Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. daaGh dehlavi (1831-1905), grandson through marriage of his mother to the son of bahadur shah zafar. After 1857, he had to move to rampur and later to hyderabad, where he died. His Ghazal are more earthy and romantic than sufiyaana or philosophical. He was a disciple of zauq, whose rivalry with/jealousy of Ghalib is well known. But daaGh had good relations with Ghalib and wrote this Ghazal in the bahr of Ghalib, using many of the same phrases. It is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam and to Ghalib peshrau-hamasr.
1
tamaasha¹-e dair²-o-haram³ dekhte haiN
tujhe har bahaane⁴ se ham dekhte haiN   1.sights 2.temple 3.mosque 4.excuse, ruse
Ordinarily the poet/lover would stay away from conventional places of orthodoxy like the temple and mosque. But he is eager to see the beloved and speculating that she might be visiting one of these places, he too goes looking using every opportunity/ruse that he can get. Alternatively, he thinks of the beloved as an idol and searches for his idol in the temple as well as in the k’aaba which used to house idols in pre-islamic times.
2
hamaari taraf¹ ab vo kam dekhte haiN
vo nazreN² nahiN jin ko ham dekhte haiN     1.towards 2.glances
She does not look very often towards the poet/lover any longer. The (sidelong) glances that he is searching for, he cannot find.
3
zamaane¹ ke kya kya sitam² dekhte haiN
hamiN jaante haiN jo ham dekhte haiN     1.times, period, era, age 2.injustice, cruelty
We see the injustice/cruelty of the times (that I am subjected to). Only we know that which we see/suffer.
4
phire but-kade¹ se to aye ahl²-e ka’aba
phir aa kar tumhaare qadam³ dekhte haiN     1.idol house – used here to imply the tavern 2.people of 3.footprints
‘ahl-e ka’aba’ are observant and orthodox people. They are not supposed to visit the tavern but when the poet returns to the but-kada he sees their footprints. This is similar in thought to Ghalib’s she’r …
kahaN maiKhaane ka darvaaza Ghalib aur kahaaN vaa’ez
par itna jaante haiN kal vo jaata tha keh hum nikle
5
hameN chashm¹-e biina² dikhaati hai sab kuchh
vo andhe haiN jo jaam³-e jam⁴ dekhte haiN   1.eye 2.seeing, discriminating, perceptive 3.cup 4.jamshed
jamshed, emperor of ancient Persia is supposed to have had a cup into which he could look and see the future. But to the poet, his perceptive eyes show him everything. Those who think that they can see in the jamshed’s cup and know the future are blind i.e. they are fooling themselves.
6
na imaa¹-e Khwaahish na iz’haar²-e matlab³
mere muNh ko ahl-e-karam⁴ dekhte haiN     1.sign, hint, suggestion 2.expression 3.desire, demand 4.kind/benevolent people
Something has come over the poet/lover. He has changed so totally that he does not show any sign that he wishes to get something nor does he express his desire (to or for the beloved). His kind friends are looking at him, puzzled.
7
kabhi toRte haiN vo Khanjar ko apne
kabhi nabz¹-e bismil² meN dam dekhte haiN     1.pulse 2.sacrificial animal – in this case the poet/lover
‘Khanjar toRna’ is a particularly injurious act, plunging the dagger in deep and breaking it so that the tip remains inside. Thus, one moment the beloved is so cruel that she plunges the dagger in his heart and breaks it and another moment feels the pulse of the ‘sacrificial beast’ to see if it has any life. This could be out of kindness and concern because she does not quite want to finish him off. But it might also be because she wants to confirm that he is dead.
8
Ghanimat¹ hai chashm²-e taGhaaful³ bhi un ki
bahut dekhte haiN jo kam dekhte haiN     1.better than nothing 2.glance 3.ignoring, fleeting, passing
Her fleeting glance is better than nothing. Even her meager attention is more than the poet/lover might expect.
9
Gharaz¹ kya keh samjheN mere Khat ka mazmuN²
vo unvaan³ o tarz⁴-e raqam⁵ dekhte haiN     1.need, wish 2.subject matter 3.title 4.style 5.writing
What need does she have to understand the subject of my letter. She only looks at the title and style of writing.
10
salaamat¹ rahe dil bura hai keh achchha
hazaaroN meN ye ek dam² dekhte haiN     1.safe, preserved 2.in an instant
Whether my heart is good or bad, I don’t care. All I want is for it to be preserved, for among thousands of hearts, this is the one that she spots/sees instantly.
11
rahaa kaun mahfil¹ meN ab aane vaalaa
vo chaaroN taraf² dam-ba-dam³ dekhte haiN      1.gathering 2.directions 3.minute by minute
The gathering is full – everyone expected to be there has arrived i.e., the poet/lover and all the rivals that he is aware of are gathered. Yet she is looking all around as if searching for someone. The jealous poet/lover wonders who this person might be. This would be additional competition for him.
12
udhar sharm¹ haa’el² idhar Khauf³ maan’ae⁴
na vo dekhte haiN na ham dekhte haiN     1.shyness, bashfulness 2.obstacle, stopping 3.fear 4.forbidding
The beloved is bashful and does not look at him and the poet/lover is fearful and does not look at her.
13
unheN kyuN na ho dilrubaaii¹ se nafrat²
keh har dil meN vo Gham alam³ dekhte haiN   1.heart-pleasing, consoling 2.hatred 3.sorrow, pain
All the lovers around the beloved are stricken with pain and sorrow (of unrequited love). She must be tired of all this around her. Thus, why should she not hate this burden of consoling her lovers.
14
nigahbaaN¹ se bhi kya hui bad-gumaani²
ab us ko tere saath kam dekhte haiN   1.caretaker, watchman 2.ill-will
Conventionally, the beloved has a nigahbaan around to shoo away undesirable lovers/admirers. The poet/lover has not seen the nigahbaan with her for a long time and asks if she has developed ill-feelings towards him.
15
hameN daaGh¹ kya kam hai ye sarfaraazi²
ke shaah-e dakan ke qadam³ dekhte haiN   1.pen-name of the poet 2.honour 3.feet
After 1857, daaGh left dehli and found patrongage in rampur. After a few years he came to hyderabad and was appointed with high honours to the court of mahbub ali KhaaN. This she’r is an acknowedgement of the patronage received from the ‘king of the dakan’, i.e., the then nizam of hyderabad. Thus, is this honour not enough for you , O daaGh, that you get to see/touch the feet of the king of dakan.