Ghazal 178, Verse 1

Ghalib:

[1859:]-- {178,1}-- If we are a true Faqir, and the seeker of this ghazal has a mature taste, then this ghazal will have arrived before this letter. There remains the salaam, and that we will send ourselves. (Arshi, p. 321)
==Urdu text: Khaliq Anjum vol. 2, p. 720
==another trans.: Daud Rahbar p. 99

Ghalib:

[1859, to Shiv Nara'in 'Aram':] From where will I send the Hindi ghazals? The printed editions of theUrdu divan are incomplete [naaqi.s]. Many ghazals are not in it. The handwritten [qalamii] divans, which were perfect and complete, were looted [in 1857]. Here, I've told everybody that wherever they might see it for sale, to buy it; I wrote to you as well. And keep one more thing in your mind: a ghazal of mine of fifteen or sixteen verses [bait] is very rare and unusual; they are not more than twelve verses [bait] or less than nine verses [shi((r]. The ghazal from which you wrote five verses [shi((r], it's of nine verses [shi((r]. One friend of mine has somewhat more than is in the printed Urdu divan; he has collected scattered manuscript leaves from here and there. Thus pinhaa;N ho ga))ii;N , viiraa;N ho ga))ii;N [={111}]-- this ghazal has come to me from his hands. Now I've written to him, and I'm writing to you; having written the letters, I'll let it go. When one ghazal or two ghazals come to me from him, then I'll include them in this letter and send it. This letter will be sent off either today, or tomorrow....

Miyan! I consider you my son. It doesn't depend on the writing or not writing of letters; your place is in my heart. Now I test my temperament [:tab((a-aazmaa))ii karnaa], and the ghazal that you've sent, I'll write it down. May the Lord grant that I would remember all nine verses! {178, 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 3, 9, 10}

It's your victorious fortune that the nine verses came to mind. One ghazal is this, and two ghazals those that should arrive very soon, a warehouse [godaam] for three weeks has been accumulated in your possession. If you ask, then I'll also send both odes.
==Urdu text: Khaliq Anjum vol. 3, pp. 1070-72
==a partial trans.: Daud Rahbar pp. 112-13.

Nazm:

'What are you?'-- that is, what position/power do you have? And here kyaa is not meant to ask a question, but rather to express a taunt, for the interrogative is also used as a taunt. (200)

== Nazm page 200

Bekhud Dihlavi:

He says, having heard my every utterance, you pronounce, 'what position/power do you have?' That is, you consider me extremely low and vile. I inquire from you yourself, please tell me, what manner of conversation is this? (259)

Bekhud Mohani:

One ought to read har ek with astonishment and regret and emphasis. There can be emphasis on tum as well-- that is, not some other, but you! (351)

Arshi:

From this letter of 19 April 1859 we learn that Mirza Sahib regularly published his poetry in Shiv Narayan's newspaper. (321)

FWP:

SETS == DIALOGUE; EXCLAMATION; KYA
SPEAKING: {14,4}

Ghalib originally composed a ghazal of eleven verses (Raza p. 298); he chose to include ten verses (Hamid p. 146) in his published divan. More on this topic: S. R. Faruqi's choices.

The power and disdain are all on the beloved's side, but the lover isn't entirely helpless either. Rather than seeking to find an answer for such an insulting (rhetorical) question, he actually counterattacks. The counterattack doesn't, of course, seek to retaliate in kind by actually abusing or insulting the beloved. In fact, there are several things that it could be doing, based on several ways of reading the kyaa :

=In a mild, reasonable, perplexed way, he inquires about this puzzling behavior of hers that he doesn't understand

=In a sorrowful, reproachful tone he gently appeals to her better nature-- is this any way to talk to a true and devoted lover? is this style of speech one that does you credit?

=With exasperation and even a flash of anger, he flings her own kind of rudeness right back at her-- what do you mean by this! for shame! how could such ill-bred and unworthy speech cross your lips!

Whatever tone we choose for the lover's speech, his witty riposte-- using as it does exactly her own kind of rhetorical question-- gives the verse its relish.