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 is one of two Ghazal that hajir composed in the zamin of ‘ibn-e mariam hua kare koii’. Both are linked to that category under the icon ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’, on the Theme page.
1
taNg¹ aaye jab sitam² se to phir kya kare koii
kab tak na un se hijr³ ka shikva⁴ kare koii    1.tired of 2.cruelty 3.separation 4.complaint
When one is tired of the cruelty of the pain of separation, then what can one do. How long can one not complain about the pain of separation.
2
un dil-navaaz¹ nazroN² ne jab de diya javaab³
phir kya kisi se arz⁴-e tamanna⁵ kare koii   1.heart-sustaining 2.glances 3.given up, turned away 4.petition 5.desire
When the heart-warming glances of the beloved have turned away from me, then to whom can I present my petition of desire/love.
3
taariif¹-e jaaN-nisaari²-e majnuN bayaaN³ kare
ya vasf⁴-e dil-farebi⁵-e laila kare koii    1.praise 2.life-offering 3.describe 4.praise 5.heart-deceiving
Should one (the poet) praise the life-offering passion of the lover majnuN or describe the deception of the beloved laila.
4
ulfat¹ meN jaan dene ki himmat² na ho agar³
naam-e-vafa⁴ ko kis liye rusvaa⁵ kare koii    1.love 2.courage 3.if 4.reputation of fidelity 5.embarrass
If one does not have the courage to offer their life for love, then they should not embarrass the reputation of love/fidelity.
5
hone ko to jahaaN¹ meN haiN eesa-nafas² bahut
tere mariiz³-e Gham ka mudaava⁴ kare koii   1.world 2.breath of Jesus, curing, resurrecting 3.ill, stricken 4.cure, heal
For the sake of saying, there are many people in this world who claim to have miraculous healing powers of Jesus. Is there any among them who can heal the one stricken with love of you!
6
naaraaz¹ ho ke kahte haiN haNgaam²-e diid³ vo
ham ko na ghoor-ghoor⁴ ke dekha kare koii    1.annoyed 2.at the time of 3.looking, seeing 4.stare
Whenever I look at her, in annoyance she says, ‘let no one keep staring at me’.
7
aati nahiN nazar¹ koii suurat² qaraar³ ki
kab tak Gham-e firaaq⁴ meN taRpa⁵ kare koii    1.see, appear, apparent 2.method, way 3.comfort 4.separation 5.writhe in pain
There does not appear to be any way of being comforted. How long can one write in pain of separation from you.
8
kahte haiN vo keh jab hameN paas¹-e vafa² nahiN
kyuN e’tebaar³-e v’aada⁴-e farda⁵ kare koii    1.regard, respect 2.fidelity, true to promise 3.trust, believe 4.promise 5.future
Perhaps the poet/lover has complained and she replies in a huff, ‘if you think that I don’t have any regard for fidelity, then why do you trust my promise of a future meeting’. Or perhaps she is making a declaration all on her own. I don’t hold fidelity in high regard. Why should you trust my promise and complain about it.
9
soya hua nasiib¹ bhi jaaga hai phir kabhi
sar aastaan²-e yaar³ pe paTka⁴ kare koii   1.fate 2.threshold 3.friend, beloved 4.bang, beat
Literally, ‘soya hua nasiib’ means fate gone to sleep but figuratively it means ‘fate forgetting you/passing you by’. Similarly, ‘nasiib jaagna’ means fate showing favour. Thus has bad luck every changed and shown anyone favours. One may bang their head at the threshold of the beloved a hundred thousand times, but nothing is going to change.
10
pahle hi rashk¹-e Ghair² ka maara hua huN maiN
kyuN mujh se mere yaar³ ka charcha⁴ kare koii     1.jealousy 2.other, rival 3.friend, rival 4.narration, praise
Presumable, the ‘charcha’ about the beloved includes stories of her many conquests and how she shows favours to one or the other. I am already stricken with jealousy of the rival. Why should anyone narrate stories of the beloved.
11
aa kar samaa’e¹ koii nigaahoN² meN phir meri
aabaad³ phir Khayaal⁴ ki duniya kare koii     1.fill, overwhelm 2.eyes 3.settle, make prosperous 4.thought, imagination
My someone (some special, the beloved) come into my eyes and fill them. May she make the world of my thought prosperous again.
12
is Dar se aashiqoN¹ se vo karte nahiN kalaam²
aisa na ho keh dil ka taqaaza³ kare koii   1.lovers 2.converse, talk to 3.demand
She does not talk to her lovers for fear that one or the other of them might demand her heart.
13
jab har jagah jahaan meN jalva¹ usi ka hai
phir imtiaaz²-e dair³ o haram⁴ kya kare koii    1.manifestation 2.difference 3.temple 4.mosque
When it is the same you that is manifest every place, then why should anyone differentiate between temple and mosque.
14
poori hui, na hogi, kabhi aarzu¹-e dil
behtar² yahi hai tark³-e tamanna⁴ kare koii   1.desire 2.better 3.give up, forgo 4.desire
The desire of the heart has never been nor will ever be fulfilled. It is better that one gives up desire altogether.
15
dil ko nigaah¹-e lutf² ki qiimat³ pe bech kar
naaz-o-adaa⁴ se naaz⁵ ka sauda⁶ kare koii   1.glance 2.favour 3.price 4.stylish coquetry 5.coquetry 6.trade
The poet/lover his sold his heart to the beloved for the price of a single glance of favour. Now he wishes that with much pomp and style he should be able to trade mischief and coquetry with the beloved. I think that this is an expression of his wish, not an assertion that he will be able to do so.
16
haajir¹ yahi taqaaza² hai un ki nigaah³ ka
bhoole se raaz⁴-e ishq na afshaa⁵ kare koii   1.pen-name of the poet 2.demand 3.glance 4.secret 5.reveal
O hajir, this is the only demand/condition of her favourible glance – that the secret love not be revealed to anyone.