Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mirza zakir hussain qazalbaash saaqib lakhnavi (1869-1946) traditional early education in arabi, faarsi and urdu, but at the insistence of his father passed English from St. John’s College, Agra. He started composing and raja amiirabad entrusted literary affairs of the state to saaqib at a salary of rupees 50 a month. He lost money in business and moved to Calcutta in 1906, working for the iranian ambassador. In 1908, raja mahmoodabad summoned him back to lakhnau, where he lived to the end of his life. mahmoodabad published his diivaan ‘tajalli-e shahaab-e saaqib’ in 1936. This Ghazal is in the same radeef-qaafiya as Ghalib’s ‘zarf-e qadah Khwaar dekh kar’ and is linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’.

3
samjhe na aap diida¹-e KhooN²-baar³ dekh kar
kya kijiyegaa haal⁴-e dil-e zaar⁵ dekh kar    1.eye, eyeball 2.blood 3.dripping, raining, crying 4.condition 5.sorrowful
This is admonishment to the beloved. She saw the poet/lover crying tears of blood, but failed to understand what was going on. What will she do now by asking about the condition of his sorrowful heart. 8
patthar nahiN keh tuur¹ ke taur² aazmaa’e³ jaa’eN
aye barq⁴-e husn⁵ haal⁶-e dil-e zaar⁷ dekh kar    1.mount tuur 2.in the way of, by the method of 3.tested 4.lightning 5.beauty/beloved 6.condition 7.mournful, sorrowful
Moses/moosa went up on mount tuur asking to see the divine. There was a lightning flash and moosa fainted and mount tuur was reduced to dust. Here the poet protests … my heart is not a rock (like tuur), so it should not be put to the test in the same way as tuur was. O brilliance of the beauty of the beloved consider the condition of my sorrowful heart. An alternative reading of the second misra provides a slight variation … aye barq, husn-e haal-e dil-e zaar dekh kar … O lightning/brilliance, consider the delicacy of my sorrowful heart (before you test me).
9
ab dahr¹ ruu-shanaas²-e vafaa³-o-jafaa⁴ hua
mere gale par aap ki talvaar dekh kar    1.world 2.familiar with the face of, to understand, to know 3.steadfast love 4.cruelty
Now the world has come to understand the meaning of steadfast love/faith and cruelty when it has seen your sword on my neck.
10
mahshar¹ meN koi poochhne vaala to mil gaya
rahmat² baRhi hai mujh ko gunahgaar³ dekh kar    1.tumult, doomsday 2.mercy, kindness 3.sinful
On doomsday finally I found someone who asked for/cared about me. When it saw me as sinful, divine mercy stepped forward (to forgive me).

13
chaliye¹ magar Khayaal² rahe umr³-e dahr⁴ ka
tham⁵ jaaye aasmaaN na ye raftaar⁶ dekh kar 1.walk 2.thought, consideration 3.life, survival 4.world 5.stop, pause 6.gait, style of walking
The gait of the beloved is supposed to be very graceful. Anyone who sees is so wonder-struck that they would ‘freeze in their tracks’. If the sky itself sees this gait, it might stop rolling and the world would come to an end. Thus, he says to the beloved … by all means walk, but be mindful of the survival of the world because the sky might stop rolling when it sees you.

19
sayyaad¹ kis jagah² pe qafas³ hai keh dil mera
dar⁴ ho rahaa hai baaGh ki diivaar dekh kar     1.bird catcher 2.place 3.cage 4.dar ho is an expression used to say, ‘get lost’, here used to mean going away, sinking
The bird catcher has snared the bird and is carrying it away out of the garden. It has no idea where, does not know how far away the cage is. He has come upon the garden wall and is being carried outside. Seeing the wall, its heart sinks.
20
in dostoN meN vo na hoN yaarab¹ jo vaqt-e-diid²
biimaar³ ho gaye ruKh⁴-e biimaar dekh kar    1.my lord 2.time of viewing 3.sick 4.face
The poet/lover is on his death bed, on his last breath. So much so that it is the “time of viewing” where family and friends come to see the dying man for the last time. But he is so sickly that those viewing him also begin to feel to sickly. Even at this point he is thinking of the beloved … may she not be among those friends who feel sickly upon seeing me at the ‘time of viewing’. This is not exactly wishing that she not come to the viewing but only praying that she have the courage to go through it without feeling sick.
21
vo kya samajh sakeNge nasheb-o-faraaz¹-e dahr²
jo chal rahe haiN raah³ ko hamvaar⁴ dekh kar     1.ups and downs 2.world, life 3.pathway 4.even, level, free of obstacles
How can they understand the ups and downs of life, who choose a pathway that is easy and level.
