naagahaa;N is rang se ;xuu;N-naabah
;Tapkaane lagaa
dil kih ;zauq-e kaavish-e
naa;xun se la;z;zat-yaab thaa
1) {suddenly / without warning} in such a color/style
[it] began to drip pure blood--
2a) the heart, which had obtained pleasure from the relish of/for the scratching
of fingernails
2b) the heart, because it had obtained pleasure from the relish of/for the
scratching of fingernails
rang : 'Colour, tint, hue, complexion; beauty, bloom; expression, countenance, appearance, aspect; fashion, style; character, nature; mood, mode, manner, method; kind, sort; state, condition'. (Platts p.601)
Urdu text: Vajid 1902 {15}
This is a verse of 'taking flight'. Whatever has been mentioned above, he has finished it. He says that suddenly in that way a longing arose in the heart to write another ghazal in the same ground. (33)
All of a sudden the heart, which was acquainted with the relish of pain and difficulty, began to drip blood; that is, the pain-filled heart began in this way to complain. (36)
SETS == KIH
Bekhud Dihlavi considers the remaining verses of this ghazal {15,9-15}, to be a separate ghazal; see {15,1}.
Had the heart found relish 'of' or from the scratching of fingernails (having been scratched was ultimately what caused it to bleed), or 'for' the scratching of fingernails (it began to bleed out of sheer relish or longing or a sort of masochistic fantasy)? The versatility of the i.zaafat is once again displayed to advantage.
And was the heart in a general state of pleasure going back some time, such that it began to drip blood simply as a spontaneous expression of overflowing delight (2a)? Or was there a clear cause-and-effect relationship-- the enjoyable relish of/for scratching was what caused the heart to drip blood? The versatile kih can go either way.
To use rang , literally 'color,' to mean 'style, manner' is one of Ghalib's favorite bits of wordplay; just look at the range of interpretive possibilities it opens up. What is remarkable about the dripping of the blood-- color, beauty, manner, style? Any or all of them, of course-- and we're left to make the decision for ourselves.
Nazm:
The scratching of fingernails is a metaphor for the scratching of grief. (16)
== Nazm page 16