Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mirza taqi beg maa’el dehlavi (1850-1931) has a large corpus with quite a few of his Ghazal composed in the style of Ghalib. He started composing at the age of 14 and it is reported that he met with Ghalib several times but did not seek or receive any tutoring. Perhaps he considered that presumptuous because he was too young and Ghalib was in his final years. He moved to jaipur in 1875 and lived there until his passing. His work, scattered among many friends was collected and published as his ‘kulliyaat’ – complete works – in three volumes, under the sponsorship of the rajasthan sahitya academy. This is one of several Ghazal composed with the qaafiya/radeef of ‘zarf-e qadah-Khwaar dekh kar’ and is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
aaya bhi barq¹-e tuur² ko sau baar dekh kar
laaya na phir bhi taab³ ruKh⁴-e yaar⁵ dekh kar   1.lightning 2.mount tuur 3.ability to bear 4.face 5.beloved, god
This is the story of moosa who went up mount tuur asking to see god. There was a manifestation in the form of a lightning strike but moosa fainted because he could not bear the sight. The poet/lover claims that he has been up mount tuur a hundred times and seen the brilliance of the lightning flash, but still, he does not have the strength to bear the sight of the beloved’s face.
2
mere bhi hosh¹ uR gaye us jalva-gaah² meN
rooh-ul-amiiN³ ko naqsh-ba-diivaar⁴ dekh kar   1.senses, awareness 2.place of manifestation 3.another name of jibra’iil/Gabriel 4.etching on the wall
‘hosh uR jaana’ is an expression meaning ‘losing senses, stunned with amazement’. ‘naqsh-ba-diivaar’ is an expression meaning to be stunned and become quiet and still like an etching on the wall. ‘jalva-gaah’ – place of manifestation is where you get to see the beloved. The poet/lover got access to the jalva-gaah and was stunned in amazement upon seeing even jibra’iil still like an etching on the wall. The implication is that jibra’iil, a messenger of god, is in the presence of god’s glory often. Even he is stunned at the beauty of the beloved.
3
bulbul bhi ek gul¹ ki Khariidaar² ban gaii
gulshan³ meN husn⁴-e yaar⁵ ka baazaar dekh kar   1.rose 2.buyer, desirous of, lover 3.garden 4.beauty 5.friend, beloved
In urdu poetic tradition gul and bulbul are lovers. It is springtime in the garden and there is a bazaar/display/offering of the beauty of the beloved. Seeing this, a bulbul too, fell in love with a rose.
4
le le ke naqd¹-e jaaN² tere kooche³ meN aaye to
aaNkheN khuliiN Khuda ko Khariidaar⁴ dekh kar   1.value, essence 2.life 3.street 4.buyer, admirer
Lovers come to the street of the beloved offering their lives. When they came, their eyes opened wide (in amazement or in revelation of truth) when they saw that god himself was one of the admirers of her beauty. In urdu poetic tradition the creator is often described as enamoured with the beauty of his own creation.
5
ye to kahaaN haiN aariz¹ o gesu² tere kahaaN
laRte haiN kis ko kaafir³ o diiNdaar⁴ dekh kar   1.face, beauty 2.hair 3.non-believers 4.believers
The ‘aariz o gesu’ – face and hair of the beloved are a very significant aspect of the beloved’s beauty. Thus, “they” are nowhere i.e., “they” don’t count for much compared to your beauty. Who are the “they”. They are the believers and non-believers. They don’t count for anything because they are fighting over trivia and don’t see/understand your real beauty.
6
jaana¹ keh Khaak² o aab³ meN hai jalva-gar⁴ vahi
maana⁵ Khuda ko soorat-e dildaar⁶ dekh kar   1.came to know/understand, realize 2.clay, dust 3.water 4.manifesting, appearing 5.convince of 6.beloved
I realized that it is he who is manifest in clay and water. Of course, the story is that humans were made of clay and water. Thus, the divine is manifest in humans too. The other possibility is that “Khaak o aab – clay and water” refers to the idol made of clay and water, the idol being the beloved. I became convinced of the existence/goodness of god upon seeing the face/beauty of the beloved.
7
ham sajda¹ karte karte kaii baar ruk gaye
kaa’be meN butkade² ke se aasaar³ dekh kar   1.ritual devotional prostration 2.idol house, temple 3.signs, indications
The poet/devotee is at the k’aaba ready to offer prayers with ritual prostration. But he sees signs/clues of ‘but-kada’ – idol house i.e., he feels the presence of idols. The idol is also a manifestation of the divine. So, he hesitates in offering ritual prostration. Said sa’eed shahiidi …
k’aabe ka ehteraam bhi meri nazar meN hai
sar kis taraf jhukaauN tujhe dekhne ke b’aad
8
pardoN¹ se raNg raNg ke aane laga nazar²
betaab³ apne taalib⁴-e diidaar⁵ dekh kar   1.veils 2.visible 3.restless 4.demanding, seeking 5.sight, manifestation
The beloved is behind veils(just like god). But there is a throng of restless seekers asking to see the beloved/god. So, the beloved appears as colourful veils. This is sufiyaana imagery of the appearance/sighting of the divine in any number of veils of the world of “raNg of buu” – colour and fragrance i.e., the material world.
9
m’aaloom ab hui hai balandi¹-e qasr²-e dil
arsh-e-bariiN³ pe saaya-e-diivaar⁴ dekh kar   1.height, greatness 2.palace, house 3.seventh heaven, god’s abode 4.shadow/protection of the wall (of the house of the heart)
The poet/devotee focuses on the abode of the divine and even there he sees the familiarity of the house of his heart i.e., god is in the heart. That is when he realizes the greatness of the ‘house of the heart’.
