A Reader of Modern Urdu Poetry: Partisan Expression in Contemporary American Literature and Culture 9780773592339

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A READER OF

MODERN URDU POETRY

A READER OF

MODERN URDU POETRY

by

MohammaO Abb.-at-Rahman Banken Khwaja Muhamrnab Shari Dihiavi Hasan Jahangim Harnbani

INSTITUTE OF ISLAMIC STUDIES McGILL UNIVERSITY MONTREAL, QUEBEC CANADA

1968

© by Muhammad Abd-al-Rahman Barker 1968 Printed in Canada

The research on which this work is based was performed pursuant to a contract with the United States Office of Education, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.

PRINTED BY KEARNS LIMITED, MONTREAL

Distributed by McGill University Press 3458 Redpath Street Montreal, Quebec Canada

!M....". •

TABLE OF CONTENTS

vii

INTRODUCTION APPENDIX ONE

xiii

A. 100. Urdu Poetics APPENDIX TWO

lv

A. 200. Abbreviations SELECTIONS swltan ayman

1

saqyb zirvi

11

habib jalyb

23

yhsan danyg

35

swrayya zeba

47

twfayl hogyarpuri

59

ybne sayl fasih

71

parvin sayyad fana

85

fayz jhynjhanvi

97

qasyrn razvi

109

qamar rneraThi

121

kawsar nyazi

133

zaki kayfi

143

fazlwddin gawhar

155

ahrnad nadim qasymi

165

ayyub gahyd nasim

177

nazar amrohyi

187

hog tyrmyzi

197 207

VOCABULARY

v

INTRODUCTION

0. 100. General.

This is the third of four works dealing with the Urdu language to be produced by a project established at the Institute of Islamic Studies, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The first of these, "A Course in Urdu, " was published in 1967, and the second, "An Urdu Newspaper Reader, " will also be in print by the time this volume appears. The fourth book, "An Urdu Newspaper Wordcount, " will be ready shortly. All of these items are intended as links in a connected chain of structured Urdu teaching materials. The student who uses "A Course in Urdu" (preferably in an intensive programme) should be ready during the second year for the newspaper and poetry readers. Other desiderata outside the scope of the present project might include (a) a graded reader (or readers) of Urdu literary prose; (b) further readers of poetry, both classical and modern, containing samples of all of the common genres and accompanied by detailed socio-historical notes; (c) anthologies of essays, etc. taken from a wide variety of sources; and (d) library resources and guidance for advanced work. This programme should be coupled with courses in the history, sociology, comparative religion, etc. of the Indo-Pakistan Subcontinent. Only through such a systematic approach can the West gain any real understanding or appreciation of the rich heritage of this great segment of the world's peoples.

0. 200, About This Book.

This volume makes no pretense of being a compendium of all the student needs to know about Urdu poetry; its scope is very modest: it is a "sampler" of the /yazlel (see Sec. A. 110) of eighteen living poets whom Dr. Barker knew personally during his stay in Lahore, Pakistan, between 1959 and 1962. Each poet or poetess has been limited to three (or, in one case, four short) compositions, followed by nine or ten individual verses selected from his or her other works. With one exception (the third composition by /ayman/), this reader has been restricted to the hiazal/ genre. The student is tnus presented with a homogeneity of form, style, and subject matter. By limiting the selection to modern poets, the necessity of an accompanying historical sketch, notes on archaic usages, etc. is obviated. These particular poets were chosen because they were personally known to Dr. Barker and hence accessible for explanations of difficult points in their verses, and also because they are more or less representative of the style and quality of /yozal/ poetry to be encountered in most modern indo-Pakistani poetic symposia. This reader will have served its purpose if it succeeds in introducing the student to the

vii

language, format, imagery, and concepts of the tyazal/. This does not alleviate the need for a larger and more comprehensive reader of Urdu poetry, perhaps drawn up along historical lines, containing examples from various periods and schools, and illustrating all of the more common genres. Urdu poetry is no easy subject. An understanding of its language, syntax, and prosody is only a beginning. The student who would appreciate it fully must first learn something of the doctrines of Sufism: Islamic mysticism. He must acquaint himself with the traditional images of Perso-Arabic poetry -- the garden and the zephyr, the caged bird, the moth and the candle, the loves of Layla and Majnun and of Shirin and Farhad -- and with the myriad other conventional allusions and metaphors which serve both as a vehicle and as a cloak for the poet's real meaning. He must also know something about the history and culture of the Subcontinent and of the tangled skeins of religion and nationalism, traditionalism and modernism, cynicism and idealism, pessimism and optimism, etc. etc. which have pervaded Indian thought since the downfall of the Mughal Empire and the establishment of the British Raj. All of the above serves to demonstrate that any reader of Urdu poetry which contains nothing more than the verses and a vocabulary - - or even frequent notes -- will not be enough for the beginner. Nor will a free translation into English poetry or prose serve the purposes of language teaching: it is manifestly impossible to render Urdu verse into such English as might give all of the nuances, connotations, and delicate flavouring of the original. A free translation into polished English verse, such as Fitzgerald's "Rubaiyyat of Omar Khayyam, " is of course a superlative means of presenting the concepts and imagery of Eastern poetry to the Western reader, but it is not really good pedagogy: the translation is often so different from the literal meaning of the original as to be of only occasional assistance in the solution of grammatical, syntactic, and lexical problems which confront the student at every step. A compromise course has been adopted in this reader: each Urdu verse is followed by a more or less literal prose translation, and this is further supplemented wherever necessary by a paragraph of explanatory material. It is suggested that the student (a) look up the new words of each verse in the vocabulary, (b) put the words of the verse into normal prose order, (c) make his own literal translation and compare this with that given by the author, and (d) study the supplementary material. The instructor may wish to prepare Urdu-only copies of some of these verses -- or of further verses from outside sources -- and employ these both as a testing device and as a means of reinforcing and supplementing the student's grasp of the language, imagery, and concepts of Urdu poetry. At this juncture it is useful to repeat what has been said in the introduction to the newspaper reader: the student should note that the materials presented in "A Course in Urdu" are taken as "given" for this book. Thus, grammatical, phonological, and other matters treated in the Course will not be discussed again here. Indeed, reference will occasionally be made to one or another Section of the Course. Most importantly, it is assumed that the vocabulary of "A Course in Urdu" has been learned: words introduced there will NOT be

viii

repeated here -- unless, of course, it is necessary to add further details of their meaning or usage. Otherwise only those words not included in the Course will be listed in the vocabulary section of this book. Although this may seem to work a hardship upon the student who has learned his Urdu from some other basic text, this is not really the case, since much of the vocabulary of the Course most certainly will have been included in any other reasonably comprehensive introductory course. Reference to an Urdu-English dictionary or to an indo-Pakistani instructor will suffice for the remainder. The phonemic script employed in this book similarly should present no obstacle for a student already familiar with some other transcription. Only the author's abbreviations for the various grammatical classes ("parts of speech") will require recapitulation, A list of these abbreviations and conventions is given in Appendix A, 200,

0. 300. The Poets.

The poets who have contributed to this reader are:

1 (.7

/swltan hwsayn/, who uses the pen-name

(1)

I

•

/ayman/,

is a native of Gunnawr, District Badayun, India, and came to Pakistan after the partition of the Subcontinent in 1947. He is presently employed in the Customs Department of the Government of Pakistan. /mwhammad syddiq/ uses the pen-name

(2)

,L I; /saqyb/. He is 1■..0.9 •

from Zira, District Firozpur, in the Panjab, India. He is now the editor of a weekly magazine,

x 11

i

/lahawr/. Three collections of his poetry were

published before 1947, and another, 1..41

Ayhabe saqyb/, has been •

completed recently. A collection of his literary letters, called /ys bazar me/, has also been printed. (3 )

•

•

• •••

/habib jalyb/ was born in Hoshyarpur, India, and received his

early education in Delhi. He came to Pakistan after 1947, and a collection of his , verses, entitled ',Ili1 (4)

%• /barge avara/, has been published,

/jeA.„,>1/yhsan danyV comes from Kandhala, Muzaffarnagar, India, and came to Pakistan after Partition. Although he is really a self-educated man, he is the author of a great many books. Three collections of his verses are:

ix

riV21.);

Le41. ;*

/navae kargar/,

/rnaqamat/, and

_..././2; 6.:d

••

/nafire fytrat/.

He has also written books on poetry, criticism, the Urdu language, etc. • L.„ ( 5)

• 44

/swrayya zeba/ was born in Lahore in 1936. She is active in

••

various literary circles and takes a regular part in poetic symposia.

(6)

Awfayl hiAyarpuri/ is a native of Hoshyarpur, India. He has

Cf)i)11°&,7 • •

been active in radio work, is the author of the lyrics of a number of film songs, /mahfy1/,

and is presently the editor of the weekly (7)

/ywlam qwtbwddin ahmad/ was born in Delhi in 1910. He

a. lig/..:Vii.ellirit

---• . uses two pen-names for his poetry: (his father was the famous poet

/fasih/ and

( /AI jok)(7;

Lye L,71,/ 1 /ybne sayl/

/ in Z.d., /syrajwddin xa: sayl

dyhlavi/). He now resides in Lahore. /parvin sayyad/ was born in 1936 and writes under the pen-name

(8) 1111:1/00J -6..

/fana/. She began writing poetry at college and has been active in various

literary activities. • /fayz ahmad/ uses

(9)

/fayz/ as his pen-name. He was

born in Jhinjhana, District Muzaffarnagar, India, in 1910, A collection of his verses, (10)

L ida1 ,1I

T /abar/ has now gone into a second edition. I

1,

/sayyad mwhammad qasym razvi/ was born in Haydarabad,

3

India, in 1902. When the State of Haydarabad was annexed by India in 1998, he took part in a resistance movement, was arrested, and spent some years in prison. Upon his release in 1957, he came to Pakistan, where he now practices law.

9

(11) A,,../67‘.4,:;)

/qamarwddin ahmad/ was born in Meerut, India, in 1914. He —1.

uses the pen-name

/qamar/, and a collection of his verses, entitled }

s• •

/narae mwslym lig/ has been published. He now operates a dental clinic in Lahore. • (12 )

k••••'" ••

%V 6..."

/rnwhammad hayat xa nyazi/ was born in 1934 in Musa

Khel, District Mianwali, West Pakistan. After completing his education at the University of the Panjab, Lahore, he became active in literary affairs and served as the editor of two journals before his current employment as the editor of the weekly

I!.

/kawsar/ and

Ayhab/. He uses the pen-name

•

/zare gwl/,

has published a collection of his verses under the title as well as various prose works.

(k.

(13) (1) . ..:Y /mwhammad zaki/ employs the pen-name

/k yfi /.

The son of a distinguished Islamic religious scholar, he was born at Deoband, India, in 1925. He came to Pakistan in 1947 and now operates a bookstore specialising in Islamic books in Lahore. /gawhar/. He was

/.61)1 ja•:‘23 /fazlwddin/ employs the pen-name

(14)

born in Jalandhar, India, in 1905. After completing his primary and secondary education in India, he attended Islamia College in Lahore. At present he is an official in the Accounts Branch of the Railway Department of the Government of Pakistan. —41

(15)

A .7

/ahmad ah/ employs

04." 5 ....A.,v I

/ahmad nadim qasymi/

(o( in his writings. He was born in the District of Sargodha, West Pakistan, in 1916 and graduated from the University of the Panjab. He has been the editor of several publications, has written for the radio, and has had a number of collections of his

ck:IJAP

verses, short stories, etc. published. These include: ...0 C . 117 /wfaq to wfaq/, and Aolae gwl/,

/jalal o jamal/,

1

•

/date vafa/.

(16)0 1.> 1......., eji. I y

--••• ... Anwhammad ayyub xi/ employs the pen-name e"") ,,,41/6„,,ii •• ( • ••

/ayyub ahyd nasim/. He was born in Najibabad, India, and came to Lahore in 1927. (17)011"1 ..)1(612, 41)1,;(,,L1:4,(?4' /sayyad ali mwnsarym x5.- naqvi alvasti/ was born in Amroha, India, in 1924. After working for All India Radio in Delhi for some time, he migrated to Pakistan after Partition and is presently attached to the Accounts Branch of the Railway Department of the Government of Pakistan. He employs the pen-name

_Ay

/nazar/.

xi

(18)

4,

• ••

• •

/sayyad sybte hasan tyrmyzi/ was born in the District

of Ambala, India, in 1920. He came to Pakistan in 1948, obtained an M.A. from the University of the Panjab, Lahore, and is now employed in the Information • -"`" Department of the Government of Pakistan. He uses the pen-name

(.

/hod/,

b

and a collection of his poetry entitled

/zahire matam/ has been

published.

0, 400, Acknowledgments.

The authors wish to express their thanks to those who made this book possible: the Director and staff of the Institute of Islamic Studies, McGill University, and also to the United States Office of Education, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. A debt of gratitude is also owed to all those who took part in the tasks of this project: to Mrs. Ambereen Barker, who did the English typing and much of the proofreading; to Munshi Abd-ul-Khaliq, who provided the calligraphy of the Urdu script sections; to Mr. Miraj Muhammad, who acted as liaison and corrected the calligraphy in Karachi; to Mr. Donald Kearns and his staff, who did the lithography; to Mr. Qamar Merathi, who acted as consultant about matters of Urdu prosody and who analysed the metres of the verses included here; and to various part-time workers and consultants who gave their time and interest to this book; Miss Andrea Parks, Mr. Laiq Hanafi, and Mr. Rashid Tayyeb.

xii

A.100. APPENDIX I: URDU POETICS

A. 110. Types of Poetic Composition.

The following is an amplification of the materials given in Sec. 24.212 of "A Course in Urdu. " Types of poetic composition include: (1) Perhaps the most popular genre is the () `Si /yazaliat/ Fpl or

.c.-„ 4.

/yazal/ Fl (pl.

/-yazle/ Fpl). The Arabic root

/y-z-1/

denotes "to flirt,

talk amorously with women, " and the theme of this type of poetry is properly erotic. The /yazal/ is not often sexually descriptive, however: instead, the concept of love found in the /yazal/ is reminiscent of that of the mediaeval troubadours. The beloved is portrayed as cruel, fickle, haughty, and indifferent. The lover abases himself before her and remains ever faithful, but to no avail. At last, driven mad by desire and sorrow, he dies, but the very dust of his grave reaches out to caress the hem of her garment as she passes. This concept of love is almost entirely symbolic, rather than descriptive and pictorial. There are indeed many examples of graphic, sensual verses, of course, but the /yazal/ remains mostly a poem of ideas -- mystic, philosophical, etc. concepts clothed in the garments of traditional language and imagery. Much of the real content of the /yazal/ has to do with the mystic doctrines of Sufism. The Beloved is really God, from Whom the poet bewails his separation and to Whom he longs to return in order that he may lose himself in the supernal, transcendent One. The poet may also liken himself to a caged nightingale, singing his sad lament, unable to free himself from the prison of his own senses and his attachments to this prosaic life. The world may also be depicted as a tavern in which the tavern-master (one's spiritual preceptor) passes round the wine of mystic love. The beloved, God, is also likened to a candle in whose fiery embrace the moth (the lover) sacrifices himself and merges his ephemeral being into the eternal flame. Other themes emphasise the transitory nature of this phenomenal world, the unreality of true happiness, the unattainability of lasting goals, the capricious cruelty of Fate, etc. Many verses are open to more than one interpretation: perhaps a purely physical one in terms of a real, human beloved, perhaps a mystic interpretation, perhaps another philosophical meaning, etc. etc. In these multiple levels of meaning lie some of the beauty and charm of the /yazal/. Like the English poetry of John Donne (1573-1631), however, it is the mystic interpretation which is most often intended by the poet, and many a pious and puritanical Muslim scholar has sung of wine and the tavern and the tresses of his beloved without consciously visualising the literal meaning of these metaphors.

On the other hand, a composition which does not employ the traditional language, imagery, and concepts of the /yazal/ is not technically a /yazal/ at all, even though it may conform to the genre in other respects. It is for this reason that the third composition by /ayman/ is not a /yazal/ but a /nazm/ Fl "poem"; although it follows the rhyme scheme of the /yazal/, its theme is humorous, the subject matter of its verses is connected, and its language is not that of the /yazal/. As in Persian poetry, the model upon which much of Urdu poetry is based, the "beloved" is conventionally a young man: /rnauq/ Ml "beloved" is masculine in gender, and all references to the beloved are made with masculine verbs, adjectives, etc. There are various explanations for this phenomenon: some say that the poets of mediaeval Persia congregated at the monasteries of Zoroasterian monks, where wine could be had contrary • to the prohibitions of Islam. The young acolytes who served the wine became natural love objects, and from this situation arose the extended metaphor of the tavern, the tavernmaster (also called /pire mw-ya/ MI "master of the fire-worshippers"), the cupbearer (/saqi/ MI), and the acolyte (/mwybacca/ M2). Other authors emphasise that the apparent homosexuality of Persian-Urdu poetry is only traditional: the "beloved" is really God, Whom one can hardly address as feminine! Still others claim that the position of women in mediaeval Persian society prohibited the open writing of poetry addressed to a woman. Poetry written in praise of feminine beauty has always existed, of course, even though disguised beneath the traditionally male imagery of Persian verse. This was especially true during the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries, when Urdu flourished under the patronage of the rulers of Delhi, Lucknow, Rampur, Haydarabad, etc. Singing and dancing girls, musicians, concubines, and other types of hetaerae were permanently attached to these courts and served as objects of adulation and rivalry for the poets and courtiers of the royal retinue. With the decline of the princely states this system came to an end, and the "lover" and his "beloved" once more became symbols rather than fact. In recent times some poets have tried to alter the artificially male gender of the "beloved" in Urdu verse, and now one encounters poetry in which the object of the poet's adoration is grammatically -- and otherwise -- indubitably feminine. It is precisely because the vocabulary, images, and content of the /yazal/ are so restricted that some critics have now declared this genre exhausted and have urged that it be abandoned. The /yazal/, these writers say, is now reduced to the repetition of stereotyped themes and trite philosophy. The "grief" and "yearning" of which the poets complain are no more real than the "beloved" and her assembly of admirers. A "good" /yazal/ verse, they claim, can thus be little more than an ingenious simile, a cleverly balanced use of language, or perhaps a new twist to one of the standard themes. Nevertheless the /yazal/ remains as popular as ever. This is partially due to the pressure of tradition: both the poet and his audience feel comfortably at home in the wellworn language and exalted metaphors of the /yazal/, each word of which carries a thousand nuances and connotations dear to anyone steeped in Urdu literature. There is another factor of even greater importance, however: the intricate symbology of the /yazal/ lends itself admirably to other messages besides those of philosophy and mysticism. The most popular

xiv

of the modern poets of the /yazal/ are those whose compositions conceal arguments of social, political, or religious significance. The nightingale still laments his imprisonment in the cage, but he is now the symbol of the socially conscious intellectual, and the cage may be a repressive government or an unsympathetic society. The lover complains of the heartlessness and tyranny of his beloved as before, but now the haughty damsel may represent the ruling aristocracy, and the lover stands for the working man involved in the throes of class struggle. The moth still sacrifices himself in the candle flame, but now he is a patriot giving up his life for the Nation and freedom. The roses that blaze up encrimsoned in the garden and then quickly wither in the bleak winds of autumn may, signify the bloody devastation of atomic warfare and the end of man on earth. The martyrs who perish on the path of Love may now be understood to be those devout Muslims who suffer at the hands of the secularists of the society. Not all /yazal/ compositions have this social relevance, of course, and by no means all modern Urdu poets are political or religious doctrinaires. There are still verses sung for beauty's sake alone, but the recent trend towards "socially aware" poetry, appealing as it does both to traditional aesthetics and to modern sociopolitical movements, appears to be a major factor in the continuing popularity of the /yazal/ art form. The minimum number of verses for a /yazal/ is properly five, and the maximum is seventeen (though some say twenty-five). Poets of the Lucknow school (and others as well) have often written /yazle/ of greater length. In any case the number of verses is always odd rather than even. The first verse of a /yazal/ is called the

/rnatla/ M2, and its two

hemistiches rhyme (i. e. have the same /qafia/ and /radif/; see Sec. A. 120). The remaining verses have the /qafia/-/radif/ of the /yazal/ only at the end of the second hemistich of each verse ; the first hemistich may end in anything. The rhyme scheme is thus A A, B A, C A, etc. ["A" represents the rhyming portion of the first line of the first couplet; the second "A" stands for the second line of the first couplet; "B" represents the first line of the second couplet, etc. ] The last verse of the /yazal/ is called the .,„••• /rnaqta/ M2; it usually contains the poet's

/taxallws/ M1 "pen-name" (see

Sec. 24.207 of "A Course in Urdu"). Another point to be noted is that each verse of a /yazal/ is properly a complete, independent idea: there does not need to be any semantic or narrative connection between the verses of a /yazal/. Various poets have indeed written /yazle/ consisting of connected verses, but these are relatively uncommon. For example, one might consider the second /yazal/ by /jalyb/ in this book a "connected /yazal/": all of the verses refer to the separation of the poet from his beloved homeland and his loneliness in his present surroundings (a reference, probably, to his migration from India to Pakistan at the time of Partition). Nevertheless there is no connected discourse or story in this /yazal/, and each verse can well stand alone as a complete poem in two lines.

xv

/mwayra/ M2 "poetic symposium, " the environment in which the

The

/yazal/ is recited, further reinforces the need for a unitary concept expressable in just two lines. In such a gathering the poet reads the first hemistich once or perhaps twice, giving the audience time to grasp his idea; then he recites the second hemistich completing the concept. The audience applauds and may ask him to repeat the verse. Only after the verse has thus been appreciated does the poet go on to the next verse. (2)

/qasida/ M2 (pl.

The

110a.7

/qasayd/ Mpl) is usually a poem

in praise of someone, often the poet's patron. It may also treat of other themes: philosophy, mysticism, satire, etc. With the decline of the system of princely patronage, however, the environment in which eulogy and laudatory hyperbole flourished has come to an end, and the /qasida/ now seems on the way to becoming obsolete. It still has great importance, of course, for the student of older Urdu literature. The /qasida/ usually begins with a _,46„,....4.40( .../

/tarnhid/ Fl "introduction, " followed

/gwrez/ Fl "digression, " in which the poet addresses the person to whom

by a

the /qasida/ is dedicated. Following the /gwrez/ there is a prayer for the health and prosperity of this person, after which comes a eulogy of his abilities. The poet's pen-name is usually inserted at the end of the composition. The /qasida/ may be composed in any metre. The rhyme scheme is like that of the /yazal/ (A A, B A, C A, etc. ), but the /qasida/ is much longer, ranging from twenty to one hundred and seventy verses. (3)

The Cli,"•4•4

/masnaviat/ Fpl) is a narrative

/masnavi/ F2 (pl.

poem. It may contain a romance, a religious or historical narration, didactic fables or parables, an account of some event, a description of a festival, the beauties of nature, etc. etc. In classical times the /masnavi/ also served as a vehicle for treatises on philosophy, grammar, and scientific topics (although the latter were not common). The rhyme scheme of the /masnavi/ differs from that of the /yazal/: each verse has its own /qafia/-/radif/. The pattern is thus A A, B B, C C, D D, etc. There are no restrictions upon the number of lines. The /masnavi/ is usually written in only five of the standard metres, but examples in other metres are sometimes found as well. (4)

The

cfl,J

/rwbai/ F2 (pl.

6:.../ •

Ls, LJ N •

/rwbaiat/ Fpl) "quatrain" is a

four line poem having the rhyme scheme A A, B A. The /rwbai/ is written only in the metre /hazaj/ (see Sec. A. 140), but there are some twenty-four catalectic variations of this metre used only for the /rwbai/, and correct scansion is often somewhat difficult. (5)

The

/qata/ (common: Ayta/) M2 (pl.

/qataat/ Mpl)

"fragment" resembles the /yazal/ and the /qasida/, except that there is no /matla/; i. e.

xvi

the first verse does not have the rhyme scheme A A. The pattern is thus A B, C B, D B, etc. The /qata/ ranges from two verses to almost any length, and it may be written in any metre. Unlike the /-yazal/, the subject matter of the verses of a /qata/ is connected. It is not restricted to any special theme. (6) The

/mwsammat/ MI (pl.

/mwsammatat/ Mpl)

consists of stanzas containing a fixed number of lines. The /mwsammat/ is divided into subtypes according to the number of lines per stanza:1 4•■ 44 ".

/mwsallas/ MI is the

name for a /mwsammat/ consisting of stanzas of three lines each having the rhyme scheme A A A; a /mwsammat/ of four line stanzas having the rhyme scheme A A, A A is called a /mwrabba/ MI (note the difference between the /mwrabba/ stanza and the /rwbai/: the latter has the rhyme scheme A A, B A);

/mwxammas/ MI is the term for

a /mwsammat/ of five-line stanzas, the first of which may have the rhyme scheme A A, A A, A, the second B B, B B, A, the third C C, C C, A, etc.; a /mwsammat/ consisting of six-line stanzas, the first of which has the rhyme scheme A A, A A, A A, the second B B, B B, A A, the third C C, C C, A A, etc. is called a

/mwsaddas/ Ml.

The authorities also list /mwsammat/ of seven, eight, nine, and ten-line stanzas, but examples of these are rather uncommon. The names for all of these subtypes are derived from the Arabic roots for the various numerals: e. g. /mwsallas/ denotes "three-sided" or "three-cornered," /mwxammas/ signifies "five-sided, five-cornered," etc. The commonest form of the /mwsammat/ is the /mwsaddas/. The /mwxammas/ is somewhat less common, the /mwsallas/ is becoming obsolete, and the /mwrabba/ is quite rare. (7) The

•e„..

/tarjiband/ MI is another type of stanza poem. This genre is

„4„fi •

characterised by a refrain verse which is repeated after every stanza. The number of verses in each stanza may be the same or may vary, and the rhyme scheme may be like that of the /yazal/ (i. e. A A, B A, C A), or else all of the lines may end in the same /qafia//radii/ (i. e. A A, A A, A A, etc. ). The two hemistiches of the repeated refrain verse, /Tip/ FL, rhyme with each other but not with the preceding

which is called the 81:

or following stanzas. The overall pattern is thus either A A, B A, C A;

D D; E E, F E,

G E; D D, etc. or else A A, A A, A A ; B B; C C, C C, C C; B B. The /tarjiband/ is not restricted as to subject and may be of any length. (8) The

," „4. •

„

/tarkibband/ Ml is identical with the /tarjiband/ except that

the refrain verse is not the same after each stanza. The rhyme scheme may thus be either A A, B A, C A; D D; E E, F E, G E; H H, or else A A, A A, A A; B B; C C, C C,

xvii

C C; D D. (9)

The

ji ..,••" .. 4

/mwstazad/ M1 consists of a poem each line (or even each

verse) of which is followed by a short, epigrammatic summary of the concept in the same metre but not with the same rhyme as the verses of the poem proper. These short summary sentences may rhyme with each other or have no rhyme at all. The poem itself must be complete without these brief additions. This genre is now almost obsolete. (10) The

"i

/marsia/ M2 (pl.

DJJ

/marasi/ Mpl) "elegy" is a

lament for some deceased person. This form has been much elaborated as a vehicle for the mourning of the tragic death of the maternal grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, Husayn bin Ali (commonly called Imam Husayn) at Karbala, Iraq, in A. H. 61 (680 A. D. ). The /marsia/ has thus almost ceased to be just an elegy for the dead but has become rather an epic relating the woeful events of Karbala, The /marsia/ begins with a Fl "introduction. " This is followed by a

1, 1,,

/tamhid/

/sarapa/ Ml, which eulogises the

hero of the poem from head to foot (the literal meaning of /sarapa/), praising his virtues, courage, strength, and physical qualities. The preparations and events leading up to the battle are related next, with eloquent descriptions of the horses, swords, shields, etc. of the protagonists. Then comes the story of the battle itself, culminating in the death of Imam Husayn and his followers. The /marsia/ usually ends with a lamentation, called the /bayn/ Ml, in which the poet expresses his grief. The /marsia/ has an especial appeal, of course, to the Shia sect of Islam, which holds that the divine guidance and power granted to the Prophet Muhammad continued after his death in the members of his family. The lives and martyrdoms of his family and descendants are thus especially important for the Shias, and during the month of /rnwharram/ (in which the tragedy of Karbala occurred) special readers are employed to recite /marasi/ before large gatherings. Earlier Urdu poets composed /marasi/ in various genres, but in the mid-Nineteenth Century it became customary to employ the /mwsaddas/ (the rhyme scheme being A A, A A, B B). A /marsia/ written about some other person (e. g. lamenting the death of a son) may be written in any genre. (11)

In the 4„=.4,..iy" j

/vasoxt/ MI the poet describes the cruelty and tyranny of

his beloved and laments his own helplessness and despair. The /vasoxt/ is almost always written in the form of a /mwsaddas/. (12) A poem about the evils of the times, the decline of traditional mores, the corruption and weakness of a government, etc. is called a

xviii

1•■•11•4d •

/ahratob/ Ml. It may

be written as a /masnavi/, one of the /mwsammat/ varieties, etc. (13)

/hajv/ Fl "ridicule" is the name given to a poem poking fun at some

person (often rather cruelly). A /hajv/ may be in the form of a /masnavi/, /qasida/, etc. (14)

The

(

A...

/salam/ MI is a poem in praise of the martyrs of Karbala, the

Prophet Muhammad, etc. It is usually in the form of a /yazal./. The identifying characteristic of this genre is the occurrence of the word /salam/ M1 "greetings! " (or another word of similar meaning) in the first verse. (15)

The

4;)

/nat/ Fl is also in praise of the Prophet Muhammad. It too is

written in /yazal/ form. (16)

The

(17)

The

/hamd/ Fl is a poem in praise of God. It may be written in any genre.

•

/manqabat/ Fl is a composition in praise of the family or

companions of the Prophet Muhammad, the twelve Imams of the Shias, etc. In earlier times a long /masnavi/ conventionally opened with a /hamd/, followed by sections of /nat/, /manqabat/, the praises of one's patron, and one's reasons for writing the poem. Only after these introductory sections did the poet turn to the story (etc.) itself. (18)

„473, /nawha/ M2 (pl. 6:.„4 " 10%4 •

/nawhajat/ Mpl) is the name given to

an elegy or lamentation upon the death of a person. The /nawha/ may thus form part of a /marsia/, or it may be recited separately. It is not restricted to the deaths of the martyrs but may commemorate the passing of any person. Some authorities state that the /nawha/ should be written in the /mwstazad/ form, but in practice this does not always seem to have been the case. • "• (19) efr414.1 /tazmin/ Fl denotes the taking of a /yazal/, etc. of some famous poet and prefixing one's own hemistich to each verse to make a /mwsallas/, or three lines to the verse to make a /mwxammas/, four lines to make a /mwsaddas/, etc. (20)

The

/syhra/ M2 is recited at marriages. It contains a description

of the elegance and virtues of the groom, the praise of his family, good wishes, etc. It may be (or may include) a /sarapa/ (see above under the /marsia/). (21)

The

.):14

/lard/ M1 (pl. I,:„s "

••_,/

/mwfrad/ MI (pl.

13.1L4

/mwfradat/ Mpl) or

/fardiat/ Mpl) is an individual couplet having the rhyme

scheme A A.

xix

(22)

The

/nazm/ F1 "poem" is a very popular genre. It can treat of any

subject and may be sad or funny, patriotic or pious, descriptive or narrative, etc. etc. It may be composed in any metre, and its rhyme scheme may resemble that of a /yazal/, a /masnavi/, or a /qata/, as the poet pleases. (23)

Among the varieties borrowed from the West in recent times, the

/azad nazm/ Fl "free verse" is much appreciated. This type of composition is written in metre, but the lines may be of varying lengths, and there is no rhyme. (29)

• 17 ". (d7 4 . -)

/nazme mwarra/ Fl "blank verse" is also growing in popularity,

especially among poets of the younger generation. Blank verse has no rhyme scheme, metre, or specified length of line. Urdu poets have also made use of other borrowed genres as well. The Hindi N /git/ Ml "song" -- really a type of /nazm/ containing rather more than the usual number of Hindi words -- is popular, and a few have tried their hand at the Hindi

/doha/

M2, a type of two-line poem similar to a /mwfrad/ but having a special metre. Some have also experimented with the

/sawnaT/ Ml "sonnet, " but this genre has never

really been adopted by Urdu. A collection of a poet's /yazle/, /qasayd/, /rwbaiat/, and other minor genres is called /divan/ Ml (pl.

el)))

/davavin/ Mpl). In this, the /yazle/ are usually

placed first, arranged alphabetically according to the last letter of their /radif/. The complete works of a poet are called a

/kwlliat/ Ml. A collection of biographical

notices (whether of poets, philosophers, scholars, rulers, etc. ) is called a /tazkyra/ M2 (pl.

/tazakyr/ Mpl). In a /tazkyra/ of poets, the entries

are normally given according to the alphabetical order of the poets' pen-names. It is customary to give some biographical information (often tantalisingly brief) about each poet, followed by a selection of his or her verses. If such an anthology contains no biographical material but only selections from various poets, it is called a "bouquet" instead of a /tazkyra/.

xx

,•••■■ . ';" /gwldasta/ M2

A. 120. Rhyme.

It is manifestly impossible to present the rules of Urdu prosody in complete detail in a book intended for beginners. The system, based upon Arabic poetry and transmitted to Muslim India by the Persians, is exceedingly complex and abounds in technical terminology. In the sketch which follows, thus, only the more common features of the Urdu prosodic system will be discussed, and the student who would go further must consult one of the more detailed works listed below. There is very little available in English about Urdu prosody: "A Text-book of Urdu Prosody and Rhetoric" by Captain G. D. Pybus, Lahore, 1924, is perhaps the best. In French, the standard work is "Le Rhetorique et la Prosodic des Langues de 1-Orient Musulman" by the great orientalist M. Garcin de Tassy, published in Paris in 1873. There are many good works on prosody in Urdu, but these can be used only if the student's command of the language is already quite advanced. Among the more detailed works are: e /hadayqw1balayat/, originally in Persian and translated into Urdu

•

;rLic",,Y

by by

4; f

/mawlvi ymam bax/, Kanpur, 1887, and

•-J:,

/mwhammad najmwlyani/, Lucknow, 1926. Easier books include: -■••I

kii:re ,LCC5 ) 1

C .:,,A71„a19:: /bahrwlfasahat/

ki pahli kytab/ by

2) .

/mwhammad

abdwrrauf y'grat/ (and three further books in this series), Lucknow, 1951-58; /rahbare "gayri/ by

(_,n1,:::,)„,5' •

/abdwllah alasari/, Lahore, no date; and

/ylmwlbalayat o ylmwlaruz/ by Professor

•• LeA„piA/2/

/nazir syddiqi/, Dacca, 1960. Many more, equally good works could be cited, but these should suffice. To proceed with the discussion, it is important to note that the English word "rhyme" can be used to translate two different phenomena in Urdu: (1)

6.:j1k)./ /radif/ Fl is the term for any word or words at the end of a hemistich •• which are IDENTICAL throughout the rhyme scheme of a poem. • A ••

(2)

"ft...; 41 1;.

/qafia/ M2 (pl.

/qavafi/ Mpl) signifies that letter or

letters (including vowel diacritics) which are identical in an otherwise PARTIALLY identical word preceding the /radif/. An example will clarify this:

xxi

kab nahr hay/ lab nahr hay/ jab nahi: hay/ dab nahi" hay/ Here /nahr hay/ is repeated in each line and is therefore the /radif/. The /-ab/ portion of the remainder is the /qafia/. If the partially identical words /kab/, /lab/, /jab/, and Aab/ were the LAST words in their respective lines, they would still be considered the /qafia/, and the poem would have no /radif/. The /qafia/ may consist of just one letter and its preceding vowel diacritic, as in the above example, or it may include other identical letters in the word as well. The authorities list ten consonant letters and six vowel diacritics which may be included in the /qafia/. e. g. the

The most important letter of the /qafia/ is the Lcii /ravi/ M1 [?]

in the preceding example. The /ravi/ must remain the same in all rhyming lines. It is based upon both phonetic and graphic considerations: on the one hand different letters • cl°

J

having the same sound cannot be /ravi/ together: e. g.

and

, which all represent /z/ cannot rhyme, nor can

and

a, which are both

pronounced /h/; yet on the other hand there are certain exceptions to this: e. g. the in

I

of

/hayat/ and the

1,0±). /zeba/ and the CS

I( • J /zakat/ may rhyme, as can the

in of

(11, /musa/. in general, however, the

• a•

/ravi/ must be the same letter and have the same sound throughout the poem. The /qafia/ may include five letters preceding the /ravi/. These are:

(1)

The

j /rydf/: an I

, and

>

, or

, in which

(5

preceding the /ravi/: e. g. is the /ravi/ and

the

/rydf/. (2)

The ,,(v1, 4))) /rydfe zayd/: an unvowelled letter (including the

(J

representing nasalisation) occurring between the /rydf/ and the /ravi/: e. g.

Lir

' and V the /rydf/, and

in which

•

671

is the /ravi/,

the /rydfe zayd/.

4:0)

•• /qayd/: an unvowelled letter immediately preceding the /ravi/

(3) The

when no /rydf/ occurs: e. g. the /ravi/ is i, and

(4)

• , in which

, and

and the /qayd/ is

; Or

, in which the /ravi/ is ) and the /qayd/ is

The

/daxil/: a vowelled letter preceding the /ravi/. The /daxil/ itself

need not remain the same throughout the poem, but its vowel must be the same. The /daxil/ MUST be preceded by the /tasis/ (see below). (5)

The

/tasis/ (or /ta9sis/): an j#

v •

is the /ravi/,

preceding the /daxil/: e. g. ••

1:16

/kamyl/,

I

/qaby1/, and

, and

61„d °

/qaty1/, in which

are the /daxil/, and

is the

/tasis/. The vowel of the /daxil/, /y/, cannot change without destroying the rhyme scheme. Note, too, that the /daxil/ MUST be preceded by a /tasis/, which is always

or

e. a

can never be /tasis/. Some older

authorities insist that once a poet has established a rhyme scheme using a /tasis/ and a /daxil/ this pattern must be maintained throughout, but many modern poets ignore this and after beginning a poem or stanza with words like LW /kamyl/ and

/qaby1/, they proceed to rhyme these with a word like

/mwncyl/ or even with two words like

J, J r

par dyl/.

The /qafia/ may also include four letters occurring after the /ravi/. These are based neither upon sound nor upon the script but rather upon grammatical considerations. The /ravi/ is supposed to be the last letter in the ROOT of a word, and the letters of any suffixes added to this root are classified as follows: (1) The and

Jdi

/vasl/: the first letter after the /revi/: e. g. , in which

b

is technically the /ravi/ and

b the /vasl/.

&I)

(2) The

/xwruj/: the second letter after the /ravi/: e. g.

, and

, the /vas)] is

in which the /ravi/ is

and the

4:7

is the /xwruj/.

(3) The

/mazid/: the third letter after the /ravi/.

(4)

/nayra/: the fourth letter after the /ravi/. These last two items

The

are ignored by Urdu prosodists. This system operates very well in Arabic, which possesses beautifully regular patterns of roots and suffixes, but most Urdu poets tend to ignore its more subtle distinctions. One thus encounters poems in which the /ravi/ is the last root letter in one verse but a suffix in another: e. g.

jt;"

/xali/ Al "empty, " in which the

Arabic root /x-1-y/, rhymed with

VL

(5

is part of the

/lali/ F2 "redness, " in which the

is

a suffix. In words of Hindi origin it is sometimes difficult to decide what is a root letter and what is a suffix: e. g. the a root letter (and the

0

CC

3 (,l

of

thus a /daxil/ and the

/pani/ MI "water" appears to be I

a /tasis/), but if this word is

.., compared with the final

•

(5.

/panghaT/ M1 "place for drawing water, " it is clear that

is removable. Should the poet then treat /pan/ or /pan/ as the root and

consider the final /i/ to be /vas1/, or should he think of the /i/ as part of the root and speak of the loss of a basic root letter in /panghaT/7 The six vowel diacritics which are traditionally included in the /qafia/ are: (1)

The

./ crv"/

the

/ras/: the /zabar/ on the letter preceding the /tasis/: e. g.

on the

6=1 of

-K

✓I /yba./: the vowel of the /daxil/: e. g. the . ei l,"20"

(2) The the

of

beneath

( 1 IC

ro

(3) The e. g. the (4) The

317 .--

ihazv/: the vowel of the letter preceding a /qayd/ or /rydf/: on the 4,„„i of

.0

• _4(wed•

or the

beneath the

i.

r

of

/tawjih/: the vowel of the letter preceding the /ravi/ when

XX 11.1

no /daxil/, /rydf/, or /qayd/ occurs: e. g. the

(5)

The

on the 4„.1 of

/mwjra/: the vowel of the /ravi/ itself when it is followed by

LCJ I

a /vas1/: e. g. the

and the final

on the

21

of

, in which

it is the /ravi/

the /vasl/.

uo•

(6)

The

/nyfaz/: the vowel of the /xwruj/ or /mazid/.

This completes the description of the Urdu rhyme system. For a discussion of the various /qafia/-/radif/ patterns in different genres of poetry, the student should refer back to Sec. A. 110.

A. 130. Scansion.

The Urdu metrical system is quantitative. There are two types of syllable: heavy (CVC or CV) and light (CV). [Here "C" = any consonant letter, /a, 5, w, w

,

y,

jr",

"V " = any short vowel:

and "V" = any long vowel: /a, a:, e,

o, 5, u, fi/. ] Various

combinations of heavy and light syllables go to make up a number of metrical feet, and these feet then occur in fixed sequences to produce the sixteen metres invented by the Arabs and the three added later by the Persians. The nature of the Arabic orthography prevented any realisation of the "vowel" as a separate entity, however, since only consonants written on the main line of writing are classed as "letters, " and the vowels are added above or below as diacritics. The Arabs

thus spoke of

/mwtaharryk/ "moving" (or perhaps "movent ") letters and

t

Uroo' /sakyn/

"silent " or "quiescent " letters. The former letters are those having a

diacritic representing a following short vowel: e. g.

