Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. munshi Khairaati lal shagufta lakhnavi (xxxx-1898). There is not a single word about him in his diivaan other than that a collection of Ghazal of several of his shaagird was published under the title naGhma-e jaaN-faza. This Ghazal is linked to ‘shooKhi-e tahriir ka’ under Ghalib naqsh-e qadam on the Theme Index page.
1
baKht¹ hai bedaar² jaise kaavish³-e taqdiir⁴ ka
hausla⁵ hai Khwaab⁶-e Ghaflat⁷ meN meri tadbiir⁸ ka    1.luck 2.awake, active 3.effort 4.fate 5.courage 6.sleep 7.heedlessness 8.plan, will
This is a classical struggle between taqdiir- fate and tadbiir plan. The baKht luck of the kaavish-e taqdiir the effort of destiny is bedaar active. In the meantime, the hausla courage of his tadbiir plan is in heedless sleep Khwaab-e Ghaflat i.e., taqdiir is winning.
2
hasrateN¹ roti haiN mil mil kar gal’e haNgaam²-e qatl³
zaKhm⁴ haNste haiN mere muNh choom⁵ kar shamshiir⁶ ka    1.unfulfilled desires 2.at the time of 3.killing, slaughter 4.wounds 5.kiss 6.sword
At the moment of his metaphorical slaughter (hangaam-e qatl), his unfulfilled desires gather, embrace each other and weep, while his wounds smile, as they kiss the blade (shamshiir) that took a cut and made the wound in the first place. This inversion – smiling wounds and weeping desires – conveys how suffering has become an honour while desires remain unfulfilled even up to death.
3
baar¹-e ehsaan²-e visaal³-e yaar⁴ ke altaaf⁵ se
sar jhuka rahta hai apni aah⁶-e be-taasiir⁷ ka     1.burden 2.obligation 3.union 4.beloved 5.favours 6.sigh 7.ineffective
This appears to be an unconventional situation. The lover has achieved visaal union with the beloved. He bears a heavy burden of the obligation of the favours altaaf of the beloved. His aah which is normally ineffective be-taasiir is crestfallen because it has nothing to do. Even the rare favour of union (visaal-e yaar) humbles him – instead of pride, it makes him reflect on the past futility of his sighs (aah-e be-taasiir). The contrast of gaining closeness but remembering his earlier helplessness deepens the pain.
4
Khaana-e-zindaaN¹ meN apne dil ke bahlaane² ko maiN
naala³ ban jaata huN aksar⁴ halqa⁵-e zanjiir⁶ ka    1.prison-house, prison-cell 2.soothe 3.wail, lament 4.often 5.circle, link 6.chain
The lover, a madman, is in chains in a prison cell. He is distraught and to soothe himself he often turns his lament into the jingle of the links of his chain – making music out of the chains that bind him.
5
sar jhukaaya zo’f¹ ne aisaa asiiri² meN mera
tauq³-e gardan⁴ ban gaya halqa⁵ meri zanjiir⁶ ka    1.weakness 2.captivity, imprisonment 3.shackles, iron collar 4.neck 5.circle, link 6.chain
The lover, a madman, is in chains and in prison. He has chains on his feet and an iron collar around his neck. He has become so weak that he is all bent. So much that his neck collar tauq-e gardan has become one with the links on leg chains.
6
o kamaan-abroo¹! teri tiir-afgani² ke lutf³ se
hai dahaan⁴-e zaKhm⁵ meN maskan⁶ zabaan-e tiir ka    1.arched brow 2.arrow shooting, archery 3.favours 4.mouth 5.wound 6.home
The beloved has arched brows (this could be just a description of her beauty or a sign of her annoyance that she has arched her eyebrows even more). In either case, the arched brow is like a bow from which arrows are shot. The arrow is her glance. It is a favour of this archery that the tongue of the arrow has made a home in the mouth of the wound.
