Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. panDit mela ram vafa (1895-1980), sialkoT. Grew up in a rural farming tradition. Early education in rural schools but high school and matriculation from Scotch Mission HS in 1913. One year in Forman Christian College and then quit all formal education. Freedom fighter. Wrote patriotic and resistance poetry for which he was jailed for two years. Worked as editor of several newspapers and taught urdu and faarsi at National College, lahore. India in 1947 and after some struggle found footing in saharanpur, lakhnau and kanpur editing and publishing newspapers. Two collections of nazm and Ghazal to his credit.
1
yeh tuu ne kya sitam¹ aye chashm²-e ashk-baar³ kiya
keh un ke saamne⁴ raaz⁵-e dil aashkaar⁶ kiya    1.cruelty 2.eyes 3.tearful 4.in front of, before 5.secret 6.reveal
In urdu poetic tradition, the poet/lover bears his sorrow stoically and in private. Revealing it in front of the beloved is forbidden. Thus, what cruelty have you done, O tearful eyes, that you revealed the secrets of my heart before the beloved. The poet expresses regret and frustration at how his tearful eyes betrayed him by revealing his inner emotions (his heart’s secrets) to the beloved. Tears are often symbolic of vulnerability, and in this case, they have unintentionally exposed his deepest feelings. The use of sitam/cruelty suggests that the poet feels betrayed by his own emotions, lamenting the loss of control in front of someone who may not reciprocate the same feelings or may be hurt by this expression.
2
vufoor¹-e yaas² meN ye bhi m’aal³-e kaar⁴ kiya
raqeeb⁵ ko Gham-e ulfat⁶ ka raazdaar⁷ kiya 1.abundance, excess 2.despair 3.final result 4.actions 5.rival 6.love 7.share secret
In the overwhelming excess of despair, this was the final result of the sorrowful lover’s actions. He shared the secret of the grief of love with the rival, entrusted his secret to him. The poet laments how, in a moment of deep despair, he has entrusted the secret of his love to the rival. The idea of the rival knowing the poet’s most intimate sorrow is of concern because it is a symbol of vulnerability, and it further heightens the sense of loss, as the rival may not sympathize or may even exploit this knowledge. Said Ghalib –
zikr us parii-vash kaa aur phir bayaaN apnaa
ban gayaa raqiib aaKhir thaa jo raaz-daaN apnaa
3
jafaa¹ o jaur² o sitam³ tark⁴ tum to kar na sak’e
humiiN⁵ ne sheva⁶-e tasliim⁷ ekhtiyaar⁸ kiya    1.injustice 2.tyranny 3.oppression 4.stop 5.we ourselves 6.nature, habit 7.acceptance, submission 8.adopt
You, O beloved, could not abandon cruelty, injustice, and tyranny, but I myself have adopted the way of acceptance and submission. This couplet reflects the classic lover-beloved dynamic in Ghazals, where the beloved is often portrayed as cruel or indifferent. The beloved has not changed her harsh ways, but the poet has, by choosing to surrender and accept their fate.
4
ajiib¹ taur-tareeqe² jahaan³-e husn⁴ ke haiN
hua voh dushman-e jaaN dil ne jiss se pyaar kiya    1.strange, surprising 2.ways and methods 3.world of 4.beauty, beloved
The ways of the world of beauty are strange, the one my heart loved has become the enemy of life. This reflects on the paradoxical nature of love. The poet remarks how strange the world of beauty and love is, where the very person the heart chooses to love has now become an enemy. This highlights the pain of unrequited love. Said Ghalib –
muhabbat meN nahiiN hai farq jiine aur marne kaa
usi ko dekh kar jiite haiN jis kaafir pe dam nikle
5
sabab¹ hai dushmanoN se mer’e maat² khaane ka yahii
keh dostoN pe maiN ne inhesaar³ kiya 1.reason 2.defeat, lose 3.depend, rely
The reason I suffer defeat at the hands of my enemies is that I relied too much on my friends. The poet reflects on betrayal, not from enemies but from friends. The poet suggests that it is not the enemies who have caused his downfall, but rather his misplaced trust in friends.
6
teri nigaah¹-e hiqaarat² ne kya qayaamat³ kii
meri nigaah⁴ meN mujh ko gunaah-gaar⁵ kiya    1.glance, gaze 2.hatred, disdain 3.calamity 4.eyes 5.sinner, at fault
This is addressed to the beloved. Your gaze of disdain caused such a catastrophe, it made me see myself as at fault, as a sinner in my own eyes. The beloved’s disdainful glance has had a devastating impact on the poet.
7
mujhe na thaa ter’e vaadoN¹ ka e’tebaar² magar³
phir e’tebaar kiya aur baar-baar⁴ kiya     1.promises, commitments 2.trust 3.but, yet 4.again and again
The beloved is notorious for making promises to meet but she never keeps her promise. Thus, I never trusted your promises, yet, I trusted them again and again. Juxtaposed against the deception (or indifference) of the beloved is the naivete or hope against hope of the poet/lover. The ‘baar-baar’ is re-inforcement of the repetitive cycle of love.
8
sambhaalna¹ dil-e shaidaa² ka ho gayaa mushkil³
yeh teri diid⁴ ki hasrat⁵ ne beqaraar⁶ kiya    1.balancing, controlling 2.admiring 3.difficult 4.sighting 5.longing 6.restless
It has become difficult to control this admiring/loving heart. The longing to catch a glimpse of you has made it restless.
9
kisi ke paauN pe sar rakh diya vafaa¹ hum ne
baRaa hi arz²-e tamanna³ meN eKhtesaar⁴ kiya     1.pen-name of the poet 2.submit, present, express 3.desire 4.brevity, summary
I laid my head at someone’s feet, O vafaa, in this act of surrender, I expressed my longing in a greatly abbreviated manner.