Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. manohar lal bahaar (1912-????), whose father, rai shahed lal taught him urdu and farsi at home was invited to mushaa’era in hyderabad regularly. His collection ‘bahaaristan’ was published in 1977. He retired as a high-level official in the Department of Agriculture, Andhra Pradesh. This is one of several Ghazal he composed in the style of Ghalib. This one is based on the style of Ghalib’s leading Ghazal – ‘naqsh faryaadi hai kis ki shooKhi-e tahriir ka’.
1
hai vahi andaaz apni gardish-e-taqdiir ka
ye navishta miT nahiN sakta teri tahriir ka 1.style, way, character 2.vicissitudes of fate 3.written 4.writing
A rather conventional view of fate which indicates total resignation at what is happening. The character of my fate is unchanged. In fact, it cannot be changed. What you (O fate) have written, cannot be erased.
2
hai taGhazzul¹ apna soz-o-saaz² ka ek imtezaaj³
falsafa Ghalib ka hai is meN ta’assur⁴ mir ka    1.character of Ghazal 2.sorrow and joy 3.mixture, blend 4.influence, effect
The character of my Ghazal is a pleasant blending of joy and sorrow. It is based on Ghalib’s thought and is influenced by mir (mir taqi mir).
3
kyuN pareshaaN¹ aap yuN baiThe hue haiN bazm² meN
kuchh asar³ shaa’ed⁴ hua hai ishq ki taasiir⁵ ka 1.worried 2.gathering 3.effect 4.perhaps 5.effectiveness, influence
Normally the beloved is the life and soul and centre of attention of the gathering/party. But now it appears that she is sitting in a corner with a concerned look on her face. The poet/lover speculates (wishful thinking) that perhaps it is the influence of his love that is causing it.
4
kitna gahra¹ paR gaya qaid²-e Ghulaami³ ka nishaaN⁴
aaj tak hai daaGh⁵ baaqi⁶ paauN ki zanjiir ka 1.deep 2.bondage 3.slavery 4.mark, stain 5.scar, wound 6.remaining
I might be tempted to think that he might be alluding to colonialism, but I think that it is more about the ‘slavery of love for the beloved’. The bondage of slavery has left a deep mark. Even today (many years after his release) the wound of his chain/manacles remains on his legs/ankles.
5
lug gaii kis ki nazar¹ husn-o-jamaal²-e yaar³ ko
raNg-o-rauGhan⁴ uR gaya hai paikar⁵-e tasviir⁶ ka    1.evil eye 2.beauty and grandeur 3.beloved 4.colour and vigour 5.form 6.picture
The ‘form of expression’ of the beloved has gone pale. It has lost its vivacious colour. Someone must have cast their evil eye on the beauty and grandeur of the beloved.
6
ho gaya hai kis qadar¹ paamaal² maikash³ ka maqaam⁴
kyun Khayaal aata nahiN maiKhaane⁵ ki taamiir⁶ ka    1.much 2.trampled, destroyed 3.wine lover 4.place, status 5.tavern 6.repair
‘maikash ka maqaam’ can be the place he goes to for maikashi i.e. maiKhaana/tavern. It could also mean the status of the maikash – the respect in which he is held. The maiKhaana is also symbolic of the liberal/secular space, free from the influence of the shaiKh or brahman. Thus, the liberal/secular space is losing its status in society. Why are we not concerned about re-constructing/repairing it.
7
din meN shaamil¹ ho gaiiN haiN raat ki taariikiyaaN²
ye asar³ ulTa hua hai Khwaab ki t’aabiir⁴ ka    1.mixed, included 2.darkness 3.effect, result 4.fulfilment
The poet (and others with him) had had a dream/vision of a new dawn. But what they find is that the new dawn is mixed with the darkness of the night – much like faiz ahmed faiz’s ‘shab gazeda sahr’. This is opposite of the vision that they had envisaged.
8
bazm-e-aalam¹ meN har ek jaanib² hai barpa³ aye bahaar
ek haNgaama⁴ kisi ke ruu⁵-e pur-tanviir⁶ ka    1.gatherins of the world, world 2.direction 3.going on, happening 4.tumult 5.face 6.brilliant, shining, beautiful
He is talking about the beloved’s beauty. In all directions i.e. everywhere in the world there is conversation going on about the beauty of the beloved.