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 ‘saaqi ne kuchh mila na diya ho sharaab meN’, is particularly long – about 60 ash’aar. They are posted in 6 segments for easy reading and listening and linked to that category under the icon ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’, on the Theme page.
1
aaNkhoN se chhup kay ab nazar¹ aatay haiN Khwaab² meN
yeh bhi koi hijaab³ hai daaKhil⁴ hijaab³ meN     1.seen, appear 2.dream 3.veiling 4.entered, included
The beloved appears veiled in the poet/lover’s dream. This is like a double hijaab, one inside another, because she refuses to be seen in person and veils herself in when appearing in dreams. What kind of a hijaab is this, he complains.
2
dekha hai ham ne aa ke jahaan-e-Kharaab¹ meN
har shaKhs² mubtala³ hai Gham-o-izteraab⁴ meN    1.evil world 2.person 3.afflicted, surrouned 4.pain and sorrow
Coming into this sorrowful world, I have seen that every one is afflicted by pain and sorrow.
3
dekhay nigaah¹-e shauq² ki raKhna-gari³ koi
baaqi⁴ nah aek taar⁵ bhi chhoRa naqaab⁶ meN    1.eye 2.desire 3.tear creating, ripping 4.remain, left over 5.thread 6.veil
The lover’s eye of desire is so intense that it rips apart the veil of the beloved, so much so that it does not leave even a single thread on the veil.
4
laakhoN huay haiN qatl¹ to paamaal² saikRoN³
kya kya nah fitne⁴ tum ne uThaa’e shabaab⁵ meN    1.killed 2.trampled 3.millions 4.mischief 5.youth
This is addressed to the beloved. Thousands killed and millions trampled underfoot, oh how much mischief have you raised in your youth.
5
haNs haNs ke kar rahay thay raqiiboN¹ se guftagu²
dekha hameN to muNh ko chhupaaya naqaab³ meN    1.rivals 2.conversation 3.veil
The lover complains in jealousy … she was laughing and carrying on a lively conversation with the rival. But when she saw me, she hid her face behind her veil.
6
saaray gunaah¹ umr² ke dhul jaa’eNge abhi
zaahid³ laga kay dekh to Dubki⁴ sharaab meN    1.sins 2.life span 3.preacher 4.dip
This is wonderful application of the hindu imagery to the muslim preacher. It is hindu practice to take dip in the gaNga to wash off sins. The poet/wine lover suggests to the preacher that if he were to take a dip in wine, all his sins would be washed off.
7
letay ho jaam¹ bazm² meN GhairoN³ ke haath say
kya zahr⁴ mil gaya hai hamaari sharaab meN    1.cup (of wine) 2.gathering 3.rivals 4.poison
This she’r also expresses the lover’s frustration and jealousy. She accepts offers of glasses of wine from the hands of the rival in her gathering but apparently refuses offers by the lover. Frustrated, he asks – is my wine poisoned.
8
taa¹ haal²-e dil nah koi nigaahoN³ se taaR⁴ lay
karte haiN baat muNh voh chhupa kar naqaab⁵ meN     1.so that 2.condition 3.eyes 4.guess, surmise 5.veil
So that no one may guess the condition of her heart, she converses with her face hidden behind a veil. It is implied that the ‘koii’ – anyone is exclusively the lover.
9
haajer¹ samajh² rahay thay balaa-nosh³ ham tumheN
ho loT⁴ tum to aek hi jaam⁵-e sharaab meN    1.pen-name of the poet 2.thought, assumed 3.heavy drinker 4.wallowing, rolling 5.cup
O haajer, we thought you were a heavy drinker, but you are drunk, rolling on the ground, with just one cup of wine.