Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. syed ali haidar nazm tabaatabaai (1854-1933), scholar, critic, translator and poet. In 1883 he moved to hyderabad, Professor, Nizam College and Department of Translation, Osmania University with josh malihabadi. Wrote an explanatory discussion of Ghalib’s diivaan and published his own diivaan. He composed several Ghazal in the style of Ghalib, this one styled after, ‘muNh meN zabaaN kyuN ho’, and is linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’ along with those of many other shu’ara.
1
mujhi¹ se kah rahe haiN sub keh sargarm²-e fuGhaaN³ kyuN ho
koii us se nahiN kahta keh tum naa-mehrbaaN⁴ kyuN ho    1.only me 2.ardent, diligent 3.wailing, crying 4.unkind
Everyone asks only me why I am so diligent in wailing. Somebody should ask her (the beloved) why she is so unkind.
2
na khiiNch¹ aye chaaragar² paikaan³-e qaatil⁴ mere siine se
mileN yuN dil se dil baaham⁵ to koii darmiyaaN⁶ kyuN ho    1.pull 2.healer 3.tip of the arrow 4.killer, beloved 5.mutual 6.in the middle, interfering
The arrow is the beloved’s glance shot at the lover. The tip pentrates his heart and becomes one with it … like two loving hearts in mutual embrace. Thus, O healer do not remove the tip of that arrow from my bosom. If two hearts are willing to meet/embrace, why should anyone interfere.
3
saraa’e¹-e dahr² meN Thahre to phir shikva-shikaayet³ kya
jise Khuun-e jigar⁴ khaana na ho vo mehmaaN⁵ kyuN ho    1.travelers’ rest stop 2.world 3.complaints 4.liver – seat of fortitude 5.guest
The saraa’e is a rest stop for caravans along a long route. Thus, this world is nothing but a temporary caravan stop on a longer route (to the spiritual world). Why should we complain about conditions in a temporary stop, after all it will be over soon. If you don’t have the fortitude (ability to eat your liver) to undergo the trials and tribulations of this temporary stay in the caravan saraa’e, then why should you be a guest there.
4
yakaayak¹ pher² lena aaNkh ka bas qahr³ Dhaata⁴ hai
agar⁵ kah sun ke bigRo⁶ bhi to marg⁷-e naagahaaN⁸ kyuN ho   1.suddenly, unexpectedly 2.turn away 3.calamity 4.bring down 5.if 6.get annoyed 7.death 8.unexpected, sudden
The beloved is very unpredictable. For no known reason, without giving an explanation, she gets annoyed with the lover, turning her eyes away. This is like a sudden unexpected death to him. If she had said talked back and forth and then gotten annoyed, then perhaps the lover would not be taken by surprise.
5
milegi daad¹ kya mahshar² meN hum ko us sitamgar³ se
nahiiN hona hua na kuchh to phir shor-o-fuGhaaN⁴ kyuN ho   1.compensation 2.day of judgement 3.cruel, beloved 4.crying and wailing
There is no chance that the lover will get any recompense on judgement day for his suffering at the hands of the beloved, because the beloved will deny it and the lover will not testify against her. So, if nothing is going to happen (by way of recompense) and no pain was inflicted (because the beloved will deny it), then what is all the crying and wailing about!
6
qayaamat¹ aaj hi aa jaaye, suur²-e hashr³ phuNk⁴ jaaye
shab-e-Gham⁵ meN saje⁶ kyuN sub’h ki naubat⁷ azaaN⁸ kyuN ho   1.doomsday 2.trumpet 3.day of judgement 4.get blown 5.night of sorrow 6.embellished 7.chimes/musicians playing music to announce time 8.call to prayer
According to the traditions of islam, soon after doomsday, an angel will play the trumpet, raising all the dead and calling them to the day of judgement. Also, in traditional societies, at the gates of a nobleman’s palace, a ‘naubat-band’ was played to mark every ‘pahr-three hour period’ beginning with dawn. This was considered a pleasant and joyous occasion as was the azaan. Thus, the poet is in such a sorrowful mood that he is willing to let doomsday come right now and let the angels blow the horn to call everyone to judgement day. In my night of sorrow why should there be this embellishment of joyous naubat or azaan at dawn. My dawn is going to be miserable anyway.
