Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. sant darshan singh darshan (1921-1989) was born in a small village near ravalpindi and was raised in an orthodox observant sikh tradition. In spite of orthodoxy, or perhaps because of his sikh tradition he was very accepting of other faiths and has written with much feeling about husain and ali as well ram and krishn. There is wonderful word play and double meaning in almost every she’r of this Ghazal.
1
haNsi guloN meN sitaaroN meN raushni na mili
mile na tum to kahiN bhi hameN Khushi na mili Flowers did not bloom, stars did not shine. When I was not with you, there was no happiness in anything. The ‘you’ in this she’r can either be the beloved or god.
2
na chaand meN na shafaq¹ meN na laala²-o-gul³ meN
jo aap meN hai kahiN bhi vo dilkashi⁴ na mili 1.horizon 2.tulip 3.rose 4.heart pleasing, beauty
The pleasing beauty that you have, I could not find anywhere else – neither in the moon nor the colourful horizon; not in the tulip of the in the colour of the rose. Beloved or god.
3
nigaah¹-e lutf² ki hai muntazir³ meri shab-e-Gham⁴
sitaare Duub⁵ chale aur raushni na mili 1.glance 2.pleasant, benevolent 3.waiting 4.night of sorrow 5.drowned
The poet/lover/devotee has spent a night of sorrow and it is still dark even after the stars have set i.e. even after daybreak. For his darkness/sorrow to be relieved he needs a benevolent glance from the beloved/god.
4
hamiN ko sauNp¹ diye kul² jahaaN³ ke raNj-o-alam⁴
kisi meN aur hamaari si dil-dahi⁵ na mili 1.give for custodial care 2.all, total 3.world 4.pain and sorrow 5.empathize, give solace
I was given all the pain and sorrow of the world to take care of. god did not find the same kind of ability to give solace in anyone else.
5
nigaah-e-dost¹ ne baKhshi² jo dil ko mad-hoshi³
sharaab-o-jaam⁴ se hum ko vo be-Khudi⁵ na mili 1.glance of the beloved 2.granted 3.intoxication 4.wine and goblet 5.losing awareness, intoxication
The inebriation of wine and cup could not match the intoxiation granted to me by the loving glance of the beloved/god.
6
har ek nashaat¹ meN pinhaaN² mila nashaat ka Gham
jo aish³ se ho basar⁴ aisi zindagi na mili 1.pleasure, joy 2.hidden 3.luxury, carefree 4.spend, pass
In each pleasure was hidden the pain of joy. I did not a life that could be passed free of care.
7
mere Khayaal¹ meN haiN ye tajalliyaaN² kis ki
aNdheri raat meN bhi mujh ko tiragi³ na mili 1.thought, imagination, mind 2.brilliance 3.darkness
The poet/lover carries in his mind images of someone’s brilliance. This is so good for him that the did not see darkness even in dark nights. The someone could be god, brilliance could be hope and darkness could be hopelessness.
8
vahi faza¹ vahi gulshan² vahi hava hai magar³
mili jo gul⁴ ko vo KhaaroN⁵ ko zindagi na mili 1.atmosphere, conditions 2.garden 3.but 4.rose, flower 5.thorns
The garden is the same, the conditions are the same but thorns did not get the same life as the rose, implying that you have to do something too take advantage of what has been given. Another possibility will be that flowers make people happy, thorns give pain – so the recompense for their actions is different.
9
gila¹ kareNge na ab mere b’aad² ke rahrau³
ke un ko raah-e-mohabbat⁴ meN raushni⁵ na mili 1.complain 2.after, later 3.travelers 4.path of love 5.light
Those traveling after me on the path of love will not complain that they did not get any light … implying that the poet/lover has written/shown the path of love in bright light for others to follow.
10
hazaar baar hua Khoon¹-e aarzu² laikin
kabhi kisi ko meri aaNkh meN nami³ na mili 1.blood, killing 2.desire 3.moisture, tears
My desires have been killed a thousand times, but no one ever saw tears in my eyes.
11
jo chheRti mere betaab¹ dil ke taaroN² ko
kisi bhi saaz³ meN darshan vo naGhmagi⁴ na mili 1.restless 2.strings 3.musical instrument, lute 4.musicality
I did not find the musicality in any lute that could stir up the strings of my heart.