where are all?, and then looks at those lovely flowers and wonders some may have manifested as bright tulips and roses. In the dust what beautiful faces may have been hidden to have been manifested such brilliantly? In another reading - there is hint of sadness as to not everyone would manifest as these tulips and roses. Are there faces hidden (buried) in the dust? Why are then so few flowers? Where does the rest of them manifest? Is it really someone buried, maybe they manifest somewhat differently. A highly philosophical sher with beauty and dust, death and rejuvenation, hidden and became apparent, all and not all making this into multitude of interpretations. Life is eternal and their is beauty all around even in death if only we could grasp!
yaad thi hamko bhi ranga rang bazm-aaraaiyan
lekin ab naqsh-o-nigaar-e-taaq-e-nisiyaan ho gayin.
Line 3/4 - We too remembered those colorful gathering adornings and arrangements. But now they have become a mark or portrait in the niche of oblivion. The poet says we too (the use of too here makes it as if remembering old times with friends) remember those days of colorful gathering and those adornings. bazm-aaraaiyan could be the decorations done for the gathering or it could very well be the presence of lovely people in this gathering. In either case the quality of the decorations or people is also being remembered apart from the gathering. But alas! now the youth has given way! The verve of those days is gone, and those memories have become distant paintings or marks in the niche of oblivion. These memories have not been forgotten, but I have placed them on those niches of forgetfulness. We have purposefully placed such memories in those forgetful niches for what use that youthful longing now have in the sunset of life.
thi banaat-un-naash-e-garduun din ko parde men nihaan
shab ko un ke ji men kya aai ki uryaan ho gain
Line 5/6 - Was the Ursa Minor constellation (in the sky) in the day, hidden in the veil. In the night, what came in to their heart that they became bare (became visible or unveiled). The poet says during the day, the seven stars of the Ursa minor remain hidden behind the veil and one can not see them. But during the night, I do not know what came into their heart (what made them change their mind) that they decided to come out of veil and show themselves to all.
qaid mein yaqub ne li go na yusuf ki khabar
lekin ankhen rauzan-e-diivaar-e-zindaan ho gain
Line 7/8 - In the prison, Jacob (yaqub) although has taken no information about Joseph (yusuf). But eyes have become windows in the wall of the prison. Both Joseph and Jacob are important figures in Old Testament. Joseph is the son of Jacob and Joseph was imprisoned on false charges by the Pharaoh. The poet says Jacob had taken no information about his imprisoned son, he could not help him during this troubling time in his life and yet his eyes have become a window in the walls of the cell of his prison. The father even though he had no information about his imprisoned son yet his weeping eyes were always watching him, keeping a close eye on him night and day like an open window in his cell. His eyes had become a crack in the prison walls thorough which he could see his son all the time. Such is the love of a father for his children.
sab raqibon se hon nakhush, par zanan-e-misr se
hai zulaikha khush ke mahv-e-mah-e-kanan ho gain
Line 9/10 - Unhappy with all the rivals, but with the women of Egypt. Zulaikha is happy, that they have become transfixed in the moon of Canaan. This sher also takes inspiration from earlier biblical stories. Here the raqibon means the rivals for the beloved's graces and therefore her/his suitors. Zulaikha is an Egyptian queen who used to love Joseph and when this became public knowledge the women of Egypt started taunting her. The poet says that lovers do not like rivals and they are usually unhappy with them for they are suitors to the beloved's love, but Zulaikha is not unhappy with her rivals (her rivals being the other women of Egypt). In fact she is happy for when they see Joseph (referred as moon of Canaan) they would be so transfixed on him and so absorbed by his handsomeness that they would stop mocking. There is an story in Qur'an about Zulaikha that explains the situation in more detail. In the story, Zulaikha gives a apple of each of these women and asks them to cut it when Joseph arrives. On seeing him, they all accidentally cut their fingers. Zulaikha then reminds the women that Joseph comes everyday and on hearing this and the pain they have themselves inflicted, the women stopped mocking her.
ju-e-khun ankhon se bahane do ki hai sham-e-firaq
main ye samajhunga ke shamaen do farozan ho gain
Line 11/12 - Let the river of blood flow from the eyes for it is an evening of separation. I will understand it as two candles have become luminous. The poet says let the river of blood flow from my eyes for this is the evening of out separation. I will consider that two candles have been light that are giving light and removing darkness and that would give me comfort. In this dark night of our separation, my eyes shedding blood, would be like two candles burning bright and cutting through the darkness (and despair). The destiny of the handles were to burn brightly in the night and similarly my eyes are destined to shed endless tears of blood in despair. As with candles, when in the morning we blow out the candles and so would my tears also stop. I would go back to the rigors of life and living.
in parizadon se lenge khuld men ham intiqam
qudarat-e-haq se yahi huren agar vaan ho gain
Line 13/14 - In paradise we will take revenge on these beautiful ones. If through the power of God / Truth these beautiful women are there as well.The poet says we were so wronged by the beloved in this world, that we will take full revenge on them in the paradise provided by the power of God the beloved becomes houris there in the heaven. Those who tormented us here, we will get our vengeance upon them in the heaven provided God makes them houris and sends them our way.
neend usaki hai, dimag usaka hai, raten usaki hain
teri zulfen jisake bazu par pareshan ho gain
Line 15/16 - Sleep is his, Mind is his, The Nights are his. Your curls of hair, on whose shoulder have become disordered and disheveled. The poet says that his beloved's curls of hairs are disheveled and scattered on the lover's shoulder. On whose shoulder the locks of hair are spread, the sleep is his, the mind is his and the night is his. Similar to the scattered locks of his beloved's hair, so are his thoughts now. The rival now sleeps with ease, his thoughts and mind are clear and his nights are free from despair unlike me whose sleep is all but troubled, his mind and thought are confused and disordered and his nights are restless and despair.
main chaman mein kya gaya, goya dabistan khul gaya
bul-bulen sun kar mere nale, gazalkhwan ho gain
Line 17/18 - I had hardly entered the garden, as if a school had opened. The nightingale having heard my lamentations, become ghazal singers. The poet says as soon as he entered the garden busy in his thoughts, it appeared as if he has gone into a school. It was like entering a school and children reciting all in one discordant voice what the teacher recited. Same was the case here, the nightingale listening to my plaints have become ghazal singers. My lamentations were so complete and so melodious that when the nightingales started imitating it, it came out as a very fine ghazal.
vo nigahen kyun hui jati hain yarab dil ke par
jo meri kotaahii-e-qismat se mizshgan ho gain
Line 19/20 - Why do those glances, oh Lord! keep going through the heart? Which through my failure of fate, became eye-lashes. An eyeful or glimpse would be like usual glances that the beloved showers, but becoming eye lashes would mean her glance was so small or he received only the attention of the eye-lashes and not her complete glances. An extension of this unusual model would be that usual glances travel much further through the heart than the eye-lashes. The poet says due to his misfortune or smallness of luck, all he could get was the eyelashes from the beloved and yet even those small eyelash glances somehow have traveled so far through his heart that he is surprised by them. Such is the power of even such small eyelash glance that oh Lord! he could feel it going through and through his heart. Even with his smallness of fortune (due to which he only got eyelashes), he is feeling the complete effect of it (of a complete glance of the beloved).
bas ki roka main ne aur seene mein ubharen pai-ba-pai
meri aahein bakhiya-e-chak-e-garibaan ho gain
Line 21/22 - Although I stopped them, more emerged or swelled up with in the chest again and again. My sighs became the stitching on the torn hem of the shirt. The poet says that the sighs are swelling up again and again in my heart and my stopping them, is like stitching the torn hem on the shirt. First came over the madness that made me rip the shirt off and then in the state of calmness, we suppressed our never ending sighs that became the stitching on the torn shirt until the welling up of sighs can no longer be suppressed and any attempt of suppressing it leads to suffocation and tearing off the shirt again to allow air to reach the heart. In fact there is no repair of the condition but an endless chain of sighs and tearing and sewing and no meaningful relief. [Pritchett] has pointed to some nice wordplay in these lines where seene (chest) could also mean as seena (to sew up). Also words like tearing and sewing are put right next to one another for the dramatic effect.
vaan gaya bhi main to unki gaaliyon ka kya jawab
yaad thi jitini duayen, sarf-e-darbaan ho gain
Line 23/24 - Even if I were to go there, what answer would I have for her insults? As many prayers I could remember, all were used on the doorkeeper. The poet says what happens if he is to go there, to the beloved's door and she instead of any favors or glances she taunts him or showers her insults. What answer would I have, for all the prayers and blessing that he could remember of, were expended on the doorman. I mean what answer would I give? I can't reuse the same blessing again on her that I had earlier given to the doorkeeper. This is the main worry I have if I were to go to her door for I do not have any freshest and newest of blessings that I can give back to her in response of her crude and humiliating abuses and insults. An amusing situation indeed!
jaan-fiza hai baada, jis ke hath mein jaam aa gaya
sab lakiren haath ki goya rag-e-jaan ho gain
Line 25/26 - Lively is wine, in whomsoever's hand the glass comes. All the lines of the palm as if became the jugular vein. The poet says wine is lively and whosoever has it, makes him expansive and euphoric so much so that all the lines of the hand become gorged as blood filled veins. These are not very interpretative lines. S. R. Faruqi has a very interesting take on these lines. He says - The glass is full of red wine. The glass is in the hand which causes the lines of the hand to appear red when seen through the glass, as if every line resembles an artery full of living blood. In this explanation the hand's dry lines appear to be full of flowing blood, and we can say that in wine there is the power of giving life. Pretty neat I think!
hum muwahhid hain, hamara kesh hai tark-e-rusum
millatein jab mit gain, ajza-e-iman ho gain
Line 27/28 - We are the believers in one God, our nature is the abandonment of rituals and customs. When nations or communities have been erased, they become part of the faith. Any particular reading of these lines is hard to come by as the words like rusum, iman and muwahhid are broad brushes to paint any picture confidently. I would go by the most wide and liberal interpretation. The poet says we believe in one God, in the oneness of the Divine and our true path can only be achieved by renouncing all outwardly customs and rituals and religious behavior. When all such exclusive communities (religious groups of people) have been erased (i.e. the sectarian and religious distinction between people have been given up), then such people would become part of that One faith. To have True religion is to have no religion at all and then the Oneness of God and the Oneness of people would be realized!
ranj se khugar hua insaan to mit jata hai ranj
mushkilen mujh par padi itani ke asaan ho gain
Line 29/30 - When a person become accustomed to grief, then the grief gets erased. So many difficulties have fallen upon me, that they became easy. This is probably the most heard sher from this ghazal. The poet says when one tunes himself to grief, then the grief itself disappears. So many hardships have befallen on me, that they have become easy for now I am tuned to such hardships. Such difficulties do not make me despair, for I am adapted to it. There is a very similar sher by Ghalib that also talks about being friends with grief - 'ranj uthanay say bhi khushi ho gi, pahlay dil dard aashna keejay'
yunn hi gar rota raha 'ghalib', to ae ahl-e-jahan
dekhana in bastiyon ko tum ki viraan ho gain
Line 31/32 - If Ghalib keeps on crying like this, then oh! people of this world. You take a look at these towns, that they have become abandoned and deserted. There is no mention of what 'yunn hi' portends. It could mean a particular 'like this' or it could colloquially mean 'for no reason'. Nor it is clear as to why is he weeping. Such obscurity leaving to multitude of explanations. One possible explanation is that if Ghalib keeps on weeping like this, then O! the people of this world, beware the towns for they will become desolate for the flood of tears would make them inhabitable and hence deserted. Again the reason of the crying is not obvious. Is Ghalib warning people about things that needs to be fixed or he is advising them against his own flood of tears of despair? Or is it being mentioned that such is the weeping that it leads to debilitating effect on people of those towns that they leave for new places where they can't bear his wailing.