4„:' ,./

/ba/, C.,. .., /ty/, Vi

A / sw/; the latter are those having

e. g.

,

A 4....../

,

and

written over them to show that no vowel follows: A

A

/b/,

LC

t.:./ •.

,

/t/,

f"

L

/s/. The long vowels are indicated by

I

and these "lengtheners" were fitted neatly into the system by

A treating them as consonants having

followed by i

.

I(

upon them: thus

1,/

/ka/ (= CV) is thus equivalent in

/ "weight " ( = "measure") to CVC syllables like

xxv

a

consists of

eii,

4.....r

/vazn/ M1

, • . /kan/,

',L.'',

/tyb/, etc.

,

When two /sakyn/ letters occur together withina line (i. e. not at the end of it, where both are counted as /sakyn/) the first is considered /sakyn/ and the second /mwtaharryk/: of

e. g. the

/mar/ is /sakyn/, and the

is considered to be /mwtaharryk/.

This word is thus equivalent to CV-CV = CVC-CV. When three /sakyn/ letters occur together within a line, the first is treated as /sakyn/, the second as /mwtaharryk/, and the third is dropped: e. g.

/dost/ MI "friend"

is counted in the scansion as though it were /do-sa/ ( = CV-CV). At the end of a line the first two /sakyn/ letters are retained, and the third is dropped: /dost/ = /do-s/ (CV-C). Since the Arabic alphabet employed for Urdu is relatively phonetic, most letters can be scanned as written. There are certain areas of difficulty, however: letters which do not count at all in the scansion, others which may be read as long or short, and a number of special conventions. These are: (1) Letters which do not count in scansion: (a)

The .1)

representing aspiration (as in

counted at all. A word like

itc. /bh/, so)

/dh/, etc. ) is not

/ghar/ MI "house" is thus equivalent to

I' /gar/. (b)

The

in certain Hindi words is dropped: e. g.

,6

is equivalent to V

V

/kya/ "what?"

/pyar/ MI "love" = /14 /par/, and

/pyas/ Fl "thirst" =

/pas/. This does not'apply to words

114

of Perso-Arabic origin: e. g.)L✓ (c)

The j

in Persian words is dropped when it is not pronounced (see "A Course

in Urdu, " Sec. 10. 014): e. g.

‘dii"

/xah5./ PA1 "desirous" =

ibl

/xab/ MI "dream" =

/nahil "no, not" to

/xwV

Vie tjan5/,

representing nasalisation is dropped after

01(

/bab/,

/ba s/, etc.

PA1 "happy" = (d) A

/pyala/ M2 "cup. "

/kahal "where?" is equivalent to

cr

/sahi/,

/do/, etc. After a short vowel the treatment of

xxvi

lc

, or /kaha/,

/du/ In may give" to 0 varies: in some

•

words it is considered just nasalisation and is dropped: e. g. /5dhera/ M2 "darkness, " which =

Li;

/hamara/; in other cases a

is counted in the scansion: e. g.

/band/ PA1 "closed, "

and in still other instances opinions and usage may differ: e. g. /rag/ M1 "colour" is sometimes treated as equivalent to times as equalling

J

/rag/. The letter

1...*C4. and some-

'db•-••

is always counted,

of course, when it is unambiguously a consonant: e. g.

/jahan/ MI

c..)1„)?:

"world. " Some words have alternate spellings, however: one with in word-final position and another with j e. g. OL,y,

to be used as the metre requires:

/jahan/ MI "world" and also

LA•;$

/jah5/ (homophonous

with /jahal "where"). The spelling with 0 must be used, of course, when • f

the word is followed by a suffix or by the Persian /yzafat/: e. g.

142.

/ • /jahane -yam/ "world of sorrow" (here (..)

cannot be employed).

(e) Pronunciation rather than spelling is followed in the scansion of such Arabic forms as

Li

/bylkwl/ Adv "entirely": the 1

ei,g3

is part of the Arabic

definite article (see "A Course inUrdu," Sec. 10. 012) and has no pronunciation value. Similarly,

/fylvaqe/ Adv "really, in fact" is scanned

as CVC-CV-CVC ( = CVC-CVC-CVC): the the definite article, and the

j

of

03

is short before

of the article is silent. Note that

is ALWAYS considered a consonant in the scansion, even though its consonantal value in Urdu is minimal. (2) Sequences which may be read as long or short: (a) Word-final long vowels (including nasalised vowels, see (Id) above) may be scanned as long or short depending upon the requirements of the metre. This applies, however, only to the final long vowels of Hindi words and not to those from the Perso-Arabic lexicon: Thus, one can read Hindi

17 t0 /jana/

"to go" (= CT-CV = CVC-CVC) as /jana/ (= CV-CV = CVC-CV) if need be,

xxvi i

11,

but Persian

/dana/ M1 Al "wise, knowing, sage" can only be read

with two long vowels. This long -short ambiguity is possible for all word-final long vowels and diphthongs in Hindi words (i. e. /a, a, e, aw, 5w, ay, 5y/): e. g. the

in

L, I

o, o, u,

/aya/ "[he] came," the

/kamre/ "room [masculine oblique singular], rooms [masculine

in

nominative plural], " the the

/dekhi/ "saw [feminine singular], "

in

/to/ Conj "then, " the

in

01.10

in

"girls [feminine nominative plural], " the

in

/me/ Post

Lt.

in “tr /nahr/ Neg Adv "no, not, " the

"in," the

0/...!;) /laRko/ "boys [masculine oblique plural]," the /kart1/ "[I] may make, do, " the

in

4.....

/laRkia/

toL, in

(jj in Lil

/hay/ "is, " the

/hay/ "are, " etc. etc. It is precisely this uncertainty about the

in

reading of common words which makes the scansion of Urdu poetry difficult for the beginner, and the only remedy appears to be intensive practice. (b)

is read as /a/, it may be treated as /ah/, /a/, or /a/: e. g.

When final p

/kamra/ "room [masculine nominative singular]." This does not apply to final

zo

in Per so-Arabic words: e. g. the

p

of

/gwnah/ M1 "sin" is always counted in the scansion. The letter of course, is always counted. (c)

The Persian /yzafat/ (see "A Course in Urdu, " Sec. 18. 302) may be short or /yame dyl/ "anguish of the heart" may

long as required: e. g.

be scanned as CV-CV-CVC or CV-CV-CVC. When it is short, the vowel of the /yzafat/ is phonetically similar to the "e" of "set" and contrasts with the /e/ of Urdu /ek/ or the /y/ of /yn/. It is thus necessary to set up a special "short e" phoneme (written /E/) for Urdu. This sound exists in prose also but only in such recent loanwords as /cEk/ MI "cheq ue, " /jET/ M1 "jet, " etc. ; see "A Course in Urdu, " Sec. 1. 207. (d)

The Persian connective

/o/ "and" is also long or short as required:

e. g.

LA,/,

/myhr o mah/ "sun and moon" may be read as /myh-ro-ma-

ha/ ( = CVC-CT CV-CV) or as /myh-rw-ma-ha/ ( = CVC-CV CV-CV). (e) Many words have two spellings: one with a long vowel and another containing the corresponding short vowel: e. g.

j9

t'

with the

I_A

/xamwn/,

/V vowel) ,

JN

LP.,A1;

/xamoi/ F2 "silence" or

/mera/ A2 "my" or /tera/ A2 "thy" or

/rrira/ (again L7'

/rah/ Fl "road, way, " or pJ /rah/, etc. Such usag es are not predictable and must be listed in the vocabulary. (3) Some other points are: (a)

Within a verse ( i. e. not at the end of it) a word-initial and its vowel given to a preceding consonant: e. g.

may be dropped „„. /ap a gar/

"you if" may be scanned as /9a-pa-gar/ ( = CV-CV-CVC); the

I

may also

be retained if needed for the metre: /9a-pa 9a-gar /( = CV-CV CV-CVC). (b)

Similarly, an

/a/ may be read as the vowel of a preceding consonant,

VI

or it may be retained: e. g.

/agar ap/ "if you" may be scanned

as /9a-ga-ra-pa/ ( = CV-CV-CV-CV) or as /9a-gar ?a-pa/ ( = CV-CVC CVCV). (c)

Both the

I

and

of

„di

/awr/ Con j "and" may be omitted from

scansion, this word then being read simply as V-CV: e. g.

T /ap awr/

"you and" may be scanned /9a-pa 9 aw-ra/ ( = CV-CV CVC-CV), /9a-paw-ra/ ( = CV-CVC-CV), or as just /9a-p5w-ra/ ( = CV-CV-CV). This word appears to be the sole example of an initial diphthong which can be shortened in this fa sh ion. (d)

The

y 1 /hamza/ ( see "A Course in Urdu, " Sec. 10. 005) is normally counted

as a consonant. Note the scansion of

/kie/,

/die/, and

/lie/, all of which are read as CV-CV (or CV-CV, see (2a) above) with an initial short syllable. The vowel after J

is similarly short in

/cahie/ "must, ought, " ( = CV-CV-CV or CV-CV-CV),

/aie/ "please come! " ( = CV-CV-CV or CV-CV-CV), etc. Other special spellings include items like

/rauf/ ( = CV-CV-CV), oe y

/jwrat/ ( = /jwr at/ = CVC-CVC),

iqwran/

( = /qwr 9 an/ = CVC-CV-CV), etc. (e)

A letter having the

w /ta'gdid/ or /gad/ (see "A Course in Urdu, " Sec.

10. 006) upon it is read as C-C: e. g.

, 4.:4106/takallwf/ MI "formality,

courtesy" = CV-CVC-CVC. (f)

The

/tanvin/ (see "A Course in Urdu, Sec. 10. 008) is always scanned

as -VC: e. g.

/yaqinan/ Adv "certainly" = CV-CV-CVC.

A. 140. Measure and Metre. The Arabic grammarian

of Basra (here-

after called "al-Khalil"), who died between 786 and 791, is said to have been the inventor of the system of prosody employed for Arabic, Persian, Turkish, and Urdu. He did not describe the metrical feet of his system just in terms of heavy and light syllables: instead, he devised three C)3,60 /wsul/ MI "basic unit[s]" composed of two or more consonant letters in combination with various patterns of vowels. These /wsul/ are: (1) The (a)

• .

/sabab/ is a unit having two consonant letters. Its subtypes are:

• The LLAt.:0•4• 044." /sababe xafif/: the first letter is /mwtaharryk/ and the •• • • second is /sakyn/: e. g.

,r (b)

The

/kan/,

•

••

4.■•/"

/tyb/,

ji /do/,

/law/. 6.4•4#d /sababe saqi1/: a unit composed of two /mwtaharryk/ thaj • , •

letters: e. g.

J,

/dyly/

J•

/labw/. Since Urdu words do not

end in a final short vowel, examples of this /wsul/ are either parts of a word or words, or else a word + the Persian /yzafat/. (2) The

/vatad/ is a three-letter unit. Its subtypes are:

X XX

(a)

The

c,,,Arj /vatade ma jmu/: the first and second letters are /mwtaharryk/

and the third is /sakyn/: e. g. (b)

eoly / CI se

/c aman/,

/bars s/.

• The 0) ,‘ „Adi /vatade mafruq/: the first and third letters are /mwtaharryk/ A/

and the second is /sakyn/: e. g.

/nazmy/,

/ jakiy/.

The remarks made above under (lb) apply here also. 0,1,0

(3) The

1,"

/fasyla/ is an entirely artificial unit since it can be divided into

sequences of /sabab/ and /vatad/. Its three subtypes are listed here only for the sake of completeness, and the student can safely ignore them. (a) The

c'91-0.,:Lot;

/fasylae swyra/: three /mwtaharryk/ letters followed

by a fourth /sakyn/ one. (b)

The

/fasylae kwbra/: four /mwtaharryk/ letters followed

by a fifth /sakyn/ one. (c)

The

/fasylae wzma/: five /mwtaharryk/ letters followed

by a sixth /sakyn/ one. The /sabab/ and /vatad/ are used in various combinations to produce eight standard metrical feet (

/rwkn/ MI ; pl.

0

41

/arkan/ Mpl) . Each of these feet

is symbolised by a traditional formula based upon the root-affix system of Arabic grammar. As has been described in Sec. 17.301 of "A Course in Urdu, " most Arabic words consist of three consonant root letters combined with a pattern of vowels and affixes. A root may thus occur with one pattern as a noun; the same root + another pattern may function as a verb stem; still another pattern produces an ad jectival form, etc. etc. In describing an , the root of "to make, do, " + the

Arabic word, it is customary to employ Ci proper pattern. The second, and the

stands for the first consonant of any root, the for the third: e. g.

A

A

/nazm/,

t

for the

n

/sadr/, AAI

/9k1/, and formulae the

t,

/fasl/ are all of the pattern

4.)*415

/fall/. [In these

will regularly be transliterated by /'/since it stands for a consonant. ]

The pattern may also include prefixes and suffixes; these are all made with the letters

,

A

4

/16

(3

, and

and

./L.4 4"

A,

(.0 -1 .%

is the pattern for words like

/:..A1

}.12„/‘ A'

is the pattern for

and

is the pattern for

cJ

A/ A •

and

• /

/

, etc. This system works fairly well as a means is combined with various

of representing metrical feet also: the root

patterns of vowels and affixes to produce formulae resembling derived grammatical forms. A it j

For example

1

w)k,

is the traditional symbolisation of that foot which consists of a

e, , ., A I.*.. 44 " C);(„,.'..) /rasay1/, light syllable followed by two heavy syllables: e. g. .A..../*°1.0...4 a ,,/ a 64, :n fi' va /takallwf/, .11 ,K. havanc5/, etc. The foot e /magasyd/,

lf-9

may also consist of more than one word or of portions of two or more words: e. g. C „,1

/caman me/,

/tw dyl par/ (with the

of

being read as short), etc. This system can be demonstrated more clearly with a verse taken from the second /yazal/ by /habib jalyb/ included in this book. This verse is in the 7mwtagaryb/, which consists here of the foot

metre

cif,

four times in each hemistich:

Lc'

6-r•

3 6:-.

%.)-42re

Pi 1

.5., Lic

(), (;OL•i,?

The scansion is: /pa-ha-Ro + ky-vwh-mas t tw-a-da + ba-va-di/

ha-ha-ham + dy-le-nay + ma-xg.-cho + Ra-a-e/ cif;

The eight metrical feet of al-Khalil's system are: FORMULA may. (1)

(S4;11'

TRANSLITERATION

PATTERN

/fa'ulwn/

cv-cvc-cvc l

repeated

TRANSLITERATION

PATTERN

/fa'ylwn/

CVC-CV-CVC

/mafa'ilwn/

CV-CVC-CVC-CVC

/fa'ylatwn/

CVC-CV-CVC-CVC

/mwstaf'ylwn/

CVC -CVC -CV-C VC

/maf'ulatw/

CVC-CVC-CVC-CV

/mwfa'ylatwn/

C V -CVC -C V-C V -C VC

/mwtafa'ylwn/

C V -C V-C VC -C V -CVC

l As has been previously stated, CV is substitutable for any CVC in these patterns.

To the above eight feet the prosodists have added two more by dividing nos. (4) and (5) differently in terms of their component /sabab/ and /vatad/. Thus, consist of

/fa/ +

/'yla/ +

gif* / 6/'

may

U'

/twn/: i, e. a /sababe xafif/ + ni t ti a /vatade majmu/ + another /sababe xafif/; it may also be analysed as /fa'y/ + A/ ... /la/A + Ci /twn/ : a /vatade mafruq/ + two /sababe xafif/. Similarly, ),) J : .." n -0 A :* .-P A . / may consist of /mws/ + 1:jd /taf/ + I ylWII/ : l9

A -11 i. e. two /sababe xafif/ + a /vatade majmu/; it may also be viewed as (74 /mws/ + Al "/•• /taf'y/ +

Lf

/1wn/: a /sababe xafif/ + a /vatade mafruq/ + another /sababe

xafif/. This division is made necessary only by the complexities of the catalectic system (see Sec. A. 150); otherwise there is no difference in the scansion of /fa-'yla-twn/ or /fa'y-la-twn/, /mws-taf-'ylwn/ or Anws-tafry-lwn/. Using the standard metrical feet just described above, al-Khalil constructed sixteen metres. He illustrated these with five diagrammatic circles, each of which is marked off into sequences of /sabab/ and /vatad/. By starting at one point on the rim of one of these circles and reading around it, one metre is produced. If one begins at another point on the rim, another metre results. Thus, one circle produces six metres, two produce three, and two produce two each. There is no need to present al-Khalil's circles here, however, since they are of little pedagogical use -- and also since catalectic permutations of the

sixteen basic metres are far more frequent in actual use than their so-called /salym/ "sound" forms. The Persians later added three more metres to al-Khalifs set, making a total of nineteen. Only twelve of these are employed in Urdu, however, and the examples of the other seven cited by some prosodists seem to have been composed by some enterprising poet or other simply as a tour de force. There is another point of classification to be noted before giving the details of the various metres: if a poem contains eight metrical feet per

6...." . ./., ..•

feet per t yall /mysra/ M2 "hemistich"), it is termed

/bayt/ Fl "verse" (i. e. four up• •

/mwsamman/ MI

Al "eight-sided, having eight parts." if each /bayt/ has only six feet (i. e. three feet per /mwsaddas/ MI Al "six-sided, having six parts."

/mysra/), it is called

These are the two most common patterns, although there is also a specifically Urdu metrical .41:. length having sixteen feet per /bayt/ (i. e. eight feet per /mysra/); it is called . jeuddLee /azda rwkni/ "sixteen-membered. " Some metres occur in both /mwsamman/ and /mwsaddes/ forms (and a few in Aazda rwkni/ forms as well), but others are limited to the /mwsaddas/ variety. The prosodists have also given technical names to the various feet of a verse, and these may be added here for reference: in the first hemistich the first foot is termed the ./.)./41

/sadr/ MI and the last foot the

the first foot is called the

I

/aruz/ MI; in the second hemistich

/ybtyda/ Fl and the last foot the

Fl; any foot occurring in the middle of either hemistich is called a The twelve metres

7.

/bahr/ FI, pl.

(2)

/mwtaqaryb/: /fa'ulwn fa'ulwn fa'ulwn fa'ulwn/

6..1A/4;4

(4)

/mwtadaryk/: /fa'ylwn fa'ylwn fa'ylwn fa'ylwn/ /hazaj/: /mafa'ilwn mafa'ilwn mafatilwn mafa'ilwn/

(3)

Jij

/hav/ MI.

/bwhur/ Fpl) employed in

Urdu are as follows: ( 1)

/zarb/

/ramal/: /fa'ylatwn fa'ylatwn fa'ylatwn fa'ylatwn/

(5)

-.Z)

(6)

d11(

(7)

Z. )1414

(8) (9) (10) (11)

L'w:i':;.'4 tJ 4:4d

hi...4:1 . •• ‘:42...0".

/rajaz/:

/kamyl/: /mwtafa 'ylwn mwt afa 'ylwn mwtafa 'ylwn mwtafa 'ylwn/ /mwnsaryh/: Anwstaflylwn maf'ulatw mwstaflylwn maf'ulatw/ /mwqtazab /: /maf'ulatw mwstaPylwn maf'ulatw mwstaf'ylwn/ /mwzare /: /rnafatilwn fa'y-latwn mafa'ilwn fa'y-latwn/ /mw jt a s/: /mw s -taf ' y -lwn fa'ylatwn mws -taf 'y-lwn fa'ylatwn/

/xafif /: /fa 'ylatwn mws -t af 'y - lwn fa'ylatwn/ /sari/:

(12)

/mwstaf'ylwn mwstaPylwn mwstafrylwn mwstaf'ylwn/

/mwstarylwn mwstaf'ylwn maf'ulatw/

Of the above, nos. (1) and (2) occur either /mwsarnman/ or tgazda rwkni/ in Urdu; nos. (3) and (4) are found in both Anwsamman/ and /rnwsaddas/ varieties; nos. ( 5) through (10) are /rnwsamman/ only in Urdu; and nos. (11) and (12) occur only in the /mwsaddas / form. Nos. (7) through (12), moreover, occur only in catalectic varieties; see Sec. A. 160. Some prosodists list nos. (1), (3), (4), (9), (10), and (11) as being especially popular in Urdu. The seven remaining metres which are never (or very rarely) employed by Urdu poets may be added here for reference. The four Arabic metres are:

(13)

/vafyr /: /mwfa'ylatwn mwfa'ylatwn mwfatylatwn mwfa'ylatwn/

(14)

/tavil/: /fa'ulwn mafa'ilwn fa'ulwn mafa'ilwn/

(15)

/medid/: /fa'ylatwn fa'ylwn fa'ylatwn fa'ylwn/ /basit /: /mwstafylwn fa'ylwn mwstaflylwn fa'ylwn/

(16) •• •

The three specifically Persian metres occur in Anwsaddas/ form only:

/rriwakyl/: /fa'ylatwn mafa'ilwn mafa'ilwn/

(17) (18) (19)

■‘,..1•17

• •02

h adid /: /fa'ylatwn fa'ylatwn mwstaf'ylwn/ /qarib /: /mafa'ilwn mafa'ilwn fa'ylatwn/

xxxv

No real reason can be advanced as to why these seven metres are so little used by indo-Pakistani poets. One authority states simply that "the tastes of different peoples vary, and what seems pleasing and melodious to one may appear monotonous or harsh to another." In any case, the student of Urdu can afford to ignore them.

A. 150. Catalexis. If the material presented in preceding Sections were the sum total of the prosodic system, the student would find little difficulty in learning to scan Urdu poetry quickly and correctly. Unfortunately, however, the "sound" metres listed in Sec. A. 140 are proportionately much less common in actual use than the many varieties produced by catalexis. This situation arises from the fact that al-Khalil's sixteen "sound" metres are really rather artificial. They result from an over-fondness for schematic or diagrammatic analyses -- a tendency common to many mediaeval Muslim thinkers. Although al-Khalil's five circles are ingenious and neat, they do not present a true picture of Arabic (and hence Persian, Turkish, and Urdu) prosody. In reality there are nearly fifty possible metrical feet, of which some twenty or twenty-five are common. If one counts all of the occurring combinations of these feet, it will be seen that over sixty "metres" are employed in Urdu alone -- to say nothing of those varieties restricted to Arabic and Persian: It is very difficult to reduce such multiplicity and diversity to the sort of diagrammatic presentation preferred by the Arab grammarians.

Al-Khalil (and his successors in the science of

f.)), /aruz/ M1 "prosody")

circumvented the problem by postulating a limited number of "basic" metres to which they added a complex system of processes by which the many "derived" feet could be produced. In English poetry "catalexis" signifies any irregular change in a metre: e, g. a line with a syllable too many or too few, the interchange of two similarly classified metrical feet, etc. The Arab system makes use of a similar device but in a much more drastic fa shion: the cover-term

17j

/zyhaf/ M1 (pl. 6=d 19)

/zyhafat/ Mpl)

includes some fifty different catalectic processes, which, when applied to one or another of the standard feet, result in the addition or loss of one or more letters or diacritics in the foot. More than one /zyhaf/ can operate upon a given foot, sometimes simultaneously and sometimes serially (i. e. process A works upon foot X to produce the derived foot Y; process B then acts upon Y to produce Z), and more than one foot in the line may be affected by the same or different /zyhafat/. Some of these processes may occur in any foot in the line, but others are limited to the first or the last. Once the poet has begun with a 1,:/2.7!) /mwzahaf/ "catalectic" or "derived" foot (or feet), moreover, he must retain the same pattern throughout the poem (with the exception of some catalectic feet which are mutually

substitutable), thus producing what amounts to a new -- and sometimes almost unrecogniseably different -- metre.

• cyf

Thus, for example, if one applies the process called

/xabn/ to the foot

/mwstaf'ylwn/, the derived form /mwtaPylwri/ results: /xabn/ is defined as that process by which the silent letter of an initial /sababe xafif/ is dropped -- in this case the /s/ of /mwstaf'ylwn/. This process can also be applied to any other foot which begins with a A

/sababe xafif/: e. g. /fa'ylatwn/ loses its /sakyn/

to become /fa'ylatwn/, /fa'ylwn/

A

drops its

1

to become /fa'ylwn/, etc. /hazf/ abstracts the whole

To take another example, the process called

of a final /sababe xafif/: e. g. /mafatilwn/ drops its final /lwn/ to become /mafa'i/. This gives rise to the principle of substitution: when a foot affected by catalexis is equal in measure to one of the standard feet, then the latter is substituted for the former in the metrical formula. Wherever the derived foot /mafaii/ would occur, thus, the standard foot /falulwn/, which is of the same measure, is substituted for it. Similarly, if /hazf/ is applied to /fa'ylatwn/, /fa'yla/ remains, and /fa'ylwn/ is substituted, etc. Even when the application of a catalectic process results in a piece which is not equivalent to any standard foot, it is customary to substitute a special "derived foot" formula. This is done to avoid the confusion otherwise arising from the presence of odd "left-overs, " some of which would be of the same measure. Thus, /'ilwn/, /latwn/, and /'ulwn/ are all replaced by the formula /fy'lwn/; /fa/, /la/, /maf/, etc. are all included under /fa'/, etc. There are over thirty such "derived feet. " Before going on to list the various /zyhafat/, a note on terminology will not be out of place. The names given to these processes are really nouns derived from one or another form of an Arabic triliteral root (see Sec. 17.301 of "A Course in Urdu"). If the root (or the derived form of the root) is transitive, its passive participle is employed to describe a foot affected by the process. Thus, a foot to which the process been applied is called 4,",,,L. 4.4.

/mahzuf/

de-A

6:„„t :U7

/hazf/ has

/maf'ul/ ( = maC I C 2uC 3 )

being the passive participle pattern for a verb of Form 1. If the verb (or derived form) is intransitive, a special adjectival form of the pattern aC 1 C 2 aC 3 ( or aC 1 9C 2C 2 if the last two root letters are identical) is employed: e. g. a foot which has undergone the process /salm/ is called

/aslam/. In describing the metre of a given piece of

(4Lil poetry the name of the metre is given first, followed by the number of feet per verse (e. g. /mwsamman/, /mwsaddas/, etc. ), followed by the names of any occurring /zyhafat/.

Unfortunately, however, the system does not specify to which foot (or feet) in the line the /zyhaf/ applies, and this may give rise to confusion. Only thirty-two of the approximately fifty /zyhafat/ are used in Urdu, and some of these too are quite rare. The following list (in Urdu alphabetical order) is intended only for reference. The name of the /zyhaf/ is given first, followed by its participial or adjectival form, followed by a brief description of the process and examples. )1.3

(1)

/yzala/ -

)12,06 /mazal/: an extra silent letter (symbolised by

) inserted before the last letter of a /vatade majmu/ occurring at the end of a foot. /yzala/ is not used in the first foot of a line and is rare in the second or third. It is common, however, in the last foot. E. g. /mwstarylwn/ > /mwstaf'ylan/ Anwtafa'ylwn/ > Anwtafa'ylan/ /fa'ylwn/ > /fa'ylan/

/yzmar/ -

(2)

/mwzmar/: the second vowelled letter of a

/sababe saqil/ occurring at the beginning of a foot is made /sakyn/. This /zyhaf/ may occur in any foot. E. g. /mwtafa'ylwn/ > /mwtfa'ylwn/ > /mwstaf1 y1wn/ 11,

(3)

/batr/ -

/mabtur/: a combination of /hazf/ and /qata/ (nos.

14 and 26) -- or, for the foot /mafa'ilwn/, of /jab/ and /xarm/ (nos. 10 and 17). This /zyhaf/ occurs only in the last foot of a hemistich. E. g. /fa'ulwn/ > /fa 1 / /mafalilwn/ > /fa/ > /fal

/tahbiq/ -

(4)

/mwhabbaq/ (or

/tahniq/

/mwhannacil): abstracts the CV of an initial /vatade majmu/. This /zyhaf/ cannot occur in the first foot of a line but is common in the others. Cf. no. 17. E. g. /mafa'ilwn/ > /fa'ilwn/ > /maf'ulwn/ /tasbiy/ -

(5) by

I

/mwsabbay/: an extra silent letter (symbolised

) inserted before the last letter of a final /sababe xafif/, This /zyhaf/

may apply only to the last foot of a hemistich. Cf. no. 1. E. g.

/mafa i ilwn/ > /mafa t ilan/ /fa'ylatwn/ > /fa t ylatan/ /fa'ulwn/ > /fa l ulan/

(6)

/taskin/ -

/mwsakkan/: causes the middle one of three

vowelled letters to become /sakyn/. It is always employed in conjunction with some other /zyhaf/ and may occur in any foot. E. g. /mwstaf'ylwn/ > /mwsta r ylwn/ by the action of /tay/ (no. 23); /taskin/ then silences the P/: > /mwsta'Iwn/ > /rnaf t ulwn/

• , /taks/ (/ta?is/) - 4=40c.•••■• /mwa , 9 as/: only in combination

(7)

with /xabn/ (no. 15): when three vowelled letters result from the latter process in the foot /fa'ylatwn/ (i. e. /fa'ylatwn/), /taks/ silences the middle one (i. e. the /'/); > /fy'latwn/.

(8)

r-/

/sarm/ -

riI

/asram/: a combination of /salm/ and /qabz/

(nos. 9 and 24). /sarrn/ occurs only with /fa'ulwn/. E. g. /fa'ulwn/ > /'ulw/ > /fy'lw/

/salm/ -

(9)

/aslam/: abstracts the /fa/ from the foot /fa'ulwn/.

[The /s/ is underlined in transcription to distinguish this /zyhaf/ from

/salm/; in Urdu these two names are homophonous. E. g. /fa'ulwn/ > /'ulwn/ > /fy'lwn/

(10)

6...„,?

/jab/ -

/majbub/ (the Arabic root being

removes both /sababe xafif/ from the foot /mafa'ilwn/. /jab/ occurs only in the last foot in the line of those forms of the metre /hazaj/ reserved for the quatrain. E. g, /mafa l ilwn/ > /mafa/ > /fa'al/

(11)

/majhuf/: abstracts both the final

/jahf/ -

/sababe xafif/ and the /vatade majmu/ from the foot /fa'ylatwn/. It occurs only in the last foot of a line. E. g. /fa'ylatwn/ > /fa/ > /fal

XXX iX

hada/ -~'}I/majdu/ (or

(12)

/jaza/ -

t„,;;;4:

/rnajzun: removes both /sababe xafif/ from the foot /marulatw/ and also makes the last letter /sakyn/. It occurs only in the last foot in a line. E. g. /maf'ulatw/ > /lat/ > /fa'/

(13)

• •

/hazaz/ -

• .4417/

/ahaz/ (originally /ahazz/): removes a final

/vatade majmu/ from a foot occurring at the end of a line. E. g. /mwstaflylwn/ > /mwstaf/ > /fy'lwn/ /fa'ylwn/ > /fa/ > /fa1 / /mwtafa'ylwn/ > /mwtafa/ > /fa'ylwn/

(14)

6:4,27

/mahzuf/: removes a final /sababe xafif/

/hazf/ -

from a foot occurring at the end of a line. E. g. /mafa'ilwn/ > /rnafaii/ > /fa'ulwn/ /fa'ylatwn/ > /fa'yla/ > /fa'ylwn/ /fa'ulwn/ > /fa'u/ > /fa'al/ /xabn/ -

(15)

/maxbun/: abstracts the silent letter from

an initial /sababe xafif/. It may occur in any foot. E. g. /mwstaf'ylwn/ > /mwtaf'ylwn/ > /mafa'ylwn/ /fa'ylatwn/ > /fa'ylatwn/ /fa'ylwn/ > /fa'ylwn/ (16)

of

/xarb/ -

6-7•1'

/axrab/: a combination of /xarm/ and

/kaf/ (nos. 17 and 28) occurring only in the foot /mafa'ilwn/ at the beginning of a line. E.g. /mafa'ilwn/ > /fa'ilw/ > /rnafrulw/

(17)

/xarm/ -

•

/axram/: abstracts the /ma/ from /mafa'ilwn/.

I? This /zyhaf/ usually occurs in the first foot of a line and is most often found in the special quatrain metres. E. g. /mafa'ilwn/ > /fa'ilwn/ > /mafrulwn/

xl

(18) J

'

/xazl/ -

/maxzul/: a combination of /yzmar/ and

/tay/ (nos. 2 and 23) occurring in the foot /mwtafa'ylwn/ when it is not the last in the line. E. g. /mwtafaiylwn/ > /rnwtfa'ylwn/ > Anwftatylwn/ (19)

jii.

Jil

/zalal/ -

/azal/ (originally /azall/): a combination of

/tahbiq/ and /hatm/ (nos. 4 and 32) found only in the last foot of the quatrain metres. E. g. /mafa'ilwn/ > /fa'/ (20)

...• r-.

':'• I ' ...0 .

/atr/ -

/a.gtar/: a combination of /xarm/ and /qabz/

(nos. 17 and 24) affecting the foot /mafa'ilwn/. Aatr/ is applicable only to the first foot of a hemistich. E. g. /mafa'ilwn/ > /fa'ylwn/ (21)

1/6 /makul/: a combination of /xabn/ and /kaf/

Aalc1/ -

per"

(nos. 15 and 28) occurring only in the first foot of a hemistich. E. g. /fa'ylatwn/ > /fa'ylatw/ /mwstafrylwn/ > /mwtaf'ylw/ > /mafa'ylw/ (22)

/aslam/: abstracts the final /vatade mafruq/

/salm/ -

of the foot /maf'ulatw/. It may occur in any foot of a hemistich. E. g. /maf'ulatw/ > /maf'u/ > /fy'lwn/ (23)

L

/tay/ -

cf,J2/4 /matvi/: when two /sababe xafif/ occur together

at the beginning of a foot, this process abstracts the silent letter of the second of these. /tay/ may occur in any foot in a line. E. g. /mwstaPylwn/ > /mwstaiylwn/ > /mwfta'ylwn/ /maf'ulatw/ > /maf'wlatw/ > /fa'ylatw/ ... ig! (24)

/maqbuz/: removes the fifth letter of a

/qabz/ -

foot when that letter is the silent letter of a /sababe xafif/. /qabz/ may occur in any foot in a line.

E. g.

/mafa'ilwn/ > /rnafalylwn/ /fa'ulwn/ > /fa'ulw/

xli

/macisur/: removes the silent letter of a

/qasr/ -

(25)

final /sababe xafif/ and makes the preceding letter /sakyn/. It may occur in any foot.

E. g. /fa'ylatwn/ > /fa'ylat/ /mafa'ilwn/ > /mafatil/ /fa'ulwn/ > /falulj /mws-taPy-lwn/ > /mwstaPyl/ > /maf'ulwn/ /qata/ -

(26)

/maqtu/: abstracts the final silent letter

t/Jj2;2' .6

of a /vatade majmu/ and makes the preceding letter /sakyn/. It may occur in any foot. Cf. /qasr/ above. E. g. /mwstaf'ylwn/ > /mwstaf'yl/ > /maf'ulwn/ /mwtafa'ylwn/ > /mwtafa'yl/ > /fa'ylatwn/ /farylwn/ > /fa'yl/ > /fy'lwn/ (27)

/makfuf/ (or

LLILL.11 /ka'gf/ -

/kasf/ -

/maksuf/): a combination of /kaf/ and /vaqf/ (nos. 28 and 31) which normally occurs in the last foot of a line but may occasionally be found elsewhere. E. g. /maPulatw/ > /maf'ula/ > /maf'ulwn/ /makfuf/ (the Arabic root being

/kaf/ -

(28)

abstracts the seventh letter of a foot. When it occurs alone, it may be found in any foot in the line except the last. E. g. /mafa'ilwn/ > /mafa'ilw/ /fa'ylatwn/ > /fa'ylatw/ /nahr/ -

(29)

IF

/manhur/: a combination of /hazf/ and

/salm/ (nos. 14 and 22): the final /vatade mafruq/ of the foot /maf'ulatw/ is dropped, and another /sababe xafif/ is then abstracted from the remainder. This /zyhaf/ is limited to the last foot in a line. E. g. /rnaf'ulatw/ > /mail > /fal (30)

‘1 2-9,

/vaqs/ -

LIZY4 /mawqus/: a combination of /yzmar/

and /xabn/ (nos. 2 and 15): the /ta/ of /mwtafa'ylwn/ is made /sakyn/ and then dropped. This /zyhaf/ may occur in any foot. E. g. /mwtafa'ylwn/ > /mwfa'ylwn/ > /mafa'ylwn/

):

(31)

kLa..F.,

/vaqf/ -„.:".1)14

/mawquf/: makes the final vowelled consonant

of a /vatade mafruq/ silent. it may occur in any foot. E. g. /maf'ulatw/ > /maf'ulat/ > /maf'ulan/ (32)

/hatm/ -

- I (1.7

/ahtam/: a combination of /hazf/ and

/qasr/ (nos. 14 and 25): the /lwn/ of /mafa'ilwn/ is dropped, and then the VC of the preceding /sababe xafif/ is abstracted. This /zyhaf/ may occur in any foot. E.g. /mafa'ilwn/ > /rnafar/ > /fa'ulZ Various authorities list approximately eighteen other /zyhafat/, but these either do not occur in Urdu at all, or else are so rare as to be of interest only to the expert. As an examination of the above list will show, the system is both redundant and confusing. Some of these processes are of very limited application, others occur only in conjunction with another /zyhaf/, and no fewer than ten are combinations of two others. Only when one insists upon separate processes for /sabab/ and /vatad/, for example, does the distinction between /yzala/ and Aasbiy/ (nos. 1 and 5) or between /qasr/ and /qata/ (nos. 25 and 26) become necessary. Even if the /sabab/-/vatad/ dichotomy is retained, however, redundancy does not entirely disappear: e. g. the dropping of the initial CV from a /vatade majmu/ is called /salm/ (no. 9) when applied to /fa'ulwn/ ( > /'ulwn/ > /fy'lwn/) but /xarm/ (no. 17) when applied to /mafa'ilwn/ ( > /fa'ilwn/ > /maf'ulwn/) -- andi

‘,45” /yazab/

when applied to the foot /mwfa'ylatwn/ ( > /fa'ylatwn/) which is not used in Urdu: The process /xarm/, moreover, is limited to the first foot of a hemistich; if the same phenomenon occurs in the middle of a line, it is classified as /tahbiq/ (no. 4). it will be useful to recapitulate the ten standard feet and to list at least some of their catalectic varieties together with the /zyhafat/ which apply to each. (1)

/fa'ulwn/: /fa'ulw/ /fa'ul/

/qasr/

/fa'al/

/hazf/

/fy'lw/

/sarm/

ify'lwn/ /fa'ulan/ /fy'lan/ /fal (2)

/qabz/

/salm/ /tasbiy/ /salm/ and Aasbiy/ /batr/

/fa'ylwn/: /fa'ylwn/ /fy'lwn/

/xabn/ /qata/

/fa'ylan/ — /yzala/ /fa'ylan/ /xabn/ and /yzala/ /qata/ and /yzala/ /fy'lan/ /fa'/ /hazaz/ (3) /mafa'ilwn/: /qabz/ /mafa'ylwn/ /kaf/ /mafa'ilw/ /mafa'il/ /qasr/ /xarm/ /maf'ulwn/ /hazf/ /faiulwn/ /fy'l/ -- /jab/ /xarb/ /maf'ulw/ /tasbiy/ /mafa'ilan/ /fa'ylwn/ /atr/ /fa'ul/ /hatm/ /fat/ /zalal/ /far/ /batr/ /fy'lan/ /ciasr/ and /tahbiq/ /fy'lwn/ /hazf/ and /tahbiq/ /tasbiy/ and /tahbiq/ /maf'ulan/ (4) /fa'ylatwn/: /fa'ylatwn/ /xabn/ /fa'ylatw/ /kaf/ /fa'ylan/ /qasr/. [Also called /fa'ylat/. ] /fa'ylwn/ - - /hazf/ /maf'ulwn/ -- /tans/ /fa'yliyan/ /tasbiy/ /fa'ylatw/ - - tgakl/ /fy'lwn/ -- /batr/ /fa'ylan/ /xabn/ and /qasr/. [Also called /fa'ylat/. ] /fa'ylwn/ /xabn/ and /hazf/ /fa'yliyan/ /xabn/ and /tasbiy/ /fy'lan/ -- /tans/ and /qasr/ /rnafulan/ -- /tans/ and /tasbiy/ (5) Anwstaflylwn/: /mafa'ylwn/ /xabn/ /mwfta'ylwn/ /tay/ /fy'lwn/ /hazaz/ /maf'ulwn/ /qata/ /mwstafrylan/ /yzala/ /fa'/ /hazaz/ and /qasr/ /fa'/ /hazaz/ and /hazf/ xliv

