Ghazal 15, Verse 19x

Asi:

The situation of the beloved's gathering was that from the musical instrument of conviviality colorful melodies were emerging. And here, we made the fingernail of grief into a plectrum and were picking/plucking our breath-- that is, here, grief was finishing us off.

== Asi, p. 57

Zamin:

That is, there, a gathering of music and pleasure was lively; and here, the fingernail of grief was picking/plucking the thread/string of our breath.

== Zamin, p. 42

Gyan Chand:

In the beloved's house, from the instruments of happiness melodies were bursting out. My fingernail of grief was picking/plucking the thread/string of my breath like a plectrum. That is, here there was grief and more grief. For the sake of the affinity, he has taken care to have a saaz and a mi.zraab !

== Gyan Chand, p. 80

FWP:

SETS == HERE/THERE
MUSIC: {10,3}

For background see S. R. Faruqi's choices. This verse was NOT among those chosen by SRF,but I'm now adding it anyway because I find it interesting. For more on Ghalib's unpublished verses, see the discussion in {4,8x}.

For more on such 'here/there' verses, see {15,2}.

The image of the fingernail of grief acting as a plectrum on the thread or string of the breath works elegantly here. It suggests that the lover's breath might create not only lamentation, but in fact music. Although it would be some very impoverished kind of music, since the 'thread' of the breath-- a traditional image for its lifelong continuity-- would provide only a single string, and that too a most delicate one. If the 'thread' of the life-breath were picked or plucked too vigorously, it would break, and the result would be only silence.

The contrast of this frailty and solitude with the 'onrush' or 'impetuousity' of the collective music of 'conviviality' pouring out of the beloved's gathering does some very effective imaginative work.