Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mirza asadullah KhaaN Ghalib (1797-1869). I dare not write any introduction. On more than one occasion Ghalib has warned his readers that he needs no introduction or even address. I humbly comply. badri raina, retired professor of English, dehli University, poet, writer, columnist and a dear friend has translated several Ghalib Ghazal and published them as a book.
1
muddat¹ hui hai yaar² ko mehmaaN³ kiye hue
josh⁴-e qadah⁵ se bazm⁶ charaaGhaaN⁷ kiye hue   1.long time, ages 2.friend, friends, beloved 3.guest 4.boiling, bubbling, passion 5.wine 6.gathering, party 7.lit up in a celebration of lamps
It has been ages since the poet/lover has invited friends/beloved over for a gathering/party the place lit up with tinkling goblets of wine that shine like lamps. Usually, this is interpreted as inviting the beloved. With multiple lamps/wine cups lighting up the party, I am inclined to offer a second possible interpretation. This could be a mushaa’era where friends are invited. He was known to be a recluse. When his admirers wanted to see/hear him, they went to his house. It has been too long since Ghalib has done this. He misses that gathering.
2
karta huN jam’a¹ phir jigar²-e laKht-laKht³ ko
arsa⁴ hua hai daavat⁵-e mizhgaaN⁶ kiye hue   1.add, gather 2.liver, heart 3.pieces 4.long time 5.feast 6.eyelashes
Eyelashes are like daggers. They cut up the heart of the poet/lover into pieces. The feasting of the eyelashes, their pleasure is in cutting the poet’s heart. Since it has been a long time, he is inclined to give the beloved’s eyelashes another invitation to cut it up. But to do that he has to collect the old fragments and put them together first.
3
phir vaz’a¹-e ehtiyaat² se rukne lagaa hai dam
barsoN hue haiN chaak³ garebaaN⁴ kiye hue   1.style, method 2.caution 3.tear 4.collar, shirt
Normally, the poet/lover has such an excess of passion that he tears his collar/shirt and goes around like a madman (majnun). But this style is socially not acceptable so he has been cautious and conformed to the conventional ways/style of society. This is suffocating him. It has been too long and he wants to get back to his mad passionate ways. At one level this is about the beloved. But could it be that the conventions of verse are suffocating him and wants to be free his passionate verse in his own style?
4
phir garm¹-e naala-haa²-e sharar-baar³ hai nafas⁴
muddat⁵ hui hai sair⁶-e charaaGhaaN⁷ kiye hue   1.busy, enthusiastic 2.plural of naala, wails 3.spark spreading 4.breath 5.long time, ages 6.stroll through 7.celebration of lights
The breath is enthusiastic/busy in wailing. The wails are so painful that they scatter/spread/throw up sparks. Because of this it appears to the poet/lover that he is taking stroll through a celebration of lights. It has been a long time since he has done this and he is nostalgic. So much for direct meaning of the words, but could it be that his passion showing up in fiery breath and wails is his shaa’eri and when he writes it, it appears to the poet that he is taking stroll in a garden of lights.
5
phir pursish¹-e jaraahat²-e dil ko chalaa hai ishq³
saamaan-e sad⁴-hazaar namak-daaN kiye hue   1.inquire after 2.wounds 3.love/passion 4.hundred
Love/passion has caused wounds in the heart. Now it is coming to inquire after the condition of these wounds. At the same time it brings along enough salt to rub into a hundred thousand wounds.
6
phir bhar rahaa huN Khaama¹-e mizshgaaN² ba-Khoon-e dil
saaz³-e chaman-taraazi⁴-e daamaaN⁵ kiye hue   1.pen 2.eyelashes 3.means, making arrangement 4.decorating/embroidering or painting with flower designs 5.hem of the robe
It was the practice/fashion of day to embroider borders of the hem with flowery designs. The poet/lover is despondent and sitting with his head between his knees. He is crying tears of blood which fall on the hem. This is like he is using his eyelashes to paint with blood, flowery designs on the hem of his robe.
