Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. syed vahiduddin ahmed beKhud dehlavi (1863-1955) disciple of daaGh dehlavi, learnt arabi and faarsi from altaaf husain haali. He in turn helped illustrious shaagird including heera lal falak and murli dhar shaad. This Ghazal is modeled after Ghalib’s “Khaak meN kya soorateN hoNgi keh pihnaaN ho gaiiN” and is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam. It is a part of a sub-theme – ustaad-shaagird grouping – daaGh, beKhud and heera lal falak all composing in the same Ghalib style.
1
hasrateN¹ phir kyuN nigaahoN² se numaayaaN³ ho gaiiN
jab ye chhuryaaN⁴ dil meN utriiN aur pinhaaN⁵ ho gaiiN    1.desires, yearning 2.eyes 3.apparent 4.knives 5.hidden
The poet, like a faithful lover had hidden his feelings. They hurt him like daggers but had descended deep into the heart and were hidden, or so he thought. Why then, did they emerge and become visible through his eyes.
2
shooKhiyaaN¹ jab un ki parde se numaayaaN² ho gaiiN
bijliyaaN³ ban kar ye chamkiiN aur pinhaaN⁴ ho gaiiN    1.playfulness, teasing 2.apparent, visible 3.lightning 4.hidden, disappeared
The imager is of the beloved, peeping out from behind the curtain, just enough to tease the poet/lover and disappear behind the curtain. Thus, she came out like lightning and disappeared in a flash.
3
masjidoN meN ahl-e-dil¹ ham ko nazar² aate nahiN
kya ye mehraabeN³ bhi yaarab⁴ taaq-e-nisyaaN⁵ ho gaiiN    1.people of love/kindness/empathy 2.see 3.sanctuaries 4.O god 5.niche of forgetfulness
The poet characterizes masjid attendees (and the mulla) as slaves of ritual who have forgotten all concepts of love for fellow humans. I do not see any in the masjid. O god, have these sanctuaries also become a niche of forgetfulness. Putting something in the niche/taaq is tantamount to putting things away and forgetting about them. Thus, they place human kindness in the niche and forget all about it.
4
phir balaa’eN¹ liiN tasavvur² meN kisi kambaKht³ ne
phir mere dil ki tarah⁴ zulfeN⁵ pareshaaN⁶ ho gaiiN    1.balaa’eN lena is an expression meaning take someone else’s misfortunes on oneself 2.imagination 3.unfortunate 4.like, similar to 5.hair 6.scattered, spread
The poet/lover can do this only in his imagination, he is so unfortunate. He offers himself as a sacrifice to deflect all misfortune from the beloved on to himself. He imagines the beloved opening up her long, dark hair. Just like the hair spreading out and flying in the air, the feelings of his heart too get scattered and confused, unable to be fulfilled.
5
ye urooj¹-e husn² tha yaa inqelaab³-e aasmaaN
misr⁴ ki galiyaaN tajalli-gaah⁵-e kan’aaN⁶ ho gaiiN    1.peak, climax 2.beauty 3.change, revolution, reversal 4.Egypt/Cairo 5.abode of light 6.Canaan
This has reference to the Biblical/qur’aanic story of Joseph. Joseph was of the tribe/region of Canaan/kan’aaN. He was considered to be an extremely handsome man. He was pulled out of a well into which his jealous brothers had thrown him and sold as a slave to a wealthy trader in Cairo. Thus, when he walked the streets of Cairo, the streets shone like the abode of brilliance of Canaan. But it can also be ‘inqelaab-e aasmaaN’ because yusuf is a captive, a slave and yet he makes the streets of Cairo shine with divine brilliance.
6
Khanda¹ hai tamhiid²-e giriya³, aish⁴ hai Gham ki daliil⁵
baaGh meN kaliyaaN khiliiN⁶, khil kar pareshaaN⁷ ho gaiiN 1.smile 2.introduction, preamble, foretelling 3.lamentation 4.luxury 5.indication, argument, proof 6.blossomed 7.scattered
Joy is the preamble of lamentation to come, luxury is an indication of future sorrow just like the blossoming (smiling with joy) of buds and then wilting/drying up and getting scattered.