7
be-taammul¹ tan² se sar kaTva diya, junbish³ na kii
kya adab⁴ tha sham’a⁵-e bazm⁶-e dost⁷ ko gulgiir⁸ ka    1.without hesitation 2.body 3.movement 4.respect, regard 5.candle 6.gathering 7.beloved 8.candle wick trimmer and flame snuffer
A gulgiir is a classical tool – a scissors with a long handle and the cutting end shaped both to snip the burnt-out wick and when turned over to make a cup over the flame to snuff it out. Thus, the candle in the beloved’s gathering without hesitation, let its head be cut, not even flinching, such was its regard (adab) for the gulgiir. Here the lover is symbolized by the candle willing to sacrifice itself at the hands of the beloved. The gulgiir symbolizes the beloved’s sword.
8
tere ruKh¹ ke saamne sharma ke o sh’ola-mizaaj²
rakh liya hai muNh pe daaman³ sham’a⁴ ne gulgiir⁵ ka    1.face 2.flamed tempered, flame natured 3.hem of the garment 4.candle 5.candle wick snipper and flame snuffer
The beloved is referred to as flame-natured sho’la mizaaj used here to mean bright faced. The beloved has such a radiant face that the candle (sham’a), known for its own brilliance, hides its face in shame. It uses the hem of its garment as a veil – a gulgiir used as a cup to snuff out the flame.
9
aye Khayaal¹-e abruu²-e qaatil³! tere altaaf⁴ se
mahmil⁵-e dil meN hai maskan⁶ laili⁷-e shamshiir⁸ ka    1.thought, memory 2.eyebrow 3.killer 4.favours 5.camel carriage 6.home 7.laili-lailaa is used here as symbolic of the beloved 8.sword
He is using mahmil as a metaphor for sheath of the sword and in turn shamshiir-sword is for the eyebrow. The memories of the eyebrow (killer eyebrows like the sword) ride in his heart. Thus the heart has become the seat of this shamshiir-eyebrow which is which is also his laila-beloved. This appears to be a intrically woven path to say that the memories of the beloved have made a home in his heart.
10
roz sargoshi¹ kiya karta hai us se shakl²-e zulf³
be-takalluf⁴ Ghul⁵ hamaare naala⁶-e shabgiir⁷ ka    1.whisper 2.in the shape of, similar to 3.curls 4.informal, familiar 6.lament 7.late-night
The distraught lover laments every night late into the night. His laments reach the beloved’s abode and the sound of his late-night laments have become such a regular feature that they whisper to the beloved just like her hair – perhaps the nearness of her locks to her ears.
11
saaf-baatin¹ se nahiiN hota hai kaar-e-zaahiri²
DhoonDhna taqsiir³ hai be-jurm⁴ ki taqsiir³ ka     1.clear conscience 2.insincere/showy actions 3.error 4.innocent, blameless
If the conscience is clear then no insincere actions can be performed . Under such conditions searching for the error of the blameless is like trying to invent something to blame them and is in itself a transgression.
12
ishq ne ek aaina-ruu¹ ke kiya hai dil meN ghar
ban gaya huN aaina aaina-e tasviir ka    1.mirror-faced, bright faced
A shining faced beloved has made a home in the lover’s heart. Now he himself has become a mirror, reflecting the image of that image (tasviir ka aaina). This could apply both to the mystical and romantic beloved.
13
ishq-e gesu¹ ka tasalsul² chhoR duN maiN kis tarah
toRna aasaaN nahiN hai rishta³-e zanjiir ka    1.hair, curls 2.continuity 3.relationship, bond
How can the lover abandon the continuity of love for her tresses (gesu)? It’s not easy to break the chain’s bond, either helpless or willing to remain captive.
14
aarzu¹ se mujh ko dekheN saakin²-e arz-o-samaa³
husn⁴ ban jaauN agar us maah⁵ ki tasviir ka     1.longing 2.dwellers 3.heaven and earth 4.beauty, qualities 5.moon, beloved
This is about the mystical beloved. If I become/acquire the attributes/qualities of the maah – the divine beloved, then the dwellers of heaven and earth will gaze at me with longing.
15
aye shagufta¹! sar jhuka kar dil ke aaine meN dekh
tu agar mushtaaq² hai uss yaar³ ki tasviir ka     1.pen-name 2.desirous, longing 3.beloved
This could be about the mystic or the romantic beloved. Both make their home in the heart of the lover. Thus, O shagufta! bow your head and look into the mirror of your heart, if you long for the image of the beloved i.e., turn inward to look into your heart to find mystic knowledge/love.