Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. momin KhaaN momin (1800-1852), was a hakim following the profession of his father and grandfather. momin received education in arabi, faarsi, urdu and in medicine, mathematics, and astrology. momin composed unabashedly about romantic with much witticism on his taKhallus. Considering the lifespans of the two poets it is reasonable to think that both Ghalib (tark-e vafa ka gumaaN nahiN) and momin composed their Ghazal for the same mushaa’era, along with aashufta and shefta.
1
aah¹-e falak-figan² tere Gham³ se kahaaN nahiN
jo fitna-Khez⁴ ab hai zamiN, aasmaaN nahiN    1.sigh 2.sky shattering 3.cruelty, pain 4.mischief raising
The normal convention is that the sky determines our fate and is cruel. But now things have changed. The real mischief-raising entity is the earth, not the sky, because the it is the beloved who exceeds the sky in causing pain and cruelty. The sigh/cry of pain that she causes is everywhere and shatters the sky.
2
kahna paRa mujhe pa¹-e ilzaam²-e pand-go³
vo maajra⁴ jo laa’eq⁵-e sharah⁶ o bayaaN⁷ nahiN    1.for, in response to 2.accustion 3.critic, preacher 4.incident, occurance, narrative 5.suitable 6.explanation 7.narration
The preacher has accused the poet/lover of something. He feels like has to respond. In response he has a story to tell, which is not suitable for narration or explanation i.e., the preacher has done something so bad that it cannot be described.
3
Darta huN aasmaan se bijli na gir paRe
sayyaad¹ ki nigaah² su³-e aasmaaN nahiN    1.bird catcher 2.glance, sight 3.towards
It is quite common to depict the poet as a bird singing in the garden or flying freely. The birdcatcher is out to catch him and put him in a cage. ‘bijli girna’ here is to be interpreted as a calamity befalling him. ‘su-e aasmaaN nagaah karna’ – looking towards the sky can mean ‘being aware of divine justice’. Thus, the bird catcher does not seem to be looking towards the sky, seems to be ignoring divine edict. So, the poet/bird is afraid that a calamity might befall him.
4
izhaar¹-e dosti² ki Khushi kya shab³-e visaal⁴
dushman⁵ se sun chuka huN keh tuu mehrbaaN⁶ nahiN    1.expression 2.used here to mean love 3.night 4.union 5.enemy/rival 6.kind
The poet/lover has a promise of a tryst and he is both looking forward to as well as afraid of the night of union/meeting. There is no joy/happiness in the thought of expressing lover for her, because he has already heard from the rival that she is unkind. He knows that his love will not be reciprocated.
5
baateN teri vo hosh-ruba¹ haiN keh kya kahuN
jo koii raazdaaN² hai mera raazdaaN nahiN   1.senses stealing 2.confidant, acquainted with secrets
The poet/lover has had many friends with whom he has shared secrets about the beloved. One after the other, they all spread these stories. They proved incapable of keeping a secret because stories about her are so fascinating that they rob senses. Compare this with the incomparable she’r of Ghalib …
zikr us parivash ka aur phir bayaaN apna
ban gaya raqiib aaKhir tha jo raazdaaN apna
6
naumeedi¹-e javaab² hai kyuN itne shauq³ par
ye kya hua keh maiN pas⁴-e qaasid⁵ ravaaN⁶ nahiN   1.hopelessness 2.response 3.desire, love 4.after, behind 5.messenger 6.travel, depart
The poet/lover has sent a message to the beloved through a messenger. In spite of his intense love of her he has not hope of getting a reponse. He now has second thoughts – why did I not go myself after the messenger, rather leave it all to him. But see how Ghalib puts it …
dard-e dil likhuuN kab tak jaauuN un ko dikhlaa duuN
uNgliyaaN figaar apnii Khaamah KhuuN-chakaaN apnaa
7
pesh¹-e adu² samajh³ ke zara haal⁴ poochhna
qaabu⁵ meN dil nahiN, mere bus⁶ meN zabaaN nahiN    1.before, in front of 2.rival 3.careful 4.condition 5.control 6.control
Be careful about asking me about my condition in the presence of the rival. I have no control over my heart and I cannot hold my tongue. This could be because he holds the rival responsible for his condition and might end up abusing him, or it could be because his laments will be so intense that they might scare the rival away.
8
be-sarfa¹ jaaNkani² ka mere kuchh to ho husool³
mehnat⁴ kisi ki aaj talak raa’egaaN⁵ nahiN   1.useless 2.giving life 3.benefit 4.hard work 5.gone to waste
The poet has heard that hard work never goes to waste. But his devotion/willingness to lay down his life has not given him any return. I should have some benefit of this … he wonders.
9
karte vafa¹ umiid²-e vafa par tamaam³ umr⁴
par kya kareN keh us ko sar⁵-e imtehaaN⁶ nahiN   1.faith, fidelity 2.hope 3.all 4.life long 5.head – used here to mean inclination of mind, idea 6.test
I would keep faith with her, stay true to her, all my life. But what can I do, she is not inclined to test/try the steadfastness of my love.
10
is ko bhi jaanta huN fareb¹-e visaal²-e Ghair³
tum ko abas⁴ yaqiiN⁵ hai keh maiN badgumaaN⁶ nahiN    1.deception 2.union, meeting 3.other, rival 4.for no reason 5.certain 6.suspicious
The beloved is certain that the poet/lover bears no suspicions about her. She is so confident of it that she takes him for granted and keeps playing around. He thinks that this too is because the rival has deceived her (told her that the poet/lover is naïve) during their tryst.
