Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. hari chand aKhtar (1901-1958) might well have been a conventional observant hindu, but he shows a distinct tendency towards irreverence in his compositions. He also writes with great feeling about communal harmony and makes fun of orthodoxy. In this Ghazal he shows much reverence and admiration and writes in praise of mohammed.
1
kis ne qatrauN¹ ko milaaya aur darya² kar diya
kis ne zarroN³ ko uThaaya aur sahra⁴ kar diya 1.drops 2.ocean 3.sights 4.desert, vastness
There are two possible interpretations of the first misra. Drops were brought together to form an ocean … people were brought together to form a large community of islam. Another interpretation … disparate ideas like drops were combined to form an ocean, a coherent and deep philosophy. In the spirit of the second interpretation, eyes were raised to see the vastness and beyond the vastness of the desert. The poet asks rhetorically, ‘who did this’, implying, mohammed.
2
shaukat¹-e maGhroor² ka kis shaKhs³ ne toRa tilasm⁴
munhadim⁵ kis ne ilaahi⁶ qasr⁷-e kasra⁸ kar diya 1.pomp 2.proud 3.person 4.magic, magical grip 5.destroy 6.O god 7.castle, palace 8.Chosroes, ancient Persian monarch, used here as a symbol of monarchy
Who was it that broke the grip of pomp of pride (of wealth and power). Who was it that brought down the palace of monarchy. The poet alludes to equality and dignity that islam is considered to have brought to all.
3
kis ki hikmat¹ ne yateemauN² ko kiya durr-e-yatim³
aur GhulaamauN⁴ ko zamaane⁵ bhar ka maula⁶ kar diya    1.wisdom 2.orphans 3.unique/valuable pearl, when a single large pearl is found in the oyster shell it is called durr-e yatim and is considered more valuable 4.slaves 5.times, period 6.lord
Whose wisdom is it that changed the status of orphans to highly valued pearls and made slaves lords of the times. Once again, the poet alludes to changes brought about by mohammed – calling for care and compassion for orphans and defining/improving the rights of slaves.
4
zinda ho jaate haiN jo marte haiN haq¹ ke naam par
allah, allah maut ko kis ne maseeha² kar diya    1.Truth, god 2.healer
Who was it that taught that those who give their lives in the cause of righteousness, insisting on Truth, live forever, thus making Death a healer. Also see josh malihabadi’s ‘zindagi aur maut’ in which he makes the same point in a beautiful long marsia.
5
kah diya la-tuqnatu¹ aKhtar² kisi ne kaan meN
aur dil ko sar-ba-sar³ mahv⁴-e tamanna⁵ kar diya    1.do not lose hope (in the benevolence of god) 2.pen-name of the poet 3.from this end to that, head to head, end to end 4.engrossed in 5.desire/hope/optimism
Someone whispered the message of hope in my ear, O, aKhtar and turned my heart into an embodiment of optimism.
6
saat pardauN meN chhupa biaTha tha husn¹-e kaa’enaat²
ab kisi ne us ko aalam-aashkaara³ kar diya    1.beauty of 2.universe, cosmos 3.revealed to the world
Cosmic Beauty was hidden behind seven veils. Someone has revealed it to the whole world.
7
aadmiyyat¹ ka Gharaz² saamaaN³ mohayya⁴ kar diya
ek arab ne aadmi ka bol-baala⁵ kar diya   1.the best quality of being human, humanism 2.all said and done 3.means 4.made available 5.improved status/reputation
All said and done, (he) had made available to us the means/ways of humanism. He (an arab) has enhanced the status of humanity.