S. R. Faruqi:

In the first line, how finely he has mingled two situations-- or rather, two levels-- of passion! The beloved not only showed her face, but even showed affection/regard as well. With respect to be-pardah , how fine is ḥijāb !

The enjoyable thing is that when Mir gets started with disreputable [vāhī-tabāhī] slanging, he doesn't hesitate to call the beloved a 'libertine' [aubāsh], and an 'ambusher' [ghatiyā] (that is, one who waits in ambush and kills), and one who drinks liquor with vile people. From the fifth divan [{1565,3}]:

kaun mil saktā hai us aubāsh se
iḳhtilāt̤ us se hameñ ik ḍhab se thā

[who can meet with that libertine?
we were friendly with her through a device/trick]

From the second divan [{961,6}]:

bhīṛeñ ṭalīñ us abrū-e ḳham-dār ke hilte
lākhoñ meñ us aubāsh ne talvār chalāʾī

[multitudes quailed, at a movement of that bent eyebrow
that libertine has wielded her sword among hundreds of thousands]

From the third divan [{1292,1}]:

sunā jātā hai ai ghatye tire majlis-nishīnoñ se
kih tū dārū pīye hai rāt ko mil kar kamīnoñ se

[it's heard, oh murderer, from members of your gathering,
that you have drunk liquor last night, in the company of wretches]

But when he shows respect for the courtesy of passion, then he declares himself to be 'worthless' to such an extent that even if the beloved herself would be favorably inclined toward him, he withdraws from taking advantage of that favor. In the tone there's so much dignity and strength, such that he himself has deprived himself through his own will, but there's no sorrow or bitterness. This is such a level of self-awareness that it's behond Ghalib's self-confidence.

It's probable that Ghalib [in Persian] has taken the suggestion for his theme from Mir:

'Ghalib's happiness is not from all these things that you say,
Just one time call to him, "oh worthless creature of mine!"'

There's no question that the mood of lover-like humility and renunciation of ego before the beloved in Ghalib's second line-- Mir's verse is devoid of it. But Mir's dignity maintains its own style, because courtesy too is included in it, and self-awareness. There's melancholy in it too, because it's clear that the beloved showed favor only one time. After that, no other such occasion occurred in his whole life.

Qa'im Chandpuri has taken up this theme, but he hasn't been able to come up with anything to equal nā-kasī :

be-ḥijābānah vuh to vārid thā
rah gaʾe ham hī kuchh ḥijāb meñ rāt

[unveiledly, she had come
only/emphatically we remained somewhat veiled, in the night]

[See also {853,7}.]

FWP:

SETS
MOTIFS == VEIL
NAMES
TERMS

For more on the dubious character of the beloved, see

{1161,2}.