Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. raghubir das sahir sialkoTi (1906-1984). BA sanaatan dharm college lahore. Worked for milaap daily in lahore after graduation. During partition mayhem he lost all his work. Went to jalandhar, an urdu literary hub at the time. Attended mushaa’era regularly and probably worked for magazines. When he went to hoshiarpur for a mushaa’era to hoshiarpur, he ran into his college class mate – amarchand qais who happened to have saved some of sahir’s Ghazal. Sahir became shaagird of josh malsiani. His collection was published in 1959. This Ghazal is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
hai izteraab¹ dil meN to dil izteraab² meN
Daala hai tum ne mujh ko ajab³ pech-o-taab⁴ meN    1.(contextually) eagerness 2.restlessness 3.strange 4.hesitation, confusion
There is eagerness/imaptience in the poet/lover’s heart and his heart is restless. It is the beloved that has caused all this confusion.
2
DhooNDeNge ek din mujhe Khud jalva-haa¹-e husn²
dekhuNga maiN raheNge vo kab tak hijaab³ meN    1.plural of jalva-appearance, manifestation, image 2.beauty 3.veiled
The poet/lover appears to be challenging the beloved. Today he is looking for the beloved but some day, the many manifestations of beauty (meaning the beloved) will look for him themselves. Let me see how long you will remain hidden behind a veil, he says.
3
ek husn¹-e barq-paash² ki din raat hai talaash³
apni qaza⁴ ko DhooND raha huN shabaab⁵ meN    1.beauty 2.lightning smashing 3.search 4.death 5.youth
The beloved is so beautiful and bright that she can ‘smash’ lightning. The poet/lover has been looking for such a beauty. That means he is looking for his own death in his youth … if he finds such beauty he is sure to be killed.
4
ham ne junooN¹ ko aql² kaha, aql ko junooN
kya nukta-ras³ tha ishq hamaara shabaab⁴ meN    1.passion, madness 2.wisdom, reason 3.able to reach/understand fine points 4.youth
In the field of love, the poet/lover considers passion to be superior to reason. Thus, in my youth I was able to understand fine points and was able to conclude that it is really wise to be governed by passion.
5
ajza¹ yahi haiN nusKha²-e aab-e-hayaat³ ke
kuchh masti⁴-e nigaah⁵ mila do sharaab meN    1.ingredients 2.prescription, formula 3.water/nectar of life 4.intoxication 5.eyes
This is the formula of the ingredients of the nectar of life … just mix the intoxication of the saaqi/beloved’s eyes in wine.
6
phir ho rahi hai pursish¹-e aamaal² roz-e-hashr³
yaarab⁴ saza⁵-e maut⁶ gaii kis hisaab⁷ meN     1.inquiry 2.actions 3.doomsday, day of judgment 4.god 5.punishment 6.death 7.reckoning
The poet is dead and is being questioned about his virtues and vices … an account is being taken of his actions, good and bad. He protests. I have already been punished with death … o god, how are you accounting for that punishment.
7
gesu¹ daraaz², mast³ nazar⁴, chehra⁵ aaftaab⁶
ab kuchh kami⁷ nahiN hai tumhaare shabaab⁸ meN   1.hair 2.long 3.intoxicating 4.eyes 5.face 6.sun-like, bright 7.shortcoming 8.youth
Long hair, intoxicating eyes, bright face – now there is no shortcoming in your youthful good looks.
8
Khat¹ meN khari-khari² bhi sunaaii haiN kuchh unheN
matlab³ ye hai kareN na tavaqquf⁴ javaab⁵ meN     1.letter 2.pure, true, plain-speaking 3.meaning, purpose 4.delay 5.answer
The poet/lover has been sending messages/letters to the beloved and there is always a long delay in getting a response. So this time, he is writing plainly to her, his purpose being to provoke her enough so as to get a quick response.
9
duniya-e aql-o-hosh¹ meN saahir² kise nasiib³
vo kaif⁴-e be-Khudi⁵ jo hai bazm⁶-e sharaab meN   1.reason and sobriety 2.pen-name of the poet 3.available 4.pleasure 5.trance, intoxication 6.gathering, society
In a world of sobriety and reason, O saahir, who has available to them, the pleasure that can be had in the society of wine lovers.