Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. munshi raghunath siNgh haajir dehlavi (1884-1922). Both father and grandfather were poets and scholars of urdu and faarsi. He started composing at the age of 13-14. His father died in 1906 and he moved to bhopal for work and returned to dehli in 1910 to re-start his family practice, establishing a clinic named ‘daar-ul-shifa’. He died in 1922 before he could publish his diivaan, but his son collected his papers and published it. His brother, kaviraj raghunandan singh saahir wrote the preface. In addition to his diivan, there is a collection of his Ghazal called, ‘Ghalib aur haajir’, all composed in the zamin of Ghalib. This Ghazal, composed in the zamin of ‘saaqi ne kuchh mila na diya ho sharaab meN’, is particularly long – about 60 ash’aar. They are posted in 6 segments for easy reading and listening and linked to that category under the icon ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’, on the Theme page.
1
chilman¹ lagi hai raushni-e aaftaab² meN
kahte haiN muNh voh apna chhupa kar naqaab³ meN    1.curtain 2.sun 3.veil
The beloved’s face is beautiful and brilliant – shining like the sun. Covering her face with veil, she claims that there is a curtain drawn over the light of the sun.
2
mahshar¹ meN aek roz to aa’eNge saamnay
kab tak raheNge ham se voh chhup kar naqaab² meN    1.judgement day 2.veil
How long will she hide from me behind a veil. After all she will have to come face to facce on the day of judgment.
3
har dam¹ Khayaal zulf² shikan-dar-shikan³ ka hai
dil mubtala⁴ ho kyuN nah mera pech-o-taab⁵ meN    1.moment 2.hair 3.curl upon curl 4.entangled, surrounded 5.twists and turns, restless, agitated
Every moment, I have thoughts of curls upon curls of the beloved’s hair. Why then would my heart not be tangled in agitation.
4
rahvaar¹-e ishq barq-sifat² tez-gaam³ tha
jamnay nah paa’e paauN hamaaray rakaab⁴ meN    1.riding horse, steed 2.lightning-like 3.fast-paced 4.stirrup
The steed of love was fast paced like lightning. I could not even get my feet into the stirrups.
5
zaahid¹ hamaaray kahnay se ek baar pii ke dekh
sair²-e jahaaN³ ka lutf⁴ hai jaam⁵-e sharaab meN   1.abstinent, pious 2.sightseeing, amusement 3.world 4.pleasure 5.cup
O zaahid, listen to us and try it at least once and see. The pleasure of sightseeing of the whole world is contained in a cup of wine.
6
hairat¹ ki baat hai keh voh ab tak bharay² nahiN
jo zaKhm³ dil pay khaa’e thay ahd⁴-e shabaab⁵ meN    1.perplexity 2.healing of a wound 3.wound 4.time, period, age, duration 5.youth
It is a matter of perplexity that they are not yet healed – the wounds that I had suffered during my youth.
7
jab saaz¹-e dil se aati hai har dam² sadaa³-e haq⁴
phir kya rakha hai naGhma⁵-e chaNg-o-rabaab⁶ meN    1.musical instrument, harp 2.moment 3.sound 4.truth, god 5.song, music 6.flute-sitaar
When divine sounds emerge from the music of the heart, then what is the need for music of flute and sitar.
8
Dooba¹ hua huN aalam²-e masti³ meN is qadar⁴
aalam⁵ hai mauj⁶-e baadah⁷ ka mauj-e saraab⁸ meN    1.drowned, immersed 2.world of 3.intoxication 4.so much 5.condition, situation 6.waves, ripples 7.wine 8.mirage
When a traveler in the desert encounters a mirage, they see ripples of water in the distance. In this case, the poet is immersed so much in the world of intoxication that he sees ripples of wine in the mirage.
9
unn se rava-ravi¹ meN kahi dastaan²-e dil
matlab-ki-baat³ chhoR gaye izteraab⁴ meN    1.in a hurry 2.story 3.the essence of desire 4.restlessness, agitation
The lover had an encounter with the beloved and either he was nervous or she would not give him enough time. He was in a hurry, relating the story of his heart and left out the most essential desire in his agitation.
10
har dam¹ kisi ke ishq meN jaaN par bani² rahi
hum chaiN³ se nah baiThay jahaan⁴-e Kharaab⁵ meN    1.moment 2.jaan par bani – an expression meaing life-threatening 3.comfort, peace 4.world 5.ruined, destroyed, desolate
The lover’s feeling of love was so intense that he was always on edge – perhaps giving up hope of life and thinking of death. He did not get even a moment’s peace in this desolate world.