Ghazal 116, Verse 2

{116,2}*

pursish-e :tarz-e dil-barii kiijiye kyaa kih bin kahe
us ke har ek ishaare se nikle hai yih adaa kih yuu;N

1) what-- would you make inquiry about the style of heart-stealing?! --when, without saying [it],
2) from her every single gesture emerges this charm/coquetry: 'like this!'

Notes:

ishaarah : 'Sign, signal; beck, nod, wink, nudge, gesticulation; pointing to, indication, trace, mark; allusion, hint, clue; insinuation, inuendo'. (Platts p.55)

 

nikle hai is a variant form of, here, nikaltii hai (GRAMMAR)

 

adaa : 'Grace, beauty; elegance; graceful manner on carriage; charm, fascination; blandishment; amorous signs and gestures, coquetry'. (Platts p.31)

*Platts Dictionary Online*

Nazm:

What-- would I ask her about the style of steaking a heart, when her every gesture is saying, 'Look, we steal hearts like this'? (124-25)

== Nazm page 124; Nazm page 125

Bekhud Dihlavi:

He says, how would the style of heart-stealing be asked from her? From her every coquetry the gesture is created-- 'Look, it's stolen like this'. (176)

Bekhud Mohani:

The point is that other beautiful ones are forced to take the trouble and pains of airs and graces in order to steal hearts. But my beloved's every gesture is heart-stealing. (235)

FWP:

SETS == DEFINITION; HUMOR; KIH

In the previous verse, {116,1}, the beloved's pursed-lips gesture both answered a question about a kiss, and enacted a kiss. Here, her every gesture both answers a question about heart-stealing, and performs the act of heart-stealing. What need has she to answer a question in words, when she can so easily by a gesture-- a gesture which is also an ostensive definition-- convey 'like this'?

The lover is in fact indignantly rejecting the idea that the question could even be asked. Would it not be vulgar, and a sign of stupidity or intrusiveness, for someone to even need to ask? The inquirer should just watch in silence, and learn from a single gesture of hers how heart-stealing is done by an expert-- and through that same gesture, feel it being done to his own heart.

 

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