ne asad jafaa-saa))il ne sitam junuu;N-maa))il
tujh ko jis qadar ;Dhuu;N;Dhaa ulfat-aazmaa paayaa
1) neither is Asad
cruelty-asking, nor is [your] tyranny madness-inclined
2) to whatever extent I sought you, I found you {intimacy/affection}-testing
ulfat : 'Familiarity, intimacy; attachment, affection, friendship'. (Platts p.76)
SETS
LOSING/FINDING {4,6}
MADNESS: {14,3}
TESTING: {4,4}
Raza p. 222. S. R. Faruqi's choices. Ghalib took verses from two separate early (1821) ham-:tar;h ghazals and combined them in his published divan. From one ghazal he took {4,1}, and from the other he took the rest, {4,2-7}. This is the eleventh and last verse in the ghazal of which the first verse is {4,2}.
Why does the lover keep on seeking her out, at all costs, when the only result is more cruelty on her part? Why, when he keeps on humbly seeking her out, does she so constantly and viciously persecute him? Is he masochistic? Is she sadistic? Are they both nuts?
No, no, the first line assures us. Asad's behavior isn't 'cruelty-asking': he's not crazy, he's not looking for trouble. Nor is 'tyranny'-- her essential nature, her personified self-- 'madness-inclined': she doesn't tend to be crazy herself, and she's not attracted by madness in others.
So perhaps there's method in their madness? There's only one conclusion, one classic rationale. It's the lover's last, desperate resort: 'it's really a compliment in disguise-- she's really testing me!' Testing opens at least a tiny sliver of possibility that the lover might someday be accepted. Whereas the worst thing of all would be-- to be ignored. (For proof, see {119,1}.)
For a genuinely brilliant exploration of the lover's rationale of 'testing', compare {4,4}.
Note for meter fans: The twofold use of ne to replace nah is of course done to accommodate the meter, and to provide long syllables where these are required.
Gyan Chand:
Neither is Asad (that is, the lover) a seeker after cruelty, nor is the tyranny of the beloved inclined toward the madness of the lover. However much I searched for you and scrutinized you, it appeared that you were testing my affection; for this reason you remain very far from me. (70)