Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. tilok chand mahroom (1887-1955) and his son jagan nath azad are an illustrious father-son team of urdu shu’ara. From miaNvaali (now in pakistan), they migrated to India in 1948, after unsuccessfully trying to remain in lahore. This Ghazal is modeled after Ghalib’s “saaqi ne kuchh mila na diya ho sharaab maiN” and is linked to it in the page ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’.
1
kya hai havas¹ baGhair² jahaan-e Kharaab³ meN
bandish⁴ hai sub tilasm⁵-e hava⁶ ki habaab⁷ meN   1.desire, passion 2.without 3.bad, material 4.tie, attraction, shape 5.illusion 6.air, desire 7.bubble
What else is there in this material/mortal world without passion just like the form/shape of a bubble is because of air. If the air goes out, the bubble bursts. If you don’t have passion/love of the divine, then there is no meaning in the material world/existence.
2
raNg¹-e baqaa² hai ishrat³-e faani⁴ meN is tarah⁵
paani ka jaise jalva⁶-e dilkash⁷ saraab⁸ meN    1.colour, style, image 2.long life, immortality 3.pleasure, joy 4.mortal, material 5.like, similar to 6.appearance, manifestation 7.pleasing 8.mirage
Travelers through the desert see water in the distant mirage and feel happy. Any notion of immortality in this material world is like a mirage. Deriving pleasure/joy from this world is like feeling happy on seeing a mirage. This world is an illusion/maaya.
3
duniya ko ahmiyyat¹ meri azmat² se mil gaii
varna³ ye ek Khayaal⁴ hai aur vo bhi Khwaab⁵ meN   1.importance 2.greatness 3.otherwise 4.imagination, illusion 5.dream
The poet continues the conventional theme of deriding the material world. He is probably invoking the image of aadam ‘descending’ from heaven to earth. The earth/world/material world gets its importance only because of the greatness of aadam (creation of god). Otherwise this is only an illusion and that too in a dream.
4
raushan¹ bhi ho to baa’as²-e nuqsaaN³ zaruur⁴ hai
maanind⁵-e barq⁶ dil jo rahe izteraab⁷ meN    1.shining 2.basis, cause 3.harm 4.surely 5.similar to 6.lightning 7.restlessness, eagerness
If the heart is eager for material acquisition, then its restlessness is like that of lightning. It can cause harm such as burning up the nest/home. Even if it shines brightly, a restless heart can be the cause of harm. The implication is that contentment/spirituality is the better option.
5
kya faiz¹ kam-savaad² ko ahl-e-kamaal³ se
kam-taab⁴ haiN nujoom⁵ shab⁶-e maahtaab⁷ meN   1.benefit 2.ignorant 3.people of expertise 4.dim 5.stars 6.night of 7.full moon
On a full moon night, stars appear dim. They do not derive any benefit from the light of the moon. In much the same way, the ignorant do not derive any benefit from the knowledge of experts. The unstated implication is that “experts” are mystics/saints.
6
har chashm¹-e ashkbaar² meN muzmir³ hai ek balaa⁴
saabit⁵ hai jaise barq⁶ ka hona sahaab⁷ meN    1.eye 2.raining tears 3.hidden, implict part of 4.calamity 5.proven, known 6.lightning 7.cloud
Behind every tearful eye there is a calamity/cause of pain/sorrow, just like it is known that dark clouds carry lightning strikes. I am not sure how this relates to his theme of material vs spiritual world.
7
rakhte hain shaam¹-e umr² ka saamaan³-e raushni⁴
do chaar daaGh⁵ hum ne bhi khaaye shabaab⁶ meN    1.evening of 2.life 3.means 4.light 5.wounds 6.youth
The poet/lover remains steadfast in his love even if the beloved does not return his love. He carries wounds of unrequited love in his heart. In poetic convention these wounds are a mark of goodness. Sometimes they are considered to be flowers at other times (like here) they shine like bright lamps. Thus, the poet/lover points out that in his youth, he received such wounds and has nurtured them. They remain with him like shining lamps. Of course, these are memories that give him joy in the evening of his life.
8
vasf¹-e shikanj²-e zulf³ meN uljha⁴ raha Khayaal⁵
guzri⁶ tamaam⁷ umr⁸ isi pech-o-taab⁹ meN    1.praise 2.vise, grip 3.hair, curls 4.tangled 5.thought, imagination 6.passed 7.whole, all 8.life 9.twists and turns, restlessness, eagerness
Classical poets who write about love are tangled up in praising the hair/curls of the beloved. All their life is spent in the grip of these twists and turns/restlessness/eagerness.
9
mazmoon¹-e tark²-e ulfat³-e duniya jo hai mera
maikash⁴ ka vaa’z⁵-e tauba⁶ hai bazm⁷-e sharaab meN    1.theme 2.renunciation 3.love, pleasure 4.wine drinker 5.sermon 6.repentence 7.gathering, assembly
In several opening ash’aar the poet has been talking about the spritual vs the material. This is part confession of his own hypocrisy and/or the ineffectiveness of his words. Thus, my theme of renouncing the pleasure of the material world is like wine lover sermonizing about repentence (and giving up wine) to a gathering of wine lovers in the tavern.
10
karta raha hisaab¹ gunaah² o savaab³ ka
shak⁴ jis to ho tere karam⁵-e be-hisaab⁶ meN    1.accounting 2.sins 3.virtues, good deeds 4.doubt, suspicion 5.kindness, benevolence 6.unlimited
Those who have not confidence in god’s unlimited love/kindness/forgiveness keep counting up their (or other people’s) sins and virtues for a final reckoning. This is an implicit dig at the preacher who talks about hellfire.
11
mahroom¹ asl² asl hai aur naql³ naql hai
aalam⁴ kahaaN shabaab⁵ ka daur⁶-e Khizaab⁷ meN    1.penname of the poet 2.reality, genuine 3.imitation 4.condition 5.youth 6.times, period 7.hair dye, especially for grey hair for men
O mahroom, the genuine will always be genuine and imitation will be just that. How can you regain the condition of youth during times of ‘Khizaab’ i.e. you cannot regain youth just be dyeing your grey hair black.