11
maiN apni chashm¹-e shauq² ko ilzaam³ Khaak⁴ duuN
teri nigaah⁵-e sharm⁶ se kya kuchh ayaaN⁷ nahiN   1.eye 2.desire, love 3.accuse 4.dust, useless, untrue 5.glance 6.shyness, coyness 7.apparent
The convention is that the poet/lover should not so much as even look directly at the beloved for fear of maligning her reputation. But he has. He says, it is useless to blame my ‘eye of love/lust’, because her coy glance tells the whole story. Why blame his eye.
12
fitri¹ hai piir-e-charKh² se apna muqaabala³
tifli⁴ se mujh ko hasrat⁵-e baKht-e-javaaN⁶ nahiN    1.natural 2.ancient sky i.e., fate 3.confrontation 4.childhood 5.hope, expectation 6.strong/good luck
Poetic convention not only label the sky as ancient, but also hold that it is responsible for determining our fate. In this case the “piir-e charKh” has dealth the poet a raw deal. So it is natural for him to be confrontational towards it. Right from his childhood he has had no hope/expectation that the sky will dole out ‘baKht-e javaaN’ i.e., young/vibrant fate/luck.
13
guzre¹ hai meri Khaak² se GhairoN³ ke saath vo
fitna⁴ uTha hai, gard⁵-e pas⁶-e kaarvaaN nahiN    1.passed through 2.dust 3.rivals 4.mischief making, raising a revolt 5.dust 6.behing, after
The picture painted is that the poet is dead, buried and decayed into dust. But he still loves her and is jealous as well as able to write poetry. In the meantime, the beloved is still alive, is young and is carrying on with the rival. She passes over his dust in company of the rival. What you see rising from the spot is not the dust kicked up by the passing caravan, but his rebellion against this cruelty.
14
lug jaaye shaa’ed¹ aaNkh koii-dam² shab³-e firaaq⁴
naaseh⁵ hi ko le aao gar⁶ afsaana-KhwaaN⁷ nahiN   1.perhaps 2.for a short time 3.night 4.separation 5.preacher, moralist 6.if 7.storyteller
aaNkh lugna means falling asleep. During the night of separation, the poet/lover cannot possibly fall asleep. The practice of the time was that the storyteller would weave a yarn until the sleepless person would fall asleep (as in Arabian Nights). Storytellers are hard to come by. The poet/lover is willing to settle for the moralist. He hopes that perhaps he would fall asleep at least for a short time during the night of separation. If you cannot find a story teller, at least bring the moralist. The implication is that his sermonizing/pontification will be so boring that he will fall asleep.
15
guzre¹ hai meri Khaak² se GhairoN³ ke saath vo
fitna⁴ uTha hai, gard⁵-e pas⁶-e kaarvaaN nahiN    1.passed through 2.dust 3.rivals 4.mischief making, raising a revolt 5.dust 6.behing, after
The picture painted is that the poet is dead, buried and decayed into dust. But he still loves her and is jealous as well as able to write poetry. In the meantime, the beloved is still alive, is young and is carrying on with the rival. She passes over his dust in company of the rival. What you see rising from the spot is not the dust kicked up by the passing caravan, but his rebellion against this cruelty.
16
har zarra¹ meri Khaak² ka barbaad³ ho chuka
bus aye Khiraam⁴-e naaz⁵ keh taab-o-tavaaN⁶ nahiN    1.particle, grain 2.dust 3.destroyed 4.gait, style 5.coquetry 6.capacity and strength
Here also the picture is that the poet/lover is dead, buried and decayed into dust. Even after this every grain of his dust is also destroyed. Meanwhile the beloved is still young and has a coquettish style. The poet/lover appeals – enough!
17
naale¹ ke saath dam² ke nikal jaane ka hai Khauf³
par kya ilaaj⁴ taaqat⁵-e zabt⁶-e fuGhaaN⁷ nahiN    1.wailing, crying 2.life 3.fear 4.remedy 5.strength, capacity 6.bear, restrain 7.lamentation
One of the theories is that people thought that when you sneezed the soul could leave the body. So they said, ‘bless you’. Here the poet/lover is afraid that his life/soul would depart if he cried loudly (because of the pain of unrequited love). But he cannot help it, because he does not have the strength to restrain his laments.
18
maiN jaanta huN n’aash¹ pe aane ka mudduaa²
aasoodagi-pasand³ teri shooKhiyaaN⁴ nahiN 1.funeral, corpse 2.purpose 3.liking/tolerating/accepting tranquility 4.playfulness, mischief making
The dead poet writes about his own funeral. That is quite common. The beloved is visiting and he knows exactly why. Her playfulness cannot accept leaving him in peace.
19
us but¹ ki ibtedaa²-e javaani³ muraad⁴ hai
momin⁵ kuchh aur fitna⁶-e aaKhir-zamaaN⁷ nahiN    1.idol, beloved 2.beginning 3.youth 4.intention, meaning, design, reason 5.penname of the poet, pious person, preacher 6.tumult 7.end of time/world
momin uses his penname is witty ways. See the many entries under ‘momin ka taKhallus’ on the Theme Index page. O momin, there is no other reason for the tumultous end of the world (doomsday), except the budding youth of the beloved. Of course, momin here can mean the poet himself or the preacher who is being told that this is the real reason for doomsday.