Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. priitpal singh betaab (1949-xxxx) pooNch, kashmir. MA, LLB. kashmir (state) administrative service, achieving very high level position and retiring as Director, Food and Supplies. He started composing verse in 1970, published 9 collections of verse and received numerous awards even as he continued his ‘day time job’. This Ghazal composed in the zamin of Ghalib’s “saNg uThaaya tha keh sar yaad aaya” has a slight variation in its qaafiya, but maintains its similarity.
1
manzar¹-e sarv-o-saman² yaad aaya
phir se gum-gashta³ vatan⁴ yaad aaya    1.scene 2.cypress and jasmine 3.long lost 4.homeland
This sounds like the poet, migrated away from his homeland, which was hilly, wooded and flowery is missing it. I recall the scene of cypress and jasmine. Again, I remember my long lost homeland.
2
piichhe ab kyaa hai Ghubaar¹-e rafta²
dahr³ meN baaGh-e-adan⁴ yaad aaya   1.dust, fog, faint memories 2.past 3.material world 4.garden of Eden, heaven
The poet considers his homeland to be the garden of Eden – heaven. Looking back, all he can see is faint memories of the past. Living in this material world, he recalls the garden of Eden.
3
baal-o-par¹ TuuT chuke the jis vaqt
hameN parvaaz² kaa fun³ yaad aaya    1.feathers and wings 2.flight 3.skill
The poet thinks that his feathers have been plucked and his wings are cut. Now that this has happened and he can no longer fly, he remembers the skill of flight. At one level, this might mean the ability to get back home. At another level it might mean, the freedom, carefree life that he was able to lead growing up in his homeland vs the mundane struggle of administration and making a living.
4
phir kisii shaaKh¹ pe ko’el bolii
phir teraa raNg-e-suKhan² yaad aaya    1.branch, bough 2.style of verse, singing
He hears a ko’el kook on a branch of a nearby tree and remembers the sounds of his homeland. This could be the signing brook, the blowing breeze or the sound of friends.
5
avval¹ ek shaKhs² kii yaad aa’ii bahut
do’em³ ek saaNp kaa phan⁴ yaad aaya   1.at first 2.person 3.second, next 4.hood as in hood of a cobra
The cobra and its hood symbolize treachery and a poisonous attack. This may refer to someone who may have been a friend who later betrayed him. At least, if this did not actually happen, it describes what he preceives some people doing.
6
ek din socha ke ujle¹ ho jaayeN
tan² ko dhoya tha ke man yaad aaya     1.clean 2.body
The imagery is one of cleanliness of the body vs the cleanliness of the soul. You may wash yourselves clean all you want, but removing stains from the soul requires a different kind of effort.
7
Khoon saa rah gayaa dil meN jo shaKhs¹
aaj phir ban ke chubhan² yaad aaya     1.person 2.prick
This probably is an image of someone close to him, so close that he/she is like the blood in his heart. This might be a person he has left behind in the homeland or perhaps someone who has died. In any case, their memory rises pricking him in his heart.
8
phir se dil Duub¹ rahaa hai betaab²
phir zamaane³ kaa chalan⁴ yaad aaya    1.sinking 2.pen-name of the poet 3.times, world 4.ways, behaviour
Once again my heart sinks, O betaab, because I remember the (hurtful) ways of the world.