7
faiz¹-e sohbat² raNg-laayega³ jo ham baKhshe⁴ gaye
phir to ye samjho keh hooreN⁵ bhi Ghazal-KhwaaN⁶ ho gaiiN    1.abundance, benefits 2.companionship 3.raNg laana means to have an effect 4.forgiven 5.angels, companions in heaven 6.Ghazal composing/singing
If the poet is forgiven his sins, he will go to heaven. There he will have the companionship of 72 hoor. His company will have a beneficial effect on them and they too will become Ghazal poets!
8
zindagi meN husn¹ ki tasKhiir² ka aamil³ tha maiN
qaaf⁴ ki pariyaaN mere maatam⁵ meN uryaaN⁶ ho gaiiN    1.beauty, beloved 2.conquest, submission 3.worker, practitioner 4.Caucuses 5.mourning 6.naked
The poet/lover is dead but this does not prevent him from writing. While he was alive he worked on and was successful in ‘conquering’ beauty i.e., he was an extra-ordinary, devoted, sincere lover. The hills of qaaf (koh-e qaaf – Caucuses) are legendary. Conventionally the women of the region are considered very beautiful. Here the poet makes them fairies. The expression ‘qaaf ki pariyaaN’ is also used to describe ‘beautiful women’. Thus the fairies of qaaf/beautiful women, when they heard about the passing of this legendary poet/lover, they mourned and tore their clothes in sorrow.
9
hijr¹ meN yusuf² ki, aaheN³ hazrat⁴-e yaaquub⁵ ki
ishq ke e’jaaz⁶ se GhamKhwaar⁷-e zindaaN⁸ ho gaiiN    1.separation, exile 2.Joseph 3.sighs 4.honorific, respected 5.Jacob 6.miracle 7.helper, sympathizer 8.prison
This has reference to the Biblical/qur’aanic story of Joseph. Joseph was the youngest of 12 sons of Jacob and was his favourite. His jealous brothers threw him in a deep well and he ended up taken captive and later sold into slavery. This is about his captivity. Joseph/yusuf was in prison and forlorn without anyone to care about him. His father, Jacob/yaaquub is told by his other sons that a wolf killed Joseph. He mourns and sighs constantly. It is the miracle of love that his sighs became helpers of Joseph/yusuf in prison.
10
jab ruKh¹-e raushan² se ulTi vasl³ meN us ne naqaab⁴
maiN ne ye jaana keh sau shama’eN farozaaN⁵ ho gaiiN    1.face 2.shining 3.union, meeting 4.veil 5.bright, shining
This is a rather unusual and unconventional situation. The poet/lover has managed to meet the beloved in private. She lifts the veil off her face, revealing her brilliance. It appears to the poet that a hundred lamps have lit up.
11
ye nigaaheN¹ ye adaa’eN² sahr³ se Khaali nahiN
barchhiyaaN⁴ Ghusse meN thiiN, sharma ke mizshgaaN⁵ ho gaiiN 1. eyes 2.style, grace, elegance 3.magic 4.daggers 5.eyelashes
Her eyes and her grace are not devoid of magic. When she is angry it is as if they are daggers, but when she is shy, they magically look like eyelashes.
12
hazrat¹-e Ghaalib ka misra² vird³-e lab⁴ beKhud⁵ ke hai
Khaak⁶ meN kya soorateN hoNgi keh pinhaaN⁷ ho gaiiN    1.honorable 2.line of a she’r 3.chant 4.lips 5.pen-name of the poet 6.dust, clay, earth 7.hidden
The chant on the lips of beKhud is a misra of the honourable Ghalib … who knows how many beautiful faces are hidden beneath the earth.