Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. daaGh dehlavi (1831-1905), grandson of bahadur shah zafar (because of the marriage of his widowed mother to zafar’s oldest son). After 1857, he had to move to rampur and later to hyderabad, where he died after 10+ happy years. His Ghazal are more earthy and romantic than sufiyaana or philosophical, but they are very popular because of their musicality. He was a disciple of zauq, whose rivalry with/jealousy of Ghalib is well known. But daaGh had good relations with Ghalib. This is a long Ghazal. It is posted in three parts to make for easy reading and listening. In addition, many singers have sung it, but each has selected a slightly different ash’aar in a slightly different order. A fourth post has been created with a composite version and audios of singers to read and listen at the same time. This Ghazal is linked to other ham-radeef Ghazal on the radeef-refrain Index page.
21
na puuchh dil ki haqiiqat¹ magar ye kahte haiN
voh be-qaraar² rahe jis ne be-qaraar² kiya     1.true/real condition 2.restless, agonized
Don’t ask me about the real condition of my heart, but they say the one who causes agony is also restless. It is the beloved who has caused agony in the heart of the lover. She is also restless and asking about the condition of his heart.
22
jab unn ko tarz-e-sitam¹ aa ga’e to hosh² aayaa
buraa ho dil ka bur’e vaqt hoshiyaar³ kiya     1.ways of tyranny/oppression 2.awareness, knowledge, wisdom 3.wise
When the beloved mastered the art of tyranny and oppression, only then did it become aware. May the heart be cursed, it became wise after it was too late, when conditions had already gone bad.
23
fasaana¹-e shab²-e Gham un ko ek kahaani thi
kuchh e’tebaar³ kiya kuchh na e’tebaar kiya     1.story 2.night 3.trust, believe
The story of my nights of sorrow was nothing but fictional to her. She believed some of it, and dismissed some.
24
asiiri¹-e dil-e aashufta² raNg³ laa ke rahi
tamaam⁴ turra⁵-e tarraar⁶ taar-taar⁷ kiya     1.captivity 2.agitated 3.colour, style, condition, appearance 4.all 5.tassle, crown of turban 6.smart 7.shredded to threads
The beloved has captured his heart. The captivity of the agitated heart finally caused this condition; the turban got shredded to threads all the way to the crown. The agitated poet/lover adopted the ways of majnuN, the legendary distraught lover.
25
kuchh aage¹ daavar²-e mahshar³ se hai umiid⁴ mujhe
kuchh aap ne mere kahne ka e’tebaar⁵ kiya     1.future 2.lord 3.day of judgement 4.hope, trust 5.trust, belief
It is understood that the poet/lover must have put the fear of god into the heart of the beloved by describing what might happen on the day of judgement. This may have caused her to change her ways and be more attentive to the lover. This has restored his trust for the future, in the lord of the day of judgement.
26
kisi ke ishq-e nehaaN¹ meN ye bad-gumaani² thi
keh Darte-Darte³ Khudaa par bhi aashkaar⁴ kiya     1.hidden 2.suspicion, fear, apprehension 3.with fear/hesitation 4.revealed
The lover is supposed to hide his love from everyone. He was so apprehensive about this that he hesitated and was fearful even in revealing it to god.
27
falak¹ se taur² qayaamat³ ke ban na paRte⁴ the
aKhiir⁵ ab tujhe aashob⁶-e rozgaar⁷ kiya     1.sky, fate 2.ways, methods 3.doomsday, tumult 4.an expression meaning-could not perform 5.finally 6.affliction 7.daily life
Fate could not adopt the (extremely cruel) ways of doomsday. Finally, it made you the affliction of life. The ‘you’ here is the beloved. She causes more cruelty than the sky/fate could ever cause. Thus, when falak failed in its mission, god created the beloved to complete it.
28
voh baat kar jo kabhi aasmaaN se ho na sake
sitam¹ kiya to baRaa tuu ne ifteKhaar² kiya     1.oppression, torment 2.pride, taking pleasure
This is addressed to the beloved. You have tormented me and take pride in your ability to torture. Now do something that the sky is incapable of doing. What is it that the sky is incapable of doing? In urdu poetic tradition fate/bad luck visits the poet rained down on him by the ‘sky’. The sky always brings bad luck and torment and is never benevolent or kind. Thus, the poet is calling upon the beloved to be kind to him.
29
banegaa mahr¹-e qayaamat² bhi aek Khaal-e-siyaah³
jo chehra⁴ daaGh⁵-e siyah-ruu⁶ ne aashkaar⁷ kiya    1.sun 2.doomsday 3.dark mole, dark spot 4.face 5.pen-name of the poet 6.black face, ugly 7.reveal, show, display
It is thought that on doomsday the sun will come close to the earth and shine fiery and bright. But here the poet says that even the bright doomsday sun will be reduced to a dark spot if ugly daaGh were to show his face. daaGh is making fun of his own ugliness. He had been afflicted with smallpox as a child. His taKhallus – ‘daaGh’ also hints at the pock marks on his face.