Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mohammed husain qamar jalaalavi (1887-1968), was born in jalaali, near aligaRh, moved to pakistan after partition/independence. He was popularly known as ‘ustad’, for his expertise in repairing bicycles, which is how he earned his living and lived in penury, in spite of his excellence as a poet. He wrote Ghazal is chaste classical style, many of which have been put to music. This Ghazal has the same radeef ‘ki tarah’ as a number of others and linked to them on the ‘Refrain’ page.
1
baaGh-e aalam¹ meN rahe shaadi² o maatam³ ki tarah
phool ki tarah haNse, ro diye shabnam⁴ ki tarah 1.world 2.celebration 3.mourning 4.dew drops
We, humble creatures/lovers have a simple life. We live in this garden of the world, sometimes happy, at other times mourning in sadness. We smile like blooming flowers or weep like dripping dew.
2
shikwa¹ karte ho, Khushi tum se manaaii na gaii
hum se Gham bhi to manaaya na gaya Gham ki tarah 1.complaint
The beloved is complaining to the lover that she did not have enough chance to celebrate happiness (perhaps because the poet/lover interfered and did something untoward). The poet/lover has a counter complaint, the he could not observe his mourning properly because he had to keep it secret to save the reputation of the beloved.
3
roz mahfil¹ se uThaate ho to dil dukhta hai
ab nikalvaao to phir hazrat²-e aadam³ ki tarah 1.gathering 2.respected 3.Adam
The poet draws upon the story of Adam and Eve who were unceremoniously expelled from heaven for disobeying god’s commandment. He complains that the beloved/saaqi throws him out of the gathering (at the tavern) every day. This hurts him every day. He would rather get it over with. Next time, why don’t you throw me out like god threw Adam out of heaven.
4
jaam¹ Khaali hue GhairauN² meN hamaare aage
hum bhale³ baiThe rahe deeda⁴-e pur-nam⁵ ki tarah 1.cups (of wine) 2.other, rival 3.even though 4.eye 5.moist, crying
In the presence of the poet/lover wine was served to others/rivals and they emptied cup after cup, even though the poet/lover sat there with wet/weeping eyes.
5
laakh hum rind¹ sahi hazrat²-e vaa’ez³ laikin
aaj tak hum ne na pii qibla-e-aalam⁴ ki tarah 1.reveler, wine drinker 2.respected 3.preacher 4.focal point of the world, sarcastically used for the preacher
The poet/lover admits that he imbibes wine and enjoys it. He admits to this guilt and accepts the admonishments of the preacher. But when the preacher (who considers himself to be so important as to be focal point of the world) drank wine, he drank so much that he lost control.
6
tere andaaz¹-e jaraahat² ke nisaar³ aye qaatil⁴
Khoon zaKhmauN⁵ pe nazar aata hai marham⁶ ki tarah 1.style 2.wounding 3.pay homage to 4.killer/beloved 5.cuts 6.ointment, salve
The beloved has a unique style of wounding. When she strikes (the lover) she makes a cut/wound in such a way that even the blood of the wound appears like ointment i.e. she can hurt without anyone noticing it.
7
Khauf¹ dil se na gaya subah ke hone ka qamar²
vasl³ ki raat guzaari hai shab⁴-e Gham⁵ ki tarah 1.fear 2.full moon, also the name and pen-name of the poet 3.union 4.evening 5.sorrow/separation
The poet/lover has finally achieved union with the beloved but the fear of dawn never left him. At dawn, the end of the night of union, things will go back to normal … pain of separation. That fear was such that he spent the whole night in sorrow as if he was separated from the beloved.