Meaning of difficult words -
lala-o-gul = tulips and roses
numayan = manifest , become apparent
pinhaan = hide, concealed
ranga-rang = colourful
bazm = gathering
aaraa = adorning, gracing
naqsh = mark or print
nigaar = potrait
taaq = a recess in a wall, niche
nisiyaan = forgetfulness; oblivion.
banaat-un-naash-e-garduun = ursa minor constellation
nihaan = secret, hidden
shab = night
uryaan = naked, bare
rauzan-e-diivaar-e-zindaan = window in wall of the prison
raqibon = rivals
zanan-e-misr = women of egypt
zulaikha = an egyptian queen
mahv = transfixed, lost
maah = moon
kanaan = Canaan (a kingdom in Old Testament, today's Israel)
ju-e-khun = river of blood
shaam-e-firaq = evening of separation
farozan = shining, luminous
parizadon = beautiful bodies
khuld = heaven
intiqam = revenge
qudarat-e-haq = truth of Almighty
huren = beautiful woman
vaan = there
goya = as if
dabistan = school
naale = lamentations
gazalkhwan = ghazal singer
kotaahii-e-qismat = failure, smallness of fate
mizshgan = eye-lashes
ubharen = emerged, protruded
pai-ba-pai = again and again
bakhiya-e-chak-e-garibaan = stitching the torn hem of shirt
sarf-e-darbaan = for use by doorman/doorkeeper
jaan-fiza = lively
baada = wine
rag-e-jaan = the jugular vein
muwahhid = believing in one God
kesh = nature
tark-e-rusum = abandonment of customs
millatein = communities
ajza-e-iman = elements of faith
ranj = sadness
khugar = accustomed
ahl-e-jahan = people of the world
Read more posts on Ghalib.
Translation - Hain Aur Bhi Duniya Mein Sukhanwar Bohot Achche (Ghalib)
hai bas ki har ik unke ishaare mein nishaan aur
karte hain mohabbat to guzarata hai gumaan aur
Lines 1/2 - In every gesture of hers, as so much there are more signs. She shows love, my doubt of her increases or I doubt something different. These lines can be interpreted in so many ways as to how you read the word 'aur'. The 'aur' has a duality to it, being different or being more. The poet says in every gesture of hers, so much so that there are more signs (there are indications everywhere). We can read this also as in every gesture of hers, so much so that there are signs differently (there is more to what is being gestured). Her gestures are so clear, that when she show me love, these signs make me doubt something else or my doubts about her increase. Read another as - her gestures are not so clear, that when she shows love, my doubts about her increase or I suspect something else. 'gumaan' can also be read an imagination or a fancy notion. In that case, the interpretations multiply! this sher is an absolute relish!
yaarab ! wo na samjhe hain na samjhenge meree baat
de aur dil unko, jo na de mujhko zubaan aur
abroo se hai kya us nigah-e-naaz ko paiband
hai teer muqarrar magar uskee hai kamaan aur
Line 5/6 - What connection does the eyebrow have with those amorous glances. The arrow is fixed but it has another (different) bow. 'paiband' in common sense of the word is usually to stitch a torn clothes, to make join or patch. The poet questions as to are they connected? her brows and her glances? Those affectionate glances of her's, those telling arrows are fixed on me, but are coming from a different bow. Her brows do not make sense with those glances coming my way. Obviously they are coming from some different bow!
tum shahar mein ho to hamein kya gham jab uthenge
le aayenge baazaar se jaakar dil-o-jaan aur
Line 7/8 - As you are in town, what worry do I have? When ever I feel like, I will go to the market and bring more heart and life (or a different one). I lines are clear but do not connect, I have found this nice meaning to it. The poet says as long as you are in the town, what do I have to worry about. Since you are in the town, I am sure a lot of 'other' dwell in this town and each one of them has his 'dil-o-jaan' damaged and harmed by your airs. There must be lot of traders dealing in these spoiled commodities and fixing them as new. I don't care, if I feel like I will go and fetch from the market more (different) heart and life from any of those dealers. An alternate reading based on where one breaks the first line. It would read as - As you are in town I don't care, for if the misery rises, I will buy more dil-o-jaan from the market.
karte hain mohabbat to guzarata hai gumaan aur
Lines 1/2 - In every gesture of hers, as so much there are more signs. She shows love, my doubt of her increases or I doubt something different. These lines can be interpreted in so many ways as to how you read the word 'aur'. The 'aur' has a duality to it, being different or being more. The poet says in every gesture of hers, so much so that there are more signs (there are indications everywhere). We can read this also as in every gesture of hers, so much so that there are signs differently (there is more to what is being gestured). Her gestures are so clear, that when she show me love, these signs make me doubt something else or my doubts about her increase. Read another as - her gestures are not so clear, that when she shows love, my doubts about her increase or I suspect something else. 'gumaan' can also be read an imagination or a fancy notion. In that case, the interpretations multiply! this sher is an absolute relish!
yaarab ! wo na samjhe hain na samjhenge meree baat
de aur dil unko, jo na de mujhko zubaan aur
Line 3/4 - Oh Lord! They did not understood, nor they will understand what I said. Give them more heart(s), if you can not give me more tongue(s). Wow! this is absolutely brilliant and with the wordplay on 'aur', the reading multiply. The poet says 'They' have not understood, nor will they understand what say. Oh lord, give me more tongues (or a different tongue) or if you can not do that give them more hearts (or a different heart). Again the 'aur' can be more or a different one. The other word that is opaque is 'woh'. The poet has not made it clear as to who they are. It could be a indifferent beloved, the supernal Beloved or his critics. In any case, with their current state, they have no chance of understanding the current discourse of the poet. If they are indifferent, give me more tongue(s), if they can't grasp give me a different tongue!
abroo se hai kya us nigah-e-naaz ko paiband
hai teer muqarrar magar uskee hai kamaan aur
Line 5/6 - What connection does the eyebrow have with those amorous glances. The arrow is fixed but it has another (different) bow. 'paiband' in common sense of the word is usually to stitch a torn clothes, to make join or patch. The poet questions as to are they connected? her brows and her glances? Those affectionate glances of her's, those telling arrows are fixed on me, but are coming from a different bow. Her brows do not make sense with those glances coming my way. Obviously they are coming from some different bow!
tum shahar mein ho to hamein kya gham jab uthenge
le aayenge baazaar se jaakar dil-o-jaan aur
Line 7/8 - As you are in town, what worry do I have? When ever I feel like, I will go to the market and bring more heart and life (or a different one). I lines are clear but do not connect, I have found this nice meaning to it. The poet says as long as you are in the town, what do I have to worry about. Since you are in the town, I am sure a lot of 'other' dwell in this town and each one of them has his 'dil-o-jaan' damaged and harmed by your airs. There must be lot of traders dealing in these spoiled commodities and fixing them as new. I don't care, if I feel like I will go and fetch from the market more (different) heart and life from any of those dealers. An alternate reading based on where one breaks the first line. It would read as - As you are in town I don't care, for if the misery rises, I will buy more dil-o-jaan from the market.
harchand subak_dast hue but_shikanee mein
ham hain, to abhee raah mein hai sang-e-giraan aur
Line 9/10 - Nevertheless became expert in breaking idols they have, I am here, there are still on the way more heavy stones. 'subak_dast' means light handed or someone proficient. The poet says that they have become an expert in breaking the idols. As to who 'they' are, its not mentioned. Could he be referring to the orthodox religious clergy single minded zeal against idols? And then with a challenge thrown in he says, Ok! I am here, you still have a heavy stone in your path (that is me) to demolish. How will you demolish the ideas and truth I speak. An alternate reading of the lines is here where 'ham hain' becomes a continuation of the first line. In this reading it says - however proficient we becoming at demolishing idols, as long as we are, there will always be something more heavy in the path. The path being the path to Truth where these countless distractions that needs to broken, but as long as we are around, there is just around the corner another of those and more tempting distractions to test our fortitude.
hai khoon-e-jigar josh mein dil khol ke rota
hote kaee jo deeda-e-khoonnaaba_fishaan aur
Line 11/12 - The blood of the liver is in agitation, the heart would weep aloud and freely. If only there were many more blood shedding eyes. The poet says the blood in the liver is in turmoil and my heart is crying freely. That blood is constantly being lost through the eyes via blood filled tears and yet the agitation does not subside. If only I would have more such blood shedding eyes to give me relief.
marta hoon is aawaaz pe harchand sar ud jaay
jallaad ko lekin wo kahe jaayain ki 'haan aur'
Line 13/14 - I die for this voice, so much so that I may lose my head. To the executioner, however she keeps saying - yes more. Quite a stage we have up here! The poet says he literally dies with agitation and fervor on hearing her voice. I am even ready to lose my head (what harm is there in losing the head if I am already dead by hearing her voice?). To my executioner, she says "yes more", but what good is that? I am already dead on hearing these words! The beloved has shown him no mercy and keeps egging to the executioner for more, even though he is dead already, but her voice is a act of mercy for me and I will willingly lose my life to hear that voice!
logon ko hai khursheed-e-jahaan taab ka dhoka
har roz dikhaata hoon main ik daagh-e-nihaan aur
Line 15/16 - People are deceived into believing the heat & fury of the sun of the world. Every day I show one more (different) hidden wound. The poet says every day I can show one more (or a different one) of my hidden wounds. Such is suppressed passion and feelings in those burning wounds of mine, that people are deceived into believing that those as the sun of this world. Quite a rhetorical device there!
leta na agar dil tumhe deta koee dam chain
karta jo na marta koee din aah-o-fughaan aur
Line 17/18 - I would have, taken a breath of ease and rest, if I had not given heart to you. I would have, done a few more days of sorrowful hue and cry, if I had not died. Not exactly eloquent, though its a fairly simple sher. The poet says that life was easy and simple but then I gave you my heart. If I hadn't died, there would have been more days of noisy sorrow. The poet would never be at ease, if he had not died, he was looking ahead for a lifetime of mourning and grief.
