Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. hakim aGha jaan aish dehlavi (1779-1874). There are many Ghazal in the same zamin as Ghalib, probably composed in the same mushaa’era. He was a third generation hakim by profession and was personal physician to one of bahadur shah zafar’s sons. He fled dehli in the aftermath of 1857 and years later crawled his way back a decent means of living based on his healing practice. Despite having written a qita critical of Ghalib because of the obscure meaning of his verse, there are several Ghazal written in the same zamin as Ghalib. This one, in the zamin of saaqi ne kuchh mila na diya ho sharaab meN, is linked both to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam and Ghalib peshrau aur ham-asr.
1
voh naala¹, laa’e charKh² ko jo inqelaab³ meN
miskan⁴ hai uss ka iss dil-e Khaana-Kharaab⁵ meN    1.wail 2.sky, heaven 3.change, revolution, turn around 4.residence, home 5.destroyed
The poet/lover is so distraught that in his heart resides a wail so strong that if he lets it out, it will reach the sky and turn it around.
2
be-pardah¹ aa’e gar voh shab²-e maahtaab³ meN
mahtaab³ dekh muNh ko chhupaa’e sahaab⁴ meN   1.unveiled 2.night of 3.full moon 4.cloud
The full moon is considered very beautiful – the standard of beauty to which everyone aspires. But if the beloved were to come out, unveiled on moonlit night, and the full moon were to see her, it would feel so ashamed by comparison that it would try to hide its face behind a cloud.
3
dekha tha kis ki kaakul¹-e pechaaN² ko Khwaab meN
jo jaan ab talak hai usi pech-o-taab³ meN   1.forelocks 2.curly 3.twists and turns, awe and hesitation
The poet/lover saw the beloved’s curly forelocks in a dream. Ever since his life has been a struggle of twists and turns. This is a nice juxtaposition of curly locks and twists and turns of life.
4
qaatil¹, maiN aashiq-e mizsha² o chashm³-e mast⁴ huN
Khanjar⁵ galay peh pher bujha⁶ ka sharaab meN   1.killer, beloved 2.eylashes 3.eye 4.intoxicated 5.knife, dagger 6.quench
The beloved is frequently referred to as ‘qaatil’. To temper the steel of a dagger, it is heated red hot and quenched in water. Here the poet calls for it to be quenched in wine. He seems to be reminding the beloved that he is no stranger, that he is a lover of her intoxicating eyes and long eyelashes. Eyelashes are also considered to be like curved daggers. Perhaps her eyelash/daggers are quenched in wine because of her intoxicating eyes. These are the dagger that he wants drawn across his throat to be killed at the hands of the beloved.
5
zaahid¹ se koii itna to poochhe ke bad-nasiib²
lazzat³ mili hai kya tujhe kah⁴ ijtenaab⁵ meN    1.observant, pious 2.unfortunate 3.pleasure 4.say, speak 5.abstinence
Someone should ask the unfortunate zaahid – O unfortunate one, speak/say/answer what pleasure did you get from abstinence.
6
uss ki gali meN laakhoN ki jaaneN haiN paa’emaal¹
aye hazrat²-e dil haiN aap vahaaN kis hisaab³ meN    1.trampled 2.honorific like sir 3.reckoning, counting, value
In the beloved’s lane, thousands (of lovers) have been trampled to death. O my dear heart, of what value do you think you are.
7
ifshaa¹-e raaz²-e ishq ke baa’is³ tumhiiN to ho
sau be-hijaabiyaaN⁴ haiN tumhaare hijaab⁵ meN     1.disclose, reveal 2.secret 3.basis, reason 4.unveiledness, peeping out 5.veil
The beloved has a teasing way of peeping out of her veil to reveal just enough to get the lover agitated but not enough for people to think that she is unveiled. It is this playful, teasing unveiledness that has caused the lover to be so agitated that people could look at him and guess the reason … the reason being his love of her. Thus she herself is the cause of disclosure of this secret.
8
rindoN¹ ne teri gar² na suni to bura na maan
sunta hai kaun shaiKh kisi ki shabaab³ meN     1.wine lovers 2.if 3.youth
O shaiKh, do not be offended if the wine-lovers don’t listen to you, don’t mind you. After all, does anyone listen any advice during their youth.
9
sunti hai aye sabaa¹, tujhe jaane ka gar² kabhi
ho ittefaaq³ maar’eka⁴-e shaiKh o shaab⁵ meN    1.morning breeze 2.if 3.chance 4.conflict, quarrel 5.youth
This is the first of two ash’aar that are connected in meaning. O morning breeze, listen, if you chance upon a conflict between the preacher and the young man …
10
kah diijo she’r hazrat¹-e aazurda² jo paRhe
pahle zabaaN ko apni voh dho le gulaab³ meN   1.honorific like sir/mister 2.mufti sadruddin aazurda, a contemporary poet 3.rose-water
… if you chance upon a conflict between the preacher and the young man … say to them the she’r that aazurda has just read. I am not sure which she’r he means. There are three Ghazal of aazurda in this zamin. I have picked the following she’r as a guess –
ye umr aur ishq hai aazurda jaa-e sharm
hazrat ye baateN phabti haiN ahd-e shabaab meN
… and the shaiKh is also being adivsed to wash his mouth with rose water. Perhaps he has helped himself to some wine and need to get rid of the wine-odour.
11
paRh iss zamiiN¹ meN aur Ghazal aish² ab voh tuu
gosh³-e falak⁴ ne bhi jo suni ho na Khwaab⁵ meN   1.rhyme and rhythm 2.pen-name of the poet 3.ear 4.sky, heaven 5.dream
Now, you read a Ghazal in this rhyme, O aish, which even heaven has not heard in its dreams i.e., a rare and exquisite Ghazal.