Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mir taqi mir (1722-1810) pioneer of urdu language and Ghazal. Considered a poet of angst and sorrow. He speaks profound thoughts in simple language. This one is much more playful and explicitly romantic. Ghalib has a Ghazal with the same radeef-qaafiya “zikr us parivash ka aur phir bayaaN apna”. There are a few others of Ghalib’s contemporaries and junior contemporaries. I have linked them all together under “Ghalib peshrau ham-asr”.
1
un ne khiiNcha hai mere haath se daamaaN¹ apna
kya karuN gar² na karuN chaak³ garebaaN⁴ apna    1.hem of the robe 2.if, except for 3.tear 4.collar
“daaman khiiNchna” is to pull away and “garebaaN chaak karna” is tear the shirt front in distress. The beloved has pulled away the robe of her dress from his grip i.e., she is annoyed or maybe even rejecting him. What can I do, except tear my shirt collar in distress.
2
baar-ha¹ jaaN lab²-e jaaN-baKhsh³ se dii jin ne hameN
dushman-e jaani hua ab vahi jaanaaN apna    1.numerous times 2.lips 3.life granting
The beloved had, in the past, given life to the poet/lover, with her life-granting lips (this could either be interpreted as words or kisses). But now she has turned a sworn enemy.
3
Khalte¹ yaad aate haiN ve jab keh badalte kapRe
mujh ko pahnaate the raa’naaii² ka saamaaN apna    1.mixed, confused 2.glorification, adornment
This is a very unusual she’r showing the poet/lover with intimate access to the beloved, even when she is changing clothes. It also talks about cross-dressing. This is still probably a time when she has already thrown him out. He remembers how intimate they were and while changing she used to put her clothes/jewelry on him.
4
kya hui yakjahti¹ vo keh taraf² the mere
ab ye turfa³ hai keh muNh karte haiN pinhaaN⁴ apna    1.unity, togetherness 2.by the side, partial to 3.strange 4.hide
Whatever happened to that togetherness, when she was always by my side. Now it is so strange that she hides her face from me.
5
jis tarah¹ shaaKh²-paraaganda³ nazar⁴ aate haiN bed
tha junooN⁵ meN kabhu sar muu⁶ se pareshaaN⁷ apna    1.like, similar to 2.branches 3.scattered, confused 4.stalks of cane plant 4.appear 5.passion 6.hair 7.spread, dissheveled
Just like the stalks of the cane bush are scattered/misarranged in all direction, at one time, due to the intensity of passion, the hair on my head too, was dissheveled.
6
mushkileN¹ saiNkRoN² chaahat³ meN hameN aaiiN pesh⁴
kaam ho dekhiye kis taur⁵ se aasaaN⁶ apna 1.difficulties 2.thousands 3.love 4.confronted 5.method, way, how 6.easy
“kaam aasaan hona” literally means how can my goal become easy, but it also means dying. Thousands of difficulties confronted me in love. Let us see how my problems will be solved – or let us see what kind of death awaits me.
7
dil faqiiri¹ se nahiN miir² kasuu ka naasaaz³
Khush hua kitna hai ye Khaana⁴-e viiraaN⁵ apna    1.indigent, impoverished 2.pen-name of the poet 3.broken 4.house, heart 5.desolate
Impoverishment never broke anybody’s hear, O miir (the implication may be that spurned love is the thing that breaks hearts). Look happy my desolate heart has become (upon impoverishment).