Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. syed vaheed-ud-din ahmed beKhud dehlavi (1863-1955), shaa’er of classical romantic style, shaagird of daaGh dehlavi. This Ghazal is one of series of others with the same radeef, linked by the icon “paida kar” in “Theme Index”.
1
de mohabbat to mohabbat meN asar¹ paida kar
jo idhar dil meN hai ya rab² vo udhar paida kar   1.effect, impact 2.lord, god
The ‘idhar’ and ‘udhar’ is the poet/lover and beloved. O, god, if you have given me the ability to love then also give some effect/impact to my love. Whatever I have in my heart (love for her) give the same in the beloved’s heart.
2
duud-e-dil¹ ishq meN itna to asar² paida kar
sar kaTe sham’a ki maanind³ to sar paida kar    1.smoke of the (burning) heart 2.effect 3.like, similar to
The poet lover’s heart is on fire/passion and smoke rises. When a candle burns and becomes smoky, the wick is snipped off at the top and flame becomes less smoky again. Thus the poet/lover is asking a similar capability for his burning heart.
3
phir hamaara dil-e gum-gashta¹ bhi mil jaayega
pahle tu apna dahan² apni kamar³ paida kar     1.lost, wandering 2.mouth 3.waist
In traditional urdu poetry, in an exaggerated description of the beloved’s beauty her waist is so slender that it disappears. In the same way, a thin mouth is considered beautiful and it is so thin that it cannot be seen. The poet/lover has lost his heart and is asked to find it. He says … not to worry, my heart will be found after you find your waist and mouth i.e. I will continue to lose my heart as long as I see this beauty in you … absence of waist and mouth.
4
kaam lene haiN mohabbat meN bahut se ya rab
aur dil de hameN, ek aur jigar¹ paida kar   1.liver, site of fortitude/strength
O lord/god I have many other uses for love. Grant me another heart (for love) and liver (for fortitude to bear the disappointments of that love).
5
tham zara aye adam-aabad¹ ke jaane vaale
rah ke duniya meN abhi zaad²-e safar³ paida kar     1.eternal world, next world 2.provisions for travel 3.journey
O, traveler to the next world, tarry a while longer and acquire provisions (collect enough credits/virtues/good deeds) to help you in the journey.
6
jhuuT jab bolte haiN vo to dua hoti hai
ya ilaahi meri baatoN meN asar paida kar   When she makes false promises, I pray to you, my god that you grant some effect to my entreaties.
7
aa’ina dekhna is husn¹ pe aasaan nahiN
pesh-tar² aaNkh meri meri nazar³ paida kar   1.beauty 2.before 3.sight, ability to bear the sight
The beloved is so beautiful and it is difficult even for her to look at herself in the mirror. She does not have the ability to bear that dazzling image. So the poet/lover is asking her to develop eyes as strong as his and fortitude to bear the sight, like he has, before she looks into the mirror.
8
sub’h-e furqat¹ to qayaamat² ki sahar³ hai ya rab
apne bandoN⁴ ke liye aur sahar paida kar   1.separation 2.calamitous 3.dawn 4.slaves/devotees
O, lord, the morning of the night of separation brings a calamitous dawn. For your devotees, send down a different kind of dawn.
9
mujh ko rota hua dekheN to jhulas¹ jaayeN raqiib²
aag paani meN bhi aye soz-e-jigar³ paida kar   1.scorched 2.rivals 3.passion/pain/fire of the liver/heart
Normally, the poet/lover should be able to control his tears. But now he is crying so profusely that there is plenty of water flowing. His rivals, upon seeing him cry will be happy and will laugh at him. He does not quite like that. He calls upon the passion in his heart to make his tears catch fire and burn/scorch the rivals.
10
miT¹ ke bhi duuri-e-gulshan nahiN bhaati ya rab
apni qudrat² se meri Khaak meN par paida kar   1.erased, reduced to nothing 2.miraculous abilities
The poet/lover wanders the wilderness like majnuN. He has died during his wanderings away from home/gulshan/garden and has been reduced to dust, has been erased. But even in this state he cannot bear being away from his home/garden and calls upon god to miraculously grand wings to his dust so that it may fly back to the garden.