10
shoriidagaan¹-e Khaas² ka dekho to us ke shauq³
Khush ho rahe haiN kaa’be ke kohsaar⁴ dekh kar   1.mad passionate lovers 2.special 3.desire, passion 4.hills, rocks
Look at the intensity of passion of her very special mad passionate lovers. They are wandering the desert looking for the beloved (a la majnuN of laila-majnuN legend). They come upon a range of hills and are happy anticipating that the k’aaba (house of god/beloved) is just beyond (the k’aaba is surrounded by hills that are considered a major geographic marker).
11
duniya meN kya rakha hai jo muR jaaye aaftaab¹
dekhe idhar to kya tere ruKhsaar² dekh kar    1.sun 2.cheeks
What is there in this world that can make the sun turn back i.e., not sink into the horizon at night but turn back again towards the world. It has seen the beloved’s cheeks and is scared of the comparison. So, how can it turn back.
12
dard¹-e firaaq²-e but-kada³ ek baar miT⁴ gaya
kaa’be meN har taraf⁵ tere anvaar⁶ dekh kar   1.pain 2.separation 3.idol house 4.erased 5.in every direction 6.rays of light, brilliance
The pain of separation from the idol house instantly disappeared upon seeing the brilliance of the beloved everywhere in the k’aaba.
13
dil hi mila hai un ko na un ko nazar¹ mili
Khush hoNge phir to kya tujhe aGhyaar² dekh kar    1.sight, eyes 2.others, rivals
They (rivals) have not been bestowed a loving/feeling heart and they don’t have a discriminating sight. How can they be happy upon seeing you i.e., they are merely lustful compared to me who has a real heart and a real appreciation for beauty.
14
Khaasaan¹-e haq² ke muNh se jo nikle vo kyuN na ho
kahte haiN baat vaaqif³-e asraar⁴ dekh kar   1.special people, experts 2.truth 3.knowledgable, familiar 4.secrets, mysteries
Sufi mystics know the secrets/mysteries of gnostic knowledge. They are ‘vaaqif-e asraar’. Whatever they say, they say after looking/searching carefully. Hence why should they not be considered credible.
15
ushshaaq¹ ki namaaz² ka koii nahiN vaqt
karte haiN sajda³ ye to ruKh⁴-e yaar⁵ dekh kar   1.lovers 2.prayer 3.ritual devotional prostration 4.face 5.friend, beloved, god
True lovers are not bound by the rituals of time in offering namaaz/prayers. They bow down in obeisance when they see the face of the beloved/god. Said Ghalib …
maqsood-e maa ze dair o haram juz habiib niist
har jaa kuneem sajda bad’an aastaaN rasad
urdu translation (shahed)
sajda hai bas habiib ka ho dayr ya haram
jaata us aastaaN pe hai, chaahe karo jahaaN
16
maanind¹-e Ghuncha² rahte na Khaamosh fikr³ meN
us ke dahan⁴ ko vaaqif⁵-e asraar⁶ dekh kar    1.like, similar to 2.unopened flower bud 3.deep thought 4.mouth 5.knowedgable of, familiar with 6.secrets, mysteries
I am not sure I understand this clearly. I am writing a literal translation, hoping that someone among the readers might be able to offer a better explanation. In classical urdu poetry the standards of beauty include a thin/disappearing waist and a narrow/vanishing mouth (much different from modern day concepts). The “vaaqif-e asraar” would not have remained silent, upon seeing the beauty of her mouth, lost deep in thought, like an unopened flower bud …. it seems like this is a half a thought … they would not have remained silent, IF they had … we have to fill in the blanks and I have not been able to do so.
17
paTke¹ se kah rahe haiN keh allaah re nasiib²
un ki kamar ka vaaqif-e-asraar³ dekh kar   1.waist band 2.fortune 3.familiar with mysteries
In urdu poetic tradition the beloved has a very thin waist and at the height of beauty, no waist at all. Thus, her waist-band is familiar with this secret and she coquettishly declares that it has such good fortune. On a lighter note, reflecting the rivalry between lukhnau and hyderabad …
suna hai keh lukhnow meN ullu ke paTThe, rag-e gul se bulbul ke par baandhte haiN
suna hai keh unke kamar hi nahiN hai, na jaane vo naaRa kidhar baandhte haiN
18
samjha¹ keh koo²-e yaar³ meN milte haiN martabe⁴
qaasid⁵ ko apne mahram⁶-e asraar⁷ dekh kar   1.understood, realized 2.lane 3.friend, beloved 4.status, high office 5.messenger 6.intimate/familiar with 7.secrets
The poet/lover has been sending messages to the beloved via a messenger. Over time, the messenger has been learning all her secrets. He realizes that such high status (as familiarity with secrets) is granted in the lane of the beloved. Perhaps he is being jealous of his own messenger.
19
kya chiiz mil gayii keh gadayaan¹-e koo²-e yaar³
donoN jahaaN se kar gaye inkaar⁴ dekh kar   1.beggars 2.street of 3.friend, beloved 4.refuse, turn away
The lovers who throng the street of the beloved are like beggars, begging for a sight of her. I wonder what it is that the beggars of the street of the beloved have found that they turn away from both worlds – the here and the hereafter. They are content with the street of the beloved.
20
nisbat¹ hai mujh ko kaa’be se go² saNg-e-raah³ huN
chalte nahiN ho maa’el⁴ diiNdaar⁵ dekh kar   1.relationship, association 2.even though 3.rock blocking the path 4.pen-name of the poet 5.honest
My association, my goal is with the k’aaba (the beloved’s abode), even though I am rock in the path towards it. O maa’el, why don’t you walk just like the honest folk you see walking the path.