Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mirza taqi beg maa’el dehlavi (1850-1931) has a large corpus with quite a few of his Ghazal composed in the style of Ghalib. He started composing at the age of 14 and it is reported that he met with Ghalib several times but did not seek or receive any tutoring. Perhaps he considered that presumptuous because he was too young and Ghalib was in his final years. He moved to jaipur in 1875 and lived there until his passing. His work, scattered among many friends was collected and published as his ‘kulliyaat’ – complete works – in three volumes, under the sponsorship of the rajasthan sahitya academy. This is one of five long Ghazal that maa’el himself has composed with the qaafiya/radeef of ‘zarf-e qadah-Khwaar dekh kar’ and is linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’ along with many others of other shu’ara.
1
leta chaluN na bazm¹ meN talvaar dekh kar
aayega josh² soorat-e aGhyaar³ dekh kar   1.gathering 2.passion, anger 3.others, rivals
I should be careful and not take a sword with me to the beloved’s gathering. It is likely that my anger/passion will be aroused upon seeing rivals there and I might end up killing them.
3
aisa hai mujh ko mus’haf¹-e ruKhsaar²-e yaar³ hifz⁴
paRh jaauN ek saaNs meN sau baar, dekh kar    1.book, expression 2.face, cheeks 3.beloved 4.memorized
The poet/lover has memorized the book of the beauty of the beloved such that he can read it out in one breath a hundred times, after taking only one look at it.
4
sar meN bhara hua hai jo sauda¹ bahaar² ka
diivaane Khush haiN baaGh ki diivaar dekh kar   1.trade, value, desire 2.spring
Spring brings out desires and feelings of love. All lovers’ heads are full of such desires. When this happens what do lovers do? They go stark raving mad and bang their heads against the wall. Therefore they are happy to see the wall of the garden!
10
rakh duuN mataa’¹-e dard² jo bazaar-e ishq meN
le jaa’eN haathoN haath Khariidaar dekh kar    1.possessions, valuable goods 2.pain/love
Love always results in pain and this pain is to be treasured. The poet/lover also considers this to be of very high value and boasts that it is so valuable that if I were to offer it for sale in the bazaar of love, they would be picked up by buyers in no time at all (and pass from hand to hand).
11
jis haal¹ meN qafas² meN guzarti³ hai shukr⁴ kar
bulbul na Khush ho Khwaab meN gulzaar⁵ dekh kar   1.condition 2.cage 3.(time/life) passes 4.be thankful 5.garden
The bulbul has been snared by the birdcatcher and put in a cage. There is no hope/expectation of its release. So the poet advises the bulbul (his own alter-ego) to make peace with its condition and be thankful however his life is passing in the cage. There is no point in dreaming about the garden and driving up your hopes.
12
ek vo keh phir¹ rahe haiN tere saath baaGh meN
ek ham keh mar gaye teri raftaar² dekh kar   1.walking, going around 2.gait, style
The beloved is supposed to have an enchanting gait/style. Those who get to see it are stunned or die of admiration. This is a point of pride for the poet/lover in spite of the fact that he is dead. There are those who walk around with you in the garden and then there is/was me who died when he saw your graceful gait. The implication is that those that walk with you are not ‘true’ lovers. They are merely lustful people. Only I was the true lover (and he is writing about it after he is dead).
15
kahta hai naama-bar¹ mujhe paiGhaam² diijiye
aaya huN un ki Ghair³ se takraar⁴ dekh kar   1.messenger 2.message 3.other, rival 4.argument
Usually the messenger is a reliable sort, sympathetic to the poet/lover. He has just returned from the beloved’s house (perhaps after having delivered a message) and urges the poet to send another message right away because as he was coming back he saw a big argument going on between the beloved and the rival. Hence, chances are that she is mad at the rival and will receive the poet’s message with sympathetic consideration.
20
harchand¹ Khaaksaar² huN rakkha na par qadam
saaye ko kuu³-e yaar⁴ ke bezaar⁵ dekh kar    1.even though 2.lowly, humble 3.street, lane 4.beloved 5.tired, disinterested, disgusted
Even though I am humble, I did not step in the street of the beloved when I saw that the shadows in the street were unwelcoming. Said Ghalib …
bandagi meN bhi vo aazaada o KhudbiiN haiN keh hum
ulTe phir aaye dar-e k’aaba agar vaa na hua
23
but-Khaana¹ raah² meN jo paRe dekhta chaluN
taskiiN³ hui na tuur⁴ pe diidaar⁵ dekh kar  1.house of idols, temple 2.path 3.satisfaction, contentment 4.mount tuur 5.sight, vision
The poet/seeker has been up mount tuur. He has seen the same brilliance that moosa saw. But that did not satisfy him. On the way back he hopes that there is a ‘house of idols’ that he might visit and get another/different satisfying vision. The ‘house of idols’ could be the house of the beloved or a temple. In either case, this is a bold and unusual statement about an idol being a more satisfying vision.