paate naheen jab raah, to chad jaate hain naale
ruktee hai meree tab'a to hotee hai ravaan aur
Line 19/20 - When they can't find the way out, the rivulets do rise. When my temperament stops, then it sets into motion more (differently). 'naale' again can mean two things, either is is small stream that floods in the rain or it means laments. Both actually makes perfect sense here. The poet says, when these small streams can't find the their way(blocked), their water level rises. Another reading is if my laments are not allowed to be released, then they become more intense and fervid. When my natural manner is arrested or bounded, then my emotions are released more powerfully, just like a river that is blocked. The duality of 'aur' gives it also that when blocked, then my emotions are released in a different manner. 'rawaan' would mean something flowing, to set in motion or departed.
hain aur bhee duniya mein sukhanwar bohot achche
kehte hain ki 'ghalib' ka hai andaaz-e-bayaan aur
Line 9/10 - Nevertheless became expert in breaking idols they have, I am here, there are still on the way more heavy stones. 'subak_dast' means light handed or someone proficient. The poet says that they have become an expert in breaking the idols. As to who 'they' are, its not mentioned. Could he be referring to the orthodox religious clergy single minded zeal against idols? And then with a challenge thrown in he says, Ok! I am here, you still have a heavy stone in your path (that is me) to demolish. How will you demolish the ideas and truth I speak. An alternate reading of the lines is here where 'ham hain' becomes a continuation of the first line. In this reading it says - however proficient we becoming at demolishing idols, as long as we are, there will always be something more heavy in the path. The path being the path to Truth where these countless distractions that needs to broken, but as long as we are around, there is just around the corner another of those and more tempting distractions to test our fortitude.
hai khoon-e-jigar josh mein dil khol ke rota
hote kaee jo deeda-e-khoonnaaba_fishaan aur
Line 11/12 - The blood of the liver is in agitation, the heart would weep aloud and freely. If only there were many more blood shedding eyes. The poet says the blood in the liver is in turmoil and my heart is crying freely. That blood is constantly being lost through the eyes via blood filled tears and yet the agitation does not subside. If only I would have more such blood shedding eyes to give me relief.
marta hoon is aawaaz pe harchand sar ud jaay
jallaad ko lekin wo kahe jaayain ki 'haan aur'
Line 13/14 - I die for this voice, so much so that I may lose my head. To the executioner, however she keeps saying - yes more. Quite a stage we have up here! The poet says he literally dies with agitation and fervor on hearing her voice. I am even ready to lose my head (what harm is there in losing the head if I am already dead by hearing her voice?). To my executioner, she says "yes more", but what good is that? I am already dead on hearing these words! The beloved has shown him no mercy and keeps egging to the executioner for more, even though he is dead already, but her voice is a act of mercy for me and I will willingly lose my life to hear that voice!
logon ko hai khursheed-e-jahaan taab ka dhoka
har roz dikhaata hoon main ik daagh-e-nihaan aur
Line 15/16 - People are deceived into believing the heat & fury of the sun of the world. Every day I show one more (different) hidden wound. The poet says every day I can show one more (or a different one) of my hidden wounds. Such is suppressed passion and feelings in those burning wounds of mine, that people are deceived into believing that those as the sun of this world. Quite a rhetorical device there!
leta na agar dil tumhe deta koee dam chain
karta jo na marta koee din aah-o-fughaan aur
Line 17/18 - I would have, taken a breath of ease and rest, if I had not given heart to you. I would have, done a few more days of sorrowful hue and cry, if I had not died. Not exactly eloquent, though its a fairly simple sher. The poet says that life was easy and simple but then I gave you my heart. If I hadn't died, there would have been more days of noisy sorrow. The poet would never be at ease, if he had not died, he was looking ahead for a lifetime of mourning and grief.
paate naheen jab raah, to chad jaate hain naale
ruktee hai meree tab'a to hotee hai ravaan aur
Line 19/20 - When they can't find the way out, the rivulets do rise. When my temperament stops, then it sets into motion more (differently). 'naale' again can mean two things, either is is small stream that floods in the rain or it means laments. Both actually makes perfect sense here. The poet says, when these small streams can't find the their way(blocked), their water level rises. Another reading is if my laments are not allowed to be released, then they become more intense and fervid. When my natural manner is arrested or bounded, then my emotions are released more powerfully, just like a river that is blocked. The duality of 'aur' gives it also that when blocked, then my emotions are released in a different manner. 'rawaan' would mean something flowing, to set in motion or departed.
kehte hain ki 'ghalib' ka hai andaaz-e-bayaan aur
Line 21/22 - There are more (other) very good poets in this world too. They say that Ghalib's way(style) of expressing is different (or more expressive). This is probably among the best known sher in the complete Ghalib's work and its a fairly straightforward one. The poet says yes, there are more good poets out there, but some say that Ghalib's way of putting across things is different (in a sense better than the rest).
Meaning of difficult words :-
gumaan = doubt/suspicion
abroo = eyebrow
paiband = patch, join
nigah-e-naaz = an affectionate glance
harchand = nevertheless, notwithstanding
subak_dast = expert,light handed
but_shikanee = iconoclast
sang = stone
giraan = heavy
deeda = eye
khoonnaaba = mixture of blood and water (khoon + aab(water))
fishaan = shed/spread
khoonnaaba_fishaan = to sheds tears of blood
khursheed = sun
taab = heat, fury
nihaan = hidden
fughaan = clamour
naale = lamentation/rivulets
tab'a = temperament, nature
rawaan = moving, flowing
sukhanwar = poet
Read more posts on Ghalib.
deeda = eye
khoonnaaba = mixture of blood and water (khoon + aab(water))
fishaan = shed/spread
khoonnaaba_fishaan = to sheds tears of blood
khursheed = sun
taab = heat, fury
nihaan = hidden
fughaan = clamour
naale = lamentation/rivulets
tab'a = temperament, nature
rawaan = moving, flowing
sukhanwar = poet
Read more posts on Ghalib.
Translation - Nuktaacheen Hai Gham-e-Dil Usko Sunaaye (Ghalib)
nuktaacheen hai gham-e-dil usko sunaaye na bane
kya bane baat jahaan baat banaaye na bane
Line 1/2 - She is such a critic, the grief of the heart I am unable to recite to her. What would work out where a thing made up (an argument/story cooked up) has not been able to succeed. These lines from a delivery perspective in a gathering, has a nice tongue twisting qualities to it. The poet says she is such a complainer and a nitpicker that I have not been able to come up to her and recite to her the grief of my heart. What would succeed when made up & embellished lies are not able to impress her. What chance does the painful and sorrow tales of my heart have in succeeding. My beloved even censures the fancy stories that I tell her (about her generosity towards him). No point telling her the misery of my heart. I wonder what should I say that would work.
Line 3/4 - I do call her, but oh! the passion of heart. May something comes over her like that, that she can not endure not coming. The poet says I do call her to give me company but all I get is a disappointment and her indifference. If only somehow something could happen to her that she could not resist coming to me! The poet in his solitude and misery personifies the only thing he knows will give him company and a patient ear while he waits for his lover which he knows will not come. you my torrid heart, my only friend!
Line 5/6 - It's thought as a game, may (she) not abandon it, not forget about it. If only it would be that with out tormenting me she can not stand. The poet says this may appear cruelty to me, but for her its like fun!. But I am okay with this torment. In fact I enjoy it. May she not forget about it or abandon it. I wish that she would not be able to stand (live/succeed) without tormenting me. She is playing a game with me, but it's alright if she does not abandon her devices. I have began to take pleasure in them. If only somehow she can make it by tormenting me always. The poet longs for the attention of his beloved, the cruelty, the torment is better than the beloved's indifference. I wish we could keep it like that at-least.
Line 7/8 - The other wanders around carrying like this your letter that if someone asks - what is this? then he would not be able (succeed) to hide it. The poet says my rival (his opponent for his beloved's favours) goes around the town, openly showing the letter that you wrote him. Such is his manner that if someone were to ask him, what is this? then he can't even hide. He would have to disclose who wrote it or worse still, read it out loud. He is not being discreet about receiving the letter from you, and openly flaunting it in a way that could bring you a bad name.
is nazaakat ka bura ho, woh bhale hain to kya
haanth aaye to unhain haanth lagaaye na bane
Line 9/10 - May bad tidings/evil bestow on such elegance or delicateness. She is good & kind, so what. If she was to come to hand, then the hand would not able to be laid on her. The poet referring to beloved's behaviours says - to hell with this elegance and subtleness. May evil fall on such delicateness even though she is good and generous, so what! Her being kind would still not help for these delicate airs of her make even the act of laying hands on her impossible even if she ever was to come to hand. What good her coming to me would lead to when such elegance just frustrates any union.
keh sake kaun ki yeh jalwaa_garee kiskee hai
parda choda hai woh usne ki uthaaye na bane
Line 11/12 - Who can say that whose is this splendour doing (act of). That one has lowered the veil that it is not able to be lifted. These are the best lines from the ghazal. Simple words yet many possible and contemplative themes. The poet says, who can tell whose acts of splendour this is? Whose brilliant manifestation this is? That manifested one, has lowered the veil/curtain that can not be lifted even if tried. Who can says whose demonstration or brilliant presentation this is? We do not know whose and we do not know who can tell us about that whom? That demonstration is yet another question (what has been displayed so brilliantly?). To all these questions, the second lines answers none and instead adds more questions. Who dropped the curtain? Maybe the splendour itself casts a veil on us by its brilliance or is it the doer that intentionally drops the veil. Referring to the Divine Beloved, the poet questions who can tell whose magnificence is this? The One has left behind this veil (the magnificence being mentioned is the world and its workings around us) that does not allow us to lift it up and see the True nature of the Divine. The veil has been intentionally left down so that we are unable to see that. In alternative reading the veil being inability of us (with no help from anyone in dropping the veil) to grasp the Divine and lift the veil of falsehood and mortality. As said earlier, it is a fairly obtuse lines and open to any line of thought!
maut kee raah na dekhoon ki bin aaye na rahe
tumko chaahoon ki na aao, to bulaaye na bane
Line 13/14 - In anticipation of death, I do not wait for it will not desist from coming. I want (desire) you for you won't come, then you won't be able to be called. The poet says it is useless to wait for death for it will always come. One will never get disappointed waiting for death for it will always come, it can't refrain itself from coming. I call you out to give me company, I desire you but you will not come. If you keep up with these refusals, then it would not be able for me to call you. If I request you to come and you do not come, then I do not have the power (or gumption) to call you again. Compare this with death that would come by even without asking and is so keen to come that it can't stop, but you my beloved! leave aside coming when I request, you leave me in such apathy and resignation that I find it impossible to call again. Death is a better beloved than you my dear!
bojh woh sar pe gira hai ki uthaaye na uthe
kaam woh aan pada hai, ki banaaye na bane
Line 15/16 - The burden that has fallen on the head, that having been lifted still won't get lifted. The work has come that having been done, would not become done. The poet says the burden has fallen on the head (what burden? its not specified), this unmovable and unmanageable burden that having tried lifting still would not budge. The task (again what task? its not mentioned) needs to be done, but having tried it to complete, would not complete. One can only guess what is being mentioned here, may be it is the rigors of an uncertain life, maybe the burden of life, maybe the specter of death itself but whatever is it, the realization of the burden comes one day and then the burden becomes unmovable after that. And with the realization of burden comes the realization that work needs to be done to make sense of the new situation, but whatever you do there is still something left to be done!
