Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mahr lal soni zia (1913-1986), kapurthala, panjab. Even though he had no family tradition of urdu or shaa’eri, he fell in love with both at an early age and learnt at home from an ustaad. He got a BA and MA from Forman Christian College and served as student magazine editor. Worked at the Reserve Bank of India. He was a shaagird of seemab akbarabadi and has more than half a dozen collections to his credit. He started composing in 1930 with the first collection published in 1934. In addition to nazm, Ghazal and rubaaii, he published biographies and critiques of shu’ara. This Ghazal is linked to others with the same or very similar radeef ‘ki baat kareN’ on the Refrain Index page.
1
Khatm¹-e ahd²-e qaisar³ ho fuGhfoor⁴ ki baateN kareN
daur⁵-e jamhoori⁶ hai yeh jamhoor ki baateN kareN    1.end of 2.era, period 3.Caesar 4.Chinese emperor 5.times, era 6.democracy, republic
Let’s talk about the end of Caesar’s era, and the end of the Chinese empire. This is the era of democracy, let’s talk about the republic. This stanza sets the theme of the poem, urging a discussion on the issues and dynamics of a democratic society, possibly reflecting on the transition from autocracy (represented by Caesar) to democracy.
2
kyuN na baRh kar chhiin leN saaqi se meena¹ aur suboo²
rind³-e sarkash⁴, maikash⁵-e maGhroor⁶ ki baateN kareN    1.flask 2.wine cup, goblet 3.wine-drinker 4.brave, daring 5.wine-drinker 6.proud
Why not step forward and boldly snatch the goblet and flask from the cupbearer? Let’s talk about the bold drunkard and the proud intoxicated. This may metaphorically suggest the need for boldness in seizing opportunities or asserting rights, contrasting with the arrogance or pride of those in positions of power.
3
hausloN¹ ko hai abhi qurbaaniyoN² ki ehtiyaaj³
daar⁴ ka charcha⁵ kareN mansoor⁶ ki baateN kareN    1.courage, boldness 2.sacrifice 3.necessity 4.hanging platform, gallows 5.publicize, popularize 6.mansoor-al-hallaaj
This invoking the story of mansoor al-hallaaj, a Persian mystic and poet who was executed for his bold and unrepentent expression of controversial beliefs. Thus, courage still needs the sacrifice of martyrs. Let’s discuss/spread the word of the gallows, let’s talk about the courage of mansoor.
4
dil ko kab tak qulqul¹-e meena² se bahlaa’eNge³ hum
Khoon-e dahqaaN⁴ mehnat⁵-e mazdoor⁶ ki baateN kareN    1.gurgling sound 2.flask 3.console 4.farmer 5.labour 6.worker
All that the proletariat get in answer to their demands is sweet talk like the gurgling of the flask without getting any actual wine. How long will we deceive/console the heart with the tinkling of the goblet? Let’s talk about the blood-soaked labour of the farmer and the hard labour of the worker.
5
zahr¹ jis ka darpa’e²-e taKhriib³-e insaaN hai hanooz⁴
seena-e geti⁵ ke us naasoor⁶ ki baateN kareN    1.poison 2.bent upon, determined to 3.destruction 4.still, even now 5.world, humanity 6.cancer, sore
The poison that threatens the destruction of human beings still exists. Let’s talk about that cancer on the heart of humanity.
6
ham ko karni hai murattib¹ dastaan²-e husn-o-ishq³
sub’h dilli, shaam-e niishaapur⁴ ki baateN kareN    1.collect, arrange 2.story 3.beauty and love 4.omar Khayyaam’s birthplace
We have to arrange the story of beauty and love. Let’s talk about the morning of dehli, the evening of niishapur. This she’r may suggest the desire to narrate or craft stories of beauty and love, invoking the imagery of historical cities like dehli and niishaapur to symbolize different aspects of life and culture.
7
aao sham’a-e aagahi¹ roshan kareN dil meN zia²
aur un ke jalva³-e mastoor⁴ ki baateN kareN    1.awareness, knowledge 2.pen-name of the poet 3.image, glory 4.hidden, veiled
Let’s light the torch of awareness in the heart, O zia. And let’s talk about her splendour hidden behind the veil. Here ‘un’ is interpreted as the beloved. This concluding she’r urges for awareness of the beloved’s splendour in the heart itself. Could this be the divine beloved or the beauty of social justice.