Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. zamiir hasan dil shahjahaaNpuri (1875-1959), was taught faarsi and arabi at home by a private tutor and he also learnt the family profession of ‘hakiim’ – traditional medicine. He set up a practice and also did other business (landowner and contractor) as a source of income. He started composing at the age of 15 and later became a disciple of amiir miinaaii. In addition to his collections of poetry he authored a novel and a translation of an English novel. This Ghazal, in the same radeef/qaafiya as daGh’s ‘Ghazab kiya ter’e vaa’de pe e’tebaar kiya’ is linked to it on the Refrain Index page.
1
dil ko majruuh¹ o be-qaraar² kiya
kya sitam³ aye nigaah⁴-e yaar⁵ kiya     1.wounded, hurt 2.restless 3.oppression, cruelty 4.glance 5.friend, beloved
It wounds and cuts the heart of the poet/lover, what torture and oppression does the glance of the beloved creates.
2
husn-e-dilkash¹ ko dekh kar barham²
ishq ne sabr³ eKhtiyaar⁴ kiya    1.heart pleasing beauty 2.disturbed, angry 3.patience 4.adopted
Following convention the beloved is described as the personification of beauty and the poet/lover as the embodiment of love. Thus, upon seeing the beloved disturbed and angry, the lover takes the path of patience and forbearance.
3
jab bhi sankii¹ nasiim²-e valvala-Khez³
pairahan⁴ hum ne taar-taar⁵ kiya     1.havaa sanaknaa is an expression meaning breeze blowing 2.breeze 3.fervour/passion increasing 4.clothing 5.shred into threads
In poetic tradition when the lover is roused into passionate madness, he tears his clothes and goes around like a madman. This is symbolic of the intensity of his passion. Blowing breeze is also the harbinger of spring which is a time of rejuvenation and love. It arouses passion and the lover tears his shirt front down to threads like majnuN.
4
haa’e¹ voh dil jis ne be-samjhe²
tere vaa’de³ pe e’tebaar⁴ kiya    1.alas, pity 2.without understanding 3.promise 4.believe, trust
In poetic tradition, the beloved makes promises to meet the poet/lover but never keeps her promise, leaving the lover distraught. Thus, pity the heart which, without fully understanding the consequences, trusts your promise.
5
vaqt-e ruKhsat¹ tasalliyaaN² de kar
aur bhi tum ne be-qaraar³ kiya    1.departing, farewell 2.consolation 3.restless
The lover has had some access to the beloved. It may have been brief and not fulfilling, leaving him thirsty for more, but it is time to depart/bid farewell and he is distraught. She consoles him and that increases his restlessness even more.
6
hum ne ek saa’at¹ mohabbat meN
dil ka maatam² hazaar-baar³ kiya     1.moment 2.mourn 3.thousand times
In poetic tradition, love is never fulfilled. The lover is forever yearning … to his death and even beyond. One moment of slip is all it takes. Thus, one moment of love is followed by mourning for the stricken heart a thousand times.
7
ter’e mushtaaq¹ aur manzar²-e hashr³
kis qayaamat⁴ ka intezaar⁵ kiya     1.desirous, those who yearn 2.scene of 3.apocalypse 4.doomsday 5.waiting for
Reading this she’r, I imagine a scene where lovers/admirers are longing for the appearance of the beloved. If she does come, the scene will be apocalyptic because of her dazzling beauty. What doomsday are they waiting for!
8
haath rakh kar voh dil pe kaht’e haiN
ab na kahna ke be-qaraar¹ kiya    1.restless
Placing her hand on the heart – leaves room for ambiguity – has she placed her hand on his heart to console him, or on her heart as a gesture of making the lover solemnly promise. In the first interpretation the second misra can be read as … now I have consoled you, don’t complain that I have made you restless. In the second interpretation, the second misra can be read as a caution/warning … remember, I am making you promise (cross my heart promise) to keep your restlessness a secret and not cause disrepute to me.
9
ho na iifaa¹ ye apni qismat hai
us ne vaada² to baar-baar³ kiya     1.fulfilment 2.promise 3.again and again
That there is no fulfilment, is our fate. She has promised (union, reciprocity of love) many times. Thus, that the beloved breaks her promise is also presented as the ill fate of the poet/lover.
10
barq¹ uss par nisaar² hoti hai
tum ne jis dil ko be-qaraar³ kiya    1.lightning 2.sacrifice itself, pay tribute 3.restless
In poetic tradition lightning can be a symbol of oppression and cruelty because it burns the nest of the bird and it can also be a symbol of extreme restlessness. Here it is used in the latter sense. The beloved makes hearts so restless that even the restlessness of lightning is put to shame. Lightning admiringly pays tribute to the restless heart.
11
uss ki ek-ek adaa¹ ne vaqt-e Khiraam²
hashr³ barpa⁴ hazaar-baar⁵ kiya     1.gesture, style 2.gait, walking 3.doomsday, apocalypse 4.cause, bring about 5.a thousand times
In poetic convention, the beloved sometimes walks in the garden. Her gait is so graceful that every gesture/step can cause an apocalyptic reaction from her throng of admirers/lovers.
12
pas¹-e vaa’da² voh mujh se poochhte haiN
kahiye kis dil se e’tebaar³ kiya    1.after 2.promise 3.believe, trust
The beloved has promised reciprocity of love and perhaps even to meet the poet/lover. But she does not keep her promise, and he complains. One interpretation is that her response is one of indifference and neglect. In a moment of either feigned innocence or indifference, the beloved questions the lover, asking which heart (dil) dared to place faith (e’tebaar) in her promise, implying that the heart should have known ahead of time not to trust her promise. Another interpretation is that she is being playful and teasing. The lover claims that he has already given her his heart. Thus he has not heart with which to believe her promise-so which heart did you use to believe, you don’t have any.
13
faiz¹-e qudrat² to dekhiye aye dil³
jis ne sehra⁴ ko laala-zaar⁵ kiya    1.benevolence, blessing 2.nature, divinity 3.pen-name 4.desert 5.tulip garden
O dil, consider the benevolence of the divine, which has converted the desert into a tulip garden. Other than calling attention to the ‘gifts of god’, I don’t read much into the she’r.