Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. daaGh dehlavi (1831-1905), grandson through marriage of his mother to the son of bahadur shah zafar. After 1857, he had to move to rampur and later to hyderabad, where he died. His Ghazal are more earthy and romantic than sufiyaana or philosophical. He was a disciple of zauq, whose rivalry with/jealousy of Ghalib is well known. But daaGh had good relations with Ghalib and wrote this Ghazal in the bahr of Ghalib, using many of the same phrases. It is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam and to Ghalib peshrau-ham-asr.
1
voh nig’h¹ raah² par nahiN aati
nazar³ aati nazar nahiN aati   1.glance, eyes 2.raah par aana-an expression meaning coming on the straight and narrow path, being within bounds 3.to be seen
The beloved’s glance is mischievous and furtive. It plays games with her lovers and gives them grief. The poet does not see the beloved’s glance coming to the straight and narrow path, within bounds of accepted behaviour. The poet has also failed to see the furtive glance, because it is subtle and it comes and goes in a flash.
2
dilbaroN¹ par tabi’at² aati hai
uss tarah³ uss qadar⁴ nahiN aati     1.beautiful damsels 2.tabi’at aana-to be attracted to 3.like, similar to 4.so much
The poet is attracted to beautiful damsels but that way and not that much. The use of non-contextual pronouns makes it difficult and delightful to interpret. Does he mean he is not attracted as much as he used to in his youth, or does he mean that he is not attracted to them as much as he is attracted to the beloved.
3
koocha¹-e yaar² hi meN baiTh rahi
o qayaamat³ idhar nahiN aati   1.street 2.friend, beloved 3.tumult, doomsday
The tumult of doomsday has settled down in the street of the beloved. It does not come towards where the lover is. This is a total mystery to me. Why is the poet/lover not in the street of the beloved himself. Why does he want the the tumult to come to him. Why has the tumult settled in the street of the beloved.
4
husn¹ mujrim² raha keh ishq³ raha
Ghaib⁴ ki kuchh Khabar⁵ nahiN aati     1.beauty-beloved 2.blameworthy 3.love-poet/lover 4.the domain beyond, mysterious 5.news, judgment
There is a constant struggle between the beloved and the lover about who is to blame – the beloved for her cruelty and indifference or the lover for not being stoic enough or for not paying exclusive attention. The struggle and blame goes on in the world of love, but mysterious powers don’t seem to intervene, don’t seem to pronounce judgment.
5
kya rukay uss nigaah¹-e shooKh² ki choT³
aatay-jaatay⁴ nazar⁵ nahiN aati     1.glance 2.teasing 3.hurt, wound 4.coming and going, casual observation 5.be seen
The beloved shoots arrows with her coquettish/teasing glances. How can anyone escape being hit by these arrows, how can they escape the wounds. No one can see the arrow coming or going.
6
go² tabi’at² hai uss ki harjaaii³
par meri raah par nahiN aati    1.even though 2.nature, habits, mood 3.‘every placer’ i.e., one who frequents this place and that indiscrimately, unfaithful
This is a reflection of the lover’s jealousy. He thinks that the beloved goes everywhere, visiting all his rivals even though they are not ‘true lovers’. Even though she is a ‘harjaaii’, she never comes towards his path i.e., to his house.
7
qatl¹ par apnay baandh² detay ham
haath un ki kamar nahiN aati    1.killing 2.kamar baandhna-to be determined to do something
There is an interesting word play here associated with the waist of the beloved. The height of beauty is that the beloved has no waistline. So, in a literal sense, kamar baandhna – to tie something around the waist is not possible. But kamar baandhna also means to determined to do something. Also, it is an honour and a highly desirable thing for the lover that he be killed at the hands of the beloved. Thus, I would have made her determined to kill me, but I cannot get hold of her waist. English translation falls flat.
8
dil ke lenay ki ghaat¹ hai kuchh aur
yeh tujhe muft² bar³ nahiN aati   1.mode, manner, method 2.free 3.bear fruit
This is probably the lover addressing the beloved in a very unusual tone. Normally, he gives his heart freely and without any effort on her part. Here he says that the methodology of winning hearts is something else. Your desire (to win my heart) will not bear fruit free of charge. He wants something in return but does not specify what.
9
haal¹ m’aaloom² hai qayaamat³ ka
baat kahnay meN par nahiN aati   1.condition 2.known 3.doomsday
The conditions of doomsday are well known. But this is a topic that cannot be spoken about. The poet leaves for us to guess a lot. He may be talking about the conventional picture of doomsday when the beloved will have to face the lover and answer for all the cruelties that she has inflicted on him. But this is something that cannot be talked about at this time.
10
aagay¹ aati thi yaad bhi teri
ab kabhi bhool kar nahiN aati    1.in the past
Memories used to rise in the mind of the lover in the past. But now they don’t even by mistake. Perhaps the only beauty of this she’r is the juxtaposition of ‘yaad’ and ‘bhool’. Ghalib’s similar she’r but of a completely meaning …
aagay aati thii haal-e dil pe haNsii
ab kisii baat par nahiN aati
11
marg¹-e aashiq hai kis qadar² aasaaN³
naubat⁴-e chaaragar⁵ nahiN aati    1.death, killing 2.so much 3.easy 4.time, turn, occasion 5.healer
It is so easy to kill off the lover. Even the occasion to call the healer does not arise.
12
hazrat¹-e dil aur unn se haal² kaheN
maut³ kah kar magar nahiN aati    1.honourific like ‘sir’ or ‘mister’ 2.condition 3.death
While the poet uses an honourific to talk about his heart, he really means ‘my poor heart’. Thus, my poor heart and tell her its condition. Death does not give you any advance notice of its coming. This probably means that if he were to describe his condition to the beloved she would kill him without any warning.
13
gul¹ harey² ho gaye chaman meN daaGh³
tujh peh raunaq⁴ magar nahiN aati     1.flowers 2.green, fresh 3.pen-name of the poet 4.glow, happiness, brilliance
This is probably a description of the arrival of spring. I doesn’t make sense to say that flowers have turned green. ‘green’ is used here to mean – freshly emerging as in spring. Thus, O daaGh, spring has arrived in the garden, but you don’t seem to be happy.