ishq par zor naheen, hai ye woh aatish 'ghalib'
ki lagaaye na lage aur bujhaaye na bane
kya bane baat jahaan baat banaaye na bane
Line 1/2 - She is such a critic, the grief of the heart I am unable to recite to her. What would work out where a thing made up (an argument/story cooked up) has not been able to succeed. These lines from a delivery perspective in a gathering, has a nice tongue twisting qualities to it. The poet says she is such a complainer and a nitpicker that I have not been able to come up to her and recite to her the grief of my heart. What would succeed when made up & embellished lies are not able to impress her. What chance does the painful and sorrow tales of my heart have in succeeding. My beloved even censures the fancy stories that I tell her (about her generosity towards him). No point telling her the misery of my heart. I wonder what should I say that would work.
main bulaata to hoon usko magar 'ei jazba-e-dil
uspe ban jaaye kuchch 'eisee ki bin aaye na bane
Line 3/4 - I do call her, but oh! the passion of heart. May something comes over her like that, that she can not endure not coming. The poet says I do call her to give me company but all I get is a disappointment and her indifference. If only somehow something could happen to her that she could not resist coming to me! The poet in his solitude and misery personifies the only thing he knows will give him company and a patient ear while he waits for his lover which he knows will not come. you my torrid heart, my only friend!
khel samjha hai kaheen chod na de, bhool na jaay
kaash ! yoon bhee ho ki bin mere sataaye na bane
Line 5/6 - It's thought as a game, may (she) not abandon it, not forget about it. If only it would be that with out tormenting me she can not stand. The poet says this may appear cruelty to me, but for her its like fun!. But I am okay with this torment. In fact I enjoy it. May she not forget about it or abandon it. I wish that she would not be able to stand (live/succeed) without tormenting me. She is playing a game with me, but it's alright if she does not abandon her devices. I have began to take pleasure in them. If only somehow she can make it by tormenting me always. The poet longs for the attention of his beloved, the cruelty, the torment is better than the beloved's indifference. I wish we could keep it like that at-least.
ghair firta hai liye yoon tere khat ko ki agar
koee pooche ki yeh kya hai ? to chipaaye na bane
Line 7/8 - The other wanders around carrying like this your letter that if someone asks - what is this? then he would not be able (succeed) to hide it. The poet says my rival (his opponent for his beloved's favours) goes around the town, openly showing the letter that you wrote him. Such is his manner that if someone were to ask him, what is this? then he can't even hide. He would have to disclose who wrote it or worse still, read it out loud. He is not being discreet about receiving the letter from you, and openly flaunting it in a way that could bring you a bad name.
is nazaakat ka bura ho, woh bhale hain to kya
haanth aaye to unhain haanth lagaaye na bane
Line 9/10 - May bad tidings/evil bestow on such elegance or delicateness. She is good & kind, so what. If she was to come to hand, then the hand would not able to be laid on her. The poet referring to beloved's behaviours says - to hell with this elegance and subtleness. May evil fall on such delicateness even though she is good and generous, so what! Her being kind would still not help for these delicate airs of her make even the act of laying hands on her impossible even if she ever was to come to hand. What good her coming to me would lead to when such elegance just frustrates any union.
keh sake kaun ki yeh jalwaa_garee kiskee hai
parda choda hai woh usne ki uthaaye na bane
Line 11/12 - Who can say that whose is this splendour doing (act of). That one has lowered the veil that it is not able to be lifted. These are the best lines from the ghazal. Simple words yet many possible and contemplative themes. The poet says, who can tell whose acts of splendour this is? Whose brilliant manifestation this is? That manifested one, has lowered the veil/curtain that can not be lifted even if tried. Who can says whose demonstration or brilliant presentation this is? We do not know whose and we do not know who can tell us about that whom? That demonstration is yet another question (what has been displayed so brilliantly?). To all these questions, the second lines answers none and instead adds more questions. Who dropped the curtain? Maybe the splendour itself casts a veil on us by its brilliance or is it the doer that intentionally drops the veil. Referring to the Divine Beloved, the poet questions who can tell whose magnificence is this? The One has left behind this veil (the magnificence being mentioned is the world and its workings around us) that does not allow us to lift it up and see the True nature of the Divine. The veil has been intentionally left down so that we are unable to see that. In alternative reading the veil being inability of us (with no help from anyone in dropping the veil) to grasp the Divine and lift the veil of falsehood and mortality. As said earlier, it is a fairly obtuse lines and open to any line of thought!
maut kee raah na dekhoon ki bin aaye na rahe
tumko chaahoon ki na aao, to bulaaye na bane
Line 13/14 - In anticipation of death, I do not wait for it will not desist from coming. I want (desire) you for you won't come, then you won't be able to be called. The poet says it is useless to wait for death for it will always come. One will never get disappointed waiting for death for it will always come, it can't refrain itself from coming. I call you out to give me company, I desire you but you will not come. If you keep up with these refusals, then it would not be able for me to call you. If I request you to come and you do not come, then I do not have the power (or gumption) to call you again. Compare this with death that would come by even without asking and is so keen to come that it can't stop, but you my beloved! leave aside coming when I request, you leave me in such apathy and resignation that I find it impossible to call again. Death is a better beloved than you my dear!
bojh woh sar pe gira hai ki uthaaye na uthe
kaam woh aan pada hai, ki banaaye na bane
Line 15/16 - The burden that has fallen on the head, that having been lifted still won't get lifted. The work has come that having been done, would not become done. The poet says the burden has fallen on the head (what burden? its not specified), this unmovable and unmanageable burden that having tried lifting still would not budge. The task (again what task? its not mentioned) needs to be done, but having tried it to complete, would not complete. One can only guess what is being mentioned here, may be it is the rigors of an uncertain life, maybe the burden of life, maybe the specter of death itself but whatever is it, the realization of the burden comes one day and then the burden becomes unmovable after that. And with the realization of burden comes the realization that work needs to be done to make sense of the new situation, but whatever you do there is still something left to be done!
ishq par zor naheen, hai ye woh aatish 'ghalib'
ki lagaaye na lage aur bujhaaye na bane
Line 17/18 - There is no control over love, this is that fire, Ghalib!. That having been lit, still does not burn and having been extinguished, it still does not go out. These are the most well known lines from this ghazal, no guess why!. The poet says love is a like a fire over which no one has any control. It is not in anyone's power to lit the flames of passion in someone's heart despite trying nor is it possible to extinguish the flames of passion from someone's heart despite trying. Fairly straightforward lines!!
Meaning of difficult words -
nuktaacheen = critic/sweetheart
nazaakat = elegance
jalwaa_garee = manifestation, splendour
Translation - Jaur Se Baz Aaye Par Baz Aayen (Ghalib)
jaur se baz aaye par baz aayen kya
kahate hain hum tum ko muh dikhalayen kya
Line 1/2 - Refrained from oppression (she has), but refrain from what did she? (She) says that how can I show my face to you now! The poet referring to the beloved says, that she has finally realized her tyranny and cruelty towards him and has refrained from those injustices. But, alas such is the misery of the lover that the renunciation of the cruelty is of no use to him, for the beloved is now shameful of her past behavior and says that she can't face him or show her face to him. So! what has changed, even after the admission and abstaining from the injustice, I am feeling the same. Her not showing face was the original grievance and her repentance by shying away from facing me puts me back to same situation. I wonder what did she refrained from?
raat din gardish mein hain sat aasman
ho rahega kuch na kuch ghabarayen kya
Line 3/4 - Night and day, the seven skies wander about. Something or the other will happen, should we panic? The poet says, all night and all of day, the seven skies above us wander about and revolve around. Something will happen, should we be anxious? The idea that movements of heavenly bodies decide the fortunes and fate of men is being mentioned. Since all the bodies are moving around, the poet says this will have an affects on us. What those effects would be, we can not tell, but should we panic or fear? An alternative reading of the last line could be, that something will happen for sure, so why fear? We do know yet what is going to happen so no point stressing yet. Let it happen and then we will see.
laag ho to us ko hum samajhen lagav
jab na ho kuch bhi to dhoka khayen kya
Line 5/6 - If it was a grudge, we would have understood it as a affection. When there is no emotions present, how do I delude myself? 'laag' can mean lot of things. The most common being co-relation or bearing. It can also mean affection as well as enmity. The poet says when his beloved showed a grudge or spite towards him, he would deceive himself into thinking that as a mark of affection. I will fool myself into thinking that he was shown warmth and love. But what to do, when there is no emotions shown. When no feeling are conveyed, neither love or anger, when the beloved is just ignoring him then how does he delude himself. What should he fool himself with?
ho liye kyon namabar ke saath-saath
ya rab apne khat ko hum pahunchayen kya
Line 7/8 - Why did I go along with the messenger. O Lord!, Should I deliver my letters to her! The poet says, in his eagerness and zeal to ensure that his letters to the beloved reach her promptly and without delay, he goes along with his messenger not realizing that he has reached his beloved's doorstep. O God! Why am I here? Am I delivering my letters to her now? An alternate reading could be made my reading the first line differently. The lover says to the beloved that why are you with the messenger. Oh! maybe I need to deliver my own letters now!. Maybe his beloved has developed an affinity for the messenger. In that case, it is prudent not to send the letters via the messenger for he may read it for he is a rival now!
mauj-e-khun sar se guzar hi kyon na jaye
aastan-e-yaar se uth jayen kya
Line 9/10 - Even if the waves of blood were high enough to wash over my head, Would I rise up from the home of my beloved? The poet says even if the waves of blood came rushing forth, high enough to wash over his head, his head would still be bowed down at the door of his beloved's home. Come what may, come even the apocalypse, but I would not rise up from that door. I read an interesting alternate reading of these lines. The poet in this interpretation questions - why should not the waves of blood wash over my head? No one knows what rises from the abode of my beloved. Such is the tyranny of my beloved, that I have no clue as to what may come forth (from her powers) as I lay on her doorstep. I could very well be waves of blood (cataclysm) that wash over my head.
umr bhar dekha kiye marane ke rah
mar gae par dekhiye dikhalayen kya
Line 11/12 - Through out my life, I waited for death. Now that I am dead, lets see what I have to show for it! This could be read in so many ways. The poet says I have waited for death all my life. I fancied death throughout my life. But now that I am dead, I am not sure what I have to show. All my life, I longed for death as if my dying would redeem everything. Alas! nothing like this happened, the world around goes on unworried and undisturbed (referring to may either God or his beloved). I have nothing to brag for in my death for they continue to behave unfazed. An alternate could be that after death, in front of God I have nothing to show in my life (in terms of deeds). Yet another could be that now that I am dead, lets see how they (God or his beloved) treat me. Their indifference and my agony made me to wish for death. Now dead, lets see if they treat me any better in death!
puchate hain wo ki “ghalib” kon hai
koi batalao ki hum batalayen kya
Line 13/14 - She asks, - who is Ghalib? Someone tell me for what should I tell her? These lines again can be read in so many possibilities. The poet says that his beloved is endearingly asking "Who is this Ghalib?', a genuine question for she does not know? To this the poet in a light banter says someone tell me what should I tell her? In-spite of my lifelong dedication to her, she is still unaware of me and my love. Well! someone tell me what can I tell her for she has no clue of who I am. What words can cover or complement my lifelong loyalty to her. An alternate meaning could be the beloved in scornful tone asks "Well! Who does this Ghalib thinks he is?" To which the poet ponders - Someone tell me, if I should tell. In response to disdainful tone of the beloved's question, it may be prudent just to be quiet for now. Can somebody confirm?