/mafa'ylan/ -- /xabn/ and /yzala/ /mwfta'ylan/ -- /tay/ and /yzala/ /mwstaf'ylw/ -- /kaf/ /mafa'ylw/ -- fgakl/ (6) /maf'ulatw/: /fa'ulatw/ -- /xabn/ /fa'ylatw/ -- /tay/ /maf'ulan/ -- /vaqf/ /maf'ulwn/ -- /kaf/ /fy'lwn/ -- /salm/ /fa'/ -- /jada/ /fel -- /nahr/ /fa'ylwn/ -- /tay/ and /k936 f/ /fa'ylan/ -- /tay/ and /vaqf/ /fa'ulan/ -- /xabn/ and /vaqf/ (7) /mwfa'ylatwn/: this foot occurs only in the metre /vafyr/ which is very rarely used in Urdu. The catalectic forms of this foot are therefore irrelevant. (8) /mwtafa'ylwn/: /mwstaf'ylwn/ -- /yzmar/ /falylatwn/ -- /qata/ /fa'ylwn/ -- /hazaz/ /mwtafalylan/ -- /yzala/ /maf'ulwn/ -- /yzmar/ and /qata/ /fy'lwn/ -- /yzmar/ and /hazaz/ /mwstaf'ylan/ -- /yzmar/ and /hazaz/ (9) /fa'y-latwn/: /fa'ylan/ -- /qasr/ /fa'ylwn/ -- /hazf/ /fa'ylatw/ -- /kaf/ /fa'yliyan/ -- /tasbiy/ /fy'lwn/ -- /hazf/ and /qasr/ (10) /mws -taf'y-lwn/: /mafa'ylwn/ -- /xabn/ /maf'ulwn/ -- /qasr/ /mafa'ylw/ -- igakl/ /mwstaf'ylw/ -- /kaf/ /fa'ulwn/ -- /xabn/ and /qasr/

A. 160. Occurring Urdu Metres and a Metrical Analysis of the Metres Used in This Book. There is no denying that the traditional system of prosody is a difficult one indeed.

xlv

As has been stated above, this arises from the fact that there are only twelve (for Urdu) basic metres, to which one must apply one or more complex (and sometimes interdependent or redundant) processes to obtain a wide variety of (often quite dissimilar) subtypes. Further problems include: In some cases it is possible to derive the same catalectic metre from two different originals: e. g. by applying /salm/to /fa'ulwn/, one obtains /fy'lwn/, the derived foot which is commonly the basis for the Aazda rwkni/ varieties. It is also possible to get /fy'lwn/, however, from /fa'ylwn/ by the application of the process /qata./. Some /rdzda rwkni/ metres are thus derivable either from the metre /mwtaqaryb/ or from the metre /mwtadaryk/. The prosodists rule the formula requiring the fewest and least complex /zyhafat/ for its production is the correct one, but in some instances there seems to be little reason to prefer one derivation over the other. Still another problem is that of "false metres": i. e. a sequence of basic feet which could logically occur but which is not derivable from any of the standard metres. For example, the catalectic metre /ramal mwsamman manutl/ -- /falylatw fa'ylatwn fa'ylatw feylatwn/ -- can be divided to read /mwtafa'ylwn fa'ulwn mwtafa'ylwn fa'ulwn/. Although both /mwtafa'ylwn/ and /farulwn/ are standard basic feet, there is no such original metre, nor is there any set of /zyhafat/ by which such a metre could be produced from one of the traditional basic forms. One also occasionally encounters a verse which can be read in more than one metre. This possibility arises whenever the scansion (particularly the long-short ambiguity of word-final vowels) permits two alternate readings, both of which fall into permitted metrical patterns. Such verses are sometimes accidental and sometimes deliberate tours de force -- e. g. the Persian poet Fayzi composed verses which can be read in as many as three separate metres. The following hemistich will serve as an Urdu example:

eik, (3.1_,.. -c.)17 k_t,dper_ de. L:ttr,), This may be read /pu-c-na-bi + h5y-a-bas-ha + 1-xa-ra-bi + 6-va-tan/, which fits the metre /ramal mwsamman maxbun mahzuf/ ( = /fa'ylatwn fa'ylatwn fa'ylatwn fa'ylwn/). It can also be scanned /pu-c-na-bi + hay-a-bas-ha + le-xa-ra-bi + e-va-tan/, however, which is equivalent to /fa'ylatwn fa'ylatwn fa'ylatwn fa'ylwn/ and thus identifiable as /ramal mwsamman mahzuf/. The correct metre can be ascertained, of course, by scanning the rest of the poem until a hemistich is found which can only be read in one way. These and other similar problems may at first appear insuperable to the beginner, but the matter is not as impossible as it seems. It must be emphasised that there are a number of common metrical patterns. These are used over and over by almost every poet, and the student quickly learns to recognise them and scan them properly. Earlier poets were indeed fond of demonstrating their mastery of the art by composing in rare or difficult metres, but this practice is now almost obsolete. Most modern poets tend to limit themselves to only a handful of popular metrical forms.

xlvi

The following list presents most of the metres which the student of Urdu is likely to encounter. It also serves the dual purpose of providing scansion practice, since all of the verses of this book are classified under their appropriate metres. Each poet or poetess is symbolised by a capital letter (from A through R, in order of his or her appearance in the book). This letter is followed either by a number representing one of the poet's complete /yazle/ or by a small letter for an individual verse. Thus, "B-2" stands for the second /yazal/ by /saqyb zirvi/; "F-3" represents the third /yazal/ by /twfayl ho yarpuriA "F-c" denotes the same poet's third individual verse, etc. (1)

/mwtaqaryb/: /mwsamman salym/: /fatulwn farulwn fa'ulwn fatulwn/. The last foot may also be /mwsabbay/: /fatulan/. A -f; C -2; N-b /mwsamman maqsur/: /fa'ulwn fatulwn fatulwn fatul/. The last foot may also be /mahzuf/: /fatal/. E -b /mwsamman aslam/: /fy'lwn fatulwn fy'lwn fatulwn/. /mwsamman asram/: /fy'lw fatulwn fy'lw fatulwn/. /mwsamman aslam asram/: /fy'lw fatulwn fy'lwn fyllwn/. P-3 /mwsamman maqbuz aslam/: /fatulw fy'lwn' fa'ulw fy'lwn/. /mwsamman/ with the first three feet /aslam/ and the fourth /mabtur/: /fy'lwn fy'lwn fy'lwn fa'/. /mwsamman/ with the first foot /asram/, the second and third /rnaqbuz/, and the fourth /mahzuf/: /fy'lw fa'ulw fa'ulw fatal/. /n:zda rwkni maqbuz aslam/: /fatulw fy'lwn fa'ulw fy'lwn fa'ulw fy'lwn fa'ulw fy'lwn/. /n.zda rwkni/ with various combinations of /fatulwn/, /fy'lwn/, /fa'ulw/, /fy'lw/, and /fal. With the exception of /fel, which is always final, the poet can use any combination he pleases. Technically these varieties are: /aslam asram/, /oslam asram mabtur/, /aslam asram mahzuf/, and /aslam maqbuz asram mabtur/. B-c, B-d, B-h; C-1, C-c, C-d ; 1-3, 1-f; L-i; Q-2, Q-h; R-d

(2)

/mwtadaryk/: /mwsamman salym/: /fa'ylwn fa'ylwn fa'ylwn fa'ylwn/. The last foot may also be /mazal/: /fa'ylan/. F-3 /mwsamman maxbun/: /fa'ylwn fa'ylwn fa'ylwn fatylwn/, The last foot may also be /maxbun mazal/: /fatylan/, /mwsamman maqtu/ (or /rnoxbun mwsakkan/): /fy'lwn fy'lwn fy'lwn fy'lwn/. The last foot may also be /maqtu mozal/: /fy'lan/. /mwsamman/ with the last foot /ahaz/: /fa'ylwn fa'ylwn fa'ylwn fat/.

xlvii

/mwsamman maxbun ahaz/: /fa'ylwn fa'ylwn fa'ylwn fa'/. Aazda rwkni salym/: /fa'ylwn fa'ylwn fa'ylwn fa'ylwn fa'ylwn fa'ylwn fa'ylwn fa'ylwn/. D-i /n7zda rwkni maqtu/ (or /maxbun mwsakkann: /fy'lwn fy'lwn fy'lwn fy'lwn fy'lwn fy'lwn fy'lwn fy'lwn/. Any of these feet may also be /maxbun/: /fa'ylwn/. The last foot may also occur with /hazaz/ as /fa'/ or with /yzala/ as /falylan/. P -d; Q-g (3) ihazaj/: /mwsamman salym/: /mafa'ilwn mafa'ilwn mafa'ilwn mafa'ilwn/. The last foot may also be /mwsabbay/: /rnafalilan/. A-3, A-a, A-b; D-g; G-1, G-3, G-a, G-b, G-c, G-e, G-h, G-i, G-j; I-d; L-a; M-d, M-e; N-1, N-d, N-e ; 0-1; P-g /mwsamman maqbuz/: /mafalylwn mafa'ylwn mafa'ylwn mafa'ylwn/. 1-e, I-i /mwsamman/ with the first foot /axrab/ and the third foot /makfuf mwhabbacil: /maf'ulw mafa'ilwn maftulw mafatilwn/. J-f; M-b, M-h /mwsamman axrab makfuf maqsur/: /maftulw mafa'ilw mafa'ilw rnafali1/. The last foot may also be /mahzuf/: /fa'ulwn/. B-a; C-h; D-b; F-a, F-f; I-a; K-3, K-b, K-c, K-j; L-1, L-2, L-c, L-f; M-c; N-c, N-i; R-1 /mwsamman makfuf maqsur/: /mafa'ilw mafa'ilw mafa'ilw mafatil/. The last foot may also be /mahzuf/: /fa'ulwn/. /mwsamman/ with the first foot /atar/ and the third foot /maqbuz axram/: /fa rylwn mafa'ilwn fa'ylwn mafalilwn/. C -i; D-1; L-h /mwsaddas maqsur/: /mafa'ilwn mafa'ilwn mafa'il/. The last foot may also be /mehzuf/: /fa'ulwn/. B-f; H-1, H-d; Q-f, Q-i /mwsaddas axrab maqbuz maqsur/: Anaflulw mafa'ylwn mafa'il/. The last foot may also be /mahzuf/: /fa'ulwn/. D -h; 0 -d /mwsaddas/ with the first foot /axrab/, the second /maqbuz axram/, and the third /maqsur/: /maf'ulwn fa'ylwn mafa'il/. The last foot may also be /mahzuf/: /fa'ulwn/. (4) /ramal/: /mwsamman salym/: /fa'ylatwn fa'ylatwn fa'ylatwn fa'ylatwn/. The last foot may also be /mwsabbay/: /fa'ylatan/. /mwsamman maqsur/: /fa'ylatwn fa'ylatwn fa'ylatwn fa'ylat/. The last foot may also be /mahzuf/: /fa'ylwn/.

A-2, A-d, A-e, A-i; B-2; D-3, D-e; F-2; G-2, G-f, G-k; H-4; I-1, 1-2; J-c, 3-e, J-i; M-i; P-b, P-c /mwsamman maxbun/: /fa'ylatwn fa'ylatwn fa'ylatwn falylatwn/. The first foot may also be /salym/: /fa'ylatwn/. /mwsamman maxbun/ with the last foot /maxbun maqsur/: /fa'ylatwn fa'ylatwn fa'ylatwn falylart/. The last foot may also occur as: /maxbun mahzuf/: /fa'ylwn/, /maxbun m‘i.ra? ?as maqsur/: /fy'lan/, or /maxbun mwa9 ?as mahzuf/: /fy'lwn/. All of these varieties are mutually substitutable. A-c, A-h; B-b, B-e; C-a; D-2, D-d; E-h; F-b, F-e, F-h, F-i;

H-h, H-j; J-1; K-2, K-g, K-h, K-i; L-d; M-a; 0-2, 0-3, 0-c, 0-g, 0-h, 0-i; P-e; R-e, R-g, R-h /mwsamman mancul/: /fa'ylatw fa'ylatwn fa'ylatw fa'ylatwn/. A-1, A-g; E-1; J-3; P-2 /mwsaddas salym/: /fa'ylatwn fa'ylatwn fa'ylatwn/. /mwsaddas maqsur/: /fa'ylatwn fa'ylatwn fa'ylan/. The last foot may also be /mahzuf/: /fa'ylwn/. D-c; L-g /mwsaddas maxbun maqsur/: /fa'ylatwn fa'ylatwn falylan/. The last foot may also be: /maxbun mahzuf/: /fa'ylwn/, /maxbun mwa

9 as maqsur/:

/fy'lan/, or /maxbun mvva 9 9 as mahzuf/: /fy'lwn/. G-d; 0-e, 0-f (5)

/rajaz/: /mwsamman salym/: /mwstaf'ylwn mwstaf'ylwn mwstaf'ylwn mwstaf'ylwn/. The last foot may also be /mazal/: /mwstaf'ylan/. /mwsamman matvi/: /rnwfta'ylwn mwfta'ylwn mwfta'ylwn mwfta'ylwri/. /mwsamman matvi maxbun/: /mwfta'ylwn mafa'ylwn mwfta'ylwn mafa'ylwn/. The first foot may also be /matvi mwsakkan maxbun/: /maftulwn/. The last foot -- and rarely even the second foot -- may also be /rnazal/: /mafa'ylan/. E-e; K-1; R-a

(6)

/kamyl/: /mwsamman salym/: /mwtafa'ylwn mwtafaiylwn mwtafa'ylwn mwtafa'ylwn/. The last foot may also be /mazal/: /mwtafa'ylan/. E-3; R-c /mwsamman mwzmar/: /mwtafa'ylwn mwstaf'ylwn mwtafaiylwn mwstaf'ylwn/, A /salym/ foot may be substituted for /mwstaf'ylwn/ in a verse with no change in metre.

(7) /mwnsaryh/: the /salym/ form of this metre is not found in Urdu; occurring varieties include: /mwsamman/ with the first and third feet /salym/, the second /matvi/, and the fourth /rnatvi mawquf/: /mwstaf'ylwn fa'ylatw mwstaf'ylwn fatylan/.

/mwsamman/ with the first and third feet /salym/ and the second and fourth /matvi mak'5uf/: AnwstaPylwn fa'ylwn mwstaf'ylwn fa'ylwn/. /mwsamman/ with the first three feet /matvi/ and the fourth /matvi mawquf/: /mwfta'ylwn fa'ylatw mwfta'ylwn falylan/. /mwsamman/ with the first and third feet /matvi/ and the second and fourth /matvi makuf/: /mwfta'ylwn fa'ylwn mwfta'ylwn fa'ylwn/. /mwsamman/ with the first three feet /matvi/ and the fourth /majdui: /mwfta'ylwn fa'ylatw mwfta'ylwn fa'/. The last foot may also be /manhur/: /fat/. The first and third feet may also occur /maqtu/ or /maxbun/: i. e. /maf'ulwn/ or /mafa'ylwn/. (8)

/rnwqtazab/: the /salym/ form of this metre is not used in Urdu; occurring varieties include: Anwsamman matvi/: /fa'ylatw mwfta'ylwn fa 'ylatw mwfta 'ylwn/. /mwsamman/ with the first and third feet /matvi/ and the second and fourth /maqtu/: /fa'ylatw maf'ulwn fa'ylatw maf'ulwn/. Some prosodists prefer to derive /mafrulwn/ from /mwstaf'ylwn/ here by /tay/ + /taskin/ [?].

(9)

/mwzare/: the /salym/ form of this metre also is not found in Urdu; occurring varieties include: /mwsamman/ with the first foot /axrab/, the second and fourth /salym/, and the third /makfuf mwhabbaq/: /maf'ulw fa'y-latwn maf'ulw fa'y-latwn/. The last foot can also be /maqsur/, /mahzuf/, or /mwsabbay/: i. e. /fa'ylan/, /fa'ylwn/, or /fatyliyan/ respectively. /mwsamman/ with the first foot /axrab/, the second and third /rnakfuf/, and the fourth /rnaqsur/: /maPulw fa'ylatw mafa'ilw fa'ylan/. The last foot may also be /rnahzuf/, /maqsur maqtu/, or /mahzuf maqtu/: i, e. /farylwn/, /fy'lan/, or /fy'lwn/ respectively. A-j; B-3; C-e, C-f, C-g; D-f ; E-f; F-g; I-g; J-d; K-f; L-e; M-2, M-g; N-2, N-3, N-a, N-f; 0-b; P-1, P-a, P-f ; Q-1, Q-a, Q-b; R-2, R-3, R-b, R-f, R-i, R-j

(10)

/mwjtas/: this metre also is not found in /salym/ form in Urdu; occurring varieties include: Anwsamman maxbun/: /mafa'ylwn falylatwn mafalylwn fa'ylatwn/. The last foot may also be /mwsabbay/: /fa'yliyan/. /mwsamman maxbun/ with the last foot /maxbun maqsur/: /mafa'ylwn fa'ylatwn mafa'ylwn fa'ylan/. The second foot may also be /maxbun mwsakkan/: /mafulwn/. The last foot varies freely between /maxbun maqsur/, /maxbun mahzuf/, /maxbun mwa 9 9 as mahzuf/: i, e. /fa'ylan/,

', as maqsur/, or /maxbun /fy'lan/, or /fy'lwn/.

B-1, B-g, B-i; C-3; D-a; E-2, E-c, E-d, E-g, E-i; F-1, F-c, F-d; H-2, H-g, H-i; I-b, I-h; J-2, J-a, J-b; K-a, K-d; L-3, L-b; M-1, M-3, M-f; N-g, N-h; 0-a; P-h, P-i; Q-3, Q-c

1

(11)

/xafif/: the /salym/ form of this metre is not used in Urdu; occurring varieties include: /mwsaddas/ with the second foot /maxbun/: /fa'ylatwn mafa'ylwn fa'ylatwn/. The last foot may also be /maxbun/ or /maxbun mw.5a 9 9 aS/: i, e. /fa'ylatwn/ or /rnaf'ulwri/. /mwsaddas/ with the second foot /maxbun/ and the third /maxbun maqsur/: /fa'ylatwn mafa'ylwn fa rylan/. The last foot may also be /maxbun mahzuf/, /maxbun mv.ra ? ?as maqsur/, or /maxbun mwa") las mahzuf/: i, e. /fa'ylwn/, /fy'lan/, or /fy'lwn/. The first foot may also sometimes vary freely with /fa'ylatwn/, C-b; E-a; F-j; G-g; H-3, H-a, H-b, H-c, H-e, H-f; J-g, J-h; K -e; Q-d, Q-e

(12)

/sari/: this metre also is not found in its /salym/ form in Urdu; occurring varieties include: /mwsaddas/ with the first two feet /salym/ and the last foot /maxbun makkf/: /mwstaf'ylwn mwstaf'ylwn fa'ulwn/. /mwsaddas/ with the first two feet /matvi/ and the last foot /matvi mawquf/: /mwfta'ylwn mwfta'ylwn fa'ylan/. The last foot may also be /matvi makuf/: /fa'ylwn/,

The twenty-four quatrain metres are appended here for reference. All of these are derived from a /mwsamman/ form of the metre /hazaj/. They are of two kinds: (1) those beginning with an /axrab/ foot, and (2) those whose first foot is /axram/. of each variety.

(1)

(2)

There are twelve

The /axrab/ metres are:

FIRST FOOT

SECOND FOOT

THIRD FOOT

/rnaPulw/

/mafa'ilw/

/mafa'ilw/

/fa'ul/

/axrab/ II

/makfuf/

/makfuf/

/ahtam/ 11

/mafa'ylwn/

FOURTH FOOT

/maqbuz/ (3) (4)

(5)

II

/mafa'ilwn/

/maf'ulw/

/salym/

/makfuf mwhabbaq/

/mafa'ilw/

/mafa'ilw/

/fa'al/

/makfuf/

/makfuf/ II

/majbub/ ir

/mafa'ylwn/ /maqbuz/

(6)

(7) (8)

ri

I

/mafa'ilwn/

imafl ulw/

/salym/

/makfuf mwhabbacd

It

/mafa'ylwn/ /rnaqbuz/

li

/mafa'ilwn/

/fa'/

/salym/

/azal/

FIRST FOOT (9) (10)

THIRD FOOT

/mafa'ilwn/

/maf'ulwn/

/salym/

/mwhabbaq/

/mafa'ilw/

/mafa'ilwn/

/fa 1 /

/makfuf/

/salym/ il

/majbub mwhabbaq/

/mafa 'ylwn/

(11)

FOURTH FOOT

SECOND FOOT

II

/maqbuz/ (12)

/mafa'ilwn/

/maf'ulwn/

/salym/

/mwhabbaq/

The /axram/ varieties are: (1)

(2)

/maf'ulwn/

/maf'ulw/

/mafa'ilw/

/falul/

/axram/

/makfuf mwhabbaq/

/makfuf/

/ahtam/

/fa'ylwn/ /maqbuz mwhabbaq/

(3) (4)

(5)

/maf'ulwn/

/maf'ulw/

/mwhabbaq/

/makfuf mwhabbaq/

/maf'ulw/

/mafa'ilw/

/fa'al/

/makfuf mwhabbaq/

/makfuf/

/majbub/

/fa'ylwn/ /maqbuz mwhabbaq/

(6) (7)

(8)

/maf'ulwn/

/maf'ulw/

/mwhabbaq/

/makfuf mwhabbaq/

/mar ulw/

/mafa'ilwn/

/fa"

/makfuf mwhabbaq/

/salym/

/azal/

/fa'ylwn/ /maqbuz mwhabbaq/

(9) (10)

(11)

/maf'ulwn/

/maf'ulwn/

/mwhabbaq/

/mwhabbaq/

/maf'ulw/

/mafa'ilwn/

/fa'/

/makfuf mwhabbaq/

/salym/

/majbub mwhabbaq/

/fa'ylwn/ /rnaqbuz mwhabbaq/

(12)

/maf'ulwn/

/maf'ulwn/

/mwhabbaq/

/mwhabbaq/

It only remains to add a note about the metres of the /rnasnavi/. In Persian poetry this genre is almost entirely restricted to certain catalectic forms of just five metres, but in

lii

Urdu occasional examples of other varieties are encountered as well. The Persian patterns are still the most common, however. They are: (1)

/mwtaqaryb mwsamman maqsur/: /fa'ulwn fatulwn fa'ulwn fa'ul/. The last foot may also be /rnahzuf/: /fa'al/.

(2)

/hazaj mwsaddas maqsur/: /mafa'ilwn mafarilwn mafa'il/. The last foot may also be /mahzuf/: /fa'ulwn/. /hazaj mwsaddas axrab maqbuz maqsu.r/: /rriaftulw mafa'ylwn mafa'il/. The last foot may also be /rnahzuf/: /fa'ulwn/. In this metre one can also freely substitute a line of /hazaj mwsaddas axrab/ with the second foot /maqbuz mwhabbaq/ and the third foot /maqsur/: /maf'ulwn fa'ylwn mafaril/.

(3)

/ramal mwsaddas maqsur/: /fa'ylatwn fa'ylatwn fa'ylan/. The last foot may also be /mahzuf/: /fa'ylwn/.

(4)

/xafif mwsaddas/ with the second foot /maxbun/ and the third foot /maxbun maqsur/: /fa'ylatwn mafa'ylwn fa'ylan/. The third foot may also be /maxbun mahzuf/, /maxbun mygo'? ? as maqsur/, or /maxbun mwga 9 9 as mahzuf/: i, e. /fa'ylwn/, /fy'lan/, or /fy'lwn/.

(5)

/sari mwsaddas/ with the first two feet /matvi/ and the last foot /matvi mawquf/: /mwfta'ylwn mwftalylwn fa'ylan/. The last foot may also be /matvi makguf/: /fa'ylwn/.

A. 200. APPENDIX H: ABBREVIATIONS

The following is a modification of Appendix I of "A Course in Urdu, " vol. 3, pp. 1-5.

A. 201. Grammatical Form Classes. The vocabulary section of this book is divided into three vertical columns: the first gives the Urdu script form of the entry; the second contains a phonemic transcription (sometimes followed by one or more alternate pronunciations) and an indication of the grammatical class to which the item belongs; the third column provides the English meaning[s] of the entry. If the item occurs in complex verbal formations (see "A Course in Urdu, " Secs. 5.307, 7.123, 7.307, and 11.306) or has idiomatic usages requiring explanation, these are indented beneath the main entry and are given in phonemic transcription only. Some of the abbreviations in the following list are not major grammatical classes but are rather subclasses of some major class (e. g. "Al" and "A2" are both members of the class "adjective"). Where an item belongs to more than one class its more common usage is listed first (e. g. "Ml Al" = the entry is usually a Type I masculine noun but is also employed as a Type I adjective). MEANING

ABBREVIATION Al

Type 1 adjective (i. e. an adjective which remains immutable whatever the number-case-gender of the noun it modifies: e. g. /pak/ Al "pure, clean'')

A2

Type II adjective (i. e. an adjective which has number-gender-case endings agreeing with the noun modified: e. g. /accha/ A2 "good")

Adv

adverb

Comp Post

compound postposition

Conj

conjunction

Demon

demonstrative

Fl

Type I feminine noun (i. e. a noun. having a paradigm like that of /mez/ Fl "table'')

F2

Type II feminine noun (i. e. a noun having a paradigm like that of /laRki/ F2 "girl")

Fpl

Type I feminine plural noun

Interj

interjection

Interrog Adv

interrogative adverb

M1

Type I masculine noun (i, e, a noun having a paradigm like that of /ghar/

lv

ABBREVIATION

MEANING MI "house")

M2

Type II masculine noun (i. e. a noun having a paradigm like that of /laRka/ M2 ''boy")

M/F1

Type I masculine and Type I feminine noun (i. e. a noun having a masculine paradigm like that of /ghar/ and a feminine paradigm like that of /mez/: e. g. /razdar/ M/F1 "confidant")

M/Fpl

Type I masculine and Type I feminine plural noun (e. g. /dostan/ M/Fpl "friends")

Mpl

Type I masculine plural noun

Neg Adv

negative adverb

PA1

Type I predicate adjective (i. e. a predicate adjective which remains immutable whatever the number-gender of the subject of the sentence: e. g. iyarq/ PA1 "drowned, sunken, absorbed")

PAZ

Type II predicate adjective (i. e. a predicate adjective which has numbergender endings agreeing with those of the subject: e. g. /khaRa/ PA2 "standing, erect, upright")

PN

personal name: i, e. a noun which is the name of a person; the gender of such nouns is given after "PN" in brackets: e. g. /salman/ PN [Ml] "Salman Farsi" (the name of a male person)

Post

postposition

Prep

preposition

Pron

pronoun

Rel Pron

relative pronoun

The names of various other minor grammatical classes are written out in full: e. g. "enclitic particle. " There is no single symbol for the major class "verb": instead, after each verbal infinitive a formulaic statement is made of the occurrence of causative, double causative, and intransitive (for basically transitive) stems. The stem vowel of these derived forms is also given. If the verbal infinitive is itself a derived form, its stem category (causative, double causative, or intransitive) is given, followed by the simplex form of the verb, followed by its stem classification symbol. Details of this system will be found in "A Course in Urdu, " Secs. 9.306 and 9.600. Stem categories include: ABBREVIATION

MEANING

C

Causative

DC

Double Causative

I

Intransitive

lvi

On the basis of the occurrence of derived stem forms, the following verbal subclasses are established: (I) Basically transitive verbs: ABBREVIATION

MEANING

to

Transitive only: i. e. no Intransitive, Causative, or Double Causative forms occur

Ib

Transitive and Causative only

lc

Transitive, Causative, and Double Causative forms

Id

Transitive and Double Causative only

Ie

Transitive, Causative, Double Causative, and Intransitive

If

Transitive, Double Causative, and Intransitive

Ig

Transitive and Intransitive only

Ih

Transitive, Causative, and Intransitive only

(2) Basically intransitive verbs:

(3)

Ila

Intransitive only

IIb

Intransitive and Causative only

Ilc

Intransitive, Causative, and Double Causative

Lid

Intransitive and Double Causative only

Basically intransitive-transitive verbs: lila

Intransitive-Transitive, Causative, and Double Causative

fllb

Intransitive-Transitive only

IIIc

Intransitive-Transitive and Causative only

IIId

intransitive-Transitive and Double Causative only

For example, thus, /kholna/ le: /w/ "to open" indicates that the verb /kholna/ belongs to that subclass which is basically transitive and which may have causative, double causative, and intransitive forms, the stem vowels of which will be /w/: i, e. /khwlana/ "to cause to open, " /khwlvana/ "to cause to be opened, to have opened, " and /khwlna/ "to open (intransitive). " Similarly, /pahi7vcana/ C: /pahWcna/: IIc "to cause to arrive, make reach, bring, send" signifies that /pahcvcana/ is the causative form of /pahcvcna/ "to arrive, " and that the latter is basically an intransitive verb having derived causative and double causative forms (i. e. /pahiWana/ and /pahCircvana/ "to cause to arrive (through some intermediary), to have something brought, to have something sent").

A. 202. Other Abbreviations and Conventions.

lvii

In a few instances special symbols are employed to indicate the number, case, and gender of a noun or adjective. These are almost always found in combinations: e. g. "MNS" = "masculine nominative singular," "OP" = "oblique plural. " These are: MEANING

ABBREVIATION F

feminine

M

masculine

N

nominative

O

oblique

P

plural

S

singular

✓

vocative

Other symbols include: [np]

no plural

P1. Sp. Obj. Form

plural special object form (e. g. /wnhel "them"; see "A Course in Urdu, '1 Sec. 5. 303)

Sg. Sp. Obj. Form

singular special object form (e. g. /kyse/ "whom? to whom? "; see "A Course in Urdu, " Sec. 5. 303) a word marked by an asterisk is an Arabic or Persian plural form before a word in the vocabulary the "+" sign indicates that the word has been given before in "A Course in Urdu" and it is being given again here because of the necessity of adding further information about its meaning, usage, etc.; in Appendix I the "+" sign marks the boundaries of a metrical foot /..../ is used to set off material in phonemic transcription; for reasons of space, however, the phonemic form of the main entry word in the vocabulary is not marked by this device square brackets may enclose (a) an alternate pronunciation of an entry; (b) a difference of opinion about the gender of an item; (c) optional material in a formation; (d) a note given after an English gloss; (e) the subject, object, etc. of a complex verbal formation; (f) the gender of a proper noun (see Sec. A. 201 above); (g) an alternate explanation in the notes given after a verse

[...

any consonantal letter; see Sec. A. 130 ✓

any short vowel; see Sec. A. 130

✓

any long vowel;

see Sec. A. 130

/'/ represents the letter /ayn/ in the Arabic formulae for the various metrical feet; in these formulae /ayn/ is just

lviii

MEANING

ABBREVIATION

a cover symbol for any consonantal letter; see Sec. A. 140 of this book: e. g, /fa'ulwn/ = CV-CV-CVC The system of phonemic transcription employed in this book is the same as that presented in Secs. 1. 201 through 1. 234 of "A Course in Urdu. " A few special usages must be noted, however: although the glottal stop is not much used in everyday spoken Urdu (see Sec. 1.234 of "A Course in Urdu"), it often has some consonantal value in poetry, where it may represent either the letter /hamza/ (Sec. 10. 005) or the letter /ayn/ (Sec. 10.003). Very few speakers give /ayn/ its original Arabic phonetic value. Thus, for example, spoken /jwrat/ may occur as /jwr? at/ in poetry -- or possibly just /jwr-at/ with syllable juncture but no real glottal stop over a vowel in the phonemic transcription /I indicates an especially short form of that vowel employed for reasons of metre. Such a short vowel may be of a slightly different quality than the corresponding long vowel; e, g. /mn-a,/ AZ "my" has an "e" vowel similar to the English "e" of "set" or "pep"; see "A Course in Urdu, " Sec. 1. 207. Over an "s, " of course, this diacritic has a completely different value: /V = the "sh" of "ship" A few further abbreviations occurring in the English glosses and notes are: adj.

adjective

lit.

literally; occasionally also "literary" before an alternate pronunciation of an Urdu word in phonemic transcription

pl.

plural

Sec.

Section (usually in reference to "A Course in Urdu")

Secs.

Sections

sg.

singular

Each poet's pen-name (/taxallws/) is written in the author's phonemic script throughout this book. Other proper names occurring in the translation and commentary sections are given in a "modified English spelling" similar to that employed by many orientalists for Urdu, except that no diacritics are used.

lix

scoLtan ayman

LI3 10,. •;

L'3,44 ; 1.

There is no spring, no melody, no garden, no nest. I have neither a tale nor a love-story.

There is nothing in my life but emptiness, desolation, and dejection. I am forever separated from all those things which bring joy. Life is colourless without love.

r 2.

;

- VL5-1

All of these shoots stem from His grace: this tale of joy and sorrow, this story of you and me.

All love, all joy and sorrow, all that makes life beautiful and interesting is due only to the grace of God. [Sufistically: Human love, human sorrows -- indeed, this entire universe of perception -- is naught but a reflection of that One Being.

2-4);7)(5),,-.C-4--cil(fir rL) 3.

b

He who has ever taken refuge in Thy mercy -he has been favoured by this same cycle of time.

He who has thrown himself upon the mercy of God has been blessed by the same cycle of time that has been so cruel to others.

tp /

4.

6f/,

•;• •

Your stubborn refusal of my every entreaty -- my desire is fulfilled by each refusal.

I make requests of you only in order to hear your voice. The only satisfaction I desire is that you speak to me, and my purpose is served even when you only utter "No. " [Or: Once my desires were fulfilled, the pleasures of anticipation and desire would end, and my life would then become once more colourless, By refusing me, you only increase my pleasure and the ecstasy of my love.

C) ".1"VA . 1;(f

t...ki.j d;

t,■1

5.

In seeking a glimpse of you, my continuous silence is but courtesy on my part -- on your part it is an excuse.

My refusal to beseech you for a glimpse of your beauty is but courtesy. You, however, use my silence as an excuse for not showing yourself to me.

14,c

'I •

vu.-)tici /L3 00

6.

•

••

His eyes are upon everyone. It is each one's fate that some caught His favour; some have become His targets.

God is omnipotent and omnipresent. It is His will, which we limited creatures cannot understand, which determines which of us will be fortunate and which will suffer. [/nazar par caRh jana/ is an idiom for "to come into favour, be looked upon favourably. 1

7.

Submission is this, ayman, that, against the command of God, neither should one establish enmity nor friendship with anyone.

Submission to God is complete only when we have rejected our own selfish desires and the dictates of personal motivation. Our friends should be only those who tread His path and who reject those who repudiate Him. Every aspect of our lives should be governed by His will, as expressed in the Holy Quran and in the example of the Prophet Muhammad.

2

1.

That He be beyond madness and wisdom -- let it not be thus! ayman, let there be no further veil beyond the veil!

We can only hope that God be truly within the grasp of the questing human spirit. Let there be no further, unattainable Reality behind that appearance of reality which can be reached by our intellect and our love.

V.)16L.4,14-1 ;1.4(5,14-2-1,A).:44.10 2.

If it were not for the inducement of her intoxicating eyes, even the greatest efforts of lovers could not attain the abandonment of self.

Unless there be some indication on the part of the beloved, love cannot reach its zenith. [Sufistically: ] God cannot be approached even by the greatest effort, unless He Himself wills. [One of the higher stages of Sufism is /bexwdi/ F2 [np], the ecstatic abandonment of self. Note that /lakh/ Al "hundred thousand" is here used idiomatically as "to the greatest extent. "]

3.

If you are to meet me, then meet me today and just now Otherwise by tomorrow there perhaps may be a hundred things -- who knows what may or may not be?

Let us not postpone our meeting till tomorrow, my beloved, for this life is transitory, and perhaps by tomorrow opportunity and even life itself may have slipped through our grasp.

3

II

•

Le'L

j•

fej.

•" ..et ,-,

4.

1.

• 4

w •"

b,lG J 4._-■-i . .. i..—/ cp s.-.1'...,

Along with your promise of tomorrow, there was an uncalled-for smile. Let this smile itself not belie that promise of tomorrow.

When you gave me your promise to meet me, there was a trace of a smile with it which warns me that you may be simply teasing me again. I can only pray that you were sincere.

er-i-iiar‘s}voLv4.1., L-01 e---ys4 5.

Agreed that there is estrangement between her and me

the

tie remains. The connection is there, whether we are on speaking terms or not.

Estrangement is at least some sort of relationship, no matter how difficult to bear. So long as any bond at all exists between my beloved and me, I am satisfied.

-31;;Le 2-6.

How can it be that the innermost desires of my heart I have not been able to explain, or you have not been able to understand?

It is just not possible that my love for you was not made plain. You must have understood me. Why, then, must you go on taking no notice of my desires and pretending that nothing has happened?

4

II 7. It is not possible to attain His majestic company, oymen, unless there be a touch of madness in one's wisdom.

Attainment of true knowledge of God is not possible through the intellect alone. It requires a fixity of purpose, a touch of madness -- in short: love.

5

III [This is not really a iyazal/ Fl "ode", but a /nazm/ Fl "poem" in the form of a /yazal/.

4c,r(j)

'3.14

1. 1 bore you, someone bores me, and you bore somebody else, but every bore is unaware of his being a bore.

2, Some are fatal bores, some are preposterous bores, but an educated bore is a "blunder-bore. "

Z_ eLLy; ; ri,tf 3.

If those having different tastes are thrown together, then each one bores the other every minute.

4.

If an officer bores his helpless subordinates, then he is tolerated by pretended gaiety and "yes-man-ship. "

[/afsar/ MI "officer" is used in India and Pakistan for any superior, whether in a mylana/ lit. government department or in a private company: "the boss. " /ha me "to mix yes with yes" means "to obsequiously agree with everything" -- in the American idiom, "to be a yes-man. "]

6

III

.-._ Le- 4 L. r 314 3' L9,,C.:),..;_ i 4— try/ ji.iL*--'01 ly7,./ L..P,L of 5.

At a time when one is trying to think, if one comes and plants himself, even a fast friend becomes a bore to the writer.

[/yare yar/ MI "fast friend, bosom companion. " This is an allusion to the friendship of Hazrat Abu Bakr for the Prophet Muhammad: when the latter was forced to leave Mecca for Medina, he took refuge in a cave in order to evade a group of his enemies. Hazrat Abu Bakr was with him during this incident, and "a friend of the cave" has thus become synonymous with "fast friend. "]

- lo cji).(1/1_ , I 4.-- try, ,Ji../1, 1J./ ‘...,-; 6.

May God never let any man have need of another because each one who needs becomes a bore to the one who can fulfill his needs.

.. if: ._ i,; ?.I Lc/ l.....-",::. 0 .-_,CL

— ir ifil j i . z III'

zr 7.

ayman, in this world all these phenomena are based on feelings -- otherwise would one man ever bore another?

Were it not for the delicateness of our feelings, one man could never bore another. After all, man is the highest and most intelligent of all of God's creatures. It is this over-sensitivity that is a real human weakness.

7

IV

Itt 0 VO.-/- fi.:---j--. .. .:• 4s--

&A; 0 l..!: `Ti 1.

Ll;;2_-(r e_-.; I.A.'i f1

Just as the track of the fiery lightning changed in the sky, thus did I alter the arrangement of my nest.

Repeatedly I have had to alter my way of life in order to deal with my misfortunes. As each new crisis arose, I met it with some change in strategy. So far, I have thus been able to escape being destroyed by the cruelty of Fate. [Or: ] Each lover desires to be consumed in the fire of love. So fond am I of this ecstatic immolation, that I repeatedly thrust my nest into the path of the flames.

-i 11.c, 0 L..-;1.):I 1(0 I L 2.

-

iL; IA

Is this an expression of dislike or of the concealment of her love, that when I am mentioned, there is a change in her manner of speech?

When I am mentioned in her presence, I detect a difference in her tone. I long to believe that this is a sign of hidden affection for me, but yet fear that it really implies that she dislikes me.

d. V4?:.- d......7 4_, ..)1,.._,,, ()/ (,): l...>Z-,., ; 4,L):IiLil.e,...J 3.

Give me some obsession fit for my head, since it is fit neither for the wall nor for the threshold.

Give me some higher goal worthy of me; the walls and threshold of this material world are not worthy of my efforts.

8

IV

Li;j1 ("J.?: f,e. V.:I;(1.4( 4.

Vi'

14

42') CIL))

0 my longing eyes, this was my self-deceit: I mistook the beating of my heart for the sound of her footsteps.

• 5.

0 naive saint, ask not about my drinking: When wine is not available, I fill my eyes with tears and go on drinking.

0 you who would criticise, know that I am so fond of drinking that, when wine is not obtainable, I fill the cups of my eyes with tears and go on drinking. The intoxication that I feel is then not that of wine but the even headier anguish of sorrow.

trdtr)j

;41 e.

utzLA:Lc7.2_L-1.,,y; 6.

In the brilliancy of your face, these eyebrows are like shadows huddled in the moonlight.

4.—,1

7.

rct.b

),4

v

My lamentation has not reached its destination, my sigh is without effect. There is still "I" in me, and I am still vain of my plumage.

The highest stage of Sufistic devotion is the complete abandonment of self and the merging of the ego into the Oneness of God. As long as I am aware of my separate individuality and take pride in my worldly doings and possessions, this stage of spiritual development will be denied me. My devotion is not complete.

9

IV

L:r 8.

_

1

I looked on longingly in the crowded company as you, 0 Saqi, passed the wine-cup to each by name.

Though I saw others receiving the cup of happiness in this world, it was never passed to me, When you call on us each by name, do not all those in the company have the right to expect a fair share?

c.ik-:,Z)ile..oi cr-tmoci- - v1 9.

Someday you and I and our go-between should sit down and put it all in order: something seems to have been omitted from my love-story here and there.

Our messenger could not convey the full extent of my love to you, nor could he describe the full glory of your beauty and the delicacy of your grace to me. Let all three of us, who are concerned, gather and complete these missing details:

10.

Seek, that perhaps a leader for the caravan may be found among those who seem weak and tired, sitting in the background,

The best guide for our lives may not always be he who is conspicuous and popular. The true leader may be found among those who appear to be ordinary people, avoiding the arena of public attention,

10

saqyb zuiwi

ei;Oydt—fierizt-'`;').3" Li"

:e 4— ci;i ciAc 1.

An enemy of tranquility obsesses my heart and sight. Love is changing its garb to that of madness.

Any preoccupation, pursued to an extreme, may lead to madness. The image of my beloved's beauty has obsessed my mind to such an extent that I feel myself teetering upon the verge of stark insanity.

• ei5o)cit..1;(31.,.: 4;‘) 4— ck. 2.

