1658_02

{1658,2}

ʿishq se naz̤m-e kul hai yaʿnī ʿishq koʾī nāz̤im hai ḳhūb
har shai yāñ paidā jo huʾī hai mauzūñ kar lāyā hai ʿishq

1) through passion is the whole arrangement/poem-- that is, passion is some fine arranger/poet!
2) every substance/thing/affair that has been generated here-- it has versified/harmonized and brought it, passion

Notes:

naz̤m : 'Order, arrangement, regulation, &c. ... —stringing (pearls, or beads); —composing (verses); —a string (of pearls, &c.); —poetry, verse'. (Platts p.1143)

nāz̤im : 'A composer, arranger, adjuster; organizer; regulator; administrator; governor; ruler; the chief officer of a province; —a composer of verses, a poet'. (Platts p.1115)

shai : 'A thing, object; a matter, an affair; an article, &c.'. (Platts p.738)

mauzūn : 'Weighed; balanced, well-adjusted; symmetrical; well-measured (verse), consisting of an exact number of feet; rythmical ;—equable, equal; —modulated (sound), harmonious; —good, sweet, excellent, agreeable'. (Platts p.1090)

mauzūn karnā : 'To adjust or correct the measure (of verses)'. (Platts p.1090)

*Platts Dictionary Online*

S. R. Faruqi:

[SRF discusses both this ghazal and the following, formally identical one, {1659}, together in {1658,1}.]

In the present verse he has taken advantage of the word naz̤m and created the theme of nāz̤im , which is founded on an ambiguity. Then through an affinity with that very thing, he's brought in mauzūñ .

FWP:

SETS == POETRY
MOTIFS
NAMES
TERMS == AMBIGUITY

The ambiguity to which SRF refers seems to be the question of whether naz̤m refers to an 'arrangement' in general, or specifically to a poem. Later in the line, nāz̤im maintains the same two possibilities.

In the second line, the ambiguity remains. The first half of the line, with its reference to 'every substance', suggests an arrangement of material objects, with 'here' as our world. Then in the second half of the line, the wonderful mauzūñ strongly evokes the process of poetic composition, with 'here' suggesting the poetic universe.

The ambiguity is never fully resolved, because shai can refer to non-physical things as well, and mauzūñ can refer to more general kinds of harmony (see the definitions above). We're left with the sense of passion as a generator and organizer of both the material world and the literary universe.