7
baaham¹ digar² hue haiN dil o diida³ phir raqiib⁴
nazzaara⁵ o Khayaal⁶ ka saamaaN⁷ kiye hue   1.mutually, reciprocally 2.once again 3.eyes 4.rivals 5.sight 6.thought, imagination 7.provision, making arrangements for
The heart and the eyes are once again rivals of each other. One wants to imagine and the other wants to see the beloved. Could this be the struggle between writing and imagining verse?
8
dil phir tavaaf¹-e kuu²-e malaamat³ ko jaaye hai
pindaar⁴ ka sanam-kada⁵ viraaN⁶ kiye hue   1.circumambulation, tour 2.street 3.blame, abuse 4.ego, hubris 5.temple, heart 6.desolate, devoid of any habitation
The poet/lover has been to the ‘lane of abuse’ before and has been the target of abuse and blame. Once again, his heart is ready to go back, emptying itself of all ego/self-respect. The lane of abuse is the beloved’s lane. He is going to ‘circumambulate’ which is a term reserved for the k’aaba or other ‘holy’ places. Thus the ‘street of blame’ is holy for him.
9
phir shauq¹ kar rahaa hai Kharidaar² ki talab³
arz⁴-e mataa⁵-e aql-o-dil-o-jaaN kiye hue   1.desire, ardor 2.buyer 3.demand, ask 4.submit, appeal, make a representation 5.possessions, treasure
Desire i.e. poet/lover is once again looking for a buyer. It is not clear whether he is looking for a new buyer or going back and asking the asking the same buyer. In either case he is a supplicant and has on offer all his treasure – intellect, heart and soul.
10
dauRe hai phir har ek gul-o-laala¹ par Khayaal²
sad-gulsitaaN³ nigaah⁴ ka saamaaN⁵ kiye hue   1.rose and tulip 2.thought, imagination 3.hundred gardens 4.sights 5.provisions, arrangements
Personified imagination is the poet himself. His thoughts are chasing every rose and tulip – beautiful flowers or is it the beloved or perhaps gul-o-laala are his own beautiful verses? But his eyes have made arrangements for the beauty of a hundred gardens in preparation for this. Is it because the beloved is so beautiful that he has to imagine a hundred gardens in preparation for her dazzling beauty? Or for the beauty of his own verse
11
phir chaahtaa huN naama¹-e dildaar² kholnaa
jaaN nazr³-e dil-farebi⁴-e unvaaN⁵ kiye hue   1.letter, message 2.heart possessing, beloved 3.offering, sacrificial 4.heart deceiving, heart fascinating 5.title
The poet/lover has just received a letter from the beloved, and he once again wants to open it. Is it the same letter that is tempting him to open it again and again but he has been fearful of its contents, because this is the first letter that he has unexpectedly received. Or has be received such letters before, and he is ‘phir’/again calling up his nerve to open it. Ghalib leaves that to the audience/reader to decide. In either case he has offered up his life/soul in homage to the heart fascinating title. The title, or the name of the envelope is enough to make him offer his life. Therefore, there is no use in opening the letter.
12
phir chaahtaa huN naama¹-e dildaar² kholnaa
jaaN nazr³-e dil-farebi⁴-e unvaaN⁵ kiye hue   1.letter, message 2.heart possessing, beloved 3.offering, sacrificial 4.heart deceiving, heart fascinating 5.title
The poet/lover has just received a letter from the beloved, and he once again wants to open it. Is it the same letter that is tempting him to open it again and again but he has been fearful of its contents, because this is the first letter that he has unexpectedly received. Or has be received such letters before, and he is ‘phir’/again calling up his nerve to open it. Ghalib leaves that to the audience/reader to decide. In either case he has offered up his life/soul in homage to the heart fascinating title. The title, or the name of the envelope is enough to make him offer his life. Therefore, there is no use in opening the letter.