The beating of my heart has become the gay music of desire. Whose footsteps do 1 hear behind the curtain?

My beloved's coming surrounds everything with an aura of gaiety.

r

3.

cr-tar;) 4— (14J je:

The desirous glance and her blooming cheek -- a sunbeam at daybreak plays upon a mirror.

My beloved's cheek is a mirror upon which my yearning glance plays like a ray of the early morning sun. It is the light of my love which illuminates the beauty of my beloved.

4.

Who is this beauty of spring who passed this way? Even yet are the garments of the flowers perfumed.

11

_.. ...., . ., • 6..e,r 1 The petals of the flowers are fragrant only because of the beloved's passing. [Sufistically: ] Everything that is good and beautiful draws its essential qualities from God. All of the good qualities of this phenomenal world are reflections of aspects of His being.

Lc./ ),4-a) CV QP r);; (./46 (f t.:: Lt. a, L 0 e7 ) 3, 5.

Sight has the desire to look; the heart is full of self-respect. There is discord in the relation between heart and sight.

My heart and my eyes are in disagreement: my proud and self-respecting heart will not allow me to look upon my beloved when she gives me no sign of encouragement, but yet my eyes keep saying, "Look! "

--14i). 1 1 u(3 iv.: ‘:--,UP ,) e--%;g4Icia5 66

fug,)

III 9, See! The season of roses has come, goblet in hand! Dance, 0 queen of the Lyezal/, dance!

10. In my heart thus does thy love surge, just as melody enfolds the iyazal/

67

IV

;;, L, tie-OA:R 6,010i L4,1 . Leer--■(4701datiLti....*4-4 1.

Those tears which were unknown to my eyelashes circulate like sparks in every vein.

Though I have kept my grief sealed up within me, each unshed tear burns in my veins like fire, increasing the anguish of sorrow.

epiizi.;10)- Li%) ir:41 zr-2.

‘=tt:jJJ J.

Do not estimate the sorrow of my heart only by my tears; the story of my grief requires deeper study:

These visible signs of my anguish provide but a poor gauge by which to judge the real depths of my feelings.

v.4.om-ra )r-r i:7v,4 4--3.

It is not the fate of my night that it ever have a dawn -- 0 stars, deceive me not with your twinkling.'

These faint glimpses of happiness that I see do not herald a true dawn of contentment for me. I know that my destiny is one of eternal gloom and sorrow.

try; 07,,C, 4.

If the path in search of the goal of love itself were to become footprints and move along with me -- what then?

68

IV Were my road and my goal to move along under me as I advanced, then how could I ever approach my goal? Life would become nothing but a treadmill. The goal then becomes like the horizon -- the traveller may journey toward it forever, yet still never reach it,

1? 5.

4— lele(1014,4?

What comfort there is attached to Thy name! Even upon thorns sleep comes peacefully.

Even though one is beset by misfortune and sorrow, still the very name of God brings contentment.

6.

Though I went round and round for the sake of a goblet of wine, yet the cup never came round for me.

Though I sought happiness everywhere, it was not my lot that the cup of fortune should ever be set before me.

czty: L;Z__,;?1,1;5' hi_ 7.

Even knowing this, that you are not faithful -- 0 life, still do I keep you company.

8.

Until my denouement itself calls me, let my story not be commenced.

69

IV Do not tell my sad story while I live.

■•• utl,;* ?c.vl,f3 I mf,

2_ 1,4;

(lc; 4: 1;2_ 2..44,e , Lt)7 (5j

9.

I demanded something else from the God of Love -- I did not have this ephemeral world in view.

I desired something more lasting and more sublime than this material world -- if God truly be a God of Love, why has He put me here?

10. Life is waiting; perhaps death has passed on ahead. Though I wait for death, it does not come. Can it have passed me by and left me to suffer this anguish eternally?

70

ybne sayl fasib

er c.(61d 1

tkL.., 4_16.4 •• i)Ticci, 1. Even now there is still that same yearning for your curling ringlets as before. There is still that same madness, that same ailment, as before.

•• irirk-f.: ciC •

„„

rKY4.-iL4:; ./oL •.• •,

2. That malady of love for you is still as it was before. The name that was upon my lips hundreds of times is still there as before.

[A Sufistic interpretation of the two foregoing verses might be: ] All created beings were brought before God on the Day of Creation to acknowledge His majesty and omnipotence. It was then that an everlasting love for God was conceived in each creature's heart, and, though we have been apart from Him throughout our earthly lives, still our hearts yearn for reunion with Him,

6•Ak:(Lii • 3. How on earth can we go to the garden and plan a nest? The gardener who was the cause of all our torments is still there as before. How can we think of building a home and a peaceful life in this world? As always, cruel Fate is there to destroy us. [/kya xak kare/ is almost exactly the same as the English "How on earth ... ?"]

71

4.

How can I believe that her heart is not displeased with me? There is still that same expression of uncalled-for annoyance as before.

My beloved continues to complain of me without reason. How can I make myself believe that she is not displeased with me?

-",./..1 11'C c '4141:

5.

Even after death my eyes are fixed upon the arch of the Kaba. There is still the same thought of your arching brows as before.

[Muslims bury a dead person with his face turned towards the /kaba/ M2, the great central temple of Islam built by the Prophet Abraham in Mecca. ] My eyes are turned toward the Kaba after death, and in its arches 1 will still see the likeness of your delicately arched brows. My love will last even after death.

4.

eLyi 611

o

6.

Sitting apart, yet she smiles and indicates to me by her gestures, "Achievement of your desire is still as hopeless as before. "

Thus cruelly does my beloved taunt me! [Or, if /bekar/ Al be translated as "purposeless", this verse might mean: ] Achievement of desire is always useless and without reason, since the pleasures of anticipation are lost once the goal is gained.

72

( .j.it2-44- .— . !cilL;C•1,1 4— )1;;CDIVA?"1--1 7. 0 Ybne Sayl, this is dreadful: She has snatched away my heart and yet inquires, "Is that same sympathiser still by your side as before?"

Though she has already stolen my heart, still she asks me of its whereabouts just to torment me. [Aazab hay/ has a connotation like "Well, that's the limit: " iyarnxar/ M/F1 "sympathiser" is the lover's heart, mentioned in the first hemistich, which is treated here as though it were a separate person, one of the lover's friends who sympathise with him.

73

er-l+-Atr 1.

**1:4-4/

The keeper of the tavern has just sent this message: "Let the habitu6s of the tavern tarry yet awhile. "

[/pire mayxana/ MI "tavern-keeper" usually stands for a Sufi saint or spiritual guide. The "habitu6s" are those who seek his aid on the path to God. "Tarry" refers to the stage of "patience", at which the disciple learns to wait calmly for the revelation of God's glory, sharpening his powers of anticipation and intensifying the vividness of his desire, Thus: ] Let those who seek the Truth remain upon the plane of patience for awhile; the time for further progress is not yet.

Cifi.Likve.tlE;U:jch er-0 1,(5; 2.

Yes, stay! The door of the tavern is now about to open. Clouds have come, and soon the goblet shall go its round.

[In the Subcontinent wine-drinking is traditionally considered to be more pleasant when the sky is overcast. ] Be patient yet a little while. There are signs that soon the revelation of God's divine grace will come.

(.6 ;kJ LtiPti, 3.

r;

L f

lfj tiLAe.

Let spring come; the desert will be thronged. The love stricken will now rush there with head bare and collar torn.

The lover's passion is enhanced by the coming of spring, and he seeks seclusion in the desert from the distractions of the beauty of the garden.

74

•

.1 .

4.

■

_0 —0

• 1"

a

•

,

Let the beaker, the flagon, and the bowl remain before me! 0 tavern-keeper, I would yet drink a little more.

Once I have been allowed to taste the exquisite joy of divine grace, my whole being thirsts yet for more.

(fi 5.

0 tavern-keeper, there is yet this one fault in me: that I drink but one cup and still get tipsy.

My spiritual development is not yet complete, for I have not yet learned to restrain my joy whenever .1 am granted some small sign of success in my search for God.

6, 0 Saqi, there still remains a little drunken indiscretion in me. Just let me learn the etiquette of the tavern!

I do not yet know how to behave when I am granted divine grace. I become intoxicated and am carried away by the intensity of my passion. 0 forgive me and grant me time to learn how one must act who follows the Sufi path to God!

LK1

4--t) 10,10,e

7. Wait a bit! Let the round of the goblet not yet be! 0 tavern-master, Ybne Sayl is coming soon!

75

II

51a1;Cial

0 wait, we beseech you! Our friend, Ybne Sayl, is coming, and we pray that he too be allowed the taste of the glories of divine love. He too is a seeker on this path!

76 •

III

3 Lf Ci.2 Di

k __,:. e ;

Ii L))

1. Had there been a dash of collyrium in these eyes, it would have become an arrow for my heart. [/dyl o jygar/ lit. "heart and liver" means simply "heart", the innermost core of one's being and the seat of one's emotions. Both /dyl/ M1 and /jygar/ M1 are used separately in the same meaning. Here the poet has also dropped the connective /o/ for reasons of metre. ] If you had but emphasised the loveliness of your eyes with a little collyrium, your beauty would have become unbearable for me.

:3 L'ecr,-;..4: i.; I A tee! e

3 if e--‘:113.1/c5 .'cii,(kw-.;1 2.

0 God, had there been any way to meet her, then it is possible that my miserable fortune might have turned.

[/taqdir ban jati/ lit. "fortune would have been made" means "fortune would have become favourable, taken a turn for the better. "]

Q-.•

3 t4(:): 3.

6.J2;:6 .i);

nrx.,1 J 14:7)

-‘,-; 3 1./. 1r c..;,„.A

The joy, exhilaration and intoxication would have been enhanced, 0 Saqi, had your image been imprinted upon the goblet.

[In Persia it was the custom to decorate a wine-goblet with a picture of a beautiful girl. Various portions of her anatomy then served as measures for the amount of wine drunk.] So intoxicating is my beloved's beauty that had her picture been engraved upon the cup, the exhilaration of the wine would have been increased a thousand-fold.

77

III

1,..) Ai-f;

m.o.;

4. Your mad lover would not have fled prison and run towards the desert, had the chain been made ready before the advent of spring. You were too indifferent to my love even to keep me a prisoner. If only you had made my bonds stronger, I would have remained ecstatic in your captivity during the spring season, when passion rises to its zenith.

•

)9 i'L))_;kiL__.;

L3

5.

No one would have mentioned the name of Shirin in the world of love, 0 Farhad, had the river of milk been completed by your hands.

[Shirin and Farhad are the protagonists of a famous Persian love story. Versions differ, but all seem to agree that Farhad was a sculptor who agreed to channel through a mountain and build a "river of milk" (perhaps so-called because of its white and foaming appearance) to the king's door in order to win Shirin. When he had almost completed this herculean task, those opposed to the marriage, fearing his success, sent a woman to tell him that Shirin had committed suicide. Overcome by despair, Farhad struck himself with his stone-chisel and died. ] Had Farhad completed his task and won Shirin, there would have been no story. Successful love wins no fame; only those stories that end in tragedy (like Shirin and Farhad, Layla and Majnun, Romeo and Juliet) endure eternally upon the tongues and hearts of lovers.

,;J)

6_,• )« .;frL'31J1-or:

r

jj

• (.4,4,-;:i 6.

It is well that the nightingale has left the garden, otherwise, in the spring, the veins of the roses would have become links in her chain.

78

ui Beauty is enhanced a thousand-fold by the coming of spring. In such a season it is better that a lover flee from the garden rather than be hopelessly ensnared by the unfolding loveliness around him. He must know that the longer he stays the more exquisite his torment will be.

• A

7.

0 slayer, you have abandoned your intention for no good reason! Whatever was to happen to my life would have happened under your sword.

0 my cruel beloved, when you elected to slay me with the sword of love, I was ready to die. At least I would have known your attentions for a moment -- perhaps as you slew me I might have even felt the touch of your hands. 0 why have you now abandoned your resolve? If it is out of compassion for me, know that the greater mercy was to kill me swiftly and end my agony!

8.

She did not come to the grave of Ybne Sayl after his death to offer a prayer. Otherwise the dust itself would have clutched at her garment-hem.

[It is a Muslim custom to show respect for the dead and request God's mercy for them by going to the graveside and reciting the opening chapter of the Holy Quran (called the /fatyha/ Fl [nip]) and certain other prayers. /damangir/ PAI means both "seizing hold of in order to stop, to detain" and "seizing in order to demand justice. " Thus: If my beloved had come to my grave, the very dust itself would have risen to seize her garments and demand justice for the cruel way in which she slew me.

79

IV

Leb,) ' 2'— trj;_1 1 1. 0 Saqi, I drink the ruby wine only at the coming of spring. Even if I do get it, it is only a little, 0 Saqi, Why am I accused so unjustly of drinking? If I drink at all it is only when surrounded by the ecstasy of the season of love, and even then it is only a little, [/barae nam/ "for the sake of the name" means "only a trifle, a very little. "]

VV I L4-4

-

Z. The rosy wine is spilled before me. In this I find the mischief of the tavern-keeper. Why does my spiritual guide grant the boon of divine grace to others but never to me? I am allowed to perceive it but never to receive a share.

L"— U`

L 1?

1

,1/4"

(3 3. 0 Ybne Sayl, come along today! You too must join us in drinking. Saqi is our friend! Saqi is our companion! When the cupbearer is our friend, surely we can obtain some of the wine of happiness for you too. [Sufistically: ] Our Sufi /pir/ M1 "spiritual guide" is kind and generous; if you will follow his path, you too will be granted some of the "wine" of God's divine grace,

80

IV 4.

ailLe-"Z;1.11-

In the springtime, your mad lover fears the moonlit night.

In the season of love, how much more beautiful must the allurements of the world be when silvered by the radiance of moonlight! One who is already enthralled by love must indeed be driven beyond the bounds of sanity and sense by such a scene. [The moon is connected with madness in the Subcontinent as well as in European traditions. ]

5.

What does it matter to the prisoners in the cage whether spring comes or autumn? Let anyone build the nest -- let anyone destroy the nest!

All things are equal to one who is a prisoner: beauty or ugliness, elegance or squalor, pleasure or pain -- all are the same, for the very core of one's being is deadened once one is a captive. The only goal left is freedom. [This verse may be taken as referring to imprisonment by the drab toils of the material world, or to political oppression, etc. ]

r

fyi(ok.!,44-(5;44,(LeLfroAb 6.

In the springtime the moonlight is blooming from kissing the lips of the roses; 0 how it is beside itself with rapture!

[/cadni khylna/ is an idiom denoting "to be, become a bright moonlight night, " The literal meaning of /khylna/ Ilc is "to bloom, flower, " however, and it thus fits into the metaphor of the garden and the roses. /ape se bahar/ "outside of oneself" is equivalent to the English idiom "beside oneself (with joy, etc. ). "]

7.

If it be not a burden upon your heart, may I submit that in my breast there is a strange idea ... ?

81

IV The way in which I request permission to speak is itself sufficient to tell you of my love. I need say no more, for you will understand. [The beauty of this verse lies in the amount the poet has managed to say while still leaving everything unsaid.

L),Aii.);:dili J-i-44174-.(r; 8.

What interest had anyone in sharing my sorrow and grief? Only my own bedewed eyes wept for years over my condition.

Who in this world cares for the sorrows of another? We all must bear our anguish in solitude; no one cares for others.

PL.,,.()AP log 14;

(cy:A. Lib 1' 9.

k; (),

You should not have come to my bedside with my rival! At my last breath, at least you should not have broken my ailing heart!

10.

The veil will slowly rise from her face, as gradually the moon becomes full.

Have patience, for it is not a woman's way to surrender entirely all at once to the entreaties of her lover. [Sufistically: ] The divine glory of God is revealed only slowly to the seeker, It is never an instantaneous process but one which must proceed by gradual stages.

r•-; 61•V 5-ti

4--43.31)(

22

•

82

IV

1

11. 0 pious one, you will flutter about like a pigeon! The tavern-keeper is proud of this red water! [Here the two Islamic concepts of the path to God are contrasted. The "honoured /ayx/ MI" is he who follows the way of the /ariat/ F1, the code of Muslim law and behaviour, relying upon strict adherence to the examples set by the life of the Prophet Muhammad (/swnnat/ Fl) and the legalistic interpretation of the Holy Quran to guide him to God's promised salvation. The "tavern-keeper" stands for the Sufi saint or spiritual guide, who seeks contact with God directly through mystic experience. His road leads through various stages of training and spiritual development and ends with the merging of his ego in the boundless love of God. The "red water" is the grace of God achieved through this Sufi path of mystic love. "Fluttering about like a pigeon" refers to a species of pigeon (the /loTan kabutar/ MI), which, if suddenly released from the hands or from a bag, flutters and flops about helplessly on the ground until it is set upon its feet -- a simile for complete disorientation. Thus: ] 0 follower of the /ariat/, according to the Sufi, if ever you were to taste the heady joys of direct Sufistic experience of God, you would completely lose your equilibrium. The "wine" of divine love is far more potent than your dry recitals of law and precedent!

83

parzoin sayyab fana I

4.-(1.11cL*C) L.,li 1.

It is only our longing that is not complete; otherwise there is nothing difficult.

No goal is truly unattainable. If we fail, it is only because we have not devoted ourselves thoroughly enough to the task, [Sufistically: ] The path to God is not a difficult one, but it demands that the seeker lay aside all other considerations and pledge his heart completely to the search for Him. [/zawq/ MI [np] literally means "taste" but may be rendered better here by "longing, yearning. "]

: 6e/j) DJ tz47.1.) 14.441 2.

That heart which does not bear the spark of sorrow may be everything -- but not a heart.

The definition of "heart" must include the capacity for the anguish of love. Without this, no heart can be complete.

. :'31 1 (ajLez-, ci.4.-401 3.

Whoever has set out upon the path of madness, there is then no final goal for him at all.

There can be no attainment of the goal of love, for to once obtain it is to lose it. Hence, there is no end to this journey; once begun, it knows no ending. [Or: ] There are ever further goals along the path of love. Once the seeker has attained one, still others appear on the path ahead. The stages of love are endless and infinite. [/qadam baRhna/ lit. "to extend a step" means "to set out. "]

85

I

u:';;j ,47 i, 4— &y` c:iii ,..., 4.

0 ye who would obliterate yourselves for this world of colour and fragrance, this world is the surf -- not the shore!

Be warned, 0 you who would devote your life to the pursuit of worldly goals! Know that you are mistaking the waves for the shore when you place your faith in these ephemeral, phenomenal things. Here there is nothing solid or stable. [/myTnevalo/ lit. "ye who would be erased" (vocative form) means "ye who would obliterate yourselves, become enamoured of, become utterly devoted to. 1

jf. :-.(Z___PLI, i!j ruz/LA 6L} v1

L

5.

How shall I sing enrapturing melodies? My heart is not inclined toward it.

How can my poetry sing with joy when my heart is full of grief?

86

1.

Goblets of blood are overflowing from my eyes. Who can know the plaint of my stricken heart?

No one can truly know the terrible depths of my grief. It cannot be put into words but can only be surmised from the tears of blood that pour from my eyes. [Likening the eyes to wine goblets and "weeping tears of blood" (the colour of wine -- again part of the metaphor) is a common poetic expression for extreme grief. ]

2.

The dustcloud of despair has obliterated every path. How can one discern the signs of the end of love's journey?

Our burden of depression and sorrow may in itself act to prevent us from finding happiness. [/luTna/ le "to plunder" is here used as "to destroy, wipe out, obliterate. "]

"23.

Those scars of destruction were not expunged even by spring; so thoroughly had the garden been ravaged.'

Autumn's cruel devastation has left scars which cannot be erased even by the return of spring: i, e. the ravages of sorrow (or the cruelties of Fate) could not be mended, even by the return of beauty (or happiness). [The context demands that /kwch ayse tawr se/ lit. "in some such way" be rendered as "so thoroughly. 1

87

mo, I:jIP

4.

In search of the non-existent goal of madness who knows whither the mad ones have set out?

There is no clear path leading to the goal of love, for in actuality this goal does not exist. Those afflicted with the madness of love thus set out in every direction, and none knows whither they have gone.

cf-). lj Ltt 5.

Just to kiss but once the brow of the candle the moths are darting towards annihilation.

[The "moth" and "candle" are common symbols in Urdu poetry for "lover" and "beloved": it is the lover's role to sacrifice himself in the conflagration of his beloved's beauty, even though he perish thereby. It is the beloved's role to burn with bright beauty, indifferent to the fate of those she lures to their doom. Here the poetess has employed her /taxallws/ Ml "pen-name" (/fana/ Fl [np] "obliteration, destruction, self-immolation") as a meaningful part of the verse. This is considered an added enhancement to the beauty of the verse. ]

88

III

. k/Li,.,,i1.;?..... 6.:d.;,:d./.2 1.

You came and populated it with desires: otherwise since long my heart had been deserted.

..•._.

*.1 '', IIup.' 1Z

oty4e4ie 2.

How thorny those paths turned out to be which we had thought to be so easy.

The road of love (or pleasure, or life) appears to be easily traversable. Yet, in reality, it conceals endless pitfalls of pain and sorrow. [/pwrxar/ Al lit. "full of thorns. " /nykle/ "came out, " here means ''turned out to be. "]

z(

6-fri ...t -,17 . 3.

..

Those who have no conflagration in their breasts -how can you call them human beings?

If there is one quality that exalts the human race above all the rest of creation, it is the ability to feel the yearning and deep anguish of love. He who lacks this cannot be called a "man" in the higher sense of the word!

if•-‘5:4-h7i4.)6 :

oi ji?..61'41..(tey 4.

The lips of the buds had hardly opened when suddenly the tempest of autumn arose.

89

;

III

W

The period of youth (or life, or pleasure) is short; before we have had time to fully realise its joys, it is over and gone.

ixA t folici`e riVibl t 5. In the endless quest for our goals we know not whither we are going.

All of us seek to assuage that thirst for love which is an integral part of every human heart, but neither are there signposts pointing towards our goal, nor are there guides to lead us. [Or:] We are driven ever onwards by the force of desire, goaded, not knowing whither, in search of our goals. Though we must ever move on in our restless seeking, still we have no way of knowing if we are advancing toward our objective or simply wandering astray.

90

IV

4):;,),ir6.„,-Z. si Y ‘..erati2_1,1YL L.:.,

JI

1. All of the lamps of desire have been reduced to ashes. How long can one live by taking help from the darkness?

Even after time and sorrow have extinguished desire, the darkness itself contains a faint promise that light may someday return. Yet how can one go on living, supported only by this improbable hope? [/ho kar rah Jana/ (with a preceding noun or predicate adjective) means "to enter a state (almost always bad or unpleasant) and remain permanently in that condition": here: "the lamps became ashes -- and remained that way forever. "1

A.1 2.

•

2-74

What enchanting and attractive melodies echoed forth whenever I laid my hand upon the lute of sorrow!

It is sorrow that brings forth the sweetest songs. [/kytne dylkag kayse dylavez... lit. "how enchanting, how attractive • ! " is rhetorical, emphasising the speaker's pleasure. ]

)(11%)'''Viik-eL) 1 . i), C--(.3%) _Y*'t().Lyi 2.7(.4 3.

When has autumn departed; when has springtime arrived? Always, I filled my skirts only with thorns.

Others may experience vicissitudes of fortune, sometimes encountering periods of happiness and at other times suffering pain and grief, but my destiny contains nothing but sorrow. Autumn never left the garden of my life, and spring never visited it.

91

IV

‘iv.40k c)-;

r

2_ Z 4.

L)2

•

0;.).•

For a long time I continued to wander in the desert of madness. And why? Only in search of the goal of my heart,

[If /bas/ Interj "enough" be taken wistfully and ironically: "Well, only for this that ... ": ] I did nothing but wander in search of the ultimate goals of love for such a long time, only to find that this goal existed only in my heart and not in the world of reality at all. [If /bas/ be taken sarcastically: ] So long did I wander in the wilderness of my search -- and for what? Only for THIS -- to find that the goal of love lies within my own heart and not outside of it?

5.

What sort of light is this at every pace on the path of love? Perhaps those in love have laid down their hearts at every step.

Perhaps this refulgence that I see about me on the path of love is that shed by the hearts of lovers who have sacrificed their lives here for this goal before me.

t`ik3 clip; L-Jcif(14 L.c)iv 274- c."71.k ••

6.

•

I.

The lightning of annihilation struck thus that the whole garden was set on fire. Did we build our abode only for this day?

It took but one stroke of misfortune to destroy all of our puny human efforts. Do we live and struggle and toil and build only in order that it may all eventually come to naught? [The poetess has employed her pen-name (/fana/ Fl [np] "obliteration, annihilation") as a meaningful word in the verse. See Fanars second /yazal/ above, ]

92

V

o f:- y4 'IT

1.

Come, let us play with the waves and see! -- How long in search of the shore?

How long shall we be satisfied to seek only contentment and complacency among the drab routines of this mundane world? Come, let us risk all in the maelstrom of life, for only those goals that are gained through struggle and pain and danger are worthwhile.

2.

In search of light, we have so often embraced darkness.

The intensity of our yearning for light (i. e. "Truth") has often blinded us and led us to accept darkness (i, e. "untruth, falsity") in its stead. [Referring to God: ] Many times we have erred in (or been deceived into) accepting false gods in place of that One True God Whom we seek.

3.

You love ease, but I love sorrow. To each the depth of his own perception.

You (0 my beloved, or 0 people of the world!) seek pleasure and comfort, but my insight is deeper than yours: I have realised that grief and pain form the real core of life; what you seek is but superficial and transitory. Even though it be a burden upon my soul, let me embrace that which is the real gist of life, rather than a sweet illusion -- at least then I can never be disappointed by a sudden disillusionment!

93

V

...._ , 4.

(5: ' 1-. 1 1- lf

Even after reaching the desired goal, God knows what sort of thirst is this

I still suffer the pangs of desire, even after attaining my goal. This can mean only that the end I sought was not the last: there must be yet further stages beyond that which I had previously thought to be complete and ultimate.

u12:-L21‘)Li;-)i 2--(1 5.

Why should I now complain to anyone? I alone have deceived myself.

In reality, my beloved gave me no encouragement at all. What I thought were signs of love from him were nothing more than my own self-deception and wishful thinking. Whom should I blame except myself?

Ui.4.--- ..!‘,' .)-2' :ij IC);■- -; `" 4 Cfl i I(C 6.

.

Those who are not accustomed to accept assistance achieve their goal.

The person who is independent and who neither seeks nor accepts help is more likely to attain his goal than one who is in the habit of always depending upon others.

.A.. Ve,:, fru,L....

94

-1[(24.40_,

V 7.

The sensation of being engulfed in the whirlpool was not less, but those on the shore aggravated it still more.

The sight of others enjoying themselves enhances the anguish of one stricken by a calamity far beyond that caused by the event itself.

2-I-!. 2

L) 2--ifd Ltd' 0 U5K3j--- 4 i3 ,1' 3,1c.fi 8.

Who knows whether by journeying in this very desert we may come upon some clue to our goal?

We may yet find some clue to that goal we seek among this round of mundane vicissitudes and sorrows. Endurance of this prosaic world may thus not be entirely pointless after all. [Sufistically; ] If we but persevere in our search, we may yet come upon some clue that will lead us to God.

cs;riLIJ---'" : ct)j,‘-°

-y;J:Pi(j ___,‘,"1,t i

9.

Light the lamp of insight in eye and heart, for every darkness is but a dustcloud upon the sight.

There is no such thing as darkness in reality; what we call darkness is only the result of our own imperfect perceptive ability. If one can but develop the faculty of insight, then all mysteries, all barriers, and all obscurities vanish.

10.

If I could find no sign of my goal, then what? I too have seen such caravans which have become but dust on the way.

If I could not attain the goal of love, then still I feel no humiliation. Many, many

95

V others have sacrificed themselves on this path before me. The signs of their destruction lie on every side.

96

fayz jhynjhcznof

VI; L4: 1.

t•■

■ Li

If there were blood in my heart, then would I make mention of my beloved's eyes. What honour can I do the cup with an empty flagon?

My beloved's eyes are like brimming cups of delightful wine, but I can no longer afford to praise them, for in my grief I have wept tears of blood until my poor heart is empty. The intensity of my passion has drained me until I no longer have the substance to do justice to her beauty. [The metaphor here is complex: "blood" is here used as "wine" (matched with the beloved's eyes, the cup, and the flagon). It also is a symbol for the extremes of grief: the lover weeps until his tears are exhausted and he weeps tears of blood instead. "Blood" also stands for the substance and energy required to praise the beloved's eyes. ]

4--1,-;c6(0).;;Z uo?‘ 2.

—

())

By illuminating the particles of my heart with your image, let me too inaugurate a room of mirrors today!

[In earlier times some of the kings of India constructed chambers walled entirely with mirrors for the amusement of their court. An example is the famous "Shish Mahal" in the Lahore Fort. Thus: ] Let your image so infuse my being that it will be reflected back from every particle of my heart!

1,Jc .. • -P.. Id% I LleCr? -7 re 3.

As yet the rent in my collar is far from the hem of my garment. Smile, and I makes my love-story complete!

[/cak/ M1 [np] Al has been employed in two meanings: first as "hem" and then as "rent, tear. "1 My shirt is not completely torn yet in the madness of my love (i. e. my love has not yet reached the zenith of ecstasy). If you would only smile once more, then I would lose my senses entirely, and my story of love would reach its climax.

97

•••

LI L4 J i •• ••

4.

KJ) 2.1,.. Liff4-;) 1 ••.;

.:

If it be true that you put aside your veil in privacy, then come, let me present the wilderness of my heart!

If you do appear unveiled when there is no one to see, then you should be willing to appear thus in the emptiness of my heart. [Sufistically: 1 God manifests Himself only to the solitary seeker who approaches Him with a heart empty of other loyalties.

)1.20K414.-K,;-:2;ZZIA(.

L

5.

Today again there is the possibility of the advent of her image. If there be a brick of the Kaba, let me erect a temple!

My beloved's image may appear again in my heart today. Yet so much do I respect her that I cannot build a temple for her there unless it be with bricks from the Kaba (the holiest place of worship in Islam). [Sufistically: ] When the image of God manifests itself in my heart, I cannot build a temple for Him unless I found it upon the fundamental structure of Islam (i. e. the Quran and Sunnat -- the Book of God and the examples of the Prophet Muhammad).

1

6.

Aw

L.,8001'

You build a tavern upon the forehead of the moon! I will illumine the line of the cup with the new crescent.

Come, my beloved, let us fly with our joy to the face of the moon! There you shall build our tavern of love, and I will mark off the measures of our cup of delight with the semicircle of the new moon. [Wine cups were marked off into measures in earlier times. The poet is here expressing the exuberance of his love in fanciful metaphor. ]

98

I

00

)L.,IT) top, jg%' ii 164.--i ... .... if; Ce*, e i • , • •;' ...01/1

ki i C, /J.:,L.:..,va'' ; L um-JIG'10•0 •• , 0

c

7. Fayz, that soul of spring will not applaud the display, whether the roses be torn-collared or dance ecstatically. The beloved is indifferent. She will not deign to take notice of the beauties of spring, no matter how much they may try to attract her. Let the roses (beauties of the world) tear their petals or dance for love of her -- she will pay them no heed. This is ironical, since the beloved herself is the "soul of spring, "and she should be the one to care for its beauties if anyone does. [Ude cwka/ "has ceased to give" is here used idiomatically in the ironical meaning of "will not. "]

99

e■i i):F/y7

c

1 1

2--y; 21-,1(SZ) t-

6'6,6

While becoming less, thirst has increased still more. 0 wine-purveying eyes, yet one more cup of the purple!

The glances of my beloved are like wine for me; the more I drink, the more 1 desire. 0 let me have just one more!

It •

• 2.

-

.

_,AJ e ■ L.)y-"27 0,1 ••

Through continuous weeping, a lessening in the fire of sorrow was possible. Yet from a few scattered drops this flame has only waxed the stronger.

Just as a fire blazes even higher when a few drops of water are spattered upon it, thus does the anguish of love increase with the sprinkling of a few tears. Had I wept continuously, however, there was • a chance that it might have abated somewhat.

,:i4)1)4--LCOLfct."* . 3.

Do not go just on the muteness of the dying patient; in such a state, silence creates a greater outcry still.

The silence of the lover, dying of his love, is far more expressive than any torrent of words. His stillness is not to be taken to mean that he is at peace.

100

e L763 f. L;;1•1:4---cr-Dy: 4.

Perhaps the unheeding beauty is unaware of this: most often, indifference creates even greater desire.

Indifference is no deterrent for a lover. On the contrary, it only adds to the beloved's enticement and charm.

.)1L), /Ji 5.

Giving up adornment has brought about no lessening in her beauty. Simplicity has only made her all the more alluring.

L.,

6.

The steed of desire has once more become fond of the halting-place. Yes, 0 free-lancing sorrow, one more spur yet!

The steed of desire (i. e. one's personal drive, one's heart) must not be allowed to become content with any minor goal. The spur of sorrow must be employed to goad him on and on towards a goal which knows no attaining, for, once the goal is reached, the exquisitely sweet pangs of desire and anticipation come to an end.

3 tie...04)51 7.

Fayz' temperament loved solitude from the very start. The sense of alienness has made him even more aloof.

101

[This verse probably refers to the fact that the poet is a refugee from India. There is a feeling of strangeness abbut his new life in Pakistan.

102

III

r,f,A f..4.(; (), 1.

Unfulfilled hope has torn its collar and slipped away; desire has heaped dust upon its head. Whatever has happened to my heart has happened; it is YOUR home that has become desolate.

Both longing and desire have become discouraged by your cruelties and have fled my heart, leaving it empty and desolate. My heart is nothing more than a house I have built for you to dwell in; thus by devastating it, you ruin only your own home.

lyiv 2.

1*. Ai, (4--10!t;4:d.d. 1? 0?

The conditions of the times are delicate; let us see how the matter falls out. You are most unheeding, and my heart, too, is most naive.

Your temperament makes you proud and heedless of my yearning, while my unsophisticated heart refuses to give you up with equal obstinacy. When this is the state of affairs, how can our affair have a happy ending? Conditions are all against the attaining of the object of my love.

2-7691Z04 3.

i(04

I took on obligations to outsiders and accepted accusations from my own people. The truth is this, that, having met you, I have suffered great loss.

I accepted favours and assistance from outsiders whom I thought could help me in my love affair with you. As a further penalty for this infatuation, I suffered from the accusations of my own people, who saw that my headstrong passion could only bring dishonour upon us all. See how much I have undergone for you

103

III ,

J., 1 (

4.

. -0

•

te ,, / Lte Li)

0 you who fan the flame of my sorrow, the lamentation of my heart is no disgrace! If there be a fire and yet no sound, then it is no heart but an incense-censer!

No true flame can burn without some sound, as incense does. Love burns in a mighty conflagration in my heart ; is it strange then that there is a sound -- these lamentations of mine? How can a heart endure this anguish of love and not cry out?

Le,"4.4i,i1Jrid;');(3.,(doi.„7. ). 5.

No pleasure of the company of the world is free from pollution by sorrow. Whatever preparations for pleasure were made, the candle's tears could not be halted.

[The candle is lit whenever a festive company gathers, and it must stand silently by and weep its tears of wax while others are happy and gay. ] Whenever preparations for festivity and gaiety are begun, the candle must weep. Whatever joy and pleasure we find in this world are invariably soiled by someone's sorrow.

444.101./(31..Wii ,:(‘;;VIL14-11

1.,:;‘)L-D16462?14)‘)::4.-ci.Lcfg-f 6.

How long can one be patient with this indifference of yours? There is a heart in Fayz' breast! Fayz too is a human being!

104

IV

Lf 61,

Le' 1.

In

Z./el

Granted that the jugular vein has a connection with the lancet. Yet you should not have made the lancet a part of the jugular vein itself!

[The metaphor stems from the old medical practice of employing a lancet to "bleed" a sick person to relieve him of an excess of "bad blood. "] The lancet of love must indeed produce pain, but let it not cause so much agony that it seems to become an integral part of the vein itself! [Or: ] My beloved's continual indifference and cruelty have made life a constant agony. Now it is as though life itself were a perpetual lancet in my veins.

2.

My glances of love were not your promises, which changed with every little expedience of the occasion.

My love is enduring and constant, unlike your fickle promises! [For ease of translation the actual order of the clauses has been reversed. The original order would have begun with "which • ... "Note that /zaban/ Fl literally means "tongue"; here it is used as "word, promise.

1

Ait,d1(/..*JJ

‘::diff(J1‘11,c,6:-Ytt)

-0.02b7 t,

2f 3.

Those particles which were crushed on the path of love by the tumult of the world have flown up into the air and become fixed as the lamps of the Goal.

Throughout human history the cruelty and harshness of the world have destroyed those whose hearts were full of real love. These great idealists remained steadfast, though they gave up their lives. They thus serve as an example for all time to come. They have become the "lamps" that light each new generation of lovers towards the goal. Love, moreover, is the only path upon which this true and valid distinction can be achieved.

105

IV

•

cru.:45 '4. Had the captives of the garden become accustomed to the cruelties of autumn and made their home in the cage, then what would you have done?

0 cruel tyrant, what more can you do to us, when once we have become accustomed to perpetual torment? Do not punish so much and so often that the punishment itself becomes the prisoner's accustomed way of life, otherwise punishment becomes meaningless. [This verse may be taken as referring to the cruelties of one's beloved, of a political tyrant, or of Fate. ]

~ • idt!7ifij16111). ,,, f,t67,02 5.

The morning star too is trembling on the horizon. 0 tear of sorrow, wait! There is yet another companion for you!

I have waited out the long watches of the night, but my beloved has not come, and now dawn is at hand. 0 tear, wait and go out with the fading morning star -- at least you will have a companion and not be miserable in your loneliness as I am!

4-(Pic,L;("DtPtAL.,:ij-. 6.

Let someone go to the garden and see the fowler's method of deceit! There is mention of colourful spring on his tongue, but his eye is upon the branch of the nest.

The fowler speaks of love and beauty to the inhabitants of the garden, but his real motive is to get near enough to break the branch which holds the nest. [This may refer to the cruelties of Fate or to a worldly ruler: ] The tyrant's words are full of honour and justice and love, but this is only a subterfuge which he employs while he makes the chains still stronger.

106

IV

Owe

j)

.“

V cil y: D

47-7.

That vision which cannot take account of the heart -- What matter if it be the examiner of the whole universe?

The eye's real purpose is the analysis of the heart. The world of love is the reality, not the world of phenomena. Even if one can analyse, test, and categorise the entire universe, it is all of no real purpose unless one can base one's view upon love, the reality of the heart, Intellect alone is not sufficient, nor is the analysis of this world of phenomena a sufficient goal.

.

(:)1

"ri tod 8.

(

•• tiar ij

or.

Have you not been unanimously accepted now as the centre of beauty? This is the very point about the excellence of my selection.

My ability to judge beauty is proven superior by the fact that I selected you as the most lovely of all,

9.

That which you thought to be the dust of the path and passed by -- take care, lest that be the sought-for goal;

The really valid goals are often those which we unthinkingly ignore, lured on by the superficial and glamourous aims of this material world.

107

qasym Razoi

Kii,./.--c7 ()I') ..—,:,c) ii,, V.0 iv __;/ 0 i, J ) cili. - - s.i 0 L' J .1

1. May I suffer pain, yet never get surcease from my pain May I suffer desire, yet never attain the object of desire.

Longing and anticipation are far better than actual attainment of the goal, since once the goal is reached, it no longer remains a goal. Then the zest and piquancy of life disappear.

m

fr, )42e4e),-ritc-iciA. 2.

May my desolation retain perpetual connection with the garden -- let not my tormented heart get consolation from the desert!

Each new beauty of the garden -- each rose, each tulip, each cypress tree -- forces love to a higher and higher pitch. Other lovers must run to the desert for relief from these heights of ecstasy, but I seek only to remain in the garden, rising always to still higher peaks of passion.

j-1/01W 4.).1.1 ,,;;

'ZWV-p)

..---:, 01! ii(c i L.-■.e. )6J, 4,-*`° 3.

All the remedies of my grief have themselves become headaches. Let not a malady of remedies be the cause of recovery from my pain!

All of the remedies that I have tried for this ailment of love have been ineffectual and have themselves become afflictions. It is better to allow my love to continue its course unchecked.

109

1

,

(40ji gL .6

; 01..

4.

(.1C .: j•Z ‘,

,

cif cf"4 L..

1 1T

0 God, among the masterpieces of Thy creation we have seen men -- but not Men.

[Here /admi/ M1 "man, person" is contrasted with /ynsan/ M1 "man, person, human being, one possessing the noble qualities of a human being. "]

jAil (47g Lcipilfitij Le (71:1 .Y41

5.

If there be no fortitude, the manifestation is wasted -in the Flame of Sinai I find no inflammatory qualities.

[The "Flame of Sinai" is God, referring to the appearance of God to the Prophet Moses on Mount Sinai, described both in the Bible and the Holy Quran. ] The manifestation of God was wasted on the Prophet Moses because he had not the fortitude to withstand God's naked glory. God's visible manifestation is wasted on me as well because I had too much fortitude -- I had passed that stage of love which the Prophet Moses had attained.

knif:;‘ns,11-4xzcc)9,-.._.,:jt,.ilVt.:.*--.0..-‘ 5yi,* K:...iy , 6.

If great achievements be required, then let nations have a taste for death rather than a desire for life!

Courage and a willingness to face peril is necessary if one would be great.

(71;1) Li.. I cl()(4--; ; --,*-, o LI) 9:vvf L--(fc)/ 110

I 7. 0 Qasym, if belief be staunch, then even heathenism is faith. May we get that heathenism, rather than the faith of others!

Better to have the courage of our own convictions, however wrong, than the weak faith brought to us by others, for faith is the foundation stone upon which all religion is based.

