Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. jaikrishn chaudhry habiib (1904-xxxx), born in Dera ismail KhaaN, in pakistan. Later, lived in jabalpur. He was a scholar of sanskrit, English, faarsi and urdu, and was an active participant in the independence struggle, most notably with Khaan abdul Ghaffaar KhaaN. MA from aligaRh and later LLB, law practice 1929. He migrated to India after partition in 1947. IAS – Collector and later Education Secretary. Early retirement in 1960, but recalled later to serve three more years in jabalpur and retired there. In 1969 he served on Ghalib shataabdhi naagarik samiti which organized four ‘tarahi’ mushaa’era over that year and published a book. He composed several Ghazal in the style of Ghalib. Compared to many other shu’ara, he started composing rather late in life, 1947, affected by having to leave home and the death of his mother. He composed until 1972.
1
yuN tasavvur¹ meN khile gul haiN teri baat ke baad
jaise gulshan² meN nikhar³ jaa’e faza⁴ raat ke baad    1.imagination 2.garden 3.refresh, re-invigorate 4.air, atmosphere
At first reading this is a tribute to the beloved. There was conversation about the beloved and her beauty. In the poet/lover’s imagination roses bloomed after this conversation like the atmosphere of the gardren is refreshed at dawn (after the night has passed). At another level, we can ask who the beloved is. If it is social justice/independence then after conversation among comrades the imagination blossomed with how the new dawn is going to be like after the night of oppression.
2
be-qaraari¹ na ga’i aur na miTi dil ki Khalish²
na mulaaqaat³ se pahle na mulaaqaat ke baad     1.restlessness 2.pricking, burning 3.meeting
This is probably a meeting with the beloved which left the poet/lover restless and left the same pricking in his heart because the meeting did not result in ‘vasl’-union.
3
Gham-e duniya bhi nahiN Khwaahish¹-e uqba² bhi nahiN
kya raha dil meN mere ishq ke jazbaat³ ke baad     1.wish, desire 2.end of life, next world, judgement 3.feelings, sentiments, emotions
After having experienced the feelings of love in his heart, the poet everything else quite bland; neither does he care for the sorrows/difficulties of this world nor the prospects of reward and punishment in the next world. All he can think about is the feeling of love. This could well be a vedantic/sufiaana expression of the primacy of universal love.
4
shaam raNgiN hai sahar¹ meN hai na vo kaif²-o-suroor³
teri sohbat⁴ meN vo guzre⁵ hue lamhaat⁶ ke baad     1.dawn 2.happiness, contentment 3.joy, exhilaration 4.company 5.passed, spent 6.moments
In the first misra the word ‘na’ (negative) applies to both shaam ki raNgiini and sahar ka kaif o suroor. Thus, neither is the evening colourful, nor is the dawn joyous, after having spent a few moments in your company. Here, the ‘your’ is the beloved. It is possible to stretch the interpretation of this she’r by considering the beloved to be symbolic of something else.
5
rah-rav¹-e shauq² hi kya jo sar-e-manzil³ na luTa
baazi⁴-e ishq meN aata hai maza⁵ maat⁶ ke baad     1.traveler, seeker 2.desire, love 3.used here to mean on the way to the destination 4.wager, move as in a board game 5.pleasure 6.defeat, loss
In the game of love, you have to wager everything that you have and even get robbed on the way to your destination. Only after such loss can you experience any pleasure. Those who have not wagered and not suffered a loss are not true seekers on the path of love.
6
ruu-ba-ruu¹ tere koi baat banaa’e² na bane³
kis tarah⁴ baat bane³ meri teri baat⁵ ke baad    1.face to face 2.baat banaana can mean (a) getting your desire fulfilled or (b) make up a story 3.to achieve its goal 4.how 5.words, conversation
There is a delightful word play in this she’r similar to Ghalib’s. It uses words and phrases in witty ways. In front of you, however much anyone tries to get their story across, they cannot succeed. How can anyone achieve their goal after you have said your say. And then you can try other variations of ‘baat banaana’ and enjoy the meaning. Said Ghalib …
nukta-chiiN hai Gham-e dil us ko sunaae na bane
kya bane baat jahaaN baat banaae na bane
7
mai¹ meN masti² hai na mai-KhwaaroN³ meN vo josh-o-Kharosh⁴
mai-kada⁵ suuna⁶ hua rind⁷-e Kharaabaat⁸ ke baad    1.wine 2.intoxication, pleasure 3.wine drinkers 4.passion and enthusiasm 5.tavern 6.deserted, desolate 7.wine-lovers 8.tavern
There is no pleasure in wine nor is there enthusiasm and passion of yore among the wine drinkers. The tavern is desolate ever since the old wine-lovers have gone. This could be his old comrades who were sincere and committed, the old wine used to be genuine and inclusive which is all gone now and replaced with people of different thinking. Hence the tavern (symbolic of a liberal, universal place) is now desolate.
8
baada¹-e husn² se sarshaar³ rahe roz habib⁴
kaif⁵ har kaif hai har raat meN har raat ke baad    1.wine 2.beauty 3.satiated, fulfilled 4.pen-name of the poet 5.comfort, pleasure
May habib be fulfilled/satiated every day with the wine of love. May every pleasure be comforting night after night.