Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mohammed shaukat ali KhaaN faani badayuni (1879-1941), BA 1901, law 1908. Stumbling law practice. Invited to hyderabad by maharaja kishan parshaad in 1932, working as a principal of a reputed school. Alcohol proved to be a bid problem. He died forlorn and destitute. Much of his work was lost. This is one of series of 3 Ghazal that he composed in the zamin of Ghalib, “maiN huN apni shikast ki aavaaz” and also a part of many more linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam, shikast ki aavaaz.
1
duur le jaa haTaa ke sarhad¹-e naaz²
dil hai aavaara³-e hudood⁴-e niyaaz⁵     1.boundary, limits 2.coquetry, playfulness (of the beloved) 3.wandering, tired of 4.limits, boundaries 5.offering, tribute
In urdu poetic tradition naaz=coquetry is attributed to the beloved and niyaaz=sacrificial offering of love and life is attributed to the lover/admirer. ‘naaz’ implies that the beloved remains aloof and teases the poet/lover from a distance. The poet has been practicing ‘niyaaz’ within the bounds of ‘naaz’, even though it is painful. He wants the bounds of ‘naaz’ to be moved further away because he is getting tired of the limits placed on his ‘niyaaz’. He wants more room to offer even more ‘niyaaz’.
2
huN magar kya, ye kuchh nahiN m’aaloom
meri hasti¹ hai Ghaib² ki aavaaz    1.existence, being 2.unknown, beyond
The poet/lover does not know himself, does not know where or how he was ‘made’. His existence was because of the sound from the unknown from the beyond. This probably refers to the ‘harf-e kun’ i.e., the word – to be, as in – god said, ‘be’ and the cosmos came into being.
3
huN asiir¹-e fareb²-e aazaadi
par haiN aur mashq³-e hiila⁴-e parvaaz⁵      1.captive 2.deception 3.wings 4.practice 5.ruse, pretense, trickery 5.flight
This is about ‘free’ will. Do we really have it. I am a captive of the deception of freedom. I have wings but all I do is practice the pretense of flying, not actual flying i.e., even though I am supposed to have wings, I cannot really fly. I don’t have free will.
4
aaj achhe nahiN ilaahi¹, Khair²
dard ke taivar³, aah⁴ ke andaaz⁵     1.god 2.refuge, protection 3.posture, attitude 4.sigh, sorrow 5.style, intentions
Pain and sorrow are personified here. Today, Pain does not have a good attitude and Sorrow does not seem to have good intentions. They are both targeting me, ‘protection my god’.
5
kyuN falak¹, inteha² hui keh nahiN
ek dam³ rah gaya hai ab damsaaz⁴      1.sky, fate 2.extreme 3.breath, life 4.helper, friend
In urdu poetic tradition the sky represents fate and is always cruel to the poet. He appears to be asking a rhetorical question … O Fate, is this not extreme i.e., are you not being extremely cruel to me. The only friend/helper I have left is my breath, nothing else.
6
hai koii shai¹ to yaar² o jalva³-e yaar²
ye haqiiqat⁴ hai aur ye asl⁵-e majaaz⁶    1.thing 2.beloved, divine beloved 3.appearance, image, manifestation, reflection 4.reality, truth 5.essence 6.illusion, material world
In sufi convention, yaar – the divine beloved is ‘haqiiqi-reality’ and ‘jalva-e yaar – the reflection/image of the divine is ‘majaazi-illusion’. But it is possible to reach the haqiiqi through the majaazi. The only thing that exists i.e., the only thing that matters is the divine being and its reflection. The divine being is truth/reality and the rest is the essence of illusion, the reflection of the divine.
7
haaN yahaaN koii shai¹ nahiN baatil²
ishq hai raaz³, aql⁴ parda⁵-e raaz³     1.thing 2.hidden 3.secret 4.intellect 5.veil
There is no thing/issue that is hidden i.e., it is all clear/apparent. The secret (of union with the divine beloved) is universal love. Intelligence/knowledge of the material world puts a veil on this secret.
8
apni sabr-aazma¹ nazar² ko sambhaal³
hum haiN majbuur⁴-e aah⁵-e sabr-gudaaz⁶     1.patience trying 2.glance 3.take care of i.e., control it, keep it within bounds 4.helpless, controlled by 5.sigh, sorrow 6.patience melting
The beloved casts an occasional glance towards the lover/devotee without giving much. This tries his patience. He is calling upon the beloved to keep it within bounds because he is helpless and the sidelong glance of the beloved melts his patience.
9
jaan¹-e faani² tere karam³ pe nisaar⁴
tuu ne baKhshi⁵ hayaat⁶-e marg-navaaz⁷      1.life 2.poet’s pen-name 3.kindness, benevolence 4.sacrificial/devotional offering 5.granted 6.life 7.nurtured by Death
This is sarcasm about the life that god has granted. I offer my life itself in tribute/gratitude for your benevolence. You have granted life that is nurtured by Death.