III

1.

It is better to tower like the cypress -- to be under obligations to foliage and fruit makes one bow one's head.

It is better to stand straight and tall and have obligations to no one, since obligations to others only lead us into servitude.

01: 171,51°1

2.

4-41

The madness of my love is in bloom, but spring is changing into autumn. Nature did not know how to acquire good taste.

Spring is the season for love in which the madness of the lover reaches its zenith. Yet Nature changes spring into autumn and thus ends love before its final culmination. This demonstrates Nature's lack of good taste, since she does not appreciate the beauty of love's fulfillment.

dC1-Ajt;e--(f l.;;L:a; L. -Ywl 3.

1.:Jj

The air is empty of breezes, and the pull of earth is strong. Now, to have plumage upon the wings is but a burden on one's shoulders.

When life produces no inspirations, and the bonds of this material world become too strong, then it is both useless and burdensome to be a free soul.

4 L.;-L1--)1 ;i7; ti(-,(rLZ2 112

4.

What, we and dependence upon the movements of the planets --? We, who even take the dusk to be the dawn --?

Our destinies cannot be governed by the stars -- we, who are so strong-willed and stubborn and individualistic as to claim that dusk is dawn! ["Dusk" here may also mean "the gloom of frustration and defeat": -- we, who are such blindly courageous creatures as to believe that even the darkness of defeat heralds a dawn of victory -- how can it be possible that such boundless courage is only the result of the movements of the stars?

5.

Is this a man -- he who drinks the blood of human beings? Better to be a brute, rather than such a man!

It is better to be a beast than a tyrant.

c— Vid,w

LP),

6, Instead of forgetting one's grief, why not forget oneself? To have a head on one's shoulders itself becomes a headache. Just the knowledge of one's own existence is in itself a cause of mental anguish. If one could obliterate the ego, the "I-ness, " most of life's problems would disappear.

1;11:611 7. Qasym, I could not transform my head into the threshold-stone of that One Door. Lifting my head from that One Door caused me to wander from door to door. [/s5ge dar ho Jana/ "to become the threshold-stone" is an idiom signifying "to become attached to, devoted to, to make obeisances to. 1 Attachment to God renders all

113

II

(''

of the things of this material world unnecessary, It is lack of love for Him that sends us wandering aimlessly in search of something upon which to base our lives,

114

III

1.

It is no cruelty; it is a kindness! Try your dagger on me: 0 my pain, let not my wounds heal:

I appeal to my beloved to inflict still more wounds of love with yet further blandishments. I appeal to my love itself ("my pain") that these wounds may not heal. I am in love with love.

L) Ly.!L:2--;JIY 61K4). 1 2.

That foreign land where Zulaykha dwelt is better than my home. My city is the city of Yusuf, where no one is the brother of another.

Here in this world there is no love; one cannot even trust one's own brother. [The reference is to the Prophet Joseph (/yuswf/) and Potiphar's wife (/zwlayxa/) described both in the Bible and in the Holy Quran (and used often as a vehicle for Persian-Urdu poetry). Joseph received better treatment in Egypt than he had had at the hands of his own brothers at home, who sold him into slavery.

D.) liv?)).)Lc.,7_4

LA-4

3, 0 Lord, Thy hells are acceptable to me as a reward for my sinlessness, if Thy heavens are the reward of "piety, "

In spite of my lack of guilt, I would rather be in hell, if heaven is the reward of the sort of false piety 1 see around me.

S , 7, 4-‘---(A.c4;

.to 115

L-r■

III 4.

Long live my wine goblet, and blessings be upon my every sin, 0 saint if your asceticism serves as your begging bowl!

I would rather be an honest sinner than such an "ascetic" as he who uses his piety as a means of making money.

idk.-_,L5,420)) ;3 Lk;(;),,}4— 5.

My appreciation gives worth to Thy creations. If Thy divinity is there, then my sovereignty is here.

It is the appreciation of His creatures that makes His universe worthwhile. God's proper sphere is that of creation and rule, but I (i. e. mankind) am master of the world of appreciation. It is 1 who have the power to appreciate Him,

6.

0 Lord, Thy being is proven by my search. The glory of Thy grandeur exists because of my devotion.

[The content is similar to the preceding verse: ] God is the eternally besought of all. This very search for something greater (a part of human nature) itself points to His existence.

-IA L.) .M.)rilrk-e &, 7.

Qasym, you received without measure and paid back by counting on your fingers. Is this an expression of your submission or a restitution of the debt?

[One of the common acts of devotion in Islam is the recitation of the name of God upon one's fingers, touching each finger-joint with the thumb tip for each time His name is recited, then touching each joint and the tip of the thumb with the index finger (a total of

116

III fifteen). Usually this /vazifa/ M2 "act of devotion" is continued until one has repeated the name of God (or some other brief prayer) one hundred times. This method of counting is also used in reckoning sums. Thus: ] Qasyrn, it appears as though you thought your infinite debt to God could be paid back by counting on your fingers. There is no reckoning His beneficence:

I17

IV

1. The imaginary boundary between fancy and reality -somewhere here is the abode of my love.

Love seems to us to be real, yet it can neither be perceived by the senses nor defined and explained away. It thus lies somewhere on that hazy border between reality and imagination.

r 2.

What is death? A message to meet Someone. You are getting it in exchange for life -- it is cheap:

If death be but a summons to stand before God, then it is an excellent bargain in exchange for life.

.jL41"))`4U:4—iff LIP6:d (1?) 614-- L(6.6, i Lr) CiLf1 3.

What is life? Only the flame of love in the heart. What is death? Only the forgetting of someone's memory.

The moment love disappears from the heart, the lover dies. For a lover, life and love become synonymous.

6611(‘P,L,-, 44u.-.vSe//z--014-4.

In all her adornment there is the charm of simplicity. This simplicity carries the charm of adornment with it.

118

IV Simplicity itself is one of the best embellishments of beauty.

6f-rj;._ 4f1,i' 01,i; veLift„ ,,,,,3.A.3,46-:-'..4,7f5.

Where the steed of racing life stopped, that was the destination. Where the boat sank, that was the shore.

Life is a continual struggle to reach God; yet only through death in this world can we attain that Destination. Only when the turbulent steed of life has run its course and the fragile boat of life has foundered may we truly hope to attain Him.

.Z,~;'. crii-441 CS; 4.-1 ti '. 6.

Qasym, on the colourless veil of beautiful faces the reflection of my own conception appeared.

Everyone interprets reality subjectively. It is my own conception of beauty which lends colour and loveliness to pallid reality.

_/,L.,(r)1:6i (i:71 1,,

riid--Al; ik. ri:Di 7.

If she comes, then what should one not do? -- And if she does come, then what should one do?

If my beloved comes, then nothing I can do for her will be too much. Yet if she does come, I know that I will be totally unnerved and not know what to do.

21-ra t(LuiLL)-(j,,,c, 119

Iv 8.

The whole of my being is just one heart. How many people can use one heart?

How can I extend my one poor heart to all those whom I see suffering around me? Even if I were nothing but a single great heart, it would not be enough.

.•'

'del i • (......; re S•

i•

1 9.

.

Having met you, I suffered the pangs of separation. Not meeting you was better than meeting you.

120

qaman menaThi

.4()41./LA.If Vv. 61i; L

) Cr2:4 .3°.;.° Af.) 4 5 -1 1.

Mix your heart with the dust and see there the essence of life! Smash the mirror of vanity and see the beauty of humility!

The path to the real goal of life lies through the realm of humility and the effacement of one's ego. Only by annihilating the self and surrendering our wills to the Will of God can we hope to attain the true reality.

2.

What indeed are the sun and moon and stars? Glance upon the scar of the heart as well! Look not only to the manifestation of beauty but also to the light of love!

The beauty that we perceive in the world around us is only phenomenal rather than real, a curtain which hides the reality of this universe from our gaze. Only in this material world are the sun and moon and stars the greatest givers of light -- if you would but look, you would see that a far more beautiful radiance is shed by a heart which is lit by love.

3.

The pearly tear gets its lustre from the flame of love. The melting of the candle says, "Look to the fire of the heart as well "

If there is brilliancy in a tear, it is only because it is illumined by the fire of love. As the candle burns and sheds its tears of wax, its melting should remind us that it does not weep unless there is a flame.

121

Vily■ -i /

LI • V.V.A. ..• - Lf"")

J.:t?

fri

L., 4.

How long this hesitation? Stretch out your hand and take up the flagon! Looking into the eyes of Saqi who vends the wine, do drink and see!

Why do you hesitate to take up the wine of mystic experience? The Sufi path to God is a difficult one, to be sure, but the exhilaration of attaining God's love and merging one's being into God is the zenith of all human experience. [Or, to the non-Muslim: ] Why do you hesitate to take up the message brought by the Prophet of Islam? If you would follow the path most pleasing to God, then this is the way!

5.

It has melted away in the inner fire, yet still the flame does burn. Do look at the life of the candle in the evening of separation from her lover.

Even though it be destroyed, still the candle cannot bear topart from the flame. Thus, love remains, though the lover be eventually consumed by it. [haw lagi hwi bona/ "to burn as a flame, be consumed" also means "to have a passion, desire for" and "to maintain a connection, be steadfast. " All of these meanings may be applied here. ]

_„• 6.

.„

•

.eks.-10

At just one blossoming, the heart is rent in a hundred places. Yes, sometimes look too at the smile playing on the lips of the bud!

Take warning from the "smile" (i. e. blossoming) of the bud, which bursts into bloom, rent into a thousand separate petals, and which then withers away and dies! Whenever one is granted a morsel of happiness, it but presages a thousand sorrows. The smile of joy heralds the shattering of the heart into a myriad pieces.

122

‘/Ji 3.,74__eutzivKe 7, 0 Qamar, where is it that you are seeking the face of a companion? See, among this concourse of creatures, is there any Man?

You should know very well that this world of outward appearances and inward deceptions is no place to seek true friendship, Who here has those noble qualities which we dignify by the name of "Man?"

123

bere—)ibli`(.5)(9..,Lly; tier 1.

Lye.,, 1.!

He who is acquainted with your mischievous glance is acquainted with every perfidy and wickedness of the world.

All of the mischief and evil in the world originates in my beloved's eyes. Whoever has experienced her haughtiness, her indifference, and her cruelty now knows what wickedness is.

(1,:‘ z.—tr l ) b

2.

if I

Loy;

Evening would never assemble the company of the moon and stars, were it acquainted with the time of morning.

Whatever we do, in the end all of our efforts must come to naught. All friends meet but to part, and every company must eventually disperse. Time humbles the mightiest kings, defaces the greatest cities, and plunges the hero of the most glorious deeds into oblivion. If we had forewarning of the transitory nature of all our efforts, would we ever find it worth our trouble to begin?

yfija

4.4

b

3.

r?4-Lk/ Dj../

Do not look at me again and again in company! People recognise well the glance of love:

Take care, 0 my beloved, for your glances tell the world that there is some secret between us! [/rah rah ke/ lit. "having stayed and stayed" here means "again and again, repeatedly. "1

124

II

driidg.„,1;A):1 4.

No matter if my abode caught fire -- at least the people of the garden have become acquainted with the lightning and the spark.

0 people of the world, learn a lesson from my downfall! Love indeed has a terrible power for destruction. [Or: ] Though I have been consumed by the fires of love, at least in my dying I have spread the light of love throughout the world.

5.

Had we not left our footprints, no one would have been acquainted with Thy path.

It is only the efforts of those who love that have blazed a trail through the veils of this material world to the immaterial spiritual realm of God.

erLye246.

Those who come into the tavern and ask for the goblet do not seem to be acquainted with the glance of Saqi.

What need to ask for the wine goblet when the glances of the cupbearer themselves contain the intoxication we seek. [Sufisticallyd The divine grace we seek can be found in the compelling glances of our Sufi /pill MI "spiritual guide. " Those who perceive this need seek no further. [/nazar aria/ "to seem, appear. " The second /naza r/ Fl means "sight, glance. "]

125

15-2-;°(:; 7. We would not have trodden the path of life even by mistake, 0 Qamar, had we known of the hardships of the journey.

126

III

2

cilC3 Lar: croi- Y"dt di6,f; ;.4/((5,4 1.

It seems as though there were a cloud of grief and sorrow overshadowing me. It seems as though my mind itself were dejected.

I can find no reason for this strange mood of dejection and sorrow that oppresses me. My mood is one of formless grief and forebodings of things to come. [/si/ A2 "like, resembling, approximating" is translated here as "it seems as though. "]

t(i---"6-44--cc);1,;441; ,' 7 r--_aejer_c3-4 cl(Wtcyf.1 2.

The world acknowledges your bold glance, but yet you meet me rather shyly.

You are bold enough with the rest of the world; it must be love that has made you so shy in my presence. [Or: ] Even my haughty beloved cannot face me without shame after all the wrongs and cruelties she has done me.

L31.)A 0 I )274---13 3.

I have seen Him for the first time on the Day of Judgment, but it seems as though I have seen that face before.

Although we cannot see God clearly in the phenomenal world of His creation, yet He is visible enough in every atom and particle of being that we will recognise Him again on the Day of Judgment.

127

III

I' I . (5'JXJ 1(f-ni:Of;Y; 4.

Whenever a bud blossomed on a twig in the garden, I saw a smile playing upon your lips.

The sight of an opening bud reminds me of my beloved's lips when they part in a smile.

5.

She passed through my heart long ago, but even now the glare of the lightning persists in my eyes.

My beloved's beauty struck my heart just once, long ago; yet still my vision remains dazzled, just as the afterglare of a lightning bolt lingers before one's eyes long after the flash has gone.

(fw

4.h r3rOcf-

(3 UfM4

6, I stand there silently in your assemblage like a shrouded corpse. Stunned and stricken dumb by the beauty of my beloved, I can only stand silently in her presence, unable to utter even a word of supplication.

csdari .r3313; 7. 0 Qamar, how on earth can my grief move her? Even if I have a lament, it seems to be a little trite.

128

III I have repeated my words of love to her so many times that now its effect is lost. Nothing I do can now move her to sympathy for me. [/kya xak/ is like the English idiom "What on earth! " /dwhrai hwi si/ "as though often repeated. "]

129

IV

1.

Throughout my life I applied my existence only to this task: in the whole universe I took no one's name but Thine.

Devotion to God was my lifelong goal and sole preoccupation.

, 1-• • -0 o, *.-, I, t-i lft., e___ &J ----J X P.J■ki 6--,.." C-1 6--i L :(). t~i;i_. 1 .‘6:: 'ute -7--- .r 2.

When she came with veil laid back from her face on the night of her promise, it seemed as though the night did not exist at all.

[/nazar ana/ "to seem. " /kalif/ Adv "anywhere" here means "at all. 1

.

/

..) X : .."7...::.' 7_, "•4 L14

i I

4 " - - 7 I, r

1 • --,

6:arcp1oll._,L,L uh..1 Ai,

1 „ 3.

Whether it be the cheek of the rose or the forehead of the moon and stars, the effulgence of Thy footprints is everywhere.

If we but look, the manifestations of God are all around us. All beauty is a reflection of Him, from the tiniest and most transitory bud to the eternal majesty of the wheeling stars.

. J. ;I ---.J 1 ‘Lvii) L:-d nil

(., .?ii

e.r._ N O1 4.

Heaven forbid the overwhelming longing for a meeting with one's beloved! Even without a promise there is waiting.

130

Iv Though my beloved herself has promised nothing, still the intensity of my own yearning is enough to create a sensation of having a rendezvous with her. This feeling of anticipation and expectation gives me hope but also drives me to despair, for I realise that, in fact, it is based upon nothing more than my own wishful thinking.

L.1-6

Z.- ..- I

, ,,,... (idi Lit

. .:Lf j / k....S L

• z• .0.

t■ )../1 4...- _fri lt j 1• -, n....4'j

5. She did appear without a veil, but I myself was hidden by her glories.

When my beloved at last appeared before me without her veil, the radiance of her beauty blinded my eyes and kept me from seeing her. [If the pronouns "she" and "her" in the translation be replaced by "He" and "Him, " the verse may be taken as referring to God: ] Though God Himself does appear to the seeker, the refulgence of His unthinkable glory blinds our limited vision and prevents us from perceiving His true reality.

01;., Lif,.::,..4....c) ec4p..,

Kj 1..ii,1 Les, il4 4__;) cif 6.

Let someone's promise be but a lovely delusion -- the lamp of the eve of expectation yet burns!

Even if my beloved's promise to come is nothing but a cruel jest, at least she has given me hope, and this in itself is a kindness. ["Someone" is a common means of alluding to the beloved in Urdu poetry. ]

p, 2_1(:).4-- L2, r‘:.J2-.0, ! L_ vi ••

4 7.

till tri'' 2re is Though sfha " i en1: nd ; lu‘rl i dei r eCd:‘ i4 si) l s:C e‘ en ---fe ligarc the same heavy slumber in the eye of the narcissus as before.

Though calamity may strike time and time again, still people do not learn a lesson from it. They ignore the warnings of experience and plunge on blindly through the wilderness of life as before.

131

i'

IV

-

6,

1, ,, ( -ir L.:' 47---(ii it>..(4._:' , (4 th.), 8.

That which has come flying into my cage from the reaches of the garden -- who knows whether it be a flower or a spark?

My unhappy life has been laid waste so many times before by the fire of beauty (i. e. love, false happiness, appearances of good fortune), that now I have come to fear the approach of any harbinger of beauty. I fear that it too may be but a prelude to further pain.

-'.1K c-.

c-f, 9.

iii"J

Conceded the piety of the religious man! But the truth is that one cannot be a Man unless one be a sinner.

I aYx / MI "religious man, venerable person" denotes the over-pious follower of the /gariati Fl: he whose every action is governed by the detailed precedents of Islamic law. ] Pure virtue cannot produce a truly noble human being. Unless one has known the face of sin, one cannot appreciate the deeper motivations, the hidden wellsprings of emotion, and the fires of passion and sorrow that lie within the human heart.

. 10.

..

0 Qamar, why should the gale of grief not acknowledge the heart? This is the only lamp that burns even in the face of the wind.

Love is the only force that can stand before the tempests of passion, grief, and anguish. Lust, greed, hatred, and all the other human motivations must give way and be extinguished, but sorrow cannot obliterate the flame of love.

132

kawsan nyazi

er-licKL4:? 5;LW()-14,:-/Qii7LP.,;(x.JLI 1.

0110 ,11

Neither have I any complaint against my own people, nor any plaint against others; in all conditions am I happy because it is His Will.

One who submits himself to the Will of God is happy in any circumstances.

6.7,1 2J;i • 2.

In this sinful age I proclaim: "There is a God! " That is the only fault of this helpless person.

This is an age of unbelief, in which society frowns upon a person who even asserts the existence of God.

4.-LeV.01 ;

3.

Neither is there love in the breast, nor shame in the eyes -here everyone is addicted to falsehood and hypocrisy.

This immoral and hypocritical age has seen an end not only of love but also of any sense of shame for one's iniquitous deeds.

Iii CJ le') e.-:;1)u--14.

From that day the climate of the world is changed -- since that day the soul of fidelity is displeased with me.

133

i The moods of my beloved seem to govern the very atmosphere that surrounds me.

er_ixiiiiLilli,..ri 4-0 5.

What rousing luck; What an access of fortune: People say of me that I am a beggar at that gate.

The best fortune one can have is to be known as a beggar at the gate of God true devotee).

G. e.

a

4--(iL0 IJ V •1.' f.L3 L''4 :))7jAf er-140 0 ii Cif/ 6.

011 /, 1.-6..01

Those whose guide is any skillful highwayman -- my path is different from that of the people of that caravan.

The common herd follows any clever demagogue, but I refuse to join them.

r,..e:z7)}clu-royi 1.---1;_, 7.

irlrd

L jl , ),?;111 1 .

Why is there no favouring glance toward him? -- Kawsar, too, is among the faithful ones.

Though Kawsar too counts himself among the sincere worshippers, still he undergoes suffering and tribulation.

134

1.

Human nature's promise of faith is not remembered woe: -- that the world does not remember God;

On the Day of Creation each soul was brought before God and asked, "Who is thy lord?" Everyone replied, "Thou art." It is this "promise of faith" that we have forgotten by forgetting God. Love of this world and lust have blunted the force of our promise.

u..6?)

zr2.

z64.16..di

v

0 God, what is that mischievous smile, that now not even one cruelty of the tyrant is remembered?

What power is there in my beloved's smile, that one small kindness from her makes me forget all my sufferings?

6:d • Zr- Lt. ‘41'). L; jil ‘flULV 3.

I

Love has forgotten the ways of sincerity. Beauty does not now recall bygone blandishments.

In this age, life is becoming so matter-of-fact that it has lost all of its charm and sentiment.

4.

What impertinence did I commit in submitting my desire? Why is she annoyed with me? -- I don't remember.

135

II [ If /kya/ Interrog Adv Al "what?" is read with a pause following it, the first line ? "]. The beloved is capricious, and may be translated, "Did I commit an impertinence her annoyance with me often depends on her moods alone. I don't recall having done anything to merit her displeasure.

,ty (j20,i

• if

to; 1-r 5. God is the protector of the sufferer of the anguish of love -- that eye does not know the message of the cure.

My beloved's eyes know well how to inflict wounds but do not remember how to heal them. It is not in her nature to cure. The only hope left, therefore, is the mercy of God.

‘J..4fA 6.

:11:6

0 fowler, do not press me to sing: I no longer remember the atmosphere of the garden.

After long imprisonment in my cage of suffering, I no longer remember what it was like to be free. [The "fowler" may symbolise a tyrant, or simply the personification of tribulation and misfortune. ]

i.L... .„)pjeref;41'ZI,1 1

47.

r,..;°

0 gloomy-voiced Kawsar, this pleasure-loving company has forgotten the doomsday of tomorrow.

The world has forgotten that one day it will be called to answer for its sins.

136

III

cAlr.

•

4:

y,

‘.s C; re.) L.4.-1,./ V 1.

The proof of ignorance is the consideration of the darkness of night. Who asked the traveller not to mould the sun?

The very concept of darkness shows man's lack of knowledge of his own capabilities. With all of the powers God has given us, we could even mould the sun to our purposes, if we but had the courage.

LL-d,• ..• , j1.;‘.5:j1k.>/u-.h.jraiSs'IL,117: 12j 2.

There is neither the abnegation of Buzar and Salman, nor the ardent heart of Bilal -- "jurist" and "preacher" and "Sufi" are nothing more than words!

[Abu Zar Ghaffari, Salman Farsi, and Bilal are the three of the faithful Companions of the Prophet Muhammad.] Nowadays few are willing to emulate the loyalty, bravery, and devotion of these three courageous men. The religious leaders of today -- the expert on Muslim law, the preacher in the mosque, the ascetic -- do not live their religion but only repeat words which have no effect upon their lives.

3.

0 those reeling in the mighty intoxication of power! My eyes are upon the ups and downs of history ...

History shows that even the mightiest empire of today may be but stones and dust by tomorrow.

137

III

LipleKth,:li-

65 z- ());': A-

JCA vL);)-*(12-t,ioy; nett 4. The cortege of tears follows after laughter. I know the consequence of worldly pleasures.

rip.i()..7.12.i.L.v.0/4_6.40rd, J6;.--1J4!j'-3,-5 j1,1 Li..4 lie: 5.

Is it a glimpse of you or a goblet of strong and pungent wine? I am lost, 0 moon-faced Saqi -- catch me, catch me!

The beauty of my beloved is as intoxicating as the strongest wine. One glimpse of her well-nigh overcomes me. [This may also be taken as referring to the mystical experience of God through Sufism. ]

.

._.

, ?. ?i

(Ji-',0);;L:";44--L).4.bi i ji 6.

Understanding of love is yet at the stage of immaturity. In the heart and mind there is still a distinction between parting and meeting.

I have not yet reached that zenith of love where no distinction can be made between the presence and the absence of the beloved. My love is thus still incomplete. [This, of course, may be taken Sufistically as referring to adoration and identification of one's self with God. ]

J iiLf 5 2) 0 41(iii.--ye 7.

Whatever the edict of the jurist of the town may be, people call my verses "lawful magic. "

138

III [The practice of magic is forbidden in Islam.] The strict Muslim law-giver may agree or disagree, but people find my verses so enchanting that they call them "lawful magic. "

139

IV

-Li lei,2., I•4 j"tdcf; 1.

Perhaps the time of destruction has not yet come for the world. Man does still feel ashamed of his doings.

As long as mankind has a sense of shame, the promise of Doomsday will be postponed, and there is a chance of our redemption.

„

2.

In every eye there is bigotry, in every breath deceit where am I describing the beauties of my beloved?

Though I try to tell people of God, I find myself surrounded by hypocrisy and bigotry. To talk of beauty (i. e. Truth) here is useless.

":-'d411"trc1+; 4

4--c,:ir 3.

j/i cidj

She could not be attained, but memory of her is secure I have put even this memory to great use,

Even though I could not attain my beloved, nevertheless her memory is safe in my heart, where it serves as a great source of consolation. [If "He" and "Him" are substituted above, this verse can be taken as referring to God. ]

4.

0 innocent beauty! I am enamoured of this bewitchment of yours! Each lament that reaches my lips becomes a prayer.

140

IV My beloved is not consciously cruel to me. Therefore, the torments I suffer at her hands draw prayers from me rather than curses.

5.

0 Kawsar, it is true that time is a miser -- still, the grief that I got was not less than my expectation.

Time may be miserly with other things but is all too open-handed with sorrow.

6.

Someone weeps from the skies upon the people of earth this is a portent from Nature and not the rains.

This is not the welcome rain of the rainy season but the tears of heaven shed in sorrow for our misdeeds. They are thus a sign for us to mend our ways.

7.

There was no warmth in that cool splendour -- why, then, did perspiration come upon my eyes?

[This verse is a play upon words, contrasting "cool beauty" with the lover's "perspiration." basina anal "to perspire" (lit. "perspiration to come") is an idiom meaning "to be ashamed, embarrassed, perplexed, disturbed. " Here, with "eyes, " it may be translated "to be dazzled, bewildered. " Thus: ] Though there was no warmth on the part of my beloved, why then, did I become so disturbed?

141

IV

8.

Kawsar, that which was not spent in remembrance of an enchanting beloved -- that must not be life, but must be something else!

Even though one may busy oneself outwardly in worldly affairs, memory of one's beloved should constantly occupy one's heart. Time spent in any other preoccupation is not life in its true sense. [This verse probably refers to the remembrance of God, rather than to any worldly beloved. Continual remembrance of God is a Sufi exercise for the development of one's spiritual powers.

9.

I am a prisoner, but who can stand guard upon my imagination? The breeze will carry up the fragrance of my art and thoughts and broadcast it out upon the world.

My personal situation and environment have so far kept me from attaining the heights I feel I deserve, Yet I am confident of my own abilities and believe that this situation cannot last for long.

142

zaki kayfi

4a_ 1.

Whenever I begin to turn away from the path of fidelity, she suddenly begins to go along with me.

[In Urdu poetic tradition it is the lover who always remains faithful, while the beloved is continually capricious, indifferent and cruel. Thus: Whenever I begin to waver in my loyalty to my beloved, I find myself her companion on the road of disloyalty. In this sense, then, we become travelling companions, at least until my heart realises the direction of my footsteps and pulls me back to the path of fidelity again.

Li.c)i-AP 2.

1:46(.1

Just by seeing the stars and the Milky Way, the lamps of the path of my beloved begin to blaze before my eyes.

[This verse refers to the /meraj/ Fl [np] "ascension" of the Prophet Muhammad, in which he was transported from earth to heaven and back again in one night. ] The sight of the stars and the Milky Way reminds me of the journey of the Prophet Muhammad, for these were the lamps that lit his blessed way to heaven,

izr •i

(.1••• 3.

L.

NA

1, 0-1 07.1

How can my gaze be fixed upon the sights of this world? Thy glance begins to change to a frown.

Whenever I begin to turn my attention to the goals of this material world, I know that God is displeased with me. He should be the sole goal, the eternally besought of all. Marne to kayse jame/ lit. "If (my gaze) be fixed, then how may it be fixed?" is a rhetorical method of asking an emphatically impossible question: "How on earth can (my gaze) ever be fixed ... ?"]

143

.

:.„ „,

•

j

Li?

4. Where the feet of wise men begin to waver, from there do lovers begin to rally.

To a certain extent the path to God can be travelled with the help of knowledge and wisdom, but there comes a point where these fail and only devotion and faith can act as guide. The zenith of wisdom is only the beginning of the road of love.

2— 4 L;JI'Ve. 5.

You are happy with my silence, but do you know that the storm is nourished in the lap of tranquility?

My silence does not mean that I am content with the treatment I have received from you, nor does it mean that I am docile and empty of emotions. Like the lull before the storm, it is but a sign of the tempest of passion that is gathering in my breast.

i tlig.AiL))- ())‘ ‘-),1(7

t(b, 6.

We people of sorrow: We keep receiving wounds upon our bloody hearts and yet paint your features in the colour of fidelity!

The beauty of the beloved is resplendent in all of the hues of nature except that of fidelity. This colour the lover supplies from his own bleeding and anguished heart. He adds in his imagination that quality which she lacks in reality. [rag/ M1 "colour" is part of the metaphor of limning the beloved's features with the colour of the heart's red blood; with /vafa/ Fl "faithfulness, fidelity," however, it may also be rendered as "quality. " /malna/ Id "to rub, anoint" is here used in the sense of "to paint, tint. "]

144

.J14 ) • •• • 7. 0 Kayfi, if the heart be tender, then aspects of one's anguish for the beloved begin to emerge even from the anguish of this world.

If the heart be full of love, then one cannot help but find aspects even of this harsh material world that remind one of the beauty of one's beloved. [Sufistically: ] For him whose heart is full of love, aspects of God are visible even in the coarseness and mundane ugliness of this world's woes. Ugwdaz/ MI [np] Al lit. "melting, dissolving" is used here as "tender, full of love. "]

145

Ei)(f ..dt. Y:

.:j27J> () U2 1, Like my plans, my desire was thwarted. She too has changed, like my fortunes,

My beloved has capriciously spurned me and rejected my love. She is like my miserable fate -- ever changing from bad to worse. My plans have failed, and my yearning must go unfulfilled. [Referring to the beloved, /badalna/ Ma "to change" denotes "to turn away from, become estranged from,• reject. " /taqdir badalna/, however, means "fortune to change" and, though it may usually be interpreted as a change for the better, here context demands that it be taken as denoting a turn for the worse.

2.

Do come hither like the morning breeze: I languish yet like a drooping bud.

My heart awaits my beloved's coming just as the unopened bud awaits the morning breeze. Her beauty will sweep over my drooping heart and cause it to open out with love for her as the flower opens under the caress of the zephyr.

Li.- y.c3 =-)rz.—rx;u..16f6ef /

3.

She came and passed by like a vision. Like a picture, still do I sit transfixed.

Though I had but one fleeting glimpse of her, still her beauty leaves me dumbfounded, frozen into immovability with awe and adoration. Utasvir ki tarah bane hwe/ lit. "being made like a picture" idiomatically means "stunned, transfixed.1

146

Lzau dvfi4-01 4.

Out of decorum, if ever love did mention faithfulness to her, it was as though it were a fault.

I longed to mention my fidelity to my beloved, but the code of etiquette that must be observed in my beloved's assemblage forced my words into the form of a complaint against myself instead. [/pase adab/ "out of consideration for decorum" refers to the concept of a code of behaviour that traditionally obtains in the relations between a lover and his beloved. It is the lover's role only to beseech and plead and confess his love; he can never brag of his constancy nor make any demands upon his beloved. ]

eJ)17 5.

Whenever I pressed forward toward her with sincerity, she ever drew back like a sword.

Whenever I make advances toward my beloved, no matter how humbly and sincerely meant, still she draws back from me gracefully, haughtily, like a slender sword ready to strike.

Li)

c.)41:)",-;10(Ael 6.

See the insanity of my waiting.' My eyes are ever open, like the links of a chain.

My eyes must remain open, futilely awaiting the promised coming of my beloved. [The lover's wide-open eyes are likened to the links of a chain, which never can close. The chain fits into the metaphor of insanity, since it is the device used to restrain a mad person. The verse is a pretty play on words. ]

147

11

7. 0 Kayfi, let me give yet more heart's blood to drink! It is not easy to compose a yazal like Mir.

[/xune jygar pylana/ lit. "to give the liver's blood to drink" is an idiom meaning "to exert the strongest effort, work hard (usually at a literary task). " The object of /pylana/ is here understood: i, e. the poet's verses, the recipients of his "heart's blood. " /mir/ is the pen name of /mir mwhammad taqi mir/, one of the greatest of early Urdu poets (1722-1810). He is mentioned here because Kayfi has taken the structure of one of Mir's yazals (i. e. the metre and rhyme) and composed the present poem upon the same pattern. In this verse Kayfi is but paying a compliment to his source. I

148

III

J:(

/' CC 1;) 2.;2--iLit*Q-01.7;6,6

4.--.6(11‘1.Ly,q,iy,

/

1.

Let us go on enhancing the colour of fidelity in the world! Let us go on heightening the flame of the lamp of love!

This is my message for the world: let us live only to devote ourselves entirely to the enhancement of love. This is the only valid goal of existence.

(cell v.: s1 cilicir./..;4-1:!,

4 - 1_)11J--41;;L--e-wLeob 2.

I have heard that the temple and the sanctuary lie also upon the path to Him. Let me go on making ecstatic obeisance there also.

The sanctuaries of worldly religion are only secondary, outward manifestations of religion. Nevertheless, they, too, are built for His worship and also demand obeisance from the seeker.

4er•----L.—.---; de Pi J)

43.

,-...fzuf

Though the world of heart and sight be convulsed a thousand times, let me go on grooming someone's scattered tresses!

Though my entire being may be overwhelmed by the intensity of my passion, still I must go on grooming my beloved's tresses. No matter what it costs me, I live only to serve her beauty. Uhazar/ Al "thousand" here means "rather a thousand times ... " "Someone" is a common poetic device for referring to the beloved.

149

III

.1:J0(c:if 4.

Bride of the evening, beauty of the morning, bloom of the garden -- call her by any name;

Any name that denotes beauty, grace, or loveliness may be applied to my beloved as well. [If "her" in the translation be replaced by "Him":] By whichever name or title the seeker knows God, He is still the same.

ic3.5drifzoil *_,_2...,,trici---11,,i; 5.

Drinking from the goblet of someone's intoxicating eyes, let me go on throwing off the inebriation of the wine of existence.

Let me but taste the exhilaration of the wine of love, and I will be rid of the deadening effects of all my worldly preoccupations. [Sufistically: ] All of the goals and passions of this mundane world become as nothing when one has tasted the ecstasy of God's divine grace. [/xwmar/ MI [np] "the unpleasant effects of intoxication, heavy-headedness" is contrasted with mast/ Al "exhilarating, intoxicating. "]

2-"--)11)(LiVL-i.ovilil 6.

Life is not that night of separation that cannot be traversed. It WILL end; keep on passing through it

The night of separation from one's beloved is far more difficult than life, for, no matter how heavy one's burden in this world, still at least life does eventually end. [Sufistically: ] God has promised all of His creatures that we shall be reunited in Him eventually at the end of eternity. Life is thus not that night of separation of which lovers sing: it will indeed come to an end, and we shall once again be near unto our Lord.

150

III

(4‘)

L/"

crl 7. Heartbreak is a strange thing in this world. Only in this, 0 Kayfi, is the victory to go on being defeated. The game of love is perhaps unique in that it is won by being defeated. Once the goal of love is attained, the delights of anticipation and yearning disappear. Hence, the only way to win at the game is to continually lose it.

151

IV

3/0 ej4.AA 14Z-'.W 1. The gloom of despair had played havoc. Someone came and lit lamps at my eyelashes. Memory of my beloved has illumined the chaotic gloom of my heart. Now the darkness of my grief has been lighted by tears. If one be totally without love, life becomes nothing more than a somber wilderness. ["Someone" is a common means of alluding to the beloved. The beauty of the verse lies in the metaphor of a chaos of gloom and despair lit at last by "lamps" composed of tears inspired by memory of the beloved. ]

-0 ‘4Vi C3 1 t)C1 .04 g

(14 0,"L:b

je.

, • , 2.

This ringlet did not flutter in the air just by itself. You had curled it somewhat, but I too tumbled it a little.

[The metaphor refers to two types of beauty which the beloved's tresses may possess: the elegance of careful grooming and the more seductive loveliness of slight dishevelment. Thus: ] You did indeed adorn your beauty to the utmost, but it was I who added that touch of dishevelment which has made you the most alluring of all. [Or: ] It was not your doing alone that has spread the fame of your beauty throughout the world. Though you have indeed made yourself beautiful, still it was my devotion and endless singing of your praises that have now made you the cynosure of all. [Sufistically: ] It has not been God's doing alone that has drawn men to worship Him; throughout the ages we lovers have had a share in guiding mankind to His door as well. [/xam Dalna/ lit. "to pour a curl" means simply "to curl. "1

W j •• •

14( I i's;

/ ( 3.

It was well that the secret of my night of sorrow was not unfolded to you, otherwise you would have been jealous of my enduring fortune.

Even the anguish of the night of waiting for my beloved provides such exhilaration that, if she came to know of it, she would be jealous of my joy. [Ort] If beauty but knew

152

IV what pleasures the love of beauty can bestow, then beauty herself would fall in love with love. [/bedar/ PA1 "awake" is used with /dawlat/ Fl "wealth, fortune" as "active, alert, " perhaps meaning something like "ready for use. " /jalna/ IIc "to burn" is often used idiomatically for "to be jealous. "

4.

The sinking of the stars, the weeping of the dew, the dimming of the candle -- there are yet many stages before the time of morning.

There is yet much more to be endured before this night of futile waiting for my beloved is ended. [Or:] There are many tribulations yet to be borne before this life of sorrow ends.

kkeij,-A

t";:i

61- uk L61 ,A05.

Let me weep so much in memory of the tavern-master that the colour of the rosy wine may come to my eyes.

0 let me weep in memory of my Sufi spiritual guide until my tears are exhausted and blood pours from my eyes instead. At least blood is the same hue as the wine of divine grace which he used to dispense. [The weeping of blood is a common Urdu poetic expression for extreme grief. ]

6.

Those who love the garden are free from the sorrow of spring and autumn. If they cannot obtain the flowers, then they will kiss the thorns.

Those whose hearts are truly filled with love make no distinction between pleasure and pain. Everything connected with the beloved is worthy of adoration. [Sufistically:] Those whose hearts are completely devoted to God do not discriminate between the

153

IV pleasures and pains of this material world. All aspects of His manifestation are equally dear to them simply because they are His.

Z--- c)., .J.e L b e'cf.). .1," 7.

Now there is neither reliance upon sorrow nor any sensation of desire. Perhaps the expression of your glance has changed.

[/nygah ke tayvar badalna/ here means "to change one's glance to a frown, to become annoyed with, estranged from. "] As long as you did not turn away from me entirely, at least I had hopes and emotions. Now that you have become completely indifferent to me, there is nothing at all, neither joy nor sorrow, hope nor despair.

xoti)vai::(.1; 0-4;,, LA 8.

At times let something like dew be spilled upon your cheeks as well Why should this dancing spark lie only upon my eyelashes?

0 let my beloved also have a taste of the anguish of love and the pain of yearning. Why must I be the only one to know grief? [/si/ A2 "similar to, approximate to" is here rendered "something like. " The "dancing spark" is, of course, a tear of sorrow.]

9.

0 splendour of my friend's beautiful face, snatch away my sight that after your assemblage I should see no other company!

After the exquisite joy of seeing your face, I desire to see no other. [Or: ] If I were to go blind while in your presence, then no other beauty could fall upon my eyes to obliterate your image.

154

caziwooin gauthan

)

LO:

1.

k—rj,`","

•

Ever was I a victim of the enchantment of my own credulity -- wherever love of you called, there was I.

My own gullible nature led me to love you, and I went wherever love of you beckoned. One possessed of a loving nature responds wherever the possibility of love arises.

IV. 3P-Villi I

L?Lit (.104%,1"ijZ 2.

The vanity of beauty stood in our way; the pride of love too. There you were enshrouded in your veil; here I was hidden in mine.

The obstacles to our love were my pride (which would not allow me to plead and make entreaties), and the vanity of my beloved, which would not unbend enough to encourage me.

.• 'Act)2) 61;i #:,.i)J2d

rl--(5,Ji

L;eu44) 2720 3.

The exuberance of desire snatched away my ability to see otherwise, in the arena of wonder, where Thou wert, there was I.

This world is the "arena of wonder. " God manifests Himself here everywhere, but the very intensity of my desire to reach Him dazzles me and prevents me from attaining Him.

155

4. 0 ye who see me enshrouded in the dust of misfortune -Once was I a beautiful portrait upon the scroll of Nature.

Although you see me now fallen upon evil days, still remember that once 1 was comely, and good to look upon. [This may also be interpreted Sufistically: ] Once mankind was so honoured by God as to command obeisance even from the angels. Now we are sadly contaminated by the grime of earthly existence -- still recall that once we were beautiful and pure!

• •*J•

j

" "'

•

.4? .Lf..-A)L.--"°-,1* J7. 0,'"2 •

1 v.4 5.

You endowed my lamentations with the elegance of the hiazal/. Otherwise, in the form of a hazal/ was I but a mourner for my anguished life!

My sad lyrics are themselves nothing; it is the beauty of my beloved that gives them grace and charm.

; 01e :cr) 13 6.

The first ray of the coquettish eye fell to my lot -- in the whole assembly I was considered fit for the very first deceit.