11
shikva¹-e dard-e-judaai² pe vo farmaate³ haiN
ranj⁴ sahne ko, hamaara sa jigar⁵ paida kar   1.complaint 2.pain of separation 3.announces, speaks with authority or disdain 4.sorrow 5.liver/fortitude
The poet/lover complains (to the beloved) of the pain of separation. She disdainfully tells him to develop a strong heart like her own (except her heart is strong in the sense of uncaring and his heart is supposed to get strong in the sense of bearing sorrow).
12
din nikalne ko hai raahat¹ se guzar² jaane de
ruuTh kar tu na qayamat³ ki sahar⁴ paida kar   1.comfort, in peace 2.pass on to the next world 3.calamitous 4.dawn
The poet/lover has gone through the night of separation and it is close to dawn. He is on his death bed and begs the begs the beloved to let him die in peace. If she shows any displeasure then it will make for a calamitous dawn and he will not be able to die in peace.
13
hum ne dekha hai ke mil jaate haiN laRne vaale
sulh¹ ki Khoo² bhi to aye baani³-e shar⁴ paida kar   1.peace, reconciliation 2.nature, character 3.maker, creator 4.conflict, mischief
I have seen that those who fight with each other sometimes get back together. O creator of conflict (god) also create the character/nature that causes people to make peace.
14
mujh se ghar aane ke vaade par bigaR¹ kar bole
kah diya Ghair² ke dil meN abhi ghar paida kar   1.annoyed 2.other
The beloved had promised the poet/lover that she would come. When he reminded her of the promise, she gets annoyed and says … the interpretation of what she says a bit confusing to me. I offer three possibilities. (a) She refers to herself as “Ghair” although normally that term is used for the rival of the poet/lover. She considers herself “Ghair” because she is not yet intimate with him, the strength of his love has not yet earned her trust. She admonished him to make a place in her heart. (b) She uses “Ghair” in the conventional sense and refers to his rival. To rub it in, she says that she visits the heart of his rival and that is where he should make his home to receive her. Rather convoluted but here it is. (c) She uses “Ghair” as another woman and asks him to go away and seek love elsewhere. Once again, this is very unconentional and unlikely that he means this.
15
mujh se kahti hai kaRak kar ye kamaN qaatil¹ ki
tiir ban jaaye nishaana vo jigar² paida kar   1.killer 2.liver, the seat of fortitude and power
The twang of the bow of the killer tells me to develop the fortitude that can target the arrow itself rather than becoming the target of the arrow.
16
kya qayaamat¹ meN bhi parda na uThega ruKh se
ab to meri shab-e-yalda² ki sahr³ paida kar   1.doomsday, day of reckoning 2.winter solstice, longest night of the year 3.dawn
Will you not lift the veil from your face even on doomsday. End my long night of separation/torture and bring about a dawn. Dawn, bright sunshine is also metaphorical for lifting the veil.
17
dekhna khel nahiN jalva-e-diidaar¹ tera
pahle moosa sa koi ahl-e-nazar² paida kar    1.glory of sight/glimpse of the beloved/god 2.ability to see to bear the sight of
It is not child’s play to bear the sight of the glory of the beloved/god. First develop the ability to see like moosa. Again, this is unconventional. Most shu’ara describe moosa as not having the ability to bear the sight of god’s manifestation (lightning), so he fainted. But here the poet accords moosa such ability.
18
dil meN bhi milta hai vo kaaba bhi us ka hai maqaam¹
raah nazdik ki aye azm-e-safar² paida kar   1.place 2.determination to journey
The heart is the house of god as well as the kaaba. If you are determined to make the journey to the house of god, why not take the path that is near at hand … the path to the heart – universal love.
19
zo’f¹ ka hukm² ye hai hoNT na hilne paayeN
dil ye kahta hai ke naale³ meN asar⁴ paida kar   1.weakness 2.order 3.wailing 4.effect
The poet/lover is supposed to not display his love or his sorrow at the neglect that he receives at the hands of the beloved. His weakness urges him to be careful and not open his mouth, be quiet. But his heart calls out and wishes that his wails have more effect.
20
naale beKhud¹ ke qayaamat² haiN tujhe yaad rahe
zulm³ karna hai to patthar ka jigar⁴ paida kar     1.pen-name of the poet 2.devastating 3.cruelty 4.liver/fortitude
Be aware/warned that the wails of beKhud are devastating. They will have an impact of you. So if you want to be cruel to him, first develop the fortitude to withstand the pain of his wails.