Khat ke javaab m’eN-01-10 – munshii devii prashaad sahar badaayunii
1
qaasid yahii du’aa hai Khudaa kii janaab m’eN
aa jaa’e yaar Khud mer’e Khat ke javaab m’eN
2
dekhe nah Ghair chehrah chhupaa lo naqaab m’eN
shaitaan paRh nah jaa’e Khudaa kii kitaab m’eN
3
furqat m’eN ‘aish talKh hai jaaN hai ‘azaab m’eN
saaqii pilaa de zah’r milaa kar sharaab m’eN
4
har baar aek se gin’e woh tifl yaa Khudaa
har baar bosah den’e m’eN bhool’e hisaab m’eN
5
qismat m’eN likh diyaa mer’e kyuN be-hisaab ranj
uljhuuNgaa maiN Khudaa se bhii jaa kar hisaab m’eN
6
sifar-e dahan se chehr’e m’eN hai azdiyaad-e husn
dah-chand hai jamaal hamaar’e hisaab m’eN
7
shaamat hai kis kii kis pe balaa aan’e vaalii hai
zulfoN ke baal kas li’e haiN pech-o-taab m’eN
8
jaur-o-jafaa kaa aap ke kyuN kar karuuN shumaar
kis tar’h be-hisaab ko laa’uuN hisaab m’eN
9
aa’o yahaaN bhii bahr-e tamaashah kabhii-kabhii
dariyaa kii sair hai merii chashm-e pur-aab m’eN
10
gint’e voh ‘aashiqoN hii m’eN apn’e nahiiN mujh’e
maiN ko’ii chiiz hii nahiiN un ke hisaab m’eN

munshi devi prashaad sahar badayuni (1840-1902) – poet, writer, calligrapher and educator.  I am guessing that most of his education was at home, and that he completed his matriculation from a formal school.  He worked for the colonial government in the department of education and rose to be a sub-inspector of schools, working in dehli and lakhnow.  In addition to his diivan, he wrote book length discourses on logic, rhetoric, legal procedures, linguistics and the art of calligraphy.  This is a long Ghazal in the zamiin of Ghalib‘s saaqi ne kuchh mila na diya ho sharaab meN.  Because it is long, I have posted it in three parts.  All three parts are linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
qaasid yahii du’aa hai Khudaa kii janaab m’eN
aa jaa’e yaar Khud mer’e Khat ke javaab m’eN

The poet/lover is sending a letter to the beloved at the hands of the qaasid messenger and says to him – O qaasid, I pray in the court/presence of god that the beloved yaar herself come as an answer to my letter.  See the numerous other witty compositions such as …
qaasid ki laash aa’ii hai Khat ke javaab m’eN
munshi raghunath siNgh haajir dehlavi
2
dekh’e nah Ghair chehrah chhupaa lo naqaab m’eN
shaitaan paRh nah jaa’e Khudaa kii kitaab m’eN

The poet/lover is apprehensive that the rival Ghair might see her unveiled and out of jealousy he urges her to veil herself.  But the interesting word play is that the face of the beloved is often compared to the qur’aan – Khuda ki kitaab; of course shaitaan being the antithesis of Khudaa has to be prevented from seeing/reading the qur’aan.  Not only is the face of the beloved like the qur’aan but also the rival Ghair is like shaitaan.
3
furqat m’eN ‘aish talKh hai jaaN hai ‘azaab m’eN
saaqii pilaa de zah’r milaa kar sharaab m’eN

The poet/lover is separated (in furqat) from the beloved and even comfort feels bitter; his life has become a torm’eNt ‘azaab.  He calls upon the cup-bearer saaqi to poison his wine, so he may end his life.
4
har baar aek se gin’e woh tifl yaa Khudaa
har baar bosah den’e m’eN bhool’e hisaab m’eN

The beloved is an adolescent/child tifl.  The poet/lover is getting kisses bosa and the beloved is counting; perhaps there is an upper limit.  He prays that the beloved lose count hisaab bhool’e and start counting with one aek every time.
5
qismat m’eN likh diyaa mer’e kyuN be-hisaab ranj
uljhuuNgaa maiN Khudaa se bhii jaa kar hisaab m’eN

Countless be-hisaab sorrows have been written into the poet’s fate.  On the day of reckoning hisaab he intends to tangle with god about this injustice.  The value of the sh’er is in its wordplay – hisaab – be-hisaab and uljha hisaab.
6
sifar-e dahan se chehr’e m’eN hai azdiyaad-e husn
dah-chand hai jamaal hamaar’e hisaab m’eN

In urdu poetic tradition the standard of beauty is a small/narrow mouth to the point to disappearing.  The poet describes it as “zero of the mouth” – sifar-e dahan; there is enhancem’eNt azdiyaad of beauty in that.  By the poet’s count the beloved’s beauty/glory jamaal has increased ten-fold dah-chand because of this.  Again the value of the sh’er is in its clever word play – zero multiplies/enhances beauty ten times.
7
shaamat hai kis kii kis pe balaa aan’e vaalii hai
zulfoN ke baal kas li’e haiN pech-o-taab m’eN

The poet wonders who the target of punishm’eNt/misfortune shaamat might be.  The beloved is anger/restlessness pech-o-taab has tied her hair zulf tightly.  Standards of beauty suggest that hair are curled – they have pech which goes with pech-o-taab and baal kasna is a sign of anger.
8
jaur-o-jafaa kaa aap ke kyuN kar karuuN shumaar
kis tar’h be-hisaab ko laa’uuN hisaab m’eN

How can I reckon shumaar karuuN of your cruelties and torture jaur-o-jafaa; how can I enumerate that which is countless.  Once again the poet shows his skill of wordplay.
9
aa’o yahaaN bhii bahr-e tamaashah kabhii-kabhii
dariyaa kii sair hai merii chashm-e pur-aab m’eN

Occasionally kabhi-kabhii come here too for the sake of (bahr-e) a good view/spectacle tamaashah.  The lover’s eyes, full of tears chashm-e pur-aab flow like a river creating an opportunity for sightseeing sair.  bahr means “for the sake of” and also means “sea or river” demonstrating the poet’s rhetorical skills.
10
gint’e voh ‘aashiqoN hii m’eN apn’e nahiiN mujh’e
maiN ko’ii chiiz hii nahiiN un ke hisaab m’eN

The first misra in prose form voh mujh’e apn’e aashiqoN m’eN gint’e hii nahiiN – she does not enumerate me among her lovers.  I am nothing in her counting – it is like counting zero.