23
saaqib¹ ajab² nahiN keh sar³-e tuur⁴-e imtehaaN⁵
Ghash⁶ dil ko aaye jalva⁷-e ash’aar⁸ dekh kar    1.pen-name of the poet, brilliance 2.surprising 3.beginning 4.mount tuur 5.test, trial 6.faint, swoon 7.face, beauty, glory 8.verse
The poet’s ash’aar have divine inspiration/brilliance. Thus, it is not surprising that hearts will swoon upon encountering the brilliance of his ash’aar just like moosa swooned on mount tuur upon encountering divine brilliance. The encounter on mount tuur was a test/trial of moosa. The ‘sar-e tuur-e imtehaaN’ in this she’r could very possibly be the trial of having to recite brilliant ash’aar. During the trial of the mushaa’era it is not surprising if hearts swoon upon seeing the brilliance of the ash’aar. This could be the poet’s heart or the hearts of the audience.

Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mirza zakir hussain qazalbaash saaqib lakhnavi (1869-1946) traditional early education in arabi, faarsi and urdu, but at the insistence of his father passed English from St. John’s College, Agra. He started composing and raja amiirabad entrusted literary affairs of the state to saaqib at a salary of rupees 50 a month. He lost money in business and moved to Calcutta in 1906, working for the iranian ambassador. In 1908, raja mahmoodabad summoned him back to lakhnau, where he lived to the end of his life. mahmoodabad published his diivaan ‘tajalli-e shahaab-e saaqib’ in 1936. This Ghazal is in the same radeef-qaafiya as Ghalib’s ‘zarf-e qadah Khwaar dekh kar’ and is linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’.
1
dil kyuN tapaaN¹ hai koocha²-e dildaar³ dekh kar
aage baRhooNgaa charKh⁴ ki raftaar⁵ dekh kar   1.restless, eager, on fire 2.street 3.beloved 4.sky, fate 5.speed, gait, intentions
There is something special going on as the poet/lover approaches the street of the beloved. His heart is eager, as if on fire. He seems to be anticipating some special fate. He will look to the sky to see if he can figure it out before going forward.
2
Khush ho sakaa na haal¹-e dil-e zaar² dekh kar
jaltaa hai Ghair³ meri shab⁴-e taar⁵ dekh kar   1.condition 2.sorrowful 3.other, rival 4.night 5.dark
The poet/lover is suffering through the night of separation. The rival should normally be happy seeing the lover suffer, but he is still jealous of him because he thinks that he is suffering because he at least some relationship with the beloved. Such suffering is to be highly valued and can make the rival jealous.
3
samjhe na aap diida¹-e KhooN²-baar³ dekh kar
kya kijiyegaa haal⁴-e dil-e zaar⁵ dekh kar    1.eye, eyeball 2.blood 3.dripping, raining, crying 4.condition 5.sorrowful
This is admonishment to the beloved. She saw the poet/lover crying tears of blood, but failed to understand what was going on. What will she do now by asking about the condition of his sorrowful heart.
4
sayyaad¹ daaGh²-e dil na samajhnaa keh chalte vaqt
gulshan³ ke phuul laaya huN do-chaar dekh kar    1.bird catcher 2.wound, scar 3.garden
In poetic tradition the bird-catcher is the oppressor and the bird (usually the poet/lover) is the oppressed. In this case the birdcatcher has ensnared the bird has put him in a cage and is carrying him away. He (the bird) is carrying a few wilted flowers with him to remind him of the garden. O birdcatcher, these are just a few flowers that I bring with me. Do not think of these as the wounds of my heart.
5
tai¹ kar ke aaj Khaana-badoshi² ki manzileN³
baiThaa huN us ka saaya⁴-e divaar dekh kar    1.completing, traversing 2.gypsy, carrying household on the shoulder 3.stages 4.shade
The poet/lover has been so distraught that he has left home, carrying with him just enough things that he can put in a sack and carry on his shoulder. He is on this path of “Khaana-badoshi” and has traversed a few stages along this path when he encounters the “wall of the beloved’s house” and sits down in the shade to rest for a while. The implication is that he still has a long way to go.
