Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. sardar genDa singh mashriqi (1857-1909), born in roopaR, panjab. Studied English and faarsi through middle school but could not go further in formal schooling because of family financial conditions. Worked for magazines, then the government in clerical and accountancy jobs and continued to learn urdu on his own, writing magazine articles and nazm, many of them nationalist. He joined the Indian National Congress in its inaugural meeting in 1885. In 1903, daaGh dehlavi accepted him as a shaagird. In spite of their very short association, he acknowledges daaGh as his ustaad. mashriqi’s diivaan was compiled and published by his grandson in 1989. There are also book length translations of sikh religious books in faarsi in poetic format as well as a book length collection of odes to sikh religious figures. This is one of several Ghazal that he composed in the refrain of Ghalib and is linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’.
1
kis par aye yaar¹ karogay yeh jafaa² mere baad
yaad aayegi tumheN meri vafa³ mere baad    1.friend, beloved 2.cruelty 3.steadfast commitment, fidelity
In poetic convention the beloved is cruel to the poet/lover and the true/sincere lover cheerfully bears all her cruelty without complaining or giving up on his love. His rivals on the other hand, are there only for lust. They will not remain steadfast if subjected to the same cruelty. Thus, who will you have to be cruel to, after I am gone. You will remember my fidelity after my death even if you don’t appreciate it now, while I live.

2
jeetay-jee¹ band rahi dil ki kali, hum ko kya
gar² gulistaaN³ meN chali baad-e-saba⁴ mere baad    1.during lifetime 2.if 3.garden 4.morning breeze
It is poetic convention that rose buds are ‘asleep’ through the night. The gentle morning breeze blows in and wakes them up, causing them to bloom into flowers. By using ‘dil ki kali’ in the first misra the poet uses this imagery to talk about his love which remained unfulfilled like a bud that did not blossom. Thus, as long as I lived, the bud of love in my heart remained unblossomed/unfulfilled. What difference does it make to me if the morning breeze blows in after my death.
3
rashk¹ hai itna mujhe is ka keh dekheN, kis ko
lazzat²-e hijr³ chakhata hai Khuda mere baad    1.envy 2.taste 3.separation (from the beloved)
The poet/lover never achieves union with the beloved. But he never-the-less enjoys the pleasure of separation. Such pain is valuable in itself but also because it establishes a connection with the beloved, whether fulfilled or not. The poet/lover values this connection (and the pain that goes with it) so much that he is jealous, thinking of who will receive this taste from god/fate after his own death. Said Ghalib …
chhoRaa na rashk ne ke tere ghar ka naam luN
har ek se poochhta huN ke jaauN kidhar ko maiN
and again …
apni gali meN mujh ko na kar dafn b’aad-e qatl
mere pate se Khalq ko kyuN tera ghar milay
4
Ghuncha¹ kah kar chaminstaaN² meN yeh hai murjhaaya³
hai qasam⁴ tujh ko chalay gar⁵ tu saba⁶ mere baad    1.unblossomed bud 2.garden 3.wilted 4.swearing/demanding under threat of a curse 5.if 6.morning breeze
This she’r goes back to the same theme as in the second she’r above. The poet’s love never blossomed because the beloved did not respond, just like the bud never blossomed because the morning breeze did not blow. The bud is wilting/drying up even before blossoming. It swears … curse on you O morning breeze, if you blow after I am gone i.e., because he did not get to blossom, no one else should get a chance to. This one, coming from osman ali KhaaN, a supposedly enlightened ruler is particularly loathsome …
mujh ko kya faa’eda gar koii raha mere b’aad
saari maKhlooq balaa se ho fanaa mere b’aad
5
arzoo¹ thi keh mere saamnay karti aye qaum²
mujh ko kya kaam agar to ne kiya mere baad    1.desire 2.community
I am unable to figure out who the ‘qaum’ is and what he desires the qaum to have done. Whatever it is, he would have liked for the qaum for do it while he lived. What benefit do I get if you do it after I am gone.
6
aek maiN huN keh uThaata hun inheN jaaN¹ dekar
kaun uThaayega teray naaz-o-ada² mere baad    1.life, soul 2.coquettishness and style
It is me alone (not rivals) who can bear/accept the beloved’s coquettish style even at the expense of my life. Who will bear this after I am gone. Said panDit javaahar naath saqi…
marte marte bhi na nikla mere dil se ye Khayaal
kaun dekhega ye andaaz o adaa mere b’aad
There are several others just like it linked to ‘lab-e saaqi meN salaa mere baad’ in Ghalib naqsh-e qadam on the Theme page.
7
hai yeh vaajib¹ keh libaas² apna banaayeN Khush
aayeN maatam³ ko agar⁴ ahl-e-azaa⁵ mere baad    1.necessary, required 2.garments 3.mourning 4.mourners
The poet/lover probably considers his own passing to be celebratory, because it relieves him of the pain he has suffered throughout his life. Thus, he wants mourners, if they come to mourn his passing, to come dressed in cheerful clothes.
8
hashr¹ meN harf²-e shikaa’et³ nah laboN⁴ se niklay
dosto haq⁵ meN mere karna dua mere baad    1.day of judgement 2.word 3.complaint 4.lips 5.used here to mean – for me
Everyone will be called to account for their actions on the day of judgement. At that time, the poet/lover who has borne much cruelty at the hands of the beloved will be called to testify. But he wants to make sure that not one word of complaint (about the beloved) escapes his lips. He asks his friend to pray on his behalf after he is gone. Said shaiKh ibrahim zauq …
ham nahiN vo jo kareN Khuun ka daa’va tujh par
balkeh poochhega Khuda bhi to mukar jaa’eNge
9
baad marnay ke hua duur mera dard-o-alam¹
such² to yuN hai keh hui mujh ko shifa³ mere baad    1.pain and sorrow 2.truth 3.cure, relief
Only after death did pain and sorrow leave me. The truth is that I was cured/relieved after death. Said Ghalib …
qaid-e-hayaat-o-band-e-Gham asl meN donoN ek haiN
maut se pahle aadmii Gham se nijaat paae kyuN