[This may be taken as referring to an earthly beloved: Out of all the rival suitors, you chose me as the first victim of your cruelty. [A deeper interpretation is: ] When mankind accepted the responsibility of free will on the Day of Creation, he laid himself open to both Heaven and Hell. Had mankind known of the tremendous responsibilities involved, he might not have accepted this burden. ["Deceit" is thus used without the bad connotation of this term in English. /sazavar/ PA1 "suitable, deserving, worthy" carries a connotation of pride at being so selected.

156

tiiri(L-ou?,6;difioL) 'iLf} 7. Beautifying your dishevelled locks has exalted (me) -otherwise was I a pearl lying forsaken amongst bits of mother-of-pearl. My beloved makes use of me, a pearl, to beautify herself. This alone has exalted me, for a gem possesses no real beauty until it is used in the proper context. [This may also be interpreted Sufistically: ] It is God who has chosen man and exalted him; otherwise we are but minuscule particles among many in His creation. [Note that the poet's nom-de-plume, /gawhar/ MI "pearl," is used here as a meaningful word in the verse.

157

11

1.

Whether it be the adversity of autumn or the leisure of spring -- it is only one phase of the rotation of night and day.

All of the vicissitudes of fortune -- pleasure and pain, ease and adversity -- are but transitory in the cycle of time.

(1.) 2.

L'--frL-147 ♦ h

(PcifbA

While taking on myself unjustified blame for drinking, I only negate the bitterness of the sorrows of life.

My drinking is due only to my need to drown my grief. Therefore, do not accuse me of drinking for pleasure!

3.

Every flower droops because of separation from you -you took away the good fortune of spring.

Separation from the beloved gives even the best of life's beauties a melancholy hue.

(c.J 4.

The ripple of the morning breeze has also reached my cage. How ironical are the ways of spring!

158

II How cruel of the spring breeze to come into my cage to remind me of my days of freedom! When one is suffering, the sight of others being happy enhances pain.

5.

0 my heart, even if it be the dawn of the Day of Resurrection after all, this night of waiting must have a morn!

Waiting for the beloved who never comes is an endless torture. I console myself that this night of separation too must have its end, even though it be at the end of time.

4.1.1 (1.J1r:1 JJ 6.

hiVk-e

0 Saqi, in the wine goblets there are glimpses of blood! Now pray for the safety of the tavern of the world!

There are portents of evil for the world. Present conditions foretell an imminent holocaust of destruction.

c.t 7.

Gawhar, she WILL come and cannot fail to come; this is the stubbornness of my unbridled passion today!

The power of my will and my love is so great, that I am certain of her coming today. The sheer force of my passion will draw her.

159

iii

0*

.

1.

I turned my gaze away from those who would cure me and continued to hide the pang of every suffering.

It is beneath my dignity to look to others for a remedy for my troubles. It is better to conceal pain entirely than to accept the ministrations of other people.

Z._ ••

2.

•_i •

J

• ,r •

Ae

)1" , •■•1 Utle•

As the ringlets of her long tresses were combed out, so did I also begin to come to my senses.

I was ensnared in the tangle of my beloved's locks; as she combed them and set them to rights, so was I able to regain some self-control. [The "ringlets of her long tresses" may also stand for the complexities of life; as these are sorted out, one is able to regain one's equilibrium. ]

z—y/ 2- —C:2A.464v: LA rib.--Zue:g0P1( 3.

In the desire for just one petal of the flower, I kept embracing all the thorns.

I am prepared to undertake any hardship for the sake of even one tiny fragment of beauty. [Or: ] When one truly loves, even the obstacles on one's path become infused with the aura of love and thus become part of the object of love themselves.

L,Arrilyvic),-v)(f.'Lt.:4 160

III 4.

The wine of life itself was somewhat distasteful -however, I too continued to mix poison with it.

Life itself is bitter enough, but it is my nature to enhance my own difficulties.

4 ■A j V4i1 (.775 1.

. .41:(

5.

Seeking a beautiful portrait, the desirous hand kept making sketches and erasing them.

Any successful achievement is the result of many false starts and crude attempts. The true artist is he who is willing to try and fail and yet keep trying.

1 ;1, 1f-L(15 ta 6.

cia,,,, 4:

1),J

tJut

Not a single movement of her eye encouraged me. Still, I kept on narrating the story of my desire.

Just to tell my beloved of my devotion is a source of joy. True love must emerge somehow, even though there be no encouragement.

ViJe; 7.

it43/(A))

Gawhar, the brilliance of the wounds of desire did not diminish -- someone continued to light lamps in my heart.

Memory of my beloved kept on reopening the wounds of love in my heart. [/faroy/ M1 [np] "light, illumination, splendour, brilliance" here denotes "freshness. " It is used to match the metaphor of "lighting lamps" in the second line. ]

161

IV

1.

The bitterness of life was drowned in exhilaration Saqi, what intoxication was there in your glance!

The intoxication of the beloved's glance obliterates all the harshness of life.

ciWcififr 2._ u. 4 ti/Z-3 L:.x'e" 2.

Sometimes it was I who staggered and spilled the wine. Sometimes Saqi's hands trembled too.

Either it was my own vacillation and weakness that kept me from succeeding in my desires, or else it was the uncertainty of the hand of Fate.

L1k4 df2-0,A ce:Z:

4-1(

Lafelk L4-. 3.

Partly it was my sympathisers' lack of understanding me, and partly the affair, too, was such that I could not explain it.

This matter of my heart was of such a delicate and sensitive nature that I did not wish to divulge it fully. Those who were my confidants were neither sufficiently interested nor perceptive enough to comprehend me completely.

C:Cd ("-Y

,.`

162

'

IV 4. Even in your thronging assemblage you remain aloof from everyone -- I am not alone even in my secluded corner.

The aloofness of the beloved is such that she cannot be intruded upon even in a crowded gathering. Yet even in total seclusion I am so surrounded by thoughts of her that I am never alone. [Another interpretation: ] God is everywhere in the world at once, yet not of it. Man, on the other hand, is never separate from God even in complete isolation.

Le.; cr.c.; 4; Lot u.t0,4— 5.

You dance in my goblet; you shimmer in my tears -- I kept you as a life partner under all conditions.

Happy or sad, in good circumstances or bad, my beloved was always with me.

Liy

6.

This simplicity! This magic of downcast eyes! A man does fall prey to deception sometimes!

A.90. h

7.

I

4 A A (JAI (/).1

have sprinkled my life-blood on every garden walk, but

yet the flowers could not attain their hue without you.

Human efforts cannot bring fruit without the benevolence of God. Though I strove with every ounce of my energy and emotion, still my world remained colourless without you. ["Sprinkled my life-blood" may here be taken either as "weeping tears of blood" or as "sacrificing one's total efforts. "]

163

IV

..(F.,c6.4e,;0!.:,../Kji Li;

8.

Let the collar of the dawn be torn -- go on beguiling me yet a little more with the pretense of love!

Though I am aware that your love is nothing but sham and make-belief, still let it continue until the morn -- night is the proper time for such enchanting self-deception, but when day comes I will have to face reality.

c..-4.,, rt:Ii.:, tif.:41, (.3.1, if Z--:,1-.1()ics>.:' 9.

Saqi, long live the Tavern of Time Keep on filling the goblet of life to overflowing!

Each passing moment of life brings me that much nearer to death, yet still I wish to taste life's experiences to the full. [A deeper interpretation may be: ] I rejoice in surrender to God. Though my life will include pain and suffering and finally death, still I give myself gladly into His hands. I am happy with my lot, [This world is here compared to a Tavern, where, instead of cups of wine, cups of life are filled.]

164

ahrnao r2abirn qasyrni

• , 4'4'4,4 4 1.

0-1 4.-0

•

6

(.: 14

I smile at the distinction between the desert and the garden; the cloud that rises from the Kaba sheds its rain upon the Brahman.

Who are we to discriminate between man and man, when the beneficence of God is given to the whole world regardless of colour or creed? [This may also be given an ironic twist: ] We Muslims are supposedly the chosen ones of God -- why, then, do His blessings seem to fall upon the believer and the non-believer equally?

ct.3 ; L;?

476-61:--c)x1(.4.

/Li.1 2.

The intoxication of the desertion of my home has made me feel as though the lightning had showered colour upon my nest.

Misfortune itself has an intoxicating quality. This protects us in a sense from the starkness of life by spreading a veil of zest and fascination over our calamities.

3.

At last! At least one human being has appeared in the wilderness of my quest. If he agrees, I will place my life in the hands of the highwayman.

There are almost no others now in the wilderness of the quest for Truth. When at last I have found another upon this difficult road, the intensity of my loneliness demands that I accept him as my companion, even though he be a highwayman who may but rob and kill me.

165

.,‘:1*-C/er 4.

tielf rdet.e:I LA)-1;; it)"

If I have complaints of the cruelty of my friend, then why -- ? I am that mad person who falls in love with his own enemy.

So affectionate is my nature that I must love even my enemies. How then can it be possible that I should have any complaints about my beloved? My love encompasses much more than even the worst cruelties she can do me.

ci:%).tilua(c4,1(??. 4f- '4')Li;J314;inuy../01 .) 5.

The fragrance of the flower does not remain within the power of the flower's hue. Why, then, did autumn stretch out its hand upon the wall of the garden?

The fragrance and the hue are both integral parts of the beauty of the flower. If even the flower's hue cannot catch and restrain the fragrance, then how much less likely that cruel autumn, the destroyer of beauty, can do so: ["Autumn" here may symbolise "the material world" or "time"; "hue" may denote "the material beauties of the world" and "fragrance" may signify "the intangible values of life" or " a free soul. " Thus: ] If beauty itself cannot capture the ethereal and intangible things of life, then how much less likely that the gross material world may do so! [Or: ] A free and questing spirit cannot be perpetually held in bondage even by beauty, much less by the crude temptations of this material life.

-Prj..)W i Le .; (11(W 4C)i.,3"0/ ( 1)‘,J 1)16 4c1,11 6.

(d

The darkness of the cell was not wanting as source of horror -- who then laid the sword upon the window-grating in the shape of a ray of light?

Though this prison of life itself is terrible enough, a ray of false hope makes it seem much more terrifying,

166

4.-) 1,Leci..?-?)3)4( 7.

How will they appear before God, only God knows those who have no stain of love upon their robes.

Love is the only virtue that may redeem us with God.

8.

Having overcome the elements, how can I say what next he may take up? Nadim, now man's hands are at his own throat.

The human race has now mastered the powers necessary for its own destruction. What next?

167

II

- Ii. -- L-..0 1 , i e-r-Y !,.0.,/: Li:. 1.

It is I, or it is you -- it is as though one is fleeing from oneself. it seems as if some shadow were walking ahead of me.

Either I flee from love, or love seems to flee from me. It is as though I am pursuing a shadow which I can never catch.

/.

..•• • •

LO(0.1AL' I

2.

le.

Vv

jj

LNEW. 1/ ; ) .... i •

Af•

4 •

Before you, this was not the way of spring: the flowers burst into bloom, as though the garden were burning.

Before I met you, the atmosphere of spring (the season of love) was not such a torment for me. Now my heart is so oppressed that even the beauties of spring have become painful.

Lt.J, A-/eler-ryie--aL(f,2‘);: 4.r- ot.L-. 4-- L:die"1 6-44/c3Ltf' 3.

Through recollection of you there is light in my heart thus, just as the desert shimmers in the moonlight.

The heart is a desert upon which memory sheds its beautiful but wan light.

•EvkL0,.4.3...7"1...lifi u.,A(/...( j) 4.-7.- oiii,--)y:_-.) ti-Z6-.d- 1) •L*4 4. The lamp of your promises still glimmers in my heart, just as the stars of the declining night become pale.

168

II Memory of your promises still illumines my heart but grows ever dimmer with the passing of time.

–etAii..i';i1, 4.t,; lj-P1 .4.— 5.

) 4 itc-,ML )e.,4: I

L

Though time has changed, the pitch of my fidelity does not change, just like lamps on the mountain peaks in a storm.

Mountain peaks stand high above the storm raging over the plains below, and lamps lit upon their summits do not waver. Similarly, my love for you does not falter, whatever the passing tempests of time.

-AA (-. -"vi *v." L),,,P r 6 _ -071 .. •_ ( . ) LA1 , ..e 6.

ir 1 , 2th,fi' ..

My tears have become a smile and gleam in my eyes. It is as though a corner of your robe had come into my grasp.

Memory of you came to me so strongly that I felt as though my fingers were touching the hem of your garment, and my tears became a smile.

L.:1,, ___,: 5( "l er- Ll ' o'ic); ----

4..- ()Jim 7.

T-J‘vw‘iir.-4$?1---i ..,::

Even after meeting you, desire to meet you still lingers just as the lips still tremble even after a kiss.

Anticipation still lingers, even after being near you, for my love is not such that can be satiated merely by meeting you If I could only merge my being into yours, then my love would be complete.

169

?•;;•0,1

tb(c.c),J1 ')/

k

8. I find myself all alone in this crowded world, just as some deserted hamlet in the meadows.

OL:-Atv)-`67,4_yri' LrAr 9.

Anguish for the beloved approached the anguish of life thus, just as a village maid draws near the city.

The delicate and innocent sentiments of love become awe-stricken and full of trepidation as they approach the sordid turmoil of worry and care that surrounds one's worldly life.

.fi .,

10.

I recite verses to the present age, just as the spring scatters flowers upon the graves.

People of today are dead to the beauties of poetry, just as those in the tomb are dead to the beauties of spring flowers.

4rUkit-JM/(3.ell cc, 11.

Nadim, time does heal the wound -- but in much the same way that one might stitch up the collars of the flowers.

Time does heal the wounds of love, but very crudely and leaving great scars, just as if one were to sew up the petals ("collars") of the flowers.

170

III

Lly..44,6f

erV3

L 1.

I swear by my inability to reach God, this much I realised: when beauty could not be attained, it was given the name of God.

["Swearing by" the gist of what one intends to say is a common Urdu literary device. ] Beauty is the eternal and natural goal of the human spirit. When beauty was found to be beyond our grasp, our weakness for deification caused us to name it "god. " Though God indeed does manifest Himself in beauty, yet His reality is far beyond this.

(0.=4:1; 2.

All of the veils remained before my eyes until my heart had known pain. When pain blazed up, then darkness could no longer endure.

The veils of self and the material world prevent us from reaching God. Only the fire of true love blazing in one's heart can penetrate this darkness.

(Aevr.•

r.Lc.i v.:

ts,t) 3.

Even after leaving your company, still am I in your company. Only when I lost myself did I attain you.

No matter where we may be, we are always in the presence of God. Nevertheless, direct communion with God cannot be attained unless the seeker annihilates his ego and merges his identity into the ineffable oneness of God. [This may also be interpreted as referring to a material beloved.]

171

III

(Sixo),1"6:-").)-16YL: 4.

0 friend, be grateful to the night since at the break of day your shadow will spring forth from your body.

You are unique in the world at night, for there are none who can match your beauty and charm. At the coming of dawn, however, your shadow will emerge, and then in at least one sense your uniqueness will be gone: there will be another like you.

2--y.‘4.7 4

5.

When the stars peeped through the rift in the clouds, 0 my forgetful one, then you came so often to my memory.

My beloved's eyes gleam through the veils which swathe her, just as the stars shine through the enshrouding clouds.

01.A.QuALL:v.0), Loi 6.

When tears came to my eyes, centuries flashed before my sight: thus that whatever era I considered, I found it weeping.

When sorrow overwhelmed me, I turned my eyes upon the past but found that every period of history too was similarly sorrow-stricken.

t 7.

u,c1;74";)14-4::CVL.4.,ci 2- Lb/0

Whenever I see any masterpiece of art, 1 wonder how many people have repeated my story of sorrow.

172

III Every work of art seems to have been inspired by my own love story. The experiences of every true lover have always been the same.

8.

What are these shoots that ornament the dry branches, if life be but the transitory shade of a tree?

How can one consider life to be dead and meaningless, when there are always sprouts of fresh hope? Even in the most adverse circumstances or under the most terrible oppression the force of life still springs up afresh.

Li 9.

Why should I sell for a loaf of barley bread that love for which I cast the world aside?

When I have spurned the whole world for the sake of my fidelity to love, why should I now debase it for the sake of a few crumbs (of food to stay alive, or of fame and recognition). [Inane javil Fl [nip] "barley bread" means "the cheapest type of food" and hence "petty livelihood. "]

t. Lir

•

•:

10. On the expectation that man might somehow rally, every new torture encouraged me to live.

There is a limit to the amount of oppression and torment that mankind can stand. In the end he must rise and rectify all these evils. It is the hope of reaching this limit of endurance and seeing man right himself that keeps me alive.

173

IV

,tzi641v.()*Jiviu.t I 1.

f

I 3

1 had forgotten you, but when, after a lifetime, memory of you arose, the pain began again.

I only deceived myself in thinking that it was possible to forget you. Any chance reminder of you brings back the same anguish as before.

f edi,

Tir L.) Ji 2.

After a long time I received permission to smile, but it, too, was so bitter that tears gushed forth instead.

Cruel life has at last whimsically granted me a little joy, but so well had I learned the lesson of tears that I wept instead.

diJie.d.45.;•LA 3.

The paths are plundered, the footprints have been brushed away -- but still I hear the tinkling of your ankle-bells.

["Plundered" is here used in the sense of "deserted. "] Though all outward traces of you are gone, still I seem to hear the sound of your passing, so vivid is your memory.

4.

Always in the niche of civilisation the lamp of poverty burns.

174

IV It is the toil and suffering of the endless poor that have been the foundation for all the glories of "civilisation. "

if 5.

Le).-V..?*().-d4•4° 2-V1

The Artist, whoever He may be, Whose masterpiece you are, must have pondered over you for centuries.

A being as perfect as you cannot be the creation of any ordinary creator. [The verse may refer either to a worldly beloved or to the Prophet Muhammad. ]

I:. • ,..ted 6.

When the lines of your figure came to mind, the shortcomings of my art stood forth.

Your beauty is beyond my power to depict.

,••• J1) i, ci."1-4))154476:9V 7.

The wealth of woe was not so cheap before -- now, whichever way you go, there bazaars of miseries are set up.

In this troubled, faithless age, misfortune and sorrow have become common commodities.

175

IV

L' 1 . il'a --/1 ‘ --- ; .. .. . .. .. , ‘ .......).1,,rz...(0/( . 2.4.,fire,

(ii)..JLv2citcf-J

8.

I have beautified your memory with every sorrow. Was I you, who became inseparable from sorrow?

You have become inseparably connected with sorrow, yet you do nothing with it, I made use of my grief to beautify your memory. I am thus superior to you, though only in this. [The beloved is "inseparable" from grief in the sense that she causes it in those who love her, and it thus becomes a part of her permanent environment. ]

) " g..4-..t .)'-i 4- tI/1;‘7-4: !it-rt3 191 )t`"45.)1 .1 2--V.: C-1 9.

It is a lamp which neither goes out nor comes nearer. Did I drag out a lifetime or only pass a night of separation?

I could neither attain my beloved nor yet lose hope of her completely, so evasive was she. Was this only one night of separation, or was this an entire lifetime? [Sufistically, the "Night of Separation" may also denote our brief worldly existence -- that period which we must pass alone in this world of phenomena, away from God. ]

176

ayyab 'Sahyb nasirn

keLc)lcc,..,4 LztfAtilri 1. When are my eyes not on the splendour of her face? When are the stars and moon not the embellishment of my sight?

In my imagination, I "adorn my vision" (i. e. enjoy the beauty) of my beloved's face, likened here to the stars and moon.

),4,1,I 4-Utilt?

; 2.

The chains of the gloom of separation are the same as they were -- night is passing, but there is no sign of dawn.

Dawn never comes when the beloved is absent. Life is an eternally dark prison of separation without her.

(.4.‘

,...J2)a un . i,__JA;.1..L.4;e 3.

What, I and regard for any other than Thy beneficence -- ? The discernment of my vision is not so low!

How could I fix my eyes upon anything other than the bounty of God? My powers of discrimination and perception do not allow me to be satisfied by anything less than the one true Goal.

Lf."r)1r/ .,;:U—ej .4 • 177

V°,

i 4.

What eye is that which does not roam after beauty? What beauty is that upon which there are not a myriad eyes?

4).e U J I

d4.1y/

uei°47-,4--Ir-%Ji:I'rb., 5.

In each direction do I keep prostrating myself -- who knows where that threshold is and where it is not?

God is limitless and infinite. He cannot be enclosed by the limitations of time and space. Hence, I do not make obeisance only in the direction of the Kaba but in any direction whatsoever, for He is everywhere.

6: for. Li, r , )voii);‘))4-LieLis • ,e), 4_ v.;.;.A4-2.1), 6.

Without the heart, the magic of the tongue remains imperfect. If the heart be there, then the prayer is not in vain.

-:4izr--rli‘la,12)1(01.4 ),

c):);)• J--;to of; ,ici.:, 7.

Nasim, although her kindness and beneficence are there, yet I feel that her glance is not the same as before.

Although she still continues to grant me favours yet I feel somehow that her attitude is cooling towards me. [This can also be given a Sufistic interpretation: ] Before creation, God showed great favours to Man, even making the angels bow before him. Now God has placed us here in this material world and shows us less regard than before.

178

••

!Jr)j

i'd_7e

K(

2.■

1. The star of my destiny remained the companion of my sorrow. Desire for you plundered me; search for you slew me.

Although love for you has ruined me, still my destiny remains inextricably bound up with this love. I cannot abandon you.

-Alci 00-( •4:40 ...It 2.

Sometimes I won the game of the anguish of desire on the chessboard of life through her checkmate -- and sometimes I was defeated at the checkmate of my own heart.

The victory of the beloved over me is my victory too. It is only the over-passionate nature of my heart that defeats my purposes. Oah/ Fl [np] has two meanings: "check (in chess)" and "signal, instigation, encouragement. " The verse may thus also mean: ] I won the game of love whenever the beloved gave me any encouragement, but the signals I took from my too-forward heart led me only to defeat. [Still a deeper meaning: ] the real victory to be won in life is to curb the desires of one's weak and sinful heart and to accept the will of God.

4--g3ELs1t4o.)9 01(5: LLe,34 c.s2 LA: 3.

My life endured only through your graciousness -my failures called me back time and again.

My repeated failures to attain your love warned me that further attempts would lead to my destruction, but still it was only love of you that kept me alive at all.

179

641AJZLI1-14.,)C" 41 ();.‘11

(AZ; 4.

Once did I see her, but after that till now neither did the concourse of tears overflow, nor did my glance rise again.

One sight of the beloved was enough to dazzle my eyes forever. Neither could I raise my eyes against the glare of her beauty, nor yet could I weep, since this very bedazzlement has destroyed my capacity for tears. All my senses were stunned.

vi(tc.; bik),7, 5.

L, a)

Let not Thy creation look upon me with a jaundiced eye; Thy mighty indifference is bearable for me under any conditions.

If God chooses to ignore me because of my lowliness, I can bear this with equanimity, but I will not tolerate being humiliated by any of His creatures.

6.

My Gracious Protector moves along with me -- wherever my foot faltered, there I received His aid.

e 7.

2._,:„(1,

Nasim, I know the beauty of my life: -- I was ruined by the concerns of the world; the concerns of love exalted me.

180

II It is pure love that lends beauty to my life; attachments to the material world add only ugliness.

181

III

1--.) L.- L j,ri'Lf-Xi,),

e.__ik 0 v..,L0frc‘el 1.

All the sorrows of my heart have disappeared -- now I am hers and she is mine.

[This may possibly be interpreted Sufistically: ] I have now reached that stage of spiritual development where there is neither self nor non-self but only Oneness with God.

i‘i:z/i) ----ilYB-A—,:i --1 2.

bus1L3.4)

1(

May someone call me so that my soul too may come forth and made obeisance:

Would that I might receive such a call from God that my soul too might join my physical self in performing my devotions! [There is a stage of spiritual development at which one performs the obeisances of prayer not only with the physical shell and the intellect, but also with the inner spirit. ]

4--.) cf.) 1., Di 3.

.. 4—i:

The custom of this world is odd: -- he who wins loses the game.

One is always eventually defeated so long as one seeks only worldly ends. [Or: ] He who succeeds in this world loses the next world. [Another interpretation: ] he who wins in love loses himself (i. e. his ego, his separate identity).

.t., Z.-‘L.-33(zt '..._, ;ye 182

III 4.

Love often came in surges -- and turned the tides of time.

[This is a play on words: /mawj/ Fl means both "wave, surge" and "ecstasy, intoxication of joy. " /rnawj me" anal idiomatically means "to get into a good mood, to become exhilarated. "]

t7 c.

i r

ir-Lotiyb SIA 5.

The boat was about to enter the whirlpool, but with the help of the storm it reached the shore.

[Both "whirlpool" and "storm" symbolise "tribulations"; the "shore" stands for "peace of mind, rest, safety. "] When I was about to be submerged in the chaos of life's problems, the storm of love took me and carried me straight to my goal (God).

6.

When memory of her came of a sudden, the fringes of my eyelashes became wet.

A sudden sharp pang of memory increases the poignancy of sorrow.

16(LA/1?eZ: le 7.

Nasim, those who were beggars at that gate have laid down their lives, but they did not go back on their word.

Those who truly sought God have sacrificed their lives but have never proved false to their word.

183

IV

1.

Though I kept the secret of love from my confidants involuntarily your name came to my lips.

2104 Lo ci.4.-AlcAjLecYii " ./,(j..7 —..01......../r, (44'% I; ,I? 4iI 2.

Why do you make the circuit of your glances common in the assemblage? Let the earth and sky remain upon their axes!

So enchanting are your glances that, if you scatter them about too freely, the very cosmos will reel upon its axis.

J‘f-if_#ti)64.4,&2_LL), ver f4).1irrl--sit-vil,t) 3.

These days there is a storm of sorrow in every corner of my heart -- nevertheless, the world of desire is not disarrayed.

Though dejection and disappointment raised tempests of sorrow in my heart, still they could not touch the strong central kernel of my love for you.

utot,"';(. 6

4.

Li..41;!) i fih(

a.t I')

In this universe of intellect and wisdom, there are broad avenues on every side. Devils are fashioned here, and Men, too, are made here.

In this world, all avenues are open to human endeavour -- those that can turn a man into a devil and those that can produce truly noble human beings. The direction we take is up to us.

184

Iv

62.e. 4. ..• 5.

The moon and stars shine with the help of darkness. Their light increases with the dusk of the evening.

Darkness, too, is essential as an antithesis for light. Evil, misfortune, and trouble are essential for a true appreciation of the good things of life. [Also: ] the greater the adversities, the more opportunity for one to display one's ability.

,4;1') r.:—.1111

—.1:d1 i

F:IV.LC,;..: 161.4

.1 (l e--0 141 6.

I could not offer homage at that threshold. Once arrived, oh, whence have I returned in my rapture?

Proximity to my goal (God) creates such intoxication that I have lost all power to perform those devotions which were the purpose of my going. Lost in my ecstasy, I came away without completing my purpose.

of; troYcs)).1.filkle-Lfaics, cs:,---.4 tp4-4.!cf,....At,4:-:1 A5r.. 7.

Having risen from Thy company, again have I returned to Thy company. This was my beginning, and this is my end.

Both departure from and return to God are part of a cycle: the beginning and end are the same.

I,e..1.4.--1,... 1

LI I L.:d L'..;fw-ke.,

8.

The beauty of my selection demands your admiration; from this point of view I surpassed even you.

185

IV I surpass you only in this one thing: that it was my good taste which selected you as the most beautiful of all creatures.

9.

That same vision that believed in self-adoration is now martyred upon the splendour of the beloved. Let us see what may be

I, who once found satisfaction in love of self, have now progressed beyond this stage to that of adoration of the beloved (God). Let us now see what further stages may lie along the way!

186

nazan arnrzohoi

ZrV14.0 i° (?/ 1°zd j

e re Di

Zji) .:00)/.61 .1LJ4 CW/I'AC 1.

Those sorrows which have come within the bounds of the world of possibility have changed their shape and appeared in the form of mankind.

Man is created a creature of sorrow. It is as though all the grief and pain and suffering possible in the universe had been moulded into the form of man.

Zr4.).V,47 LIIN) 2.

0 Lord, provide some new sphere for my madness: Both the Worlds have now come within my riven collar.

[According to Islam, the totality of God's creation consists of the "Two Worlds": the present world, and the Hereafter. ] In the frenzy of my yearning for God, I have combed the entirety of this world and the Hereafter as well; yet 1 have not attained my goal. 0 God, grant that there may be some further sphere in which I may seek Thee, where Thou canst manifest Thyself directly to me:

3.

Those manifestations for which the whole world was too narrow have finally dwindled and have been encompassed by the bewildered eye.

[One of the higher planes of Sufism is the "World of Bewilderment" (/alarrie tahayywr/ M1 [np]). The concentration and devotion of the worshipper results in his entering a state in which he stands endlessly bewildered before the inconceivable glory of God. ] If the totality of God can be encompassed and grasped by any human seeker, it can only be by those who have reached the "World of Bewilderment. " The entirety of God's manifestations are too mighty for any other sphere.

187

i(j1_, LPL/01:41k 4.

Someone's youth and beauty were being mentioned; it felt as though 1 had come into a rose-garden.

["Someone" is a common device for alluding to the beloved. ] Just the mention of you made me feel as though I were surrounded by beauty and fragrance.

Z.1 vw0;71;.0 •• , 5.

• ),(441

I took the veils too to be part of the splendour. I was myself deceived by my bewildered eyes.

Bedazzled by the glamour of the idols of this material world (fame, wealth, beauty, etc, ), I mistook this "veil" of phenomena to be part of God. Actually, these things are but the curtain which hides Him from our view.

Zru-!.ot;5,v(Zt..)9L, 6.

Life consists only of this variation: sometimes we reached the shore; sometimes we encountered the tempest.

Life is nothing more than a series of reverses. There is nothing more to it than this.

A

9 '14-

(.44,VC 7.

0 Nazar, every atom of the path demands obeisance. Have we come to the vicinity of the beloved's lane?

188

)2J Each particle of matter in the vicinity of the beloved is affected by her nature, reflecting her glory. So absorbed am I in love that only when each atom demands obeisance do I realise that I am approaching my goal. [Sufisticallyl ] The nearer one approaches God, the more His transcendant glory affects the perceptions of the seeker.

189

;.14-1.6er-Ve,409/R

Loi9j( q.4,-)41:3. 1.

0'6)40 1 )Cri

My heart is not certain of her promise, but still I have some little expectation. Perhaps my melancholy heart gains something like repose from this delusion of tranquility.

I know she will not come, but yet somehow there is a feeling that she may. Perhaps this feeling alone is all that makes my life worth living. My heart seizes upon even this faint hope as a means of maintaining its stability.

er-t-A"jurc.,14-crJ .*;1 4-1-) 2.

Apart from the realm of wonder, there are thousands of such stages in which wisdom seems without avail, and madness, too, seems helpless.

The Sufistic stage of "Wonder, " where the seeker remains perpetually amazed before the reality of God, is indeed far along on the road of love to Him; yet there are many further stages of spiritual development beyond this. On these planes neither intellect nor love can prevail, and one must depend solely upon the grace of God. [See also the preceding iyazal/, verses 3 and 5. ]

er-LiMiiJkctoe;),14(i..411$1 3.

Wisdom is operative still; there is yet esteem for the manifestations. Vision still does not pierce the veil; as yet my madness seems too rational.

When I am one with God, then there will no longer be any feeling of esteem for His manifestations -- I shall then be a part of them. Yet as long as I am apart from Him, I know that intellect is yet operative, and my ego has not yet been merged in love. I am still unable to pierce the veil of phenomena that separates me from God. The seeker's intellect, his perceptions, his very core of self -- all must be annihilated and swept aside in the pure love of God.

190

)2J (.3~~-~' ~rr4-v+)J i.

4.

There is neither caravan nor path, neither any goal nor guide. Beyond the sphere of sense and knowledge, the whole world is beclouded.

In the search for God, there is no obvious path, nor are there any signposts to mark the way. Neither intellect nor knowledge can serve as guides. Each individual seeker must tread this path by himself. Here, none can lead another ; all are dependent upon the grace of God.

r-i-d.J14?)12V.V;eV.,Ct) 5.

0 Nazar, such attractive places lay on the paths of love that now even the thought of the repose of the goal is rather a burden upon my sorrowful nature.

The path of love is so beautiful that 1 find the idea of ending my journey and achieving my goal most burdensome. There is pleasure both in the path itself and also in the effort of journeying.

191

III

}')

L:Lte.-A31;‘)-Pt74 1.

If the boon of steadfast resolve be not granted, vision cannot attain the desired object of vision.

Human effort alone is not sufficient to attain direct knowledge of God. Unless God grants the seeker the ability to persevere on this difficult path, he cannot hope to succeed.

:riic)

,41....,/ (.75.vc.

t:,..LL,-‘ti.,,,P;:lv..tv4 2.

0 Heaven forbid the deceit of the temple and the sanctuary! My brow does not find Thy threshold.

I have become lost in the labyrinth of dogma and doctrine propounded by the organised religions of the world. As long as I am enmeshed in their snares, the true path to God will elude me.

_/cylle--()cftS;4.IR. 1,k403.1;224:)-4,:' 3.

If you would but look, He is nearer than the jugular vein. Yet if you search, He may not be found your whole life long.

God is always present within us, nearer to us even than our own lifeblood. Yet no amount of searching in the world of phenomena and intellect will reveal Him. The search for God must always be an internal, personal affair. ["Nearer than the jugular vein" is a translation of a phrase used in the Quran. ]

L.. "4" ("Ir 1 1

-41

k"11

192

III 4.

0 what a quest there is for tranquility of vision and heart! Yet tranquility of vision and heart alone is nowhere to be found.

Peace of mind -- contentment and ease of heart -- is the most sought after of all human goals, yet it alone of all our aims is unavailable in this material world.

cise.crit).42.-..2)44t L:Liit), 5.

Not every eye can embrace Thy glories. Not every heart is given perpetual sorrow.

Not every human heart is given the capacity for love required to tread the path of spiritual development and devotion. God alone gives this ability to those whom He chooses as part of His ineffable plan.

6.

0 Nazar, who knows how long I have been wandering at the edge of the goal of life. There is no guide.

Though I continue to seek God, yet I have found no guide who can show me the way, [According to certain schools of Sufi thought, God cannot be attained unless the seeker finds a guide who knows the way. Just as one requires a teacher to learn a language or master a trade, so one must have a guide who knows and can impart the techniques of spiritual development. Hence the system of /pir/ MI (or /gayx/ MI) "religious guide" and /mwrid/ M/F1 "pupil, disciple. " A true /pir/ is one who has mastered the methods of spiritual development and who has attained God.]

193

IV

,2Lyj'ci+-117.udy-e 1. After each spring season, I feel that the shackles on my feet have become a little heavier.

Each year spring, the season of love, comes and goes, yet the bonds of this harsh material world (or the cruelty of Fate) prevent me from attaining love. Each year, I become a little wearier, a little more bowed under the weight of my chains. [Or: ] Each spring my love rises to still higher ecstasies of longing; yet, intoxicated with my passion, I take this enhancement of my love to be only an increase in the weight of my fetters.

6-c Lx2- 1, vo 1,-Yroyi 2.

Perhaps life has been transformed into the mirth of sorrow. I laugh with the help of tears.

My sorrow has spread and infused every atom of my being. Now even my laughter is shot through with tears.

12 7 (1.4 0-;);

11) L; ;;14' 3.

(1:: r 4 0;

44;

Le-71

For a long time laughter did not come to me in my madness, but when it came, it came uncontrollably.

In the madness of love I am subject to grief and depression most of the time. Yet sometimes 1 am seized by fits of uncontrollable laughter too. These are the two faces of the coin of madness. [Ore] Most of the time I remain plunged in the gloom and sorrow of my unrequited yearning. Even when I am seized with fits of laughter, this laughter too is helpless before the power of my passions.

194

IV

)0 4■-•j Ai j

C I) A.

F'

4. 0 you who play with the buds and flowers: The life of buds and flowers is short.

0 you who would dally with beauty and joy, know that the pleasures of this world do not last. Beauty and love are but preludes to sorrow.

v B (fc) yi 5.

-z;/

Whatever the phase of life may be, sorrow remains to the extent of one's consciousness.

It is only the consciousness of self that produces sorrow. No matter what stage of spiritual development one has attained, so long as one cannot lay aside the ego, sorrow will remain a constant companion.

4.- . i il L-Afi); 6.

Vision seeks gaiety. Yet vision is also separate from gaiety.

Vision has a separate individuality of its own; it is not just a part of the phenomena it perceives. Although our eyes do seek colour and phenomena, beauty and movement, gaiety and life, still they have a separate being and a far higher function: those who are devoted and who persevere can train their vision to look beyond this veil of phenomena to the reality of God.

...

.

.1 e.,),Icifii 1 2:--Y7Jt;; 4-2-liz 195

IV 7.

}')

Nazar, in this world of manifestations each one has his own destiny: if moths burn, they become ashes; if the candle burns, it becomes light.

Each created thing has its own role to play in this world. Some are born to destroy themselves in the fire of love; others are born to blaze in beauty and draw the love of others.

11E17 c...wow ...);j a.4),

8.

zej i

Her negligence -- 0 what negligence: Her attentions -O what attentions: All of her mannerisms are those of indifference; her whole mood is one of surrender.

Both indifference and affection are discernible in my beloved at one and the same time. Outwardly she shows herself indifferent to me with an indifference that is unparalleled. Yet beneath this coldness she hides the warmth of her feelings for me, and this warmth is also something that no one else can equal.

9.

Help, 0 Cupbearer of Kawsar, help! Now life is nothing but thirst.

[/kawsar/ MI [nip] is the name of a stream of nectar that will flow across the Plain of Judgment on the Day of Resurrection. The Prophet Muhammad will give nectar from this to the Faithful, and he is thus given the title of "the Cupbearer of Kawsar. 1 0 Holy Prophet, my life has become nothing but an endless thirst for that precious liquid which you alone can dispense!

196

hoe" tyrzmyzi

1. Those sorrows that we have borne cannot be erased from the heart, A lifetime has passed; the shadows of memory remain.

c",;e.._01APti)

Likl 3 Z. 0 look to your tears, lest they fall from your eyes! Once these pearls fall, they cannot be gathered up again.

6.7d)

c) okc) 1,11

LI"

•L0r.:Irc

4 -d /)fU".:. Di) Lfj

3. Every movement of the robe of madness is the spirit of etiquette -- etiquette is not taught upon this path.

Each involuntary act of love is itself part of the etiquette of love. Love has no code of behaviour which can be taught -- the ways of love come naturally to the lover.

• ...1

• , •

4, 1 too have dwelt in the brilliance of the night of your tresses. What can one do? -- Those days which have passed cannot be brought back again.

Once I too shared your favours. Now I lament my lost youth and the past that is gone.

197

vwe.-- (.06 12— I 5. Let someone make my physicians understand that there is no complaint -- there are some injuries which cannot be brought to view.

The wounds of love cannot be shown to my well-wishers like any ordinary ailment. Ucaragar/ M/F1 "sympathiser, supporter, succourer" here may be translated as "physician. "]

_ • .. 6.

11, l•J I r L();./ ••• i‘gru-4. 1 • .. 10• 6:4

k•V

0 cruel hands, these are the heads of the faithful. Once cut off, they are cut off -- but they cannot be made to bow down.

0 tyrant, those who are truly faithful to their purpose can be broken but never bent.

; 14. ‘10:4)./(?(.7/;74L

6=d 1

LA911.4.4'7; 7.

( at

0 Ha, what can one say of the lamps of the sorrow of the heart? Once lit, they cannot be extinguished.

Once true love is born in one's heart, it cannot be driven forth again.

198

21.574;24,,, 1.

4,, LI,/

Although those blisters that were there have become scars, still, in my heart, I am in your custody.

The blisters raised upon my heart by my passion have become seals upon the deed of my slavery to you, [/day/ M1 has several meanings: "wound, scar, mark, stain" and also "brand (as on an animal, a slave, a criminal). " /havala/ M2 signifies "custody" and also "a legal document of slavery. " "Blisters" are paired with /da-y/ in its meaning of "scar, " and then /day/ in its meaning of "brand" is matched with /havala/.

i0a):::tr LL)m.i;,4%;') 2.

Let not those who love be burned up in the desert of fidelity; There is such sunlight there that their complexions have become black.

The privations of love are unbearable -- let the lover not be destroyed completely!

2"--y; 3.

)LtAt

What is that miraculous beauty -- a flame or a colour? Those who see it have fallen into a quandary.

The beauty of the beloved is indescribable. Those who see it cannot decide whether it is a flame or some colour never before seen.

CIA Lit; 14s fZer--I) g

k)„ Li .

L

199

Lpfiv ic,

II 4.

The dew is the punishment for divulging the secret, as though there were blisters on the tongues of the flowers.

By her very existence, the flower has divulged the secret of the presence of beauty in the world. [Or: ] the bud has opened and released the secret of its fragrance. The flower is punished by being given "blisters" of dew upon her "tongue" (petals).

(44,1.estAii._:4,4,1u5d. 5.

Look upon us who are at the stage of the tumult of desire. Still there is a lock upon our beseeching lips.

Even though I suffer the unspeakable torments of unfulfilled love, still 1 allow no complaint to pass my lips. I neither beg nor lament my lot.

!if • Lif-4._

6.

Do not pass thus unfeelingly through the garden of the world. Do pick up some of these scattered thorns or flowers:

Do not abstain from the experiences of life. Pleasant or painful, it is better to live to the hilt than not at all.

7.

Hod has come into the assembly of his beloved in new guise: with ashes upon his face, and with rings in his ears.

[The lover made desperate by unrequited passion gives up the world and becomes an ascetic, one mark of which is the smearing of the face with ashes. Wearing rings in one's ears signified slavery. The lover has thus put on an outward garb representing his feelings: total devotion and total subjection. ]

200

LiEV.

III

it

4A-01 ggji,k)-41 0 9

I

.. V

II.

ra....,

.: 1.

