Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mirza vaajid husain yaas yagaana changezi (1884-1956), azimabad/paTna. Early pen-name ‘yaas’ (despair) and later ‘yagaana’ (unmatched, unique). Egotistical, uncompromising, brusque and acerbic, he did not get along with fellow poets. For some reason he cast himself as a critic of Ghalib. He got a booklet published in which there is a lengthy preface critical of Ghalib and of his many admirers, followed by many rubaaii deriding Ghalib. But he was courageous enough to make controversial statements about religious belief and was attacked by a mob, made to ride a donkey through town. In spite of his ‘derision’ of Ghalib he has several Ghazal in his style, this is one two that he composed with the same radeef and qaafiya as Ghaib’s ‘ibn-e mariam hua kare koii’ and is linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’.
1
kis dil se tark¹-e lazzat²-e duniya kare koii
vo Khwaab³-e dil-fareb⁴ keh dekha kare koii    1.relinquish, give up 2.pleasure 3.dream 4.heart enchanting
How can anyone find the heart/fortitude to give up the pleasures of this world, a dream that enchants the heart. How can anyone stop dreaming such a dream. Could this be sarcasm on conventional beliefs that this life is an illusion and the next life is real.
2
kya sahl¹ hai keh tark²-e tamaasha³ kare koii
dil se na ho to aaNkh se tauba⁴ kare koii    1.easy 2.give up 3.sight, amusement 4.regret, abstain
These are parallel rhetorical questions. Is it easy to give up the amusement (of this world). If the heart does not let you abstain/regret, how can the eye give up.
3
Ghunche¹ ke dil meN kuchh na tha ek aah² ke siva³
phir kya shaguftagi⁴ ki tamanna⁵ kare koii    1.unopened flower bud 2.sigh 3.except for 4.blossoming 5.desire, longing
The unopened bud had no other desire in its heart except sigh/sorrow (because it still not in bloom). Now look at what happened to it … as soon it bloomed it was either plucked off or it withered away. Why would anyone now wish to blossom.
4
aaNkheN ho jis ki aaNkhoN-hi-aaNkhon¹ meN taaR² le
dard³ apna vo nahiN keh TaTola⁴ kare koii     1.just by looking, in a single glance 2.surmize, figure out 3.pain, sorrow 4.search, probe
Those who can see, who have discerning vision, will be able to see in a single glance. My pain/sorrow is not that which they will have to probe and search for.
5
dil muztarib¹, nigaah² giraftaar³-e shash-jehat⁴
farmaaiye⁵ kidhar ka iraada⁶ kare koii     1.restless, eager 2.eyes, glance 3.held by, dominated by 4.six direction i.e., the material world 5.tell me 6.intention, determination
The heart is eager (with material desire), the eyes are fixated upon the material world, now tell me which way can one go i.e., it is natural for us to enjoy this world.
6
yaadash¹ baGhair² yaad-e Khuda aa hi jaati hai
apni taraf³ se laakh bhulaaya⁴ kare koii     1.memory, intentional thinking 2.without 3.from, volition 4.forget
Even without intentionally thinking, one remembers god e.g., when calamity strikes. This will be the case even if you try a thousand times to forget i.e., when you fall on hard times you remember god (and injunctions of orthodoxy).
7
us ki nigaah¹-e shauq² ke qurbaan³ jaaiye
tujh aise⁴ be-nigaah⁵ ko paida⁶ kare koii    1.glance of 2.love 3.pay tribute to, admire 4.like, similar to 5.without the ability/desire to look at 6.create
This is a sarcastic observation about the beloved who does not even deign to look at her admirers. Thus, “nigaah-e shauq” – loving glance is notable by its absence. The beloved’s aloofness has to be admired. How can anyone create someone like you who is “be-nigaah”, does not have a “nigaah-e shauq”.
8
taa’at¹ ho ya gunaah² pas³-e parda⁴ Khoob⁵ hai
donoN ka jab maza⁶ hai keh tanha⁷ kare hoii    1.submission, obedience, conformance 2.transgression 3.behind 4.veil, curtain 5.good 6.pleasure 7.alone, in privacy
Whether it is submission (to the will of god/orthodoxy) or transgression/sin, it is better if it is done behind the curtain. The pleasure of both is when it is done in privacy. Transgressions/sins done behind the curtain is understandable. But even conformance to orthodoxy/good deeds are to be done privately – perhaps the implication is that you don’t trumpet good deeds or expect a reward for them as in Ghalib’s …
taa’at meN taa rahe na mai o aNgabiiN ki laag
dozaKh meN Daal do koii le kar behisht ko
9
bande¹ na hoNge jitne Khuda² haiN Khudaaii³ meN
kis kis Khuda ke saamne sajda⁴ kare koii    1.slaves, creatures 2.gods, lords 3.creation, world 4.prostration, devotion
There are more ‘gods’ in this world than there are ‘creatures/slaves’. How many gods can we prostrate before. This appears to be a sarcasm on claims of high status by any of the groups of politicians, orthodoxy, wealthy and the like.
10
husn¹-e yagaana² aap hi apna hijaab³ hai
husn¹-e hijaab duur se dekha kare koii    1.beauty 2.pen-name but also meaning unique 3.veil
This is a nice use of the pen-name of the poet in its multiple meanings. He could be praising unique beauty, divine beauty, or his own beauty/skill (of versification) which is unique. To be its own hijaab implies that it is so beautiful/dazzling that no one can look at it for long; or that his verse hides many meanings behind a veil. Thus, he is inviting the viewer to look at it from a distance so as not to be blinded by its brilliance.