Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. brij narain chakbast (1882-1926) was born in faizabad into a kashmiri brahmin family who moved to lakhnau soon after his birth. He received his early education from a maulvi, learning urdu, arabi and faarsi. Later, he got a law degree and then practised law in lakhnau. Unfortunately, he died very young of a stroke he suffered while traveling by train to argue a case in bareily. His book was published posthumously. This is a Ghazal with profound philosophical thoughts about life.
1
dard-e-dil, paas-e-vafa¹, jazba-e-imaaN² hona
aadmiyat hai yahi aur yahi insaaN hona   1.regard for keeping promise 2.passion of truthfulness/honesty
(Universal) love in your heart, regard for keeping promise and a passion for truthfulness/honesty … this is the essence of humanity. This is what makes us human.
2
nau-giraftaar¹-e balaa² tarz-e-vafaa³ kya jaaneN
koi naa-shaad⁴ sikha de unheN naalaaN⁵ hona     1.newly captured 2.calamity (of falling in love) 3.way of love 4.unhappy 5.wailing
Those newly captured in love do not know what awaits them. Some experienced lover (who is by definition sad, because his love is unrequited) should teach them how to wail.
3
chaak ho kar kafan¹-e Ghuncha² bana jaama³-e gul
khul gaya ranj se shaadi⁴ ka numaayaaN⁵ hona 1.shroud 2.unopened bud 3.dress robe 4.joy, celebration 5.apparent, display
Folded petals are like a burial shroud for the unopened bud. The shroud tears open and the flower blooms. The tearing of the shroud is sorrow, from which is born/displayed joy/celebration of a blooming rose.
4
rah ke duniya meN hai yuN tark¹-e havas² ki koshish
jis tarah apne hi saaye se gurezaaN³ hona   1.give up, renounce 2.desire 3.escape, run away
Living in this world and trying to renounce all desire is like trying to run away from your shadow.
5
zindagi kya hai anaasir¹ meN zuhoor²-e tartib³
maut kya hai inhiN ajzaa⁴ ka pareshaaN⁵ hona   1.elements 2.manifestation, display 3.organization, pattern 4.components, parts 5.scatter, jumble up
What is life, except for an orderly arrangement of elements. What is death, except for the scattering of these components.
6
daftar¹-e husn² pe mohr³-e yad⁴-e qudrat⁵ samjho
phuul ka Khaak ke tode⁶ se numaayaaN⁷ hona   1.book, record 2.beauty 3.stamp, mark 4.hand 5.nature, god 6.lump 7.emerge
The emergence of a flower from a lump of clay is nothing but the stamp of nature’s hand on the book of beauty.
7
dil asiri¹ meN bhi aazaad hai aazaadoN ka
valvaloN² ke liye mumkin³ nahiN zindaaN⁴ hona   1.captivity 2.passion 3.possible 4.prison
The free are at liberty even in captivity. It is not possible to make a prison for passions i.e. those who are free-spirited have a passion that defies confinement.
8
gul ko paamaal¹ na kar laal-o-gohar² ke maalik
hai use turra³-e dastaar⁴-e GharibaaN hona    1.trample 2.rubies and pearls 3.plume 4.cap
Do not trample the rose, O, owner of rubies and pearls. The flower is destined to be the plume on the cap of the poor.
9
hai mera zabt-e-junooN¹ josh-e-junooN² se baRh kar
naNg³ hai mere liye chaak-garebaaN⁴ hona   1.control of passion 2.warmth of passion 3.disgrace 4.torn collar
In poetic convention a torn collar is a display of passionate love. This poet does not want to have anything to do with it. That is a disgrace for me. My ability to control my passion is better than the strength/warmth of my passion.
10
qaid yusuf ko zulaiKha ne kiya kuchh na kiya
dil-e yusuf ke liye shart¹ tha zindaaN² hona   1.necessary condition 2.prison
yusuf/Joseph was bought as a slave in zulaiKha’s house. She fell in love with him and tried to seduce him. He managed to resist and get away. Thus zulaiKha was able to confine/enslave yusuf, but that was nothing. The real condition was to capture his heart, which she could not do.