Khat ke javaab m’eN-11-20 – munshii devi prashaad sahar badaayunii
11
Khauf-e firaaq vasl m’eN, furqat m’eN fikr-e vasl
donoN tar’h se jaan paRii hai ‘azaab m’eN
12
hai jii m’eN jaa’uuN ‘aalam-e ‘alvii kii sair ko
miTTii Kharaab apnii hai da’er-e Kharaab m’eN
13
kis baat kaa hai soch mer’e qatl m’eN tumheN
taaKhiir kyaa zaruur hai kaar-e savaab m’eN
14
saaqii nah der kar yeh Khudaa-saaz baat hai
hai lutf-e aaftaab shab-e mahtaab m’eN
15
det’e kisii ke ‘aariz-e saadah se ham misaal
hotaa Khat-e shu’aa’ nah agar aaftaab m’eN
16
dil to jalaa chuk’e kabhii haNs bhii to diiji’e
hotaa namak zaruur hai saahib kabaab m’eN
17
jaan’e kaa kart’e haiN voh taqaazah ghaRii-ghaRii
qismat se merii haiN agar aat’e bhii Khwaab m’eN
18
so’e tamaam raat voh aaGhosh m’eN merii
mujh ko milii yeh daulat-e bedaar Khwaab m’eN
19
kaht’e haiN jis ko Khwaab shab-e hijr-e yaar m’eN
maiN kyaa mer’e farishtoN ne dekhaa nah Khwaab m’eN
20
zaahir nah kiije piirii m’eN naa-baaliGh aap ko
raNg-raNg ke shaiKh resh-e mubaarak Khizaab 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 governm’eNt in the departm’eNt 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.
11
Khauf-e firaaq vasl m’eN, furqat m’eN fikr-e vasl
donoN tar’h se jaan paRii hai ‘azaab m’eN

Fear of separation Khauf-e firaaq during union vasl and during separation furqat worry/concern fikr of union.  In both cases his life is a curse/torture ‘azaab.
12
hai jii m’eN jaa’uuN ‘aalam-e ‘alvii kii sair ko
miTTii Kharaab apnii hai da’er-e Kharaab m’eN

It is my heart to go the higher world ‘aalam-e ‘alvii for sightseeing sair.  miTTi Kharaab hona means legacy getting soiled/disreputed and da’er-e Kharaab can mean this sinful world while a slight variation da’er-e Kharaabaat means the domain of the tavern.  I suppose a sightseeing tour of the “higher world” is meant to be a cleansing act.
13
kis baat kaa hai soch mer’e qatl m’eN tumheN
taaKhiir kyaa zaruur hai kaar-e savaab m’eN

This is addressed to the beloved who is showing some hesitation in slaughtering the poet/lover.  What are you thinking of; is delay/postponem’eNt taaKhiir necessary in an act of virtue kaar-e savaab.
14
saaqii nah der kar yeh Khudaa-saaz baat hai
hai lutf-e aaftaab shab-e mahtaab m’eN

Traditionally the night of the full moon shab-e mahtaab (and also the day of spring rains – cloudy day) is considered a prime occasion for drinking wine.  Ghalib writes …
Ghalib chhuTi sharaab par ab bhi kabhi kabhi
piitaa huuN roz-e-abr o shab-e-maahtaab m’eN
The poet demands that the saaqi hurry up and serve wine because it is god-created/ordained word/instruction baat.  He says … there is pleasure of the bright sun during the night of the full moon.  One might think that this refers to the brightness of the night, which might seem like day but it also refers to the sun as symbolic of the sparkling wine cup.  Said haafez shiiraazi …
Khurshiid-e ma’i ze mashriq-e saaGhar tuluu’ karad
The sun of the wine-cup emerged from the east
15
det’e kisii ke ‘aariz-e saadah se ham misaal
hotaa Khat-e shu’aa’ nah agar aaftaab m’eN

In urdu phraseology saadaah – plain – is not used to mean ordinary, featureless but mean flawless, unblemished; and here kisii – someone’s – refers to the beloved.  The poet considers that in the sun aaftaab there are lines Khat of rays of light shu’aa’.  He considers these to be a blemish.  If there had been no lines, then we could have compared the sun to the brilliance of the beloved’s unblemished face/cheek.
16
dil to jalaa chuk’e kabhii haNs bhii to diiji’e
hotaa namak zaruur hai saahib kabaab m’eN

You have burnt/roasted my heart but at least smile (with a look of pleasure) sometimes.  O respected one saahib there is surely zaruur salt sprinkled on the kabaab.  He considers his roasted heart to be like kabaab and the beloved’s smile to be like salt, which is essential to give the kabaab any taste.
17
jaan’e kaa kart’e haiN voh taqaazah ghaRii-ghaRii
qismat se merii haiN agar aat’e bhii Khwaab m’eN

This sh’er creates an unusual and remarkable scene in the first misra and deflates it in the scond.  The beloved has arrived for a rendevous but every mom’eNt ghaRii-ghaRii, she insists/demands that she depart.  The second misra punctures the scene by indicating that this is happening in his dream, and even that dream occurs only sometimes by rare good fortune.
18
so’e tamaam raat voh aaGhosh m’eN merii
mujh ko milii yeh daulat-e bedaar Khwaab m’eN

This sh’er also paints a rosy picture in the first misra and deflates it in the second.  She slept all night long in my arms/embrace aaGhosh; I received this rare good fortune daulat-e bedaar in my dream.
19
kaht’e haiN jis ko Khwaab shab-e hijr-e yaar m’eN
maiN kyaa mer’e farishtoN ne dekhaa nah Khwaab m’eN

The word play in this sh’er is that in the first misra Khwaab is used to mean sleep and dream in the second.  During nights of separation from the beloved shab-e hijr-e yaar, that which is called sleep Khwaab, how can I get it when even angels cannot even dream of it.  “Sleep is not achievable even in dreams”, is a very interesting and convoluted construction of thought flow.
20
zaahir nah kiije piirii m’eN naa-baaliGh aap ko
raNg-raNg ke shaiKh resh-e mubaarak Khizaab m’eN

Here, the word aap in the first misra is to be interpreted to mean apn’e aap – to you yourself.  Do not appear/show yourself zaahir as immature naa-baaliGh in your old age; O shaiKh you keep dyeing (Khizaab m’eN raNg-raNg ke) your venerated hair resh-e mubaarak; thus trying to appear younger than he is, he appears immature.