13
chaahe hai phir kisi ko muqaabil¹ meN aarzu²
surme³ se tez⁴ dashna⁵-e mizhgaaN⁶ kiye hue   1.in front, face to face 2.desire 3.collyrium, eyelid lining 4.sharp 5.dagger 6.eyelashes
Eyelashes are like daggers. They are made even more sharp with eyelining. Desire i.e. the poet/lover wants to be face to face with that special someone i.e. beloved (this time there is less ambiguity). And he is willing to face sharpened eyelashes like daggers that will cut or pierce through his heart.
14
ek nau-bahaar¹-e naaz² ko taake³ hai phir nigaah⁴
chehra faroGh⁵-e mai⁶ se gulistaaN kiye hue   1.new spring 2.coquettish style 3.search, gaze 4.sight 5.brilliance, shining 6.wine
The sight of the poet/lover is searching for (or gazing at) “ek”/one (anyone, or that someone special) who is coquettishly displaying her beauty like new spring. Or, does “new spring” imply budding adolescence. The poet leaves it ambiguous. In either case he desires to see her in a special way. She should have had enough wine to make her face flush/red/colourful like a garden.
15
phir ji meN hai ki dar¹ pe kisi ke paRe raheN
sar zer-baar²-e minnat³-e darbaaN⁴ kiye hue   1.door 2.burdened, borne down, beholden 3.kindness, obligation 4.doorman
The poet/lover once again has this desire in his heart that he prostrate himself at the door of the beloved. Normally, the doorkeeper would chase him away, but he is willing to beg for obligation/kindness and be burdened by it quite unlike ‘ulte phir aaye dar-e k’aaba agar vaa na hua’.
16
ji DhoonDtaa hai phir vahi fursat¹, keh raat din
baiThe raheN tasavvur²-e jaanaaN³ kiye hue   1.leisure 2.imagination 3.beloved
“ji” could be either heart or life/soul/inner self. The soul of the poet is searching for that same special leisure, leisure that leaves him free to imagine/think of the beloved day and night. And who might this beloved be. It could be the physical beloved, god or his own verse that he wants to spend night and day contemplating and composing. Hear the elegant explanation of the importance of pause, given by radhika chopra.
17
Ghaalib hameN na chheR¹, ke phir josh²-e ashk³ se
baiThe haiN ham tahayya⁴-e toofaaN⁵ kiye hue     1.tease, get worked up 2.passion 3.tears 4.determined, prepared 5.storm
Here the poet is addressing either himself or the lover is addressing Ghalib and asking him to not tease him, not get him worked up. Because he is prepared once again to raise a storm … wind and rain … his sighs/wails and tears. ‘baiThe rahna’ can mean to be obstinately determined.

Re-composition by Badri Raina
1
It is ages since she granted me the pleasures of a host;
And ages since the house was lit with wine at every post
2
Afresh do I assemble now those bits of a shattered heart;
Afresh to taste the pain again, the blessing her dart
3
Ages since I broke restraint, or let anguish have its say ;
Afresh does throttled passion seek to blow the curbs away
5
Afresh does commiserative love prepare to ease the fault ;
Afresh, to look to the festering wounds with a fresh supply of salt.
8
Afresh does this yearning heart desire to abdicate to her ;
Betraying honour, ego, pride, betraying everywhere,
9
Afresh the urge to capitulate to a winsome customer ;
Surrendering heart and soul and life, to clinch the deal with her.
12
Afresh the lust to gaze upon her swooning loveliness ;
Her face ambushed with fainting care by dark, descending tress.
13
Afresh the desperate desire to have opposite ;
Her face riotous, like spring, flushed, and softly lit.
15
Afresh the urge to laze beside the portals of her estate
Imploring first the mercy of the man who keeps the gate
16
Afresh the thirst for nights and days when quiet and ease embrace;
For time to close the mind to all but the remembrance of her face.
17
O Ghalib forbear, withhold me not, for, with the potency of tears,
I have, afresh, determined on the storm, that now uprears.