Date: Thu, 20 Jun 96 09:24:00 PDT
From: Ramesh Hariharan (rameshh@tp.ac.sg)
Subject: Ghazal by Meer Taqee Meer!

Hi

Nice to be back (from India), and posting ghazals again. Thanks to Lalit, and
some others, the interest in ghazals has not gone down. Here is a famous
ghazal by Meer Taqee 'Meer'. Enjoy!

1. hastee apnee habaab kee see haiN [habaab - bubble; short lived]
ye numaaish saraab kee see haiN [numaaish - exhibition; saraab - illusion, mirage]

[my life is like a bubble(short lived)
this show/display/exhibition is like an illusion]

2. naazukee uss kay lab kee kya kahiyay
paNKHaRee ik gulaab kee see haiN [paNKHaRee - petal]

[what can one say about the tenderness of her lips
they are like a petal of the rose]

3. baar baar uss ke dar pe jaata hooN
haalat ab iztiraab kee see haiN [iztiraab - anxiety]

[again & again, I go to her door/till her doorsteps
my situation is like that of an anxious person]

4. maiN jo bola kaha ke ye aawaaz
usee Khaanah-Kharaab kee see haiN [khaanah - house; kharaab - bad,unclean]

[when I said something, (she) said that this voice
seems to belong to that same beggar]

5. 'meer', un neem-baaz aaNkhoN meiN [neem-baaz - half open/dreamy look]
saaree mustee sharaab kee see haiN

['meer', in those half-open/dreamy eyes
all the intoxication/feeling of drunkenness is like alcohol]

regards
Ramesh