Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. munshi bishweshwar prasad munavvar lakhnavi (1897-1970). He was a scholar of arabi, faarsi, urdu, and hindi. His father, munshi dwarka prasad ufaq was also a great poet who recomposed the ramayan in urdu using the same qaafiya for more than 6000 ash’aar. He himself re-composed the bhagwad gita in chaste urdu. He credits urdu with “saving the hindu religion” because of the many translations of hindu religious texts into urdu because that was the language that more north Indian hindus could relate to, rather than avadhi or sanskrit. This is one of several Ghazal that he composed in the zamin of Ghalib. This one of ‘har ek se puuchhta huN keh jaauN kidhar ko maiN’.
1
tu bhi agar kahe to jhukaauN na sar ko maiN
sajde se sharmsaar karuN tere dar ko maiN? 1.if 2.prostration, as in ritual bowing down in namaaz 3.ashamed 4.door, threshold
It is customary for the lover to bow at the threshold of the beloved. Here he shows rebellion dressed up as virtue. He suggests that if he were to bow down at the threshold than it would be ashamed. This could be because the threshold thinks that it is soiled because of being touched by the lover or because the threshold might feel obliged to him and feel ashamed of this obligation. The poet leaves us to guess which alternative he means. In either case he is unwilling to bow down at the threshold even if the beloved asks him to do so, because he does not want the threshold to feel ashamed. Could this be the divine beloved?
2
manzil¹ ki samt² uf re meri tez-gaamiyaaN³
piichhe na choR jaauN kahiN raahbar⁴ ko maiN    1.destination 2.towards 3.fast pace, quick steps 4.guide
The poet is moving rapidly towards his destination and is fearful that he might be leaving his guide behind.
3
ehsaan¹ bijliyoN² ka gavaara³ nahiN mujhe
Khud hi lagaauN aag na kyuN baal-o-par⁴ ko maiN    1.obligation, indebtedness 2.lightning 3.tolerate, accept 4.feathers and wings
It is a convention of urdu poetry that lightning strikes and burns down the nest of the poet (symbolized as a free bird in the garden). Here the self-respect of the poet does not accept this obligation. He does not want lightning to do the job. Why not I myself set my “baal-o-par” on fire. Here perhaps the nest, made of leaves and straw gathered from the chaman is symbolized as “baal-o-par” – the feathers and wings of the bird.
4
ye shakl¹ hai to kyuN ho mujhe ghar ka ehtiyaaj²
phirta huN apne saath liye baam-o-dar³ ko maiN    1.picture, scene, conditions 2.need 3.roof and door i.e., house, shelter
The poet is a person of minimum needs. He can carry all his worldly possessions in a sack and wander as he pleases. If conditions are such, then why do I need a home. I carry everything with me wherever I go.
5
anjaam¹ ho ba-Khair² munavvar³ to kya ajab⁴
aagaah⁵ kar chuka huN dil-e be-Khabar⁶ ko maiN    1.result 2.well, safe 3.pen-name of the poet 4.strange, surprising 5.aware, inform, educate 6.unaware, gone astray
The heart of poet had gone astray. Perhaps it was getting tempted by the illusions of the material world. But the poet has been able to inform/educate his heart. Now that that is done, it will not be a surprise if the result turns out to be good.