Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. shaiKh imaam baKhsh naasiKh (1772-1838) faizabad and lakhnau. Educated in arabi and faarsi. Refined linguistic skill, keen poetic sensibility and sound training. Although he had many disciples among the nobility, he refused to be associated with any court and remained of independent thought. Left lakhnau for allahabad because of political bickering. Was highly regarded in dehli circles for his language skills and enjoyed a reputation like that of dard, sauda and mir. A senior contemporary of Ghalib, this Ghazal in the same style as Ghalib’s celebrated Ghazal with which led off every edition of his diivaan, ‘naqsh faryaadi hai kis ki shooKhi-e tahriir ka’, is linked to ‘Ghalib peshrau ham-asr’ along with several others.
1
saaya gulban¹ par agar paR jaaye mujh dilgiir² ka
hove har Ghunche³ meN aalam⁴ Ghuncha-e tasviir⁵ ka    1.grove of flowers 2.heart-broken, passionate 3.unopened bud 4.condition 5.image, imagination
I would like to interpret ‘tasviir’ as a picture in the poet’s mind’s eye. Also, a ‘Ghuncha’ can be viewed as a full potential of blooming into a flower. If the heart-broken, passionate poet/lover were to cast even his shadow on a grove of flowers, then every bud would acquire a state/condition of a “Ghuncha-e tasviir” – the potential of blooming into a full flower. Could be be talking about his verse – the picture in his mind blooming into a Ghazal. In another Ghazal he writes …
kya mubaarak hai mera dast-e junuuN aye naasiKh
baiza-e buum bhi TooTe to huma paida ho
How fortunate is the hand of your passion, O naasiKh
Even if an owl’s egg cracks at your hands, a Phoenix will emerge
2
dostoN ke sar kiye chun chun ke maqtal¹ meN qalam²
chashm-e-biina³ hai har ek jauhar⁴ teri shamshiir⁵ ka   1.field of slaughter 2.cut off 3.seeing/discerning eye 4.jewel, brilliance 5.sword
The shine (or the jewels) of the sword of the beloved has a seeing/discerning eye. It picks out her admirers/lovers one by one in the field of slaughter and cuts their heads off. Of course, the sword can be a side-long glance.
3
vo tasavvur¹ pesha² huN gar ho meri turbat³ pe naKhl⁴
ho varaq⁵ har barg⁶ ki jaa⁷ yaar⁸ ki tasviir ka  1.imagination 2.busy, engaged in 3.grave, tomb 4.tree 5.page, paper 6.leaf 7.place, in place of 8.beloved
I am such an expert in imagining/thinking that if a tree were grow over my tomb, in place of every leaf, would be a paper with the beloved’s picture.
4
pech¹-e kaakul² meN to chaahe husn³ aTke⁴ so baKhair⁵
dil nahiN mera jo ho paaband⁶ is zanjiir⁷ ka  1.curl, tangle 2.forehead locks 3.beauty, beloved 4.caught, tangled 5.well and good 6.bound by 7.chain
The beloved wants that as many as possible get entangled in her curly foreocks. But my heart is not the one to get bound in this chain.
5
likhte haiN mazmuun¹-e soz²-e daaGh³-e dil ham raat din
kaam karta hai hamaara Khaama⁴ aatishgiir⁵ ka   1.theme, story 2.fire, passion, pain 3.wound 4.pen 5.tongs to hold burning logs, control/conquer fire
We (poets, lovers) write the story of the pain of the wounded heart. It is as if our pen works like tongs holding burning logs.
6
saNg-diloN¹ ko kaamiloN² ke faiz³ se bahra⁴ nahiN
kab asar⁵ hota hai mas⁶ par be-guzaar⁷ eksiir⁸ ka    1.hard hearted – used here to mean uncultured, crude 2.perfect, expert 3.benevolence 4.available, fortune 5.effect 6.touch 7.being together of a long time? 8.elixir, alchemy to make gold, paaras patthar
I am not sure what ‘be-guzaar’ is meant to be used as. Is it a qualifier for eksiir or is it a reflection on the uncultured. And “guzaar/passage” through what. I take it to mean ‘guzaar’ of time together between the ‘kaamil’ and the ‘saNg-dil’. The spirit of the sh’er is clear. The crude and uncultured cannot avail themselves of the kindness/goodness of experts. How can rubbing with elixir have an effect without associating with each other for a long time.
7
ban gaya but¹ jo lagaa ishq-e butaaN meN mujh ko san’k²
naala³-e naaqoos⁴ har naala hua zanjiir⁵ ka    1.idol, used here to mean stunned senseless like a statue 2.obsession 3.wailing, cry 4.conch shell, shankh 5.chain
As the poet/lover obsessed in love of beauties, he became stunned like a statue, in a trance. He got caught in chains and each link of the chain reflected his wailing, sounding like a conch shell being blown. There is a juxtaposition of idol and conchshell reflecting hindu traditions.
