Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. josh malihabadi (1898-1982) is called shaa’er-e inqelaab, poet of change/revolution. He is very secular and nationalistic in his writings and rebels against orthodoxy. His range of language and vocabulary is simply amazing. He has written extensively about the beauty of dawn. His collection of nazm/Ghazal and rubaaii about the beauty of dawn can be accessed both under the poet’s name and from the Theme Index, ‘jalva-e sahr’. This Ghazal is an unusual celebration because the poet/lover has somehow obtained access to the company of the beloved. But it could well be his imagination.
1
pesh¹-e nigaah² vo ruKh³-e taabaaN⁴ hai aaj kal
rehl⁵-e nazar⁶ pe daulat⁷-e qur’aaN hai aaj kal    1.in front of 2.eyes 3.face 4.radiant 5.folding stand 6.eyes, gaze 7.wealth, treasure
A ‘rehl’ is a folding stand on which an open qur’aan is placed for reading or for placing reverentially in a suitable place. The beloved’s ‘ruKh-e taabaaN – brilliant face’ is before the poet/lover’s eyes. That does not mean that the beloved herself is present before him. It is more likely to be his eye of imagination. Also, the beloved is often used to represent something else, perhaps urdu poetry itself. Before the eyes of the poet is the radiant face of the beloved. His gaze is like a rehl on which rests the treasure of the qur’aan. The poet is placing the same value on the face of the beloved as he does on the treasure/wisdom of the qur’aan. The beloved could be his own Ghazal.
2
ek maah¹-e nau-tuluu’² kii taab³-e jamaal⁴ se
aivaan⁵-e zindagii meN charaaGhaaN⁶ hai aaj kal    1.moon 2.newly rising/emerging 3.power 4.glory 5.halls 6.illumination, happiness
The full moon has just risen above the horizon. The power of its glory lights up the halls of life. The beloved is often presented as the moon, or moon-faced. And again, the beloved could easily be the poet’s own Ghazal and he has just composed it (it has risen above the horizon) and it makes his life happy.
3
faizaan¹-e zulf²-e yaar³ se mauj⁴-e nasiim⁵ meN
buu⁶-e qabaa⁷-e hujla-nashiinaaN⁸ hai aaj kal     1.benevolence 2.hair 3.friend, beloved 4.wave, gust 5.morning breeze 6.fragrance 7.garment, robe 8.residents of private chambers
The beloved seldom comes out. She is described as ‘hujla-nashiin’ – stays in her private chambers. But thanks to the benevolence of her hair, as the breeze blows through her chambers it carries the fragrance of her hair and her robe to the lover.
4
har regzaar¹ o har Khazafastaan²-e be-savaad³
daulat-saraa⁴-e luulu⁵ o marjaaN⁶ hai aaj kal     1.sandy desert 2.gravelly yard/garden 3.unsavoury, barren 4.treasure house 5.pearls 6.coral
The effects of the presence of the beloved continue … every barren sandy desert or gravelly expanse is a treasure house of pearls and coral.
5
har mauj¹-e abr²-e qibla³ o har taKhta⁴-e saman⁵
zill⁶-e humaa⁷ o taKht⁸-e sulaimaaN⁹ hai aaj kal     1.wave 2.cloud 3.perhaps used here to mean west 4.garden plot 5.flower 6.shadow 7.mythical bird, phoenix 8.seat, throne 9.Solomon
The shadow of the humaa is supposed to bring immense good fortune. If it falls on anyone, he is said to become a king within a year. Because of the presence of the beloved every cloud blowing in from the west is like the shadow of the humaa and every garden plot is like the throne of Solomon.
6
har lamha¹-e shagufta² o har aan³-e shaadmaaN⁴
raqsaan⁵ o gul-chakaan⁶ o Ghazal-KhwaaN⁷ hai aaj kal     1.moment 2.blooming, flourishing 3.moment 4.happy, ecstatic 5.dancing 6.flower-scattering 7.Ghazal-singing
Because of the presence of the beloved … every blossoming/flourishing moment, every happy instance is dancing, scattering flowers and singing songs.
7
har zarb-e-dil¹ hai aek juluus²-e navaa-garaaN³
har gaam⁴ aek jashn⁵-e baharaaN⁶ hai aaj kal     1.heart-beat 2.procession 3.singers 4.step, path 5.celebration 6.spring
Because of the presence of the beloved … every throb of the heart is like a process of musicians/singers and every path leads to a celebration of spring.
8
har Khaar¹ chob²-e Khaimaa³-e raqs⁴-e shakar-labaaN⁵
har gul⁶ dukaan-e baadah-faroshaaN⁷ hai aaj kal     1.thorn 2.tent-pole 3.tent, canopy 4.dance 5.sugar lips 6.rose, flower 7.wine seller
Because of the presence of the beloved … every thorn is like a tent-pole holding up the tent/canopy for the dance of sugary-lipped ones. Flowers are sugary lipped from which bees draw sugary nectar and make honey. Thus, each flower is like a shop of wine-traders … flower nectar is like wine.
9
angaRaa’iyoN¹ kii loch² se baa’hoN³ ke raNg⁴ se
baaNki⁵ dhanak⁶ pe tab’a⁷ parafshaaN⁸ hai aaj kal     1.stretching, raising hands and arching the back 2.supplesness, grace 3.arms 4.colour, style 5.bold, playful 6.rainbow 7.disposition, temperament 8.flapping wings, flying
josh creates a beautiful and graceful image. The beloved is stretching her arms and arching her back. The graceful arch and the style of her arms is like a mischievous rainbow displaying its disposition to fly.
10
allaah ri jism¹-e taazaa² kii Khushbuu³-e kamsinii⁴
merii har aek saaNs⁵ KhumistaaN⁶ hai aaj kal    1.body 2.fresh, young 3.fragrance 4.tender age 5.breath 6.tavern
By god, the fragrance of tender age blowing from that youthful body makes every breath that I inhale intoxicating like a tavern.
11
rim-jhim¹ baras² rahii hai vo darmaaN³ kii badliyaaN⁴
dard-e hayaat⁵ sar-ba-garebaaN⁶ hai aaj kal     1.gentle drizzle 2.raining, falling 3.remedy 4.clouds 5.life 6.head sunk in the collar, worried, repentent
The beloved’s presence is like spring clouds which herald a season of joy and rejuvenation. They rain down cure/remedy (of sorrow) like a gentle drizzle, healing the poet/lover’s sorrowful heart, leaving the ‘pain of life’ ashamed and repentent.
12
iss kaafirii¹ o rindii² o mastii³ ke baa-vujuud⁴
merii jilau⁵ meN rahmat⁶-e yazdaaN⁷ hai aaj kal     1.non-belief, transgressions 2.wine drinking 3.intoxication 4.in spite of 5.accompanying 6.benevolence 7.god
In spite of my transgressions, drinking and intoxication, divine benevolence is with me these days (because of the presence of the beloved).
13
har roNgTe¹ meN Khoon machaa’e hue hai dhuum
shahrag² pe josh³ yuN vo KharaamaaN⁴ hai aaj kal 1.follicle of body hair 2.jugular vein 3.pen-name of the poet 4.elegant/graceful walk
The nearness of the beloved is as if she is gracefully walking on his jugular vein. Normally the beloved is out to slaughter the lover slitting his jugular vein. But these days, the poet/lover is experiencing the gentle side of the beloved’s treatment of his jugular vein. It gives him such pleasure that his blood circulating to every follicle of his bodily hair creates a tumult of passion.