..

Memories set out, thoughts started forth, damp tears have gone -- so many messengers have departed, bearing the message of love.

Memories, thoughts, tears -- all are my emissaries to my beloved,

(fe2—)1,"4-riP10.-4d4))

4.ii4_/-iilq-AcI 2.

At each calamity I managed to bolster up my heart now what can I do when your tresses have themselves become scattered?

Each smile from you, each look, each graceful movement was a blow for my lovestricken heart, yet somehow I managed to exist. Now, when 1 see your tresses unbound, it is too much for me to endure.

.A2:,,:cL 3, Then who could finish the journey to the goal of fidelity were the path itself to move along with the wayfarer? If the road itself moves along with the traveller as he advances, how then can one attain the end? If it be true that there are always further stages beyond one on the road of love, then how can one ever fully attain the beloved?

201

III

4.

Defeat encouraged me thus at every step: as though some fellow traveller were journeying along with me.

I gathered courage even from repeated defeats and misfortunes.

j JJ

5.

a•

•

How will you enjoy the garden of desire? The season has passed, and the overflowing rivers have subsided.

The season for your desires is past; the time for love is gone. [The rainy season is considered to be the proper time for love and pleasure.

6.

Hog, stones rain down upon the paths from every side -- where would you go with this caravan of desire?

The "caravan of desire" is the heart, and the heart may be broken by the stones of misfortune. The world is against the true attainment of one's desires.

202

IV

1.

For homage to beauty, heart and sight were given -- yet no one could give me a tongue with which to beseech.

It is ironical that, though I was given a heart full of love and desire, I was given no instrument by which my desires could be expressed. The very intensity of my love took away my powers of expression.

)1 01(c.A) KA).y7#01,..4>,, r 2.

.•

-

0

Although my feet be cut, and there be danger to life, yet will I find that Soul of Desire wherever He may be.

(ILIWLic.J;r1Z44j/VoLAtker:( LA) 3.

LF: u.."Le" cri L.4.43;

Now in the glow of her cheeks, now in the clouds of her tresses -- in this sunlight and in this shade did I pass my term of desire.

L aite.w 4.

`u.t 1;., g .1 .1rue11 .

0 lovers, if there be no one to sympathise, why be downcast? After all, what is lacking on the path of love? Are there no agony and no gallows?

Even if there be no other sympathisers on the path of love, at least there are sorrows and death to keep you company. [This verse refers indirectly to Mansur Hallaj, a great Sufi of the 9th century, who declared that the spirit of the ascetic could merge itself with

203

IV the Divine Spirit, and that thus man could become God in a sense. For these (and other) beliefs, he was persecuted and eventually executed. ] At least you can meet the same fate on the path of love which Hallaj met!

••

5. The heart of the stone will bear witness that I am an idol-maker. Whenever I cast a glance upon a stone it began to speak. It is in our nature to set up idols. A stone is in itself a lifeless object; it is this proclivity towards idol-worship that causes us to give it a tongue.

cJ 1,=--'11

`01;j1 , •-.414

• 6.

The anguish of defeat, the restraining of lamentation, the separation of friends -- ask me about the equipage for the journey of fidelity!

These things accompany every traveller who would tread the path of love. Before you set out, ask a lover about the hardships of the journey! [The verse may also refer to the poet's separation from his home in India.]

3

6-6""

.11 43r/(11 (:).".1).11/;121 C.-

7.

Though it be the story of the gallows and the rope, do speak! Somehow mention of her stature and her tresses may emerge!

Even in the grimmest story I can find some word or reference which will give me an excuse to draw my beloved's beauty into the conversation. If you speak of the gallows, I can bring up the slenderness of her figure. If you speak of the noose and the rope, I will recall her curling tresses. [This is also an indirect reference to Mansur Hallaj (see

204

Iv above, verse 4).

4- 0(.).:,„%ti;1''ciditco 8.

Why are you astonished to see my tears? These are the same words which could not leave my tongue.

Those words of love which I could not utter have come forth in the form of tears.

;•

P

**

49 ,P/

.4011 (1:4A1 • 9.

Those whose hearts were lamps on the path of submission -- some have become like Qays; some have become like Hog.

Those who would travel on the path of love must emulate either Qays (a semi-historical Arab lover) or Ho'g (the poet himself).

10.

If you have the courage to live, then it will eventually suit you: pay no attention to the atmosphere of her street.

[The atmosphere of the beloved's lane can hardly be expected to suit the lover since it is in her vicinity that he suffers most. Do not allow the unhappy associations of the beloved's street to deter you. If you have the courage to live, you will eventually become adapted to an atmosphere of continual yearning and frustration.

205

VOCABULARY Entries in this section are given in Urdu alphabetical order. Alternate forms employed for reasons of metre are separately listed wherever the student might encounter difficulty: e. g. /mah/ or /mah/ MI [np] "moon. " Other variations are simply subsumed under the normal prose form of the word, however: e. g. forms with a final nasalised vowel vs. those ending in a vowel + /n/: /bayaban/ M1 "desert, wilderness" (the usual prose form) is given, but /bayabal (sometimes required by the metre) is not; see Sec. A, 130 of this book. The various abbreviations and conventions employed in this section are explained in Sec. A. 200 ff.

I

abr M1 [np]

cloud

abru M1 [or Fl]

eyebrow

wbharna Ig: /a/

to raise, arouse, incite, stir up, induce

wbharna I: /wbharna/: to rise, swell, spring up, be incited, Ig become stirred up yttyqa M1 [np]

piety

ytmam M1 [np]

completion, fulfillment

wjaRna Ig: /a/

to lay waste, destroy, devastate, depopulate

wjala M2

light, refulgence, splendour

wjaRna I: /wjaRna/: Ig

to be laid waste, destroyed, devastated, depopulated

wcaTna I: /wcaTna/: Ig

to be separated, detached, to come off, spring forth, rebound; to be tired of, sick of

+yhsan M1

kindness, benevolence, goodness, favour

/[x ka] yhsan wThana/ to accept favours [from X], obligate oneself [to X]

207

yxfa MI [np]

concealment, hiding

yxlas M1 [np]

sincerity, truthfulness

ada Fl

blandishment, coquetry

adai F2

payment, fulfillment, performance. [More usually /adaygi/ F2, ]

yzn MI [np]

permission, leave

*arbab Mpl

masters, possessors; friends, companions. [/arbab/ is really the p1. of /rab/ (Arabic /rabb/) MI, but the latter denotes only "God" in Urdu, /arbab/ often occurs + the /yzafat/ and a following noun, signifying "possessors of ...:1 ]

arza Al

cheap, inexpensive

yrad MI

order, bidding, will, command

aryava Al

crimson. [Literary, ]

arman MI

desire, longing, yearning

are Interj

0! [/are/ is used to address a masc, noun; for females /ari/ is employed. See "A Course in Urdu," Sec. 19.306. See also /re/. ]

wRana C: /wRna/: Ilc

to cause to fly

wRna 11c: /w/

to fly, take flight, vanish (as a colour)

az xwd Adv

automatically, of one's own accord

azal Fl [np]

the beginning of time, the start of creation

wslub MI

style, mode

asir M/F1

captive, prisoner

208

*asiran M/Fpl

captives, prisoners. [P1. /asir/ M/Fl. ]

ask MI

tear (lachrymal). [Synonymous with /5.- su/ MI but more literary. ]

akbar Al

shedding tears, weeping

akfy 6. ". A l

shedding [lit. sprinkling] tears, weeping

yttylaan Adv

for information

yzhar MI [np]

expression, disclosure, display, show

etydal MI [np]

moderation

ejaz MI

miracle, marvel, wonder

yftytah MI

inauguration, opening

afswrda [or /faswrda/] dejected, dispirited, depressed Al ylga MI [np]

disclosure, exposure, revealing

wfwq MI [np]

horizon

* aflak Mpl

skies, heavens. [P1. /falak/ Ml. ]

yk Al

one, a, an. [Alternate form of /ek/ Al employed in poetry for reasons of metre. ]

wksana Ia

to incite, instigate, urge, encourage

yltyja Fl

request, entreaty

wlaTna Illa: /a/

to overturn, capsize, turn upside down, turn inside out, reverse, overthrow, turn back, turn (leaves of a book, etc.)

wljhan Fl

complication, complexity, confusion, dilemma

209

ylzam M1

accusation, allegation, indictment, blame

wlfat F1

love, affection

wmaDna [or /wmanDna/] IIa

to overflow, gush out, flood

ymkan MI

possibility, chance

yntyha Fl [np]

limit, extremity, end, utmost point

*anjwm Mpl

stars. [P1. /najm/ MI. See also the alternate broken plural form /nwjum/ Mpl. ]

andoh MI [np]

sorrow, melancholy

andher MI [np]

chaos, injustice, lawlessness

Civgli F2

finger

ynhi: OP

these very ones (obj. ). [/yn/ + the emphatic enclitic particle /hi/; see "A Course in Urdu, " Sec. 5.306. In its Urdu script form /ynhil may be confused with the special object form /ynhe/ "these, them. "]

avval Al Adv

first, prior, beginning (adj. )

avvalin Al

first, foremost, primary

yhtymam MI

management, supervision, care, auspices, arrangements

*

ayyam Mpl

days. [Pl. /yawm/ Ml. ]

ima MI [np]

suggestion, permission, consent, command

210

abru Fl [pl. rare.]

prestige, esteem, honour

apa Ref. Pron.

self

/ape se bahar hona/ to lose one's self control, be beside oneself (with joy, anger, etc. )

r

aty3 Fl

fire, flame

+ *adab Mpl

•

jj1J1

respects, salutations, forms of address. [Also: "etiquette, manners, courteous behaviour. "]

aray Fl

adornment, beautification, decoration

arzu Fl

desire, longing

azadaraw Al

independent, carefree, headstrong, free-spirited

azar MI

ailment, malady, torment, trouble, vexation

astan [or /astana/] MI

threshold. [See next entry. ]

astana [or /astan/] M2

threshold, entrance to the tomb of a saint. [In the latter meaning only /astana/ seems to occur ; both /astan/ and /astana/ denote "threshold, " however. ]

asra MG

hope, resort, reliance, shelter

ania M/F 1

acquaintance, acquainted, known

•

1 .1

1r C)1..../

,:dt.::—A

/[x se] aria hona/ to be, become acquainted [with X] ay5. [or /a4-ana/] MI

nest, abode, home. [See next entry. ]

a'gyana [or /a.gyal] M2

nest, abode, home. [Both /a.y.g./ and /ayana/ are equally common in poetry. ]

afat Fl

calamity

211

aftab M1 [np]

sun. [Literary. ]

agahi F2 [np]

awareness, knowledge, information

alay Fl

pollution, contamination, filth

aluda Al

polluted, soiled, stained, covered with

5c Fl [np]

flame, heat (of a fire)

adhi F2

duststorm

+5.-kh Fl

eye

/[x se] akh cwrana/ to turn one's eyes [away from X]

avaragi F2

vagrancy, life of a vagabond, wandering

avara MI Al

vagabond, wanderer; wandering, roving

al

ah Fl

sigh, lamentation

b i■••#1; 1

ahaT Fl

soft sound (as of footsteps, light tapping, rattling)

ainaxana M2

room of mirrors, a room having walls decorated with mirrors

ainadar MI

reflector. [In Mughal courts there was a regular post called /ainadar/; this person held the mirror for the king's toilette. ]

• baadab Al Adv

courteous, formal, well-behaved; courteously, respectfully

bada MI [np]

wine. [Used as Fl in one verse -possibly a misprint? ]

badakaIi F2

wine drinking

212

Jc

bar MI

load, burden, weight

(5.

bari MI [np]

God, the Creator. [Homophonous with /bari/ F2 "turn, time. "]

bazu MI

arm, wing, side

bazi F2

game, sport, stake

bayban Ml

gardener

+bal MI

hair; feather[s], wing, pinion

bala M2

earring

bylyttyfaq Adv

unanimously, in unison

balin Fl [np]

head of the bed, bedside

barn MI [np]

roof, upper storey

[ke] bavasf Comp Post

in spite of

bavafa Al

faithful, loyal

bwtxana M2

temple, shrine where idols are kept

byThana C: /bayThna/: lIc

to cause to sit, to seat

bychaRna lib: /a/

to be parted, separated, lost

bychna Ilc: /y/

to be spread, laid out

baxt MI [np]

fortune, luck

baxil MI Al

miser, stingy, miserly

badgwman Al

suspicious, distrustful, having a bad opinion

badli F2

small cloud. [Diminutive of /badal/ MI.

Lt.

213

badnam Al

infamous, of ill repute, defamed

bodes MI [np]

foreign land

bar MI [np]

fruit. [Literary. ]

/bar ana/ to bring fruit, be fulfilled, be successful, prosper

bar Prep

on, upon, at. [Persian preposition occurring only in compounds and literary constructions in Urdu. ]

barbot MI

lute

barpa PA I

occurring, happening, rising, springing up; produced, caused, occasioned, raised. [Persian /bar pa/ on foot. "]

/barpa hona/ to occur, happen, rise (as a tumult), spring up

AX ko] barpa karna/ to produce, cause, occasion, raise [X] barsana C: /barasna/: to cause to rain lib barasna ilb: /a/

to rain

barq Fl [np]

lightning

barkha Fl

rainy season

barg MI

leaf, petal

barham Al

dispersed, scattered, ruffled, disturbed, annoyed

/borham hona/ to be, become dispersed, scattered, disturbed, annoyed /[X ko] barham karna/ to disperse, scatter, disturb, annoy [X] barahman [or /byrahman/] MI

Brahmin

barahna Al Adv

naked, bare

bazm Fl

social or literary gathering, party, company

214

Cr?

bas MI [np]

capability, capacity, power, control

/PC ke] bas me ana/ to be within the capacity, power [of X] bysat Fl

chessboard

basana C: /basnal: Ilc

to cause to settle, inhabit, dwell, to people (a place)

basti F2

habitation, settlement, village

basna IIc: /a/

to settle, inhabit, dwell

bawnvane Prep

having the title of ... [Persian /ba/ "with" + /wnvan/ MI "title, heading, topic, subject" + the /yzafat/.

baqadre Prep

to the extent of, as far as. [Persian /ba/ "with" + /qadr/ Fl "value, amount, appreciation" + the /yzafat/.

bakaf Post

in hand. [Persian /ba/ "with" + /kaf/ MI [or Fl ] "palm (of the hand). " A noun followed by /bakaf/ functions as an adverb; e. g. bakaf/ "sword in hand ...

bygaRna If: /a/

to spoil, ruin, destroy, bungle; make angry

bagula M2

whirlwind

bela F1

evil spirit, devil; trial, affliction, calamity

/bala se/ Adv no matter, what do I care ...

Jik

bylal PN [MI]

Bilal, an Abyssinian slave, who was one of the first to join Islam. Upon being freed, he spent his life in the service of the Prophet Muhammad and is famous for his love of the Prophet and devotion to Islam. He died in 641 A. D.

balanDar Fl

blunder

[ke] byn Comp Post

without, [This word is often used as a preposition too. It is followed by a masc. oblique past participle of a verb: e. g. /byn ae/ "without coming. " See

215

"A Course in Urdu"; Sec. 16.303. ] banao MI [np]

adornment, beautification, make-up

bandagi F2

slavery, devotion, adoration, worship

bu Fl

odour, smell

bor Al /[X se] bor bona/

boring, tiresome to be bored [by X]

boriat Fl [np]

boredom, [A coined word. ]

buzar PN [Ml]

Abu Zar Ghaffari, a famous companion of the Prophet Muhammad. He was famous for his asceticism and dislike of worldly things.

bavaqte Prep

at the time of. [Persian /ba/ "with" + /vaqt/ MI "time" + the /yzafat/. ]

bahar [or /baharal] Fl

spring (season). [/bahar/ is the usual form; /baharal is rather rare.]

bahara. [or /bahar/] Fl

spring (season). [See preceding entry. ]

bahana C; /bahna/: IIc

to cause to float, make run (liquid), set afloat; to squander; to shed (blood)

bahana M2

excuse, alibi, pretext

bhabut M1 [np]

ashes of cow dung. [Hindu holy men smear their bodies with these ashes as a mark of devotion. ]

bhaTakna 1lb: /a/

to go astray, lose the way, deviate, err

bhara A2

full, filled

bahar surat Adv

in any case. [Persian /ba/ "with" + /har/ Al "every, each" + /surat/ Fl "form, state, condition, face."]

bahar lamha Adv

at every moment, [Persian /ba/ "with" + /har/ Al "every, each" + /lamha/ M2 "moment, second, "]

216

bharam MI [np] A:

/ gyp 1

prestige, honour

/[X ka] bharam rakhna/ to maintain the prestige [of X]

benefited, profited, enjoying

bahravar PA1

/[X se] bahrevar hona/ to benefit, profit [from X], enjoy [X]

bhaRakna Ilb: /a/

to burst into flame, flare up, blaze

bhykari MI

mendicant, beggar

bahkana C: /bahkna/: lib

to beguile, mislead, deceive, intoxicate

bahkna 11b; /a/

to be beguiled, mislead, deceived, intoxicated (i. e. not in one's senses)

bhala A2 Adv

good, excellent; after all, well, how can it be ...

bh5var MI

whirlpool

+bhulna lic: /w/

to forget

/bhule se/ Adv by mistake, in error

bhigna /bhygo/

C stem

to become wet, damp, moist, soaked

bayaban MI

desert, wilderness

beasar Al

ineffective, making no impression

beyxtiar Al Adv

involuntary, spontaneous; involuntarily

bebak Al Adv

fearless, bold, dauntless; fearlessly, boldly, dauntlessly

bebysat Al

insignificant, poor

beparda Al Adv

unveiled, uncovered; openly

betabi F2

impatience, restlessness

217

0.1 •Cfi ..•

besabat Al

ephemeral, transitory, unstable

beja Al Adv

unjustified, improper, for no reason

becayn Al Adv

restless, impatient, uneasy; restlessly, impatiently, uneasily

behys Al Adv

insensible, unfeeling, lacking sensitivity; unfeelingly

behysab Al Adv

countless, innumerable, unlimited; countlessly

bexabar Al Adv

ignorant, unaware, unheeding; ignorantly, unheedingly

bexabri F2 [np]

ignorance, heedlessness, lack of awareness

bexwdi F2 [np]

rapture, ecstasy, abandonment of self

berwxi F2 [np]

indifference, negligence

berg Al

colourless

bezabani F2 [np]

dumbness, muteness, speechlessness

besaxta Al Adv

involuntary, spontaneous; involuntarily, spontaneously, all of a sudden

besabab Al Adv

senseless, unreasonable, having no reason; for no reason

beyam Al Adv

without sorrow, free of grief

begana AZ M2

strange, foreign, other, alien, unknown

/beganae/ Prep without. [/begana/ + the /yzafat/ is used before a following noun as a preposition. ] beganaravi F2 [np]

alienness, indifference, behaviour befitting a stranger

begwnahi F2

sinlessness, innocence, guiltlessness

218

benasib Al

luckless, unfortunate, lacking, deprived of, without

benyaz Al

needing nothing from others, selfcontained, independent and indifferent, unheeding, haughty

benyazi F2

independence (needing nothing from others), selfcontainedness, indifference, heedlessness, haughtiness

I1

pa MI [np ]

foot. [Used in literary constructions: e. g. /na0e pa/ MI "footprint. "]

)L

[ke] par Adv Comp Post

over, across, on the other side of

/par lagna/ to get to the other side

par sai F2

piety, purity, virtue, abstinence

pazeb Fl

anklet, metal ornament worn by women on the ankle

pas MI [np]

respect, consideration, regard

/pase adab/ Adv out of decorum, out of respect for the rules of etiquette pak Al

pure, clean

/[x se] pak hona/ to be pure, clean, free [from X]

,,,:„.

paei MI

foot

paemal [or /pamal/] Al

trodden underfoot, destroyed, ruined

patta M2

leaf

patti F2

small leaf

pwxta Al

cooked, ripe, ready, matured, solid, strong, staunch, permanent

par MI

feather, wing

( .4 :::4 '

4

219

par [or /pe/] Conj

but, still, nevertheless, however

partaw MI [np]

reflection

parcam MI

banner, standard

pwrxar Al

thorny, full of thorns

pwrxun Al

bloody, filled with blood

pardadar Al MI

confidential, secret, private; confidant

pardadar Al

penetrating, piercing

pardanann Al M/F1

veiled, hidden; person observing the custom of /parda/

pwrnam Al

wet, damp

parvana M2

moth. [Metaphorically "lover. "]

parvana M2

written message (usually an official document)

parvardygar MI [np]

God, the Cherisher

paRha lykha A2

educated. [Lit. "read-wrote. " See "A Course in Urdu, " Sec. 16.303. ]

pas Conj

so, then, therefore

/pase/ Prep behind, in back of, after. [/pas / + the /yzafat/ occurs as a preposition. ]

cri

past Al

low, humble, mean, base, degraded

pase mwrdan Adv

after death. [Persian phrase: /pas/ "behind, after" + the /yzafat/ + the Persian infinitive /mwrdan/ "to die. "]

pasope MI [np]

hesitation, shilly-shallying

pasina M2

perspiration, sweat

ko] pasina anal [X] to sweat; [X] to feel ashamed, embarrassed

220

paeman Al Adv

repentant, penitent, regretful; penitently

pwkar Fl

call, cry

pelek Fl

eyelash

palna I: /palna/: If

to be cherished, raised, nurtured, reared, brought up

pyndar M1 [np]

conceit, pride, arrogance

panghaT Ml

well, place for drawing water

pe [or /par/] Conj

but, still, nevertheless, however

pe [or +/par/] Post

on, at

pahcanna la

to recognise, identify, know

pahr MI [or Fl]

watch: time measurement of three hours

pahra M2 guard, watch, sentinel /[x par] pahra byThana/ to lay restrictions [on X], stand guard [over X] ( ,) /4 ■

pehle pahl Adv

for the very first time, first of all

pah:vc Fl

approach, access

+phiikna If /w/

to blow; to kindle, set on fire

pherna Ie: /y/

to turn away, turn back, return (transitive); to stroke, pet

e:

61

/

:05 .57: 1,

•

pyar M1 love, affection, fondness; kiss /[X ko Y par] pyar ana/ [X] to feel sympathy [for Y] /[X se] pyar kerna/ to love [X] /[X ko] pyar kerna/ to kiss [X] pyala M2

cup, goblet

payam M1

message. [Synonymous with /peyyam/ Ml. ] 221

spiritual guide, leader of a Sufi order, saint

pir MI 1:■

keeper of the tavern, wine-seller. /pire mayxana/ MI [Metaphorically: "Sufi spiritual guide. ''] /pire rriwya./ MI tavern keeper, spiritual guide. [Lit. "Elder of the fire-worshippers. " See /rrivrya/. ]

payrahan MI

garment, garb

peR MI

tree. [Synonymous with /daraxt/ MI. ]

[se] penar Adv Comp Post

before, prior to

pevai F2

welcome, reception

paykar MI

body, form, figure

payman MI

pledge, promise

paymana M2

measure, capacity; goblet, cup (i. e. a measure of wine)

payham Al Adv

continuous, constant; continuously, constantly

tab Fl [np]

strength, power, ability, endurance; brightness, radiance, lustre

tabnak Al

shining, gleaming, bright, glittering

tabyndagi F2

gleam, lustre, light, brightness

,r

tara M2

star. [Alternate form of /sytara/ M2, ]

1.11.

tak F1

ambush, lying in wait

1

17-1"

/tak me rahna/ to lie in wait, lie in ambush ffI

U If

to kwja Adv

up to what point? till when? for how long? [Persian. Lit. "until where?"'

tala M2

lock, padlock

222

tabahi F .2

destruction, ruin, devastation

tabasswm MI

smile

tabas swmafri- Al

smile-producing

tabsyra M2

review, comment

tap5 Al

burning, fiery, hot. [After the /yzafat/. ]

tajalli F2

manifestation, splendour, glory, brilliancy

*tajalliat Fpl

manifestations, splendours, glories. [P1. /tajalli/ F2. ]

twjh OS

thee. [See /tu/. ]

twjhe Sp. Obj. Form

thee. [See Au/. ] writing, inscription, document. [Also "line. '"]

tahrir Fl

taxliq Fl

creation

taxayywl MI

imagination, fancy, conception, idea, thought

tadbir Fl

plan, strategem, scheme, device

tar Al

wet, damp, moist

tn.a. A2

thy. [Form of /tera/ employed for reasons of metre. See /tu/. ]

tartib Fl [np]

order, arrangement, compilation

id• a (*id

-•

/[x ko] tartib dena/ to order, arrange, compile [X]. [See "A Course in Urdu'"; Sec. 11.306. ] abandoning, leaving, relinquishing

tark MI [np]

/[x ko] tark karna/ to abandon, leave, relinquish [X] restlessness, agitation, eagerness; bolt of lightning

taRap Fl [np]

223

taRapna 11c: /a/

to toss about (as a restless person, a wounded person); to flutter, beat, palpitate, throb

tasbih F1

rosary, prayer beads

taskin Fl

consolation, comfort, rest, peace, contentment

/[X ko] taskin dena/ to console, comfort [X], give [X] rest, peace, contentment

ta slim F1

acceptance; salutation, greetings

tatnagi F2 [np]

thirst, longing

taaqwb MI [np]

pursuit, chase, following

ka] taaqwb karna/ to pursue, chase, [X] 4. 0 taasswb MI

prejudice

tazim Fl [np]

honouring, respecting

rsz• /[X ki] tazim karna/ to respect [X]

j;

. ror

tayafwl MI

indifference, heedlessness, unmindfulness

tayafwlke'g Al

habituated to indifference, customarily heedless

taqaza M2

demand, claim, requirement

taqdir Fl

fortune, luck, destiny, fate

taqsir Fl

fault, shortcoming, mistake

takna la

to gaze, stare, look at intently or longingly; to expect, wait for. [Although this verb appears to be the intransitive form of /takna/ la "to gaze, stare," this is not the case: /takna/ is also transitive and has the connotation of "to stare at lustfully or greedily, " a sense not necessarily present in /takna/. ]

takia M2

pillow, cushion

0.••

/[X par] takia karna/ to depend, rely [upon X]

229

talx A l

bitter

talxi F2

bitterness

talak [or 4Aak/] Post

up to, until. [Aalak/ is an older, less common form; it is still occasionally seen in prose, however. ]

talvar F1

sword

tama.a. M2

show, entertainment, display

tamaagah F1

place of entertainment, theatre, arena

tamanna F1

wish, desire, longing

twnd A l

strong, violent, severe, harsh, fast

tanaffwr MI [np]

disdain, contempt, aversion

tynka M2

straw

tanha Al Adv

alone, solitary, lonely

tanhai F2

loneliness

tanhaipasand A l

loving loneliness, solitary

to Pron

thou. [NS /t../, OS /twjh /; sp. Obj. Form /twjhe/; A2 /tera/. ]

tawba Fl

repentance, vow of abstention from a sin

/tawba .• ! / Interj Heaven forbid... !

tawsan MI [np]

steed, horse. [Literary. ]

tavaqqwf MI [np]

wait, pause, tarrying, hesitation

Aavaqqwf hona/ to be a pause, wait tawhin Fl [np]

insult, denigration, denunciation, disgrace

225

fold, layer, bottom, profundity, hidden meaning

tah Fl

/tahe/ Prep under, beneath. [f. e. /lah/ + the /yzafat/ before a noun. ] blow (of wind or water), gust, blast, splash

thapeRa M2

/thapeRa khana/ to be struck by wind or water, blasted, splashed

thartharana Ha

to tremble, quiver, shiver, quake

twhmat Fl

false accusation, allegation

/[x par] twhmat lagana/ to accuse [X] falsely thamna 1: /thamna/: le

to stop, cease, stand still

tir MI

arrow

tera [or /t6ra/] AZ

thy. [See

tiragi F2

darkness, gloom, obscurity

tevar MI

expression, look, aspect

Au/.

/tevar badalna/ to change one's expression (for the worse), to begin to behave coolly towards someone

10

Tapakna Ilb: /a/

to drip, drop, dribble out

Thykana M2

abode, resort, refuge, place

Thwkrana la

to reject, spurn, kick

Thokar Fl

stumbling, misstep, tripping, mistake, kick

/Thokar khana/ to stumble, trip, make a mistake

+Thahrna lib: /a/

226

to wait, stop for a while, tarry; to prove to be, to turn out as. [In "A Course in [Jrdu" the alternate stem form of this verb -- /Thayr/ -- was introduced.]

ja baja Adv

here and there, at many places, from place to place

jam MI

goblet

jana pahcana A2

recognised, known, familiar. [See "A Course in Urdu, " Sec. 16.303. ]

jana [or /janana/] M/F1 [np]

beloved, sweetheart. [hang/ is the more common form. Literary, ]

janana [or /jana] M/F1 [np]

beloved, sweetheart. [See preceding entry. ]

janyb Fl

side, direction

balab Al Adv

dying, at the point of death, [Lit. "life at the lips. "]

janleva Al M/F1

deadly, mortal; deadly enemy

janavazi F2

favour, grace, kindness, graciousness. [Lit. "life-gracingness. "]

jabin Fl

forehead

jwdagana Al Adv

apart, separate, different; apart, separately, differently

jwrat [or /jwr 9 at] Fl [np]

boldness, courage, daring

jwzv [or /jwz/] MI

part, portion, particle, component

jasarat Fl

boldness, impertinence, daring

jwstwju Fl

search, quest

jafa Fl

cruelty, oppression

jygar MI

liver. [Metaphorically used for "heart, the seat of one's being" and also for "courage."]

227

jagrnagana Lab

to twinkle, glitter

jalvat Fl

company, assemblage. [The opposite of /xalvat/ Fl "solitude, solitariness. "]

jalva M2

manifestation, appearance; light, splendour, display

jalvagah [or /jalvagah/] place of manifestation or display F1

jalvagari F2

manifestation, display of splendour

jamal MI [np]

beauty

jwmby'g Fl

movement, motion, trembling

jyns Fl

commodity, kind, species

jwnun Ml

madness, lunacy

ju Fl [np]

canal. [Only in literary constructions.]

jo Conj

if, when. [Homophonous with the relative pronoun /jo/ "who, which, what. "]

jot F1

light, brilliance, lustre

/jot jagana/ to illuminate, light, enhance

S

r

jawr MI

cruelty, tyranny. [Mostly in literary constructions in Urdu.]

jawhar MI

gem; essence, essential property; skill, excellence

javi" Al

made of barley. [Literary. ]

jyhalat literary: /jahalat/] Fl

ignorance, primitiveness, foolishness, illiteracy

jahan MI

world

jha- kna Illd: /5/

to peep, peer

i

••

228

jhwkana C: /jhwkna/: 1Ic

to cause to bow, bend, incline, lower

jhalak Fl [np]

glimpse, glance, glitter, radiance

jhalakna Ilb: /a/

to shine, glitter, flash

jhankar Fl

jingling, tinkling sound

jhumna Ila

to sway to and fro, reel, stagger, swing

jhelna Ia

to endure, bear, tolerate

ji M1 [np]

heart, mind. [Homophonous with the particle /ji/, which denotes respect and also interrogation. See "A Course in Urdu," Sec. 1.105.]

00 •

•

jit

winning, victory

Fl [np]

jitna Ilia: /y/

to win

jina Ilb: C stem /jyl/

to live, be alive, exist

•••

a*/ caragar M/FI

sympathiser, supporter, succourer

cak MI [np] Al

rent, tear; torn

/cak hona/ to be rent, torn

cadni F2 [np]

moonlight

caTakna IIb: /a/

to bud, burst open

cyra-yO [or /cara-yal] MI [np]

illumination

/[x me] cyraya karna/ to illumine [X] sky, heaven. [Literary.]

carx MI [np]

229

--'t

b.4•47

carri F1

eye. [Literary. ]

coma M2

spring, fount

cylman Fl

curtain of split bamboos, "chick"

camakna Ilc: /a/

to shine, glow, gleam, flash

caman MI

flower garden

camanparast Al MI

garden-loving. [Lit. "gardenworshipping. "]

cjigari F2

spark

cumna la

to kiss

Ca- wkna lib: /5w/

to start, be startled, astonished, astounded

chala M2

blister

chao F1 [np]

shade, shadow. [Only of an inanimate object, such as a tree, etc. "Shadow (of a person)" is expressed by /saya/ M2. ]

chaya Fl

shade, shadow. [Same as preceding entry. ]

chwpana C: /chwpna/: Ilc

to hide (transitive), conceal, veil

cyhra M2

face

chyRakna lc: /a/

to sprinkle

chalkana C: /chalakna/: Jib

to spill, cause to overflow, cause to run over

chalakna lib: /a/

to be spilled, overflow, run over

chiTa M2

shower of drops, sprinkling, splash

230

hajatrava Al M/F1

succourer, one who provides help

hadsa [literary: /hadysaA M2

accident, mishap, disaster

+hasyl PA1 M1

obtained, acquired; gain, profit, product, what has been acquired

hamyl M/F1

bearer, carrier

hayl PA1

obstructing, preventing, hindering

/[X me] hayl hona/ to be an obstacle [to X]

-0

vJJ

habib MI

friend, companion, beloved

*hyjabat Mpl

veils, curtains. [Pl. /hyjab/ MI. ]

*hwdud Fpl

limits, boundaries, edges, borders. [Pl. /had/ (Arabic /hadd/) F1, ]

hararat Fl

warmth, heat; zeal, enthusiasm

haram MI

the sacred precincts around the Kaba at Mecca, the most important Islamic shrine; harem, seraglio

harif M/F1

rival, adversary

hazi" Al

sad, grieved, melancholy

hasrat Fl

longing, unfulfilled desire

hasin Al MI

beautiful, handsome, elegant; beautiful person

har MI [np]

resurrection, judgment (in a religious sense: /yawme hani, /hatr ka dyn/ "Day of Resurrection"); commotion, tumult; result, consequence, destiny

hair badarna Al

resurrecting, life-restoring, revivifying. [Literally "having the Day of Resurrection in one's skirts."]

231

hysar MI

fortress, castle

hwsul MI [np]

attainment, achievement, getting

hykayat Fl

story, tale

halal Al

legal, lawful (in the Islamic religious sense)

*havadys Mpl

accidents, mishaps, disasters. [P1. /hadsa/ M2. ]

havala M2

charge, trust, care, custody; reference (to a book, etc. ); legal document (as a deed of ownership, of slavery, etc.)

hawsla [literary: /hawsyla/] M2

spirit, courage

haya F1 [np]

shame, mode sty

hayat Fl [np]

life

hayran Al

surprised, astounded, confounded

/[X par] hayran bona/ to be surprised [at X]

xar MI

thorn

xatyr Fl

mind, heart; service, hospitality; regard, sake

/[ki] xatyr/ Comp Post for the sake of, on account of, out of consideration for

dirt, earth, dust

xak Fl [np] /kya xak

?/ how on earth ... ?

xak basar Adv

disgraced, disappointed, dejected. [Lit. "having dust upon one's head. "]

xaka M2

plan, sketch, outline

xalyq MI

creator

232

xam Al

raw, unripe, crude, imperfect

xamwn [or +/xamoE/ silence, quiet. [Employed for reasons or /xamn/ or /xamonj] of metre; in prose /xamoi/ is found, ] F2 xanavirani F2

desertion of one's home, desertedness, wilderness

xabardar Al Adv

acquainted with, careful of, cautious of

/[x se] xabardar

! / be careful [of X] ... !

xwdai F2 [np]

domination, rule, complete authority, godhood

xyrama" Al Adv

gliding, moving gracefully

xyrad Fl [np]

wisdom, intellect

xyza Fl

autumn

xyt Fl

brick. [Literary. ]

+xat M1

letter. [Also "line, lineament. "]

xata Fl

mistake, error, fault

+ *xwtut Mpl

letters. [Also "lines, lineaments, features."]

xafa PA1 Adv

annoyed, angry, vexed

/[X se] xafa hona/ to be, become annoyed, vexed [with X] xwld MI [or Fl]

paradise, heaven

xaly Fl

pricking, twinge of pain, pang

xalq Fl [np]

creation, mankind, people

xalvat Fl

solitude, solitariness, privacy. [The opposite of /jalvat/ Fl "company, assemblage. "]

xwlus MI [np]

sincerity, earnestness

233

(

curl, curve, twist, bend xam M1 [np] /[X me] xam Dalna/ to curl [X (hair)] earthen pitcher, ewer for wine

xwm MI

intoxication, unpleasant effects of intoxication, heavy -headedne s s /xwmar wtarna/ to throw off the effects of intoxication

xwmar MI [np]

xamdar Al

curling, curled, curved, twisted, bent

xanjarazmai F2 [np]

practicing cruelty, tormenting. [Lit. "trying the dagger. "] /[x par] xanjarazmai karna/ to practice cruelty [upon X], torment [X]

xwnak [literary: /xwnwk/] Al

cold, cool

xab MI

dream, sleep

xuba M/Fpl

beautiful ones, fair ones. [Really the Persian pl. of /xub/, which does not have this meaning in the singular in Urdu. Only in literary constructions. ]

xwdbini F2

self-adoration, vanity, narcissism

xwddari F2

self-respect, self-reliance

xwdkw.gi F2

suicide /xwdkw.gi karna/ to commit suicide

xwdi F2 [np]

ego, consciousness of self

xwbu Fl

perfume, fragrance

xw3`ru Al M/F1

beautiful, pretty; beautiful person

xwkiasib Al MI

fortunate, lucky

xugar PA1

habituated, accustomed /[X se] xugar bona/ to be, become habituated, accustomed [to X]

234

dad Fl [np]

justice; appreciation, praise, applause

/[x ko] dad dena/ to appreciate, praise, applaud [X] dadtalab Al

worthy of appreciation, praiseworthy

dar Fl [np]

scaffold, gallows

dastan Fl

story, tale

day MI

scar, mark, stain, brand /[x ko] day dena/ to grieve [X]. [Lit. "to leave a scar [upon X]."]

al

iw

dam MI

net, snare

dam MI

price, value. [Usually employed as Mpl. ]

daman [or Alaman/] MI

skirt, hem of a garment. [See following entry. ]

daman [or /daman/] MI

skirt, hem of a garment. [In prose the usual form is /daman/. ]

damangir PA1

demanding justice, asking redress; attached to. [Lit. "seizing (someone's) garment-hem. "]

dwxtar Fl

daughter, maid. [Literary. ]

dar MI [np]

door. [Literary. ]

daraz Al

long, tall

dar badar Adv

from door to door

[ke] darpay Comp Post

after, in pursuit of, intent upon. [This word also occurs + the /yzafat/ as a preposition. ]

darma MI

cure, remedy

235

darn MI [np]

interior, inside; heart

dast MI [np]

hand. [Literary.]

daft MI

desert, arid wilderness

dyar MI

region, country, land

dwnlam Fl [or M1] [np]

abuse, curses

dwkhna 11c: /w/

to hurt, pain, ache

heart +dyl MI /[X par] dyl ana/ to fall in love [with X]

ra'

dylavez Al

attractive, charming

dylgir Al

sad, depressed, low-spirited, annoyed

dyllagi F2 [nip]

easy task, joke; attachment

dylnain Al

remembered, impressed upon the mind. [Lit. "heart-residing. "]

dylnavazi F2

kindness, favour, blandishment

dalil Fl

proof, argument, evidence

breath, life, moment +dam MI /PC ke] dam se/ due to the favour [of X], through [X's] kindness davam MI [np]

perpetuity, permanency

dozax MI [or Fl]

hell

*clostan M/Fpl

friends. [P1. +/dost/ M/Fl. ]

+dostana Al M2 [np]

friendly, amicable; friendship. [As a noun, /dostana/ is synonymous with /dosti/ F2.]

