Click on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion.
1
tum ko hum Khaak-ashinauN¹ ka Khayaal  aane tak
shahr to shahr, badal jaaeNge veeraane tak 1.dust dwellers
By the time the beloved gets around to think of her lovers (who are so down in luck that they are dust dwellers), not just cities, even the wilderness will change (get worse, with the vicissitudes of time).
2
baaGhbaaN¹ fasl-e-bahaar² aane ka vaada³ to qubool⁴
aur agar hum na rahe fasl-e-bahaar aane tak 1.gardener 2.harvest/season of spring 3.promise 4.acceptable
The gardener could be god, who is promising/giving hope of better days (spring) to come. The poet/lover is willing to accept this promise but what if he is not around by the time spring arrives. He is not sure he will live until then.
3
dekhiye mahfil-e-saaqi¹ ka natija² kya ho
baat sheeshe ki pahuNchne lagi paimaane³ tak 1.gathering of the saaqi (at the tavern) 2.result, end 3.cup, goblet
The pouring of wine into cups is likened to their secret conversation/whispering to each other. They are conversing and perhaps conspiring to carry out a revolt (against the saaqi). Let us see what the result of this gathering is going to be now that the botte and cup are talking to each other.
4
subah hoti nahiN aye ishq¹ ye kaisi shab² hai
qais³ o farhaad⁴ ke dohra⁵ liye afsaane⁶ tak 1.love 2.night 3.another name of majnuN 4.farhaad of shiriN-farhaad story, both are used as symbols of mad passionate lovers
The night of separation is so long that it does not pass, dawn does not break, even though the (long and painful) stories of majnuN and farhaad have been repeated over and over.
5
phir na toofaan¹ uTheNge na giregi bijli
ye havaadis² haiN GharibauN hi ke miT³ jaane tak 1.storm 2.incidents, calamities 3.erased, wiped out
After this there will be no more storms, no more lightning strikes. Such calamities are only meant for the poor to be wiped out. Once that is done, no more storms/lightning.
6
maiN ne har-chand¹ balaa² Taalni³ chaahi  laikin
shaiKh ne saath na chhoRa mera mai-Khaane⁴ tak 1.every possible way 2.calamity, curse 3.get rid of 4.tavern
The poet/reveler is on his way to the tavern and runs into the shaiKh. He tries all possible tricks but is unable to get rid of him (he is viewed as a curse). It is not clear if the shaiKh is forcing himself on the poet/reveler because he wants to lecture him on abstinence or if he is secretly interested in going to the tavern himself.
7
vo bhi kya din the ke ghar se kahiN jaate hi na the
aur gaye bhi to faqat¹ shaam ko mai-Khaane² tak 1.only 2.tavern
The tavern is a place of joy/revelry and symbol of free thinking, freedom from the clutches of orthodoxy. Those were the days when we did not need to go anywhere except to the tavern in the evenings. It is implied that times have changed and we are being forced to go to the mosque.
8
maiN vahaaN kaise haqiqat¹ ko salaamat²  rakkhuN
jis jagah radd-o-badal³ ho gaye afsaane⁴ tak 1.truth, reality 2.preserve 3.change, modification 4.story
I am not sure if there is anything profound (or political) the poet is trying to say here. I can only do a literal translation … how can I preserve the truth when the story has been distorted … the implication is that the beloved is making things up to blame the poet/lover and he is helpless, either because he cannot malign her name or because he has no credibility when faced with her side of the story.
9
aur to kya  kahuN aye shaiKh teri himmat¹ par
koi kaafir² hi gaya ho tere mai-Khaane³ tak 1.courage 2.sinner, non-believer 3.tavern
The shaiKh is so foolhardy/ desperate that he has opened up a tavern. Of course, this is a trap to catch unwary revelers. The poet/lover gets wise to this deception … what can I say about your daredevilry O shaiKh, only a non-believer would go to your tavern. The poet is turning the table in a very interesting way. Those who are real believers would know the real tavern and would not turn up at the shaiKh’s place. Only non-believers (those who do not believe in the ‘real’ tavern) would show up.
10
us jagah bazm¹ meN saaqi ne biThaaya hai hameN
haath phailaayeN to jaata nahiN paimaane² tak 1.gathering 2.cup (of wine)
The saaqi has been particularly cruel to the poet/reveler. She has given him a seat in the gathering that is so remote that even if he stretches his hand he cannot reach the cup of wine.
11
aye qamar¹ subah hui ab to uTho mahfil² se
shama’³ gul⁴ ho gayii ruKhsat⁵ hue parvaane⁶ tak 1.poet’s pen name, full moon 2.gathering 3.lamp, candle 4.extinguish 5.depart 6.moth
Revelry and wine-drinking has gone on all night long. It is now dawn. The party is over. The lamp has been extinguished and moths are gone (the beloved has left and all lovers are gone), but the poet/lover/moon is hanging on, reluctant to leave, perhaps because he had not received any favours from the beloved during the night and was still hanging on to hope. This sounds like the poet is talking to himself, trying to persuade himself to leave, saying that there is no hope now, leave.
12
aye qamar shaam ka vaada¹  hai vo aate hoNge
shaam kahlaati hai taarauN ke nikal aane tak 1.promise
I found two different versions of this Ghazal with two different maqta. I have included both. The poet/lover is consoling himself. She has promised to come in the evening. The stars are out (that is the end of evening and beginning of night). She should be coming any time now.