Click on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion.
1
Khalq¹ kahti hai jise dil tere diivaane ka
ek gosha² hai ye duniya isi viraane³ ka  1.creation, universe, world 2.corner 3.desolation
That which the world calls the heart of the poet/lover is a vast, desolate place. The picture here is that desolation is intense and “vastness” is a measure of this desolation. Thus, the heart is so desolate (therefore figuratively, so vast) that this world is but a (small) corner of this desolation.
2
ek mu’amma¹ hai samajhne ka na samjhane ka
zindagi kaahe² ko hai Khwaab hai diivaane ka 1.puzzle, mystery 2.why/how
The dream of the madman is desire/love (either of the beloved or of universal love of everything/everyone/god). Thus, this (the purpose of life) is a mystery that can neither be explained nor understood. All we can do is accept/feel that life is nothing but passionate love. Alternatively, life is just a mad man’s dream, it is meaningless.
3
husn¹ hai zaat² meri, ishq³ sifat⁴ hai meri
huN to maiN shama⁵ magar bhes⁶ hai parvaane⁷ ka 1.beauty 2.nature, inborn characteristic 3.love 4.quality, attribute 5.lamp, candle 6.disguise 7.moth
In poetic convention the beloved is “husn-beauty” and the poet/lover is “ishq-love”. In much the same way the lamp/candle is the beloved and the moth the lover. What is presented here is the sufi concept that the lover (creation) and beloved (god) are really one and the same. Thus, beauty is in my nature and love is also my quality/characteristic. Even the moth is but a lamp in disguise.
4
k’aabe ko dil ki ziyaarat¹ ke liye jaata huN
aastana² hai haram³ mere sanam-Khaane⁴ ka  1.pilgrimage, viewing 2.home, refuge, also threshold 3.k’aaba, mosque 4.idol house, also a liberal place with universal love
It is believed that the heart is where god resides. K’aaba is also considered to be the house of god. Thus, I go to the k’aaba only to see/view my heart. It is the threshold, entry way to the house of idols (but-Khaana is a symbol of inclusiveness and liberalism – universal love – sufi imagery).
5
muKhtasar¹ qissa-e-Gham² ye hai ke dil rakhta huN
raaz-e-kaunain³ Khulaasa⁴ hai is afsaane⁵ ka  1.brief 2.story of sorrow/pain (of love) 3.secret of both worlds (here and hereafter) 4.summary 5.story, fable
The brief story of the pain/sorrow of love is that I have a heart. This is the summary of the secret of heaven and earth. Thus, the poet places universal love (heart) at the centre of creation.
6
zindagi bhi to pashemaN¹ hai yahaaN la ke mujhe
DhoonDti hai koi heela² mere mar jaane ka 1.sorry, regretful 2.excuse
Life itself is regretful for bringing me here (into this world). It is now looking for any excuse to cause my death – a rather ‘ghasa-piTa, overused concept’.
7
tum ne dekha hai kabhi ghar ko badalte hue raNg
aao dekho na tamasha¹ mere Gham-Khaane² ka  1.display 2.house of sorrow
The poet/lover claims monopoly on pain/suffering. This is either a complaint or a point of pride … he is an ideal lover and bears all the pain of love there is to bear. Thus, have you every seen any other house change colours – change its conditions (from good to bad). You have not. You have to come to my house to see this happening.
8
ab ise daar¹ pe le ja ke sula de saaqi
yuN bahakna² nahiN achchha tere mastaane³ ka 1.gallows, hanging platform 2.staggering drunk 3.drunkard
The saaqi has been serving drinks at the maiKhaana and the poet/lover is staggering/drunk. He is likely to make a scene. The saaqi is being asked to take him to the hangman’s platform and have him sleep it off. Why the hangman’s platform? Is there a hidden implication that putting to sleep might actually mean, let him die. The poet/lover seems willing to offer up his life.
9
dil se pahuNchi to haiN aaNkhauN meN lahu ki boondeN
silsila¹ shishe² se milta to hai paimaane³ ka  1.continuation, connection 2.bottle, flask 3.cup, goblet
The imagery is that the heart is like a flask, eyes like a cup and blood like wine. Just like the connection of pouring wine from the flask to the cup is the connection between the heart and the eyes. They cry tears of blood, such is the intensity of pain.
