Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion.    jitendra mohan sinha rahbar (1911-1930), bijnaur, UP. Grew up in an orthodox arya samaaji family with emphasis on learning hindi and sanskrit, but his father himself knew urdu and corresponded with his family in urdu. Uncle was shaa’er. Learnt English at school and taught himself urdu and later blossomed into an urdu shaa’er. Jailed for participating in the freedom movement. Upon release, taught in a school in rural UP and later English literature in a college in lukhnow. This Ghazal composed in the zamin of Ghalib’s ‘aadmi ko bhi mai’assar nahiN insaaN hona’ is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
ho gaya aapko manzoor¹ mehrbaaN² hona
raNg laaya³ ye mera be-sar-o-saamaaN⁴ hona    1.acceptable 2.kind, benevolent 3.raNg laana is an expression meaning-bear fruit, bring results 4.without any means, utterly helpless
The poet/lover in the intensity of his passion has neglected all other aspects of his life and has become utterly helpless. The beloved has pity on him and shows some kindness. He is delighted that his be-sar-o-saamaani – helplessness has borne fruit.
2
vaah, har mushkil¹-e majboor² ka aasaaN³ hona
aapka mere dast-ba-daamaaN⁴ hona    1.difficulty 2.oppressed, helpless 3.solved, easy 4.hand grasping the hem of the robe means able to access and appeal
Catching hold of the hem of the robe means gaining access to someone and being able to appeal/beg and put forward their case. But the second misra is not entirely clear. It can mean either that the poet/lover has gained access to the beloved or it can mean IF he gains access. Thus, bravo, every difficulty of this helpless one will be solved if he were able to grasp the hem of the beloved’s robe and appeal to her.
3
Khud-ba-daulat¹ ka meri samt² KharaamaaN³ hona
phir ata⁴ dil ko mere daavat⁵-e mizshgaaN⁶ hona   1.a term of respect, your ladyship, exalted 2.direction 3.gracefully walk 4.grant 5.invitation 6.eyelashes
The exalted beloved is walking gracefully towards the poet/lover of her own accord and granting him a kind look (with her eyes/eyelashes) extending an invitation to him!
4
phir vo dil ka mere ishq-e mah-e-taabaaN¹ hona
noor²-e sad-raNg³ har ek samt⁴ numaayaaN⁵ hona     1.bright/full moon 2.brilliance 3.hundred colours, colourful, beautiful 4.directions 5.emerge, spread
I think that this she’r follows from the previous one … IF he were to gain access to the beloved then his heart would shine like the full moon because of his love and colourful brilliance would spread in all directions.
5
mezbaaN-dil¹ meN mere aap ka mehmaaN² hona
goya³ kul⁴ bahr⁵ ka ek qatre⁶ meN pinhaaN⁷ hona    1.heart that is a welcoming host 2.guest 3.as if 4.total, all 5.ocean 6.drop 7.hidden, contained
Your becoming a guest in my welcoming heart is as if the whole ocean is contained in a drop.
6
aadmi hona nahiN hai, na hai insaaN hona
farz¹ hai husn² ki tafreeh³ ka saamaaN⁴ hona    1.duty 2.beauty, beloved 3.entertainment 4.means
This is a play on Ghalib’s misra … aadmi ko bhi mai’assar nahiN insaaN hona, where ‘aadmi’ implies just basic biological existence and ‘insaaN’ requires a higher condition of humanity. Here the poet seems to say that it neither necessary to be one nor the other but it is the duty of the lover to be means of entertainment of the beloved.
7
maiN aur gustaaKhi¹-e ishq aap se, tauba-tauba²
meri qismat meN to tha banda³-e ehsaaN⁴ hona    1.disrespect, daring, insolence 2.I beg forgiveness 3.slave 4.benevolence
Me and dare to express love for you, may I be forgiven. My fate was only to be a slave of your benevolence i.e., hang around for any favours that you might choose to show.
8
itna kah dena keh rahbar¹ bhi hai furqat² ka shikaar³
un se do-chaar⁴ agar⁵ baad⁶-e bahaaraaN⁷ hona   1.pen-name of the poet 2.separation 3.prey, victim 4.encounter, meet, come across 5.if 6.breeze 7.spring
O spring breeze, if you encounter the beloved, tell her this much, that rahbar too is suffering from being the victim of separation from you.