Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. heera lal falak dehlavi (1920?-1982+?). I can only make an educated guess about his birth and death. A collection of his Ghazal was published posthumously in 1982 by his shaagird. The book mentions beKhud dehlavi (1863-1955) as his ‘inspirational ustaad’ and dedicates it to him. He was a minor official in the dehli court system. In the book he describes his encounter with beKhud dehlavi when he (falak) was still a young man. The book says that he started composing in 1940. He has several Ghazal composed in the zamin of Ghalib, this is one of a series linked to the corresponding radeef in ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’.
1
mumkin¹ ho bhool baiThe hoN ehsaaN² kiye hue
jaa’eNge dil ke daaGh³ numaayaaN⁴ kiye hue   1.possible 2.favours 3.wounds, scars 4.visible, prominent
In poetic convention the beloved inflicts pain on the lover, which he considers to be a favour, even though there are scars in his heart. He is away from the beloved and is imagining that she may have forgotten all the favours that she did to him. So he wants to go to her street prominently displaying all the scars in his heart to remind her of all the favours that she has done to him. It is also possible that he is using the word ‘favours’, sarcastically.
2
be-shak¹ na mil sakay kahiN diivaanagi² ki daad³
phirte raheNge chaak⁴ garebaaN⁵ kiye hue   1.without a doubt 2.madness (of passion) 3.appreciation, praise 4.torn 5.shirt front, collar
In poetic convention, the mad, passionate lover goes around with a torn collar like majnuN. He has not doubt that he will not receive any appreciation for the madness of his passion. Never-the-less he is determined to roam/wander with his collar torn.
3
dekheN bachaaye kaise safiine¹ ko naaKhuda²
zer-o-zabar³ hai shiddat⁴-e toofaaN⁵ kiye hue     1.boat 2.oarsman, boatman 3.topsy-turvy, upside down 4.intensity 5.storm
The intense storm is the storm of passion, and the boat is life itself. The boatman could be fate, god or even the beloved herself. The intensity of passion has turned life upside down and there is no hope of saving it. Let us see how the boatman can save the boat from drowning now.
4
aye kaash¹ din vo aaye keh khul kar manaayeN eid²
ghar ko saja³ ke yaar⁴ ko mehmaaN⁵ kiye hue   1.wish, hope 2.celebration 3.embellish, decorate 4.friend, beloved 5.guest
O, I so wish I could have a festive celebration openly. The agreement of the beloved is implied … if the beloved were to agree, I would decorate/illuminate the house and have the beloved as a guest. Said Ghalib …
muddat hui hai yaar ko mehmaaN kiye hue
josh-e qadah se bazm charaaGhaaN kiye hue
5
dil ne kaha keh baiTh yahiiN par kahaaN chala
uTThe jo ham tasavvur¹-e jaanaaN² kiye hue   1.thought, imagination, mental picture 2.beloved
The poet/lover created a mental picture of the beloved and rose from his stupor in the hopes of going to see her. His heart cautioned him … sit down, where do you think you are going! The poet does not spell out why the heart cautioned him … is it because the heart knew that the beloved was not going to grant him any access and wanted to save him from disappointment.
6
kal tak to ham the zulf¹-e girah-giir² ke asiir³
ab hai Kharaab⁴ gardish-e-dauraaN⁵ kiye hue   1.hair 2.captivating/capturing knots/curls of hair 3.prisoner 4.destroyed 5.vicissitudes of time/life
Until yesterday, the poet/lover was a prisoner of the curls of the beloved’s hair. Now he is being trampled upon by the vicissitudes of time – the need to make a living.
7
Khaak¹-e chaman ko jab bhi lahu² ham ne de diya
Ghunche³ khile bahaar⁴ ka saamaaN⁵ kiye hue   1.dust, soil, earth 2.blood 3.flower buds 4.spring 5.provisions, arrangements
Whenever the soil of the garden needed irrigation, we (lovers or poets) provided our blood. Because of this rose buds bloomed making full arrangements for the arrival of spring.
8
aashiq huN khaiNch legi mere ishq ki lagan
aaoge gesuoN¹ ko pareshaaN² kiye hue    1.hair 2.spread out, untied
This requires a little imagination to create the picture and interpret. It is conventional for the beloved to visit the poet/lover’s funeral. Coming with hair uncovered and untied is a sign of extreme sorrow. In the picture here the poet/lover is dead and there is some question whether the beloved will visit. But the poet/lover is confident that he is a true lover, and the sincerity of his love will pull her. He declares, my love will pull you; you will come in great distress with your hair uncovered and spread out.
9
vus’at¹ saKhaavatoN² meN teri is qadar³ to ho
aayeN malaal⁴-e taNgi-e-daamaaN⁵ kiye hue    1.expanse, vastness 2.kindness, benevolence 3.so much 4.sorrow, regret 5.narrowness of the hem of the skirt – an expression used here to mean lack of capacity to hold
This appears to be addressed to god. There should at least be so much vastness of your benevolence that we should come back regretting that we don’t have enough capacity in the hem of the robe to hold all your gifts.
10
gahri¹ agar² hai zulmat³-e shaam-e alam⁴ to kya
ham bhi haiN aaNsuoN⁵ ko charaaGhaaN⁶ kiye hue     1.deep, intense 2.if 3.darkness 4.sorrow 5.tears 6.lit up, bright
What if the darkness of the night of sorrow is intense, we have lit up our tears as lamps.
11
phir jhoom kar suna koii taaza¹ Ghazal falak²
baiThe haiN intezaar³ suKhandaaN⁴ kiye hue    1.fresh, new 2.pen-name of the poet 3.waiting, anticipation 4.appreciators/experts of versification
Once again, with great gusto, recite a newly composed Ghazal, O falak. Those who understand/appreciate verse are waiting for you.