25
maiKhaane¹ meN janaab²-e masiiha³ utar paRe
maa’el⁴ se baada-Khwaar⁵ ko biimaar⁶ dekh kar    1.tavern 2.honourable 3.healer, Jesus 4.pen-name of the poet 5.wine-lover/drinker 6.sick
Jesus is supposed to heal with his breath. But as a prophet he is expected to stay away from taverns (at least in islamic versions of stories). But even the honourable Jesus descended into the tavern when he saw that a wine-lover like maa’el was sick i.e., I am valued and taken care of in spite of my transgressions and drinking.

Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mirza taqi beg maa’el dehlavi (1850-1931) has a large corpus with quite a few of his Ghazal composed in the style of Ghalib. He started composing at the age of 14 and it is reported that he met with Ghalib several times but did not seek or receive any tutoring. Perhaps he considered that presumptuous because he was too young and Ghalib was in his final years. He moved to jaipur in 1875 and lived there until his passing. His work, scattered among many friends was collected and published as his ‘kulliyaat’ – complete works – in three volumes, under the sponsorship of the rajasthan sahitya academy. This is one of five long Ghazal that maa’el himself has composed with the qaafiya/radeef of ‘zarf-e qadah-Khwaar dekh kar’ and is linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’ along with many others of other shu’ara.
1
leta chaluN na bazm¹ meN talvaar dekh kar
aayega josh² soorat-e aGhyaar³ dekh kar   1.gathering 2.passion, anger 3.others, rivals
I should be careful and not take a sword with me to the beloved’s gathering. It is likely that my anger/passion will be aroused upon seeing rivals there and I might end up killing them.
2
aaNkheN maliiN¹ haiN mujhko sazavaar² dekh kar
jiita³ raha jo taab⁴-e ruKh⁵-e yaar⁶ dekh kar   1.rubbing eyes 2.deserving of punishment 3.remained alive 4.brilliance 5.face 6.beloved
‘aaNkh malna’ is an expression used to mean so amazed that they rub their eyes to make sure that they are seeing properly. The poet/lover was at the gathering of the beloved. He got a look at the brilliance of the beloved’s face and remained alive. The beloved was amazed and rubbed her eyes when she saw that he had committed a transgression (looked at her) and remained alive (therefore was deserving of punishment).
3
aisa hai mujh ko mus’haf¹-e ruKhsaar²-e yaar³ hifz⁴
paRh jaauN ek saaNs meN sau baar, dekh kar   1.book, expression 2.face, cheeks 3.beloved 4.memorized
The poet/lover has memorized the book of the beauty of the beloved such that he can read it out in one breath a hundred times, after taking only one look at it.
4
sar meN bhara hua hai jo sauda¹ bahaar² ka
diivaane Khush haiN baaGh ki diivaar dekh kar   1.trade, value, desire 2.spring
Spring brings out desires and feelings of love. All lovers’ heads are full of such desires. When this happens what do lovers do? They go stark raving mad and bang their heads against the wall. Therefore they are happy to see the wall of the garden!
5
kahne laga ye us ka karam¹ Ghamzada² na ho
kam martabe³ ka mujh ko gunahgaar⁴ dekh kar   1.mercy, kindness 2.sorrowful 3.low status 4.sinner
The poet/lover considers himself a sinner of low status … a small time sinner. He is afraid that his case will be lost among the millions of other small time sinners and he will be dispatched to hell along with them. god’s mercy observes this fear and sorrow and says to him, ‘do not be sorrowful’. The implication is that he will be granted divine mercy.

6
bazaar-e husn¹-e yaar² meN yusuf³ ko laa’e jab
dekha na phir kisi ne bhi ek baar dekh kar   1.beauty 2.beloved 3.Joseph
Joseph/yusuf was thrown down a deep well by his jealous brothers. A later caravan retrieved him and he was sold as a slave in the ‘misr ka bazaar’. Joseph is reputed to have been an extremely handsome man and is used as a metaphor for the apex of beauty. Thus, when he was put up for sale, potential buyers saw him once and then stopped looking any further.
7
us roz¹ se junooN² meN paTakta³ huN apna sar
kahte haiN al-amaaN⁴ dar-o-diivaar⁵ dekh kar   1.day 2.passion, madness 3.bang 4.mercy, protection 5.doors and walls i.e., buildings/homes
From that day forward i.e., from the day that he first saw the beloved, the poet/lover has gone passionately mad and bangs his head so much so that even homes around him beg for mercy.