Meaning of difficult words -
jaur = oppression/tyranny
baz = refrain, hawk
gardish = misfortune/wandering about
laag = co-relation, enmity
laagav = love/affection
naamaabar = messenger
mauj = wave
aastaan = abode
Read more posts on Ghalib.
kahate hain hum tum ko muh dikhalayen kya
Line 1/2 - Refrained from oppression (she has), but refrain from what did she? (She) says that how can I show my face to you now! The poet referring to the beloved says, that she has finally realized her tyranny and cruelty towards him and has refrained from those injustices. But, alas such is the misery of the lover that the renunciation of the cruelty is of no use to him, for the beloved is now shameful of her past behavior and says that she can't face him or show her face to him. So! what has changed, even after the admission and abstaining from the injustice, I am feeling the same. Her not showing face was the original grievance and her repentance by shying away from facing me puts me back to same situation. I wonder what did she refrained from?
raat din gardish mein hain sat aasman
ho rahega kuch na kuch ghabarayen kya
Line 3/4 - Night and day, the seven skies wander about. Something or the other will happen, should we panic? The poet says, all night and all of day, the seven skies above us wander about and revolve around. Something will happen, should we be anxious? The idea that movements of heavenly bodies decide the fortunes and fate of men is being mentioned. Since all the bodies are moving around, the poet says this will have an affects on us. What those effects would be, we can not tell, but should we panic or fear? An alternative reading of the last line could be, that something will happen for sure, so why fear? We do know yet what is going to happen so no point stressing yet. Let it happen and then we will see.
laag ho to us ko hum samajhen lagav
jab na ho kuch bhi to dhoka khayen kya
Line 5/6 - If it was a grudge, we would have understood it as a affection. When there is no emotions present, how do I delude myself? 'laag' can mean lot of things. The most common being co-relation or bearing. It can also mean affection as well as enmity. The poet says when his beloved showed a grudge or spite towards him, he would deceive himself into thinking that as a mark of affection. I will fool myself into thinking that he was shown warmth and love. But what to do, when there is no emotions shown. When no feeling are conveyed, neither love or anger, when the beloved is just ignoring him then how does he delude himself. What should he fool himself with?
ho liye kyon namabar ke saath-saath
ya rab apne khat ko hum pahunchayen kya
Line 7/8 - Why did I go along with the messenger. O Lord!, Should I deliver my letters to her! The poet says, in his eagerness and zeal to ensure that his letters to the beloved reach her promptly and without delay, he goes along with his messenger not realizing that he has reached his beloved's doorstep. O God! Why am I here? Am I delivering my letters to her now? An alternate reading could be made my reading the first line differently. The lover says to the beloved that why are you with the messenger. Oh! maybe I need to deliver my own letters now!. Maybe his beloved has developed an affinity for the messenger. In that case, it is prudent not to send the letters via the messenger for he may read it for he is a rival now!
mauj-e-khun sar se guzar hi kyon na jaye
aastan-e-yaar se uth jayen kya
Line 9/10 - Even if the waves of blood were high enough to wash over my head, Would I rise up from the home of my beloved? The poet says even if the waves of blood came rushing forth, high enough to wash over his head, his head would still be bowed down at the door of his beloved's home. Come what may, come even the apocalypse, but I would not rise up from that door. I read an interesting alternate reading of these lines. The poet in this interpretation questions - why should not the waves of blood wash over my head? No one knows what rises from the abode of my beloved. Such is the tyranny of my beloved, that I have no clue as to what may come forth (from her powers) as I lay on her doorstep. I could very well be waves of blood (cataclysm) that wash over my head.
umr bhar dekha kiye marane ke rah
mar gae par dekhiye dikhalayen kya
Line 11/12 - Through out my life, I waited for death. Now that I am dead, lets see what I have to show for it! This could be read in so many ways. The poet says I have waited for death all my life. I fancied death throughout my life. But now that I am dead, I am not sure what I have to show. All my life, I longed for death as if my dying would redeem everything. Alas! nothing like this happened, the world around goes on unworried and undisturbed (referring to may either God or his beloved). I have nothing to brag for in my death for they continue to behave unfazed. An alternate could be that after death, in front of God I have nothing to show in my life (in terms of deeds). Yet another could be that now that I am dead, lets see how they (God or his beloved) treat me. Their indifference and my agony made me to wish for death. Now dead, lets see if they treat me any better in death!
puchate hain wo ki “ghalib” kon hai
koi batalao ki hum batalayen kya
Line 13/14 - She asks, - who is Ghalib? Someone tell me for what should I tell her? These lines again can be read in so many possibilities. The poet says that his beloved is endearingly asking "Who is this Ghalib?', a genuine question for she does not know? To this the poet in a light banter says someone tell me what should I tell her? In-spite of my lifelong dedication to her, she is still unaware of me and my love. Well! someone tell me what can I tell her for she has no clue of who I am. What words can cover or complement my lifelong loyalty to her. An alternate meaning could be the beloved in scornful tone asks "Well! Who does this Ghalib thinks he is?" To which the poet ponders - Someone tell me, if I should tell. In response to disdainful tone of the beloved's question, it may be prudent just to be quiet for now. Can somebody confirm?
Meaning of difficult words -
jaur = oppression/tyranny
baz = refrain, hawk
gardish = misfortune/wandering about
laag = co-relation, enmity
laagav = love/affection
naamaabar = messenger
mauj = wave
aastaan = abode
Read more posts on Ghalib.
Translation - Shauq Har Rang Raqeeb-e-Sar (Ghalib)
shauq har rang raqeeb-e-sar-o-saamaan niklaa
qais tasveer ke parde mein bhee uriyaan niklaa
Line 1/2 - The desire and yearning turned out in every color and hue to be an opponent of being well possessed. Qais, even in the veil of the picture turned out to be nude. The poet says that to be well possessed and having all the material wealth is an enemy of the passion and desire. One can be passionate only or one can be of good possession only as both these qualities are enemies of each other. Case in point being the Qais (majanun) who was a passionate lover but was possession-less and roaming around with no clothes. Even when his painting is made, he is always made naked. In the second line, there is a nice wordplay on veil and nakedness (both being such opposite quantities). A painting, an expensive possession to have, yet it could not hide or negate the nakedness of the passions of Qais.
zakhm ne daad na dee, tangee-e-dil ki yaarab !
teer bhee seena-e-bismil se par_afshaan niklaa
Line 3/4 - The wound did not do justice to the tightening or the narrowness of the heart. O God! Even the arrow would go through the wounded heart and emerge out with its wings rattled and restless. The poet says that this wounds of mine, it will not put end to the tightness of the heart. I was expecting this wound to ease the narrowness of my heart. (maybe this grief stricken heart would be let go of its tightness by my the wound). Such is the tightness, that even the arrow that made this wound, would pass through my afflicted heart and come out on the other side, rattled and bewildered (wings fluttering). Maybe even the arrow of beloved's airs, could not relive the lover of its unease. The arrow comes out of the lover, doing nothing and itself (the arrow) escapes hurriedly with wings fluttering (as if wishing to escape such tightness).
boo-e-gul, naala-e-dil, dood-e-charaagh-e-mehfil
jo teree bazm se nikla, so parishaan niklaa
Line 5/6 - The fragrance of the flower, the cry of the heart, the smoke from the lamp at the gathering. Whoever came out of your gathering, they come out confused and troubled. The poet says, whoever came to your gathering, they all came out dazed and troubled. Smell the flowers displayed in the gathering. Their fragrance is so transitory that even a mild waft can undo it. Look at the smoke that rises from the lamp. Look at the shapes it makes as if they are writhing in pain. And finally hear the lament of my heart, for my heart is wounded at the thought of being just another guest in this gathering among so many of your guests. You did not grant me any special favors, or a private meeting. My heart laments at the sight of so many rivals each vying for your attention. All of me and my senses (sight, sound and smell) are leaving your gathering in a troubled state.
dil-e-hasrat zadah tha maida-e-lazzat-e-dard
kaam yaaron ka ba-qadr-e-lab-o-dandan nikla
Line 7/8 - The longing stuck heart, was like dishes/flavor of pain served on the dining table. My friends came to taste according to their capacity of their lips and teeth and they emerged satisfied. The poet says my longing stricken heart was a dining table for all the flavors and delicacies of pain. And my friends had their full share based on their capacity of lips and teeth and yet their was more left on the table. My pain was enough for their (friend's) appetite to suffice and their work was done!
thee nau_aamoz_fana'a himmat-e-dushwaar_pasand
sakht mushkil hai ki yah kaam bhee aasaan nikla
Line 9/10 - The novice in oblivion was difficulty loving courage. It is severe difficulty that this work also turned out to be easy. Even in oblivion, this newcomer was able to get the better of such terrible circumstances for he was a danger loving courageous person. Now it becomes difficult to find a more hostile and dangerous world for him, for this oblivion turned out to be too easy for him.
dil mein fir giryaan ne ik shor uthaaya 'ghalib'
aah jo qatra na nikla tha, so toofaan nikla
Line 11/12 - In the heart, weeping again there rose a tumult, Ghalib. aah (sigh), that drop that did not left, thus a storm emerged. The poet says, again the weeping arose and with it a tumult. The use of phir means it is second time around. The first time I was weeping, I could control this tumult in my heart within myself, such that not even a drop of tear exited my eyes. But this time, this tumult has unleashed a storm and now I am weeping uncontrollably. One another interpretation could be, that what appeared to be a drop held by my self-control was in fact a storm that has now unleashed itself. The tumult and the ferment of my distress is a storm unlike the calm and control of the un-exited tear drop that I thought earlier.
