===
1420,
7
===
 

{1420,7}

kuchh ranj-e dilii miir javaanii me;N khi;Nchaa thaa
zardii nahii;N jaatii mire ru;xsaar se ab tak

1) some [smallish, minor] sorrow of heart, Mir, had seized me in youth
2) the pallor does not go from my cheeks, up to now

 

Notes:

kuchh : 'Something, somewhat, anything, aught; some, any; a little, a few; ever so little; whatever; in any manner or degree, at all'. (Platts p.819)

*Platts Dictionary Online*

S. R. Faruqi:

Having 'understated' the matter-- that is, minimized it a bit-- in the first line, he brings in hyperbole in the second line; in this way he has created in the verse an entirely new style of tension.

It's also enjoyable that the sorrow had seized the heart, and its effects have shown themselves on the cheeks.

The implication of old age is also fine. In old age the color becomes pallid in any case; thus even in hyperbole there's a homey mood.

FWP:

SETS
MOTIFS
NAMES
TERMS == HYPERBOLE; IMPLICATION; UNDERSTATEMENT

Note for translation fans: On SRF's reading, the kuchh is meant to have a minimizing, almost dismissive tone: 'some little sorrow-causing thing or other'. (And if we don't accept his reading, then what other reading can we find that's so enjoyable?) But it's hard to convey in English, because 'some sorrow had seized him' more readily suggests 'some unknown sorrow' than 'some minor sorrow'. Whereas for kuchh ranj , the dismissive reading ('a certain limited amount of sorrow') is the one that is 'least marked' and more readily available.