Interpretation-Ghazal-72

1.

My existence is no musical instrument from which melodies would emerge and turn to flowers,

My voice is the sound of the breaking of my heart, as if my existence had become the musical instrument of my pain.

(My existence is not made by anyone, nor it is anyone's fault, rather, in itself it is a proof of its own negation.)

(I am neither the first nor the later. I am the sound of my own defeat and breaking apart. Neither the event nor its source is of much consequences.)

2.

Having seen you adoring yourself, I feel concern,

To which lovers this adornment would be shown.

(Lover fears that the beloved may have become immersed to such an extent in self adornment, and will not be faithful, her interest is in herself, not in me.)

(Beloved does not trust the lover and his faithfulness, thus she adorns herself because she wants to ensure him in the deceit-net of her beauty.)

3.

My simple-heartedness is really a false claim that deceives my dignity and self-control,

Otherwise, my heart lies here full of breast-melting secrets.

(Where is the scope in it for simple-heartedness.)

(If I claim to be restless in passion and to control my love, then the reason is that I have been fallen for the deceit of my ignorance and inexperience. Otherwise, the hell of it is that the secret of passion melts the heart.)

(Repent of the idea that this secret can ever be hidden.)

(Our proud vaunting is really deceiving our simple-heartedness about our dignity and self-control. Otherwise, reality is that, we are, and breast-melting secrets.)

4.

The love I have come to feel for the hunter does not permit me to do it,

Otherwise, I have the strength to fly out of the trap.

(Hunter releases me but I cannot release the hunter. Here hunter is worldly relationships.)

(Worldly relationships have imprisoned me, otherwise, if it is up to the heart, then I can free myself.)

(I am staying out of choice, otherwise, I can fly away whenever I want.)

5.

May that day too come when in the same way, I will experience coquetry,

The way that I am experiencing the longing for coquetry from that tyrant.

(May God bring to pass that day, when I will endure her coquetry in the same way that I am now enduring the sorrow of the longing for coquetry.)

(What lover longs for, not real intimacy, not union, but merely coquetry.)

6.

In my heart there is no such drop of blood,

With which the fingers of the eyelashes have not done merigold-game.

(Merigold-game is played with flowers between two individuals, stand facing each other. One flings a flower toward the other. The other catches it in his hands and returns it back toward the first. Whoever misses is considered to have lost.)

(I would indignantly repudiate, eject from my bosom, any drop of blood not suitable for flower-play. You would not find any such drop of blood present in my heart or in my esteem either.)

(All the blood of my heart has turned into tears and dripped away through my eyelashes.)

7.

Oh beloved, your side-glance is the very essence of airs and graces,

And not just that, your cruelty is entirely coquettish.

(Your side-glance is entirely arousing to the emotions of the lover, and your cruelty too, like airs and graces, is completely heart-pleasing, does not seem very good.)

(Your side-glances are unique pen-arousing and your cruelty is head-upon-head throwing.)

8.

You gave me a sight of you, may it be auspicious,

Now may you enjoy the prostration of my forehead of longing.

(May your showing of your glory be blessed for me, I offer the appropriate gesture of gratitude and humility.)

(The Ghalib has created a tone, we are not required to read it sarcastically.)

9.

I am grieved at your not asking up till now, and I have a complaint about it too,

You should have asked, because I am poor and you are protector of the poor,

(Asking about me is not contrary to your glory. And I am entitled to it.)

(Protector of the poor is also a notable invitation to sarcasm.)

10.

At last Asadullah Khan Ghalib has died,

Alas, that reprobate, that pursuer of beautiful ones and wine drinking.

(To express regret at his death, and to say Ah! Alas, is not without pleasure and that also after mentioning two flaws of character.)

(Here the greatness, venerableness and loftiness of rank that are apparent in Asadullah Khan are not present in Asad alone.)

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