Meaning of difficult words -
raqeeb = opponent
serr-o-saamaan = with belongings
qais = majanoon
uriyaan = nude
daad = justice
seena-e-bismil = wounded heart
par = wings
afshaan = rattled
boo = fragrance
gul = flower
naalaa = cry
dood = smoke, esp. from a lamp that's been extinguished
haasrat-zadah = longing stuck
lazzat = flavor
maida = dinning table
dandan = teeth
nau_aamoz = beginner
dushwaar = difficult
fanaa = oblivion
giryaan = weeping
qatra = drop
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qais tasveer ke parde mein bhee uriyaan niklaa
Line 1/2 - The desire and yearning turned out in every color and hue to be an opponent of being well possessed. Qais, even in the veil of the picture turned out to be nude. The poet says that to be well possessed and having all the material wealth is an enemy of the passion and desire. One can be passionate only or one can be of good possession only as both these qualities are enemies of each other. Case in point being the Qais (majanun) who was a passionate lover but was possession-less and roaming around with no clothes. Even when his painting is made, he is always made naked. In the second line, there is a nice wordplay on veil and nakedness (both being such opposite quantities). A painting, an expensive possession to have, yet it could not hide or negate the nakedness of the passions of Qais.
zakhm ne daad na dee, tangee-e-dil ki yaarab !
teer bhee seena-e-bismil se par_afshaan niklaa
Line 3/4 - The wound did not do justice to the tightening or the narrowness of the heart. O God! Even the arrow would go through the wounded heart and emerge out with its wings rattled and restless. The poet says that this wounds of mine, it will not put end to the tightness of the heart. I was expecting this wound to ease the narrowness of my heart. (maybe this grief stricken heart would be let go of its tightness by my the wound). Such is the tightness, that even the arrow that made this wound, would pass through my afflicted heart and come out on the other side, rattled and bewildered (wings fluttering). Maybe even the arrow of beloved's airs, could not relive the lover of its unease. The arrow comes out of the lover, doing nothing and itself (the arrow) escapes hurriedly with wings fluttering (as if wishing to escape such tightness).
boo-e-gul, naala-e-dil, dood-e-charaagh-e-mehfil
jo teree bazm se nikla, so parishaan niklaa
Line 5/6 - The fragrance of the flower, the cry of the heart, the smoke from the lamp at the gathering. Whoever came out of your gathering, they come out confused and troubled. The poet says, whoever came to your gathering, they all came out dazed and troubled. Smell the flowers displayed in the gathering. Their fragrance is so transitory that even a mild waft can undo it. Look at the smoke that rises from the lamp. Look at the shapes it makes as if they are writhing in pain. And finally hear the lament of my heart, for my heart is wounded at the thought of being just another guest in this gathering among so many of your guests. You did not grant me any special favors, or a private meeting. My heart laments at the sight of so many rivals each vying for your attention. All of me and my senses (sight, sound and smell) are leaving your gathering in a troubled state.
dil-e-hasrat zadah tha maida-e-lazzat-e-dard
kaam yaaron ka ba-qadr-e-lab-o-dandan nikla
Line 7/8 - The longing stuck heart, was like dishes/flavor of pain served on the dining table. My friends came to taste according to their capacity of their lips and teeth and they emerged satisfied. The poet says my longing stricken heart was a dining table for all the flavors and delicacies of pain. And my friends had their full share based on their capacity of lips and teeth and yet their was more left on the table. My pain was enough for their (friend's) appetite to suffice and their work was done!
thee nau_aamoz_fana'a himmat-e-dushwaar_pasand
sakht mushkil hai ki yah kaam bhee aasaan nikla
Line 9/10 - The novice in oblivion was difficulty loving courage. It is severe difficulty that this work also turned out to be easy. Even in oblivion, this newcomer was able to get the better of such terrible circumstances for he was a danger loving courageous person. Now it becomes difficult to find a more hostile and dangerous world for him, for this oblivion turned out to be too easy for him.
dil mein fir giryaan ne ik shor uthaaya 'ghalib'
aah jo qatra na nikla tha, so toofaan nikla
Line 11/12 - In the heart, weeping again there rose a tumult, Ghalib. aah (sigh), that drop that did not left, thus a storm emerged. The poet says, again the weeping arose and with it a tumult. The use of phir means it is second time around. The first time I was weeping, I could control this tumult in my heart within myself, such that not even a drop of tear exited my eyes. But this time, this tumult has unleashed a storm and now I am weeping uncontrollably. One another interpretation could be, that what appeared to be a drop held by my self-control was in fact a storm that has now unleashed itself. The tumult and the ferment of my distress is a storm unlike the calm and control of the un-exited tear drop that I thought earlier.
Meaning of difficult words -
raqeeb = opponent
serr-o-saamaan = with belongings
qais = majanoon
uriyaan = nude
daad = justice
seena-e-bismil = wounded heart
par = wings
afshaan = rattled
boo = fragrance
gul = flower
naalaa = cry
dood = smoke, esp. from a lamp that's been extinguished
haasrat-zadah = longing stuck
lazzat = flavor
maida = dinning table
dandan = teeth
nau_aamoz = beginner
dushwaar = difficult
fanaa = oblivion
giryaan = weeping
qatra = drop
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Translation - Zamanaah Sakt Kaam-Aazaar Hai (Ghalib)
zamaanaah sakht kam-aazaar hai bah jaan-e-asad
vagarnah hum to tavaqqau ziyaadah rakhte hain
Line 1/2 - The age is rigidly lacking in torment, on the life of Asad I swear. Otherwise, we were expecting for more. The poet says, I swear by my life - the torment and the tyranny is lacking the hardness. Otherwise I was hoping for more. The age has delivered rigidly less torment. The juxtaposing of sakht (rigid or painful) and kam-azaar (less of pain) makes it a nice figure of contrast (an oxymoron) - 'painfully painless'. Such is the misery of the poet, even after seeing all this and going through all this, he swears that he was expecting more pain in his life but the life seemed like painfully painless. Coming this far in life and seeing the apathy and rebuke of the beloved (earthy or supernal), I swear I was expecting much more pain.
Meaning of difficult words -
zamaanaah = age, period
sakht - hard, rigid
kam-aazaar - lacking in torment, less annoyance
bah jaan-e-asad = on life of asad
vagarnah = otherwise
tavaqqau = expectation
Read more posts on Ghalib.
vagarnah hum to tavaqqau ziyaadah rakhte hain
Line 1/2 - The age is rigidly lacking in torment, on the life of Asad I swear. Otherwise, we were expecting for more. The poet says, I swear by my life - the torment and the tyranny is lacking the hardness. Otherwise I was hoping for more. The age has delivered rigidly less torment. The juxtaposing of sakht (rigid or painful) and kam-azaar (less of pain) makes it a nice figure of contrast (an oxymoron) - 'painfully painless'. Such is the misery of the poet, even after seeing all this and going through all this, he swears that he was expecting more pain in his life but the life seemed like painfully painless. Coming this far in life and seeing the apathy and rebuke of the beloved (earthy or supernal), I swear I was expecting much more pain.
Meaning of difficult words -
zamaanaah = age, period
sakht - hard, rigid
kam-aazaar - lacking in torment, less annoyance
bah jaan-e-asad = on life of asad
vagarnah = otherwise
tavaqqau = expectation
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Translation - Main Unhein Chhedun Aur Kuch Naa Kahen (Ghalib)
main unhein chhedun aur kuch naa kahen
chal nikalte jo mai piye hote
Line 1/2 - I would tease her, and she would not say a thing! She would have started (begun) if she has drunk wine. The poet says I would tease my beloved, but she would not complain. She did not say a word. And another time, she started (abusing me) when she was drunk. As if the poet is disappointed by not hearing the abuse from his beloved when he teases her, he recalls that had she been drunk, the response would have been a lot different.
qahar ho yaa bala ho, jo kuch ho
kash ki tum mere liye hote
Line 3/4 - Whether you are a catastrophe or you are a disaster, whosoever you are. I wish that you were for me. The poet says, I will accept you as my destiny/fate irrespective of what you are. If you are a terrible calamity, or if you are a disaster. What ever you are, I wish that you were my destiny. My longing and love will hold on and soothe out the raging disposition that you are. I will be the shield that would willingly and happily take all the heat and no one else has to know or suffer.
meri qismat mein gham gar itna tha
dil bhi ya rab kai diye hote
Line 5/6 - In my destiny, there was so much grief. Oh God!, if only you had me number of hearts too!. The poet says that in my life there is so much grief and misery, that I ask You for if you could indeed have given me number of hearts as well like the number of griefs you have given me. One heart is not enough to contain so much grief, it is overwhelmed.
aa hi jaata woh raah par ‘ghalib’
koi din aur bhi jiye hote
Line 7/8 - Would have come around for sure, Ghalib! if had lived for some days more. The poet says that she could have come around (be persuaded by) ultimately. If only you would have lived for some days more. You died a bit early (maybe the lover killed himself in a haste for if he could have waited, things would have sorted out)
Meaning of difficult words -
mai = wine
qahar = catastrophe
bala = disaster
Read more posts on Ghalib.
chal nikalte jo mai piye hote
Line 1/2 - I would tease her, and she would not say a thing! She would have started (begun) if she has drunk wine. The poet says I would tease my beloved, but she would not complain. She did not say a word. And another time, she started (abusing me) when she was drunk. As if the poet is disappointed by not hearing the abuse from his beloved when he teases her, he recalls that had she been drunk, the response would have been a lot different.
qahar ho yaa bala ho, jo kuch ho
kash ki tum mere liye hote
Line 3/4 - Whether you are a catastrophe or you are a disaster, whosoever you are. I wish that you were for me. The poet says, I will accept you as my destiny/fate irrespective of what you are. If you are a terrible calamity, or if you are a disaster. What ever you are, I wish that you were my destiny. My longing and love will hold on and soothe out the raging disposition that you are. I will be the shield that would willingly and happily take all the heat and no one else has to know or suffer.
dil bhi ya rab kai diye hote
Line 5/6 - In my destiny, there was so much grief. Oh God!, if only you had me number of hearts too!. The poet says that in my life there is so much grief and misery, that I ask You for if you could indeed have given me number of hearts as well like the number of griefs you have given me. One heart is not enough to contain so much grief, it is overwhelmed.
aa hi jaata woh raah par ‘ghalib’
koi din aur bhi jiye hote
Line 7/8 - Would have come around for sure, Ghalib! if had lived for some days more. The poet says that she could have come around (be persuaded by) ultimately. If only you would have lived for some days more. You died a bit early (maybe the lover killed himself in a haste for if he could have waited, things would have sorted out)
Meaning of difficult words -
mai = wine
qahar = catastrophe
bala = disaster
Read more posts on Ghalib.
