Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. josh malihabadi (1898-1982) is known as – shaa’er-e inqelaab – poet of revolution. His nazm are fiery, passionate and full of energy. His Ghazal and rubaaii are equally good. He was a secular humanist writing sharply and irreverently against colonialism, abuse of power, injustice and orthodoxy. This Ghazal is in the style of Ghalib’s ‘baazeecha-e atfaal hai duniya mere aage’.
1
sarshaar¹ huN sarshaar hai duniyaa mere aage
kaunain² hai ek larzish³-e sahbaa⁴ mere aage    1.fulfilled, satiated 2.two worlds, here and hereafter 3.tremble, ripple, vibrations, throbbing 4.wine
The ripples in a glass of wine before me are like the throbbing of the universe, here and hereafter. That satiates/satisfies me and the whole world.
2
har najm¹ hai ek aariz²-e raushan³ mere nazdiik⁴
har zarra⁵ hai ek diida⁶-e biinaa⁷ mere aage   1.star 2.face, cheek 3.shining 4.near-used here to mean ‘for me’ 5.grain, particle (of dust) 6.eye 7.that which can see/discern
For me, every star is a shining face, every grain of dust is a discerning eye (that might also mean – a discerning eye can see the whole universe in a grain of dust).
3
har jaam¹ hai nazzaara²-e kausar³ mere haq⁴ meN
har gaam⁵ hai gulgasht⁶-e musallaa⁷ mere aage     1.cup (of wine) 2.scene, display 3.river in heaven, river of wine 4.used here to mean ‘for me’ 5.step 6.garden walk 7.prayer rug
I see the heavenly river of wine in every cup. Every step I take as I walk in the garden is like offering namaaz on a prayer rug.
4
har phuul hai laal¹-e shakar-afshaaN² ki hikaayat³
har Ghuncha⁴ hai ek harf⁵-e tamannaa⁶ mere aage    1.ruby 2.sugar/sweetness spreading 3.story 4.unopened bud 5.word, story 6.desire, yearning
Every flower is the story of sweetness spreading rubies (he reads/sees/hears in it the red lips of the beloved). Every flower bud is the story of yearning to blossom into a flower.
5
ek maz’haka¹ hai pursish²-e uqbaa³ mere nazdiik⁴
ek vahm⁵ hai andesha⁶-e fardaa⁷ mere aage   1.joke 2.asking after, inquiring about 3.end, after-life 4.used here to mean ‘for me’ 5.supersition 6.fearful anticipation 7.future, used here to mean after-life
For me, asking about after-life is a joke. Fearing it, is superstition.
6
hoN kitnii hi taariik¹ shab²-e ziist³ ki raaheN⁴
ek nuur⁵ sa rahtaa hai jhalaktaa⁶ mere aage     1.dart 2.night 3.life 4.pathways 5.light, ray 6.twinkle, shimmer
However dark the pathways of this oppressive life might be, I always see a shimmering ray of light before me (like the light at the end of a tunnel).
7
maiN aur DaruN saulat¹-e duniyaa-e danii² se
Khud larza-bar-andaam³ hai duniyaa mere aage    1.awe 2.lowly, undignified 3.trembling body
Me and be awestruck by this undignified world! The world itself trembles before me.
8
jhuktaa¹ hai ba-sad² ijz³ kaliisaa⁴ mere dar⁵ par
aataa hai laraztaa⁶ huaa k’aaba mere aage    1.bows 2.with a hundred 3.humility 4.church 5.door 6.tremble
‘kaliisa’ and kaa’ba are used here to symbolize all organized religion, orthodoxy. Thus, orthodoxy humbly bows at my door and trembles before me.
9
paimaane¹ se jis vaqt chhalak¹ jaatii hai sahbaa³
lahraataa⁴ hai ek husn⁵ ka dariyaa⁶ mere aage    1.measuring cup 2.spills over 3.wine 4.wave, high tide 5.beauty 6.ocean
Whenever I am served from an overflowing measuring cup, it is as if I see a wave/high tide of the ocean of beauty before me. The wine can be actual wine or symbolic of beauty, love, knowledge, verse – take your pick.
10
jab chaaNd jhamaktaa¹ hai mere saaGhar²-e zar³ meN
chaltaa nahiiN Khurshiid⁴ ka daavaa⁵ mere aage   1.shine, glimmer 2.cup (of wine) 3.gold 4.sun 5.claim
The beauty/golden light of the glimmering moon reflected in his wine cup outshines the sun. The claims of the sun do no hold water.
11
jab jhuum ke miinaa¹ ko uThaataa huN ghaTaa² meN
hiltaa hai sar-e gumbad³-e miinaa⁴ mere aage   1.bottle, flask 2.cloud 3.dome 4.blue, sky, heaven
In poetic convention gathering clouds are an occasion for celebration (probably because they offer hope of a good harvest) and calls for drinking wine. Thus under gathering clouds, when I pick up a flask of wine, the sky shakes its head in approval.
12
aatii hai dulhan ban ke mashiyyat¹ ki jilau² meN
aavaaragi³-e aadam-o-havvaa⁴ mere aage    1.god, god’s will 2.crowd, procession, in company of 3.wandering, exploring 4.Adam and Eve, humanity
The story is that Adam and Eve were banished from heaven and sent down to earth where humanity spread all over. The poet considers life on earth to be much more adventurous and preferable to a sedate life in heaven. Thus, for me, the wandering humanity on earth is like a bride (symbolizing beauty) in the company (with the blessing) of god’s will.
13
paimaane¹ pe jis vaqt jhukaata huN suraahii²
jhuktaa hai sar-e aalam³-e baalaa⁴ mere aage     1.cup, goblet 2.flask 3.world 4.high, overhead
When I turn (bow the head of) the flask over my cup to pour wine, the skies overhead (heavens) also bow down to me. It could imply any number of things … pouring wine opens up the world for me, with the wine being symbolic of mysticism, love, knowledge.
14
pahlu¹ meN hai ek zohra²-jabiiN³ haath meN saaGhar⁴
is vaqt na duniyaa hai na uqbaa⁵ mere aage     1.side 2.Venus, beloved 3.forehead, brow 4.cup 5.hereafter, next world
With the beloved (with her shining brow) beside me, a cup of wine in my hand, I have no thoughts of the here or hereafter. This reminds me of omar Khayyaam’s rubaaii.
15
josh¹ uThtii hai dushman² ki nazar³ jab merii jaanib⁴
khultaa hai mohabbat ka dariichaa⁵ mere aage    1.pen-name of the poet 2.enemy 3.glance, eyes 4.towards 5.window
This is another version of ‘love thy enemy’. ‘nazar uTha ke dekhna’ has implications of looking at someone with anger/hatred. Thus, when the enemy looks at me in anger, windows of love open up before me.