8
dushman¹ hai aasmaan² farishte³ haiN be-gunaah⁴
lena Khabar⁵ tu aah⁶-e sharar-baar⁷ dekh kar   1.enemy, cruel 2.sky, fate 3.angels 4.blameless, innocent 5.inquire after, be careful 6.sigh 7.spark raining, fiery
Fate/sky is the real enemy causing the poet/lover problems. He sighs in sorrow but his passions are so fiery that his breath is like that of a fire-breathing dragon and can burn everything in its path. He is addressing his own breath … be careful, the sky/fate may be the enemy but the angels are blameless. They should not get singed by his fiery sighs.

9
shiriiN¹ si saNgdil² ke bhi aaNsu nikal paRe
aaluuda³ KhuuN se daaman⁴-e kohsaar⁵ dekh kar    1.of shiriiN-farhaad legend 2.hard-hearted 3.stained 4.apron, valley 5.hills
farhaad was a mason, fell in love with shiriin who was already married. Her husband just to get rid of him set him an impossible task of carving a tunnel through the mountain and cause milk to flow through it. farhaad’s passion was such that he almost succeeded but Khusrow (shiriin’s husband) caused a false rumour to spread and reach farhaad that shiriin had died. farhaad killed himself. “Khuun-alooda daaman-e kohsaar” is a reference to farhaad’s blood flowing in the valley. In the first misra shiriin is depicted as a hard-hearted woman (not in love with farhaad) but this is not the most popular version (there are many versions). But even a hard-hearted woman like shiriin broke out into tears when she saw the blood stained valledy where farhaad had killed himself.
10
rakh duuN mataa’¹-e dard² jo bazaar-e ishq meN
le jaa’eN haathoN haath Khariidaar dekh kar    1.possessions, valuable goods 2.pain/love
Love always results in pain and this pain is to be treasured. The poet/lover also considers this to be of very high value and boasts that it is so valuable that if I were to offer it for sale in the bazaar of love, they would be picked up by buyers in no time at all (and pass from hand to hand).
11
jis haal¹ meN qafas² meN guzarti³ hai shukr⁴ kar
bulbul na Khush ho Khwaab meN gulzaar⁵ dekh kar   1.condition 2.cage 3.(time/life) passes 4.be thankful 5.garden
The bulbul has been snared by the birdcatcher and put in a cage. There is no hope/expectation of its release. So the poet advises the bulbul (his own alter-ego) to make peace with its condition and be thankful however his life is passing in the cage. There is no point in dreaming about the garden and driving up your hopes.
12
ek vo keh phir¹ rahe haiN tere saath baaGh meN
ek ham keh mar gaye teri raftaar² dekh kar   1.walking, going around 2.gait, style
The beloved is supposed to have an enchanting gait/style. Those who get to see it are stunned or die of admiration. This is a point of pride for the poet/lover in spite of the fact that he is dead. There are those who walk around with you in the garden and then there is/was me who died when he saw your graceful gait. The implication is that those that walk with you are not ‘true’ lovers. They are merely lustful people. Only I was the true lover (and he is writing about it after he is dead).
13
meri si¹ aashiqi meN na bigRe² kisi ki baat
vo haNs rahe haiN diida³-e KhooN-baar⁴ dekh kar   1.short for jaisi-like 2.go awry 3.eyes 4.blood raining, crying tears of blood
May it be that no one’s love go awry like mine has. The beloved laughs when she sees me crying tears of blood i.e., she thinks it is funny or made up.
14
Khurshiid¹ kaaNpta² hai nikalne³ ke naam se
aisa Dara⁴ hai meri shab⁵-e taar⁶ dekh kar  1.sun 2.trembles 3.emerging, rising 4.fearful 5.night of 6.darkness
There are two implications here. The dark nights of separation never end. The sun does not rise out of fear. His dark nights are so fearsome that the sun is so frightened that it is afraid to emerge. In either case, the poet/lover is condemned to never ending nights of separation.
15
kahta hai naama-bar¹ mujhe paiGhaam² diijiye
aaya huN un ki Ghair³ se takraar⁴ dekh kar   1.messenger 2.message 3.other, rival 4.argument
Usually the messenger is a reliable sort, sympathetic to the poet/lover. He has just returned from the beloved’s house (perhaps after having delivered a message) and urges the poet to send another message right away because as he was coming back he saw a big argument going on between the beloved and the rival. Hence, chances are that she is mad at the rival and will receive the poet’s message with sympathetic consideration.
16
mehmaan¹ dil meN tiir² kisi ka hua to hai
aaya hai yaad zaKhm³ ko KhooN-baar⁴ dekh kar   1.guest 2.arrow 3.wound 4.raining/flowing blood
The beloved’s arrow got lodged in the poet/lover heart. How can he forget it. Every time he sees his blood oozing wound he remembers that piercing glance.
