| SECTION 2j_1 |
*back
to section 2h-3*
(we're now
on page *kaaf
, continued*)
|
Munshi Sahib: Indeed, Janab
Agha Sahib, now you please bestow something on us..
Agha Sahib: Very good! Let the first opening-verse be
considered: |
munshii
.saa;hib :: haa;N janaab aa;Gaa .saa;hib ab aap kuchh ((inaayat farmaa))iye
_
aa;Gaa .saa;hib :: bahut ;xuub _ ma:tla((-e avval mulaa;ha:zah ho _ |
1) If only there would be such equipment,
such that my heart would be somewhat at peace
'The peas would be boiled, and there would be one bottle of moonshine'
The friends: Vah, Agha
Sahib, what an opening-verse you have recited!
Agha Sahib: Oh indeed, as yet what have you even heard?
Please listen to the second opening-verse:
===========
==The meter of the ghazal is #26 in the *meter
list*. The second line seems to be some kind of colloquial saying
or proverb expressing simple satisfaction. I don't know what ;ha.z.zat
means (or if there's even really a tashdiid in
it). |
kahii;N
saamaan aise ho;N to kuchh dil ko mire kal ho
ma;Tar uble hu))e ho;N aur ik ;Tharre kii botal ho
a;hbaab
:: vaah aa;Gaa .saa;hib kyaa ma:tla(( farmaayaa hai _
aa;Gaa .saa;hib :: ay ;ha.z.zat _ abhii aap ne sunaa hii kyaa hai
_ duusraa ma:tla(( suniye _
|
2) I would search out and versify
a theme that would be shapelier than the shapely
I would compose a second opening-verse, that would be before the foremost
The friends: Without doubt,
it's ahead of the first.
Agha Sahib: All right, now let the verses be considered.
===========
==Putting two opening-verses at the start of a ghazal is a flashy display
of extra virtuosity, as the boastful toneof this one suggests. The wordplay
of avval se avval suggests "ahead of the
first" both in ordering and in quality. |
vuh ma.zmuu;N
;Dhuu;N;Dh kar baa;Ndhuu;N kih jo ashkal se ashkal ho
kahuu;N vuh ma:tla((-e ;saanii kih jo avval se avval ho
a;hbaab
:: beshak avval se avval hai _
aa;Gaa .saa;hib :: le ab shi((r mulaa;hi:zah ho;N _
|
The aim of this [next] verse was at the
Navab Sahib, who was seated there wearing a thin openwork kurta in a
light almond color, and a light muslin angurkha with its ties unfastened,
and waving a surpassingly delicate fan in his hand.
3) If in the cold season you would be
available, then what harm in the cold?
If your curls would be on my shoulder-- let there be no double-shawl,
let there be no blanket
The friends: praise.
===========
==The idea seems to be that the Navab Sahib looks effeminate and is
being teased about it. |
is
shi((r kaa ru;x navaab .saa;hib kii :taraf thaa _ jo jaalii kaa kurtah
halkaa baadaamii rangaa aur baariik malmal kaa angurkhaa pahne _ band
khole hu))e bai;The the _ aur ek nihaayat hii nafiis pankhaa haath
me;N thii use jhulte jaate the _
agar
jaa;Re me;N tuu mil jaa))e to kyaa ;Gam hai jaa;Re kaa
tirii zulfe;N ho;N shaane par do-shaalah ho nah kambal ho
a;hbaab
:: ta((riif _
|
4) Tell me, even in helplessness,
would Majnuun keep a happy temperament?
Since Laila's camel would graze when the bud of the heart would be green
Pandit-ji: Praise be to
God! Leaving aside everything else, what a 'help' he's pulled out of
'helplessness'!
The friends: By God, we understand it very well! If
there's understanding, let it be like this; otherwise, let there be
none.
Agha Sahib: Let there be none. All right, now please
listen to this verse:
===========
==The wordplay is based on the fact that be-chaaragii
("helplessness, being without recourse") has the literal meaning
of being without chaarah , or fodder (for an animal).
Laila's camel would charnaa ("graze"),
which is also related. The Pandit-ji's wordplay rests on the common
use of chaarah to mean "recourse." |
[*laam*]
kaho be-chaaragii me;N bhii :tabii((at ;xvush rakhe majnuu;N
kih char le naaqah-e lail;aa harii jab dil kii ko;Npal ho
pa;N;Dit
jii :: sub;haan all;aah ! aur to aur _ yih be-chaaragii se chaarah
kyaa nikaalaa hai _
a;hbaab :: vaall;aah samjhe bhii ;xuub _ samajh ho to aisii ho _ nahii;N
to nah ho _
aa;Gaa .saa;hib :: nah ho _ achchhaa _ ab yih shi((r suniye _
|
5) Tell your lovers to please control
their weeping
The road of the house will be blocked, if there would be a swamp in
the street
Shaikh Sahib: He composed
a good one.
