Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. jamna parshad raahi (1940-2017), aligaRh. Sahitya Akademi, UP, awardee. President, Progressive Writers’ Association. He specialized in composing in the style of Ghalib and traced his literary lineage to daaGh dehlavi, though not a shaagird of Ghalib, was deeply influenced by him. He has a 200+ page book of Ghazal composed in the style of Ghalib called, ‘baazgasht-e Ghalib’. This Ghazal is in the style of Ghalib’s ‘ishq mujh ko nahiN, vahshat hi sahi’.
1
tark¹-e aaiin²-e mohabbat hi sahi
bad-zani³ hai to adaavat⁴ hi sahi     1.to give up, stop 2.traditions, rules 3.ill-feeling, suspicion 4.enmity, anger
The conventions of love require the poet/lover to be forever faithful to the beloved and the beloved in turn may offer a carrot here and there and keep him dangling. She makes not commitment, but also does not harbour ill-feelings towards him. Apparently, in this case she has crossed that line and the poet/lover suggests that now that you have done this, why not go all the way. If you have abandoned the traditions of love and have ill-feelings towards me, go ahead treat me like an enemy.
2
us ka armaaN¹ meri vahshat² hi sahi
aarzu³ baa’as⁴-e hasrat⁵ hi sahi    1.longing 2.madness/passion bordering on lust 3.desire 4.basis, cause of 5.intense grief
Longing for her maybe my mad/passion. This desire may be the cause of my grief. The implication is that he is willing to suffer madness and grief, but he will continue to long for her.
3
aayat¹-e dil ka Khulaasa² kiije
maslak³-e ishq meN bid’at⁴ hi sahi    1.sign, clue, hint 2.gist, explanation 3.way, method, procedure 4.disallowed
The path/way/traditions of love dictate that the beloved speak only in ambiguous signs, many times keeping the poet/lover guessing. But now he is demanding that she explain these hints clearly, even if the traditional path of love does not allow it.
4
aaNkh zaKhmoN¹ ki zabaaN bolti hai
muskuraana² teri aadat³ hi sahi    1.wounds, pain 2.smile 3.habit
The poetic tradition is that poet/lover suffers, and the beloved is openly or secretly happy to see the effect of her beauty and coquetry. Thus, the eyes of the poet speak the language of pain i.e., they shed tears, even if the beloved’s habit be to laugh at his wailing. Alternatively, it is the beloved’s eyes that are speaking and the language they speak is the language of inflicting (not suffering) pain. She inflicts this pain even as she smiles.
5
hijr¹ begaana²-e rusvaaii³ tha
vasl⁴ ham-m’aani⁵-e raahat⁶ hi sahi    1.separation 2.unfamiliar with, stranger 3.humiliation 4.union (with the beloved) 5.same meaning 6.comfort, pleasure
Union with the beloved is the same as happiness, in fact, it is the definition of happiness. Even though it may be so, by a strange twist of logic, the poet/lover states that hijr/separation may be preferable. This is because union is subject to humiliation. She can throw him out and he will be insulted. On the other hand, hijr/separation is totally unfamiliar with this kind of humiliation. It already is in pain and already separated/thrown out and in no danger of being thrown out.
6
koii be-par¹ ki uRa de vaa’ez²
tera fatwa³ meri shohrat⁴ hi sahi    1.wingless, that which cannot fly, words that have no credibility, nonsense 2.preacher 3.edict 4.fame
The preacher is going to make baseless allegations and pronounce judgement/issue an edict against the poet/lover. This will have no credibility and only end up making the poet/lover famous. Thus, he challenges the preacher – go ahead and speak your nonsense.
7
baiThiye qurb¹ se uThiye na janaab²
ek zara der ki zahmat³ hi sahi    1.nearness, intimacy 2.honorific addressed in this case to the beloved 3.inconvenience
Be near me, do not get up/get away even if you have to bear this inconvenience for a while.
8
us ka sheva¹ jo nahiN vaz’a² vafa³
ishq ba-vaz’a⁴ adaavat⁵ hi sahi    1.nature, character 2.ways of, style 3.fidelity 4.by way of, in the style of 5.enmity, anger
It is the nature/character of the beloved not to be faithful, but to keep a long line of admirers. The poet/lover seems to understand and accept that. If fidelity is not your nature, at least show your love in the style of anger i.e., her anger shows that she cares.
9
zindagi kis ko giraaN¹ hoti hai
har nafas² baa’as³-e zahmat⁴ hi sahi    1.heavy, unpleasant 2.breath 3.basis, cause 4.inconvenience, pain
Every breath may be the cause of pain, but it still does not make life an unpleasant burden i.e., everyone wants to continue to live.
10
hum bhi e’laan¹-e jafa² karte haiN
zindagi tujh se baGhaavat³ hi sahi    1.declaration, announcement 2.torture, cruelty 3.rebellion
The tradition of life is that the poet/lover suffers in silence, does not malign the reputation of the beloved. But things have gotten so bad that he is ready to tell everyone about the cruelty that the beloved inflicts on him. He is ready to rebel against the traditions of life.
11
kuchh to ilzaam¹ mere sar rakhiye
kam se kam ishq ki tohmat² hi sahi    1.blame, crime 2.accusation
Place some blame on me, at the very least an accusation of being love with you. The implication is that it is far worse to be ignored by the beloved.