Translation - Hoon Garmi-e-Nishat-e-Tasavvur Se Naghma-Sanj (Ghalib)
This is one of ghalib's unpublished ghazals that is not part of his diwan. The verses have been taken from here and here.
mumkin nahin ki bhool ke bhi aarmeedah hoon
mein dasht-e-gham mein aahoo-e-sayyaad deeda hoon
Line 1/2 - It is not possible that even by mistake, I would be relaxed and comfortable. In the forest of grief, I am like a deer who has just seen the hunter. The poet says of life's never ending trials and tribulations that even by a chance its not possible that he is at ease and satisfied. He is like a vulnerable deer who has just caught sight of a hunter and is running scared in the forest. I am too similarly caught up in this forest of life where grief and anxiety never seem to be far from me.
hoon dardmand jabr ho ya ikhtiar ho
gaah naala-e-kasheedah, gaah ashk-e-chakeedah hoon
Line 3/4 - I am anxious and distressed, be it by force or be it by my free will. Sometimes, it is a drawn-out (stretched) lament, sometimes it is the tears oozing out from my eyes. The poet says I am always in the state of distress, sometimes it is because the misery is forced on me and other times, I choose to be distressed. Sometimes its like a long drawn lament and sometimes like tears oozing out of his eyes.
jaan lab pe aayi toh bhi na sheereen hua dahan
az-bas-ki talkhi-e-gham-e-hijraan chasheedah hoon
Line 5/6 - Even on the verge of death, still there is no sweetness in the mouth. To the extent that (in as much as), the bitterness of the grief of separation is what I am tasting instead. The poet says that death used to be a sweet elixir that would take away all griefs and sorrow that life had to offer. But instead on the verge of death, I have this bitter taste due to the grief of separation. Even death is not sweet!
ne subbha se alaaqa na saaghar se waastah
main ma’ariz-e-misaal mein dast-e-buriida hoon
Line 7/8 - I have neither affinity with the rosary, nor any association with the wine. I am (have the features) of such an example, for I have amputated hands. I can choose neither the rigors of piety nor can I can indulge in the pleasures of the world. I am like a person with no hands (who can neither hold rosary nor a glass of wine) who has got no choice to indulge in either of them.
hoon khaaksaar par na kisi se hai mujhko laag
na daana-e-fitaada hoon na daam chidaah hoon
Line 9/10 - I may be humble and lowly (down amid the dust), but I do not have any liking (or animosity) with anyone. 'laag' is very broad word with multiple variations of meaning. What is to be meant here is not very clear. I am neither the scattered seed nor I am the net (maybe seeds laid for the trap) for catching the sparrow. The poet says that he is among the dust, neither loving or hating others. He will not be like scattered grain that will be food for birds nor will he be like a trap for them. I will live life alone and humbly, without the need of friendship or enmity or doing good or harm to others.
jo chahiye nahin wo meri qadr-o-manzilat
main yusuf-e-be-qeemat-e-awwal khareedah hoon
Line 11/12 - What it needs to be, it is not my value and and position. I am like Joseph, the one who as bought by the first bidder for practically free. In Biblical stories, Joseph was initially sold as a slave, but is destined to be a prophet in later life. The poet says my value and position and rank is not what is needs to be (my true worth is not being valued correctly). I am like Joseph who was auctioned for pennies but later rose to be a prophet.
hargiz kisi ke dil mein nahin hai meri jagah
hoon main kalaam-e-naghz vale naa-shuneedah hoon
Line 13/14 - On any account, in someone's heart there is no place for me. I am such a wonderful composition, but which is not yet heard. The poet says there is no place of me in anyone's heart. The use of 'hargiz' makes it sound forceful as if the poet says that its not even possible for anyone to place him in their hearts. The reason is because, even though I am unique and very collect-able, but no one has the capacity or intellect to understand me. I am like a song, they do not hear.
ahl-e-vara’a ke halqe mein har-chand hoon zaleel
par ‘aasiyon ke zumre mein main bar-guzeedah hoon
Line 15/16 - In the circle full of religious and pious people, although I feel disgraced. But in the company of sinners, I am the chosen one. The poet says even if he is in the pious circle, he finds himself shamed and disgraced (probably because the pious are not giving him the respect he deserves). But in the company of sinners, I am the chosen one. It is the sinners that know my true worth.
hoon garmi-e-nishat-e-tasavvur se naghma-sanj
main andaleeb-e-gulshan-e-naa-aafariidah hoon
Line 17/18 - These are the best lines of the ghazal in my opinion. I sing with the heat (excitement) of the delights (joy) of the things I imagine and foresee. I am the nightingale of the garden that is yet to be born. The poet says I am a singer of songs that are evoked by the excitement of the happiness of the things I imagine. I am the nightingale of a garden of the future when the things I imagine would be possible and the future is bright and happy. There could be another interpretation possible. Say the poet imagined a heaven on earth so profound that he breaks into a song unprovoked. It was such a nice melodious tune that the poet says, for a nightingale to even compete with him, it would have to be singing in so majestic a garden that it has yet not been created.
paani se sag-gazeedah dare jis tarah asad
darta hoon aaine se ki mardum-gazeedah hoon
Line 19/20 - O! Asad, like the dog-bitten is scared of water. Scared I am of the mirror, for I am people-bitten. The poet says like someone who is bitten by a infected dog (rabies which causes the victims to develop fear of water) and is afraid of water, I am scared of the mirror for I am people-bitten. When I see my reflection in the mirror, I can't help noticing my disappointment with my relationship with the other person. I am not good at keeping people around me happy and on seeing myself in the mirror, I realize the loneliness staring blankly at my face.
Meaning of difficult words -
aarmeedah = comfort/relaxed
dasht = forest
aahoo = deer
sayyaad = hunter
deeda = sight
dardmand = anxious, depressed
jabr = force
ikhtiar = right, free to choose
gaah = sometimes
naala = cry, lament
kasheedah = stretched
ashk = tears
chakeedah = oozing out
sheereen = sweet
dahan = mouth
az-bas-ki = in as much as, to the extent that
talkhi = bitterness, acrimony
hijraan = seperation
chasheedah = tasting
subbha = rosary
alaaqa = to be attached, dependence, affinity
saaghar = goblet of wine
ma’ariz = features to identify something
misaal = example
bareeda = amputated, cut
khaaksaar = humble, lowly
laag = affection, attachment, enmity
fitaada = scattered
daam = net, trap
chidaah = sparrow
qadr = value
manzilat = dignity, rank, position
yusuf = joseph
be-qeemat = without value, free
awwal = first
hargiz = on no account, never
kalaam = composition
nagz = excellent, wonderful
shunidaah = to be heard
vale = but, yet
ahl-e-vara’a = world of pious/religious people
halqe = circle
har-chand = although
zaleel = shamed, disgraced
‘aasiyon = sinners
zumre = in company
guzeedah = selected, chosen
nishat = joy, happiness
tasavvur = imagination, idea
sanj = measurer, examiner, weigher
naghma-sanj = measurer/weigher of songs (i.e. singer)
andaleeb = nightingale
aafariidah = created
sag = dog
mardum = men, people
gazeedah = bitten
Read more posts on Ghalib.
mumkin nahin ki bhool ke bhi aarmeedah hoon
mein dasht-e-gham mein aahoo-e-sayyaad deeda hoon
Line 1/2 - It is not possible that even by mistake, I would be relaxed and comfortable. In the forest of grief, I am like a deer who has just seen the hunter. The poet says of life's never ending trials and tribulations that even by a chance its not possible that he is at ease and satisfied. He is like a vulnerable deer who has just caught sight of a hunter and is running scared in the forest. I am too similarly caught up in this forest of life where grief and anxiety never seem to be far from me.
hoon dardmand jabr ho ya ikhtiar ho
gaah naala-e-kasheedah, gaah ashk-e-chakeedah hoon
Line 3/4 - I am anxious and distressed, be it by force or be it by my free will. Sometimes, it is a drawn-out (stretched) lament, sometimes it is the tears oozing out from my eyes. The poet says I am always in the state of distress, sometimes it is because the misery is forced on me and other times, I choose to be distressed. Sometimes its like a long drawn lament and sometimes like tears oozing out of his eyes.
jaan lab pe aayi toh bhi na sheereen hua dahan
az-bas-ki talkhi-e-gham-e-hijraan chasheedah hoon
Line 5/6 - Even on the verge of death, still there is no sweetness in the mouth. To the extent that (in as much as), the bitterness of the grief of separation is what I am tasting instead. The poet says that death used to be a sweet elixir that would take away all griefs and sorrow that life had to offer. But instead on the verge of death, I have this bitter taste due to the grief of separation. Even death is not sweet!
ne subbha se alaaqa na saaghar se waastah
main ma’ariz-e-misaal mein dast-e-buriida hoon
Line 7/8 - I have neither affinity with the rosary, nor any association with the wine. I am (have the features) of such an example, for I have amputated hands. I can choose neither the rigors of piety nor can I can indulge in the pleasures of the world. I am like a person with no hands (who can neither hold rosary nor a glass of wine) who has got no choice to indulge in either of them.
hoon khaaksaar par na kisi se hai mujhko laag
na daana-e-fitaada hoon na daam chidaah hoon
Line 9/10 - I may be humble and lowly (down amid the dust), but I do not have any liking (or animosity) with anyone. 'laag' is very broad word with multiple variations of meaning. What is to be meant here is not very clear. I am neither the scattered seed nor I am the net (maybe seeds laid for the trap) for catching the sparrow. The poet says that he is among the dust, neither loving or hating others. He will not be like scattered grain that will be food for birds nor will he be like a trap for them. I will live life alone and humbly, without the need of friendship or enmity or doing good or harm to others.
jo chahiye nahin wo meri qadr-o-manzilat
main yusuf-e-be-qeemat-e-awwal khareedah hoon
Line 11/12 - What it needs to be, it is not my value and and position. I am like Joseph, the one who as bought by the first bidder for practically free. In Biblical stories, Joseph was initially sold as a slave, but is destined to be a prophet in later life. The poet says my value and position and rank is not what is needs to be (my true worth is not being valued correctly). I am like Joseph who was auctioned for pennies but later rose to be a prophet.
hargiz kisi ke dil mein nahin hai meri jagah
hoon main kalaam-e-naghz vale naa-shuneedah hoon
Line 13/14 - On any account, in someone's heart there is no place for me. I am such a wonderful composition, but which is not yet heard. The poet says there is no place of me in anyone's heart. The use of 'hargiz' makes it sound forceful as if the poet says that its not even possible for anyone to place him in their hearts. The reason is because, even though I am unique and very collect-able, but no one has the capacity or intellect to understand me. I am like a song, they do not hear.
ahl-e-vara’a ke halqe mein har-chand hoon zaleel
par ‘aasiyon ke zumre mein main bar-guzeedah hoon
Line 15/16 - In the circle full of religious and pious people, although I feel disgraced. But in the company of sinners, I am the chosen one. The poet says even if he is in the pious circle, he finds himself shamed and disgraced (probably because the pious are not giving him the respect he deserves). But in the company of sinners, I am the chosen one. It is the sinners that know my true worth.
hoon garmi-e-nishat-e-tasavvur se naghma-sanj
main andaleeb-e-gulshan-e-naa-aafariidah hoon
Line 17/18 - These are the best lines of the ghazal in my opinion. I sing with the heat (excitement) of the delights (joy) of the things I imagine and foresee. I am the nightingale of the garden that is yet to be born. The poet says I am a singer of songs that are evoked by the excitement of the happiness of the things I imagine. I am the nightingale of a garden of the future when the things I imagine would be possible and the future is bright and happy. There could be another interpretation possible. Say the poet imagined a heaven on earth so profound that he breaks into a song unprovoked. It was such a nice melodious tune that the poet says, for a nightingale to even compete with him, it would have to be singing in so majestic a garden that it has yet not been created.
paani se sag-gazeedah dare jis tarah asad
darta hoon aaine se ki mardum-gazeedah hoon
Line 19/20 - O! Asad, like the dog-bitten is scared of water. Scared I am of the mirror, for I am people-bitten. The poet says like someone who is bitten by a infected dog (rabies which causes the victims to develop fear of water) and is afraid of water, I am scared of the mirror for I am people-bitten. When I see my reflection in the mirror, I can't help noticing my disappointment with my relationship with the other person. I am not good at keeping people around me happy and on seeing myself in the mirror, I realize the loneliness staring blankly at my face.
