Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. shyaam mohan lal jigar barelavi (1890-1976). He had a long line of urdu and faarsi scholars on both sides of his family. He learnt urdu and faarsi from this grandfather at home and later matriculation in 1911 and BA in 1916 (urdu, faarsi and philosophy). He also followed the family tradition as an educator in schools but soon changed to government administration, progressing to become a Collector, but resigned to participate in the freedom movement, later working as a professor in a junior college. He has several collections of Ghazal and rubaaii to his credit. This Ghazal is linked to shikast ki aavaaz – Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
dil se nikli jo dard¹ ki aavaaz
khul gayaa mujh pe zindagi kaa raaz²     1.pain 2.secret, mystery
When a voice of pain rose from the depths of my heart i.e., when I sincerely understood the pain of others, then the mystery of life was revealed to me. True understanding of life often comes not through joy, but through suffering and understanding the pain of others. Pain becomes a teacher, and its honest expression leads to inner revelations.
2
Khuugar¹-e lutf² kar diyaa tum ne
kaun uThaa’e sitam-gari³ ke naaz⁴      1.accustomed to, habituated 2.favours, kindness 3.cruelty, torture 4.pride, style, manner
This is an unconventional/unexplained situation. The beloved has been showing favours/kindness to the lover for long enough to make him accustomed to it. He wonders, who now will bear the pride of your cruelty? Now that he is used to kindness there is no one left to bear the burden of her cruelty.
3
rakh diyaa sar kisi ke qadmoN¹ par
kaash² nikle yahi tariiq³-e niyaaz⁴      1.feet 2.I wish, may it be so 3.way, method 4.devotional offering
The poet/lover laid his head at someone’s (beloved’s) feet; may this become the true path of devotion. There’s both surrender and yearning here — an act of love and humility, with a hope that this complete submission might be the right way to express longing and reverence. Here the beloved could also be thought of as the divine.
4
uff chaman meN na chhoR aye sayyaad¹
toRtaa hai agar² par³-e parvaaz⁴      1.hunter, captor 2.if 3.wings 4.flight
The poet/bird has been caught and put in a cage. But for some reason the captor is getting ready to release the bird, but intent upon cutting/plucking its flight feathers/wings. He pleads, if you are going to do this, at least don’t let me off in the garden; a plea to not offer the illusion of freedom (the garden) if the means of freedom are to be destroyed.
5
aaNkh kholi qafas¹ ke saa’e² meN
ham kahaaN aur kahaaN sar³-e parvaaz⁴    1.cage 2.shadow 3.head, beginning 4.flight
The poet/bird opened his eyes in a cage i.e., was born in a cage. It appears that the poet/bird/sufi considers this life/material world to be confining. It is like a cage for the soul/spirit. Where are we and where the beginning of flight i.e., flight/liberation is achieved only after union with the divine spirit.
6
haNste-haNste¹ rulaa diyaa tum ne
chheR² kar mera maajraa³-e niyaaz⁴      1.an expression meaning offhanded, playful, mocking 2.starting, stirring up 3.story, tale 4.devotion
In starting to talk about the story of the poet/lover’s devotion, the beloved is being offhanded, casual, playful and maybe even mocking. That hurts him, makes him cry.
7
dam¹ qafas² meN nikal gayaa aaKhir³
haa’e⁴ maiN aur hasrat⁵-e parvaaz⁶    1.breath, life 2.cage 3.at last, finally 4.alas 5.longing 6.flight
The poet dies confined, never having realized the dream of transcendence, of freedom. hasrat-e parvaaz remains an unfulfilled desire during life. This is a recurring theme in poetry … Gham-e hasti ka asad kis se ho juz marg ilaaj … said Ghalib.
8
bandagi¹ karne par jab aa’e to kyaa
kahiiN² rakh dii jigar³ jabiin⁴-e niyaaz⁵      1.devotion, submission 2.wherever 3.pen-name 4.forehead 5.supplication, devotion
Placing jabiin-e niyaaz in submission on the ground is a sign of complete surrender to the divine. When it is time for true submission, O jigar one can place their jabiin-e niyaaz on the ground anywhere. It does not have to be any particular location … mosque, temple or church.