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 ‘har ek se poochhta huN keh jaauN kidhar ko maiN’.
1
kya kuchh kahuN na Khaavar¹-e tiira-asar² ko maiN
tasKhiir³-e shab⁴ meN dekh raha huN sahar⁵ ko maiN    1.east, sun 2.darkness causing 3.conquest, surrounding, encircling 4.night 5.dawn, day
I am interpreting this in the light of the poet’s progressive and secular inclinations following faiz ahmed faiz’s lament
‘ye daaGh daaGh ujaala ye shab-gazeda sahar
vo intezaar tha jis ka ye vo sahar to nahiN’
The day (post-independence regime) is engulfed in darkness, surrounded and conquered by the night (of reactionary forces). What can I not say about (there is so much blameto give) this darkness spreading sun.
2
tasviir-e naashanaas¹ huN zaKhm²-e jigar³ ko maiN
baiTha huN kar ke Khaak⁴ dil-e naala-gar⁵ ko maiN     1.unknown, unfamiliar 2.wound 3.liver also used to mean heart 4.dust, ashes, destroyed 5.wailing, crying
The wound of the heart is out looking for someone to prey upon. But to it I appear as an unfamiliar picture because my sorrowful heart is already burnt to ashes, no longer capable of being wounded.
3
zaKhmi¹ haiN mere paauN jo kaaNToN se kya hua
chalta huN laala-zaar² kiye rahguzar³ ko maiN    1.wounded 2.tulip field (red) 3.pathway
The poet/seeker is on his journey and his feet are wounded. There are thorns in his path but he is not fearful. What if my feet are wounded and bleeding, when I walk along the path I change it into a field of tulips (making it red with his blood). Consider faiz ahmed faiz …
hai dasht ab bhi dasht magar Khoon-e paa se faiz
sairaab chand Khaar-e muGhailaaN hue to haiN
4
tark¹-e vafa² ke baad ye vaza’³-e muraasalat⁴
pheruuNga⁵ la-javaab⁶ na ab naamabar⁷ ko maiN    1.stop, give up 2.fidelity, promise, commitment 3.style 4.correspondence 5.turn around, return 6.without an answer 7.messenger
It appears to me that the poet is intentionally turning poetic conventions topsy turvy. He is done this is several other ash’aar in this Ghazal. The normal convention is that the beloved throws out the poet/lover and he keeps sending messages without getting a response. Here it seems that there has been a giving up of commitments and promises, but contrary to convention, the poet/lover has received a missive/correspondence from the beloved. The tone of this correspondence is apparently so good/favourable to the poet/lover that he cannot turn back the messenger without a response. Alternatively … the beloved has broken off the relationship and on top of it has sent a letter with a very severe tone, so severe that the poet/lover feels compelled to respond.
5
us ne kahaaN se paa’e ye asraar¹-e naazuki²
aye kaash³ dekh paata dil-e shiisha-gar⁴ ko maiN    1.mysteries, secrets 2.fragility, delicateness 3.I wish 4.glass-blower
The glass-blower creates fine and delicate/fragile pieces of art. From where does she (the beloved) get the secrets of delicateness. I wish that I could see into the glass-blower’s heart. Who is the glass blower and what are the delicate pieces of art? We can turn to a she’r of mir taqi mir for guidance …
le saaNs bhi aahista keh naazuk hai bahut kaam
aafaaq ki is kaar-gah-e shiisha-gari ka
The shiisha-gar could be god and the fragile pieces of art could be the beloved. The “us” in the first misra “us ne kahaaN se paa’e …” could be the beloved who has learnt/acquired the secrets of delicateness.
6
kaisi musaafarat¹ hai koii mas’ala² to ho
jaari³ rakhuN to kaise rakhuN is safar⁴ ko maiN    1.journey 2.problem 3.continue 4.journey
The poet/lover is on a journey of love. He finds the going so tough that he begins to wonder what the problem is. To him it appears that there should be no problem, but still, he does not seem to be making any headway with the beloved. What kind of a journey is this, he wonders. How can I continue on this path.
7
ab ke baras¹ bhi dasht-navardi² se hai gila³
taNg⁴ aa ke lauT⁵ jaauN na phir apne ghar ko maiN     1.year 2.desert wandering 3.complaint 4.tired of, lost interest in 5.turn back
The poet/lover/seeker leaves home and wanders the desert looking for his beloved or seeking answers to deep mystical questions. But this year again he is complaining about ‘dasht-navardi’ – wandering the desert. Why? Is it because he has lost interest, there is not enough challenge, there is nothing to search, the pain is overwhelming and he wants to give up and return home. Each one of these scenarios is very unconventional.
8
har shab¹ savaal²-e vasl³ pe karta hai vaapasi⁴
pahchaanta⁵ huN Khoob⁶ tere dard-e sar ko maiN    1.night 2.question, ask for, request 3.union 4.return 5.understand, know 6.very well
Every night that the poet/lover asks to spend with the beloved, she turns her back. Apparently she does this claiming that she has a headache. I know your headaches very well now, says the poet/lover.
9
maiN ne kaha na tha keh na aao shab¹-e firaaq²
uRti hai ab to rok luN kaise Khabar³ ko maiN    1.night 2.separation 3.news, rumours
It is extremely unusual (unthinkable) for the poet/lover to be saying such a thing. It seems like the poet is defying convention. Did I not say to you not to come here on the night of separation. Now that rumours are beginning fly, how can I stop them. It is also possible that the shaa’er is quoting the beloved. She had instructed him not to come, but he has, rumours are flying and she is mad that she cannot stop them.