Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. momin KhaaN momin (1800-1852), was a hakim following the profession of his father and grandfather. momin received education in arabi, faarsi, urdu and in medicine, mathematics, and astrology – which must have involved some study of astronomy, which he uses in his compositions. momin composed unabashedly about romantic themes with much witticism on his taKhallus. This Ghazal is linked to other ham-radeef Ghazal on the Refrain page.
1
gar chandii¹ aur yeh hi rahi yaar² ki tarah³
hum bhi baneNge bu-al-havas⁴ aGhyaar⁵ ki tarah    1.daily allowance 2.friend, beloved 3.way of behaving/acting 4.lecher, lustful 5.rivals
In poetic convention the poet is the only true lover, and all rivals are lustful lechers. But if the behaviour of the beloved towards him continues to be parsimonious like it is (no daily allowance) then likely that he too will become lustful like them in order to gain her attention.
2
aavaaz-e-guNbad¹ uss se shikaa’et² aduu³ ki thi
naachaar⁴ chup haiN soorat⁵-e diivaar ki tarah    1.sound of the dome, echo 2.complaint 3.rival 4.helpless 5.in the shape of
Many domes have a reputation of sending back a clear echo. The poet/lover complained to the beloved about the rival. Just like an echo, she complained about him. Helpless, he remained silent like a wall.
3
sonay diya nah uss ne shab¹-e vasl² meN bhi kya
hum jaagtay haiN taal’a³-e bedaar⁴ ki tarah    1.night of 2.union 3.emerge, rise (as in sunrise) 4.awake
The ‘uss’ is undefined. If the ‘uss’ means the rival, then it appears that the poet/lover is imagining the situation and imagines that the rival did not let the beloved sleep all night long. This thought kept him awake like the rising sun. If I take ‘uss’ to mean the beloved, then she did not let the poet/lover sleep at all at any time during the night of union (that he would want to sleep is very unconventional). As a result, he is awake like the rising sun.
4
phirta hai bahr¹-e kushtan²-e ushshaaq³ koo-ba-koo⁴
gardish⁵ meN hai voh charKh⁶-e sitamgaar⁷ ki tarah    1.with the intention of 2.killing 3.lovers 4.street by street 5.moving, turning, rotating 6.wheel, sky 7.tyrannical
In poetic convention the sky/fate is tyrannical sending down calamities. It appears that the beloved is like that. Her moving from street to street is like the turning of the sky and the calamity she brings down on her lovers is death. She is going from street to street, sword drawn, intent upon killing her lovers.
5
hotay haiN paa’emaal¹ gul² aye baad³-e nau-bahaar⁴
kis se uRaaii⁵ tu ne hai raftaar⁶ ki tarah⁷    1.trampled underfoot 2.roses 3.breeze, wind 4.new spring 5.snatched, stolen 6.speed, gait, style 7.method, way of doing
There is an interesting juxtaposition of meanings here … uRaaii can mean snatch/steal or it can mean blow away and is associated with the wind/breeze. Spring has just arrived. The wind blowing and knocking roses off to the ground where they get trampled underfoot. O wind, from whom did you snatch this style of moving. The implication is that it has stolen it from the beloved, who is know for her fierce gait (at other times her gait is gentle … like hardly perceptible swaying).
6
chiin¹-e jabiiN² balaa o nigaah³-e Ghazab⁴, sitam⁵
karti hai qatl⁶ us but⁷-e KhooNKhwaar⁸ ki tarah    1.wrinkle, frown 2.forehead 3.glance 4.anger 5.torture 6.kill 7.idol, beloved 8.blood-drinking, blood thirsty
The beloved is portrayed as blood thirsty. Her frowning brow is a calamity and her glance of anger tortures the poet/lover. This style of the beloved is what kills him.
7
Khoo¹ ranj²-e rashk³-e Ghair⁴ ki hum ko bhi ho gaii
ab aur kuchh nikaaliye aazaar⁵ ki tarah    1.habit 2.sorrow 3.envy 4.rival 5.pain, malady
The sorrow of the envy of the rival has become so commonplace that the poet/lover has gotten used to it. He invites the beloved to invent another method of causing him pain.
8
hotay haiN qatl¹ Ghair² idhar hai nigaah³-e lutf⁴
armaaN⁵ meray nikaltay haiN talvaar⁶ ki tarah    1.killed 2.rivals 3.glance 4.pleasant, favourable 5.desires 6.sword
This appears to be a situation opposite of the convention. The beloved is killing off rivals and looking at the poet/lover with favour. Used as a phrase … armaan nikalna … means desires fulfilled. Every time the beloved uses her sword, the desires of the poet/lover are fulfilled, because rivals are dispatched.
9
karta hai abr¹ apna lahu² paani aek kyuN
kab ro³ sakayga diida⁴-e KhooNbaar⁵ ki tarah    1.cloud 2.blood 3.weep 4.eye 5.blood raining/shedding
Used as a phrase … Khoon/lahu paani karna … means working so hard that the blood flows like water/sweat. Also, the eyes of the poet cry tears of blood. The poet is comparing the two. Why is the cloud working so hard to shed tears. Will it every be able to cry tears of blood like my blood-shedding tears.
10
bas naazuki¹-e zo’f² keh gulgasht³-e baaGh meN
chubhtay⁴ haiN meray paauN meN gul Khaar⁵ ki tarah    1.delicacy, sensitivity 2.weakness 3.saunter, leisurely walk 4.prick 5.thorns
The poet/lover has become very weak (with the sorrow of separation and weeping). As a result of his weakness he has become so sensitive that even rose petals on the ground prick his feet like thorns.
11
dil meN havaa¹-e but-kadah² zaahir³ meN kya husool⁴
rahna haram⁵ meN momin⁶-e makkaar⁷ ki tarah    1.lust, greed 2.idol-house 3.apparent, to show/see 4.benefit, use 5.mosque 6.pen-name of the poet, also – believer 7.cunning
The shaiKh is a cunning momin. He lives in the haram for all to see. But of what use is it, because his heart lusts for the house of idols (this does not mean a temple here).