8
kya hai kibr¹-e mudda’ii² meri tavaz’o³ ke huzoor⁴
sarkashi⁵ dam⁶ meN miTa⁷ deta hai Kham⁸ shamshiir⁹ ka    1.pride, hubris 2.claimant 3.attention, consideration 4.before, in front of 5.rebelliousness 6.moment 7.erase 8.curve, bend 9.sword
Pride/hubris is associated with holding head up slanted cockily. How can this compare to (stand up before) the poet/lover’s solicitous attention to the beloved. The curve of the sword (much like his bowed back in humility) in one moment can erase rebellious cockiness.
9
aye musavvir¹ soz²-e Gham³ ki hai re’aayet⁴ chaahiye
Khaak⁵-e gulKhan⁶ se bina-karda⁷ meri tasviir ka    1.painter 2.passion, fire 3.pain 4.consideration 5.ashes 6.dried rose petals, garden trash 7.base on, made of
The painter has sketched out a picture of the poet/lover using ashes of burnt dry rose petals. He is not completely happy with that. He suggests that the picture needs to reflect his passion – needs to use the fire that created ashes, not just the ashes.
10
khelta huN is se murGhaan¹-e mu’aani² ka shikaar³
kaam vaqt-e fikr⁴ leta huN qalam⁵ se tiir⁶ ka  1.birds 2.meaning 3.hunting 4.thought, imagination 5.pen 6.arrow
The poet is like a hunter shooting birds with arrows. But these are not real birds – they are words loaded with imaginative allegories and he not really ‘hunting’ but is deep in thought. He is using his pen as an arrow.
11
dard¹ se be-dard² kya vaaqif³ keh har sayyaad⁴ ko
raqs⁵-e shaadi⁶ hai taRapna loTna naKhchiir⁷ ka   1.pain 2.insensitive to pain 3.aware 4.hunter 5.dance 6.joy 7.prey
The prey rolls on the ground and writhes in pain. This is a dance of joy for the hunter. How can one who is insensitive to pain be aware of/understand the pain of others.
12
hai daliil¹-e marg²-e insaaN vaaqa’ii³ muu⁴-e safed
kohkan⁵ ki maut thi anjaam⁶ juu⁷-e shiir⁸ ka  1.proof, evidence 2.death 3.in reality 4.hair 5.stone mason, sculptor 6.result, consequence 7.river, canal 8.milk
This has reference to the story of shirin-farhaad. farhaad was a sculptor commissioned to work in shirin’s palace. The fell in love. shirin’s husband just to get rid of farhaad set him an impossible task, asking him to dig a channel over the mountain and cause a ‘river of milk’ to flow. If he succeeded, he would get to marry shirin. farhaad set about the task with mad passion and almost succeeded. Fearing his success, shirin’s husband spread a rumour that she had killed herself. Hearing this farhaad killed himself with the pickaxe that he was using to carve the mountain. White milk is like grey hair and the appearance of grey hair is evidence of coming death just like the river of milk foretold farhaad’s death.
13
kis ke aariz¹ ke tasavvur² meN fana³ huN aaj raat
hai dhuaaN mahtaab⁴ mere naala⁵-e shabgiir⁶ ka 1.face 2.imagination 3.self-obliteration 4.full moon 5.wail, cry 6.late night
The poet/lover is deep in thought imagining the face/beauty of the beloved. The intensity is such that he goes into a trance, forgetting his own identity – self-obliteration. His heart burns with passion and when he cries late into the night, smoke rises and fogs the moon. The beloved becomes even more hazy in his imagination.
14
baskeh¹ mere qatl² par har ek raaGhib³ kya ajab⁴
daam⁵ hai mere liye eesa⁶, jo dam⁷ shamsiir⁸ ka  1.because 2.killing 3.inclined towards 4.surprising 5.trap, net 6.Jesus 7.breath, sharp/shining edge of the sword 8.sword
There is a nice play of words with opposite meanings. ‘dam’ is breath – the breath of Jesus revived the dead back to life. ‘dam’ is also the sharp edge of a sword, which kills. Everyone is inclined towards, desirous of killing the poet (perhaps out of jealousy). Why should this be surprising (he is a better poet than any of them and/or the beloved has shown him favours). He is calling upon Jesus to save him with his breath because the sharp edge of the sword is a trap for him.
15
raaz¹ huN aisa kisi ko maiN nazar² aata nahiN
chaahiye maani³ varaq⁴ saada⁵ meri tasviir ka    1.mystery 2.visible 3.legendary poet who painted very realistic fine pictures 4.page 5.plain
The poet draws a picture with words. But his meaning remains a mystery to everyone – they cannot see/appreciate it. The page on which he draws a picture remains a blank. He declares that he needs a ‘maani’ – the legendary painter to fill out the sketch.
16
is Kharaabe¹ meN banaaya jis ne ghar diivaana hai
dekh har darvaaze par naasiKh² nishaaN zanjiir ka    1.ruins 2.pen-name of the poet
The material world is like ruins compared to the beauty of the spiritual world. It is also a trap – like the hindi words ‘maaya moh’ – trap of illusion. Look, every door in this world has a chain (as they used to in those days). This chain is symbolic of the trap that the material word sets for you. Thus whoever builds a house here – invests emotionally in the material world, is a fool.