Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mohammed husain qamar jalaalavi (1887-1968), was born in jalaali, near aligaRh, moved to pakistan after partition/independence. He was popularly known as ‘ustad’, for his expertise in repairing bicycles, which is how he earned his living and lived in penury, in spite of his excellence as a poet. He wrote Ghazal is chaste classical style, many of which have been put to music.
1
kab mera nasheman¹ ahl-e chaman² gulshan³ meN gavaara⁴ karte haiN
Ghunche⁵ apni aavazauN meN bijli ko pukaara karte haiN1.nest 2.people of the garden 3.garden 4.tolerate 5.flower buds
In urdu poetic tradition the poet/lover has a nest, his refuge. It gets struck by lightning and gets burnt. Also as a part of the tradition, the rest of the community, the people of the garden are jealous of him. Thus, the people of the garden do not tolerate my nest in it. Even the flowers, in their own voice call out to the lightning (asking it to come and strike my nest).

2
ab naza’¹ ka aalam² hai mujh par, tum apni mohabbat vaapas lo
jab kishti Doobne lagti hai to bojh utaara karte haiN1.death throes 2.condition
It is a part of urdu poetic tradition for the poet to write about his own death as if standing apart and observing it … he even writes about his own funeral in this way. In this she’r … I am in the throes of death, take your love back. It is better to lighten the load of a sinking boat. At a stretch, this could be that the poet/lover is concerned that the beloved is going to be sorrowful after his death, so he asks her to take her love back.

3
jaati hui mayyat¹ dekh ke bhi allah tum uTh kar aa na sake
do chaar qadam to dushman bhi takleef² gavaara³ karte haiN1.corpse, funeral bier 2.trouble 3.accept, bear
It is an Islamic tradition/injunction to join even a stranger’s funeral at least for a few steps. Thus … you (beloved) chose to not to come when my funeral passed by. Why this indifference? Even enemies/strangers take the trouble of walking a few steps with the bier.

4
be-vajah¹ na jaane kyuN zid² hai un ko shab-e furqat³ vaalauN se
vo raat baRha dene ke liye gesu⁴ ko sanvaara karte haiN1.for no reason 2.insistence 3.separation (from the beloved) 4.hair
Lovers are “people of separation” – they are forever separated and far away from the beloved. The night of separation is long. It must be because the beloved wants to tease her lovers for no reason. She does this by combing her hair which are so long and dark that they spread and look like night – thus making the night longer.

5
poNchho na araq¹ ruKhsaarauN² se, rangini-e husn³ ko baRhne do
sunte haiN ke shabnam⁴ ke qatre⁵, phoolauN ko nikhaara⁶ karte haiN1.liquid/drops 2.face/cheeks 3.beauty 4.dew 5.drops 6.make fresh
Do not wipe drops (of tears or sweat) from you face. They say that dew drops make flowers look even more beautiful.

6
kuchh husn¹ o ishq² meN farq³ nahiN, hai bhi to faqat⁴ rusvaaii⁵ ka
tum ho ke gavaara⁶ kar na sake, hum haiN ke gavaara karte haiN1.beauty i.e. the beloved 2.love i.e. the poet/lover 4.difference 5.disgrace, disrepute 6.tolerate
There is no difference between lover and beloved. If there is any, it is only with regard to disgrace. You (beloved) cannot tolerate it but we (lovers) accept it.

7
taarauN ki bahaarauN meN bhi qamar¹, tum afsurda² se rahte ho
phoolauN ko to dekho kaaNTauN meN, haNs haNs ke guzaara karte haiN1.name and pen name of the poet, full moon 2.wilted, sad O qamar even in the field of flowers you remain unhappy. Just look at flowers, they remain happy even in the company of thorns.