10
haDDiyaaN haiN kaii lipTi hui zanjirauN meN
liye jaate haiN janaaza¹ tere diivaane ka  1.corpse for burial
The poet/lover has been stark raving mad with intensity of passion. They put him in chains to restrain him, and he died in that state. Apparently, the body also rotted away by the time they discovered him to bury him. Now that they are carrying his ‘janaaza’, the poet sees chains still clinging to the left over bones. Of course, he is describing his own funeral.
11
vahdat-e-husn¹ ke jalwauN² ki ye kasrat³ aye ishq⁴
dil ke har zarre⁵ meN aalam⁶ hai pari-Khaane⁷ ka  1.unity/oneness of beauty/beloved/god 2.manifestations 3.multiplicity 5.particle 6.condition 7.house of fairies/idols
In urdu poetic and in sufi tradition ‘husn’, beauty is beloved or god and ‘ishq’, love is lover/devotee. Also, in sufi tradition vahdat-al-vujood – one-ness of all creation is expressed here as vahdat-e husn. But in an interesting anamoly, this unity has a multiplicity of manifestations, so many that every particle of the heart appears to be a house of idols.
12
chashm¹-e-saaqi asar-e-mai² se nahiN hai gul-raNg³
dil mere Khoon se labrez⁴ hai paimaane⁵ ka 1.eye 2.effect of wine 3.colour of rose, red 4.brimming 5.cup
The eyes of the beloved are not red because of the effect of wine, but they are brimming with the blood of the heart of the poet/lover. In spite of the gory imagery, this might simply be that the poet/lover has such intense love for the beloved that it shows in the redness of her eyes. Of course, the beloved can be divinity.
13
lauh¹ dil ko Gham-e-ulfat² ko qalam³ kahte hain
“kun”⁴ hai andaaz-e-raqam⁵ husn⁶ ke afsaane⁷ ka  1.tablet, paper 2.sorrow of love 3.pen 4.creation, the words – ‘let there be’ as in let there be light 5.style of writing 6.beauty 7.story
The heart is the page on which the story of beauty is written with a pen that is the pain of love, and the style of writing is like the divine word of creation. Thus, creation itself is divine love.
14
hum ne chhaani¹ haiN bahut dair² o haram³ ki galiyaaN
kahiN paaya na Thikaana⁴ tere diivaane ka  1.search, sift through 2.temple 3.mosque 4.place, refuge
The poet/lover has searched temple and mosque. Nowhere could he find any place for the true lover. Thus, temple and mosque are full of hypocrisy.
15
kis ki aaNkheN dam-e-aaKhir¹ mujhe yaad aati haiN
dil muraqqa² hai chhalakte³ hue paimaane⁴ ka  1.last moments, time of death 2.album (of photos/memories) 3.brimming, overflowing 4.cup, goblet
The heart is like an overflowing collection of memories. The poet/lover is in his last moments and all memories flood to him. while he appears to ask whose eyes are these that he is remembering, it is clear that he is remembering the beloved.
16
kahte haiN kya hi maze ka hai fasaana¹ faani
aap ki jaan se duur²/daur³ aap ke mar jaane ka  1.story 2.far 3.period, duration
I could not decide from urdu script whether it is ‘duur’ or ‘daur’. In either case, the interpretation is a stretch. It is one those ash’aar that you might want to enjoy without worrying too much about what it means. The beloved is telling faani, the poet/lover that story of his death far away (duur) from his life is very interesting. Alternatively, she is saying that the story of the duration (daur) of his life to death, is very interesting.
17
har nafas¹ umr-e-guzishta² ki hai mayyat³ faani
zindagi naam hai mar mar ke jiye jaane ka  1.breath, moment 2.past/passed life 3.corpse
Every moment is a fresh lease on life. The moment that has just passed is as if you have died … it is past life, gone. Thus, life is as if you are dying and re-born constantly. This could be interpreted as a very energetic statement about using every moment of your life, failing and trying again and again. That would be quite unlike faani and not consistent with rest of the Ghazal.