17
be-dard¹ saNgdil² mujhe kahte haiN ahl-e-dard³
phande⁴ meN vaa’ezoN⁵ ke giraftaar⁶ dekh kar 1.unfeeling, cruel 2.hard hearted 3.people of pain/love, lovers 4.noose, grip 5.preachers 6.caught, imprisoned
The poet/lover has fallen into a circle of preachers – caught up in their web. Ever since then, his friends ‘ahl-e dard’ call him heartless and stone-hearted.
18
kaisa raha hai mujh ko ta’ajjub¹ tamaam² raat
sab ahl³-e Khaanqaah⁴ ko bedaar⁵ dekh kar    1.amazement 2.all, complete 3.people/residents of 4.retreat/monastery of the mystics/sufis 5.awake
The poet/lover has spent the night in a Khaanqaah and is amazed to see that the residents were awake all night long. Of course, the poet/lover is used to staying up all night long during nights of separation pining away for the company of the beloved. He cannot put the story together and does not see the mystics/sufis as staying awake contemplating the divine. He thinks that they too are lovers like him and is amazed.
19
apni har ek baat hai diivaana-pan¹ ke saath
k’aabe ko ham gaye rah²-e pur-Khaar³ dekh kar   1.madness 2.pathway 3.full of thorns
The poet/lover’s passion is strong and inclined towards madness. He loves and values pain. Thus, even for his pilgrimage to the k’aaba he picks the most difficult path … one that is full of thorns.
20
harchand¹ Khaaksaar² huN rakkha na par qadam
saaye ko kuu³-e yaar⁴ ke bezaar⁵ dekh kar   1.even though 2.lowly, humble 3.street, lane 4.beloved 5.tired, disinterested, disgusted
Even though I am humble, I did not step in the street of the beloved when I saw that the shadows in the street were unwelcoming. Said Ghalib …
bandagi meN bhi vo aazaada o KhudbiiN haiN keh hum
ulTe phir aaye dar-e k’aaba agar vaa na hua
21
hoshiyaar¹ ahl-e-bazm² vo aate haiN be-naqaab³
nikle na muNh se aah⁴, Khabardaar⁵, dekh kar   1.be mindful/careful 2.people of the gathering 3.unveiled 4.sigh 5.be warned
Be careful O people of this gathering, the beloved approaches, unveiled. Let not even a sigh escape your lips, be warned, be careful. Alternatively, it can be “nikle na muNh se aah Khabardaar, dekh kar” i.e., let not even a sigh escape your lips upon seeing her, I am warning you!
22
ye hi janaab¹-e Khizr² mere saath hi to the
jii³ chhoR baiThe manzil⁴-e dushvaar⁵ dekh kar   1.respected 2.legendary old man, guide to travelers 3.life, heart 4.destination 5.difficult
Khizr is a legendary old man of Biblical and qur’aanic stories. He has sipped the nectar of immortality, lives forever, travels a lot, knows all the ways and is the guide/guardian angel of all travelers/seekers. The poet/lover expects him to be his guide on the path of love. He is being sarcastic … yes this was the very Khizr, the honourable Khizr, who was with me. But when he saw the difficult path/destination (of love) he lost his heart and gave up.
23
but-Khaana¹ raah² meN jo paRe dekhta chaluN
taskiiN³ hui na tuur⁴ pe diidaar⁵ dekh kar  1.house of idols, temple 2.path 3.satisfaction, contentment 4.mount tuur 5.sight, vision
The poet/seeker has been up mount tuur. He has seen the same brilliance that moosa saw. But that did not satisfy him. On the way back he hopes that there is a ‘house of idols’ that he might visit and get another/different satisfying vision. The ‘house of idols’ could be the house of the beloved or a temple. In either case, this is a bold and unusual statement about an idol being a more satisfying vision.
24
itra¹ raha hai, hashr² jo t’aariif³ kar gaye
do-chaar un ke kushta⁴-e raftaar⁵ dekh kar  1.preening, showing off 2.tumult, doomsday 3.praise 4.killed by, victims of 5.gait, style
The beloved is supposed to have a graceful and enchanting style/gait. Those who see it are so stunned by its beauty that they can forget to breathe and die. Thus, it is doomsday and few such victims have been raised from the dead. They tell the story of how they died. They praise her gait/style. The beloved hearing this, is preening herself and showing off.
25
maiKhaane¹ meN janaab²-e masiiha³ utar paRe
maa’el⁴ se baada-Khwaar⁵ ko biimaar⁶ dekh kar    1.tavern 2.honourable 3.healer, Jesus 4.pen-name of the poet 5.wine-lover/drinker 6.sick
Jesus is supposed to heal with his breath. But as a prophet he is expected to stay away from taverns (at least in islamic versions of stories). But even the honourable Jesus descended into the tavern when he saw that a wine-lover like maa’el was sick i.e., I am valued and taken care of in spite of my transgressions and drinking.