Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. munshi chandr bhaan kaifi dehlavi (????-1941). He taught faarsi and urdu and was editor of a bi-weekly magazine called ‘hamaari zabaan’. Much of his work was lost. One of his shaagird, sheesh chandr taalib dehlavi, collected and published it ten years after his death. He wrote Ghazal in classical style on classical themes but also wrote many nationalistic nazm. He has composed a beautiful tribute to Ghalib and a few Ghazal in using popular radeef of Ghalib, this one is linked to ‘zarf-e Khwaar dekh kar’ in Ghalib naqsh-e qadam even though the qaafiya is slightly different ‘ar’ vs ‘aar’.
1
hairati¹ haiN madfan²-e daara³ ka manzar⁴ dekh kar
ban gaye aaiina ham Khaak⁵-e sikandar⁶ dekh kar   1.puzzled 2.tomb 3.Darius 4.scene 5.dust, ashes 6.Alexander
He uses two ancient emperors generally accepted as symbolic of great power and glory. The tomb of one is reduced to ruins, the other to ashes. The implication is that ‘all roads lead but to the grave’ and we are puzzled/amazed (and draw lessons from) when we see such temporal glory reduced to ashes.
2
jaa chuke¹ the jaan se duniya ka chakkar² dekh kar
jii uThe hum maikade³ meN daur⁴-e saaGhar⁵ dekh kar   1.near death, on the last breath 2.circulation, affairs, deceit 3.tavern 4.circulation 5.cup
This is a beautiful play on words with several layers of meaning. The tavern is a liberal space symbolizing universal humanity. The cup (of wine) circulates through the tavern with everyone sharing what’s on offer. This circulation is juxtaposed against the ‘circulation’ of the earth, the affairs of the world. But ‘chakkar’ can also be used to imply deception/unfaithfulness. Thus, we had given up of life, seeing the affairs of the world and its unfaithfulness. But when we saw the comaradarie symbolized by the circulation of the wine cup in the tavern, we cam alive again.
3
hashr¹ ka vaa’da² that laikin hashr¹ meN yuN kah diya
vo bhi dekha jaayega anjaam³-e mahshar⁴ dekh kar    1.doomsday 2.promise 3.result 4.tumult/judgement of doomsday
The beloved is notorious for making promises to meet with the poet/lover and never keeping her promise. Not until doomsday. But this is a new twist – she has promised to meet him not tomorrow or the day after but on doomsday. Doomsday arrives and he confronts her asking her to keep her promise. ‘We will see about that after the final judgement of doomsday’, she declares. Thus, one more postponement either thinking that it will take a long time for final judgements to be handed out, or if they are the poet/lover and the beloved will be sent off to different destinations. It is left for us to imagine possibilities.
4
jalva¹-e haq² meN nazar³ aane laga apna jamaal⁴
aashna⁵ Khud⁶ se hua qatra⁷ samandar⁸ dekh kar    1.manifestation, image 2.truth, divine, god 3.see 4.face, reflection 5.aware 6.self 7.drop 8.ocean
The poet/mystic/sufi/devotee begins to see his own reflection in the manifestation of the divine. This of course a basic sufi concept – we are all a part of the same all ecompassing universal divinity. This is just like the drop becomes aware of its own identity upon seeing the ocean.
5
KhaandaaN¹ ka hai sharaf² ahl³-e hunar⁴ ki zaat⁵ se
aadmi qadr⁶-e sadaf⁷ karte haiN gauhar⁸ dekh kar    1.family 2.nobility, greatness 3.people of 4.talent, skill 5.person 6.valuation, respect 7.shell 8.pearl
The greatness/goodness of a family comes from the talent/skill/good nature displayed in the person of the progeny of the family, just like people value an oyster shell after looking at the pearl it yields. This could simply reflect the poet’s feelings when a successor of a nobleman’s family continued his patronage or if one of his student’s coming from a family of poets showed the same kind of talent and is being encouraged, or it could simply be an exhortation for his younger students to be mindful of the ‘family name’. I am just guessing.
6
ek sivaa’ye¹ aafriiN² kuchh bhi na lab³ par aa saka
un ka jalva⁴ dekh kar, apna muqaddar⁵ dekh kar    1.except for 2.bravo 3.lips 4.face, image 5.fate
The poet/lover has come face to face with the beloved and got to see her. All he could do is marvel at his good fortune and having had the privilege of seeing her and say ‘bravo’ at her glorious beauty. Alternatively, he compares his misfortune that he does not get access to it more often than only this one time and exclaims his admiration of her beauty.
7
shaiKh¹ bhi kaifi² ThiTak³ jaata hai maiKhaane⁴ ke paas
muNh meN bhar aata hai paani⁵ daur⁶-e saaGhar⁷ dekh kar   1.preacher 2.pen-name of the poet 3.hesitate, linger 4.tavern 5.mouth watering, temptation 6.circulation 7.cup (of wine)
The poet often pokes fun at orthodoxy exemplified by the preacher. The common caricature of the muslim cleric is that he is constantly warning everyone about the evils of wine and of going to hell. But O kaifi, even the preacher hesitates/lingers near the tavern when he sees the free and jubilant circulation of the wine cup. His mouth waters.