Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. munshi raghunath siNgh haajir dehlavi (1884-1922). Both father and grandfather were poets and scholars of urdu and faarsi. He started composing at the age of 13-14. His father died in 1906 and he moved to bhopal for work and returned to dehli in 1910 to re-start his family practice, establishing a clinic named ‘daar-ul-shifa’. He died in 1922 before he could publish his diivaan, but his son collected his papers and published it. His brother, kaviraj raghunandan singh saahir wrote the preface. In addition to his diivan, there is a collection of his Ghazal called, ‘Ghalib aur haajir’, all composed in the zamin of Ghalib. This Ghazal in the zamin of ‘mera salaam kahiyo agar naama-bar mile’ is linked to that category under the icon ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’, on the Theme Index page.
1
sub kuchh mile, Khayaal¹ mile, phir nazar² mile
aa kar gale jo hum se vo rashk³-e qamar⁴ mile    1.thought, imagination 2.sight, discriminating eye/taste 3.envy 4.moon
The beloved is so beautiful that she is the envy of the moon. If she were to come and embrace him, then he would get everything he desires including imagination and discriminating taste to compose excellent verse.
2
aaye Khayaal¹-e ruKh² jo kahiiN yaad-e zulf³ meN
hum ko shab⁴-e firaaq⁵ nishaan⁶-e sahar⁷ mile    1.thought, memory 2.face 3.hair 4.night of 5.separation 6.clue 7.dawn
The poet/lover is deep in thoughts of the beloved’s hair. Her hair, dark, are like the dark night of separation. If at this time, he were to remember her face (bright), then it would be like he were seeing the light of dawn during the night of separation.
3
milne ka lutf¹ jab hai keh vo is tarah² mileN
siine se siina, aur nazar³ se nazar mile     1.pleasure 2.like, similar to 3.eye, sight
The real pleasure of meeting the beloved will be if she meets like this … bosom to bosom, eye to eye. The poet/lover is aiming high, almost aiming for the impossible. murlidhar shaad on the other hand has some very modest hopes …
vo mujh se kya mile pas-e parda agar mile
baatoN meN kis tarah mujhe lutf-e nazar mile
4
aaNkheN na aap hum se churaa’eN¹ to kya kareN
gar² dil se dil mile³ to nazar⁴ se nazar mile     1.aaNkh churaana is an expression meaning look away in guilt 2.if 3.dil se dil milna is to reciprocate feelings of love 4.eye
The beloved does not look at the poet/lover squarely in the eye. He attributes this to guilt rather than to bashfulness. She feels guilty because she favours the rival. Why would you not feel guilty and look away. If you had the same love for me, as I do for you, then surely our eyes would meet.
5
is ke siva¹ sukoon² ki soorat³ nahiN koii
yaa Khud mileN vo ya kahiiN un ki Khabar⁴ mile   1.except for 2.comfort 3.used here to mean possibility 4.news
Except for this, there is no other possibility of comfort – that the beloved comes herself or somehow get some news of her.
6
aye aah¹ qaid²-e dil se nikal kar talaash³ kar
arz⁴ o samaa⁵ meN gar⁶ kahiiN tujh ko asar⁷ mile     1.sigh 2.confinement, prison 3.search 4.earth 5.sky 6.if 7.effect
The poet/lover has kept is sigh/sorrow confined to his heart for fear of maligning the reputation of the beloved. Because of this his sigh has had no effect. The beloved still does not respond to him. He beckons his sigh to free itself from the confines of the heart and look everywhere between the earth and sky to find the magic that will give it the necessary effect/impact.
7
is Khauf¹ se kisi se se bhi karta nahiN kalaam²
dil meN kahiiN kisi ke tumhaara na ghar mile     1.fear 2.conversation
The poet/lover is jealous and fearful. Because of his fear, he does not talk to anyone. What is he afraid of … that such conversation might reveal that someone else also loves the beloved (that he may find her abode in someone else’s heart too). Ghalib too, was similarly jealous …
chhoRa na rashke ne ke tere ghar ka naam luuN
har ek se poochhta huN ke jaauN kidhar ko maiN
8
duniya meN dil-lagi¹ ka koii lutf² hi nahiN
sub be-vafa³ the ham ko hasiiN⁴ jis qadar⁶ mile    1.used here to mean dil ki lagi i.e., dil lagaana-falling in love 2.pleasure 3.unfaithful 4.beauties 5.however many
The poet/lover has concluded that there is no pleasure in falling in love. However many beauties he came across, turned out to be unfaithful.
