Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mirza mohammed taqi beg maa’el dehlavi (1850-1931). He moved to jaipur, rajasthan, in 1879 looking for patronage and found employment with the local rajah along with a number of cohorts. The extensive collection of his work was posthumously published in three volumes by the rajasthan urdu academy. The biographical note in this collection mentions that he met with Ghalib several times but there is no record that he received any formal instruction/correction of his verse. There may be a bit of confusion, because there were two maa’el dehlavi contemporaneously. This is one of four Ghazal that he composed in the style of Ghalib’s saaqi ne kuchh mila na diya ho sharaab meN; all four are linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
vo aaye Khwaab meN to huN is pech-o-taab¹ meN
kya jaane ho ke aaye haiN kis kis ke Khwaab meN     1.restlessness, dissatisfaction
The expression, ‘came in his dreams’ is a little awkward in English. But the word play does not come out in translation unless it is used. With apologies, I use it. The poet/lover is demonstrating his jealousy. She came in my dreams but this left me with this restlessness/dissatisfaction – who knows she came in how many other people’s dreams before coming in mine.
2
is vahm¹ ne hai aur bhi Daala azaab² meN
kyuN jaa-ba-jaa³ shikan⁴ hai tumhaare naqaab⁵ meN     1.doubt, apprehension 2.torture 3.here and there, in many places 4.wrinkle 5.veil
A wrinkled/furrowed brow is a sign of anger. Somehow or the other the wrinkles on the beloved’s brow show up on the veil. This causes a torturous apprehension in the poet/lover’s mind. Why are there such wrinkles, what are you angry about.
3
kuchh kuchh nikal chale to haiN josh¹-e shabaab² meN
ye dekhna hai rahte haiN kab tak hijaab³ meN     1.vigour 2.youth 3.veil
The young beloved has ventured out a little bit in the vigour of her youth. It remains to be seen how long she will remain veiled.
4
hirmaan¹ o yaas² raNg jab apna jama³ chuke
vo aaye haiN to kab dil-e hasrat⁴-ma’aab⁵ meN   1.hopelessness 2.fear, despair 3.raNg jamaana is an expression meaning – to make a permanent mark 4.longing 5.receptacle, place of return
Only after hopelessness and despair had made their mark did she come into my longing filled heart.
5
duniya ki kuchh Khabar¹ hai na vaa’ez² ko diin³ ki
kam-baKht⁴ mubtala⁵ hai azaab⁶ o savaab⁷ meN     1.awareness, knowledge 2.preacher 3.spirituality 4.unfortunate 5.involved, tangled with 6.torture, punishment 7.blessing, reward
The unfortunate preacher has no knowledge of either the material or the spiritual world. He is just tangled up with questions of reward and punishment.
6
kis ka yeh josh¹-e Gham hai keh yakjaa² nahiN qaraar³
dil meN kabhi hai aur kabhi chashm⁴-e pur-aab⁵ meN    1.overflowing, boiling 2.one place 3.peace 4.eyes 5.full of water/tears
What kind of overflowing pain is this that cannot find peace in one place. Sometimes it is in the heart and at other times up shows up in teary eyes.
7
vaa’ez¹ jo ehteraaz² KharaabaatiyoN³ se hai
tashriif⁴ laaye kyuN ho jahaan-e-Kharaab⁵ meN   1.preacher 2.staying away from, rejecting 3.wine-drinkers 4.honouring someone (with coming to visit) 5.world of wine drinking
O preacher, if you have rejected/condemned wine drinkers (as sinners), why do you honour the world of wine-drinking (the tavern) with your presence. Said Ghalib …
kahaaN maiKhaane ka darvaaza Ghalib aur kahaaN vaa’ez
par itna jaante kal vo jaata tha keh ham niklay
8
kaafir¹ huN aaj se jo rahuN be-Khata² kiye
dekhi haiN vo adaa’eN³ tumhaare itaab⁴ meN    1.non-believer, sinner 2.without offending 3.style, manner, flair 4.anger
The poet/lover offended once and the beloved got angry and showed her anger in such an admirable style that he is resolved never to remain without offending even for a single day for the rest of his life. If he were to do that, then he claims that he should be condemned as a sinner.
9
shooKhi¹ ki bhi ada² hai to sharm³ o haya⁴ ke saath
haiN be-hijaabiyaaN⁵ teri daaKhil⁶ hijaab⁷ meN     1.playfulness, teasing 2.style 3.coyness 4.bashfulness 5.unveiling, exposure 6.included 7.veiling
Even her style of playful teasing is accompanied by bashfulness and coyness, just like her unveiling and veiling of her face are ‘mixed’, mingled, simultaneous. Said daaGh dehlavi …
Khoob parda hai keh chilman se lage baiThe haiN
saaf chhupte bhi nahiN saamne aate bhi nahiN
10
meri nazar¹ hai vus’at²-e rahmat³ pe, likh bhi do
duniya meN jo gunaah⁴ ho mere hisaab⁵ meN     1.eyes, glance 2.expanse, domain 3.kindness, forgiveness 4.sins 5.account, listing
I have my eyes on the vastness of the domain of forgiveness. Go ahead and list all the sins I have committed in this world. Said panDit anand narain mulla …
us ke karam pe shak tujhe zaahid zaruur tha
varna tera qusoor na karna qusoor tha
11
vaa’ez¹ ke kahne sun’ne se tauba² bhi kii to kya
dil to paRa hua hai sharaab o kabaab meN     1.preacher 2.repentence, promise to abstain
If you promise to abstain because of the prattle of the preacher, what is the use. Your heart is stuck in wine and food i.e., you are going to break your promise soon.
12
dekhega kaun diida¹-e anjum² bhi band hai
mil jaao ham se aa ke shab³-e maahtaab⁴ meN   1.eyes 2.stars 3.night of 4.full moon
The night of the full moon is considered romantic. That is when the poet/lover desires for the beloved to come and meet him. She on the other hand, is afraid that someone will see her in the brightness of the moon and does not want to meet on moonlit nights. Thus, who can see you; even the eyes of stars are closed/dazzled/blinded. Do come and meet me on a moonlit night. Said qamar jalaalavi …
maana keh un se raat ka v’aada hai aye qamar
kaise vo aa sakeNge agar chaandni hui
13
maa’el¹ karam² se piir-e-muGhaaN³ ki hamaari to
guzri⁴ tamaam umr⁵ sharaab o kabaab meN    1.pen-name of the poet 2.benevolence, kindness 3.head of the tavern, chief wine maker 4.passed 5.all life long
O maa’el, because of the kindness of the chief wine-maker all my life passed in the luxury of wine and food.