6
kuchh kuchh zamaana¹ jaan² gaya kaar³-e husn⁴-o-ishq⁵
mansoor⁶ ko jahaaN meN sar⁷-e daar⁸ dekh kar
1.the world, times 2.realized 3.work of 4.beauty/beloved 5.love/poet/lover 6.mansoor-al-hallaaj 7.head of, top of 8.gallows
‘mansoor al hallaaj’ was a sufi scholar of the 9^th/10^th century. Among other places, he traveled to India and influenced by mystics there declared “I am the Truth” – ‘aham brahmasmi’. He was condemned to death but offered a chance to recant. He refused and was killed. The spirit “I am the Truth” is a declaration of one-ness with the divine, a symbol of love. In this case the beloved (the divine) did not come to the rescue of the lover (the sufi mystic) and when the world saw him at the gallows it understood the meaning of the “work/affairs” of the lover/beloved i.e., the lover has to be prepared to sacrifice himself.
7
vaqf¹-e zabaan-e ahl²-e hasad³ hai lahu⁴ mera
Khush ho rahaa huN vaadi⁵-e pur-Khaar⁶ dekh kar    1.reserved for, dedicated to 2.people of 3.envy, jealousy 4.blood 5.vallery 6.full of thorns
Those who are jealous of me keep talking about me. So I dedicate my blood to the tongues/words of ‘ahl-e hasad’ – envious people. I see a valley full of thorns before me. It makes me happy that I can walk this valley and bleed, causing ‘ahl-e hasad’ to talk about me.
8
patthar nahiN keh tuur¹ ke taur² aazmaa’e³ jaa’eN
aye barq⁴-e husn⁵ haal⁶-e dil-e zaar⁷ dekh kar    1.mount tuur 2.in the way of, by the method of 3.tested 4.lightning 5.beauty/beloved 6.condition 7.mournful, sorrowful
Moses/moosa went up on mount tuur asking to see the divine. There was a lightning flash and moosa fainted and mount tuur was reduced to dust. Here the poet protests … my heart is not a rock (like tuur), so it should not be put to the test in the same way as tuur was. O brilliance of the beauty of the beloved consider the condition of my sorrowful heart. An alternative reading of the second misra provides a slight variation … aye barq, husn-e haal-e dil-e zaar dekh kar … O lightning/brilliance, consider the delicacy of my sorrowful heart (before you test me).
9
ab dahr¹ ruu-shanaas²-e vafaa³-o-jafaa⁴ hua
mere gale par aap ki talvaar dekh kar    1.world 2.familiar with the face of, to understand, to know 3.steadfast love 4.cruelty
Now the world has come to understand the meaning of steadfast love/faith and cruelty when it has seen your sword on my neck.
10
mahshar¹ meN koi poochhne vaala to mil gaya
rahmat² baRhi hai mujh ko gunahgaar³ dekh kar    1.tumult, doomsday 2.mercy, kindness 3.sinful
On doomsday finally I found someone who asked for/cared about me. When it saw me as sinful, divine mercy stepped forward (to forgive me).
11
hai raushni¹ qafas² meN magar soojhta³ nahiN
abr⁴-e siyaah⁵ jaanib⁶-e gulzaar⁷ dekh kar     1.light 2.cage 3.discern, see, understand 4.cloud 5.dark 6.towards, in the direction of 7.garden
The poet/bird is in a cage and it can see in the direction of the garden (where his nest is). There is a dark cloud in that direction and he is afraid a lightning strike would happen and burn his nest. Even though there is light in and around the cage, he cannot see clearly beyond and is fearful of what might happen to his nest.
12
rotaa huN shaam-e-Gham¹ meN dil-e gumshuda² ko maiN
yaad aa rahi hai sham’a³ shab-e-taar⁴ dekh kar    1.night of sorrow/separation 2.lost 3.candle 4.dark night
During the night of separation he remembers his lost heart. His heart is lost because he has given it away to the beloved. Thus, with that he remembers the beloved who is brilliant and the centre of attention like a candle is for moths.
13
chaliye¹ magar Khayaal² rahe umr³-e dahr⁴ ka
tham⁵ jaaye aasmaaN na ye raftaar⁶ dekh kar 1.walk 2.thought, consideration 3.life, survival 4.world 5.stop, pause 6.gait, style of walking
The gait of the beloved is supposed to be very graceful. Anyone who sees is so wonder-struck that they would ‘freeze in their tracks’. If the sky itself sees this gait, it might stop rolling and the world would come to an end. Thus, he says to the beloved … by all means walk, but be mindful of the survival of the world because the sky might stop rolling when it sees you.
14
rotaa huN vaqt-e naala¹ guzarne² se aur bhi
shab³ ko tuluu⁴-e sub’h ke aasaar⁵ dekh kar    1.mourning, wailing 2.passing, ending 3.night 4.emergence 5.signs, indications
Mourning/wailing during the night of separation is an important part of love. Even though it is a time of wailing, the poet cries even more when it comes to an end, when he sees emerging signs of dawn.
