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
ab kaise rafu¹ pairaahan² ho is aavaara divaane ka
kya jaane garebaaN³ hoga kahaaN daaman⁴ hai baRaa viraane⁵ ka   1.stitched, patched 2.clothing 3.collar 4.valley, expanse 5.wilderness
In classical Ghazal convention the mad/passionate lover roams the desert/wilderness and tears off his clothes, particularly his collar. It is a vast wilderness. Who knows where he has thrown it. His clothing cannot be patched up now.
2
vaa’ez¹ na sunegaa saaqi ki laalach hai use paimaane² ka
mujh se hoN agar aisi baateN maiN naam na luuN maiKhaane ka   1.preacher 2.cup (of wine)
The preacher, has shown up at the maiKhaana is either talking away with the saaqi or haranguing her (it is not clear). The saaqi wants him to leave, but he is hanging around because he has a hidden agenda. He wants a cup of wine. The poet/patron of the tavern observes that the preacher, in his sermon, normally rails against indulgence in wine, and still has the temerity to show up at the tavern. If I were him, I would come nowhere near the tavern, says the poet.
3
kya jaane kahega kya aa kar hai daur¹ yahaaN paimaane² ka
allaah kare vaa’ez³ ko kabhi rasta na mile maiKhaane ka   1.circulation, rounds 2.cup (of wine) 3.preacher
Who knows what he will say when he comes here, the cup of wine is making its rounds. May god that the preacher never find his way to the tavern.
4
turbat¹ se laga kar taa² mahshar³ sunte haiN koi milta hi nahiN
manzil⁴ hai baRi aabaadi⁵ ki rasta hai baRaa viraane⁶ ka   1.grave 2.until 3.gathering on the day of judgement 4.destination 5.peopled 6.desolation
They say that from the grave to the gathering on the day of judgement you don’t come across anyone. The destination is well peopled, but the the route is desolate/lonely.
5
jannat meN piyega tu kyuNkar¹ ai shaiKh yahaaN gar² mashq³ na ki
ab maane na maane teri Khushi hai kam mera samjhaane ka   1.how 2.if 3.practice
The interesting pun is that wine which is forbidden here will be available for enjoyment in heaven. jigar too makes a similar pun …
ye janab-e-shaiKh ka falsafa, hai ajeeb saare jahaan meN
jo vahaaN piyo to halaal hai, jo yahaaN piyo to haraam hai
O, shaiKh, how will you be able to drink in heaven, if you don’t practice it here. You listen or not, it is up to you. It is my job to explain.
6
ji chaaha jahaaN par rok diya, paa’uN meN chubhe aur TuuT gaye
KhaaroN¹ ne bhi dil meN soch liya hai kaun yahaaN divaane ka   1.thorns
Nobody thinks much of the poor mad/passionate lover. Not even thorns. As he wanders through the wilderness they (thorns) feel free to stop him anywhere. They prick/penetrate his feet and break off. Because of this he has even more difficulty in pulling them out and has to stop.
7
haiN taNg¹ tere mai-kash² saaqi ye paRh ke namaaz aata hai yahiN
yaa shaiKh ki tauba³ tuRvaa de yaa vaqt badal maiKhaane ka   1.tired, disgusted 2.wine drinkers 3.resolve to abstain from wine
O, saaqi, the patrons of your tavern are disgusted/tired of the shaiKh. He comes here immediately after prayers (to harangue us). Either break the shaiKh’s resolve (so that he himself starts drinking and stops haranguing us) or change the timings of the tavern.
8
har subah ko aah-e sard se dil, shaadaab¹-e jaraahat² rahta hai
gar yuN hi rahegi baad-e-sahar³ ye phuul nahiN murjhaane ka   1.happy, contented 2.wound, pain (of love) 3.morning breeze
Every morning the poet/lover sighs and sorrowful sigh and is quite happy with the pain of love inflicted by the beloved. The sigh is likened to the morning breeze which causes flowers to bloom. Thus, if this sighing continues like this, the heart will forever keep blooming, it will never wilt.
9
bahke¹ hue vaa’ez² se mil kar kyuN baiThe hue ho mai-Khwaaro³
gar toR de ye sab jaam-o-subu⁴ kya kar loge divaane ka   1.annoyed 2.preacher 3.wine drinkers
The preacher has come to the tavern and annoyed the patrons. They are all annoyed and sitting in a huff. What good will this do to you, if he breaks all cups and flasks what can you do to this fool.
10
ahbaab¹ ye tum kahte ho bajaa² vo bazm-e-adu³ meN baiThe haiN
vo aayeN na aayeN un ki Khushi charchaa to karo mar jaane ka   1.friends 2.appropriate, fitting, true 3.gathering of rivals
In Ghazal tradition the beloved never visits the poet/lover except when he is dead. The poet has died (and even in his death) has sent his friends to inform her, so she may come to his funeral. They come back and report that she is in the gathering of rivals (and likely to be annoyed if disturbed). So the corpse of the poet/lover urges his friends – you may be right, but tell her anyway. It is her wish, whether she comes or not, at least, let her know.
11
us vaqt khulega¹ husn² ko bhi ehsaas-e-mohabbat³ hai ke nahiN
jab sham’a sar-e-mahfil ro kar muNh dekhegi parvaane ka   1.become clearr 2.beauty/beloved 3.awareness of the love of the lover
Ghazal convention is that the beloved is feigns that she is not aware of the love of the poet/lover. But there is one condition under which it will become clear whether she is or not. That condition brings up another Ghazal convention. The candle is the beloved. The moth is the lover and molten wax, dripping from the candle is tear drops. The moth is burnt to death, and the candle is crying at its demise. When the beloved observes this in the gathering and realizes that the poet/lover also loved her and cries, then it will become to clear to all whether she was aware or not.
12
baadal ke aNdhere meN chhup kar maiKhaane meN aa baiThaa hai
gar chaaNdni ho jaayegi qamar¹ ye shaiKh nahiN phir jaane ka   1.pen name of the poet, also, full moon
It is a cloudy night and dark enough that the shaiKh has furtively come to the tavern and is indulging. But now if the full moon/qamar breaks out, then the shaiKh is not going to go away. This could be because he is afraid of being recognized in the moonlit night, or because the mood for drinking wine grows strong in romantic, moonlit ambience.