Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. syed shafaa’at Hanson rehani (1912-????), born in lukhnau. Educated in urdu and faarsi in raampur and later in punjab university. Started composing at an early age both in urdu and in faarsi with mirza jafar ali KhaaN asar lakhnavi (urdu) and farruKh shiiraazi (faarsi) as his mentors. He is a Christian urdu poet who has written conventional Ghazal as well as Christian devotional nazm. He has four collections to his credit and also compiled a booklet on devotional nazm for observing Good Friday and celebrating Easter. He served as pastor at the Methodist Church in hyderabad. This Ghazal in the same radeef as Ghalib’s ‘dard minnat-kash-e davaa na hua’ is linked along with several others to that icon under ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’ on the Theme page.
1
hashr¹ kis din yahaaN bapa² na hua
un ka vaa’da³ magar⁴ vafa⁵ na hua   1.doomsday, tumult 2.happen, occur, arranged 3.promise 4.but 5.fulfilled, promise kept
In urdu poetic tradition the beloved promises to meet the poet/lover but never keeps her promise. The multitude of her spurned lovers get together in a tumultous uproar every day. Even with this doomsday-like tumult, she has never kept her promise.
2
zulf¹ un ki rasaa² hui to kya
dast³-e kotaah⁴ jab rasaa² na hua   1.hair 2.able to reach, within reach 3.hand 4.slow, weak
What if the beloved’s hair is within reach. My weak hands could not be raised to touch it.
3
aaNkh milte hi chup lagi aisi
keh bayaaN¹ dil ka maajra² na hua   1.describe, relate 2.condition, state, circumstance
The poet/lover has been eagerly looking for an opportunity to relate the condition of his heart. But as soon as their eyes met, he was struck dumb and could not relate his story.
4
ye hai kaisi bahaar¹ aye sayyaad²
koii bulbul Ghazal-saraa³ na hua   1.spring 2.bird-catcher, hunter 3.Ghazal singing
In urdu poetic tradition the flower-picker and the bird-catcher are villains. The separate lovers the ‘gul’ and the ‘bulbul’. It appears that the bird-catcher has been particularly cruel this spring. There are no bulbul singing songs of love in the garden.
5
maut¹ ke b’aad kya bhala² hoga
zindagi meN agar bhala na hua    1.death 2.good
What good can come after death if no good deeds were done during life.
6
aadmi phaiNk kar falak¹ pe kamand²
aadmi hi raha, Khuda na hua 1.sky 2.noose, rope
In his arrogance man thought that he could overpower the sky/heavens and become greater than god. He did throw a noose to catch it, but remained a weak human, did not become god.
7
vo bhi saahil¹ se aa laga ek din
jis safiine² ka naaKhuda³ na hua  1.shore 2.boat 3.oarsman, navigator
The shore is deliverance. The boat is on its journey of life. Each boat has a direct connection to god and can reach the safety of the shore eventually, even if it does not have a ‘naaKhuda’. The implied play on words is that it may not have a ‘naaKhuda’ but it will have a ‘Khuda’. Thus, if you put your faith in ‘Khuda’ you can reach the shore even without a ‘naaKhuda’.
8
dast¹-e saaqi meN jaam² tha laikin
baRh ke lene ka hausla³ na hua   1.hand 2.cup (of wine) 3.courage, resolve
It is the ‘hand of god’ that is offering a cup of the divine wine of love. But only those who have the resolve to reach and take it will be able to benefit from it.
9
yaad-e gul to hai dil meN rehaani¹
maiN hua gulsitaaN² meN yaa na hua    1.pen-name of the poet 2.garden
Memories of the rose will remain, O rehaani, whether you survive in the garden or not. Reminds me of Ghalib’s …
Ghalib-e Khasta ke baGhair, kaun se kaam band haiN
roi’ye zaar zaar kyuN, kiijiye haa’e haa’e kyuN