15
bas ek din ki baat hai aye ishq-e laa-zavaal¹
maiN kya karooNga misr² ka baazaar dekh kar    bas ek din ki baat hai aye ishq-e laa-zavaal¹
maiN kya karooNga misr² ka baazaar dekh kar
1.without decline/reduction, never-ending 2.Egypt
The poet/lover’s love is a thing for ever. On the other hand, misr ka bazaar is a day long affair. What do I have to do with such transitory things, my love/pain/sorrow is everlasting.
16
kya tha keh aise vaqt meN saahab-dilaan¹-e hashr²
dekha kiye mujhe teri talvaar dekh kar 1.people of heart, lovers 2.tumult, doomsday, end of the world
What is that at the time of the tumult of doomsday, all other lovers look at me when they see you with sword in hand i.e., they expect that she is coming after the poet/lover.
17
sad-chaak¹ dil ka zikr² na bhoolaa maiN dair³ meN
tasbiih⁴ yaad aa gaii zunnaar⁵ dekh kar    1.hundred shattered/broken pieces 2.narrative, story 3.temple 4.islamic rosary/beads 5.janev, sacred thread
The poet/lover is in a temple and he sees people around him wearing the sacred thread. That makes him remember the islamic rosary which has lost its hundred beads, just like his heart broken into a hundred pieces and lost. I think that this is roundabout way to declaring that the janev and the tasbiih are really one and the same thing in spirit.
18
TuuTe haiN shisha-haa¹-e dil itne keh ahl²-e dard³
rakhte haiN paauN Khaak⁴ pe sau baar dekh kar     1.shards of glass 2.people of 3.pain/love 4.soil, earth
The path of love is littered with broken hearts. They are broken into hundreds of pieces like shards of glass spread on the ground. Other travelers on this path i.e., other lovers, step on the ground after looking carefully at every step.
19
sayyaad¹ kis jagah² pe qafas³ hai keh dil mera
dar⁴ ho rahaa hai baaGh ki diivaar dekh kar     1.bird catcher 2.place 3.cage 4.dar ho is an expression used to say, ‘get lost’, here used to mean going away, sinking
The bird catcher has snared the bird and is carrying it away out of the garden. It has no idea where, does not know how far away the cage is. He has come upon the garden wall and is being carried outside. Seeing the wall, its heart sinks.
20
in dostoN meN vo na hoN yaarab¹ jo vaqt-e-diid²
biimaar³ ho gaye ruKh⁴-e biimaar dekh kar    1.my lord 2.time of viewing 3.sick 4.face
The poet/lover is on his death bed, on his last breath. So much so that it is the “time of viewing” where family and friends come to see the dying man for the last time. But he is so sickly that those viewing him also begin to feel to sickly. Even at this point he is thinking of the beloved … may she not be among those friends who feel sickly upon seeing me at the ‘time of viewing’. This is not exactly wishing that she not come to the viewing but only praying that she have the courage to go through it without feeling sick.
21
vo kya samajh sakeNge nasheb-o-faraaz¹-e dahr²
jo chal rahe haiN raah³ ko hamvaar⁴ dekh kar     1.ups and downs 2.world, life 3.pathway 4.even, level, free of obstacles
How can they understand the ups and downs of life, who choose a pathway that is easy and level.
22
kahte haiN dil-lagi¹ meri shaam-e firaaq² ko
achchhaa yuNhi sahi³ magar ek baar dekh kar     1.past-time 2.separation 3.let it be so
It is the night of separation, and the poet/lover is in agony, wailing. The beloved thinks that this is his past-time, and he is having fun. He says, let it be so, but at least come once and see me before your pronounce such judgement.
23
saaqib¹ ajab² nahiN keh sar³-e tuur⁴-e imtehaaN⁵
Ghash⁶ dil ko aaye jalva⁷-e ash’aar⁸ dekh kar    1.pen-name of the poet, brilliance 2.surprising 3.beginning 4.mount tuur 5.test, trial 6.faint, swoon 7.face, beauty, glory 8.verse
The poet’s ash’aar have divine inspiration/brilliance. Thus, it is not surprising that hearts will swoon upon encountering the brilliance of his ash’aar just like moosa swooned on mount tuur upon encountering divine brilliance. The encounter on mount tuur was a test/trial of moosa. The ‘sar-e tuur-e imtehaaN’ in this she’r could very possibly be the trial of having to recite brilliant ash’aar. During the trial of the mushaa’era it is not surprising if hearts swoon upon seeing the brilliance of the ash’aar. This could be the poet’s heart or the hearts of the audience.