Meaning of difficult words -
aarmeedah = comfort/relaxed
dasht = forest
aahoo = deer
sayyaad = hunter
deeda = sight
dardmand = anxious, depressed
jabr = force
ikhtiar = right, free to choose
gaah = sometimes
naala = cry, lament
kasheedah = stretched
ashk = tears
chakeedah = oozing out
sheereen = sweet
dahan = mouth
az-bas-ki = in as much as, to the extent that
talkhi = bitterness, acrimony
hijraan = seperation
chasheedah = tasting
subbha = rosary
alaaqa = to be attached, dependence, affinity
saaghar = goblet of wine
ma’ariz = features to identify something
misaal = example
bareeda = amputated, cut
khaaksaar = humble, lowly
laag = affection, attachment, enmity
fitaada = scattered
daam = net, trap
chidaah = sparrow
qadr = value
manzilat = dignity, rank, position
yusuf = joseph
be-qeemat = without value, free
awwal = first
hargiz = on no account, never
kalaam = composition
nagz = excellent, wonderful
shunidaah = to be heard
vale = but, yet
ahl-e-vara’a = world of pious/religious people
halqe = circle
har-chand = although
zaleel = shamed, disgraced
‘aasiyon = sinners
zumre = in company
guzeedah = selected, chosen
nishat = joy, happiness
tasavvur = imagination, idea
sanj = measurer, examiner, weigher
naghma-sanj = measurer/weigher of songs (i.e. singer)
andaleeb = nightingale
aafariidah = created
sag = dog
mardum = men, people
gazeedah = bitten
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Translation - Jahaan Tera Naqsh-e-Qadam Dekhte Hai (Ghalib)
jahaan tera naqsh-e-qadam dekhte hain
khayaabaan khaayaaban iram dekhte hain
Line 1/2 - The world, your footsteps do we see. flowerbed over flowerbed, we see paradise. The first word (jahaan) can be interpreted as both world or where. If we consider it as where, then the poet is saying where ever we see your footsteps, we see flowerbed over flowerbed, and one sees paradise. The obvious interpretation being your footsteps are like endless rows of flowerbeds and we see of paradise in them. If we consider the word as world, then we can interpret it as This world, we see as your footprint. And in your footprints, garden upon gardens have come up, and we see paradise. This earth is the paradise becuase You touched it.
dil aashuftagan khaal-e-kunj-e-dahan ke
savaidaa mein sair-e-adam dekhte hain
Line 3/4 - The heart is distressed/anxious, In the mole at the corner of the mouth. The blackish core, walking around in non-existence we see. This is a very very inaccessible verse. [Pritchett] interprets this as - Those who are distressed by the heart, those who have lost their heart. Those lovers in the mole at the corner of the mouth of the beloved, they see the brackish core of their heart that they lost. And in it, they see non-existence. Skipping this verse as I am unable to translate this into anything meaningful.
tere sarv-e-qaamat se ek qadd-e-aadam
qayamaat ke fitne ko kam dekhte hain
Line 5/6 - Your cypress of stature to one man sized height. We see the turmoil of the doomsday less (compared to this). Not a accessible verse either. The poet says seeing your stature (like a tall cypress tree) compared to the height of the normal man, We find the height of turmoil on the doomsday to be less. 'qadd-e-aadam' could also be said as height of Adam (first man) and this would interpret as your cypress of stature compared to Adam's height. When I see you both on the doomsday, and seeing the difference in height between you two, I think less of the height of the turmoil of the doomsday.
tamashaa ki ai mahw-e-aaiinah-daari
tujhe kis tamannaa se hum dekhte hain
Line 7/8 - The spectacle of you so engrossed in holding/looking into a mirror. With what yearning/longing we see you. The poet to his beloved, says the sight of you are so engrossed in the mirror admiring your glow. With what (kind of) longing we look at you. You look so occupied in the mirror and in your innocence of the moment, and my longing for the beloved is like a divine yearning that has no end, no beginning and is Total. 'aaiinah-daari' could also mean bearing the mirror, so maybe the beloved is holding the mirror to me.
suraag-e-taf-e-naalah le daagh-e-dil se
ki shab-rau ka naqsh-e-qadam dekhte hain
Line 9/10 - The evidence or trace of the steam of lamentation from the wounds of the heart. That we look for the footprints of the night traveler. The poet says we see the heat of lament and sorrowful moaning coming out from the wounds of the heart and if you want to find the evidence of such sorrowful release, look for the footprints of the night traveller. The second line could be interpreted in multiple ways. The night traveller could be a thief or robber that had robbed many houses in a single night leaving behind lot of anxious victims. I (for my heart is lost) am like those victims whose houses have been robbed. The other interpretation could be that the night traveller is lost (his confused footprints are all across the town) and he is anxious and agitated and in the same state of distress and unease as the lover.
banaa ke faqeeron ka hum bhes ghalib
tamashaa-e-ahl-e-karam dekhte hain
Line 11/12 - Having put on the disguise of a faqir, O ghalib!. We see the spectacle of the generosity of the people. The poet says I have put on the disguise of the faqir to carefully observe the spectacle of the people-of-generosity. It is impossible to tell who is really generous and who are just show-off generous ('people of generosity' who make loud claims about their deeds). To actually see for myself, I have donned the garb of a faqir so that we can see the spectacle. The use of word 'tamashaa' makes the scene sound as dubious or for show and hence the connotations are to point hypocrisy of those people.
Meaning of difficult words -
naqsh-e-qadam = footprints
khayaabaan = flowerbed
iram = paradise
aashuftagan = distressed
khaal = mole
kunj = corner, lonely spot
dahan = mouth
savaidaa = blackish, the black part of the heart, the heart's core
adam = non-existence, annihilation
sarv = cypress tree (tall in quality)
qaamat = stature, body
qadd-e-aadam = one man height (height of adam)
fitne = turmoil, anarchy
mahw = absorbed, engrossed
daari = looking into (holding/bearing)
taf = vapour, steam
naalah = lamentation, moan
shab-rau = one who walks/travels at night
bhes = disguise
ahl-e-karam = people of charity
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khayaabaan khaayaaban iram dekhte hain
Line 1/2 - The world, your footsteps do we see. flowerbed over flowerbed, we see paradise. The first word (jahaan) can be interpreted as both world or where. If we consider it as where, then the poet is saying where ever we see your footsteps, we see flowerbed over flowerbed, and one sees paradise. The obvious interpretation being your footsteps are like endless rows of flowerbeds and we see of paradise in them. If we consider the word as world, then we can interpret it as This world, we see as your footprint. And in your footprints, garden upon gardens have come up, and we see paradise. This earth is the paradise becuase You touched it.
savaidaa mein sair-e-adam dekhte hain
Line 3/4 - The heart is distressed/anxious, In the mole at the corner of the mouth. The blackish core, walking around in non-existence we see. This is a very very inaccessible verse. [Pritchett] interprets this as - Those who are distressed by the heart, those who have lost their heart. Those lovers in the mole at the corner of the mouth of the beloved, they see the brackish core of their heart that they lost. And in it, they see non-existence. Skipping this verse as I am unable to translate this into anything meaningful.
tere sarv-e-qaamat se ek qadd-e-aadam
qayamaat ke fitne ko kam dekhte hain
Line 5/6 - Your cypress of stature to one man sized height. We see the turmoil of the doomsday less (compared to this). Not a accessible verse either. The poet says seeing your stature (like a tall cypress tree) compared to the height of the normal man, We find the height of turmoil on the doomsday to be less. 'qadd-e-aadam' could also be said as height of Adam (first man) and this would interpret as your cypress of stature compared to Adam's height. When I see you both on the doomsday, and seeing the difference in height between you two, I think less of the height of the turmoil of the doomsday.
tamashaa ki ai mahw-e-aaiinah-daari
tujhe kis tamannaa se hum dekhte hain
Line 7/8 - The spectacle of you so engrossed in holding/looking into a mirror. With what yearning/longing we see you. The poet to his beloved, says the sight of you are so engrossed in the mirror admiring your glow. With what (kind of) longing we look at you. You look so occupied in the mirror and in your innocence of the moment, and my longing for the beloved is like a divine yearning that has no end, no beginning and is Total. 'aaiinah-daari' could also mean bearing the mirror, so maybe the beloved is holding the mirror to me.
suraag-e-taf-e-naalah le daagh-e-dil se
ki shab-rau ka naqsh-e-qadam dekhte hain
Line 9/10 - The evidence or trace of the steam of lamentation from the wounds of the heart. That we look for the footprints of the night traveler. The poet says we see the heat of lament and sorrowful moaning coming out from the wounds of the heart and if you want to find the evidence of such sorrowful release, look for the footprints of the night traveller. The second line could be interpreted in multiple ways. The night traveller could be a thief or robber that had robbed many houses in a single night leaving behind lot of anxious victims. I (for my heart is lost) am like those victims whose houses have been robbed. The other interpretation could be that the night traveller is lost (his confused footprints are all across the town) and he is anxious and agitated and in the same state of distress and unease as the lover.
banaa ke faqeeron ka hum bhes ghalib
tamashaa-e-ahl-e-karam dekhte hain
Line 11/12 - Having put on the disguise of a faqir, O ghalib!. We see the spectacle of the generosity of the people. The poet says I have put on the disguise of the faqir to carefully observe the spectacle of the people-of-generosity. It is impossible to tell who is really generous and who are just show-off generous ('people of generosity' who make loud claims about their deeds). To actually see for myself, I have donned the garb of a faqir so that we can see the spectacle. The use of word 'tamashaa' makes the scene sound as dubious or for show and hence the connotations are to point hypocrisy of those people.
Meaning of difficult words -
naqsh-e-qadam = footprints
khayaabaan = flowerbed
iram = paradise
aashuftagan = distressed
khaal = mole
kunj = corner, lonely spot
dahan = mouth
savaidaa = blackish, the black part of the heart, the heart's core
adam = non-existence, annihilation
sarv = cypress tree (tall in quality)
qaamat = stature, body
qadd-e-aadam = one man height (height of adam)
fitne = turmoil, anarchy
mahw = absorbed, engrossed
daari = looking into (holding/bearing)
taf = vapour, steam
naalah = lamentation, moan
shab-rau = one who walks/travels at night
bhes = disguise
ahl-e-karam = people of charity
Read more posts on Ghalib.
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