9
yuN aane ko vo roz¹ hi aate haiN saamne²
kya lutf-e aashiqi³ hai na jab tak nazar⁴ mile    1.daily 2.in front, before 3.pleasure 4.love 5.eyes, sight
Although he comes across the beloved every day, the poet/lover never gets to directly look at her. He is never able to show his love and solicit hers. Thus, he concludes that there is no pleasure in love unless he can look directly in her eyes.
10
masjid meN shaiKh-ji ka na paaya¹ nishaaN² kahiiN
dekha jo maikade³ meN to hazrat⁴ udhar mile    1.found 2.clue, whereabouts 3.tavern 4.an honorific like ‘reverend’
The poet looked for the preacher in the mosque but did not find any clue of his whereabouts. But when he looked in the tavern, that is where the reverend was. Ghalib too says …
kahaaN maiKhaane ka darvaaza Ghalib aur kahaaN vaa’ez
par itna jaante haiN haiN, kal vo jaata tha keh hum nikle
11
siiNcha hai Khoon-e dil se is ham ne muddatoN
phir kyuN na hum ko naKhl-e vafa ka samar mile    1.irrigate, nurture 2.for a long time, for ages 3.tree 4.faithfulness 5.fruit
I have nurtured the tree of faithfulness for ages. Then why is it that I don’t get to enjoy any fruit of that tree i.e., I have been steadfast in my love of the beloved for ages, then why is that she does not reciprocate. A more unusual interpretation would be that the second misra is an expression of confidence – then surely one day I will get to enjoy its fruit.
12
sub kuchh luTa¹ ke ishq‑2 meN maaNge³ na kuchh kabhi
aisa koii jahaan⁴ meN tum ko bashar⁵ mile    1.wager, lose 2.love 3.demand, ask for 4.world 5.person, man
The poet is addressing this to the beloved. Wagering and losing everything in love, and not asking for any compensation – you should get such a man in this world i.e., the beloved is totally self-centered.
13
apni vafa¹ ko naqsh² kareN un ke dil pe hum
izhaar³-e ishq⁴ karne ki mohlat⁵ agar mile    1.faithfulness 2.etching, engraving 3.express, offer 4.love 5.opportunity
If I ever get the opportunity to express my love to the beloved, then I will be able to etch the story of my faithfulness on her heart i.e., make a permanent impression.
14
us ka jahaaN qayaam hai tum bhi vahiiN to ho
dushman ka ghar mile, to tumhaara hi ghar mile    1.where 2.abode, residence 3.enemy, rival
The ‘us’ in the first misra refers to the rival. This is an angry/cynical statement. Wherever I find his home, that is where you will be. If I find the rival’s house, it means that I have found yours.
15
qaasid¹ meri taraf² se bhi ahvaal³ poochhna
tujh ko kahiiN jo haajir⁴-e Khastaa-jigar⁵ mile    1.messenger 2.on my behalf 3.well-being 4.pen-name of the poet 5.broken hearted
The poet’s alter-ego is talking about him. The qaasid – messenger, normally carries messages between the poet/lover and the beloved. The poet asks him for an additional task. O qaasid, if you come across the broken-hearted haajir anywhere, do ask for his well-being on my behalf.
16
qaasid¹ se ab vo kahte haiN haajir² ke baab³ meN
laao talaash⁴ kar ke use vo jidhar⁵ mile     1.messenger 2.pen-name of the poet 3.theme, subject, topic 4.search 5.wherever
It appears that the poet/lover has sent a message through the messenger. The beloved has read it and is very angry. About the topic of haajir, she says to the messenger, go search for him, and bring him here, wherever you find him.