Ghazal 320x, Verse 7

{320x,7}*

hai ;Gairat-e ulfat kih asad us kii adaa par
gar diidah-o-dil .sul;h kare;N jang nikaaluu;N

1) it is the pride/honor of love that, Asad, over her coquetry
2) if the eye and the heart would make peace, I would bring out war!

Notes:

;Gairat : 'Jealousy, source or cause of jealousy; care of what is sacred or inviolable; a nice sense of honour; honour; courage, spirit; modesty, bashfulness, shame; — envy, emulation; disdain, indignation; enmity'. (Platts p.774)

 

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

 

.sul;h : 'Peace, reconciliation, truce, agreement, concord; compromise; treaty

Zamin:

That is, if I would see them-- for goodness sake, how would I bear seeing that?! If the heart would make peace with the eye and give it permission to gaze, then how could my honor/pride permit me to allow it to see?!

== Zamin, p. 253

Gyan Chand:

Having seen her coquetries, one reaction can be that since she has no regard for me, I would not say two words to her, as Ghalib has said in {441x,7}.

The present verse has been composed in opposition to that. It's clear that those coquetries that have been mentioned are filled with kindness and favor. Oh Asad, if the eye and the heart have seen those coquetries and are pleased to remain silent, then this is forbidden by the honor/pride of lover-ship. I would make for them an arena of combat with the tongue.

== Gyan Chand, p. 278

FWP:

SETS

For more on Ghalib's unpublished verses, see the discussion in {4,8x}.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

Why should the eye and the heart not be allowed to make peace? Why does this prospect so offend the speaker's sense of honor? Zamin and Gyan Chand offer two different theories. Of the two, I like Zamin's better.

But I'd also like to add my own notion. In {233,7}, the lover's 'heart and eye' [dil-o-diidah] have become Rivals because they've been collecting materials for their own use (the eye for vision, the heart for thought/imagination), and have no doubt been competing for control of the lover's consciousness. In the present verse, the beloved's coquetry is fully apparent to the eye; perhaps the eye is quite content, and wants nothing more. But how would the heart be so shallow as to agree?! On the contrary-- the heart must always want more than mere external blandishments. If the heart would dare to compromise, to settle for what the eye would settle for, then the lover is prepared to set them at odds once again (or to take on both of them at once?), in a mighty duel for the honor of lover-ship.

Compare also {169,2}, in which 'the eye and the ear' are at peace with other because neither of them has had any satisfaction in all too long a time.