Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mirza taqi beg maa’el dehlavi (1850-1931) has a large corpus with quite a few of his Ghazal composed in the style of Ghalib. He started composing at the age of 14 and it is reported that he met with Ghalib several times but did not seek or receive any tutoring. Perhaps he considered that presumptuous because he was too young and Ghalib was in his final years. He moved to jaipur in 1875 and lived there until his passing. His work, scattered among many friends was collected and published as his ‘kulliyaat’ – complete works – in three volumes, under the sponsorship of the rajasthan sahitya academy. This is one of several Ghazal composed in the zamiin of Ghalib’s ‘tujh saa kaheN jis’e’ is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
allaah de voh sha’i¹ humeN sahba² kaheN jis’e
aur e’k vo nigaar³ dil-aara⁴ kaheN jis’e 1.thing, object 2.wine (metaphor for divine knowledge or joy) 3.beloved, beauty 4.heart-pleasing, enchanting
May god grant us that thing which is called sahba, and one such beloved whom we can call dil-aara. The poet prays for two cherished desires – a mystical experience (represented by sahba) and a transcendent beloved (dil-aara). sahba symbolizes the intoxication of divine love or spiritual joy, while dil-aara represents the ultimate beauty or beloved that captivates the heart.
2
haiN mahr-o-maah¹ se to hazaaroN jahaan² meN
aisaa nahiiN hai koi keh tujh saa³ kaheN jis’e    1.sun and moon 2.world, universe 3.short for jaisa, like you
There are thousands like the sun and moon in this universe, but there is none like you anywhere. This couplet celebrates the uniqueness of the beloved, elevating her above even the celestial grandeur of the sun and moon.
3
taa’siir¹ kuchh nahiN hai to phir aye chashm² kuchh nahiN
ron’e meN go³ voh josh⁴ ho dariya⁵ kaheN jis’e 1.impact, effect 2.eye 3.even though 4.fervor, intensity 5.river
If there is no impact/effect, O eyes, then nothing matters, even if the tears flow with the intensity of a river. Impact can come only with genuine passion, not just with a profusion of tears.
4
vahshat¹ agar yahii hai to do chaar din hi meN
ghar ki voh shakl² dekhiye sahra³ kaheN jis’e 1.madness, frenzy 2.appearance 3.wilderness
If madness continues like this, then in just a few days, even the house will look like a wilderness. There is an affinity between mad passion and wilderness. Afterall majnuN wanders the desert mad in his passion for laila. Thus, the house turning into a desolate wilderness can be the result of a distorted mind.
5
sun kar gil’e¹ sitam² ke diya tuu javaab³ kya
aisa nahiN hai koi sab achchha kaheN jis’e 1.complaints 2.tyranny, cruelty 3.response
Upon hearing complaints of cruelty, what response did you (the beloved) give? That there is no one about whom everyone speaks well. The implied message is that she dismissed complaints saying, ‘I cannot please everyone’.
6
maa’el¹ na ishq hai na Gham²-e dahr³ se nijaat⁴
voh shaa’eri hai aap ki sauda⁵ kaheN jis’e 1.pen-name 2.sorrow 3.world, life 4.release, salvation 5.obsession, madness
O maa’el, neither (reciprocity in) love nor freedom from this sorrowful life, your poetry is that which can be called madness. Thus, the poet unable to get any response from the beloved, and unable to end his sorrowful life, seeks relief in the madness of poetry.