0309_17

{309,17}

kitne hī āʾe le ke sar-e pur-ḳhayāl par
aise gaʾe kih kuchh nahīñ un kā aṡar kahīñ

1) only/emphatically how many came, bringing heads full of ideas/thoughts/fancies! --but
2) they went in such a way that there's no trace of them anywhere

Notes:

ḳhayāl : 'Thought, opinion, surmise, suspicion, conception, idea, notion, fancy, imagination, conceit. whim, chimera; consideration; regard, deference; apprehension; care, concern'. (Platts p.497)

aṡar : 'Footprint; sign, mark, token, trace, track, vestige, shadow; impress, impression, influence; effect; result, consequence'. (Platts p.22)

kahīñ : 'Somewhere; anywhere; wherever, whithersoever; —ever, anyhow, by any chance; ever-so-much, far, greatly; —may be, perhaps, peradventure'. (Platts p.808)

*Platts Dictionary Online*

S. R. Faruqi:

aṡar = mark, sign

In this third verse [of the three-verse verse-set that begins with {309,15}], the style is informative [ḳhabariyah], but the tone is full of a dignity like that of prophets. He hasn't said, 'How many like you have come and gone!'; rather, he's said 'How many people came, whose heads were full of ideas/thoughts/fancies'. The meaning of ḳhayāl can be 'plans' and 'intentions', it can be 'pride' and 'vanity' and 'pretentiousness', it can also be 'coquetry' and 'airs and graces' (the idea that 'our beauty will not be erased').

With regard to the highway, he has well said 'went in such a way', because in it is an allusion both to death and to passing along. Then, in this regard 'there's no trace of them anywhere' is extremely excellent, for on a highway footprints are made, and then those footprints are erased, either by the footprints of others or by something else (for example, wind). And the original meaning of aṡar is the footprint of camels-- that is, of caravans; which increases its suitability.

The theme is commonplace, and all the poets have used it. The excellence of the style of expression has created in it an uncommon power.

FWP:

SETS
MOTIFS
NAMES
TERMS == VERSE-SET

This is the third and final verse of a three-verse verse-set; for a fuller discussion, see {309,15}.

I have nothing special to add.