Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. This Ghazal is loaded with sufi and vedic concepts some very unconventional and open to interpretation that might be quite rebellious.
1
jis ko zaahir¹ na kiya sho’la²-e seenaaii³ ne
raaz⁴ vo faash⁵ kiya husn⁶ ki raanaaii⁷ ne   1.express, display 2.flame 3.sinaaii, Mt. toor 4.secret 5.reveal 6.beauty, beloved, god 7.brilliance
This has reference to moosa’s visit to toor where he asked to see god. But god did not display his form. Thus, that which was not displayed by the flame of toor … that secret was revealed by the one-ness of beauty/beloved/god. Such one-ness/unity of the creator and created – all creatures is a basic sufi concept. Even if the character of god was not manifest on the mountain on sinaaii, its secret was revealed in the sufi precept. But then, it remains open to intepretation as the beauty of the flesh and blood beloved reflecting the divine spirit.
2
chashm¹-e dil vaa² hui, aye husn³-e mohabbat bedaar⁴
turfa⁵ jaadu ye jagaaya teri aNgRaaii ne   1.eye 2.open 3.beauty of 4.awake, beware 5.enchanting
‘husn-e mohabbat’ – the beauty of (universal) love is again a sufi concept. The eye of the heart of the poet/sufi has been opened by the enchanting magic of the arched back of the beloved as she stretched and yawned. The overlay and juxtaposition of the awakening of the concept of universal love and its beauty is worth noting. On top of it, the beauty of the flesh and blood beloved also weaved into the meaning/intepretation.
3
Khud ko rakkha na kahiN ka but¹-e harjaaii² ne
kya hi nairaNg³ kiya husn⁴ ki yaktaaii⁵ ne   1.idol, beloved, god 2.literally – every place, unfaithful 3.magic, trick 4.beauty, beloved, god 5.one-ness, universality
‘husn’ – beauty/beloved/god is universal and all inclusive. god is also everywhere … harjaaii, sometimes is used for an unfaithful beloved/lover who “goes everywhere”. Also, “kahiN ka nahiN rakkha” is usually used in the negative sense to say, “that he did not make anything of himself” but here it is used in the sense of “did not confine himself to one place … la-makaan”. The unfaithful beloved did not confine himself to any one place. What a trick the universality of beauty has played on us.
4
gul pe bulbul hai fida¹, sarv² pe qumri³ hai nisaar⁴
gul-khilaaye⁵ haiN ye kis ki chaman-aaraaii⁶ ne    1.deeply in love 2.cypress used as symbold of beauty/beloved because of its slender and beautiful stature 3.dove 4.hopelessly in love 5.expression used to mean played mischief 6.arranging the garden
‘gul o bulbul’ – rose and bulbul and ‘sarv o qumri’ – cypress and dove are traditional symbols of love. These pairs are hopelessly in love with each other and their love is considered to be self-less and ideal, much like sufiyaana concepts of love. Who is it who has played mischief/tricks in arranging this garden and creating such lovers.
5
kar diya kasrat¹-e jalva² ne nazar³ ko Kheera⁴
dekhna tha jo na dekha vo tamashaaii⁵ ne    1.abundance 2.appearance, manifestation 3.sight 4.dazzed 5.spectator, observer
Manifestations of god are plentiful and everywhere. So many that they eye can be dazzled and blind. The result may be that the spectator/observer may not be able to see that which needs to be seen … the universality and one-ness of creator and creation.
6
dil-e saafi¹ meN nahiN jauhar²-e zaati³ ke siva⁴
dekh lo rakh ke hazaar aainauN par aaiine    1.cleansed, made pure 2.brilliance 3.of the ‘zaat’, of the (divine) being 4.except for
The heart that has been cleansed contains nothing but divine brilliance. You may try and look using any number of mirrors … mirrors reflect images and are used here to search.
7
ek dam¹ bhi na tasavvur² ne akela chhoRa
anjuman³ meN mujhe rakkha meri tanhaaii⁴ ne    1.moment 2.imagination 3.gathering, company 4.alone-ness
‘Khalwat dar anjuman’ – privacy/withdrawal/contemplation even in company is a sufiyaana phrase. Here the poet/sufi’s powers of imagination/contemplation do not leave him alone even for a moment. Even when he is alone he is always in company (of his thoughts, of god or of the flesh and blood beloved).
8
paikar¹-e Khaak² hai tu, charKh³ pe chhaa misl⁴-e Ghubaar⁵
tujh ko miTTi meN milaaya hai jabiN-saaii⁶ ne    1.picture, sketch, idol 2.clay 3.sky 4.similar to, like 5.dust 6.bowing your forehead
‘miTTi meN milaana’ is to devalue, degrade, destroy. Thus, this habit of bowing/prostrating has devalued you (humanity/creation). You are after all one with god. You are made of clay and can spread across the sky like dust … getting the same status as god. You don’t have to bow down and de-value yourselves. This is open to a completely non-theistic, rebellious interpretation bordering on iqbal’s concept of “Khudi”.