Rusva: (To the Khan Sahib) Why are you silent? Please
bring out some objection.
Agha Sahib: Indeed, sir, silence from poetry-knowers
is not proper.
Khan Sahib: So that you won't think my praise is a
compliment based on ignorance-- this is why I'm silent.
Agha Sahib: No, sir, I have no such perverse understanding.
The friends: They were ravished with pleasure at this
comment.
Agha Sahib: Let a verse be considered: |
kaho
((ushshaaq se apne kih .zab:t-e giryah farmaa))e;N
rukegaa raastah ghar kaa agar kuuche me;N daldal ho
shai;x
.saa;hib :: achchhii kahii _
rusvaa :: ( ;xaa;N .saa;hib se ) aap kyuu;N sukuut me;N hai;N _ ko))ii
i((tiraa.z nikaaliye _
aa;Gaa .saa;hib :: haa;N janaab sukuut-e qadar-shinaas ;Thiik nahii;N
hai_
;xaa;N .saa;hib :: aap merii ta((riif ko ta;hsiin-e naa-shinaas nah
samajhiye _ is liye chup huu;N _
aa;Gaa .saa;hib :: nahii;N ;ha.zrat merii aisii ul;Tii samajh nahii;N
hai _
a;hbaab :: is faqre par luu;T gaye _
aa;Gaa .saa;hib :: shi((r mulaa;hizah ho _
|
6) We would be envious/jealous of
ourself, an other would be born from our own self
Two like us would be seen, if the beloved would be squinty-eyed
The friends: Agha Sahib,
praise be to God! What a [verse of] 'subtlety of thought' you've made!
===========
== naazuk-;xiyaalii , "subtlety or refinement
of thought," was one of the traditional virtues that a good verse
could have; carried to excess, it could also become a term of reproach,
as in *verse 16*. |
hame;N rashk
aa))e apne se hamii;N se ;Gair paidaa ho
ham aise do na:zar aa))e;N agar ma((shuuq a;hval ho
a;hbaab
:: aa;Gaa .saa;hib _ sub;haan all;aah _ kyaa naazuk-;xiyaalii kii
hai _
|
7) He's still young, he has an ardor
for kite-fighting
There would be one small-kite with a string, there would neither square-kite
nor takkal (?)
The direction of this verse too was toward
the Navab Sahib, for from his own lofty dominion the wedding-procession
of a kite-flyer had set out with great pomp.
===========
==The idea seems to be that the Navab permits child-marriage. A boy
so young he's interested only in kite-fighting would be given a wife
('a small kite with a string'), but neither a square-kite nor some other
kind of kite. I don't know what a takkal is,
but I think it would be the name of a kind of kite. Kite-fighting (with
kite-strings dipped in glue and then in ground glass, so they could
saw through other kites' strings) was very popular, and many specialized
kinds of kites existed. |
abhii
kam-sin hai;N un ko shauq hai langar la;Raane kaa
takallaa ;Dor kaa ho ik nah kankayyaa nah takkal ho
is
shi((r kaa ru;x bhii navaab .saa;hib kii jaanib thaa _ isliye kih
aap hii kii sarkaar-e ((aalii-jaah se kankvii kii baraat ba;Rii dhuum
se niklii thii _
|
8) Let someone go and say to those
who compose 'meaningful' verses
How would a concealed secret be revealed, if the door would be padlocked?
Rusva: Agha Sahib, what
can I say! Umrao Jan, just listen to what a verse he's composed.
Umrao Jan: Praise be to God! I had understood it already.
He may say whatever he wishes, he's the master.
Agha Sahib: Why don't you say clearly that I'm the
doorkeeper of Hell? All right, listen:
===========
==Apparently they consider Umrao Jan to be a composer of verses that
might emerge from her own experience of life, and they are hinting to
her that she should reveal more of her piquant romantic secrets. |
ko))ii
un se kahe jo shi((r-e ma((nii-band kahte hai;N
khule kyaa raaz-e sar-bastah jo darvaazah muqaffal ho
rusvaa
:: aa;Gaa .saa;hib kyaa kahnaa ! umraa))o jaan _ ;zaraa sunnaa _ kyaa
shi((r kahaa hai _
umraa))o jaan :: sub;haan all;aah _ mai;N pahle hii samajh ga))ii
_ jo chaahe;N kahe;N _ malik hai;N _
aa;Gaa .saa;hib :: to .saaf .saaf kyuu;N nahii;N kahtii;N kih doza;x
kaa darbaan huu;N _ achchaa suniye _
|
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