Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. dwarka das sho’la (1910-1983), lahore and later punjab and dehli. He started learning urdu because he liked ‘urdu-vaale’ around him. He inherited a pharmacy business and grew it enough to get a mention in Who’s Who, India Trade Directory, 1942. He received formal schooling only up to 8^th grade because his father recruited him in the family business. While washing bottles/vials he kept humming ash’aar. Later, hafiz jalandhari became his ustaad. He says they clicked because hafiz jaalandhari was equally unschooled and talked in panjabi. This Ghazal composed in the zamin of Ghalib’s ‘agar naama-bar mile’ is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
jis bad-naseeb¹ ko na sukooN² umr-bhar³ mile
us ki balaa⁴ se us ko agar⁵ daad-gar⁶ mile    1.unfortunate 2.tranquility, happiness 3.all life long 4.as an expression here it means – of what use is it 5.if 6.judge, justice
The implication is that the lover is unfortunate. All life long the beloved ignores him and he does not get any happiness out of his love. Of what use is it to him if he gets justice on the day of judgement (on the day of judgement is implied).
2
aaKhir ye azm¹-e tark²-e mulaaqaat³ kya hua
milna na chaahte the hum un se magar⁴ mile   1.resolve, determination 2.renounce, quit 3.meeting 4.but
The poet/lover has been ignored and is now disillusioned. He has resolved never to try to meet the beloved. But his weakness (in love) is such that even if he does not want to meet her, he does.
3
kaT¹ jaaye beKhudi² hi meN shaa’ed³ shab⁴-e taveel⁵
tum aisa⁶ zindagi meN agar⁷ ham-safar⁸ mile    1.pass, go by 2.dazed, intoxication 3.perhaps 4.night 5.long 6.like you 7.if 8.companion
In this she’r too he is expressing frustration with the beloved. Perhaps the long night (of suffering) too will pass in a dazed state of intoxication, if, in life I get a companion like you.
4
khoye¹ gaye ba-silsila²-e shauq³ ham kahaaN
kuchh to pata⁴ chale hameN, kuchh to Khabar⁵ mile    1.lost 2.in connection with 3.desire, love 4.clues, indications 5.awareness
The poet/lover has spent his life completely lost because of his desire (for the beloved). He wishes that in this state he should have some clues, some awareness of what is going on with him/his life.
5
taskiiN¹ ka ek lamha² mayassar³ na aa saka
milne ko yuN to aap se ham umr-bhar⁴ mile   1.tranquility, peace 2.moment 3.available 4.all life long
The poet/lover did not get even one moment of peace even though, so to speak, he was able to meet/see the beloved many times throughout his life.
6
kuchh na-muraad¹-e ishq the, kuchh na-muraad-e ziist²
ham ko to na-muraad¹ mile, jis qadar³ mile     1.disappointed, unfortunate 2.life 3.as many
The poet/lover feels that everyone in this world is disappointed in what they got. Some were unfortunate in love, others were disillusioned with life itself. However many people he met, he found only unfortunate ones among them.
7
unki suneNge apni kaheNge ba-fart¹-e shauq²
ham ko balaa-kashaan³-e mohabbat agar⁴ mile     1.because of an excess of 2.desire, enthusiasm 3.calamity stricken 4.if
The poet/lover considers himself a victim of love. If he were to meet others who have been similarly stricken by the calamity of love he would with an excess of enthusiasm tell them his story and listen to theirs.
8
patthar meN bhi kare na agar ghar to baat kya
haaN ek baar un ki nazar¹ se nazar mile   1.eyes
The poet/lover knows that the beloved is hard-hearted. She has a ‘patthar ka dil’. He has no hope that his glance will be able to penetrate that heart and make a home in it. Never-the-less he wishes that at least once his eyes be able to look directly into hers.
9
sho’la¹ ne is Ghazal ke liye chaahi maa’zerat²
kal Khwaab meN jo Ghalib-e ‘aali-gohar³ mile    1.pen-name of the poet 2.pardon, forgiveness 3.high caliber, great brilliance
sho’la has begged forgiveness for this Ghazal (composed in the style of Ghalib), when he met the brilliant Ghalib in his dreams the previous night.