7
jab apni Khuu¹ ye Thahre muNh meN jo aaye so kah jaao
to phir kahna kisi ka tab’a-e-naazuk² par giraaN³ kyuN ho    1.nature, character 2.delicate/sweet temperament 3.heavy, disagreeable
When it is your nature to say whatever comes to your mind then, why should your delicate temperament find it disagreeable when someone else speaks plainly to you.
8
ishaare¹ meN gul-e nargis² ne poochha us ki aaNkhoN se
fida³ maiN tum pe, tum biimaar kyuN ho naatavaaN⁴ kyuN ho    1.sign language 2.narcissus 3.sacrificial offering 4.weak
‘fida hona’ is an expression that means offer oneself to take the curse that has fallen on someone they love. The ‘nargis/narcissus’ is used as a symbol for eyes since it has a dark centre like a pupil. The narcissus grows on river banks and droops down to ‘look at’ its own reflection in the brook as if in love with itself. The ‘nargis’ and its reflection are talking to each other in sign language. The narcissus sees itself in reflection as drooping-head bowed as if in sorrow and says … may I take the evil upon myself, why do you look so sad?
9
na diivaanoN ke muNh lag tuu, na gat¹ aisi bane naaseh²
uReN daaman³ ke kyuN purze³, garebaaN⁴ dhajjiyaaN⁵ kyuN ho   1.condition 2.moralizer, sermonizer, preacher 3.hem of the robe 4.shreds 5.collar 6.rags, tears
The traditional picture is that mad passionate lovers gather in the street of the beloved and the preacher comes around and upbraids them. Apparently, they have roughed him up and poet says, O preacher if you had not gotten tangled up with these mad lovers, you would not have been reduced to this condition. Neither would the hem of your robe would have been shredded or would your collar have been torn.
10
vo mera justaju¹ meN us ki jaana bazm²-e KhoobaaN³ meN
aur us ka badgumaani⁴ se ye kahna, tum yahaaN kyuN ho   1.search 2.gathering 3.beauties 4.suspicion
The poet/lover is looking for the beloved and has gone to the gathering of beauties in search of her. She is suspicious and asks him, why are you here.
11
use be-maaNge¹ hi dene ki aadat² tuu ne Daali hai
to sharminda³ kisi ka phir gadaa⁴-e aasmaaN kyuN ho    1.without asking/begging 2.habit 3.shamed, obligated 4.beggar
It appears that god has been giving generously without the receiver (human) having to ask. The human has gotten habituated to this and there is no more any shame for the ‘beggar’ to ask of the ‘skies-heavens-god’.
12
samajh le dahr¹ ko jaata hua sailaab² hai varna³
habaab⁴-e aasmaaN ke saath mauj⁵-e kahkashaaN⁶ kyuN ho    1.material world 2.flood 3.otherwise 4.bubble 5.waves 6.constellations
Understand that the material world is nothing but a passing flood. Otherwise, why would this sky which is like a bubble be accompanied by waves of constellation. Thus, bubbles and waves are symbolic of a passing flood.
13
Khabar¹ lo aek raNg aata hai ek jaata hai chehre² ka
talavvun³ gar na ho to teuriyoN⁴ meN dhoop chhaaN kyuN ho    1.awareness 2.face 3.changeable, capricious 4.wrinkled brow
Traditionally, the beloved is inconstant and changes favours among her many admirers. Thus, be aware of the changing colours on the face of the beloved. If this is not capriciousness, then why is there ‘dhoop chaauN’- changing shades of colour on her brow.
14
taRapna¹ niim-bismil² ho ke haidar³ tha muqaddar⁴ meN
ruke haiN jab vahi mujh se to phir Khanjar⁵ ravaaN⁶ kyuN ho   1.writhing in pain 2.sacrificed but only half-way 3.pen-name of the poet (sometimes nazm) 4.fate 5.knife 6.flow, move
The knife is supposed to move back and forth over the throat to complete the cut of the jugular vein. But in this case, it has not completed its job so the ‘bismil’-sacrifical animal’s pain is prolonged. He writhes in pain without dying. Thus, O haidar, if such a fate has stopped with you, you are the final ‘majnuN-like exemplar lover’ to suffer such a fate, then why should the knife continue and finish its work.