Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. nazeer hussain siddiqui (1891-1956) kaakori (near lukhnau) and hyderabad. Early education in arabi and faarsi as well as urdu, was traditional and at home. Orphaned early, he was brought up by an uncle who also passed away. He trained in accountancy and moved to hyderabad with the encouragement of his brother; progressed steadily to become Assistant Financial Secretary. With the early passing of his wife, he devoted himself to his children and their education and expressed his creative talent in writing urdu poetry. His Ghazal have layers of mystic/sufi thought intertwined with romantic and religious themes. After his passing in 1956 but his diivaan remained in the family for a long time, only as a collection organized by radeef. in his own handwriting. This collection was finally published in 2022 after four years of loving work by his grandchildren. This Ghazal is linked to other ham-radeef Ghazal on the Refrain page.
1
yuN aah¹ par jo aah kiye jaa raha huN maiN
phir Gham ko ruu-ba-raah² kiye jaa raha huN maiN  1.sigh 2.an expression meaning facing the right path, along the right path
The poet/lover sighs constantly … one sigh after another. This is his attempt to bring his sorrow under control … along the right path, the path to recovery.
2
dekha hai zarre-zarre¹ meN maiN ne jamaal-e-dost²
har zarre ko gavaah³ kiye jaa raha huN maiN   1.every particle/grain of sand 2.glory of god (god is referred to as dost-friend 3.witness
I have seen the glory of god in every grain of sand. I am asking/making every grain to bear witness (to god’s glory).
3
vo aa’eN yaa na aa’eN magar¹ un ke shauq² meN
aaNkhoN ko farsh³-e raah⁴ kiye jaa raha huN maiN   1.but 2.wish, desire 3.floor, floor covering 4.path
‘aaNkhoN ko farsh-e raah karna’ – literally – spread eyes on the floor – is an expression meaning to prepare to receive someone with great love and respect. Thus, whether she will come or not, I don’t know, but in the intense desire to receive her, I spread my eyes on the floor of the path.
4
harchand¹ sharm² se vo uThaate nahiN nazar³
aamaada⁴-e nigaah⁵ kiye jaa raha huN maiN   1.even though 2.shyness, coyness 3.sight, eyes 4.prepare, accept, agree 5.to look
Even though out of shyness, she does not lift her eyes, I am preparing her to agree to look (at me).
5
aye rahmat¹-e tamaam² mera e’temaad³ dekh
har lahza⁴ ek gunaah⁵ kiye jaa raha huN maiN   1.kindness, grace 2.complete, perfect 3.confidence 4.moment 5.sin
‘rahmat-e tamaam’ refers to the kindness/forgiveness of god. The poet is so confident of god’s forgiveness that he is committing sins every moment.
6
anjaam¹-e kaar²-e ishq hai ek aah³-e jaaN-gudaaz⁴
aalam⁵ ko intebaah⁶ kiye jaa raha huN maiN   1.result 2.effort, pastime 3.sigh 4.life-sapping, life-taking 5.world 6.warn, caution
The result of the activity/pastime of love is life-sapping sorrowful sighs. I keep cautioning/warning the world.
7
un ki nigaah¹-e naaz² ko Khud chheR³ chheR kar
ek tiir⁴-e be-panaah⁵ kiye jaa raha huN maiN   1.glance 2.coquetry 3.tease 4.arrow 5.unsparing, without giving refuge
The beloved’s coquettish glance is like an arrow from which there is no escape. It does not spare anyone. The poet/lover knows this well, still he teases her causing her to look coquettishly (or angrily) at him, with her unsparing glance.
8
be¹ tere huN bhi yaa keh nahiN, teri jaaN se duur
is meN bhi ishtebaah² kiye jaa raha huN maiN   1.without 2.doubt
Far away from you, without you, whether I exist or not, even this I keep doubting i.e., I have no existence without you.
9
har raah¹ se guzar² ke mila hai ye raasta³
ab dil ki dil se raah⁴ kiye jaa raha huN maiN  1.path 2.pass through 3.way. 4.raah karna is an expression meaning establish a connection, create a path from a to b
Having passed through many paths, I have found this way – to establish a connection from heart to heart. This could be a connection with the beloved or with the divine spirit.
10
rah-rah¹ ke rakh rahe hain mere dil pe haath vo
tham-tham² ke aah-aah³ kiye jaa raha huN maiN  1.every now and then 2.infrequent, controlled 3.sigh, sigh of relief
The beloved hesitatingly, every now and then, places her hand upon the poet/lover’s bosom to comfort him. He responds, in a controlled way, releasing a sigh of relief every now and then.
11
majboor¹ huN tabi’yaat²-e iiza-pasand³ se
phooloN ko Khaar⁴-e raah⁵ kiye jaa raha huN maiN  1.helpless, bound by 2.habit, nature 3.pain-loving 4.thorns 5.path
The poet/lover following the tradition of love, likes/values pain. It has become his nature. He is bound by this nature. So spreads thorns in his own path (to keep experiencing pain). He is changing flowers in his path into thorns.
12
apni nigaah¹-e naaz² ko tuu dil bana ke dekh
dil ko teri nigaah¹ kiye jaa raha huN maiN   1.eyes 2.pride, aloofness, indifference
The beloved casts her glance at the poet/lover with indifference. He begs him to put some heart/feeling into her glance.
13
sau baar us ko dekh ke, sau baar hi junuN¹
aaNkhoN ko uzr-Khwaah² kiye jaa raha huN maiN  1.pen-name of the poet 2.wishing for/looking for excuses
Poetic convention is that a lover keeps his eyes lowered and does not look directly at the beloved. But, occasionally (maybe frequently, a hundred times) he steals a glance, and he looks for excues/pretexts a hundred times.