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 ‘kuchh to hai jis ki parda-daari hai’, is linked to that category under the icon ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’, on the Theme page.
1
kis qadar¹ Gham meN be-qaraari² hai
raat din shaGhl³-e aah⁴ o zaari⁵ hai   1.how much 2.restlessness 3.busy in 4.sigh 5.weeping
The poet/lover is in great pain/sorrow (because the beloved ignores him) and is very restless. He is preoccupied day and night with sighing and wailing.
2
us ke peechhe hi Khalq¹ saari hai
jis ne duniya pe laat maari hai    1.creation
The whole creation runs after her/him/it who has rejected the world. The key is to know/guess who the her/him/it is. It could be the beloved, who has rejected the whole world of suitors and they are still running after her. But could it also be a sufi who has rejected the material world and concentrates of the spirituality of love, and the whole world of devotees run after such a ‘saint’.
3
dil to nazroN¹ ne kar diya bismil²
ab hamaare jigar³ ki baari hai   1.eyes, glances 2.sacrificial slaughter 3.liver
In urdu poetic tradition both the heart and liver are targets of the beloved’s arrows – her glances. Thus, the beloved has already managed to slaughter the heart with her glances. It is the liver’s turn next. The heart is the seat of emotions, and the liver is the seat of fortitude which helps the lover bear his sorrow stoically. But with the liver also sacrificed he will turn into a madman like majnuN.
4
aaNkh milte hi us sitamgar¹ ne
ek barchhi² si dil pe maari hai     1.tormentor, beloved 2.dagger
As soon as the eyes met, the beloved/tormentor plunged a dagger into the lover’s heart.
5
dil to haara¹ hi tha mohabbat meN
jaan² bhi ab vafa³ meN haari hai     1.lost 2.life 3.fidelity, steadfast in love
The lover had already lost his heart in the game of love. Now he is dedicating his life to the promise of being faithful to the beloved.
6
phir¹ chalo mil ke soo²-e maiKhaana³
mai-kasho⁴ mosam⁵-e bahaari⁶ hai     1.again 2.towards 3.tavern 4.wine-lovers 5.season 6.spring
In the poetic as well as cultural traditions, spring is a time of renewal, joy and celebration. It is also a time of indulging in and enjoying drinking wine. Thus, the poet calls fellow wine-lovers to make their way towards the tavern for spring is here.
7
un ko aane meN kyuN ta’ammul¹ hai
ab mera vaqt-e dam-shumaari² hai    1.deliberation, hesitation 2.counting breaths
It is customary/obligatory for the beloved to visit the lover on his death bed. In this case, the poet/lover is counting his last few breaths and the beloved has not yet shown up. What is she thinking about, what is the hesitation-he moans.
8
aaNkhoN aaNkhoN meN hoti haiN baateN
silsila¹ guftagu² ka jaari³ hai     1.thread, continuation 2.conversation 3.ongoing, underway
The lover and the beloved look into each other’s eyes to converse. Said josh malihabadi …
tamaam mahfil ke ruu ba ruu go, uThaa’iN nazreN, milaa’iN aaNkheN
samajh saka ek bhi na laikin, savaal mera, javaab tera
9
dekhte hi nazar chura lena¹
ye bhi ek tarz²-e parda-daari³ hai     1.nazar churaana is an expression meaning look away 2.style, way 3.observing parda/veil
As soon as their eyes meet, the beloved coyly looks away. This also is a style of observing parda/veil, says the poet.
10
naaz¹ hai un ko be-vafaaii² par
mujh ko d’aava³-e jaaN-nisaari⁴ hai     1.pride 2.not keeping commitments 3.claim 4.offering life
‘jaaN-nisaari’ literally means sacrifice one’s life for something. In this case, the poet/lover means staying true to his love even more than to his life. Thus, it is his claim that this is what he does and the beloved is proud of being fickle.
11
kahte haiN baaz-aa¹ mohabbat se
gar² tujhe apni jaan pyaari hai   1.refrain from 2.if
Who the ‘kahte haiN’ are is not explicit. It could be the world in general, or it could be the beloved herself. Thus, they say (or she says) refrain from falling in love if you value your life i.e., you are sure to lose your life if you fall in love.

12
haal¹-e dil un se kah nahiN sakte
is qadar² ro’b³-e husn⁴ taari⁵ hai    1.condition 2.so much 3.fear, awe 4.beauty 5.overcome by, overwhelmed by
The poet/lover cannot relate the condition of his heart to the beloved. Everytime he gets a chance, he is so overwhelmed and awed by her beauty that he cannot speak.
13
sadma¹-e hijr² uTh nahiN sakta
ye dil-e naatavaaN³ pe bhaari hai   1.shock, tragedy 2.separation 3.weak, fragile
I cannot bear the shock of separation (from the beloved). It is too hard for my fragile heart.
14
un ka chhup¹ kar raqiib² se milna
baa’is³-e ranj⁴ o be-qaraari⁵ hai     1.in hiding, secretly 2.rival 3.basis, foundation 4.sorrow 5.restlessness
The beloved has been meeting the rival secretly. This is the basis of the poet/lover’s sorrow and restlessness.
