Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. sv bhajan taalib shaahabaadi (1924-xxxx) MA, MOL, PhD. PhD from tehraan university, research on chishtia order. Served as pastor in lukhnau, dehli and hyderabad. Grandfather had converted to Christianity. Worked in hyderabad for many years d running the Henry Martyn Institute of Islamic Studies and translating the Bible into urdu. Family origins in multan, sialkoT and lahore. This Ghazal is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam under saaqi ne kuchh mila na diya ho sharaab meN.
1
lazzat¹ nahiN hai aaj voh jaam²-e sharaab meN
chehra chhupa hua hai kisi ka naqaab³ meN    1.pleasure 2.cup 3.veil
The image appears to be that the poet/lover is sitting across the beloved and drinking out of a cup of wine, but he does not get any pleasure out of it because she has hidden her face behind a veil. I find this image to be a little unusual. Perhaps the saaqi is the beloved and has veiled herself because she is offended.
2
dil ko nahiN shikaa’et¹-e be-jaa² say vaastaa³
un ki jafaa’eN⁴ aa na sakeN-gi hisaab⁵ meN    1.complaint 2.out of place, here it means useless 3.concern 4.cruelties 5.reckoning
I have no concern with and do not want to make useless/ineffective complaints because the cruelties of the beloved are so many and so varied that there is no reckoning.
3
chaahay libaas¹-e Ghair² hi tha zeb-tan³ magar
le, aa gaye na hum bhi teray inteKhaab⁴ meN    1.clothes, garment 2.other, rival 3.adorning the body 4.selection
In poetic convention the beloved neglects the poet/lover and shows favours to the rival. ‘libaas-e Ghair’ here can mean not the garments of the rival but his mannerisms and way of presenting himself. It appears that the poet/lover has successfully imitated those mannerisms and has gained the favour of the beloved and is happily boasting about it. Maybe it is the mannerism of the rival, but did I not become your selection!
4
ghabra¹ kay jaam² rakh diya allah ray naazukee³
sharmaa gaye haiN dekh kay soorat sharaab meN    1.worried, puzzled 2.cup 3.delicacy
The beloved considers herself to be the most beautiful woman in the world and cannot bear to see any equalling her in beauty. The beloved looking at herself in the mirror and becoming jealous is a frequent trope. This is a slightly different variation on that theme. She sees her own reflection in the cup of wine and gets puzzled/worried. The poet/lover admires this … by god, look at her delicate nature, she sees her image in the wine cup and puts it down blushing with bashfulness.
5
jaari¹ hai silsila²-e payaam³ o salaam⁴ abhi
Khat bhejta huN un ka unhiN kay javaab⁵ meN    1.ongoing 2.continuity, chain 3.message 4.greetings 5.answer
This one has me puzzled. The thread of messages and greetings (between the beloved and the poet/lover) continues. He sends her own letter back in response to hers. Normally, it is the beloved who returns letters in response to his letters. This seems to be the other way around. How this can maintain the thread of correspondence, I don’t know. Would appreciate any insight.
6
Khud-daariyoN¹ se soorat²-e haalaat³ hai ajeeb⁴
gar⁵ vo itaab⁶ meN haiN to hum izteraab⁷ meN    1.self-respect, ego 2.shape 3.conditions 4.strange 5.if 6.anger 7.restlessness
The shape of conditions here is strange because of hurt ego. If she is angry, then he is restless. I don’t know if there is any deeper meaning beyond this superficial translation.
7
taalib¹ jo paR gaya hai haseenoN² se vaastaa³
maiN bhi azaab⁴ meN huN yeh dil bhi azaab meN    1.pen-name of the poet 2.beauties 3.relationship, association 4.curse
O taalib, ever since there developed an association with beauties, I have been afflicted with a curse as well as my heart.