Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. panDit jagmohan raina shauq (1863-1946?). He served as deputy collector in a district including agra. His ustaad was amir minaaii. He retired in 1920 and lived in allahabad. This Ghazal is modeled after Ghalib’s ‘kaun jiita hai tere zulf ke sar hone tak’ and is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
dekhiye aah¹ ki taasiir² asar³ hone tak
ye to zaahir⁴ hai keh kya hoga sahr⁵ hone tak    1.sigh, lament 2.resulting effect 3.to have an effect 4.apparent 5.dawn
Let us see what kind of an effect my sigh/lament will have (on the beloved). It is quite apparent what will happen by dawn. The imagery that it is the night of separation and the beloved has promised to come. The lovelorn poet is sighing/lamenting. He is wishing that this will have an effect, otherwise it is apparent what will happen by dawn. Something terrible – perhaps he will die.
2
shauq¹-e nazzara²-e aalam³ ki na parva⁴ kiije
dhyaan⁵ diije na abhi rashk⁶-e qamar⁷ hone tak    1.wish, desire 2.sight, seeing 3.world 4.care about 5.attention 6.envy 7.moon
‘rashk-e qamar’ – the envy of the moon, is the beloved. ‘rashk-e qamar hone tak’ should be interpreted as ‘rashk-e qamar numoo hone tak’ i.e., until after the beloved appears. Thus, do not worry about looking at the beauty of the world. Don’t pay any attention to it until after that ‘envy of the moon’ appears.
3
sham’a¹ ko rone do jalne do kisi ke Gham meN
dil bhi sah² lega jo guzregi³ sahar⁴ hone tak     1.candle 2.bear, tolerate, get consoled 3.pass, happen 4.dawn
In urdu poetic tradition the candle and the moth are lovers. The moth gives up its life circling the beloved, unable to approach it. The candle drips tears of molten wax mourning the death of her lover. Let the candle burn and cry, mourning for the lover’s death. The heart too will bear this burden, get some consolation by dawn.
4
baiThiye baiThiye kuchh dil ko sukuuN ho jaaye
Thahriye Thahriye kuchh haal-e digar hone tak    1.comfort 2.condition 3.another, different
Sit down, O sit for a while, so that my heart may be comforted a little. Wait, O wait for a while until my condition changes/improves.
5
aah¹ to khaiNchte haiN dekhna aye charKh² magar
raNg kya laaye Khuda jaane asar³ hone tak    1.sigh 2.wheel, sky, fate 3.effect
‘aah khaiNchna’ is to pull a long deep sigh and ‘raNg laana’ is used to mean what fruit this will bear. Thus, the poet/lover sees the beloved take a deep sigh (in sympathy with the poet/lover at his suffering) and wonders … O fate, god knows what fruit this will bear before her pity on my condition has an effect.
6
aao jaane do zamaane¹ ko sunaate kyuN ho
baat baRh jaayegi duniya ko Khabar² hone tak    1.world, everyone 2.awareness, knowledge
Come, come, let it go (take it easy). Why do you relate your story of love to the whole world. The story will get out of hand and cause disrepute when the world finds out.
7
aap kab tak na suneNge dil-e mahzuuN¹ ki sadaa²
ham bhi kah leNge jo kahna hai sahar³ hone tak    1.grieving 2.sound, cry 3.dawn
How long can you ignore the cry/lament of my grieving heart. I will keep saying what I have to say until after dawn.
8
dekh liijega keh betaab¹ taRapte² kyuN haiN
aap ruk jaayeN zara dard-e jigar³ hone tak    1.restless (lovers) 2.thrash/writhe in pain 3.liver/heart
All lovers (including the poet) are writhing in pain (or unrequited love). Their pain will gradually increase until affects both the heart and the liver i.e., go beyond their capacity to bear. Then the real show will begin. Wait until after this happens, don’t go just yet.
9
zulmat¹-e shab² hai aniis³-e shab²-e hijraaN⁴ aye shauq⁵
us se kah do keh Thahr jaaye sahar⁶ hone tak    1.darkness 2.night 3.helper, friend 4.separation 5.pen-name of the poet 6.dawn
O shauq, the darkness of the night is friend/helper of the night of separation from the beloved. Ask it to wait until after dawn. Darkness is sorrow. The beloved has promised to come the next day. The night of separation is hard. The poet/lover implores sorrow to hold off until dawn … symbolizing the coming of the beloved.