Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mohammed husain qamar jalaalavi (1887-1968), was born in jalaali, near aligaRh, moved to pakistan after partition/independence. He was popularly known as ‘ustad’, for his expertise in repairing bicycles, which is how he earned his living and lived in penury, in spite of his excellence as a poet. He wrote Ghazal is chaste classical style, many of which have been put to music. This is one of several thematic collections of his maqta in which he uses his taKhallus with great witticism.
1
yahi hai gar¹ Khushi to raat bhar ginte² raho taare
qamar³ is chaandni meN un ka ab aana to kya hoga    1.if 2. ‘taare gin-na’ – an expression meaning ‘spend sleepless nights counting stars’ 3.pen-name of the poet also means full moon
When ‘qamar’ – full moon is out, there is by definition bright ‘chaandni’ – moonlight. In bright moonlight the beloved will not come for a rendezvous with the poet/lover, for fear of being seen and the effect on her reputation. Thus – if you like, you may wait for her sleepless, all night long, counting stars. She will not come in this moonlight O qamar.
2
qamar aKhtar-shumaari¹ ke liye tayyar ho jaao
keh ab rasm²-e mohabbat us mah-e-kaamil³ se TooTegi   1.counting stars 2.tradition of 3.full moon, the beloved
The beloved is referred to as ‘mah-e kaamil’, beautiful like the full moon. Of course, the poet himself is ‘qamar’, meaning full moon. The tradition of lovers is that they meet in moonlight. But also, there is fear that she will be recognized in the light, so she would not come … and break that tradition. Therefore, O qamar, get ready to spend a sleepless night, counting stars.
3
kya ho anjaam¹-e shab-e-hijr² Khuda hi jaane
aye qamar shaam se taaruaN ka jo aaGhaaz³ na ho    1.end, result 2.night of separation 3.beginning
Nights of separation are long and sleepless … they are spent counting stars. If stars were to not begin appearing, then god only knows how nights of separation will end.
4
kin KhayaalauN se ye kaaTe hai qamar furqat¹ ki raat
rota bhi jaaye hai, taare bhi ginta jaaye hai    1.separation
In poetic tradition, shooting stars are like tears. qamar jalalavi takes ownership of these as tears of the moon/qamar. Thus, see how qamar spends nights of separation (from the beloved). He sheds tears and counts stars.
5
kis qadar¹ aaNsu bahaaye tum ne shaam-e Gham qamar
itne taare to falak² se bhi kabhi TooTe na the    1.how many 2.sky
It is the night of sorrow/separation and the poet/lover, qamar is shedding tears (shooting stars) … so many that never before had the sky/heavens sent down these many stars.
6
mayyat¹ qamar ki dekh ke bole vo sub’h-e-hijr²
taare gine gaye na shab-e-intezaar³ ke   1.corpse 2.morning after night of separation 3.night of longing
The poet/lover is dead (but it does not prevent him from writing about his own death). The beloved has come the morning, to participate in the funeral but cannot help making a sarcastic comment. He was much too weak. He did not have the fortitude to count stars during the night of separation/longing, that is why he died.