Ghazal 405x, Verse 6

Asi:

Oh Asad, the sky always, with the gold-threaded rays of the sun, does gold-embroidery work on the shoes of the silver-bodied ones.

== Asi, p. 292

Gyan Chand:

Asad, for the shoes of those with bodies like silver, with the rays of the sun the sky keeps doing gold-embroidery. He has shown the sky and the sun to be in the service of the silver-bodied ones.

== Gyan Chand, p. 429

FWP:

SETS
CLOTHING/NAKEDNESS: {3,5}
SKY {15,7}
SOUND EFFECTS: {26,7}
SUN: {10,5}

For more on Ghalib's unpublished verses, see the discussion in {4,8x}. See also the overview index.

There's of course the imagery of 'silver' bodies and 'gold' embroidery, as well as the 'iron' with which the shoes are shod (as both Platts and Steingass insist; see the definition above). And there are also the clever sound effects of pa))e and paa-e .

But this delightful little verse really rests on its imagery.For it's clear that the sky acts as a humble servant or even slave to the beloved, 'always' engaged in the menial task of embroidering her fancy shoes with the gold thread of sun rays.

Thus the verse belongs to what I call the 'snide remarks about the natural world' set; for others, see {4,8x}.