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, composed in the zamin of ‘muddat hui hai yaar ko mehmaaN kiye hue’, is linked to that category under the icon ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’, on the Theme page.
1
muddat¹ hui hai ishq ka armaaN² kiye hue
dil ko nisaar³-e jalva⁴-e jaanaaN⁵ kiye hue   1.long time, ages 2.desire 3.sacrificial offering 3.beauty, glory, image 5.beloved
For a long time now I have been yearning for love, having sacrificed my heart to the beauty of the beloved.
2
ab hijr¹ meN rulaate² haiN KhooN vasl³ ke mazay⁴
yaad aate haiN kisi ke vo ehsaaN⁵ kiye hue    1.separation 2.Khoon rulaana is an expression meaning causing great pain, making someone cry tears of blood 3.union 4.pleasures 5.favours
The poet/lover is separated from the beloved – thrown out of her company. He remembers the many favours she had bestowed on him during the days when he was united with her. All those memories make him cry tears of blood during separation.
3
raNgiini¹-e Khayaal² ka aalam³ to dekhna
jaata hai koi vasl⁴ ka paimaaN⁵ kiye hue    1.style, confidence 2.thought, plans 3.condition 4.union 5.resolve, determination
Look at the confidence of the lover. He is going (to the street of the beloved) determined to achieve union with her.
4
GhamKhwaar¹ thaam² leN mujhe ahbaab³ rok leN
jaata huN qasd⁴-e koocha⁵-e jaanaaN⁶ kiye hue   1.sympathizer 2.hold 3.friends 4.resolve, intent 5.street 6.beloved
Conventionally, the lover getting to the street of the beloved means that he will languish there until dead, or that he will get killed at the hands of the beloved. Thus, he moans that his sympathizers should hold him back and his friends should stop him as he he resolves to go to the street of the beloved.
5
phir chaahta huN zulf¹ ka mazmoon-baandhna²
shiiraaza³-e Khayaal pareshaaN⁴ kiye hue   1.hair 2.mazmoon baandhna is an expression meaning to write about a theme 3.book-binding also used to mean arrangement, sequence 4.scattered
Once again, I desire to write (compose verse) about (the beauty of) the beloved’s hair, but in a state of scattered/confused thought. The juxtaposition of arrangement of hair or of curls/tangles of hair and tangled thoughts is very interesting.
6
phir dil meN liiN junoon¹-e mohabbat ne chuTkiyaaN²
arsa³ hua hai sair⁴-e biyaabaaN⁵ kiye hue   1.madness 2.pinch 3.long time 4.sight-seeing 5.wilderness
In poetic convention, when madness takes hold of the heart of the lover, he goes off into the wilderness like majnuN. This is what is happening to the poet/lover after a long time. Once again, the madness of love pinches my heart. It has been a long time since I have gone sightseeing in the wilderness.
7
phir le chala huN tohfa¹-e daaGh²-e jigar³ vahaaN
saamaan⁴-e sad-bahaar⁵-e gulistaaN⁶ kiye hue   1.gift, offering 2.scar, wound 3.liver/heart 4.provisions, arrangements 5.hundred springs 6.garden
Once again, I go, bearing the gift of wounds of my heart, making arrangements for a hundred springs. Conventionally, wounds of the heart are considered to be red roses. Thus the gift of the wounds of the heart are like roses of spring.
8
phir shauq¹-e aashiqi hai keh muddat² guzar³ gaii
nazr⁴-e Gham⁵-e firaaq⁶ dil-o-jaaN⁷ kiye hue   1.desire, wish 2.long time, ages 3.passed 4.devotional offering 5.sorrow, pain 6.separation 7.heart and soul
Once again, the desire to fall in love rises strong in the heart of the lover because it has been ages since he has offered his heart and soul as a tribute to the pain and sorrow of separation. It is noteworthy that the pain of separation is elevated to a position of being offered tributes/devotion.
9
phir muntazar¹ huN jalva²-e ruKhsaar³-e yaar⁴ ka
aaNkheN misaal⁵-e aaiina hairaaN⁶ kiye hue   1.waiting 2.image, beauty 3.cheeks, face 4.beloved 5.example of, like 6.amazed
Conventionally, the beloved looks into the mirror and the mirror is amazed at her beauty. Thus, once again I wait to see the beauty of the cheeks of the beloved with my eyes amazed like a mirror.
10
phir aashna¹-e bahr²-e mohabbat hua hai dil
toofaaN³ ki nazr⁴ kishti-e armaaN⁵ kiye hue    1.familiar, intimate 2.ocean 3.storm 4.offering 5.desire
Once again, the heart is intimately familiar with the ocean of love, having offered the boat of desire in the care of storms i.e., the ocean of love is always stormy.
11
phir zabt¹-e ishq ki mere muNh par lagi hai mohr²
baiTha huN dil meN dard ko pinhaaN³ kiye hue   1.bear stoically 2.seal, stamp 3.hidden
In poetic convention the lover is supposed to bear the sorrow of unrequited love without any display for fear of maligning the reputation of the beloved. Thus, once again, the patient bearing of the pain of love has sealed my lips. I sit hiding the pain of love in my heart.
12
karta huN laal¹ o gauhar²-e mazmoon³ ki talaash⁴
qasd⁵-e sataa’esh⁶-e lab⁷ o dandaaN⁸ kiye hue   1.ruby 2.pearls 3.theme 4.search 5.resolve 6.praise 7.lips 8.teeth
Once again, the poet is in search of a theme (for his verse) of rubies and pearls having resolved to compose in praise of lips and teeth. The juxtaposition of red rubies and lips and of pearls and shining teeth is very enjoyable.
13
haaN aye havaa¹-e shauq² zamaana³ guzar⁴ gaya
dil meN sharaar⁵-e Gham ko faraavaaN⁶ kiye hue    1.breeze, also means lust/desire 2.love 3.ages 4.passed 5.sparks, fire 6.plenty, excess
O desire for love, for a long time now I have been fanning the flames of love in my heart.
14
aye soz¹-e Gham bhaRak² keh mere daaGh-haa³-e dil
baiThe haiN ehtemaam⁴-e charaaGhaaN⁵ kiye hue    1.pain, fire 2.blaze, flash 3.wounds 4.arrangements 5.celebratory illumination
The wounds of the heart of the lover are imagined here as flames (because of the red colour, the heat of love, and the fire of pain). Thus, O fire of my heart, flash into a full flame. The wounds of my heart have made full arrangements of celebratory lighting i.e., my wounds are ready to burst forth.
15
haajir¹ misaal²-e qais³ bhaTakta⁴ hai hijr⁵ meN
vahshat⁶ se chaak⁷ jeb⁸ o garebaaN⁹ kiye hue    1.pen-name of the poet 2.in the example of 3.majnuN 4.wanders 5.exile, separation 6.madness 7.tear, rip 8.collar 9.shirt front
Like majnuN, haajir too, wanders lost in exile/separation, tearing is collar and shirt in the madness of passion.