{1.1}
नक़्श फ़रयादी है किस की शोख़ी-ए तहरीर का
काग़ज़ी है पैरहन हर पैकर-ए तस्वीर का
{1.2}
काव-काव-ए सख़्त-जानीहा-ए तंहाई न पूछ
सुबह करना शाम का लाना है जू-ए शीर का
{1.3}
जज़बा-ए बे-इख़्तियार-ए शौक़ देखा चाहिये
सीना-ए शमशीर से बाहर है दम शमशीर का
{1.4}
आगही दाम-ए शनीदन जिस क़दर चाहे बिछाए
मुद्दा अंक़ा है अपने आलम-ए तक़रीर का
{1.5}
बसकि हूँ ग़ालिब असीरी में भी आतिश ज़ेर-ए पा
मू-ए आतिश-दीदा है हलक़ा मिरी ज़ंजीर का
Translation, Interpretation & Analysis of the Ghazal
{1.1}
नक़्श फ़रयादी है किस की शोख़ी-ए तहरीर का
काग़ज़ी है पैरहन हर पैकर-ए तस्वीर का
naqsh faryādī hai kis kī shoḳhī-e taḥrīr kā
naqsh faryādī hai kis kī shoḳhī-e taḥrīr kā
kāġhazī hai pairahan har paikar-e taṣvīr kā
Against whose mischievous writing is the impression of complainant?
Made of paper is the attire of the countenance of every image.
Notes on the Couplet
Naqsh: Print, Impression, Expression
Faryādī: Pleader, Requester, Complainant
Shoḳhī: Playful, Mischievous
Taḥrīr: Writing
Kāġhazī: Made of Paper
Pairahan: Attire, Clothes
Paikar: Face, Appearance, Portrait
Taṣvīr: Image, Picture
This is the matla (first sher / couplet) of first gazal in Ghalib’s diwan, though it’s not the first one created or written by him. Ghalib’s had this knack for creating complex couplets difficult for the people to comprehend. He assumed a great pride in composing the incomprehensible couplets and basis his profound knowledge of Urdu and Persian language and it would not wrong to say that, more often than not, he succeeded in his endeavor of doing so (the instant couplet is a classic example of the same; infact I read somewhere that some of the affluent urdu poets termed this first couplet of Ghalib’s diwan as meaningless as they couldn’t understand the meaning thereof while there were others who hailed it as one of the wonderfully composed verse!!).
