===
0885,
1
===
 

{885,1}

kartaa nahii;N qu.suur hamaare halaak me;N
yaa rab yih aasmaan bhii mil jaa))e ;xaak me;N

1) it does not fall short in our death/destruction--
2) oh Lord, may even/also this sky mingle with the dust!

 

Notes:

qu.suur : 'A falling short (of), a failing (of or in); deficiency; decrease; defect; failure, want, default; omission; miss; shortcoming, error, faultiness, fault, sin'. (Platts p.792)

 

halaak : 'Perishing; being lost; —perdition, destruction, ruin; —slaughter; death'. (Platts p.1231)

*Platts Dictionary Online*

S. R. Faruqi:

The aa.sifiyah [dictionary] has labeled halaak meaning 'perishing, nonexistence' as feminine. In Jalil Manikpuri's list of masculine and feminine nouns it has been called masculine. But the verse of Ghalib's that he has entered as a warrant doesn't reveal whether it's masculine or feminine. Since in trustworthy manuscripts hamaare halaak appears, I've adopted this form.

The verse in any case is commonplace. It has only the beauty of the implication that I've already mingled with the dust-- oh Lord, may the sky too mingle with the dust. That will also have the benefit that the sky will no longer be able to slaughter anyone.

FWP:

SETS == BHI; EXCLAMATION
MOTIFS
NAMES == LORD
TERMS

To blame one's miseries on 'the sky' is an effective way for a good Muslim to avoid blaming God for them. Here the separation is emphasized by the request that the Lord would punish the sky for its cruel behavior.

For the great dome of the sky itself to 'mingle with the dust' is also a powerful image that suggests the collapse of the whole physical world.