Interpreting My Poem - III

Here is another of my ghazals translated/interpreted by Archana Gupta. This time she has gone a step ahead and created verses of her own in English, corresponding to each of my Urdu verses. Absolutely brilliant!

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कैसे कटेगी रात ये अख़्तरशुमारी की हालत न देखी जाये है अब बेक़रारी की

How shall I pass this night counting stars in sleeplessness When I can't at all now stand this restlessness?

अख़्तरशुमारी = counting stars

Likely a hard night spent without the lover missing him/her, perhaps in anticipation of meeting the next day.

Universal application would be that its about a night before any "significant event" that may have nothing to do with romance but one lies sleepless, waiting in anticipation or even dread for the next day to dawn.

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हालत पे मेरी आँख तेरी हो सकी न नम उम्मीद फिर हो ग़ैर से क्या ग़मगुसारी की

My condition could not make even your eye wet From strangers then what empathy may I expect?

ग़मगुसारी = to console or comfort

This seems like a straightforward complaint to one' lover or partner for not showing enough understanding.  Certainly, the speaker believes himself to be the wronged party.

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नाम-ओ-निशाँ लहु का रगों तक से मिट चला जिस्म-ए-नज़ार माँगे दुआ इस्तेवारी की

Not one can find signs of blood in my veins any longer This weak and frail body prays to get stronger

नाम-ओ-निशाँ = signs; रग = vein; जिस्म-ए-नज़ार = weak body; इस्तेवारी = strength
 
Indicates fatigue fighting off adversity and sets the stage for some of the following ash'aar though is in no way necessary for their understanding or interpretation.

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नासिर ये हम ने तेरी रिफ़ाक़त भी देख ली यूँ चल दिये जो बात चली जाँनिसारी की

O my supposed well-wisher, testing your friendship is done At the first sign of trouble, you were all but gone

नासिर = friend, ally; रिफ़ाक़त = companionship; जाँनिसारी = sacrificing one’s life

I have tested your friendship (and found it lacking), you who pretend to be my well-wisher.  As soon as it was mentioned that you may have to actually go to some bother for me, you got up and walked off.  Basically, a complaint against fair-weather friends.

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नादाँ तू क्यूँ है ढूँढता तक़दीस और वफ़ा तुझ को नहीं मिलेगी दवा दिलफ़िगारी की

O foolish one, why do you look for piety and fidelity here For your broken heart, no medicine, no cure is there

तक़दीस = purity; दिलफ़िगारी = wounding of the heart

This seems to be an address to self in self-pitying tone.  This strongly reflects the poet's extreme disillusionment from his relationship(s) of past, likely romantic but not necessarily so.  Yet there is reference to a hope in him as well as that is precisely what he is trying to quell in himself.

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हैं ज़ेर-ए-गर्द-ओ-ख़ाक चमन के तमाम गुल देखा करेंगे राह ये बाद-ए-बहारी की

All the flowers of the garden are reduced to dirt, they lie in gloom And shall await the winds of spring to yet again bloom

ज़ेर-ए-गर्द-ओ-ख़ाक = under the dust; बाद-ए-बहारी = breeze of spring

Literal meaning is "All the flowers of the garden are ruined -  defeated and destroyed, reduced to dirt.  They will now await for the signs (winds) of next spring to revive them".  The obvious indication is towards the poet's weakened state.  His current struggles have reduced his strength and stature and he is perhaps indicating that he awaits better times in life.  There is an element of reliance on luck/destined time in this she’r.

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तौबा तमाम अब हों जफ़ाएँ भी आपकी है आप से तवक़्क़ो’ हमें ऐतिज़ारी की

Oh stop it now! This torture must at once end Apologise and your ways you must mend!

जफ़ाएँ = opression, torture; तवक़्क़ो’ = expectation; ऐतिज़ारी = regret, repentance

This she’r seems to be in a fairly fed up tone -  the poet has reached the end of his rope, has taken enough non-sense from perhaps a lover and is prepared to take no more!  Literal translation is "Your torture must end and you had better apologise for your behaviour...".  Underlying sentiment simply seems to be enough said and done, now atone or else...