236

do'g MI [np]

shoulder

dhara M2

stream, flow, torrent, current, tide

dwhai F2

cry for aid or mercy: help! mercy!

dhabba M2

stain, spot, blot, stigma

dahr MI [np]

age, era, period, world

dhaRkan F1

beating, throbbing

dhaRakna Ilc:

/a/

to throb, beat, palpitate

dahqan MI Al

villager, rustic

dahkana C: /dahkna/: Ilb

to cause to blaze up, kindle, inflame

dahliz F1

threshold

dhwn Fl

ardent desire, craze (for something), preoccupation, absorbing thought; tune, melody

dhi7Vdalka M2

dusk, twilight

dhoka M2

deceit, trick, deception, mistake

/dhoka khana/ to be deceived, tricked, mistaken

dhul Fl [np]

dust

dia M2

small clay lamp

did Fl [np]

glimpse, sight

dida M2

eye. [Literary. ]

dayr Ml

temple, pagan place of worship

divanagi F2 [np]

madness, lunacy

/

237

divana A2 M2

mad, lunatic, crazy, insane; madman, lunatic

DaTna IIa

to stop, stand still, become stationary, fixed, firm, immoveable

Dagmagana IIIb

to totter, falter, tremble

Dhalna If: /a/

to mould, cast, fashion, form

Dhalakna Ilb: /a/

to spill, run down, roll down

Dhalna If

to be moulded, cast, fashioned, formed; to decline, fade

12.1,

/Dhalna/:

•

‘• •

)1i3cci

zarra M2

particle, atom

zi vaciar Al M1

possessing prestige, dignified, esteemed. [Arabic /zi/ (the genitive form of /zu/) "possessor, owner of" + /vaciar/ M1 [np] "prestige, dignity, esteem. "]

J rahat F1

comfort, ease

raz M1

secret, mystery

razdar M/F1

confidant, person keeping a secret

razdan M/F1

confidant, person knowing a secret

ras Fl [np]

a sign of the zodiac

/[x ko] ras ana/ to be auspicious, beneficial [for X], to suit [X] rakh Fl

ashes

rahbar [or /rahbar/] M/F1

guide. Urahbar/ is the form usually found in prose. ]

238

road, path, way. [/rahgwzar/ and rahgwzar [or /rahgwzar/, /rahgwzar/ /rahgwzar/ are the forms most commonly employed in prose. ] and /rahgwzar/] Fl rahnwma [or /rahnwma/] M/F1

leader, guide. [/rahnwma/ is the form usually found in prose. ]

rab MI [np]

Lord, God. [The original Arabic pl. /arbab/ Mpl denotes "masters, possessors, friends, "]

rabt M1

connection

rwt Fl

season

rwtba M2

position, rank, dignity, station

rahmat Fl

compassion, mercy, grace

rwx MI

face, aspect, direction

rwxsara M2

cheek

rasa Al

arriving, far-reaching

/rasa Kona/ to reach, arrive

rasai F2 [np]

approach, reach, access

rasta [or +/rasta/] M2

road, way. [Employed for reasons of metre; in prose /rasta/ is used.]

rasan Fl [or MI]

rope, cord

rwsva Al

disgraced, defamed, dishonoured

ryza [or /raza/] F1

wish, pleasure, will, permission

rags MI

dance

/rags karna/ to dance

raqsa PA1 Adv

dancing

rag Fl

vein, artery

239

rymjhym Fl [np]

pitter-pattering, sound of light rain

rwmuzakia Al

secret-knowing. [ Vrwmuz/ Fpl "secrets" (Arabic pl. of /ramz/ Fl "secret") + /akia/ M/F1 "acquaintance, acquainted, known. "]

ranj MI [rip]

sorrow, grief

AX ko] ranj dena/ to cause [X] to grieve, make [X] unhappy ranjy.5 Fl

quarrel, falling out, estrangement

ryndana Al

tipsy, drunken, rakish, devil-may-care

+r5g MI

colour, tint, paint, dye, aspect, appearance

/rag lama/ to result, bring fruit

0)

raves Al

moving, passing, flowing, transitory, fluent

ru baxyza Adv

approaching autumn, declining

rup MI

shape, form; beauty

rudad Fl

account, report, narrative, description

rozgar MI

world; employment, job, service, livelihood

rozan MI

hole (in a wall, etc. for light), chink, aperture

ravy Fl

way, gait, course, practice; path

rawnaq Fl [np]

lustre, splendour, glamour; gaiety, animation, liveliness

rah [or +/rah/] Fl

road, way, path. [/rah / is employed for reasons of metre; in prose the more common form is /rah/. ]

rahbar [or /rahbar/] M/F1

guide. [In prose /rahbar/ is the usual form. ]

240

rahraw [or /rahrawn MI

wayfarer, traveller. [/rahraw/ is the common form in prose. ]

rahzen [or /rahzan/] MI

highwayman, robber. [In prose /rahzan/ is the usual form.]

rahgwzar Fl

road, way, path. [See /rahgwzar/].

rahgwzar Fl

road, path, way. [See /rahgwzar/ ]

re Interj

0! [Occurs after a noun, etc.: e, g. /allah re! / "0 God!" See /are/.]

ria Fl [np]

deceit, pretense, hypocrisy. [Literary.]

rit Fl [np]

custom, practice, usage

I )1;

zad MI [np]

provisions, expenses

/zade safar/ MI [np] travelling expenses, provisions for a journey zahyd MI

pious person, puritanically religious person, ascetic

zabilkar Al

wicked, sinful, evil

+zaxm MI

wound

/zaxm khan/ to be wounded, receive a wound zom [or /zarn/] MI [np]

pride, vanity, conceit, arrogance, presumption

zwlf Fl

lock, ringlet, tress

zwlayxa PN [Fl]

Zulaykha. [This is the name of Potiphar's wife according to Islamic tradition. The story of Joseph (/yuswf/) and Potiphar's wife is given in detail in the Quran and has been put into verse by many Eastern poets. ]

+zamana M2

time, era, period; world

/zamane se/ Adv since a long time

241

zamzama M2

melodious sound, music

zwnnar MI [or Fl]

sacred thread. [Originally a cord worn by Eastern Christians, Jews, and the Persian Magi, but now used in Urdu for the sacred thread worn by Hindus. ]

zanjir F1

chain, fetters

zyndan MI

prison, dungeon

zyndagani F2 [np]

life. [Synonymous with /zyndagi/ F2 but more literary. ]

zwhd MI [np]

piety, asceticism, puritanical devotion

zia MI [np]

loss, damage, harm, danger

ka] zia hona/ to be a danger [of X]

Adv +[ke] zere Comp Post Prep

under. [See "A Course in Urdu"; Sec, 25. 223. ]

/zere lab/ Adv secretly, whispered softly, falling from the lips. [Lit. "under the lip. "]

e•

zist Fl [np]

life, living, existence

zinat F1

ornament, decoration, embellishment, beauty

sahyri F2 [np]

art of magic, sorcery

sahyl MI

shore, bank

saz MI

musical instruments, musical accompaniment; accoutrements, harness

sayer Ml

goblet, wine cup

saqi MI

cupbearer

242

+saman MI

baggage, articles, things, raw materials, paraphernalia, preparations, arrangements, conditions

sas Fl [or Ml]

breath

saya M2

shade, shadow, reflection. [See also /chac3/ Fl and /chaya/ Fl. ]

sabza M2

greenery, verdure

swbu [or /sabu/] M1

wine pitcher

swpwrdagi F2 [np]

entrusting, commitment, surrender

sytam MI [np]

tyranny, oppression

sytamzarif Al

ironical, taunting, cruelly jesting

syjda M2

prostration (in prayer)

/syjda gwzarna/ to prostrate oneself, perform a prostration

syjdatalab Al

demanding obeisance

syhr Ml [np]

magic, sorcery, enchantment

sahar Fl [np]

dawn, early morning

/sahar hona/ to dawn

sada Adv

always, forever, perpetually

+sar M1

head

/sare/ Prep in, on, at. [/sar/ + the /yzafat/ is employed as a preposition in poetry and highly literary prose. ] sar basyjda Adv

respectfully, showing great honour. [Lit. "with head prostrated. "]

sarcarna M2

spring, fount, source

syryk [common: /saranc/] M1

teardrop, tear. [Literary. ]

243

sarfarazi F2

ascendancy, exaltation, honour, achievement

swrma M2

collyrium, a fine black powder (of antimony) applied to the eyes for adornment and also for medicinal purposes

sarnygia Al Adv

with head bowed, lowered, humiliated, abased

sarnyguni F2 [np]

bowing the head, lowering, humiliation, abasement

sary MI

cypress

swrur MI [np]

exhilaration, mild intoxication, joy

sazavar PA I

suitable, deserving, worthy, fitting

swkut MI [np]

silence, quiet

swkun MI [np]

peace, tranquility, rest, quiet

salasyl Fl [np]

chain. [Originally the Arabic plural of +/sylsyla/ M2 "connection, succession, chain, series, link" but used as Fl in Urdu. ]

salam MI

salutation, greeting: hello, goodbye

salamat PA1 Adv

safe, sound, whole

/ ... salamat! / long live ...! salman PN [Ml]

Salman Farsi, one of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad. He originally came from Persia. After his conversion to Islam he became famous for his loyalty and diligence in the cause of the Faith. He died in 653 A. D.

sarria- [or /sama/] MI [np]

time, atmosphere, prevailing conditions

symt Fl

direction, side

244

symaTna 1: /sarneTna/: Ig

to be collected together, gathered, huddled together; to shrink, shrivel, dwindle

samand MI

steed, horse

samanzar Ml

garden of jasmine

sannaTa M2

dead silence; roaring sound (as of the ocean, violent wind, a flock of birds flying up)

s5bhalna I: /s5bhalna/ : ig

to be set right, be cared for, sustained, propped up, supported, to recover, become well, rally

sag MI [np]

stone. [Literary. ]

s5varna Ig: /a/

to put in order, fix, mend, rectify, decorate, adorn, groom

s5varna I: /s5varna/: Ig

to be put in order, be fixed, mended, rectified, decorated, adorned, groomed

su F I [np]

direction

A

/sue/ Prep toward, in the direction of. [/su/ + the /yzafat/ occurs as a preposition. ] sawda M2 [np]

madness, obsession, insanity. [Homophonous with /sawda/ M2 "household purchases, groceries, supplies. "]

soz MI [np]

burning, scorching, conflagration, burning pain

/soz o saz/ MI [np] conflagration, consuming fire, anguish, love sahara M2

help, assistance, support

Ake] sahare/ Comp Post with the support, aid of /[x ka] sahara Lena/ to take the help [of X], receive the support [of X] sahi Adv

although, after all, granted that . • .

*sayyaragan Mpl

planets, satellites, stars. [Persian pl. of /sayyara/ M2 "planet, satellite, star. "]

245

▪

sayl MI [or Fl] [np]

flood, torrent

sina M2

breast, chest, bosom

•

(007: 00/ 41■

branch, bough, twig

.5ax Fl

axsana M2

difficulty, problem, exigency, trouble

adab Al

fertile, verdant, fresh

night

'gab Fl [np]

Aab kaTna, gwzarna/ night to pass /ab kaTna, gwzarna/ Co pass the night

▪• •

abab MI [np]

youth, prime

abnarn Fl [np]

dew

adid Al

intense, severe, grave, grievous

ar MI [or Fl] [np]

evil, wickedness

spark, flicker, glimmer. [Same as following entry.]

.garar MI

arara M2

spark, flicker, glimmer. [See also preceding and following entries. ]

arar MI

spark, flicker, glimmer. [Same as preceding entry. ]

arrnana IIIb

to be ashamed, embrassed, bashful, shy

bola M2

flame, blaze

Maur [literary: /wur/] Ml

consciousness, sense, intelligence, discernment, feeling healing, recovering, becoming well

yfa F 1

246

(07—

gafaq Fl [np]

twilight

gykastagi F2

breakage, destruction

gykva M2

complaint

gygwftagi [or /gwgwftagi/] F2

blooming, blossoming

gams Ml [np]

sun. [Literary.]

gamgir Fl

sword

lama Fl

candle

gamim Fl [np]

perfume, fragrance, redolence

9,

L}

If •

acquainted, familiar PA I /[x se] ganasa hona/ to be, become acquainted [with X]

anasa

ox Al • •• •

bright, gaudy, pert, saucy, coquettish, mischievous small bit, trifle, tinge; point, tooth (of a letter); mischievous remark

goga M2

Of'

desire-inciting, tempting, alluring

awq5g ez Al gah Fl [np]

61,,, Le'

pj

a

A

check (in chess); instigation, incitement

martyrdom; testimony, evidence, witnessing /gahadat dena/ to give evidence, testify

+gahadat Fl

hpa r a M2

masterpiece

)lAf;

gahryar MI

king, prince

Jer

gahkar [or + /gahkar/] MI

masterpiece

*gahidan M/Fpl

martyrs. [P1. +/gahid/ M/Fl. ]

•i

247

• venerable person, elder. [Used in poetry for a religious scholar, whose rigid piety is contrasted with the free and fervent passion of the Sufi. ]

ay.)c MI

milk. [Literary. ]

fir MI [np]

iri PN [F1]

Shirin, the heroine of a traditional Persian romance. [Airi7 is also employed as Al denoting "sweet. "]

+n"ga. M2

glass, windowpane, mirror; wine cup

aytan MI

Satan, devil

"gefta PA1

enamoured, infatuated, loving

cio +sahab [or /sahyb/] MI

sir, gentleman. [When followed by the /yzafat/ + a noun, /sahab/ denotes "owner, master, possessor. " In this construction /sahab/ usually has its original Arabic vowel pattern: /sahyb/. ]

/sahybe dastan/ MI [np] hero, person having a story

saba Fl [np]

morning breeze

swhbat Fl

company, gathering, society, social intercourse

sahra MI

desert

sahn MI

courtyard

sada Fl

cry, call

sadafreza M2

small piece of mother-of-pearl

swrahi F2

jug, large long-necked bottle (usually of clay)

sarsar Fl [np]

wind, gale

- swubat Fpl

hardships, difficulties. [P1. /swubat/ Fl. ]

L

;0)

248

syla M2

reward

'sylaha Mpl

rewards. [P1. /syla/ M2. ]

+sanat [or /sang at/] Fl

industry; handiwork

sanamgar M/F1

idol-maker

+surat Fl

form, state, condition, case, face

/[ki] surest/ Comp Post in the shape of sufi MI Al

Sufi, Islamic mystic

sahba Fl [np]

wine

sayyad MI

fowler, hunter of birds

zabt MI [np]

restraint, check, suppression

zia Fl

light, lustre, splendour, resplendence

taq MI

niche, recess in a wall

talyb Al

seeking, desiring

tale MI [np]

star, fate, luck, destiny, lot

tarab Fl [np]

pleasure, joy, gaiety. [Literary. ]

talab Fl

seeking, desire, call, demand, summoning, sending for, quest

Lzo

ko] talab karna/ to seek, demand, require, summon, call for [X] tur MI [np]

Mount Sinai

249

tawf M1 [np]

going around, circumambulation. [The circumambulation of the Kaba at Mecca forms an important part of Islamic ritual; /tawf/ thus has connotations of homage and adoration. Literary: the usual term for the circumambulation of the Kaba is /tavvaf/ MI. ]

tufan MI

windstorm, rainstorm, tempest, cyclone

S zalym Al M/F1

cruel, tyrannical, heartless; tyrant

zarf MI

vessel, container; capacity

zwlmat Fl

darkness, obscurity

zwhur MI [np]

appearance, manifestation

ajyz Al MI

humble, weak, helpless

aryz M1

cheek

alam M1

world, universe; state, condition, mood, atmosphere

+ybarat Fl

writing, composition, text, passage

/[X se] ybarat hona/ to be due [to X], be interpretable [as X], signify [X] M

ir

J.AP yy

abas Al Adv

useless, profitless; to no avail, for nothing, in vain

adu [common: /wdu/] MI

enemy, rival

arus [or /wrus/] Fl

bride

yn-at Fl

pleasure, enjoyment, gaiety

asr MI

time, period, age, era. [In the meaning of "afternoon prayer" /asr/ is Fl. ]

)fr i/

250

elements. [P1. /wnsur/ MI. ]

anasyr Mpl

Vl-

andalib Fl

nightingale

wnvan MI

title, heading, topic, subject

yvaz MI [np]

compensation, exchange

Ake] yvaz/ Comp Post in exchange for, in lieu of

ay5: Al

evident, clear, manifest, visible

/aya hona/ to be evident, clear, manifest, visible

yar MI

cave

yafyl Al MI Adv

unmindful, inattentive, careless, negligent; careless person; soundly, negligently

ywbar MI

dust, murk, mist; annoyance, vexation

+ywrbat Fl [np]

poverty; strangeness, state of being a stranger

+yaraz Fl

objective, aim, design, intention, interest

/ahle -yaraz/ Mpl persons needing something, supplicants, favour - seekers yarq PA1

drowned, sunken, absorbed

ywrur MI

pride, haughtiness, conceit, vanity

yazab MI [np]

wrath, anger, cruelty

/yazab hona/ to be terrible, extraordinary yamxana M2

abode of sorrow

yamxar M/F1 Al

sympathiser, friend, one who provides sympathy or solace

ywnca M2

bud, blossom

251

.

,t;

yawrtalab Al

worthy of close attention, requiring study

yayr MI Al

stranger, outsider, foreigner; strange, foreign, other

yayratmand Al MI

self-respecting, honourable, reputable; person who is jealous of his honour

fatyha Fl [np]

the opening chapter of the Quran; prayers recited for a deceased person

•

/fatyha paRhna/ to recite a prayer for a deceased person

fytna M2

mischief, turmoil, discord, sedition

faraz Ml [np]

height, ascent, summit

farayat Fl

leisure, freedom (from care, etc. ), easy circumstances

fyraq MI [np]

separation, absence, parting

faramai F2 [np]

forgetfulness, forgetting

farda MI [np] Adv

tomorrow. [Literary. ]

/fardae qayamat/ Fl the Day of Resurrection

fwrqat Fl

separation, parting

farotani F2 [np]

humbleness, meekness, submissiveness, humility

faroza [literary: /fwrozal] Al

shining, lighted, luminous

faroy [literary: /fwroy/] MI [np]

light, illumination, splendour; fame, glory, prominence

farhad PN [Ml]

Farhad, the hero of a traditional Persian romance

faryad FI

lamentation, plaint, cry of grief; woe:

252

fareb MI

deceit, delusion, guile

/[X ko] fareb dena/ to deceive, delude, cheat [X] /fareb khana/ to be deceived, deluded, cheated

vw

fasana [or +/afsana/] M2

tale, story, romance, short story, fiction

faswrda [or /afswrda/] Al

dejected, dispirited, depressed

fwsii [or /afsii/] MI [np]

enchantment, magic

+fasl Fl

crop, harvest; season, time; section, chapter

fasil Fl

city wall, rampart

faza Fl

atmosphere, space

fytrat Fl

nature, disposition, temperament

fwya Fl [np]

lamentation, plaint, cry of pain or sorrow

faqat Adv

only, solely

faqih M1

Muslim jurist, expert in Islamic law

fykrfarmai F2

concentration (on a subject)

falak MI

sky, heaven

fana Fl [np]

annihilation, obliteration, destruction, death, mortality, non-existence

fankar M/F1 Al

artist

j2; 11 *'

9i

• (1) qatyl M/F1 Al

killer, slayer, murderer, assassin; deadly

qasyd M/F1 Al

messenger, go-between

253

qafyla M2

caravan

qal MI [np]

word, saying, talk

qayl PA1

agreeing, accepting, believing

ka] qayl hona/ to agree to, accept, believe [X]. [This is a "Type B" complex verbal formation: the numbergender of /ka/ depends upon that of the subject, See "A Course in Urdu, " Secs. 5. 307, 7.123, and 11.306. ]

-A,

qybla M2

the direction of the Kaba, the great shrine at Mecca, which Muslims face when they perform the five daily ritual prayers; honorific title: sir!

gad MI [np]

height, tallness, stature (of an animate being only)

qadrdani F2

appreciation, regard

qarz MI

loan, debt, credit, money borrowed

qyrtas MI [np]

paper, list, scroll. [Literary. ]

qarya M2

village, hamlet, town. [Literary. ]

qasam Fl

oath, vow, swearing ki qasam! / by ... ! I swear by ... !

.. 0....4" /

qysmat Fl

fate, destiny, fortune

qatra M2

drop (of liquid)

qata Fl [np]

cutting, amputation, disjoining; manner, way, style

2;

6

2;

/qata hona/ to be cut off, amputated

qafas MI

cage

qalb MI

heart. [Literary. ]

gamer MI [np]

moon. [Literary, ]

gavel MI

saying, speech, affirmation, promise, word

254

^0111' 1 / i.j. ki 4

qahqaha M2

burst of laughter, guffaw

qayamat Fl

the Day of Judgment, Day of Resurrection; uproar, commotion, tumult, catastrophe

qaydoband Fl [np]

restriction, limitation

gays PN [Ml]

Qays, a semi-legendary Arab whose romance with Layla has been celebrated by many Eastern poets. [Also called Majnun (firiajnii/ MI "lunatic, mad person"). ]

+kaTna Ie: /a/

to cut; to pass, spend (time: a day, a night, a lifetime, etc. )

karfarma PA1

working, in action, prevalent, current

karan MI [np]

cause, purpose

•

rg

/[ke] karan/ Comp Post because of, due to, for the sake of karva MI

caravan

kasa M2

bowl

ka Conj

would that ... !

kamyl Al MI

perfect, full, whole; perfect person

kapna Ha

to shiver, tremble

kahkaga- [or /kahkata/] Fl [np]

the Milky Way. [Employed for reasons of metre; in prose the common form is /kahka'gS.1. ]

kaenat Fl [np]

universe, world

kybriai F2 [np]

greatness, magnificence, grandeur, power 0 pigeon

kabutar MI

255

kaTTar Al

staunch, strict, severe, inflexible

+kaTna I: /kaTna/: Ie

to be cut, get cut; to be passed, spent (time: a day, a night, a lifetime, etc. )

kyzb MI [np]

lying, prevarication, falsehood. [Literary. ]

karamat Fl

wonder, marvel, miracle performed by a saint

karOma M2

wonder, marvel, exceptional phenomenon, great achievement, [This word has a somewhat more prosaic and less spiritual connotation than the preceding entry.]

karyknasaz Al MI

wonder-working, miracle-performing; wonder-worker

karam MI

beneficence, kindness, generosity

kyran Fl

ray, beam

karvaT Fl

side, position (especially of a sitting or sleeping person), changing of one's position, turning from side to side

kasar Fl

defect, deficiency, fault, lack

kwada Al

broad, spacious, open

ka.gti F2

boat

kay'g Fl

attraction, allurement, pull

kakilaka'g Fl

struggle, strife, contention

kandgi F2

tension, strain, estrangement

kaba M2

the Kaba (sometimes spelled "Ka'bah"), the great shrine at Mecca, the founding of which is attributed to the Prophet Abraham

256

jr

Lil

kaf MI [or Fl] [np]

palm of the hand, sole of the foot. [Literary. ]

kwfr MI

unbelief, paganism, idolatry

kafnana la

to wrap in a shroud

kali F2

bud, blossom

kamamez Al Ml

solitude-loving, unsocial, aloof, retiring

kambaxt Al MI

unlucky, unfortunate; unlucky person

kamsavad Al MI

lacking insight, small-minded, shallow

ku Fl [np]

lane. [Only in literary constructions.]

kotahi F2

shortcoming, deficiency, lack

kawsar Ml [np]

Kawsar, a stream in Paradise

kuca M2

lane, small street

-1-ky Conj

that (conj. ); or

khaT akna Ila

to prick, bother, irk, irritate, trouble, gall

kwhsar MI

mountain range

kahkan." [or /kahkagal] Fl [np]

the Milky Way. [In prose /kahkaW is the common form. ]

khylana C: /khylna/: IIb

to cause to blossom, bloom, cause to open (as a flower). [Homophonous with /khylana/ "to feed, give to eat" (C: /khana/: lc) and also /khylana/ "to cause to play" (C: /khelna/: Ic). ]

khylna IIb: /y/

to blossom, bloom, open (as a flower)

+kalif Adv

somewhere, anywhere; whether, as though, le st

257

Let

+kia M2

doing, action, deed. [Past participle of /karna/ Ic "to do, make" employed as a noun. See "A Course in Urdu," Sec. 16.303.]

kayf MI [np]

exhilaration, intoxication, ecstasy

kayfavar Al

exhilarating, intoxicating

kayfiat Fl

state, condition; quality, nature; particular s

kyokar [or /kyilkar/] Interrog Adv

why? how? in what way?

gam MI

step, pace, foot

gahe mahe Adv

now and then, occasionally, once in a while

gada MI

beggar, mendicant

gwdaz MI [np] Al

melting, dissolving; sentimentality, love; anguish, pathos; plump (bodied)

gadai F2 [np]

begging, beggary

gwzar MI [np]

passage, passing, way

gar [or +/agar/] Conj

if. [/gar/ is employed for reasons of metre. ]

gyr5. A 1

heavy, weighty; difficult, hard; expensive

gyrana C: /gyrna/: itc

to cause to fall, to drop

gard Fl [np]

dust

gardyg Fl

turning, going around, revolution, circulation, change, vicissitude

258

gardan Fl

neck

gyryd Al

weeping, crying

garebd MI

collar, opening at the neck of a shirt

fleeing, avoiding, abstaining gwrezd Al /[X se] gwrezd hona/ to flee, avoid, abstain [from X] gyrya M2 [np]

weeping, lamentation

gwftwgu Fl [np]

conversation, discourse

throat, front part of the neck +gala M2 /[X ko] gale [se] lagana/ to embrace [X] gwlaad Al

rose-strewing

gwlcr MI

flower -gatherer,, gardener

gw1r5g Al

rose-coloured, rosy, rose-hued

gwlystan MI

flower garden, rose garden

gwlan MI

flower garden, rose garden. [Synonymous with preceding entry. ]

gwlfam Al

rose-coloured, rosy, rose-hued

gyla M2 (mild) complaint, remonstrance /[X se] gyla karna/ to complain [to/against X] gwm PA1 [rarely Al] lost, missing, astray /gwm hona/ to be, become lost, missing, astray gwman M1 [np]

doubt, suspicion, apprehension, mistaking, conjecture, guess ko Y par Z ka] gwman hona/ [X] to mistake [Z for Y]

gdvana la

to waste, squander, lose

gwnah [or +/gwnah/] MI

sin. [/gwnah/ is employed for reasons of metre. ]

259

gvinahgar [or /gwnahgar/] M/F1

sinner. [In prose /gwnahgar/ is the usual form. ]

go Conj

although, as though, even if

gavara Al

tolerable, bearable, endurable

god Fl

lap

goa M2

corner, nook

gaanann Al M1

all alone, solitary, forsaken; recluse

giljna Ha

to echo, resound, reverberate

gawhar [or /gwhar/] M1

pearl. [In prose the usual form is /gawhar/. ]

goya Conj

as though, so to speak

ghat Fl

ambush, concealment, trap

/ghat me rahna/ to lie in ambush ghaTa Fl

raincloud, stormcloud

gwhar [or /gawhar/] MI

pearl. [Employed for reasons of metre; in prose the usual form is /gawhar/. ]

gahrai F2

depth, profundity

ghyrna I: /gherna/: If

to be encircled, besieged, surrounded, encompassed

ghaRi F2

time, moment, occasion; watch, wristwatch

ghwlna I: /gholna/: le

to melt, dissolve, become soft, ripen

ghamanD MI

pride, vanity, conceit, arrogance

/[X par] ghamanD hona/ to be proud, vain [of X] git M1

song, lyric

260

gesu MI

lock, ringlet, tress

lahasyl Al

useless, fruitless, of no avail

Fl

corpse, dead body

+lakh Al Adv

hundred thousand. [As an adverb and also sometimes as an adjective, /lakh/ denotes "countless, innumerable, as much as possible, to an immense extent. "j

lala M2

tulip

lalazar MI

tulip -garden

lamakd MI [np]

unboundedness, the realm beyond the restrictions of space and time, the non-material world

lab MI

lip

labrez Al

brimful, overflowing

1wTna I: /luTna/: le

to be looted, robbed, plundered

land Fl

grave, burial place

larzd Al Adv

trembling, quivering, shaking; in a state of trembling

la r azna lib: /a/

to tremble, shake, quiver

+lwtf MI [np]

pleasure, enjoyment, delight, taste; kindness, beneficence

/lwtf o karam/ MI [npj kindness and beneficence

lal MI

ruby

layzy Fl

slip, stumble, faltering, mistake, mishap

261

law F1

flame

loban MI

incense, olibanum

loTna Ilb: /w/

to flutter about, roll about, roll back and forth

lahu [or /lwhu/] MI [np]

blood

laylonahar MI [usually Mpl]

night and day, time

mataht M/F1

subordinate employee, junior member of a staff /[ke] mataht/ Comp Post under, subordinate to

[ke] masyva [or /masyva , ke/] Comp Post

besides, as well as, over and above, except for

[se] mavara [or /mavarae /] Comp Post

beyond, besides, except

mah [or /mah/] MI [np]

moon; month. [in the meaning of "month" only /mah/ is found; /mah/ and /mah/ both may be used for "moon. " The latter occurs chiefly in verse for reasons of metre. ]

mahtab [or /mahtab/] MI [np]

moon. [Literary. See /mahtab/. ]

inclined towards, leaning towards, liking, favouring /[X par/ki taraf] mayl hona/ to be inclined [towards X], to like [X]

mayl PA 1

maal MI [np]

result, consequence, end, destination

mwbarak Al

blessed, auspicious

myTana C: /meTna/: le

to erase, wipe out, obliterate, efface

262

myTna. I: /meTna/: le

to be erased, wiped out, obliterated, effaced

+mysal Fl

example, illustration

/mysale/ Prep like, similar to, resembling. [See also following entry. ] mysl Fl

likeness, similitude, resemblance

/mysle/ Prep like, similar to, resembling. [Synonymous with preceding entry. Also /[ke] mysl/ Comp Post. ] macalna Ila

to be wayward, obstinate, stubborn (about something, as a child), to sulk. [In the verse in this book the sense is "to stubbornly refuse to move, to insist upon remaining. '"]

mahbub MI

beloved, sweetheart

mahzuf Al

omitted, subtracted, implied, assumed but not expressed

myhrab F I

arch; arched niche in the front wall of a mosque indicating the direction of the Kaba at Mecca.

mahfyl F1

gathering, assembly, society, company, party

mahfuz Al

safe, protected, guarded

/[X se] mahfuz hona/ to be safe, protected, guarded [from X]

mahvar Ml

axis

mwddat Fl

period, duration, length of time. [Idiomatically: "a long time. "]

/mwddatc3/ Adv for a long time

to;

IJ

mwddaa MI

purpose, goal, meaning, desire

mra AZ

my. [Form of /mera/ employed for reasons of metre.]

mwrad Fl

desire, wish, purpose, meaning

263

mwrjhana IIIb

to wither, shrivel up, fade, pine away

marhala M2

stage, step, tier, level, phase

maryzar MI

meadow

my45. Fl [np]

eyelashes. [Originally the Persian pl. of /myla/ but used as Fl in Urdu. ]

mast Al MI

ecstatic, enraptured, transported, intoxicated; mad person, one in a state of ecstasy

mastana Al

ecstatic, enraptured, intoxicated

masti F2

ecstasy, rapture, transport, intoxication

mwskwrana Ila

to smile

mwsalsal Al Adv

continual, incessant; continually, incessantly, constantly

mwsallat PA1

dominating, set over, obsessing

manaq Al MI

experienced, practised, versed; expert, skilled person

ma slahat Fl

expedience, benefit, hidden utility (concealed benefit or advantage inherent in some step or event)

matlub PA1 MI

desired, wished, sought; beloved, the object of one's desire

/matlub hona/ to be desired, wished, sought

motabar Al

reliable, trustworthy, creditable

motaryf PA1

acknowledging, accepting

/[X ka] motaryf hona/ to acknowledge, accept [X]. [This is a "Type B" complex verbal formation: the numbergender of /ka/ depends upon that of the subject; see "A Course in Urdu, " Secs. 5, 307, 7.123, and 11.306. ] masum Al M1

innocent, guiltless; innocent person

264

''rnwy5: Mpl

fire-worshippers, the Persian Magi. [P1. /rnwy/ Ml, which occurs only rarely in Urdu. In Persia wine was traditionally available only at the monasteries of the fire-worshippers, and hence the /pire mwya/ "Master of the fire-worshippers" has become synonymous with "tavern-master" in poetry. ]

mwflysi F2 [np]

poverty

1o4,-

*maqabyr

tombs. [P1. /maqbara/ M2. ]

wry 1.■0■4

mwqaddar M1

destiny, fate, luck

'1 44 ab4

maqsud M1 [np]

intent, purpose, object of desire, goal

0164

+makan M1

house, residential building; place, material world

mwkaddar Al

turbid, murky, vexed, annoyed

LAA

Mpl

/[x se] mwkaddar hona/ to be vexed, annoyed [with X]

().;

malal MI [np]

sorrow, grief, sadness

malna Id: /a/

to rub, scrub, massage, anoint

mwmtahyn M/F1

examiner

mamnun PA1

grateful, obliged

ka] mamnun hona/ to be grateful, obliged [to X]. [This is a "Type B" complex verbal formation: the number-gender of /ka/ depends upon that of the subject; see "A Course in Urdu, " Secs. 5.307, 7. 123, and 11.306. ]

mwntazyr Al Adv

waiting, awaiting, expectant; expectantly

mynjwmlae Prep

included among, among all. [Also Ake] mynjwmla/ Comp Post and also ke/. ] /mynjwmla

mansub PA1

ascribed, attributed, connected, belonging, related; betrothed

/[X se] mansub hona/ to be, become ascribed, attributed, connected, related [to X]; to be, become betrothed [to X]

265

mw MI [np]

mouth, face

moti MI

pearl

wave, surge, ripple; rapture, ecstasy, exhilaration /rnawj me ana/ to enter into rapture, become exhilarated

mawj Fl

mawjzan PA1

billowing, full of waves, surging, flowing; prevalent, predominant, current

moR MI

turn, bend, turning point

moRna If: /w/

to turn, bend, twist

dependent, restricted, limited; dismissed, cancelled, deferred /[x par] mawquf hona/ to be, become dependent, [upon X]; to be, become restricted, limited [to X]

mawquf PAl

io. 6.011,07 •

P/V.e

mawhum Al

imaginary, unreal, ideal

mah [or /mah/] MI [np]

moon. [See /mah/. ]

mahtab [or /mahtab/] MI [np]

moon. [Literary. In prose /mahtab/ is the usual form. ]

myhr MI [np]

sun. [Literary. ]

mahkna fib: /a/

to be fragrant, exude a sweet smell

mahrnez Fl [or MI]

spur (for a horse)

mahva'g Al MI

moon-like, beautiful; beautiful person

may F1 [np]

wine

mayxana M2

tavern

mir M1

leader, chief, head

mayrez Al

wine-spilling, wine-pouring

266

•L. 61.)L•

mayfarcA MI Al

wine-seller, wine-selling (adj. )

maykada M2

tavern

naa'gna Al MI

unacquainted, unaware, stranger

napwxtagi F2

immaturity, unripeness, nonpermanency

napayd Al

unattainable, nonexistent

natamam Al

incomplete, unfinished

natava Al

weak, feeble, infirm

nahaq Al Adv

unjustifiable, unjust; unjustifiably, unjustly, for no reason

naxwgavar Al

unpleasant

nadan Al

naive, unsophisticated, childlike

narasa Al

not reaching, ineffective, incapable (of attaining a desired object)

narasai F2

inability (to attain a desired object), ineffectiveness

naz MI

blandishment, coquetry, grace; pride, vanity, putting on airs

nazwk Al

delicate, brittle, fragile, sensitive, tender, critical

nala M2

sigh, groan, lamentation, cry, weeping

nam banam Adv

name by name, to each person in turn

namwrad Al MI Adv

unsuccessful, fruitle ss; luckless person; unsuccessfully, in vain

namwradi F2

unsuccessfulness, unrealiseability, failure

267

namabar MI

messenger, courier

nan Fl

bread, patty of leavened bread

nao Fl

boat

nybah MI [or Fl] [np]

endurance, toleration, sufferance; fulfillment of a promise

/[X se] nybah karna/ to put up [with X], endure, tolerate, bear [X] sacrificing, sacrificed

nysar PAl

/[X par] nysar hona/ to be sacrificed [for the sake of X] /[X ke] nysar hona/ to sacrifice [(oneself) for X]

*nwjum Mpl

stars. [P1. /najm/ MI "star. " See also the alternate broken plural form /anjwm/ Mpl "stars. "]

nychavar Fl [or MI]

sacrifice, offering, homage. [On certain festive occasions money is passed over the head of some person and is then scattered among the poor as a sort of "sacrifice" for his or her well-being. ]

/nychavar karna/ to make a sacrifice, offering nyrala A2

novel, peculiar, strange

nargys Fl

narcissus

nwzul MI [np]

descent, alighting, advent

nysbat F1

relation, connection, affinity; ratio, proportion; betrothal, engagement

/[X se] nysbat hona/ to be a connection, relation [with X]; to be engaged, betrothed [to X]

•

•

j

f olkm••••; y ..." o.., /

nasim Fl [np]

zephyr, cool breeze

naat5gez Al

pleasure-giving, enrapturing

nyana M2

target, mark, aim

nytar [common: /na'gtar/] MI

lancet, scalpel

„

268

na.geman MI

nest, abode

nasib MI [usually Mpl]

fortune, fate, destiny

ko] nasib hona/ to fall to the lot [of X], to have the good fortune to obtain [X] nwtq MI [np]

speech, articulation

nazzara M2

sight, view, look, glance

+nazar Fl

sight, vision

/nazar par caRhria/ to come into favour, be looked upon favourably

Lpi

L..' LP•

naymagi F2 [np]

melodiousness, harmoniousness, euphony

nayma M2

song, melody, tune

naymaxa Al Adv

singing (adj, and adv. )

naymasarai F2

singing (noun), melody

nafrat Fl

dislike, detestation, abhorrence

nafs Ml

soul, spirit, gist; self

nafas MI

breath

nafsinafsi F2 [np]

selfishness, self interest. [Also /nafsanafsi/. ]

nyqab [common: /naqab/] Fl [or Ml]

veil

na0 MI

impression, imprint, mark, picture, print

, • _JJ „• =:c

riwqu Mpl

impressions, imprints, marks. [PI, /na0/ MI. ]

nykharna If: /a/

269

to clean, freshen, furbish, beautify, enhance

nakhat Fl

fragrance, perfume, redolence

nygar MI

beauty, loveliness, decoration; beloved, sweetheart

nygah Fl

sight, vision, glance, glimpse, look

AX se] nygah pherna/ to turn away [from X], turn one's back [on X]

crp

nagri F2

small town. [By extension of meaning: "country, land. "]

nygahban M/FI

guardian, protector, watchman

nagina M2

jewel, gem

nymaTna [or /nybaTna/ to be settled, concluded, finished, through with, rid of, to have done with or /nypaTna/] 11c:

/y/ ./

I

nwmu Fl [np]

sprouting, growing, germinating

nwmud Fl [np]

appearance, manifestation, sign; pomp, show, display

naw Al

new, fresh, recent. [Used in literary constructions after the /yzafat/ or in compounds. ]

nava F1

voice, sound; song, tune

navaxez Al

crying out, clamorous, vociferous

* novazyat Fpl

kindnesses, benevolences, favours. [P1. /navazyV Fl. ]

nawhagar M/F1

mourner

nur MI

light, brilliance

nyaz MI

supplication, request, importunity; introduction (to a person), meeting. [/nyaz/ also denotes "offering, gift, something dedicated to a saint, etc. " and "prayer for a deceased person": in these meanings /nyaz/ is Fl. ]

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MM

nica A2

low, lowered

nid Fl

sleep, sleepiness, doze

. •

3 vabasta PA I

connected, related, associated, attached

/[x se] vabasta hona/ to be connected, related, associated, attached [to/with X]

vasta M2

connection, relationship; means, medium; sake

AX se Y ka] vasta Dalna/ to oblige [Y to X], put [Y] into a position where he must ask favours [from X] /[ke] vaste/ Comp Post for, for the sake of. [Roughly synonymous with /[ke] lie/. ]

vayz MI

Islamic preacher

vabal MI

burden, encumbrance

vahgat Fl

wildness, barbarity, madness; desolation

vahgi Al MI

wild, barbarous, brutal, ferocious; madman, wild beast

vysal MI [np]

union, meeting (one's beloved); death (honorific)

vaza Fl

style, design, fashion, guise; forming, making

vazifa M2

special prayer(s) recited regularly as an individual private act of worship; stipend, pension, scholarship

vafa Fl

faithfulness, fidelity

vwfur MI [np]

abundance, exuberance, profusion

vaciar MI [np]

prestige, dignity, esteem

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vaqat [or /vav at/] Fl [rip]

value, esteem, dignity, respect, prestige

vagarna Conj

otherwise, or else

viran Al

deserted, desolate, laid waste

virana M2

wilderness, desolation

+hath MI

hand

ice Y] hath ana/ [X] to obtain, acquire, attain Y /hath ballhana/ to extend a hand /[x ice] hatho [se] banna/ to be made [by X]. [/se/ is sometimes omitted in this construction. ] hyjr [or /hyjra-/] MI [np]

separation, absence. [/hyjr/ is the more common form. ]

hyjra [or /hyjr/] MI [np]

separation, absence. [See the preceding entry. ]

harcand Conj

although, even if, howsoever much

hastobud Fl [np]

existence

hasti F2

life, being, existence; great person, important figure, personality

halak PA1

perished, killed, lost, destroyed

/halak hona/ to perish, die hylal MI

crescent

hylna He: /y/

to move, stir, sway, shake

[ke] hamrah Adv Comp accompanying, with, together Post ko] hamrah le calna/ to take [X] along travelling companion, comrade

hamsafar M/F1

272

hamkynar PA1

embracing, close together

/[X se] hamkynar hona/ to embrace [X], to be close [to X]

homnafas M1

companion, comrade

hamnava M/F1

friend, companion, supporter, upholder

hams OP

just us, us-emphatic. [/ham/ + the emphatic enclitic particle /hi/; see "A Course in Urdu, " Sec. 5.306. In its Urdu script form /hami7 may be confused with the special object form /home/ "us. "]

h5si

laughter, laugh

F2

/h5si ana/ to be moved to laughter, to laugh

h5gam Ml [np]

time, occasion, period

h5gama M2

commotion, uproar, disturbance, tumult, turmoil, riot

/h5gama barpa hona/ tumult to arise

hava Fl [np]

greed, avarice, longing. [Homophonous with /hova/ Fl "wind, breeze, air, atmosphere. "]

/[x ki] hava hona/ to be greedy, avaricious, longing [for X]

hay° s Fl [np]]

greed, avarice, lust

-i-hoAyar Al

intelligent, clever; conscious, aware

hawlafrini F2 [np]

fearsomeness, horror, terror

hoT M1

lip

yar M/F1

friend, companion, beloved

/yare yar/ MI fast friend, bosom companion. [This is an allusion to the friendship of Hazrat Abu Bakr for the Prophet Muhammad: when the latter was forced to leave Mecca for Medina, he took refuge in a cave in order to evade a group of his enemies. Hazrat Abu Bakr was with him during this incident, and "a friend of the cave" has thus become synonymous with "fast friend. "]

273

yarana M2

friendship, intimacy

yas Fl [np]

despair, hopelessness, despondency

yury Fl

attack, assault, onslaught

yuswf PN [Ml]

the Prophet Joseph. [The story of Joseph and Potiphar's wife (/zwlayxa/, q. v..) is given in detail in the Quran and has been put into verse by many Eastern poets. ]

274