Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. jigar muradabadi (1890-1961) was a profilic poet of sufiyaana, romantic and musical Ghazal. Many of his compositions have been put to music and sung by great singers. This short Ghazal is modeled after Ghalib’s “nukta chiiN hai Gham-e dil”.
1
zaKhm vo dil pe laga hai ke dikhaaye na bane
aur chaaheN ke chhupa leN to chhupaaye na bane   There is such a deep wound in the heart that I cannot show it. And even if I want to hide it, I cannot.
2
haaye bechaaragi¹-e ishq² keh is mahfil³ meN
sar jhukaaye na bane, aaNkh milaaye na bane   1.helplessness 2.love, lover, poet 3.gathering, assembly
Alas, the helplessness of the lover that in this (the beloved’s) gathering, he cannot look down (because he is eager to look at her) and cannot look up at her (because that is considered improper and/or it will make her angry.
3
ye samajh lo keh Gham¹-e ishq² ki takmiil³ hui
hosh⁴ meN aake bhi phir hosh meN aaye ba bane    1.sorrow, pain 2.love 3.completion, climax 4.awareness, senses
‘hosh meN aana’ can mean becoming sober and also “coming to one’s senses, as in getting wise”. Just think of this as the climax of love – even if you are sober you cannot come to your senses – you cannot help but be head over heels in love with her.
4
kis qadar¹ husn² bhi majboor³-e kashaakash⁴ hai keh aah
muNh chhupaaye na bane, saamne aaye na bane    1.how much 2.beauty, beloved 3.bound by 4.struggle
Oh, how much is the beloved bound by its struggle. She cannot come out in the open and cannot hide either. Consider this by daaGh dehlavi …
Khuub parda hai ke chilman se lage baiThe haiN
saaf chhupte bhi nahiN saamne aate bhi nahiN
5
haaye vo aalam¹-e pur-shauq² ke jis vaqt jigar³
us ki tasviir bhi siine se lagaaye na bane    1.condition 2.full of love 3.penname of the poet
Alas, the condition of love, O jigar, the pain in the bosom is so intense that even if I wanted to hug her picture, I cannot.