15
vaqf¹-e aah² o fuGhaaN³ hai dil mera
aaNkh masroof⁴-e ashk-baari⁵ hai   1.dedicated to, reserved for 2.sighing 3.wailing 4.busy in 5.shedding tears
My heart is reserved for sighing and wailing and my eyes are busy shedding tears.
16
aasmaaN par dimaaGh¹ hai sub ka
ab kise qadr²-e Khaaksaari³ hai    1.head in the clouds, proud 2.respect 3.humility
Everyone has their head in the clouds i.e., they think a lot of themselves. Who, these days, has any respect for humility.
17
naam baaqi¹ hai sirf² ulfat³ ka
kis meN ab buu⁴-e Gham-gusaari⁵ hai   1.remains 2.only 3.love 4.fragrance 5.bearing pain/sorrow
Love remains only in name. No one has even a trace of the willingness to stoically bear the pain of love. ‘buu bhi nahiN rahna’ is an expression meaning there is not even a faint fragrance left i.e., no trace is left.
18
kaun paaband¹-e rasm²-e ulfat³ hai
qaul⁴ ki kis ko paasdaari⁵ hai     1.bound by, committed to 2.tradition 3.love 4.word, promise 5.respect, consideration
Who (in these times) is bound by the traditions of love. Who respects their own word anymore.
19
jis ko dekho Gharaz¹ ka banda² hai
apne matlab³ ki dost-daari⁴ hai    1.concern, interest 2.slave 3.meaning, hidden agenda 4.friendship
Whoever you meet is a slave of their own (selfish) interests. They make friends because of their own hidden agenda.
20
zar¹ hi buniyaad² hai mohabbat ki
us pe daar-o-madaar³-e yaari⁴ hai     1.wealth 2.foundation, basis 3.dependence 4.friendship, love
Wealth alone is the basis of love. Love/friendship depends on it.
21
ahl¹-e zar² ki hai qadr³ duniya meN
be-zari⁴ hi ka naam Khwaari⁵ hai     1.people of 2.wealth 3.respect 4.poverty 5.contempt, rejection
The world respects the wealthy. Poverty is also known as being rejected/hated.
22
haal¹ poochho na kuchh hasiinoN² ka
un ki fitrat³ jafa-she’aari⁴ hai     1.condition, character 2.beauties 3.nature 4.tormenting
Don’t ask about the character of beauties. Tormenting lovers is part of their nature.
23
Khoon¹-e hasrat² mudaam³ karte haiN
haath meN zulm⁴ ki kaTaari⁵ hai   1.(spilling) blood, killing 2.longing 3.always 4.cruelty, oppression 5.dagger
He continues to talk about the ‘character of the beloved’. They always kill/choke off the longing that the lover has for them. They always carry a dagger in their hand.
24
teGh¹-e abru² se zib’h³ karte haiN
raat din qatl-e-‘aam⁴ jaari⁵ hai   1.sword 2.eyebrow 3.slaughter 4.mass murder 5.underway, ongoing
They slaughter with the sword of their eyebrows (the eyebrow because of its shape is often called a dagger or a sword). Day and night their killing goes on.
25
jaur¹ ushshaaq² par rava³ rakhna
un ke nazdiik⁴ vaza’-daari⁵ hai   1.cruelty, oppression 2.lovers 3.legitimate, accepted 4.expression meaning-for them, they think 5.refined behaviour/culture
They think that legitimizing/justifying cruelty on lovers is refined culture.
26
kahte haiN Ghair¹ se mileNge ham
is meN kya haikRi² tumhaari hai   1.rival 2.to threaten, to assert rights
They say that they will continue to meet the rival and ask what right do you have to stop me.
27
such¹ agar² poochhiye to duniya meN
dil lagaana gunaah-gaari³ hai    1.truth 2.if 3.committing sin
If you were to ask me the truth i.e., if you ask me to speak frankly, falling in love in this world is a sin.
28
un ko aGhyaar¹ se nahiN fursat²
ham ko milne ki be-qaraari³ hai   1.rivals 2.liesure, free time 3.restlessness
They can’t take any time away from (meeting) the rival and I am restless to meet her.
29
dil hai qabze¹ meN ek sitamgar² ke
jaan mushkil meN ab hamaari hai   1.control, possession 2.torturer
My heart is in the control of a torturer. Life is now in difficulty.
30
ye vo maiKhaana¹ hai jahaaN haajer²
be-Khudi³ ain⁴ hoshiyaari⁵ hai    1.tavern 2.pen-name of the poet 3.trance, intoxication 4.essence 5.wisdom, knowledge, awareness
The ‘ye maiKhaana/tavern’ in the first misra could be the domain of love or it could be life itself. O haajer, this is a tavern where intoxication is the essence of understanding. This can be in the sufiyaana spirit of iqbal’s …
be-Khatar kood paRa aatish-e namrood meN ishq
aql hai mahv-e tamaasha-e lab-e baam abhi