Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. lala sher singh jain naaz dehlavi (1897-1962) was an observant, orthodox jain who learnt urdu after an early education in English. In addition to Ghazal in chaste urdu, he wrote several odes to jain religious figures, surely for an audience of urdu speaking jains. This is a Ghazal composed with the same radeef/qaafiya as Ghalib’s ‘ibn-e mariam hua kare koii’ and is linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’.
1
is panj-roza¹ ziist² meN kya kya kare koii
duniya ki fikr³ ya Gham⁴-e uqba⁵ kare koii   1.five day 2.life 3.worry 4.burdened by 5.after-life
In this short life-span of ‘five days’, what all can one worry about. Should they be concerned of life here or be burdened by the thoughts of after-life.
2
zeba¹ nahiN ke naazish²-e be-jaa³ kare koii
ehsaas⁴-e be-sabaati⁵-e duniya kare koii    1.befitting, appropriate 2.pride 3.unjustified 4.feel, be mindful of 5.impermanence
It is not proper that anyone feel undue pride (in their worldly achievements). They should always be mindful of the impermanence of the material world.
3
kyuN baKht¹ o charKh² donoN ka shikva³ kare koii
phir kis ke aage⁴, ye bhi to samjha kare koii    1.fate, fortune 2.sky, oppression 3.complaint 4.before, in front of
Why should one complain about fate and misfortune. On top of it, just think who you are complaining to. The implication is that it was god who ordained your fate in the first place, so what is the point of complaining to him.
4
milte hi aaNkh muNh na chhupaaya kare koii
aaNkhoN meN rah ke hum se na parda kare koii    This is about the beloved. As soon as their eyes meet she covers herself or looks away, either out of coyness or to tease the poet/lover. He protests, your abode is in my eyes i.e., I always imagine you and see your image in my mind’s eye, so why do you hide from me.
5
yaksaaN¹ nazar² meN raahat³ o Gham⁴ ka maza⁵ rahe
hai shart⁶-e bandagi⁷ keh na shikva⁸ kare koii    1.same, identical 2.eyes, perception 3.comfort, pleasure 4.sorrow, pain 5.taste, experience 6.condition 7.bondage 8.complaint
It is a condition of bondage (in love for the beloved) that you not complain about anything, that you perceive/experience pleasure and pain (union and separation) to be the same. When you perceive them to be the same (with equanimity) then there is no need to complain.
6
be-Khud¹ hue kaliim², jalaa tuur³ be-gunaah⁴
kya tere dekhne ki tamanna⁵ kare koii 1.fainted, knocked senseless 2.another name of moosa/Moses 3.mount tuur 4.faultless 5.desire
This has reference to the Biblical/qur’aanic story that moosa/Moses went up mount tuur asking to see god. He was told that he would not be able to see him. He insisted. The divine manifested itself as lightning strike, moosa fainted and mount tuur was pulverized to dust through no fault of its own. Thus, if such things happen, why would anyone desire to see you.
7
furqat¹ meN bhi aaj qayaamat² ka saamna³
kya intezaar⁴-e v’aada⁵-e farda⁶ kare koii    1.separation 2.tumult, exceeding sorrow, also used colloquially to mean overwhelming beauty 3.face to face 4.waiting, anticipating 5.promise 6.future
In separation also the poet/lover is faced with exceeding sorrow/pain. There is an implication in union too he face ‘qayaamat’ – in this case, meaning overwhelming beauty. So, there is tumult under both conditions, union and separation. Why then would one wait, anticipating the fulfilment of the promise of future meetings.
8
bikhri¹ hai zulf² dosh³ pe, kya maaNgti hai ye
kuchh ho girah⁴ meN maal⁵, to sauda⁶ kare koii    1.spread 2.hair, curls 3.shoulder 4.knot, grip 5.goods for exchange 6.trade
The beloved’s curls are spread on her shoulders. The poet/lover wonders what it wants in exchange (for touching it, or coming close to it). If only I had something valuable to offer, could I trade.
9
mil jaayega zaruur¹ agar² dil meN hai lagan³
saa’el⁴ ki shakl⁵ ban ke taqaaza⁶ kare koii   1.surely 2.if 3.longing 4.beggar 5.form, attitude 6.demand
You will surely receive it if you have a passion/longing in your heart. All you have to do is ask with the humble attitude of a beggar. This could apply to god or to the beloved.
10
raahat¹ kise nasiib² jahaan-e-Kharaab³ meN
kya Khaak⁴ zindagi meN tamanna⁵ kare koii    1.comfort, happiness 2.available, granted 3.material/transient world 4.dust, useless 5.desire
Who is granted happiness in this transient world. It is useless to long for it in this life i.e., you only get it in the next life.
11
har jalva¹-e jahaaN meN hai muzmir² fanaa³ ka raNg⁴
maa’duum⁵ hai nishaan⁶-e baqaa⁷, kya kare koii    1.image, manifestation, scene 2.hidden 3.annihilation, destruction 4.quality, character 5.absent, hidden 6.clue, proof 5.permanence, survival, eternal
Hidden in everything in this (material) world is the quality of impermanence. What can one do when all clues of the eternal are absent.
12
taqdees¹ meN numood², ibaadat³ meN hai riya⁴
is par ye aarzu⁵ keh navaaza⁶ kare koii    1.purity, sanctity 2.appearance, image 3.worship, devotion 4.hypocrisy 5.desire, longing 6.grant, protect, help
Here, ‘taqdees’ is used to mean – sanctity of faith and ‘numood’ is used to mean – only for the sake of appearance/show. Thus, sanctity of faith is only for appearance and worship/devotion is insincere hypocrisy and on top of it there is the desire god will be benevolent.
13
aadat¹ sitam-kashi² ki hameN paR gaii hai naaz³
hasrat⁴ ye hai ke Khoon-e-tamanna⁵ kare koii    1.habit 2.bearing cruelty 3.pen-name of the poet 4.longing 5.killing of desire
The beloved is by definition, cruel to the poet/lover. He has gotten used to it. So used to it that he has a longing that she ‘kill his desire’. There is a very interesting play of words here. His desire can be killed by total rejection leaving no room for hope, or the desire can be killed by fulfillment i.e., union. Thus, he has gotten so used to cruelty that he thinks of the fulfillment of his desire in cruel terms – ‘killing of desire’.