Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mirza vaajid husain yaas yagaana changezi (1884-1956), born in azimabad, now paTna, and named mirza vaajid hussain. He adopted the pen-name ‘yaas’ (despair) and later changed to ‘yagaana’ (unmatched, unique). Egotistical, uncompromising, brusque and acerbic, he did not get along with fellow poets. For some reason he cast himself as a critic of Ghalib. He got a booklet published in which there is a lengthy preface critical of Ghalib but mostly of his many admirers, followed by many rubaaii deriding Ghalib. But he was courageous enough to make controversial statements about religious belief and was attacked by a mob, made to ride a donkey through town. In spite of his ‘derision’ of Ghalib he has several Ghazal in his style, this one modeled after ‘ibn-e mariam hua kare koii’.
1
kyuN kisi se vafaa¹ kare koii
dil na maane to kya kare koii     1.faith, fidelity
This is a reflection on the tradition of the poet/lover being faithful to the beloved in the face of unrequited love. Why should anyone remain faithful? He goes on to answer his own question – what can one do if the heart insists.
2
na davaa chaahiye mujhe na duaa
kaash¹ apni davaa kare koii    1.I wish
This is a reflection on the traditional pathos expressed by poets wishing “someone” to cure their pain/sorrow. He declares he does not want anyone’s help either with a remedy or with prayers. I wish someone would cure themselves rather than moan and beg asking someone (god?) to do it.
3
muflisi¹ meN mizaaj² shaahaana³
kis maraz⁴ ki davaa kare koii   1.penury 2.demeanour, habits 3.royal 4.illness
Even in penury he has royal tastes/habits. Which of these illnesses can one cure? Penury? or royal tastes? Is this a swipe at Ghalib who was known to live way beyond his means because of his self-indulgence.
4
dard ho to davaa bhi mumkin¹ hai
vahm² ki kya davaa kare koii    1.possible 2.imagination
If the pain is real then cure may be possible. How can one cure imaginary pain. This may be a reflection on the poetic tradition of constantly writing about their (imaginary) pain of love.
5
haNs bhi letaa huN uupari¹ dil se
jii na bahle² to kya kare koii    1.surface, superficial, not genuine 2.satisfied, consoled
The poet is expressing his own state of sorrow. He cannot be consoled but he shows cheer and laughs even though it is not genuine.
6
maut¹ bhi aa saki na muNh-maaNgi²
aur kya iltejaa³ kare koii    1.death 2.shamelessly asked for, begging 3.appeal, request
The implication is that ‘death’ is an easy thing to grant. Normally, a self-respecting poet/lover is supposed to suffer in silence. But his suffering has gone beyond the limits of forbearance, and he shamelessly begs for death. Even that is denied. How can anyone ask for anything else now.
7
dard-e dil phir kahiN na karvaT¹ le
ab na chauNke² Khuda kare koii     1.turn sides as in waking up 2.become alert, awake
The poet has either forgotten or become inured to his pain/sorrow. He is afraid that his sorrow might be rekindled (may be because the beloved might show some fleeting interest or the rival might flaunt his own success). May someone (meaning himself) not become alert again (alert to the affairs of the beloved).
8
ishq-baazi¹ ki intehaa² maaloom³
shauq⁴ se ibtedaa⁵ kare koii   1.love games 2.end result, culmination 3.known 4.whatevery pleases 5.begin
The poet/lover is washing his hands off love games. He doesn’t want to have anything to do with it because he knows what the end result will be. If anyone pleases, he can can begin.
9
kohkan¹ aur kya banaa letaa
ban ke bigRe² to kya kare koii   1.sculptor, mason 2.spoiled, destroyed
This has reference to the legend of shiriN-farhaad. farhaad was a sculptor, hopelessly in love with shirin, the wife of a nobleman. The nobleman just to get rid of farhaad’s pestilence agrees to give his consent to a divorce setting farhaad an impossible task – cut a channel for a river of milk to flow over a hill. When farhaad, much to his surprise, almost finished the task, he caused a rumour to spread that shirin had died. Hearing this, having lost the main purpose of his labour, farhaad killed himself with his own pickaxe. What else could he have done. What can one do if that which he has accomplished is so completely destroyed.
10
apne dam¹ ki hai raushni² saari
dida³-e dil to vaa⁴ kare koii   1.strength, power 2.light 3.eye 4.open
“Light” here could be light of knowledge, love or mysticism/spirituality. All of this is due to your own power/effort. All one has to do is open the inner eye. Said mohammed iqbal …
zaahir ki aaNkh se na tamaasha kare koii
ho dekhna to diida-e dil vaa kare koii
11
sham’a¹ kya sham’a kaa ujaala² kya
din-chaRhe³ saamnaa⁴ kare koii   1.candle 2.light, brilliance 3.middle of the day, broad daylight 4.confront
This is equivalent to the saying, ‘holding a candle to the sun’. But who is the candle and who is the sun. The poet leaves that unstated. Is he comparing himself to Ghalib (as he does explicitly in the next she’r, but still not openly claiming superiority).
12
Ghalib aur miirza yagaana¹ ka
aaj kya faisla² kare koii    1.pen-name of the poet 2.judgement
Between Ghalib and yagaana, who can make a judgement today. The unstated implication can be that (a)they are both equal and no one can judge clearly (b)Ghalib is superior or (c)yagaana has surpassed him.