Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. prem narayan saxena raaz (1936-xxxx), dehli. His father was interested in music and Ghazal singing which influenced raaz. His father passed away when he was still young. He took a job in the Central Government (working in the raajya sabha – don’t know in what capacity). Undergraduate in dayal siNgh college, (evening, 1962) where he composed and published in the college magazine and participated in college mushaa’era. shaagird of ram krishn muztar. MA (English) also evening college. His collection was published in 1987. This Ghazal is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
har qadam par meray ek Khanjar¹-e uryaaN² nikla
phir bhi maiN koocha³-e qaatil⁴ se Ghazal-KhwaaN⁵ nikla    1.dagger, knife 2.naked, bare 3.street 4.killer, beloved 5.singing Ghazal
The poet/lover is walking in the street of the beloved towards her door. At each step he is faced with a bare dagger. This could either be literal or figurative. It could be taunts of rivals or of the doorman guarding the beloved’s door. Still, he emerged from the street of the beloved singing Ghazal/odes to her beauty i.e., he is unafraid of the dangers facing him.
2
kar ga’ii mujh peh vo e’jaaz¹ teri aek nazar²
jo bhi nikla meray nazdiik³ se hairaaN⁴ nikla     1.miracle, miraculous effect 2.glance 3.near 4.puzzled, amazed
The beloved cast a single glance at the lover. That one glance had a miraculous effect on him – either he was walking in the air or totally dejected. In either case he looked very unusual and strange. Thus, whoever passed him was surprised at his condition.
3
meri fitrat¹ meN thi pinhaaN² voh bahaar³-e daa’em⁴
maiN ba-har-raNg⁵ ba-shakl⁶-e gul⁷-e KhandaaN⁸ nikla     1.nature, character 2.hidden 3.spring, joy 4.ever lasting, permanent 5.under all conditions 6.in the shape of 7.rose 8.smiling, blooming
In my nature was hidden such an everlasting mood of joy that I emerged from all conditions in the shape of a blooming rose i.e., the poet bears all sorrow stoically and comes through smiling.
4
vo badalta¹ raha har baat ke itne pahlu²
muddu’aa³ koi bhi hargiz⁴ na numaayaaN⁵ nikla    1.changing 2.side, angle 3.intent, goal 4.never 5.visible, clear
He/she kept changing the angle/point of view of very word so often that never did a clear purpose/goal emerge.
5
aah¹ is taur² gulistaaN meN luTi fasl³-e bahaar⁴
chashm⁵-e giryaaN⁶ se meri Khoon-e-bahaaraaN⁷ nikla    1.alas 2.way, method 3.season 4.spring 5.eye 6.crying, tearful 7.tears of blood
‘Khoon-e bahaaraaN’ implies that the poet was crying tears of blood and the red blotches as a result of his crying look like flowers. Normally, during spring, there are lots of flowers in the garden. But this time, the flower picker came and picked off flowers in such a way as to loot the garden. This caused the poet to cry tears of blood.
6
jaane¹ kis Gham ne vo tahriik²-e masarrat³ baKhshi⁴
dil-e Gham-giiN⁵ se meray naGhma⁶-e shaadaaN⁷ nikla     1.who knows 2.planned action, organized 3.joy 4.granted 5.sorrowful 6.song 7.happy
The lover feels pain and sorrow. He values the sorrow that his given to him by the beloved and is happy to get it. Who knows which sorrow it was that granted him a plan of joy. Whichever sorrow it was, the grant resulted in a joyful song emerging from his sorrowful heart i.e., the Ghazal he composes emerge from the pain he feels.
7
haram-o-dair¹ ki har qaid² se mutlaq³ aazaad⁴
mujh sa kaafir⁵ hi koi saahab⁶-e imaaN⁷ nikla     1.mosque and temple 2.bounds, traditions 3.absoluterly 4.free 5.non-believer 6.owner 7.faith
A non-believer is free of the bonds of mosque and temple, free of rituals. Thus, (it is implied) his faith becomes – universal love. That is the real iimaaN and a non-believer like him turns out to be a ‘saahab-e iimaaN’.
8
aap par ho chuka sau jaan se qurbaaN¹ laikin²
aap par miTne³ ka iss dil se na armaaN⁴ nikla⁵      1.devotional offering 2.but 3.erased, sacrificed 4.desire 5.in this context – fulfilled
This is addressed to the beloved. The lover offers a hunder lives (his own life a hundred times) as a devotional offering to the beloved but still his desire to sacrifice himself is not fulfilled i.e., he has to offer many more lives in order to feel that he has succeeded.
9
hausla¹ ho to mera aur ta’aqub² kar le
tujh se maiN tez-qadam³ gardish-e-dauraaN⁴ nikla     1.courage, daring 2.chase 3.fast-paced 4.vicissitudes of time, bad luck
This is an unusual she’r. Ordinarily, the lover falls victim to bad luck and moans his lot. Here he seems to be challenging bad luck … chase me if you dare, I turned out to be faster than you and can escape.
10
aek hi jhoNke¹ ne gul² kar diye sab ghar ke charaaGh³
is qadar⁴ tund⁵ idhar se koi toofaaN⁶ nikla    1.gust 2.extinguish 3.lamps 4.so much 5.rapid, fierce 6.storm
In a single gust/blow it extinguished all lamps of the house. Such a fierce storm arose from here. This could be interpreted figuratively in any number of ways … maybe the storm is communal rioting and in a single stroke it destroyed all houses.
11
suKhan¹-e raaz² ki dii daad³ kisi ne aaKhir⁴
shukr⁵ hai bazm⁶ meN koi to suKhan-daaN⁷ nikla   1.words, poetry 2.pen-name of the poet 3.praise 4.at last, finally 5.thanks 6.gathering 7.appreciator of poetry, one who understands poetry
His earlier poetry has not received as much praise as he would have liked. He attributes to the unappreciative ignorance of the listener. But finally, there is someone who has given his due praise. I offer thanks that finally at least someone has emerged who understands/appreciates poetry.